People are injured in all types of car crashes in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. For instance, in pedestrian accidents, a vehicle collides with one or more pedestrians, and in bicycle accidents, drivers collide with one or more cyclists. Occupants can even be injured in single-vehicle accidents resulting from road, weather, or vehicle conditions.
However, multi-vehicle collisions make up the majority of car accidents. In these crashes, two vehicles collide on an active roadway. Multi-vehicle car accidents often cause severe injuries due to the crash energies involved. As a result, your injuries may require medical attention and prevent you from working after your crash.
If you’ve recently been involved in a car crash in the area, our Fort Walton Beach multi-vehicle car accident lawyers can help. Reach out to Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers by calling (850) 863-5297 today to schedule a free consultation.
How Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Multi-Vehicle Car Accident in Fort Walton Beach, FL
Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers was founded in 1990 to provide personal injury legal services to Fort Walton Beach, Florida, accident victims. Since then, our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in injury compensation for the firm’s clients.
When you hire our firm, our Fort Walton Beach car accident lawyers will provide the following:
- A free consultation discussing your case and potential compensation
- A strategy informed by more than 60 years of combined legal experience
- A trustworthy advocate who fights for the maximum compensation in your case
We can handle the entire legal process while you focus on recovering from the accident. That includes all the paperwork, procedures, and negotiations related to your claim. If necessary, we’ll be prepared to file a lawsuit and take your case to court as well.
A car accident can leave you with painful injuries and even long-term disabilities. Contact Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to learn how we can help you recover financial compensation for your injuries.
Are Multi-Vehicle Car Accidents Common in Florida?
Florida’s crash statistics are maintained by the state’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). The state gathers these statistics from crash reports filed in police-investigated accidents. Under Florida law, the police must investigate and file a crash report for all accidents involving:
- Death
- Injury
- Property damage severe enough to disable a vehicle
- A hit-and-run
- Intoxicated driving
- A commercial vehicle
Notably, the law does not limit crash reports to multi-vehicle car accidents. Instead, the police will produce a report for any crash that meets these criteria:
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Single-vehicle accidents
- Collisions between a moving and a parked vehicle
- Multi-vehicle accidents
The technical term for a multi-vehicle accident is a collision with a “motor vehicle in transport.” This category of crashes covers any collision between a moving vehicle and at least one other vehicle that is either moving or stopped but not parked.
When reporting these statistics, Florida’s Crash Facts Report does not list the number of crashes. Instead, it lists the number of people involved in the crash. This makes sense because multi-vehicle crashes involve multiple people. Listing crash types by the number of accident victims shows the true scope of each one.
In 2021, over 957,000 people were involved in traffic accidents in Florida. Looking at the major categories of crashes reveals the following:
- 9,342 were involved in bicycle accidents
- 16,892 were involved in pedestrian accidents
- 85,323 were involved in single-vehicle accidents
- 804,158 were involved in multi-vehicle accidents
In other words, you are 9.4 times more likely to get into a multi-vehicle than a single-vehicle accident.
Causes and Consequences of Multi-Vehicle Car Accidents
Multi-vehicle accidents can happen in many ways and for many reasons. According to the Crash Facts Report, some common causes of collisions include:
- Failing to yield the right-of-way at an intersection
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Tailgating
- Intoxicated driving
All these behaviors increase a driver’s risk of losing control of their vehicle. They also reduce the time the driver has to react to other vehicles.
The injuries that can result from multi-vehicle crashes will depend on the nature of the collision. Rear-end collisions often produce whiplash injuries to the neck and back because your body whips forward and backward. Side-impact crashes can cause chest, abdomen, and head injuries, particularly if one car hits the other’s driver’s side door.
Liability for Multi-Vehicle Car Accidents
Florida’s no-fault insurance system bars accident victims from pursuing claims against at-fault drivers except in two circumstances:
- The economic losses from the injuries exceed their no-fault policy limits
- They suffer a significant and permanent injury
When your injuries meet either criterion, you can hire a Fort Walton Beah multi-vehicle car accident lawyer to pursue an injury claim against the at-fault driver.
To prove fault for the accident, you must show that a driver acted negligently in causing your crash. Negligence in a multi-vehicle crash usually falls on the driver who violates traffic laws.
Suppose that the other driver changed lanes without looking and sideswiped your car. That driver may be liable for the injuries you suffered in the crash.
If you contributed to the cause of the crash, a claims adjuster or judge could reduce your damages according to your share of the fault.
For example, if you bear 20% of the fault for a multi-vehicle accident because you were speeding when the other driver cut you off, you can only obtain 80% of your damages. And because of a recent change in Florida law, you will be barred from recovering damages from the other driver if you were 51% or more at fault.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Fort Walton Beach Multi-Vehicle Car Accident Lawyers
Multi-vehicle crashes can produce serious injuries. Contact Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to discuss your accident and the claims you can pursue against the other drivers involved. Our experienced Fort Walton Beach multi-vehicle car accident attorneys are here to help.
