Crossing an intersection is one of the most dangerous experiences drivers encounter on roadways in Florida and elsewhere. According to the Federal Highway Administration, more than half of all traffic accidents with injuries and fatalities occur in or near intersections. In Florida alone, nearly 900 traffic fatalities and over 94,000 injuries occur at intersections each year.
Intersection accidents almost always result from one driver’s negligent or reckless actions. All Florida drivers have a legal duty to follow the state’s right-of-way laws when navigating intersections. Sadly, intersection accidents are common and cause serious injuries and fatalities. After an accident in a Florida intersection, obtaining adequate compensation under the state’s no-fault insurance laws quickly becomes challenging.
Intersections can be deadly due to traffic moving at high speed as other vehicles enter and cross intersecting roadways. The most common causes of intersection accidents in Florida include the following:
Accidents happen in both signaled and unsignalled intersections in Florida. Driver negligence or recklessness is the most common cause of intersection accidents. Less commonly, a faulty traffic signal or an obscured stop sign causes an intersection accident in Florida.
Accidents in intersections are most often angle collisions or T-bone accidents, leaving vehicle occupants vulnerable to serious injuries. In an angle collision, one vehicle has a head-on impact and the other sustains a side-impact collision with only the thinnest portion of the vehicle—the door and sides—between the motorists and the point of impact. Injuries commonly include:
Victims of intersection collisions in Florida often suffer serious or catastrophic injuries, and then go on to encounter further distress when they seek compensation for their damages like property damage, medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Some intersections include traffic cameras that help injury victims determine fault in an intersection accident. The driver who failed to properly adhere to traffic laws intentionally or through negligence is at fault for the accident. Proving liability in a car accident isn’t always necessary in Florida’s no-fault insurance laws, but for those with catastrophic injuries, it’s important to document evidence of fault to demonstrate the following legal points:
It’s beneficial to determine fault after an intersection accident despite the state’s no-fault insurance laws.
Florida’s no-fault insurance laws compel accident victims to file claims against their own insurance company regardless of who caused an accident. While this is typically an adequate and streamlined method of recovering compensation for property damage, when the victim of a Florida intersection accident suffers serious injuries, the $10,000 PIP coverage of their basic Florida policy is rarely adequate.
An experienced Florida accident attorney investigates all aspects of an accident to determine fault in an intersection accident and then provides valuable legal counsel to guide injury victims through the best possible strategy. Florida law allows victims to seek compensation from at-fault drivers if they experience permanent injury, disability, disfigurement, and other catastrophic consequences of an accident. At Shapiro | Delgado | Hofmann our Sarasota car accident lawyers and Bradenton car accident attorneys are dedicated to getting you the compensation you need to move on with your life. Contact us today online or call (941) 954-4000
