Safety researchers, regulators, and injury advocates are paying closer attention to a troubling trend: larger pickups, SUVs, vans, and crossovers may be making pedestrian crashes more dangerous. A recent New York Times investigation tied the growth of taller hoods, larger front ends, and bigger blind zones to a sharp rise in pedestrian deaths — reporting that increased hood height contributed to thousands of avoidable pedestrian deaths in the U.S. between 2016 and 2024.
For families in West Palm Beach and throughout Florida, this isn’t just a policy debate. Pedestrians have no seat belt, airbag, or protective frame to absorb an impact, so the consequences of a crash — traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, broken bones, permanent disability, or wrongful death — tend to be severe. Eric Romano, who has represented pedestrian crash victims for years, puts it bluntly: the size of the vehicle is often as important to a case as who was at fault.
Why Vehicle Size and Shape Matter
A pedestrian crash isn’t only about speed or driver behavior — the shape of the vehicle affects whether a pedestrian survives. NHTSA has proposed a pedestrian head-protection standard for passenger vehicles up to 10,000 pounds, covering trucks, SUVs, crossovers, and vans, after reporting that pedestrian fatalities involving the front of a vehicle were most common for multipurpose passenger vehicles in 2022. IIHS research backs this up: vehicles with tall, more vertical front ends pose a greater danger to pedestrians, because a higher front end strikes a person higher on the body, increasing the risk of severe trauma to the head, neck, and chest.
The mechanics are straightforward. A smaller, lower vehicle tends to strike a pedestrian lower on the body, sometimes rolling them onto the hood. A taller, blunter vehicle strikes higher and can knock a person forward or down instead — which often means more catastrophic injuries. Nationally, the trend lines up with the danger: NHTSA reported pedestrian deaths rose 57% from 2013 to 2022, from 4,779 to 7,522. Florida’s mix of high-traffic corridors, tourism, aging pedestrians, and roads originally built for vehicle speed rather than pedestrian safety puts West Palm Beach squarely in that trend.
Blind Zones and Turning Crashes
Large vehicles also create visibility problems. High hoods, wide pillars, big mirrors, and oversized front ends make it harder for drivers to see pedestrians — especially children, older adults, wheelchair users, and cyclists close to the vehicle. This shows up constantly in everyday Florida driving, at crosswalks, intersections, school zones, and parking lots:
- A driver turning left or right focuses on oncoming traffic and misses a person already in the crosswalk.
- A driver pulling forward from a stop doesn’t see someone directly in front of a tall hood.
- A driver backing out of a parking spot misses a child or older adult nearby.
A larger vehicle isn’t an excuse for failing to see what a driver should have seen. Pedestrian safety requires drivers to slow down, scan carefully, yield when required, and understand their own vehicle’s limitations.
Who May Be Liable After a Pedestrian Crash?
Every pedestrian crash needs a careful investigation before anyone can assign fault. Depending on the facts, potentially responsible parties can include:
- A negligent or distracted driver
- A commercial vehicle operator or their employer
- A property owner who failed to maintain safe walkways, lighting, or sightlines
- A vehicle manufacturer, if a design or safety defect contributed to the crash
- A government entity, if poor road design or signage played a role
When we investigate a pedestrian accident, our goal is to identify what happened, preserve evidence, and determine who’s responsible. That means documenting the scene, reviewing police reports, locating surveillance video, speaking with witnesses, and working with experts when needed — work that matters more in pedestrian cases specifically, since the injured person often can’t remember the crash or gather evidence themselves while they’re being treated for their injuries.
Evidence That Can Matter
Important evidence disappears fast after a serious crash. Skid marks fade. Insurers repair vehicles before anyone documents the damage. Surveillance systems overwrite footage on a loop, sometimes within days. Witnesses get harder to find the longer a case sits. A prompt investigation can help preserve police reports, 911 recordings, traffic and business camera footage, medical records, vehicle data, and physical evidence from the scene before any of it is gone.
When a truck or commercial vehicle is involved, the case gets more complex. Our trucking accident attorneys look at driver logs, maintenance records, black box data, and company safety practices — all of which can shape who’s responsible.
What to Do After a Crash
Medical care comes first. Even injuries that seem manageable can worsen over time, and head injuries, internal bleeding, and soft-tissue damage aren’t always obvious at the scene. Beyond getting treatment, we encourage injured pedestrians and families to call 911, get a police report, photograph the scene, get witness contact information, and avoid giving a recorded statement to any insurance company before speaking with an attorney. From there, our role is to deal with the insurance companies and pursue accountability so our clients can focus on healing.
Prevention: What Drivers and Pedestrians Can Do
While regulators and automakers debate vehicle design changes, there’s plenty drivers and pedestrians can do right now to reduce risk. Large-vehicle drivers should remember that sitting higher doesn’t always mean seeing better — a tall hood can hide a pedestrian directly in front of the vehicle, so slowing down and scanning deliberately at every turn matters more than it would in a smaller car. Pedestrians shouldn’t be blamed for unsafe vehicle design or negligent driving, but a few habits still help: making eye contact with drivers before crossing, avoiding phone distraction near traffic, wearing visible clothing at night, and never assuming a driver has seen you just because you can see them. None of this prevents every crash, but it improves the odds.
When a Pedestrian Crash Becomes a Legal Claim
A pedestrian accident claim may seek compensation for medical expenses, future care, lost income, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, and other damages available under Florida law. In fatal crashes, surviving family members may have a wrongful death claim. Every case is different — the value and legal strategy depend on the facts, insurance coverage, the severity of the injuries, and how clearly liability can be established.
Injured in a Pedestrian Crash? Contact Romano Law Group
A serious pedestrian crash can leave a family facing emergency care, surgery, missed work, and insurance pressure they didn’t ask for. You don’t have to handle it alone. If a car, truck, SUV, or commercial vehicle hit you or someone you love, contact Romano Law Group today for a free consultation. There’s no fee until we win.
