You know as a proven and conscientious motorist who routinely drives on the varied roadways crisscrossing the Tampa Bay Area and Gulf Coast region that traffic risks are always present.
There’s no denying the fact. Florida is a heavily populated state featuring highways and interstate corridors that are constantly being negotiated by legions of drivers.
And the vehicle mix is notably underscored by a sheer variety of vehicles ranging from gargantuan-sized commercial trucks to passenger cars, pickups, SUVs, motorcycles and other conveyances.
All that moving traffic understandably breeds risks across a broad front. The catalysts that promote adverse road outcomes are many, including these:
- Reckless and aggressive driving behaviors (e.g., speeding, tailgating and hit-and-run)
- Big trucks that have lost control
- Improper vehicle maintenance/servicing
- Vehicle dangers tied to defective parts and systems
- Dangerous road conditions caused by weather, faulty infrastructure design or construction work
- Distracted and drunk drivers
Vehicle crash damages range materially in type and severity
As one Florida legal source spotlighting vehicle accidents notes, car-crash outcomes “vary dramatically.” Results can feature injuries such as these:
- Head trauma, including traumatic brain injury
- Whiplash and internal injuries
- Back/spinal cord complications
- Mental trauma (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder)
- Broken bones
Empirical data highlight magnitude of Florida crash injuries
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a decades-old nonprofit entity that routinely provides the public with detailed information concerning vehicle accidents and resulting injuries. The organization recently culled and analyzed government crash data from 2018 relevant to all the states. Here are some particularly notable – and eminently sobering – points regarding crash/injury outcomes in Florida:
- 3,133 fatal motor vehicle accident injuries, with the state trailing only California and Texas in this unenviable category
- Fatal injury victims comprising broad demographic in addition to auto occupants (574 motorcyclist deaths, more than 700 pedestrian fatalities and 160 bicyclist deaths)
- A near-equal split in fatal accidents involving one vehicle and multiple vehicles, respectively
- Notably high number of road fatalities (1,162) tied to drunk drivers
Negligent motorists who literally drive adverse traffic outcomes and upend the lives of innocent victims are not immune from accountability. Injured victims and their loved ones can reach out to an impassioned and experienced personal injury legal team for help in pursuing a truly meaningful remedy marked by maximum compensation.