This Cannot Continue. Another Cyclist Killed on Pinellas Roads
In the past 30 days we at FightingForFamilies law firm documented numerous times just how dangerous it is for bicyclists in Pinellas County. Pinellas County is one of the most dangerous locations for bicyclists and pedestrians in the United States. And it’s not getting better. Just three weeks ago we blogged:
Combined deaths of cyclists and pedestrians in Pinellas County nearly doubled from 2020 to 2021, to a total of 85 deaths in 2021.
This unfortunately was evident again Tuesday, February 8, 2022.
Tampa Bay Times reports a 54-year-old bicyclist was killed when he was hit by a Fed Ex truck near 71st Street and 50th Avenue. The report says the Fed Ex driver initially was able to avoid the cyclist but the Fed Ex truck then spun and struck the bicyclist and another vehicle close by. The crash occurred about 7:19 p.m. according to the Times.
This brings up questions about the actions of the Fed Ex driver, the speed of the truck, and failure to keep the vehicle under control. In Florida, auto accidents that involve bicyclists or pedestrians are governed by “comparative fault”. This means that each person is responsible for their percentage of fault. A jury might say one party has no fault at all, and that a second or third party are equally at fault for a crash. Most automobile crash cases do not involve a jury making those decisions, but certainly some do. We have had cases where a jury had to decide the outcome and we have had cases where the case was resolved successfully.
In auto accident cases, pedestrian cases, and bicycle cases it is important for the injured person or family to act quickly. Irreplaceable evidence may be lost, witnesses may be lost, and in some cases video of a crash is able to obtained. It is important to quickly seek out law enforcement which attended the scene.
It is disappointing to not see the Florida Department of Transportation, Pinellas County, or the cities taking immediate emergency action to safeguard cyclists and pedestrians in this time where the crash numbers keep escalating.
