Boca Raton FL Motor Vehicle Accidents Law Blog

When anyone gets behind the wheel of a vehicle in Florida, there is always a risk of an accident. However, some may feel that car accidents increase when young adults drive. A car accident that recently took place in Riviera Beach, Florida at the hands of a 21-year-old driver may add to the speculation.

The man crashed into another car, causing the death of five people. Not a lot is known about the occupants of the car that was struck other than that there were three teens and two adults. Authorities say that the driver who caused the car accident survived. However, it is reported that he sustained serious injuries and was taken to a local area hospital.

Whether someone is 24 or 84, Florida law requires a driver to stop when they are involved in an accident causing injury. Two recent incidents in Palm Beach County underscore the dangers that car accidents or near misses can cause on our roadways. Each resulted in the arrest of an octogenarian, though for wildly different reasons.

The first incident involved a road rage claim but no car accident. An 85-year-old man apparently cut off another driver, tensions erupted, and the man is now accused of pulling a gun on the other driver and a passenger. Since there were no reports of any physical injuries, the incident will be handled by the criminal court system.

Truck accidents can lead to very serious injuries. The resulting physical damage to a person in Florida may not only cause physical injuries, but they may also interfere with an individual's ability to work. Most jobs require workers to be physically present and able to perform, which may mean that a person suffers lost wages when a serious personal injury happens.

In mid-March, popular country singer David Allen Coe suffered injuries in an accident with a commercial vehicle. He was in an SUV which likely provided him with some physical protection, but the truck hit the side of his car hard enough to knock it off the road and into a parking lot. His automobile was struck by the truck while he crossing an intersection in Florida.

While many rules of the road that apply to driving are very common, few are universal. There are some activities such as drunk driving that all states agree are dangerous to public safety, so it is illegal everywhere. When one is found to have violated these laws, they are often held legally liable for car accidents that result from them. The vast majority of states have also instituted a ban against texting while driving, and Florida may also do so this year, which could impact liability in related accidents.

When the Florida legislature reconvenes this March, it will consider multiple texting bills. Florida is one of only five states in the country that has not yet banned texting while driving. There was a bill being considered as far back as 2010, but it did not pass. Some legislators argued that if texting was made illegal, other common activities such as eating while driving should be outlawed as well.