Earlier this month in Park Ridge, an elderly woman was killed in a pedestrian accident while she was crossing the street in the neighborhood of South Park. According to a report by one local news source, the accident occurred in the eastbound lane of Devon Avenue shortly after 10:15 in the morning. Evidently, the elderly woman was crossing the street at the time of the accident. It is unclear whether she was crossing at a crosswalk. Investigators are looking into where exactly she was when she was struck by the vehicle. The driver of the car that struck her stopped the vehicle after the accident and has cooperated with investigators so far. She was, however, ticketed for “failure to exercise due care” for her role in the fatal pedestrian accident. Additional charges may be filed against the driver, depending on the outcome of the investigation. Accident-Scene Investigations Are Critical for Justice Rarely can the entire story of an accident be uncovered by speaking to the people involved and perhaps the few witnesses that saw the accident. Most often, accident investigators are required to get a full picture of the accident and to help determine which parties may have been responsible for the tragic event. In some cases, further investigation by an experienced attorney may be needed to truly get to the bottom of what happened. For example, once investigators determine who is at fault, they rarely continue the investigation to uncover why the accident really occurred. Was it because the driver was texting at the time of the accident? Was the driver on the phone, or in an argument with a passenger? These are facts that can be critical to a civil suit for damages against the negligent driver. However, they are also facts that may not be uncovered in the police investigation. Uncovering What Really Happened It may be that a dedicated personal injury attorney is needed to investigate and work up the claim against the negligent driver. In many cases, a client’s case does not seem all that strong until we conduct a thorough investigation ourselves, uncovering facts that make the case much stronger. If you have been involved in a serious auto accident in Florida, consider retaining the services of a dedicated personal injury attorney to investigate your case. Are You in Need of an Attorney? If you or a loved one has recently been involved in a serious Florida auto accident, you may be entitled to monetary damages. However, in order to receive a favorable settlement or judgment, you will need to offer proof of the other driver’s negligence. An attorney can help you uncover the facts that will help prove your case against the other driver. To learn more about how to prove a case against a negligent driver, click here, or call 352-387-8700 to schedule a free initial consultation with a dedicated Florida personal injury attorney. More Blog Posts: Tampa Bay Attorney Dies in Boating Accident, Ocala Injury Lawyers Blog, published August 20, 2014. Police Identify Hit-and-Run Driver Responsible for the Deaths of Three Single Mothers, Ocala Injury Lawyers Blog, published July 31, 2014.
