Fort Walton Beach Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Have you or a loved one recently been hurt in a pedestrian accident in Fort Walton Beach, FL? If so, you could be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and suffering. Don’t wait. Seek legal advice now to preserve your right to get the money you deserve.

Our Fort Walton Beach pedestrian accident lawyers have been serving injured victims throughout Northwest Florida for the past three decades. We’ve obtained millions of dollars on behalf of clients who’ve been injured due to the carelessness of others.

With more than 60+ years of combined expertise and training, Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers provides top-rated legal representation you can trust. Call us at (850) 863-5297 or contact us online today to schedule a free consultation.

How Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Pedestrian Accident in Fort Walton Beach

How Brannon & Brannon Can Help After a Pedestrian Accident in Fort Walton Beach

When you’re injured through no fault of your own, you may be left feeling helpless, frustrated, and angry. You don’t deserve to be stuck with the medical bills that are piling up or worry about how you’re going to manage without your paycheck. Let us help you get the compensation you deserve while you focus on getting better.

When you hire a Fort Walton Beach personal injury attorney at Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ll:

  • Launch a complete investigation into your accident
  • Locate and interview witnesses
  • Collect evidence to help prove your case
  • Handle all claims paperwork and other communications with insurance companies
  • Negotiate on your behalf for a settlement covering all of your losses
  • Take your case to court if necessary

Our dedicated and experienced trial lawyers have an excellent track record in and out of the courtroom. With a former defense lawyer on our team, we often convince insurance companies to open their wallets early in the game because they don’t want to face us in court. But if they want to be stubborn, we don’t hesitate to go to trial when that’s what it takes to get you every dollar you deserve.

How Common are Pedestrian Accidents?

Every seven minutes in the U.S., a pedestrian is injured by a motor vehicle. About 17 people pedestrians per day are killed by a car.

In 2020, in the counties around Fort Walton Beach, Okaloosa County and Walton County:

  • There were 113 vehicle accidents involving pedestrians in 2020.
  • Of those, 18 (16%) were fatal.

As of November 2021 in Okaloosa and Walton counties, 70 pedestrians have been hit by a car. Six of those people have died.

I Was Injured as a Pedestrian – How Much Is Claim Worth?

The value of your case is unique to you. When you come in for your free case evaluation, we’ll be able to tell you more based on the facts of your case.

Even then, some variables are unpredictable. But, some studies show that you’re more likely to win a bigger award—maybe even up to 3.5 times more—when you have an attorney handle your case.

Some factors that can affect the value of your case include: 

  • The severity of your injuries
  • Whether you have a disability
  • How much work you missed
  • Whether you’re expected to fully recover
  • Whether you can return to work in the same capacity
  • Whether anyone depends on your income
  • Whether you were at fault in any way

Our Fort Walton Beach pedestrian accident attorneys will work carefully to calculate your damages. And we’ll fiercely defend you against any unfair allegations that you were at fault.

What Kind of Damages Are Available to Injured Pedestrians? 

When someone causes you to get hurt, you can seek damages that will fully compensate you for all physical and emotional injuries.

Economic damages include tangible expenses related to your injury and recovery. These make you financially whole.

While no amount of money can erase the pain and suffering you’ve experienced, non-economic damages help compensate you for the psychological trauma caused by your accident.

Damages that could be available to you include compensation for:

  • Medical treatment
  • Loss of wages
  • Rehabilitation
  • Nursing care
  • Property damage
  • Costs for medical devices or equipment
  • Other out-of-pocket expenses
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • PTSD
  • Disability or disfigurement
  • Loss of enjoyment of life activities
  • Loss of companionship
  • Ongoing therapy or counseling

Punitive damages could be available in rare cases. These punish the defendant for intentional or severely reckless behavior.

Under Florida law, punitive damages are capped at $500,000 or three times the amount of compensatory damages, whichever is greater.

Can I Get Money If I’m Being Blamed For a Pedestrian Accident in Florida?

Probably. Under Florida’s modified comparative fault statute, you can still recover compensation as long as you aren’t mostly to blame. If you are only partly to blame, your compensation will be reduced by the portion of the accident determined to be caused by your own negligence.

Insurance companies hate to see Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers on the other side. Our founding partner was a former insurance defense lawyer. They know better than to try to get away with their usual tactics of blaming the victim. That’s just one of many benefits of having our experienced Fort Walton Beach personal injury attorneys handling your case.

