The ability to walk away from a serious collision on a Florida freeway is often viewed as a miracle. Unhappily for a man from Fort Myers, his attempt to walk away from a recent accident proved fatal.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the victim was driving north in a pickup in the southbound lanes of I-75. As he approached the Bayshore Road overpass, he collided with a southbound SUV. The left front of the pickup struck the SUV, and the truck came to a stop in the middle of the center lane. The initial impact was not serious, and the driver of the pickup left his vehicle and began walking north on the freeway. A southbound sedan hit the man and then crashed into the SUV.
The pedestrian died at the scene. The female driver of the southbound sedan and her two passengers all suffered serious injuries when the sedan crashed into the SUV. A third passenger in the sedan suffered minor injuries. The Highway Patrol did not announce any immediate cause of the wrong way direction taken by the pickup truck or any reason why the victim left his vehicle. Neither alcohol nor drugs was announced as a potential cause of the accident.
Anyone who has lost a loved one or suffered a serious injury under similar circumstances may wish to pursue a claim for damages against the person whose negligence causes the accident. In the case discussed above, the police accident report may have a significant bearing on determining liability. In similar cases, the advice of an experienced accident attorney may be useful. A knowledgeable attorney can provide a helpful evaluation of the evidence, legal theories to support a claim for damages and an estimate of the likelihood of recovering damages for lost income, medical expenses and pain and suffering.
