St. Petersburg · Pinellas County
St. Petersburg pedestrian accident lawyer.
The Tampa Bay area is one of the most dangerous places in the country to be on foot. If a driver struck you in St. Petersburg, here is how these claims actually work.
Kovar Law Group · St. Petersburg, Florida · 727-827-7777
Who pays my medical bills if a car hit me while walking?
Surprisingly often, your own auto insurance does. Florida PIP follows the person, so if you or a household relative own a car, that PIP coverage generally applies to you as an injured pedestrian even though no car of yours was involved. Beyond PIP, the at-fault driver's bodily injury coverage, health insurance, and uninsured motorist coverage may all come into play.
Do pedestrians always have the right of way in Florida?
Not always. Drivers must yield to pedestrians in marked and unmarked crosswalks and exercise care to avoid anyone on the roadway, but pedestrians crossing outside a crosswalk generally must yield to traffic. Even where a pedestrian was partly at fault, that usually reduces rather than eliminates recovery, subject to Florida's comparative fault limits.
What if the driver left the scene?
Hit-and-run pedestrian crashes are common, and they do not automatically leave you without options. Report it to police immediately, since uninsured motorist coverage often applies to a phantom or unidentified driver, and PIP still applies. Nearby business video, traffic cameras, and vehicle debris frequently help identify the car.
What evidence matters most in a crosswalk case?
The crash report, the signal timing and crosswalk markings at that intersection, the point of impact and vehicle damage, driver speed data, witness accounts, and any nearby camera footage. Photographs of the intersection soon after the crash help, because lighting, signage, and construction change.
How long do I have to file?
Florida's filing deadline for negligence claims was shortened by the 2023 tort reform legislation, and the window that applies depends on your date of injury and the type of claim. Claims involving a government vehicle or property carry separate, much shorter notice requirements. Confirm your exact deadline with an attorney rather than assuming you have years.
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Jay Kovar · Founder