Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
A 7-year-old pedestrian who was hit by an elderly driver while walking outside of a Miami pharmacy with her mother has died, officials announced over the weekend.
The girl was walking outside the pharmacy, located at Southwest 32nd Avenue and 22nd Street, on Sept. 2 around 4:30 p.m. when a 92-year-old woman in a Nissan SUV drove up onto the sidewalk and hit her. Police told local news outlets the woman was attempting to park when she hit her accelerator instead of the brakes.
The girl was taken to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital with head injuries. The woman who was driving was previously cited for careless driving and police told local reporters that further charges were possible. The child’s death is still under investigation.
Leesfield & Partners
Data on pedestrian-involved deaths and injuries on the road showed that pedestrian deaths reached an all-time high in 2022. The numbers rank Florida as the second-most dangerous state for pedestrians in the U.S. New Mexico was ranked as the deadliest state for pedestrians, according to reporting from Forbes Magazine.
In 2024, Florida has had 6,514 pedestrian-involved crashes and 410 pedestrians have been killed on the road, according to numbers from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ Crash Dashboard. The year before, there were 10,294 total pedestrian crashes and 789 total pedestrian fatalities recorded.
Throughout its 48 years, Leesfield & Partners has represented thousands of injured pedestrians and their families in life-changing cases. It has been his experience representing injured clients through Leesfield & Partners over the last four decades that Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, has become an advocate for public safety in Miami, Florida. Mr. Leesfield regularly supports organizations dedicated to improving public safety and has written multiple op-eds denouncing the increased use of E-bikes and E-scooters for their obvious dangers, lack of mandatory helmet usage and minimum age requirements. He was recently named as part of the board of Friends of The Underline.
Recently, the firm represented a family whose child was injured while waiting in line with his mother at a local discount store in Florida.
Attorneys recovered $8.5 million following a $27 million arbitration award for a Toronto family who lost a wife and mother of two young children while visiting Fort Myers on vacation. The mother was attempting to cross the street when she was hit by a pickup truck driver who claimed to not have seen the woman.
Another woman who was walking in a marked crosswalk while on a break from work was severely injured by a driver making an illegal turn. The woman suffered skull fractures and brain hemorrhages as a result of the incident. The driver also drove over the woman’s left leg and body.
Justin B. Shapiro, a Partner and Trial Lawyer with the firm, secured a $6 million settlement for the woman in less than months of the crash.
Attorneys with the firm secured $2.9 million for a pedestrian hit by a negligent driver.
Leesfield & Partners obtained over $1.3 million for the family of a pedestrian who was killed by a negligent driver.
Another pedestrian on a sidewalk was hit by a driver distracted by their cell phone. Attorneys with the firm secured a $1.5 million settlement for the injured client.
Attorneys obtained a $1.2 million settlement for a child who was hit by a car while crossing the street in Fort Lauderdale.
Safety Tips
- Be alert – Just as drivers can become distracted by cell phones, so can pedestrians. Be sure to remain focused when walking and keep an eye out for oncoming traffic.
- Walk in designated areas – Always walk on sidewalks or in marked pedestrian walkways. If there aren’t any in the area where you are walking, be sure to stick to the shoulder of the road and only cross when in well-lit areas.
- Never assume a driver can see you – When walking at times with low visibility, never assume that a driver can see you. Whether it is early morning dog walks or nighttime runs for exercise, it is important to make sure you are visible to drivers by wearing bright and or reflective clothing. If running at night, wear a flashlight. When attempting to cross the street, make eye contact with the drivers to ensure that they see you before you cross.
