While many people love the look and feel of a huge, stylish sport utility vehicle, we’ve all heard for years that there can be serious issues related to the way they’re built and how they handle when placed in certain conditions. While some may be better suited for handling head-on collisions, others may be too top heavy, which can result in rollovers and other types of serious accidents. And although SUVs appear to be getting smaller and lighter, they still pose an outsized hazard to pedestrians.
Pedestrian accidents involving SUVs are likely to cause more serious injuries than those involving cars, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. That is likely because the vehicles’ high, squared front ends send pedestrians tumbling forward during a collision, Forbes reports.
The IIHS based its study on nearly 80 crashes in Michigan. Researchers found that pedestrians were killed in all three of the collisions involving SUVs traveling at 40 miles per hour or faster, while about 54 percent of the 13 car crashes at the same speed range resulted in a fatality. Meanwhile, 30 percent of SUV accidents between 20 and 39 miles per hour involved at least one pedestrian death, as opposed to 23 percent of those involving cars traveling at the same speeds.
“Because the sample size is small and limited to one geographic region, more research will be required to see whether all of the findings hold up in a larger study,” IIHS said in a statement announcing the findings.
The number of pedestrian deaths in accidents overall has jumped by more than 50 percent in the last decade, according to IIHS. Although SUVs have become a more popular choice for car buyers over the same time, they are also getting smaller. Compact SUVs account for nearly half of all sport utility vehicle purchases.
Pedestrian accidents are unfortunately common in Florida, where warm weather allows people to use two feet to get from one destination to another year round.
Anyone who is injured in a pedestrian accident in the Villages or throughout the state has the right to seek compensation from those responsible for the crash. That includes a negligent driver, as well as his or her employer, a defective vehicle manufacturer and property owners that do not take adequate steps to protect pedestrians in many cases.
The money damages typically available in these cases includes compensation for medical bills, property damage, missed wages due to time away from work and any reduction in earning capacity caused by the injuries. Additional compensation may also be available for pain and emotional distress. In the tragic case that a person is killed in a pedestrian accident, his or her family can seek similar compensation from wrongful death.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian, car, golf cart or other accident, you have the right to seek compensation from those responsible for the collision. It is vital that you have an experienced personal injury attorney in your corner.
