CAR ACCIDENTS DURING CHRISTMAS – MIAMI LAWYER EXPLAINS
MIAMI CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER HANDLES CAR ACCIDENTS DURING CHRISTMAS
– Involved in a car accident in Miami during the Christmas season and need a lawyer?
– Crashed into while driving on a Miami highway?
– Suffered a collision on a highway off-ramp?
In Miami, the car accident lawyers at the Perazzo Law Firm understand accidents throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and Orange County highways and roadways.
Understanding off-ramps and on-ramp accidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that roughly 9 % of all accidents involve vehicles making lane changes or merging into traffic. In Miami-Dade and Broward County, highway accidents occur regularly and most often include lane changes aimed at taking an off-ramp or hitting an on-ramp without regard for oncoming traffic or verifying if it is safe to maneuver to another lane without causing an accident. When a driver is found negligent for being distracted, intoxicated, or suffered a mechanical problem during the lane–change accident, that motorist may be held legally accountable for personal injuries and damages. It is the duty of the driver to make sure lane changes are safe and do not cause a collision (see Types of Car Accidents).
Some reasons for lane changes accidents
1- Sudden lane change – During Christmas, motorists may take to streets of highways to visit family and friends. Many of these motorists may be unfamiliar with the streets and roadways they have to navigate to reach their destination. When a driver is new to a route, sudden and unexpected lane changes may take place as an off-ramp exit may take them by surprise. Using a GPS service and driving at a proper speed helps to prevent sudden and unexpected lane changes that may cause an accident.
2 – Weaving to save time – Weaving in and out of moving traffic may result from need to reach a destination faster and save time or beat the clock. Lane hopping can be extremely dangerous as other drivers may attempt a sudden lane change and not see them coming through the rear-view mirrors.
3 – Failure to effectively use rearview mirrors – Many times, motorists will attempt a lane change without checking their mirrors to verify that it is safe to change lanes. Motorists are advised to make sure they are aware of the traffic always moving around them. Having a clear picture of the traffic flowing around them and approaching from behind, will lower their chances of causing a collision when making a lane change on a Miami highway. Set your mirrors so that you can see everything around you at all times, even get the blindspots into your range of vision.
4- Poor signaling – Failure to warn other motorists of a lane change can cause a distracted or speeding driver to crash into you or cause a collision with other vehicles. All lane changes must be signaled in advance and failure to properly warn of a lane change can result in a reckless or careless driving citation, which could relatively place you at fault for the accident.
Lane change accident injuries
Injuries from lane change accidents usually involve side impacts which may result in neck, shoulder, back, and hip injuries or broken wrists, arms, or legs. Rear side impacts can cause a car to spin out of control and result in frontal or rear impacts or even roll-over accidents. These types of injuries merit a professional medical evaluation and treatment and should never go unattended to as they can develop into cronic and painful conditions. After a lane change accident, victims should seek immediate medical care and keep all records and bills (see What happens after a car accident).
* Injured in a car accident during Christmas?
* Involved in an Uber / Lyft accident as a passenger?
* Hurt as a result of a negligent or drunk driver?
In Miami, the car accident lawyers at the Perazzo Law Firm are ready to best handle your case and determine a possible insurance claim for compensation to cover your injuries, damages, or losses from a car accident during Christmas.
Christmas car accidents are quite common and most often end in personal injury to drivers, passengers, and other third-party victims. In Miami, drivers may take to the wheel after a long night of festivities which may include alcohol, narcotics, or even drowsiness, all of which may lead to an accident on Christmas. The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that some 340 individuals may be killed on U.S. roadways during the Christmas celebrations. For example, in Margate Broward County last year, two people died in a car crash that occurred on Christmas morning when the vehicle driver apparently lost control and crashed into a palm tree on Royal Palm Blvd west of the 441 motorway. According to family members, the vehicle was equipped with a nitro booster and investigators are trying to determine if excessive speed led to the vehicle being ripped apart. Four people perished in a car crash in Lake Placid when two vehicles collided in 2019 on State Road 70 at County Road 721 in Lake Placid, according to the FHP.
