Car Accident Attorney Miami

In 2009, there were 338,633 people involved in traffic accidents in Florida, which translates to an average of 646 car crashes a day. These traffic accidents resulted in 197,214 injuries and 2,563 fatalities. South Florida, where the largest population lives, has the lion’s share of these traffic accidents. Those motor vehicle or “car accidents,” account for the largest percentage of personal injury cases and claims in Miami and all of Metro-Dade County. Likewise, accident claims and “auto accident injury law suits,” where one or more vehicle have been involved, represents the largest portion of accident law suits and personal injury claims and cases throughout all South Florida. Thus, knowing what to do when you are involved in an auto accident and how to hire an experienced Miami car accident injury lawyer is of utmost concern to you and your family should they become a statistic.

Two major causes of car accidents on the Miami roadways are Drunk Driving and Distracted Driving.

Drunk Driving

Alcohol and drugs contributed to 44% of Florida’s crash fatalities last year. That equates to nearly four fatalities per day at the hands of impaired drivers.

In 2008, there were more than 22,200 alcohol related crashes with more than 1,100 alcohol related fatalities and more than 15,700 alcohol related injuries across the state. Miami-Dade County lead the state with 1,898 alcohol related crashes and 85 alcohol related fatalities.

In 2007 alone, nearly 13,000 people in the U.S. died in crashes in which the drivers or motorcycle riders were legally impaired, according to the statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Most of these individuals were innocent victims of crashes that could have been avoided if the impaired driver had simply made the decision not to drink and drive.

Statistics show that the percentage of legally intoxicated motorcycle riders in fatal crashes is greater than the percentage of legally intoxicated drivers on our roads. This is why NHTSA urges all motorcycle riders to always ride smart and sober.

If you or a loved one is injured by a drunk driver in Miami call the Offices of Victor Dante today. Filing Miami auto accident claims is time sensitive, so involving a personal injury lawyer from the beginning is crucial.

Distracted Driving

For most of us who drive on a regular basis, we don’t think about all the distractions or dangers. We’re in a hurry and we mulit-task. We play with the radio, make a call on our cell phone, or even squeeze in a text message or two. Driving and texting can’t be that hard right? Until you are the victim of a distracted driver. Studies show texting while driving is more dangerous than drunk driving! Although driving and talking on a cell phone is perfectly legal in Florida, the real questions is: should you do it?

The U.S. Department of Transportation has heard American’s call to end the dangerous practice of distracted driving on our nation’s roadways. Distracted driving is a serious, life-threatening practice. The department’s agencies are already working together to share knowledge and promote a greater understanding of the issue, and identify additional strategies to end distracted driving. The message for Florida drivers is simple – put your cell phone down! The words distracted and driving just don’t go together. If you are the victim of a distracted driver in South Florida, the Law office of Victor Dante can help.

A newly released study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute studied long-haul trucks for 18 months by outfitting the cabs with video cameras. They found that when the drivers texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting. The study also measured the time drivers took their eyes from the road to send or receive texts. In the moments before a crash or near crash, drivers typically spent nearly five seconds looking at their devices – enough time at typical highway speeds to cover more than the length of a football field.

Nationally and in Florida, distracted driving studies show an outside person, object or event as the greatest distraction.

Who are our distracted drivers?

• Research shows that over half of U.S. drivers report having used a cell phone while driving in the past 30 days.
• One in seven admits to text messaging while driving.
• Forty-six percent of 16 and 17-year-old drivers say they text message while driving.
• Forty-eight percent of 18 to 24-year-old drivers text message while driving.
• Sixty-seven percent of 25-34-year-old drivers talk on their cell phones while driving.
• Sixty-five percent of drivers with a college education talk on their cell phones while driving. The higher the level of education, the higher the use of the cell phone.

At the Law Offices of Victor F. Dante, P.A. we use our strategy and experience in fighting for your personal injury rights if you have been injured in an auto or other vehicular accident. Miami Accident Attorney Victor F. Dante investigates every possible contributing cause of an auto accident to ensure that your will receive full compensation for your injuries. Evaluation all of the facts involved in the cause of a motor vehicle accident requires skill and experience. Florida auto injury laws in general, and Miami personal injury laws in particular, can be very complex. The Miami law office of Victor Dante will take over the investigation of your case, so that you can concentrate on recovering from your injuries. We can assist you in finding an appropriate medical specialist to treat you, and we can make arrangements with your medical care providers to wait for payment until your case is resolved through settlement or trial in the Florida courts.

Auto accidents are generally decided using the law of negligence. A person who negligently operates a vehicle may be required to pay any damages caused by their negligence, either to person or property. Generally, people who operate automobiles must exercise “reasonable care under the circumstances”. Failure to use reasonable care is the basis in most lawsuits for damages caused by Florida car accidents.

Flroida courts look to a number of factors in determining whether a drive was negligent. Some examples of these factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Driving too fast or too slow
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Distracted drivers
• Failing to signal while turning
• Disregarding weather or traffic conditions
• Disobeying traffic signs or signals
• Failing to drive on the right side of the road

A Florida driver may also be liable for an accident caused by intentional or reckless conduct. A driver who is reckless is one who drives unsafely, with willful and wanton disregard for the probability that the driving may cause an accident. In certain cases, accidents are caused by factors unrelated to the conduct of any particular driver. For example, under the law of product liability, a vehicle manufacturer or supplier may be responsible for injuries caused by a defect in the vehicle, or a component of the automobile, as in the Firestone tire litigation. A product liability lawsuit is brought against the seller of a product for selling a defective product that caused physical injury to a consumer or user. If a manufacturer of a product created a defective product either in developing, designing or labeling the product, the manufacturer is liable for any injuries the product causes, regardless of whether or not the manufacturer was negligent.

In another example, if a mechanic fails to properly repair a vehicle and this failure causes an accident, the mechanic who improperly repaired the automobile and the shop’s owner may be liable for injuries sustained. If you are the victim of an injury due to negligence in South Florida, you should contact a Florida attorney promptly. Other factors such as poorly maintained roads and malfunctioning traffic control signals can also contribute to the cause. Improper design, maintenance, construction, signage, lighting or other highway defects, as well as improper striping on the road’s passing lanes, a sharp obstruction or problem with the roadway that obstructs a drivers’ vision or poorly placed trees and utility poles, can also cause serious car accidents. Finally, if a Florida accident is caused by an intoxicated driver, a bar or social host may be liable for damages sustained if they served an obviously intoxicated guest, who then drives and causes an accident.

In all Florida automobile injury claims and Florida car accident cases, it is essential that measures be taken promptly to preserve evidence, investigate the car accident in question, and to enable physicians or other expert witnesses to thoroughly evaluate any injuries. If you or a loved one is a victim of an auto accident, call the Law Offices of Victor F. Dante, P.A. promptly at 305-949-2526 or GET YOUR FREE ACCIDENT CASE EVALUATION NOW! The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to accept your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis. This means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds. Don’t delay! You may have a valid personal injury claim and are entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statue of limitations expires.