We’ll Fight for Compensation For All of Your Pedestrian Accident Injuries

Unfortunately, pedestrian accidents are rarely minor. Slip and fall accidents may seem less traumatic than, say, getting hit by a car. However, as a pedestrian, you’re extremely vulnerable and have no protection against impacts. Any injury sustained as a pedestrian can be serious and even life-threatening. 

Some common injuries include:

Be sure to seek medical attention even if you don’t think you are severely injured. What you believe to be just a bump on the head or a sprained ankle could be more serious than you think. 

What Causes Pedestrian Accidents in Northwest Florida?

Most accidents are caused by someone’s carelessness. We typically think of pedestrian accidents as involving someone being hit by a motor vehicle. But whether you’re strolling through the park or walking up and down the grocery aisles—whenever you’re walking, you’re a pedestrian.

Some common ways we see pedestrians get hurt are:

  • Distracted driving
  • Drunk drivers
  • Failure to yield the right of way
  • Speeding
  • Inexperienced drivers
  • Running red lights
  • Poor crosswalk lighting or signage
  • Malfunctioning crosswalk equipment
  • Poorly maintained walkways
  • Obstructions in retail walkways
  • Workplace accidents
  • Trip and fall accidents
  • Negligently stocked merchandise
  • Inadequate signage for slippery floors
  • Failure to clean up spills
  • And more

Establishing the precise cause of your accident is essential to your case. Many accidents involve multiple parties. Our skilled trial lawyers leave no stone unturned when investigating your accident. Contact us today so we can get started helping you get back on your feet.

How Do I Prove Negligence in a Pedestrian Accident Case in Florida?

Negligence is the legal basis for most personal injury cases. It imposes a duty on people to act reasonably under the circumstances. You can seek damages for harm someone causes by failing to uphold that duty.

However, you must prove each element of negligence by a preponderance of the evidence in order to win your case.

That means you must prove:

  1. Duty: the defendant owed you a duty of care
  2. Breach: present compelling evidence that the defendant breached that duty
  3. Causation: establish a connection between the defendant’s actions and your injuries
  4. Damages: you must prove that you suffered actual damages

Not every accident results in recoverable damages. For example, maybe something was stacked too high on a store shelf and fell off and hit you. It should have been stocked properly so it wouldn’t fall. But, if it was a lightweight object or something that otherwise didn’t cause you any injuries, you won’t have a valid case.

To prove your case, you might use:

  • Your own account of the accident
  • Eyewitness testimony
  • Photos of the scene
  • Police or accident reports
  • Video footage
  • Toxicology reports
  • Medical records
  • Payroll records
  • Testimony from scientific, medical, or economic experts

We have years of experience and outstanding results proving complex cases. Even cases that could seem straightforward on the surface are rarely easy to prove.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Pedestrian Accident in Florida?

You must file your case for injuries within two years of your accident. That’s the statute of limitations for negligence-based personal injury cases in Florida. To recover compensation for the loss of a loved one, you’ll have two years to file a wrongful death suit lawsuit.

There could be exceptions, so it’s best to consult a reputable injury law firm as soon as possible after your accident. While it might seem like you have a lot of time to initiate your lawsuit, the sooner you are represented by a lawyer, the better off you’ll be. 

Here’s why:

  • You’ll fall prey to insurance companies trying to convince you to take a low offer before you have a chance to obtain counsel
  • You’ll be busy with doctor appointments and keep putting it off; you could eventually miss the deadline
  • Unrelated injuries or conditions could develop, muddying the waters about which injuries were caused by the accident
  • Cooperating witnesses might be harder to find

Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers stands ready to build your case. All you have to do is make the call. Consultations are free, so there’s no risk to you.

Your Trusted Fort Walton Beach Pedestrian Accident Lawyers 

If you or a loved one is dealing with the aftermath of a pedestrian accident, let Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers help. When someone’s carelessness causes your injuries, they need to be held accountable.

Let our trusted Fort Walton Beach pedestrian accident lawyers stand up for your right to compensation. Since 1990, we’ve proudly served clients throughout Northwest Florida in times of need.

Contact our Fort Walton Beach, FL law office for your free consultation.

Our personal injury law firm in Fort Walton Beach, FL also provides:

Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Fort Walton Beach, FL

Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers
975 Marwalt Dr, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
(850) 863-5297

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