Nighttime Pedestrian Accident Safety Tips
When a firefighter is battling flames, the smoke can get thick and dark. Being able to see his or her fellow firefighters can mean the difference between life and death. So to be seen, firefighters carry a flashlight. But that’s not all. The stripes on their clothes are made of reflective material, which makes them more visible from further away.
Pedestrians can learn an important lesson from firefighters. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that almost fifty percent of all pedestrian fatalities occur between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and midnight. Most people think that if they can see the headlights of a car approaching, the driver in that car can see them too. But the reality is eight out of ten drivers who struck people at night didn’t see them.
Studies show that pedestrians walking in dark colored clothing at night are first seen approximately 55 feet away-giving the driver traveling at 60 mph less than one second reaction time. A driver traveling at 60 MPH needs over 260 feet to stop safely.
Most of us probably think that wearing white at night would help. But experts say wearing white or light-colored clothing may not provide enough information for motorists to recognize, locate and react quickly to pedestrians and bicyclists. A person wearing white clothing isn’t visible to drivers until they are well within 200 feet. Reflective materials are more visible at night because instead of absorbing light, they reflect light back.
Nighttime Pedestrian Safety Tips
The Harris Law Firm PA offers tips on how you can make yourself more visible at night:
- Wear reflective materials that outline the human form and carry a flashlight.
- If your clothing is dark, add something light-colored or bright like a scarf or reflective pin.
- Be especially careful where cars are turning. If you’re not sure that a driver has seen you, let the car go by before attempting to cross the street.
- Before you start crossing, make sure you look in all directions for oncoming vehicles and especially for turning vehicles.
The Harris Law Firm PA encourages pedestrian safety because the world is better with you in it safe and sound.
Contact Us
If you want to learn more, or need a lawyer to help after a pedestrian accident, then contact our experienced, principled, and driven personal injury lawyers today. At the Harris Law Firm PA, we put clients first, and will fight for you and your family following a pedestrian accident involving serious personal injury or wrongful death.
In Southwest Florida, a dedicated attorney will serve your needs whether you are in Charlotte County (Englewood, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda), Collier County (Everglades City, Golden Gate, Immokalee, Marco Island, Ochopee), Hendry County (Clewiston, Felda, LaBelle), Lee County (Alva, Bonita Springs, Captiva, Cape Coral, Estero, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Lehigh Acres, North Fort Myers, San Carlos Park, Sanibel, St James City), and beyond. Call us today.
Common Car Accident Causes
Southwest Florida Accident Lawyer
Common Car Accident Causes
Car accidents happen in an instant, but very often leave a lasting and devastating effect. Due to these accidents, countless individuals and families have to accommodate the new life changes and challenges, forever altering their road of life.
Personal injury sustained from a car accident is a basic tort, or civil wrong. When someone is at fault for causing an auto accident, then the law provides a means to recover compensate for the harms and losses, i.e. injuries, disability, financial losses, and even death.
Our Car Accident Lawyers in Southwest Florida focus on car accident claim, and have proven ourselves with a long line of successful cases over the years. Do you need a dedicated accident lawyer who will battle for your rights, and do everything within the law, to win your case?
Causes of Car Accidents
Despite what we are told about drinking and driving, roughly 40% percent of the fatalities are caused by drunken driving. Other factors of car accidents may include:
- mobile phone use while driving
- driving while texting
- mechanical failure
- road failure
- tire blow out
- aggressive driving
- drowsy driving
- DUI
- fatigue
- poor eyesight
The fact is, car accidents are a combination of driver error, road conditions, and other human factors. If you or your loved one have been seriously harmed in a car accident, then contact a car accident lawyer at the Harris Law Firm PA at 877-274-2080, or use the contact form on the screen, immediately to ensure that your rights are protected. Delays harm valid cases.
We look forward to working with you and helping you through this challenging time. Contact
Tire Care Safety Tips
Southwest Florida Accident Lawyer
Safety First, Second, and Third . . .
Tire Safety Tips
- A tire’s tread provides road grip and stopping capability. This is why it’s important to make sure your tire treads are good shape and measure up.
- A tire is considered bald if it has 1/16 of an inch or less of tread depth. What does this mean?
- You can do the “penny test” to check tread wear. Just place the penny upside down within the tread, with Lincoln’s head facing downward. If you can see the top of Lincoln’s head, this indicates the tread is worn to 1/16 of an inch and the tires need to be replaced.
