June 1, 2010 – Palm Beach, FL – Megan Jane Patton, a 22-year old recent college graduate, was the unfortunate victim of a hit-and-run crash that involved 6 other vehicles on I-95 early Tuesday morning. 

The Palm Beach Post reports Patton was traveling to her job around 8 a.m. when her vehicle was cut off by a dark sedan, forcing her to swerve from the inside lane into the median. Her vehicle crossed the median into the southbound lanes where it sideswiped a GMC truck, then smashed into a truck driven by 50-year old Elizabeth Schultz-Seelbach. 

Schulz-Seelbach was hospitalized from the impact, which resulted in Patton’s vehicle being split in two. Patton’s sedan continued to strike another truck driven by 40-year old James Soars, who luckily escaped without injury. Debris from Patton’s split sedan struck another truck and a few other vehicles, but there were no further injuries. 

The rescue efforts and following investigation closed southbound I-95 for at least two hours. The dark sedan that set off the fatal chain of events is still being searched for. Patton was pronounced dead at the scene. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2008 Florida Crash Statistics, there were 2,978 fatalities as a result of car accidents in Florida. 

As a service to the residents of South Florida, our firm will frequently publish blogs about local traffic accidents. We do this to raise awareness about the common types of motor vehicle accidents that occur in South Florida that may result in serious injury or traffic fatalities. 

Common accidents include, but are not limited to: 

• Single-car accidents;
• Accidents caused by hazardous road conditions; and
• Accidents caused by aggressive driving or distracted drivers. 

If you have been named in this blog or you are the victim’s family member or friend and would like the blog removed from our website, please feel free to contact us and we will promptly accommodate your request.

No matter if you file your Florida property damage claim with your own car insurance company or the other drivers’ company, you will be asked to provide many pieces of documentation for your claim. Make sure to keep copies of all paperwork related to your car accident and have them ready to provide to the adjuster when asked.

The accident or police report is usually the first thing the adjuster will ask for, and it is usually available for you to pick up within 24-72 hours following your car accident. When speaking to the adjuster about the accident, you should not have to discuss your injuries or who was at fault, just the damages to your vehicle. 

Next, you will need to provide at least 2 written estimates for repair from different auto repair companies. In some cases, insurance companies may have preferred companies they like you to deal with. These estimates will help determine if your vehicle is repairable. Your vehicle is considered totaled if the damages exceed 80% of the value. 

If the insurance company provides compensation for towing, storage, and use of a rental car while your vehicle is out of commission, you will need to keep the bills from these services as well. Before utilizing any of these services, check with the insurance policies to see if these expenses are part of the coverage, or you may be stuck paying for them out of pocket. 

There are many more steps involved in filing a Florida property damage claim that we discuss in our article library. Good documentation is a great first step in starting your personal injury claim, and the next should be contacting a trusted Palm Beach car accident lawyer from the 24/7 Injury Law group. Call today to set up a consultation – 888-984-4878.