Car Accidents

What Florida County is Deadliest for Car Accidents?

Published on: June 28, 2024 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

You may hear about car accident statistics and know that they happen frequently, but you might not realize how they affect you close to home in South Florida. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), there are more than 59,000 crashes in Miami-Dade County and almost 38,800 in Broward County every year. This data places these counties in the top two spots for the total number of traffic collisions in Florida. Plus, another 24,000 car accidents take place in nearby Palm Beach County, ranking it in the Top 10 most dangerous counties in Florida for auto crashes.

Some additional statistics on traffic collisions may help you know how to avoid them, and information on the deadliest roads by number of fatalities is also helpful. You have rights if you were hurt, so get in touch with a Miami car accident lawyer to learn about your remedies. An overview of the dangers is also useful.

Statistics on Auto Crashes in Florida

Five Tricks Insurance Adjusters Try to Pull on Florida Car Accident Victims

Published on: May 31, 2024 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

No matter how safe you are behind the wheel and the lengths you go to when defensive driving, car accidents are a common threat in Florida. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) reports that there were 394,255 total crashes in 2023, including collisions involving cars, large commercial trucks, motorcycles, pedestrians, bicyclists, and other road users. In sum, almost 252,000 victims suffer injuries in all types of accidents. Unfortunately, the numbers for 2024 are not promising. Already, as of mid-April 2024, there have been almost 103,000 car accidents in Florida.

Fortunately for victims, Florida law allows recovery of monetary damages. It is possible to obtain compensation by filing an insurance claim, but dealing with these companies is challenging. They will always try to pay less than what your claim is worth in order to protect profits. With help from a Miami car accident attorney, you can avoid the tricks insurers try to pull.

1. Offering Quick Settlement: In some cases, the adjuster may reach out and make an offer to resolve your claim right away. The companies do this to make sure they capture your attention before you have a chance to retain an attorney. They also know that it is unlikely that you have a full idea of the amount of your losses.

Evidence of Impairment in Miami DUI Accidents

Published on: May 17, 2024 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

Drunk driving remains a problem in Florida and throughout the US, and many times, offenders are arrested for DUI. However, there are many tragic situations where an impaired driver causes an accident that leads to injuries or death. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), there are almost 5,000 traffic collisions every year that are linked to alcohol intoxication. Of these, around 720 drunk driving crashes occur in South Florida. Up to 40 people lose their lives in DUI accidents, while more than 400 victims are injured in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach Counties.

When alcohol is a factor in a crash, a victim may need more than just proof of fault, injuries, and losses. It is also crucial to show that the at-fault driver was intoxicated, which requires evidence of drunk driving. Your Miami DUI accident lawyer will assist with issues of proof, but some details will help you know some of the information you will need.

Overview of Negligence

Who Has the Right of Way at an Intersection in Florida?

Published on: May 3, 2024 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

For Florida motorists, right-of-way rules are important for staying in compliance with traffic laws as well as keeping yourself and vehicle occupants safe. The Florida Driver License Handbook includes numerous provisions on which driver must yield and who is allowed to proceed in many different traffic-related scenarios. However, intersections tend to create the most confusion. When motorists are not well-versed in how the right of way works when approaching a junction, the potential for accidents increases.

The risks of crashes resulting from a failure to yield are especially prevalent in Miami, where heavy congestion and tight city streets are also factors. A refresher course on right-of-way rules will help you avoid collisions, though you cannot prevent negligence from other motorists. Fortunately, these laws guide your Miami car accident attorney in determining who to pursue.

Right-of-Way Rules at Florida Intersections

Factors to Consider When Settling a Florida Child Accident Claim

Published on: April 26, 2024 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

It is horrific to think about your child being injured in an accident, but the statistics indicate that these incidents are common among infants, toddlers, and older kids. The National Safety Council (NSC) lists multiple risks, including traffic crashes that are the leading cause of death for children 17 years old and under. Plus, every three minutes, a child suffers a sports-related concussion or other traumatic brain injury (TBI). Kids are not even completely safe at school and while playing, as 80% of playground injuries are caused by falls.

For parents, the first priority is getting their child the necessary medical treatment and working on recovery from accident injuries. However, you may soon realize that it is also important to pursue your legal remedies against the at-fault party. A Miami child injuries lawyer will assist with the legal process, but there are some factors you need to consider.