- Additionally, most newer model tires have built-in tread wear indicators which let a motorist know when the tires should be replaced. The indicators are raised sections spaced intermittently in the bottom of the tread grooves. When they appear, it’s time for new tires.
- A new test for tread depth is replacing the “penny test” with a quarter is more effective. The quarter test will show when a tire has worn down to 1/18 of an inch of tread. This tiny bit of additional tread makes a significant difference, providing greater protection and stopping capability. They say motorists should replace tires when they have worn past this point, rather than waiting until the tire is considered “bald.”
- Bald tires are almost 2x more likely to be under-inflated than tires with deeper tread. Make sure you are using an accurate gauge to test tire inflation.
- The NHTSA found that almost 20 percent of gas station tire-pressure gauges over-report the pressure by at least 4 psi or more. It’s better to keep and use your own gauge, which has been tested and certified as accurate.
- Do not rely on a visual inspection to determine whether a tire is properly inflated. Always use a reliable gauge.
- Proper tire inflation guidelines can be found in your automobile’s owner’s manual or on a placard in the glove compartment or driver’s doorjamb.
- If your tires are more than six years old, then replace them. As tires age, the rubber can become more brittle and more prone to a blowout. A blowout can lead to loss of vehicle control, rollover, and serious personal injury.
It’s hard enough nowadays driving defensively to protect yourself and your family. Don’t let your guard down when it comes to your tires. Tires are likely to be your primary defensive partner when trying to avoid a vehicle collision, as they provide grip, stability, traction, and maneuverability to your defense driving arsenal.
Contact a Dedicated Accident Attorney at the Harris Law Firm PA
If you have been the unfortunate victim of a car accident, SUV accident, or other motor vehicle collision in Southwest Florida, then contact a dedicated Southwest Fla. accident lawyer here are the Ft. Myers-based Harris Law Firm PA. We serve serious accident injury victims throughout Southwest Florida, including Naples, Ft Myers, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, LaBelle, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte, Arcadia, and beyond. We put your needs first.
Got UM? Get It Now
SW Fla. Accident Lawyer Warns Florida Motorists About Uninsured Motorists
As a highly-experienced Fort Myers injury attorney handling serious auto accident claims throughout Southwest, I know there has been an increase in uninsured and under-insured motorists on Florida’s roads as the result on increasing unemployment and the poor economy.
In Florida, according to the insurance industry, there are as many as an estimated 30% uninsured and underinsured drivers among our motorists. This is a staggering figure. Think about it: almost one in every three (1/3) cars on the road has no bodily injury (liability) insurance coverage, or have very minimal coverage.
Unisured vs. Underinsured
An uninsured driver carries no auto insurance at all, while underinsured motorists carry the minimum required collision damage and no bodily injury liability insurance.
The bottom line: a high number of today’s motorists are uninsured or underinsured. I cannot tell you how many times, after reviewing, evaluating and handling thousands of accident cases, seriously injured people — good, decent, hardworking people who have suffered permanent injury in a car accident, motorcycle accident, truck accident, or other traffic crash — had little, if any, available remedy or recourse because the negligent driver was uninsured, and more often, under-insured (carrying minimum bodily injury liability limits of $10,000 or $20,000). PROTECT YOURSELF!
Getting UM Coverage to Protect Your Family
If you have plenty of UM insurance coverage, then being the victim of an uninsured motorist or under-insured motorist will not ruin you financially. Why? Because UM coverage through your own insurance company protects you — UM stands in the shoes of the negligent driver and pays you the money compensation the at-fault driver doesn’t have.
Uninsured Motorist Insurance Tips
1. Get UM coverage now.
2. Go to your insurance agent or broker today, tomorrow — soon — and DEMAND — don’t ask — DEMAND — uninsured motorist insurance coverage in minimum amount of $100,000 (and I recommend more — a minimum of $250,000 in my view).
3. Make sure your UM is STACKED. Don’t let the insurance agent or broker weasel you out of this if you have 2 or more vehicles.
4. Stacked UM coverage means that your available UM coverage is multiplied by the number of covered vehicles ($ UM coverage amount X # of cars = $ total available coverage).
