Sideswipe Accident Lawyer in Palm Coast, FL
Any car accident can cause serious injuries and substantial property damage, but sideswipe accidents can be particularly severe. Vehicles lack protection on their sides. This means drivers and passengers are more likely to suffer serious injuries when hit from the side.
If you were seriously injured in a sideswipe accident, our experienced Palm Coast car accident lawyers can help you seek compensation for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses. Contact Chiumento Law, PLLC today for a free initial consultation.
What To Do After a Sideswipe Accident in Palm Coast
If you’re involved in a sideswipe accident in Ormond Beach or elsewhere in Volusia County, you need to take the proper steps to make sure you get the treatment you need and have the best possible chance of recovering compensation for your injuries. Here are recommended steps to take to preserve your legal rights:
- Call 911 immediately. You or someone else may have serious injuries. You will want to bring the police to the scene so they can file an accident report.
- Get as much evidence from the scene of the accident as possible. Use your phone to take pictures or video of the damage to all vehicles involved, any injuries you sustained, and the broader crash environment.
- Get the other driver’s name, insurance information, and contact information.
- If there are any eyewitnesses, get their names and contact information as well.
- See a doctor as soon as you can. They can determine whether you suffered any internal injuries and provide valuable medical documentation.
- Hold on to all your medical records. Medical records document your injuries and often are crucial pieces of evidence in personal injury cases.
- Don’t give a recorded statement to any insurance companies until you have consulted with an attorney to understand your legal options after a sideswipe accident. Anything you say to an insurer can potentially be used against you later on. Be careful about the information you share with them.
- Hire a personal injury lawyer to advocate for your legal rights and fight for just compensation for your accident-related expenses and losses.
Who Is At Fault in a Sideswipe Accident?
The person who is at fault for a sideswipe collision depends on the circumstances of the particular crash. To determine who is responsible, you’ll have to look at the facts of the case.
When it comes to liability for an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit, the determination of fault is based on the legal notion of negligence. In brief, a person or other entity is negligent if they failed to take reasonable steps to avoid injuring another party when they had a legal responsibility to do so.
Florida’s traffic laws spell out drivers’ responsibilities when merging, changing lanes, and passing other vehicles. When our Palm Coast sideswipe accident lawyers evaluate who is at fault for a sideswipe accident, we look at the available evidence to see who might have broken the law or the rules of the road or otherwise behaved carelessly.
For example, if a driver was trying to merge into another lane and failed to use turn signals or to check their blind spots, the driver could be held responsible if their actions resulted in a sideswipe accident. Likewise, if a driver sped up to prevent someone from merging, they could be found liable.
Some of the most common causes of sideswipe accidents in Florida are:
- Drivers intoxicated by alcohol, illegal narcotics, or certain prescription medications
- Drivers distracted by talking on the phone, texting, or adjusting the music.
- Drivers dangerously fatigued due to a lack of sleep, the effects of certain medications, or sleep disorders
- Drivers behaving recklessly by driving too fast, weaving through traffic, or accelerating to prevent another driver from passing or merging in front.
- Drivers losing control of their vehicle due to mechanical defects
- Drivers losing control due to slippery road conditions
To recover compensation after a sideswipe accident, you’ll need evidence showing the other driver was the negligent party. A lawyer can uncover the evidence that can help prove your case, including:
- Police accident reports
- Photos or video from the scene of the accident
- Eyewitness accounts
- Testimony from forensic accident investigators
- Your medical records
What Is a Sideswipe Collision?
A sideswipe accident occurs when two or more vehicles traveling parallel to one another collide. Sometimes the initial impact can cause one or both vehicles to spin out of control and collide with other vehicles or objects.
The primary crumple zones in most cars are in the front and rear. This means there’s little to protect drivers and passengers on the sides other than the thin exterior of the vehicle’s cabin. This means anyone inside the vehicle will feel more of the impact of a sideswipe accident.
There are a few ways that sideswipe car accidents occur. A driver must check their blind spot before merging into moving traffic or switching lanes. Drivers risk colliding with a vehicle in the other lane if they rely only on their side-view mirrors and fail to turn their heads to check blind spots.
Drivers who are drowsy or distracted may drift out of their lane and sideswipe a vehicle in an adjoining lane.
The worst possible outcome in a sideswipe accident is if one or more vehicles involved in the initial collision spin out of control. The sideways momentum from the impact can send a car into the path of other vehicles, causing a chain-reaction collision. When this occurs, the chances of serious injury increase considerably.
What Are Florida’s Laws About Unsafe Lane Changes?
Florida has laws in place to help prevent sideswipe accidents. According to Florida state law, drivers should not pass on the left unless the left lane is clearly visible. There must also be enough room to pass without interfering with the flow of traffic.
If a driver is trying to pass another vehicle by legally traveling into an oncoming traffic lane, the passing driver must make sure there’s enough room to overtake the vehicle in front of them safely.
Another Florida law states that drivers must use their turn signal when passing another vehicle or moving into another lane. This helps prevent sideswipe accidents because it’s a visual indicator of a driver’s intentions, giving other drivers the chance to take appropriate action to avoid a collision.
Unsafe Lane Change Accident Statistics in Florida
Florida records shed some light on how common sideswipe or lane-change accidents are. Here are some statistics from a recent 2021 report from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles:
- Drivers passing improperly caused 8,430 crashes in a year, including 955 crashes resulting in injuries and 55 fatal crashes.
- There were 31,293 crashes caused by drivers failing to keep in their proper lane. This includes 4,196 crashes resulting in injuries and 256 fatal crashes.
- Drivers making improper turns led to 17,002 crashes, with 2,683 crashes with injuries and 32 fatal crashes.
- There were 6,470 crashes caused by drivers swerving to avoid another vehicle or object. There were 1,175 such crashes with injuries and 20 fatal crashes.
Contact a Palm Coast Sideswipe Accident Attorney Today
Contact Chiumento Law, PLLC right away if you’re in severe pain and have suffered significant financial losses after a sideswipe accident. Our Palm Coast car collision lawyers have fought on behalf of accident victims since 1973.
With 11 attorneys and two conveniently located offices in Palm Coast and Ormond Beach, we have the resources to help you pursue financial compensation for your injuries. We don’t charge any attorney fees unless we are successful in helping you get full compensation for your losses. Contact us today for your free initial evaluation.