Speeding as a Cause of an Accident
Driving at high speeds is the number one cause of most serious and fatal accidents on Christmas and New Year’s. When coupled with alcohol or drugs, speeding will almost always result in a car accident as drunk or intoxicated drivers may easily lose control of their vehicles, especially when the use of cell phones while driving is tossed into the negligent driving mix. Car accidents at high speed may result from a sudden lane change or failure to notice stopped or slowed traffic ahead. Road obstacles or sudden curves may lead to bad braking maneuvers which cause vehicles travelling at high speeds to spin out of control or rollover. When a vehicle spins out of control it may cause other motorists to suffer vehicle damage or injuries. Rollover accidents almost always lead to serious bodily harm and even wrongful death. Airbag deployment is also an issue when violent impacts occur due to high-speed crashes. In Miami, roadways and avenues lend themselves to driving at high speeds, and during Christmas and New Year’s, these may include the use of alcohol or drugs behind the wheel. High speed accidents may also occur at intersections and may usually involve disregard for right of way or yielding to oncoming traffic. Reckless drivers that cause accidents and injuries to third-party victims will be cited, and drivers found to be legally under the influence, may be fined, jailed, and held on bail.
Drunk Driving
In the U.S., drunk driving fatalities (involving blood-alcohol content of 0.08 g/dL or higher) represents on average, 29% of all motor vehicle traffic deaths. During the Christmas Day holiday period of 2018, 37% of deaths involved a drunk driver. Driving drunk is quite common during Christmas and New Year’s and though not every intoxicated driver will crash, the chances of being involved in a car accident increase when driving under the influence.
The Importance of Seatbelts and properly installed Airbags
It is true and without a doubt that seat belts and air bags save lives. Research has proven that seat belts used to restrain drivers is 45% effective in avoiding life threatening injuries among front-seat occupants. It is also estimated that some 140 people may avoid death in an accident this Christmas Day holiday period due to the use of their seat belts. When it comes to air bags, todays modern vehicles come equipped with frontal and side airbags, all of which greatly increase the chances of surviving a severe impact at high speeds. However, though airbags are meant to lessen the impact, they do however, cause injury upon deployment. Some of the injuries cause by a deployed airbag may result in facial lacerations, bruises, burns, fractures, or breaks.
What to do after an accident on Christmas
If you, a friend, or relative were involved in a car accident on Christmas, the Miami accidents lawyers at the Perazzo Law Firm recommend that you visit an emergency healthcare facility for a medical evaluation of any injuries incurred or any pain, discomfort, or bruising resulting from a collision. Visiting a hospital or clinic will help verify any injuries and establish a record of a medical evaluation resulting from an accident on Christmas. In Miami, after an accident, the best personal injury lawyers know that medical records are especially important when presenting an insurance claim for compensation. The Perazzo Law Firm highly recommends that car accident victims that suffer injuries on Christmas, visit a healthcare facility to evaluate head, neck, or back injuries which may occur from even a mild rear or side impact. Sometimes, these car accident injuries may not manifest themselves immediately, that is why it is a good rule of thumb to seek immediate medical care or to follow with a family doctor in the event of pain or discomfort in the head, neck, or back (see common car accident injuries).
KEY STEPS FOLLOWING A CAR ACCIDENT AT CHRISTMAS
- Contact the police and report any injuries
- If possible, move to a safe place.
- If possible, take photographs of the accident scene, damage to vehicles, and any personal injuries.
- If needed, request to be taken to an emergency medical facility to treat any evident injuries.
- Request a copy of the police report.
- Keep all medical records.
- Contact the Perazzo Law Firm at (786) LAWS-411 for a FREE initial consultation
UBER – LYFT ACCIDENTS DURING CHRISTMAS
“Were you in an Uber accident in Miami and need a lawyer in Miami.” If this is the case, the Perazzo Law Firm helps Uber accident victims seek compensation through an insurance claim. In Miami, the Perazzo Law Firm’s highly dedicated staff treats their Uber accident clients like family and fights to obtain righteous compensation through an insurance claim against Uber’s insurance provider. Uber and Lyft will be terribly busy this Christmas season providing their rideshare services to millions of Miami-Dade and Broward residents and visitors. Though relatively safe, Uber and Lyft share the streets and motorways with other vehicle operator such as: truck drivers, motorcycle riders, scooter riders, and more. When this happens, the chances of being in an Uber or Lyft accident exists, especially with what festivities involved with regards to food and alcohol.
