Car accidents happen every day – both in our state and around the country. How many?
Every year in the United States, more than 37,000 individuals die in car accidents, and almost two million others are injured or disabled due to car crashes. It isn’t any better here in Florida, which is home to the most dangerous road in America.
If you have been injured by a car crash due to someone else’s negligence, you may be able to file an accident claim and receive compensation to help you cover your costs and give you the best chance at recovering fully. Which is great.
What’s even better, though, is to simply avoid getting into an accident altogether. One of the most helpful ways to do this is to know what you need to watch out for. In Florida, there are a number of common reasons why accidents occur.
Distracted Driving
This is the number one reason for car crashes in the United States. Texting while driving remains a big problem. Other activities like talking, eating, applying makeup, and reading also cause distracted driving, which can have fatal results.
Speeding
Americans live in a fast-paced culture, and the way we drive reflects that pace. Speeding is one of the top causes of car crashes.
Driving Under the Influence
This remains a serious threat on the road. A report by Mothers Against Drunk Driving estimates 300,000 drunk driving instances every day in the United States. This figure does not include other dangerous situations of driving under the influence, such as with prescription or illicit drugs.
Aggressive Driving
Cutting off other drivers, changing lanes too quickly, and other aggressive behaviors can pose dangerous risks.
Failure to Stop
Whether someone fails to obey traffic signals or rolls through a stop sign, they may cause an accident by failure to stop.
Driving Mistakes
Almost everyone has made a driving mistake before. The mistakes that cause crashes include failure to use turn signals, failure to move into a turn lane, failure to obey traffic signs, and driving the wrong way on a one-way street.
Tailgating
Following someone too closely is a common way to get involved in an accident, especially if a sudden stop occurs.
Potholes
If a driver cannot safely navigate around a pothole, or if a driver doesn’t see an upcoming pothole, an accident may occur.
Tire Blowouts
If your tire blows out while you are driving, you can lose control of your vehicle. Also, if a tire blows out on a vehicle near you, you may experience a crash as you swerve to avoid the tire or other vehicle.
Construction Zones
Accidents commonly occur in construction zones due to speeding or improper lane changing.
Larger Highway
Simply driving on a road with three or more lanes puts you at a greater risk of having an accident, compared to a one- or two-lane road.
Animal Crossings
When an animal crosses in front of you unexpectedly, it may cause damage or injury.
Bad Weather
Rain makes roads slippery and causes reduced visibility.
Teenage Driving
Inexperienced drivers are more likely to make driving mistakes, speed, and drive distracted, putting them at high risk for injury to others.
Manufacturer Defects
If a manufacturer was negligent in the vehicle’s construction, malfunctions may cause accidents.
If you are the victim of any of these types of accidents, you should not be held responsible for the mistakes of others, and you may be able to recoup your losses.
Contact an experienced attorney today for the legal assistance you need.
About the Author:
Andrew Winston is a partner at the personal injury law firm of Winston Law. For over 20 years, he has successfully represented countless people in all kinds of personal injury cases, with a particular focus on child injury, legal malpractice, and premises liability. He has been recognized for excellence in the representation of injured clients by admission to the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, is AV Preeminent Rated by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, enjoys a 10.0 rating by AVVO as a Top Personal Injury Attorney, has been selected as a Florida “SuperLawyer” from 2011-2017 – an honor reserved for the top 5% of lawyers in the state – and was voted to Florida Trend’s ”Legal Elite” and as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Florida and one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the Miami area for 2015, 2016, and 2017.
