A bicycle death is under investigation after a 40-year-old man was struck and killed by a Ford Mustang that kept going. Highway Patrol troopers are looking for the hit-and-run driver. The Mustang was recovered, unoccupied, within the city limits. It’s a maroon convertible with a tan top.
This wrongful death of a bicyclist happened about 7:45 p.m. Saturday on W.D. Judge Drive at Ferguson Drive. The bicyclist was pronounced dead at Orlando Regional Medical Center after emergency crews responded to the scene. His brother told WFTV News that he will be greatly missed. “He was good. Good-hearted and he helped people out,” his brother said. The family is asking for anyone with information to come forward and report information to the police.
While only 1 percent of all trips taken in the U.S. are by bicycle, bicyclists face a higher risk of crash-related injury and deaths than occupants of motor vehicles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has evaluated trends in bicycle use and safety, determining that more than 900 cyclists die in a single year while nearly half a million bicyclists arrive in emergency rooms due to cycling-related injuries. Data from 2010 show fatal and non-fatal crash-related injuries to bicyclists resulted in lifetime medical costs and productivity losses of $10 billion, according to the CDC. The agency also reported this summer that males are much more likely to be killed or injured on bicycles than females. And that most bicyclist deaths occur in urban areas.
Our Minnesota law firm represents next of kin when a family member is killed by a motor vehicle in Minnesota. An avid cyclist himself, Fred’s clients have collected millions of dollars in settlements and awards to compensate for the negligence and gross negligence of automobile drivers and truck drivers. In one recent case, Fred won a jury verdict of more than $2 million for the family of a woman who was run over by a semi-truck and killed. The law firm successfully provided evidence that countered a police report that had blamed the bicyclist for the accident.
“Cyclists get pushed around far too often,” Pritzker said. “Our job as lawyers is to push back and hold motor vehicle drivers accountable for their actions.”
Hit-and-run lawsuits also can result in punitive damages for victims and their next of kin. Punitive awards exceed the base lawyer of compensation that goes to cover medical expenses, pay for lost wages and cover future financial costs. These extra compensation amounts are meant to punish drivers for egregious and illegal behavior, including recklessness that causes loss of life.