The Florida Highway Patrol says that a woman was killed Thursday evening when a driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a bus bench around 8:30 p.m. This fatal pedestrian accident happened at the intersection of SW 93rd Avenue and Bird Road. Authorities say that a Dodge Neon's driver lost control of the vehicle and left the road. The woman was killed at the scene and the driver was unhurt.

Unfortunately accidents such as this are not a rare event in Miami-Dade County. It seems that every few months we hear about another drunk or distracted driving running into someone at a bus stop. The number of pedestrian fatalities associated with these negligent drivers is shockingly high and continues to be a problem. It is unclear whether the driver involved in Thursday's accident was under the influence of drugs or alcohol or otherwise distracted from the task of driving.

Families who lose a loved one in pedestrian accidents such as this one have rights however. A personal injury attorney can help the families of deceased pedestrians file personal injury lawsuits arising out of the death of a pedestrian.

These actions are called wrongful death lawsuits. A wrongful death suit is a type of civil lawsuit filed by the family members of a pedestrian accident victim. Funds from a wrongful death lawsuit can help hold a negligent driver accountable for the damage that he or she has caused. A wrongful death suit can also compensate a family for the pain and suffering that they endure after a fatal pedestrian crash.

Source: The Miami Herald, "FHP: Woman struck, killed while sitting at bus stop in Westchester," Diana Moskovitz, Jan. 12, 2012