5. For example, if you purchase $100,000 in UM coverage (which means if you’re injured by an uninsured driver or under-insured driver, your own insurance company will pay you up to $100,000 for your injuries), and you have 2 covered vehicles, and you stacked your UM, then your UM coverage is doubled. In other words, you now have $200,000 coverage for that same serious auto accident caused by an uninsured driver.
Why You Want and Need this Important Coverage
Because I have worn the hat of a Fort Myers injury lawyer, I know that even if a negligent motorist has liability insurance, far too often it is a minimal amount. In other words, the other driver is “under-insured.” This occurs when a person who caused an auto accident has minimal insurance limits, often not high enough to fully compensate for the losses they caused to another motorist or motorcyclist.
Typical insurance coverage provides for only $10,000 in losses. Medical costs for a serious auto accident or injured motorcyclist who is involved in a Florida motorcycle accident can be very high — exceeding $50,000 or even $100,000.
Have More Questions? Seriously Injured and Confused on What to Do Next? Call Me!
As an lawyer, I work to bring my clients the best and fairest settlements possible in a timely and efficient manner. I handle only valid personal injury and accident claims involving permanent injury, which limits my caseload, so I can provide each client with personal attention and service.
Call an experienced Fort Myers personal injury attorney at my law firm today to serve you.
Auto Accident Lawyer Serving Naples Injury Victims
Auto Accident Lawyer Serving Naples Injury Victims
An accident attorney and personal injury lawyer at Harris Law Firm, P.A. is available to help your Naples family through your time of challenge and loss which occurred in a serious traffic accident.
Because we have experience in handling all types of vehicle accidents, including car accidents, motorcycle crashes, semi accidents, and pedestrian accidents, we know how to quickly investigate the facts, gather evidence, and negotiate with the at fault driver’s insurance company.
Naples Car Accident Claim
We know you want your car accident injury claim to be settled as quickly and as fairly as possible. That is why we start working right gathering the required insurance paperwork, medical paperwork, and accident reports.
We don’t ignore you, and are happy to take your call. We talk to you, and under the appropriate circumstances, witnesses, right away. We contact the negligent driver’s insurance company, request important coverage information, and with your input, make a claim. An experienced auto accident lawyer is actively involved at every stage of this process.
Examples or driver negligence in Naples auto accidents include driving too fast for conditions, driver inattention, texting while driving, running a red light, failing to yield, talking on the cell phone, and many, many more.
Naples Accident Claim Attorney
Contact a personal injury attorney at our law firm today. We are here to help those who have sustained serious injuries in a Naples auto accident. Home and hospital visits are available, so please do not hesitate to arrange a free and confidential consultation, through email, online chat, or phone call.
TV Lawyer Referral Services: What’s Wrong With You?
The endless parade of TV commercials touting “lawyer and doctor referral services” leaves me wondering: who calls these folks? What is wrong with the people who do?
The actors say something like, “I’m not a doctor, and I’m no lawyer . . .” Really? Are you sure? Did anyone think you — the actor — were the attorney or chiropractor they would be calling?
Wow, the mindlessness of it all. The referral service is a glorified phone bank. An auto accident injury victim calls the “service” (aka telephone operator) and the operator reads from a prepared script seeking to steer you to a chiropractor and/or an accident lawyer. Take your pick.
I used to think that only the non-serious auto accident cases would be processed through such means. But, then I wondered: would genuinely and seriously injured persons — harmed in an car accident or motorcycle accident — actually call these people? Would they tempted by the actors ridiculous, and artificial, script of “I’m no lawyer, and I ain’t no doctor” but call this number . . .
The lawyers who are part of this service must pay a fee or something to participate. I am not aware of any screening of attorneys or chiropractors who participate in these TV lawyer referral services. So, perhaps you the prospective client get what you pay for? Do you feel comfortable with this arrangement? Isn’t there a better way of finding a lawyer — and vetting that attorney — before you go calling an 800 number referral service?
I’m all for free speech in attorney advertising. There really is no reason that lawyers should be prohibited or restricted in the ways we are when other professions and businesses are not. It is basic economics — creating barriers to entry through marketing restrictions only helps a select few, and harms the rest by limiting choices and access. I even believe these nonsensical ads should be left alone if the market (i.e. people call and use the services) demands them. Of course I’d like to see common sense prevail, and think reasonably intelligent people see through these ads. Yes, I think the ads are demeaning to the legal profession, but they are not the reason people don’t like attorneys.
But sometimes I wonder.
