Every state has a law for how to handle personal injury cases such as car accidents in the event that both parties involved are found to have caused the accident through negligence. Florida operates with a pure comparative fault law, which allows a victim to be up to 99% at fault for their own injury and still recover 1% of the damages awarded in their claim. 

The degree of fault is determined after reviewing the evidence and circumstances involved in your South Florida car accident claim. The presentation of this evidence is critical, and your best option is to hire a Palm Beach car accident lawyer to help you persuade the court that the other driver was primarily responsible for your accident.  

Once the percentage of fault is determined, the trial proceeds to settlement, placing a final dollar value on your case. The lower your degree of fault, the more of this settlement you are entitled to collect. For example, a South Florida car accident claim that settles for $100,000 would give a plaintiff who was found to have a degree of fault of 20% a final settlement of $80,000. 

There’s more information on how your South Florida car accident is affected when you are partially at fault in our article library. Knowing how to best prove a low degree of fault is important to your settlement amount, and a trusted Palm Beach car accident lawyer from 24/7 Injury Law can help. Call today to set up a consultation – 888-984-4878

October 19, 2010 – Royal Palm Beach FL - Authorities are searching for a speeding hit and run driver who nearly killed Jose Antonio Diaz in Royal Palm Beach.

According to reports on WPTV.com, Diaz, 61, had gathered with relatives when he went out to his car to retrieve his glasses. As he was getting his glasses, a car that was driving westbound on Sandpiper Avenue drove into the yard and struck him.

The hit and run driver cut a path through the grass and then fled. Deputies think the culprit may have been driving an old Ford pickup that was either green or blue. Police collected evidence at the scene including a beer can and cigarette butt, which will be sent off for DNA testing.

As a result of the hit and run accident, Diaz sustained a punctured lung, internal bleeding and several broken bones. He was airlifted to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach.

Neighbors, although shocked, were not surprised by the ordeal. Alan Lafoy, a resident on the street where the hit and accident took place, said he had seen three auto accidents where the offenders fled.

Days after the nearly fatal accident, Diaz was in the intensive care unit in West Palm Beach. According to his daughter, Dairys Diaz of Miami, he was receiving supplemental oxygen, but was in a lot of pain.

Traffic Injuries and Fatalities in Florida

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ 2009 Traffic Crash Statistics Report, there were 197,214 traffic crashes resulting in injury and 2,563 fatalities as a result of vehicle 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 distracted drivers or aggressive driving.

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

October 19, 2010 – Lake Worth, FL - A pedestrian who was fatally struck on Interstate 95 has been identified as Bayron Galindo, 31, The Palm Beach Post reported. 

The 31-year-old victim, who was from Lake Worth, was hit by two vehicles. According to published reports by the Florida Highway Patrol, Galindo was on the west side of I-95 south and attempting to cross over to the east side near the area of 10^th Avenue North around 6:30 A.M. on October 16.   

Ernesto Rivera, 47, was driving a Lincoln Town Car when he noticed Galindo trying to cross the highway. Although he tried to avoid hitting Galindo, the back of the Town Car struck the pedestrian and knocked Galindo to the ground in the center lane. 

A second motorist, 44-year-old Juan Ramos, did not notice that Galindo had been struck down and ran over him with his Ford Mustang. 

FHP is unsure whether any other vehicles came into contact with Galindo, who died on the scene.

Traffic Injuries and Fatalities in Florida

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ 2009 Traffic Crash Statistics Report, there were 197,214 traffic crashes resulting in injury and 2,563 fatalities as a result of vehicle 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 distracted drivers or aggressive driving.

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

October 14, 2010, Loxahatchee — Police authorities suspect a drunk driver may be at fault for the fatal car accident that killed a girl near Loxahatchee on October, 10, 2010.

According to reports from CBS12.com, 10-year-old Khonni Louis died when her mother collided with a Ford F-250. The pickup truck was idle and facing west on Northlake Boulevard in the vicinity of 140^th Avenue, officials said

The child, along with her mother and 11-year-old sister, were headed home after visiting a relative in Miramar.

Khonni, who was in the 5th grade at Pierce Hammock Elementary, had not been wearing a seatbelt, according to investigators although her father believes she was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. Her father also said his wife did not see an idle vehicle before the collision took place.

The child’s father told reporters that he believes his wife’s vehicle was actually cut-off by the pickup truck.

Mark Bradley, 45, who was behind the wheel of the pickup truck, was not able to be reached for a comment on the case.

Investigators said Bradley appeared intoxicated, however, so far charges have not been filed.

Traffic Fatalities in Florida

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ 2009 Traffic Crash Statistics Report, there were 197,214 traffic crashes resulting in injury and 2,563 fatalities as a result of vehicle 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 distracted drivers or aggressive driving.

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

In Florida, your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage can be stacked, meaning the limits can be multiplied according to the vehicles you have on your policy. Suppose your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is $100,000. If 3 cars are on your policy when an accident occurs, your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage would be limited to $300,000. 

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is almost a necessity in Florida, where 23% of drivers have no car insurance. 

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, depending on the limits you purchase, could cover: 

• Medical bills – 100%.
• Lost wages – 100%.
• Pain and suffering – 100%. 

Your uninsured motorist coverage can help protect you as well as any passengers in your vehicle if a negligent driver with no insurance causes a serious accident. You would also be covered as a passenger in another vehicle, as a pedestrian or as the victim of a hit and run accident. Although uninsured/underinsured coverage is not terribly expensive, the benefits are valuable. (Insert link to Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage) 

Without it, you could be at a loss. Even if you have health insurance, be mindful that it might not fully cover damages from a serious car accident in Florida. In addition, health insurance cannot cover lost wages and pain and suffering, as uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage can.  

Contact a Palm Beach Car Accident Lawyer 

An auto accident can ruin and completely change your life. If you have been injured in a car crash in West Palm Beach or North Palm Beach, Florida, you should contact a Florida personal injury attorney to learn about your rights and determine liability. When you are interviewing personal injury attorneys ask critical questions, like: how long have you been practicing; what is the largest settlement or verdict you’ve obtained; and do you have experience with uninsured motorist cases? 

24/7 Injury Law, a law firm based in West Palm Beach, Florida, takes time when speaking with you about your case and works with you on a contingent fee basis so there are NO FEES unless one of our trained personal injury lawyers wins your case. Call now to schedule a no-cost evaluation of your case – 888-984-4878.