Auto Accidents: The Darker Side of the Sunshine State

Being involved in a traffic accident is one of the worst experiences that life has to offer. Unless you've gone through it personally, it's hard to comprehend the accompanying feelings of loss and injustice. The seasoned litigators at Stabinski Law have been the trusted advocates for countless car accident victims and their families throughout Florida since 1970. Some of the people we have helped include:

• The family of a pedestrian who was killed in a crosswalk after being struck by a commercial vehicle (verdict for $1.3 million)
• A woman who sustained head injuries as a result of an automobile accident with a city garbage truck (settled for $985,000)
• A man whose car flipped over after being cut off while exiting a highway (settled for $165,000)
• A woman whose vehicle was struck after she moved aside at an intersection to let a police car through (settled for $160,000)
• A woman who sustained two fractured ribs, a head laceration, and a torn lung after her car was struck by another vehicle at a 4-way stop (settled for $150,000).

With locations in Miami-Dade County and Broward County, the two most populous counties in the entire state of Florida, we stand uniquely ready to help. As of January 1, 2014, these counties also had the most licensed drivers -- there were 1,865,932 licensed drivers in Miami-Dade County and 1,395,803 in Broward County. Fittingly, Florida's Integrated Report Exchange System reports that Miami-Dade has had the highest county crash rate in 2014, with 51,513 traffic crashes injuring 27,358 people and killing 303. Broward County has seen the second highest number of incidents with 30,144 crashes that have injured 19,222 people and killed 126. Within our state, there have been approximately 298,518 crashes so far this year resulting in 196,252 people injured and 2,137 fatalities.

Unfortunately, these are not new numbers for us. Florida consistently ranks in the top five deadliest states in the nation for traffic fatalities and from 2008 to 2012 had the worst rate of pedestrian fatalities (ranked No. 5 for 2013, with the average number of fatalities being close to 500 per year). Our local papers are full of stories detailing the latest terrible vehicle-related accidents – from the man killed by a car on Interstate 95 off east Copans Rd while seeking help after his own car broke down to the 10 people injured when a car jumped the curb at an outside Miami café to the jogger fatally struck in Coral Springs.

If you have been in a car accident, it is important to:

• Stay calm.
• Refrain from moving any vehicles or people unless absolutely necessary for safety reasons.
• Call the police.
• Write down insurance, driver, and witness details.
• Take pictures of the accident scene if possible, made much easier these days with many cell phones featuring cameras.
• Seek medical attention even if you feel fine outwardly (many injuries are internal or worsen over time).
• Report the accident to your insurance company.
• Avoid admitting fault – let the police and insurance companies use their tools to come to a conclusion.
• Call a lawyer.

At Stabinski Law, we offer risk-free consultations and work on a contingency basis, which means that we do not require you to pay any fees until we have secured a recovery on your behalf. If you have any questions about this topic, feel free to contact us by calling 305-643-3100 or by filling out a free case evaluation form.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a car accident, call the injury lawyers in Miami at Stabinski Law for a free consultation.

DISCLAIMER
The information about past verdicts and settlements is based on the unique facts of each case. Every case is different, and future cases may not achieve the same or similar results. These amounts reflect the gross recovery (before attorneys’ fees and expenses are deducted).