Vet dies while trying to cross street in Lauderdale
May 28, 2015On behalf of Terence Gross of Gross & Schuster, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Tuesday, October 14, 2014.
A 70-year-old Tamarac veteran was reportedly struck and killed earlier this month in Lauderdale while on his way to a VA clinic. According to sources, the man was trying to cross a roadway at the time he was struck. He had apparently just gotten off a bus before crossing the street and the driver claimed that she did not see him coming.
In this fatal accident, part of the problem may be poor positioning of the bus stop. Apparently seniors commonly get off at this particular bust stop and attempt to cross multiple lanes of traffic to arrive at the VA clinic. Sources weren’t clear whether crosswalks were available nearby, and only mention that jaywalking is common at the site.
Pedestrian accidents occur all the time in Florida, and it is only from time to time that the media highlights how significant the problem is. One reason for the high pedestrian accident rate in Florida is the high concentration of elderly residents, who are more at risk of being struck by a vehicle than other adults. Young children, of course, are another vulnerable category.
While it is true that pedestrian accidents can and do occur because of the negligence of pedestrians themselves, motorists also have the responsibility to exercise reasonable care with respect to pedestrians. Failure to yield, speeding, distracted driving, and other factors can all lead to an accident which harms a pedestrian.
In any pedestrian accident, it is pedestrians who stand to suffer the most. Victims, therefore, need to secure an experienced advocate when seeking damages in these cases to ensure they are adequately compensated for their losses.
Source: Sun Sentinel, “Veteran, 70, fatally struck crossing Tamarac roadway,” Joe Cavaretta and Lisa J. Huriash, October 2, 2014.
