Rollerblading and Skateboarding Accidents

Rollerblading and skateboarding have both increased in popularity over the years, with both children and adults alike enjoying the pastime, or even using it as a transportation method in lieu of a bicycle or walking. Unfortunately, this increase also increases the likelihood of someone using rollerblades or skateboards to be involved in a collision with a motor vehicle, or injured by a dangerous condition on a road or sidewalk. Many rollerblading and skateboarding accidents are caused by another’s negligence, and therefore victims are entitled to pursue compensation in a personal injury suit. Miami pedestrian accident attorney Robert Dixon assists victims in these types of accidents with any legal claims that may arise, working tirelessly to make sure his clients’ rights are zealously advocated for. The Law Offices of Robert Dixon offers experienced and knowledgeable legal guidance to victims injured in collisions involving pedestrians, as well as families who have lost loved ones in a fatal circumstance. We help those in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties, as well as across the South Florida area. Please contact our office if you have been injured or lost a loved one in a rollerblading or skateboarding accident and we can schedule a free consultation with an attorney to discuss your potential claims.

Drivers will often fail to yield or acknowledge a rollerblader’s, or skateboarder’s, right to use streets just as bicyclists and pedestrians do, including crosswalks, and therefore cause a car or truck accident. Failure to yield the right of way to a law-abiding pedestrian on a skateboard or using rollerblades is a major factor in collisions of these kinds. Distracted driving is also a common cause of these accidents, as drivers may not notice a rollerblader or skateboarder in a crosswalk or merging into an intersection. Of course, rollerbladers as well as skateboarders are responsible for following the rules of the road as well, following traffic signs and signals while in traffic, and making sure they take reasonable care while traveling. When a rollerblader or skateboarder is involved in a collision with a vehicle, however, their injuries are often much more severe than those inside a car. Even if wearing protective gear, these victims may sustain injuries to their head or brain, as well as their neck and spine.

When a skateboarder or rollerblader is struck by a vehicle, it is often on account of a driver’s negligence. Negligence occurs when a person, or entity, breaches an owed duty of reasonable care to another, causing that person’s injury or death, which then results in damages. Drivers, bicyclists, skateboarders, and rollerbladers, all owe each other the duty to act as a reasonable and prudent person would if given the same or similar circumstances. As such, a driver who does not look out for a rollerblader who is approaching an intersection, and strikes that individual, would be viewed as an unreasonable, and therefore negligent, action. A skateboarder or rollerblader may also be found negligent in an accident. However, under Florida law, which follows a “pure comparative negligence” scheme of liability, an injured victim may still receive compensation. In these cases, the damage award is offset by each party’s found-degree of liability, and even a victim seen as 60 percent negligent in causing their own injury can receive 40 percent of their total suffered damages. This compensation can include any past or future medical expenses, loss of income or earning capacity, as well as pain and suffering.

Rollerbladers and skateboarders sometimes feel as if they do not have the same options in the legal process as those injured simply on foot, as there can be a stigma attached to their chosen hobby or travelling method. However, victims of rollerblading and skateboarding accidents have the same rights to the road and face the same uphill battle if struck by a negligent driver in an accident. Attorney Robert Dixon is dedicated to making sure these vulnerable victims have the legal support they need to recover the damages they are entitled to in the aftermath of an accident. If you, or someone you love, was injured while rollerblading or skateboarding in Miami, please contact the Law Offices of Robert Dixon at 877.499.4878 or online to set up a free, no obligation consultation to see how we can help.