Destin Pedestrian Accident Lawyer

Have you been injured or lost a loved one in a pedestrian accident in Destin, Florida? If someone’s carelessness caused you to get hurt, Brannon & Brannon will fight for your right to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and suffering.

Our Destin pedestrian accident lawyers have more than 60 years of combined legal experience helping injured victims in Northwest Florida—and with great success. We’ve obtained millions of dollars in life-changing awards for clients over our more than three decades of serving the community. 

Consultations are always free. Call our Destin, FL law office today at (850) 842-2573 to learn more about how we can help or contact us here.

How Brannon & Brannon Can Help After a Pedestrian Accident in Destin

How Brannon & Brannon Can Help After a Pedestrian Accident in Destin

We know your life has been completely turned upside down after your accident. Getting hit while walking is horrifying. It’s scary, and it leaves painful physical and emotional scars. You need time to recover and rest.

A Destin personal injury lawyer can help you now by:

  • Conducting a full investigation to determine the cause of your accident
  • Giving you sound legal advice throughout your case
  • Locating and interviewing witnesses
  • Compiling evidence to support your case and refute blame against you
  • Calculating the total value of your damages
  • Handling all communications with insurance companies and at-fault parties
  • Sending a top-rated trial lawyer to fight for you in court if necessary

We fight hard to get you the full amount of compensation you deserve. We’re skilled negotiators who often reach substantial settlements prior to trial. However, we’re fierce litigators who aren’t afraid to take your case to trial. We’ll never try to convince you to take a settlement offer that’s less than fair.

How Common are Pedestrian Accidents?

Recent data show that about one pedestrian is killed by a car every 85 minutes in the U.S. Every seven minutes, a pedestrian is injured.

In Okaloosa County (which includes Destin) and neighboring Walton County, there were 113 vehicle crashes involving pedestrians in 2020. Of those, 16% (18 total) were fatal.

As of November 2021, there have been 70 instances of pedestrians getting hit by cars, with six fatalities.

What’s a Pedestrian Accident Injury Case Worth? 

Each case is unique. We’d be doing you a disservice if we tried to give you an estimate without knowing the facts specific to you.

We can tell you that certain factors generally affect the value of a case, such as:

  • How severe your injuries are
  • How much (if any) work you miss(ed) due to your injuries
  • Whether (and when) you’re expected to recover fully
  • Whether you are partially at fault for the accident

Cases involving more severe injuries tend to result in higher awards. These are also the cases that insurance companies fight the hardest. When they see Brannon & Brannon on the other side, they know they can’t get away with their usual tactics (our founding partner is a former defense attorney). 

You might be asking what your case is worth because maybe an insurance company has already made you an offer. You might wonder why you need a lawyer. Data shows that when you have an attorney fighting for you, you’re more likely to win a bigger award—maybe even up to 3.5 times more.

What Kind of Compensation Is Available to Victims of Pedestrian Accidents? 

Generally, damages typically fall into one of two categories: (1) economic; and (2) non-economic.

Economic damages compensate you for monetary losses, such as:

You can recover money to reimburse you for expenses you’ve already paid out-of-pocket, such as payments toward your insurance deductible. You can also get compensation for projected costs of future medical treatment.

Non-economic damages are less tangible and can include:

  • Mental anguish
  • Emotional trauma
  • Loss of consortium
  • Disability
  • Anxiety 
  • Depression 
  • Disfigurement

Most awards include some combination of damages from both categories. It’s in your best interest to hire an attorney with extensive experience in personal injury law to handle your case. At Brannon & Brannon, we take great care to assess all of your physical and emotional injuries and account for all of them when we demand compensation.

Punitive damages are rare. They serve not to compensate you, but to punish the defendant for intentional or severely reckless behavior. If there’s a chance they could apply in your case, we’ll fight to get them.

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

Most likely, yes. That’s because when it comes to shared liability, Florida follows a modified comparative fault rule. This means as long you aren’t mostly at fault, you can still recover compensation.

There’s a little bit of a catch: Your compensation will be reduced by the proportion of the accident caused by your own negligence.

The good news for you is that if you hire Brannon & Brannon, you’ll have a former insurance defense attorney on your side. When the insurance company tries to place the blame on you to get out of paying your claim, they won’t get very far when going up against someone who knows the tricks of their trade.

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

Unfortunately, if you’re hit by a car while walking across the street, your injuries are probably severe. The human body is no match for a hunk of metal that weighs thousands of pounds.

Some common injuries include:

We coordinate with your medical professionals to get a clear picture of the extent of your medical treatment. You can seek compensation for costs needed for ongoing medical care.

What Causes Most Pedestrian Accidents?

Sometimes accidents just happen. But most of the time, pedestrian accidents are the result of someone’s carelessness. Whether you were hit by a car crossing the street or you slipped and fell while walking across an improperly maintained parking lot, negligence is usually what causes people to get hurt while walking.

Some common ways we see pedestrians get hurt are:

By conducting a thorough investigation, we’ll pinpoint the cause of your accident. Even when the cause seems straightforward, there might be several parties involved who may need to be held liable.

For example, you may have been hit by the driver of a delivery truck in a crosswalk with faulty lights.

In that scenario, any of the following parties could potentially be liable:

  • The driver of the truck
  • The delivery company
  • The city
  • A separate maintenance company responsible for upkeep of the crosswalk equipment

Accidents are often more complicated than they first appear. That’s why having an experienced Destin personal injury attorney handle your case can make a huge difference in the outcome of your case.

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

Negligence is the legal theory used to hold people financially accountable for injuries caused by reckless or careless behavior. Therefore, it’s the basis for most personal injury claims.

You have to prove each element of negligence by a preponderance of the evidence in order to win your case.

  • Eyewitness testimony
  • Police reports
  • Video footage from traffic or security cameras
  • Toxicology reports
  • Maintenance records
  • Medical records
  • Payroll records
  • Expert testimony to support the cause of the accident or your injuries

Even accidents that seem straightforward can be tough to prove. Brannon & Brannon is exclusively a personal injury law firm. It’s all we do. It not only means we truly care about helping injured people, it means we know how to get results.

What’s the Statute of Limitations for a Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit in Florida?

You’ll have two years to file a negligence lawsuit to recover compensation for your injuries. If your loved one was involved in a fatal accident, you’ll also have to file a wrongful death suit within two years.

Although there are exceptions to the deadlines, it’s best not to wait. The sooner you call a reputable Destin, FL personal injury lawyer, the better chance you’ll have to get a fair award. Your attorney will have more time to investigate and find cooperative witnesses.

Time goes by much faster than you think when you’re dealing with recovery and trying to cover your lost wages. It’ll put your mind at ease to know that an experienced legal team is fighting to get you the money you deserve.

Your Trusted Destin Pedestrian Accident Lawyers 

There’s no need to suffer alone. Let a compassionate Destin pedestrian accident lawyer help you get on the road to financial recovery today.

For more than 30 years, residents of Okaloosa County, Walton County, and throughout Florida have counted on us to restore hope to their future. We’re a small firm, but we have substantial resources and more than half a century of combined legal experience to put behind your case.

Call today to let us help you. Your initial consultation is free, so don’t wait.

Our personal injury law firm in Destin, FL also provides: