The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) recently released a disturbing statistic—in the past ten years, pedestrian deaths from automobile drivers is on the rise.
During the past decade, pedestrian deaths in the first half of the year zoomed from 2,141 in 2013 to 3,434 in 2022 – a 60% increase, adding up to nearly 1,300 additional lives lost. The number of pedestrian deaths each day has now increased to 19. This follows a corresponding trend of increased traffic fatalities overall.
The year 2021 saw nearly 43,000 roadway deaths, the most since 2005. Three states – California, Florida and Texas – home to 28% of all U.S. residents, accounted for 38% of all pedestrian deaths in the first six months of 2022.
In Florida there were 9,942 pedestrian crashes in 2023 with the majority involving injury. 7,869 pedestrians were hurt in 2023 and there were 740 fatalities. In Palm Beach County, as the below statistics show, the dangers to pedestrians are also on the rise.
Factors contributing to this trend include a surge in unsafe driving practices that began at the start of the COVID pandemic, larger and heavier vehicles that are more likely to injure a pedestrian, roads designed to accommodate fast-moving traffic, and inadequate lighting, sidewalks, and crosswalks to keep pedestrians out of harm’s way. Added to these factors are the fact that as the population increases, especially in Palm Beach County post-COVID, there are more drivers on our local roads and highways.
To reverse this dangerous trend, the GHSA has recommended building better designed walkways, vigilant enforcement of traffic safety laws, and engaging communities into following safe practices. It has also endorsed the Safe System approach outlined in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS)., which involves a five-pronged strategy: safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads and post-crash care.
We support efforts to promote pedestrian safety by calling on drivers and pedestrians to engage in safe practices—driving at safe speeds, looking out for pedestrians, avoiding jaywalking and using sidewalks whenever possible. However, as the statistics clearly show, accidents continue to happen. When they do, and innocent pedestrians are injured, The Datny Law Firm and our Boca Raton Pedestrian Accident Lawyer are here to help at 561-221-7474.
1. How many pedestrian accidents were there in Florida in 2023?
In 2023, there were 9,942 pedestrian crashes in the State of Florida. The overwhelming majority of these pedestrian accidents involved injury. Specifically, there were 7,869 injuries in Florida from pedestrian accidents in 2023. Sadly, there were 740 fatalities form pedestrian crashes in 2023.
2. How many pedestrian accidents were there in Palm Beach County in 2023?
There were 688 pedestrian crashes in Palm Beach County in 2023. This represents an increase from 2022 in which there were 646 pedestrian crashes.
3. How many injuries from pedestrian accidents were there in Palm Beach County in 2023?
In 2023, there were 553 injuries from pedestrian crashes in Palm Beach County. This is an increase of 26 additional pedestrian crashes with injury from 2022 to 2023. In 2022, there were 527 injuries from pedestrian accidents.
4. How many deaths were there from pedestrian accidents in Palm Beach County in 2023?
There were 43 fatalities from pedestrian crashes in Palm Beach County in 2023. This represents a decrease from 2022 in which there were 59 deaths from pedestrian crashes in Palm Beach County.
5. How does Palm Beach County compare to Broward County in pedestrian accidents?
Broward County had more pedestrian crashes than Palm Beach County in 2023. There were 1,077 pedestrian crashes in Broward County compared to only 688 in Palm Beach County. In other words, there were 389 more pedestrian accidents in Broward County in 2023 than Palm Beach County.
6. How does Palm Beach County compare to Miami-Dade County in pedestrian accidents?
Palm Beach County had fewer pedestrian accidents than Miami-Dade County in 2023. There were 1,760 pedestrian crashes in Miami-Dade County in 2023, which is 1,072 more than Palm Beach County.
7. Can I recover my medical bills for my Palm Beach County pedestrian accident?
Yes. If you were the victim of a pedestrian knockdown in Florida, you can recover damages in a civil claim from the at fault party for injuries, lost wage, medical expenses as well as pain and suffering.
Damages for medical expenses include the cost of past treatment including ambulance, hospital, emergency room, urgent care, chiropractic therapy, MRI, injections, surgery, etc. It also includes the cost of future treatment related to the accident.
If the victim of a pedestrian accident owns a car, then his or her no fault automobile insurance is primary and pays the first $10,000 of medical bills under the personal injury protection (PIP) portion of his or her policy.
If the victim of a pedestrian accident does not own a car, or live with a resident-relative with a car, then the at fault driver’s automobile insurance is responsible for providing $10,000 in PIP benefits for medical bills.
It is important to note, PIP generally does not pay medical bills at 100%. All medical bills are submitted to the PIP insurer and adjusted to a contractual amount. PIP then pays the bill at 80% leaving a co-pay of 20% the patient is responsible for. The patient is also responsible for any deductibles which range from $500 to $1,000.
After PIP exhausts, the patient’s health insurance would kick in. If there is no health insurance or secondary payer, the patient is responsible for his or her medical bills.
The Datny Law Firm helps pedestrian accident victims get the medical treatment they need and avoid financial hardship by pursuing the at fault driver for all out of pocket medical expenses including co-pays, deductibles and unpaid doctors bills.
8. How much does a Palm Beach County Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Cost?
There is no fee unless we successfully settle your pedestrian accident case. If we do not settle your case, there is no fee. Consultations are free and we will travel to you if you cannot get to our office. To set up a meeting, call us any time at 561-221-7474.