Imagine this: It’s a dull morning, and for some reason, you are late for work. In your rush to get to the office, you drive over the speed limit, and even run a red light, causing a T-bone accident. The other driver decides to file a personal injury suit. What happens then?
In this blog, you will learn how Florida traffic violations impact personal injury lawsuits. Have a read below:
What Is a Traffic Violation?
In the example above, such driving habits are referred to as traffic violations. You see, once you get behind the wheel and join other vehicles on the tarmac, there are rules that you must follow. For one, you must stick to the speed limit and obey traffic signs, which clearly did not happen in our example.
That said, here are the violations known to cause road accidents in the Show Me State:
- Speeding- Imagine a dog suddenly crossing the road when you are driving at 90 miles an hour. You have no time to maneuver the vehicle and evade hitting the animal. In such situations, the chances of a collision are quite high.
- Reckless Driving- Engaging in habits that puts your life and others’ at risk is reckless. Examples include tailgating and weaving in and out of traffic.
- Ignoring road signs- Road signals create a sense of order on the road. Violating them can lead to severe ramifications especially if you cause an accident.
- Failure to yield- Road discipline means you should respect the right of way and yield whenever necessary. Failure to do this may lead to a collision or even a pedestrian accident.
How do Florida Traffic Violations Affect Personal Injury Cases?
Say you were involved in a car accident and decided to sue the at-fault driver. If it is determined that they violated traffic rules, it may impact your claim in the following ways:
- Establishing Liability- Take the example of a drunk driver. If they were cited at the scene, you might establish that their intoxication may have affected their judgment, and this is why they were speeding, tailgating, or even driving in the wrong lane.
- Establishing negligence- Traffic violations like reckless driving are a basis for negligence in personal injury cases. They show wanton disregard for the safety of others on the road.
As personal injury attorney Christopher Largey of Largey Law says, “Victims of personal injury can use the other driver’s traffic violations as evidence to bolster their claim and win compensation.”
Conclusion
In summary, a traffic violation can tip the scales in any personal injury case. If there is sufficient evidence to prove the defendant violated traffic rules either by speeding, tailgating, driving while intoxicated, or they were distracted at the time of the crash, this can increase their share of liability.
Suppose you have been involved in a car accident, and you suspect that the other driver’s traffic violations may have had a role to play. Hiring a qualified Florida personal injury attorney is in your best interest. They will use their connections in law enforcement to uncover evidence of the violation if the at fault driver was cited. If not, they will perform a comprehensive investigation to determine whether the other party did indeed commit a traffic violation that may have caused the accident.
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