Liability for Accidents

Types of Injuries in a T-Bone Crash in Florida

Published on: March 15, 2024 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

Car accidents can occur for a wide variety of reasons and under many different circumstances, but a common type of crash is a T-bone. Named for the impact point where two vehicles collide and form a “T,” these collisions happen frequently on Florida roads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), side impacts comprise about 32% of all vehicle crashes. In Florida, that means around 126,125 car accidents are T-bones out of a total of more than 394,000 traffic collisions annually.

The exact angle of the vehicles in a T-bone crash will be around 90 degrees, and the impact tends to be at the horizontal center point of passenger cars. As a result, there are certain types of injuries that victims often suffer, and they cause significant losses. You should consult with a Miami car accident attorney if you suffered any of the top injuries in T-bone collisions.

Trauma to the Head and Neck

Biggest Safety Risks for Teen Drivers in Florida

Published on: February 23, 2024 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

Teen drivers may not make up the largest age group of motorists involved in car accidents, but they do have an impact on the statistics. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), there are 140 fatalities every year among motorists aged 20 years and younger. Plus, another 14,070 teen motorists suffer varying degrees of injuries, from incapacitating to minor. Considering their young age compared to others on the road, you can guess that there are unique risk factors with teen drivers.

It is useful to know these risks as the parent of a young driver, as you can use your authority to reinforce important safety rules. You can also benefit as a motorist who shares the road with teens. You should discuss legal options with a Miami car accident lawyer if you were hurt, and read on for some helpful details about the risks.

Teens and Inexperience

Garbage Truck Accidents

Published on: February 16, 2024 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

What are the most dangerous vehicles on the road? Most people would choose 18-wheeler trucks since they are notorious for causing multi-vehicle pile-ups that close down long stretches of I-95 for hours on end. Others would choose motorcycles since they go so fast, playing into their riders’ cravings for adventure, and because, when a motorcycle crashes, there is very little between you and the road.

Most people do not think of garbage trucks as especially dangerous. Sure, they are annoying, lumbering down your street as the sun is rising on days when you would sleep late if it were up to you. Garbage trucks stop so frequently that they do not have time to build up much speed, and while that means that they are unlikely to cause the kind of devastation you would expect from a truck barreling down the highway at 70 miles per hour, it also means that their movements are harder to predict, even when you can clearly see which garbage cans they still have to empty. If you have been injured in a garbage truck accident, contact a Miami truck accident lawyer.

A Garbage Truck in Traffic is Just as Dangerous as Any Other Truck

Car Accidents Can Cause Hormonal Imbalances

Published on: January 26, 2024 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

Sometimes, people go to the doctor about nonspecific symptoms such as weight gain or lack of energy and find out that a hormonal imbalance is causing the problem. A common cause of these hormonal imbalances is a benign tumor on the pituitary gland; approximately one in six adults will develop a pituitary tumor between age 30 and age 50, although some of these cause few or no symptoms.

A less common cause of pituitary gland dysfunction is a traumatic injury to the head; in other words, a deficiency of pituitary hormones can be a complication of concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI). If you have received a diagnosis of hypopituitarism related to a head injury you sustained in a car accident, contact a Miami car accident lawyer.

Symptoms of Hypopituitarism Related to a Traumatic Injury

How Do Seat Belts Save Lives?

Published on: January 19, 2024 | by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

If you have ever walked down the halls of an elementary school in Florida, you have probably seen student-drawn posters with slogans like “seatbelts save lives” and “buckle up for safety.” The seatbelt has become a byword for safety and caution. Many of the drivers on the road today would never dream of shifting the transmission into drive without first buckling their seatbelts, and if they tried, their cars would make annoying sounds to nag them about it until they buckled up; the others account for a disproportionate share of traffic fatalities.

Despite all the research that goes into developing car safety features, motor vehicle safety engineers have yet to design a safety feature safer than the humble seatbelt. The good news is that if you wear a seatbelt and get into a car accident, your injuries will be less severe than they would be without the seatbelt. The bad news is that if you do not wear a seatbelt and you get into an accident, your injuries will be worse than they would have been if you had buckled up, and insurance companies know this. A Miami car accident lawyer can help you get a fair insurance settlement after a car accident, even if the insurance companies assigned part of the fault to you because you were not wearing a seatbelt.

Not Your Grandpa’s Seatbelt