A Year in Review: Florida"s 2011 Car Accident Statistics
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is responsible for patrolling the state's highways and issuing traffic citations when necessary.
They compile their data and submit it to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), which then organizes a report for analyzing the impact of crashes and other infractions annually.
In 2011, Florida reported a total of 904,840 traffic citations, 301,960 speeding tickets, 9,592 DUI arrests and 206,776 crash investigations.
Although the total number of highway crashes decreased by 3.
4 percent, Florida is still a national leading in traffic accidents per year.
The number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities actually increased by nearly 9 percent in the year 2011, making driving under the influence a huge factor on Florida highways.
Those hit by drunk drivers are considered the victims in these accidents, but what action can they take? A drunk driver will likely be arrested and possibly charged with criminal DUI.
Aside from these criminal penalties, victims can file civil penalties against drunk drivers for the injuries and other damages that they caused.
These are two separate types of legal actions that have little influence on each other.
For example, even if a driver was not criminally convicted of DUI, they may be found civilly liable and required to compensate the victim.
On average, there are close to 200,000 traffic crashes each year in Florida and almost as many injuries.
Thousands of Floridians are sustaining injuries wrongfully each year, leading to many auto insurance claims and personal injury litigation to boot.
What can an accident victim do after an accident? First of all, they will inevitably have to speak with their insurance company to file a claim.
Unfortunately, insurance adjusters are not always the most trustworthy individuals.
They act in the best interests of the insurance company, rather than in your best interests.
This may result in a lowered compensation amount.
Claimants do have the right, however, to contest a claim denial or offer.
Sometimes, liability in accidents is difficult to determine.
When two insurance companies are battling over percentage of liability, victims may suffer the consequences.
Take pedestrian accidents for example.
In 2010, there were more than 8,000 pedestrian crashes in Florida.
Although a pedestrian may have been hit because they were improperly crossing the street, the vehicle that hit the pedestrian may have been speeding as well.
In these scenarios, insurance adjusters would likely have to determine how much the vehicle contributed to the accident and how much the pedestrian contributed to the accident.
Due to complex insurance claims issues as well as excessive damages often resulting from traffic accidents, many people benefit from the help of a personal injury attorney.
Unlike an insurance adjuster, the attorney will have the victim's best interests in mind and can fight for maximum financial compensation for medical expenses, repair costs, lost wages and even emotional damages.
To learn more about legal representation after being involved in a car accident, get in touch with a personal injury attorney in your area and speak with them about your case.
They compile their data and submit it to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), which then organizes a report for analyzing the impact of crashes and other infractions annually.
In 2011, Florida reported a total of 904,840 traffic citations, 301,960 speeding tickets, 9,592 DUI arrests and 206,776 crash investigations.
Although the total number of highway crashes decreased by 3.
4 percent, Florida is still a national leading in traffic accidents per year.
The number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities actually increased by nearly 9 percent in the year 2011, making driving under the influence a huge factor on Florida highways.
Those hit by drunk drivers are considered the victims in these accidents, but what action can they take? A drunk driver will likely be arrested and possibly charged with criminal DUI.
Aside from these criminal penalties, victims can file civil penalties against drunk drivers for the injuries and other damages that they caused.
These are two separate types of legal actions that have little influence on each other.
For example, even if a driver was not criminally convicted of DUI, they may be found civilly liable and required to compensate the victim.
On average, there are close to 200,000 traffic crashes each year in Florida and almost as many injuries.
Thousands of Floridians are sustaining injuries wrongfully each year, leading to many auto insurance claims and personal injury litigation to boot.
What can an accident victim do after an accident? First of all, they will inevitably have to speak with their insurance company to file a claim.
Unfortunately, insurance adjusters are not always the most trustworthy individuals.
They act in the best interests of the insurance company, rather than in your best interests.
This may result in a lowered compensation amount.
Claimants do have the right, however, to contest a claim denial or offer.
Sometimes, liability in accidents is difficult to determine.
When two insurance companies are battling over percentage of liability, victims may suffer the consequences.
Take pedestrian accidents for example.
In 2010, there were more than 8,000 pedestrian crashes in Florida.
Although a pedestrian may have been hit because they were improperly crossing the street, the vehicle that hit the pedestrian may have been speeding as well.
In these scenarios, insurance adjusters would likely have to determine how much the vehicle contributed to the accident and how much the pedestrian contributed to the accident.
Due to complex insurance claims issues as well as excessive damages often resulting from traffic accidents, many people benefit from the help of a personal injury attorney.
Unlike an insurance adjuster, the attorney will have the victim's best interests in mind and can fight for maximum financial compensation for medical expenses, repair costs, lost wages and even emotional damages.
To learn more about legal representation after being involved in a car accident, get in touch with a personal injury attorney in your area and speak with them about your case.
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