Imagine you are walking down one of South Florida's scenic byways, admiring the coastal views, or crossing one of our bustling city streets en route to shopping or dining out. Then, without warning, your life changes in an instant. You are struck by a motor vehicle.

As unthinkable a scenario as that may seem -- it's an unfortunate reality for hundreds of pedestrians injured or killed in Florida traffic accidents every year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 490 people were killed in pedestrian traffic accidents in Florida in 2008. In addition, NHTSA found that of the 10 most dangerous cities in the U.S. for pedestrians, five are located in Florida.

Florida Pedestrian Traffic Accident Attorneys Help Families in Need

What would you or your loved one do if you were injured or killed by a reckless or negligent driver? What if it were one of your family members? Where would you turn for help? The Law Offices of Chalik and Chalik are here to help you.

The caring attorneys at Chalik & Chalik have successfully advocated for clients who have been seriously injured in Florida pedestrian - car accidents. We have secured the compensation they need and are entitled to by law to cover their medical expenses, lost wages, and in some cases, recover damages. See our Verdicts & Settlements page for examples of cases we have brought to a successful conclusion on behalf of our clients.

National and Florida Pedestrian - Auto Accident Statistics

Nationally, automobile accidents claimed the lives of 4,882 pedestrians in 2001. Some Pedestrian fatality facts:

• Nearly half of deadly pedestrian accidents happen on or around the weekend -- Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
• Alcohol use is a factor for either the driver or the pedestrian in nearly half of all fatal pedestrian traffic accidents.
• A majority of fatal pedestrian traffic crashes occur at night, in urban areas, in non-intersections.
• The elderly (people over age 70) represent the age group with the highest number of pedestrian traffic accident fatalities.
• Hit and run drivers are involved in roughly 20% of fatal pedestrian accidents.

(Source: Pedestrian Roadway Fatalities, NHTSA Technical Report, April 2003.)

The more recent Dangerous by Design study released by Transportation for America listed the most dangerous places for pedestrians in the United States. Florida cities held the top four slots, with Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and Jacksonville, Fla. deemed the most dangerous metropolitan areas for walking in 2007-2008. (Source: Transportation for American, Dangerous by Design website, retrieved March 2010.)

As experienced pedestrian accident injury lawyers in the state of Florida, Attorneys Jason and Debi Chalik are familiar with the laws and regulations in place designed to keep pedestrians safe. Pedestrian accidents with motor vehicles can occur when negligent, reckless, speeding, distracted drivers, and/or alcohol- or drug-impaired drivers violate the traffic laws or fail to yield for pedestrians in their path or along the roadway.

Pedestrian accidents can and do occur when people on foot are crossing the street (inside and outside of crosswalks), as they walk along the road, when they walk or work in or near construction zones -- even when they are minding their own business and walking on the sidewalk. School children are also vulnerable to being struck by a motor vehicle when walking to or from school and when getting on and off the school bus.

For the same reasons that motorcyclists and bicyclists are vulnerable when struck by a car, truck or SUV -- pedestrians, too, are at risk of catastrophic injury and death if they are victims in a traffic accident.

What to Do If You Are Injured in a Florida Pedestrian Traffic Accident

The insurance industry and the courts system can be confusing and overwhelming to the average Florida citizen -- particularly when you or a family member is hurt or killed in an auto accident. If you or a family member is injured in a car-pedestrian crash in Florida,

• Seek immediate medical attention.
• Document your injuries and the circumstances surrounding the accident.
• Contact the caring, knowledgeable pedestrian accident attorneys at The Law Offices of Chalik and Chalik at 888-539-5297.

We are available 24 x 7, and we will come to your home or the hospital to meet with you and talk about your accident.

Video: Attorney Debi Chalik tells why 24-hour access to an experienced personal injury attorney is important if you're injured in a Florida motor vehicle accident.

Chalik and Chalik pedestrian injury lawyers serve the people of Florida including Broward County, the Fort Myers and Fort Lauderdale areas, as well as Palm Beach County and greater Miami. We also work with clients who require Spanish speaking lawyers in Florida. Our main office is in Plantation, Florida, with branch offices conveniently located in or near many South Florida communities.

Contact our Florida pedestrian accident injury lawyers for a complimentary consultation today. Call us toll free at 888-539-5297.