Every car accident case in West Palm Beach, FL, is unique. The nature of your accident and the injuries you sustain differentiate your accident — and the compensation you can seek as a result — from other accidents.
At the same time, traffic flow and road design mean that most car accidents fall into just a few fact patterns. When your accident fits one of these patterns, a car accident lawyer can quickly identify cause and liability.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, it can be helpful to learn some common car accident scenarios in West Palm Beach and the compensation you can seek for them.
Contact Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers for legal help by calling (561) 556-7873 and scheduling a free consultation.
How Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Accident in West Palm Beach, FL
Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers was founded in 1996. Since then, the firm’s attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in injury compensation for their clients.
Gregg Hollander, founder and lead lawyer, has over 30 years of experience and many awards and recognitions to his name, including:
- Membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum honor society
- A perfect 10.0 Lawyer Rating on Justia based on attorney-to-attorney reviews
- Ranking among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers
The firm can assist you with your car accident claim in many ways, such as:
- Undertaking all of the negotiation, communication, and paperwork related to your case
- Filing a lawsuit on your behalf if the other side doesn’t negotiate in good faith
- Protecting you from allegations that you’re at fault for the crash
A car accident in West Palm Beach, Florida, can injure you so severely that you can’t work at a time when you need money to pay your medical bills. To discuss your options for seeking compensation for your injuries, contact Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers for a free consultation with a reputable West Palm Beach car accident attorney.
What Are the Most Common Car Accident Scenarios in West Palm Beach, Florida?
According to the Florida Crash Facts report, Florida has averaged over 380,000 traffic crashes yearly since 2018. These crashes affected over 700,000 people per year, per the Florida Traffic Safety Dashboard.
Most of these events are characterized by a few common car accident scenarios. For example, over 44% of traffic accidents in Florida involve intersections, while 56% occur on roadways between intersections.
Just three causes — speeding, distracted driving, and intoxicated driving — account for 29% of crashes in Florida, and 77% of those are either rear-end or angle collisions.
Overview of Common Car Accident Scenarios in West Palm Beach, FL — Causes and Determining Fault
In a legal context, the term “cause” refers to the sequence of events that led to the accident, while “fault” refers to the legal liability assigned to the people involved in an accident.
Lawyers typically use the principle of negligence to determine fault for a car accident. Negligence is when a driver fails to exercise reasonable care and injures someone else as a result.
Here are a few common car accident scenarios, along with their causes and methods for determining fault:
Rear-End Collisions in West Palm Beach, FL
A rear-end collision happens when a trailing car runs into the back of the vehicle in front of it.
Rear-end collisions account for about 39% of injurious crashes but only about 18% of fatal crashes. Because the cars are traveling in the same direction when they collide, they usually involve much less force and tend to cause injuries like whiplash and concussions rather than fatal injuries.
Causes of rear-end collisions can include:
- Tailgating
- Speeding
- Unsafe lane changes
- Aggressive driving
The fault for rear-end crashes almost always lies with the driver of the trailing car. Under the law, they’re the ones responsible for maintaining a safe following distance.
In rare cases, the fault might fall on the driver of the leading car. For example, if the leading car cuts off the trailing car, leaving no gap before hitting the brakes, the driver of that car bears responsibility for the crash.
Angle Collisions in West Palm Beach, FL
Angle collisions happen when the front of one car hits the side of another car. Angle collisions are much more dangerous than other types of collisions. Nearly 49% of fatal crashes and over 44% of injurious crashes involve an angle collision.
Angle collisions almost always happen at intersections. Their causes can include:
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Failing to yield the right-of-way
- Turning left across the path of an oncoming car
- Turning right into the path of approaching traffic
The fault for these accidents lies with the driver who entered the intersection out of turn. But if the driver with the right-of-way had time to avoid the collision, they might bear some liability for failing to stop.
Distracted Driving Crashes in West Palm Beach, FL
Distracted driving happens when drivers engage in an activity that takes their eyes, hands, or minds away from driving. Causes of distracted driving include:
- Using smartphones and other electronics
- Eating and drinking
- Messing with the radio or vehicle settings
The fault for these accidents is usually assigned to the distracted driver. That said, distracted driving doesn’t necessarily erase the other driver’s contribution to an accident.
For example, if the distracted driver hit someone who ran a red light, both the red light runner and the distracted driver may share liability under Florida’s comparative negligence law.
Schedule a Free Consultation With West Palm Beach, FL Auto Accident Lawyer
These common car accident scenarios can happen even when you exercise reasonable care and caution. Because of someone else’s mistake, you might suffer a serious injury that requires medical treatment and prevents you from working.
Contact Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss the compensation you can seek for your car accident injuries. Our West Palm Beach car accident lawyers are standing by to help.
