Delray Beach Rear-End Collision Lawyer

Rear-end collisions are surprisingly common on Delray Beach roads and often cause serious or delayed injuries. Damages to both individuals and property can create significant costs for all parties involved.

If you or a loved one suffered an injury in a Delray Beach rear-end collision accident, a passionate car accident attorney could work to ensure you receive the compensation you need to recover your damages. Speak with a team of Delray Beach rear-end collision lawyers today.

Rear-End Collisions in Delray Beach

In Palm Beach County, Florida, there were 8,212 rear-end collisions during 2015, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. That is about one-third of the 24,887 crashes during that year alone. Rear-end collisions can happen anywhere, though highway accidents are particularly dangerous. Scenarios that do not allow drivers the time or distance to stop sometimes cause chain reactions to happen and injuries can be serious depending on the speed of traffic.

Rear-end collisions are the most common automotive crashes in Delray Beach, and many do occur because of drivers who are tailgating. The law in Delray Beach, as in the rest of Florida, requires one car length of distance for each 10 mph of speed.

Other causes of rear-end collisions include aggressive driving, speeding, impairment from alcohol or drugs, distracted driving such as texting and operating the vehicle’s radio or air-conditioning, spilling beverages, eating, applying make-up, and even talking with passengers. Speak with a Delray Beach rear-end collision lawyer to learn more.

Potential Injuries from Rear-End Collisions

Even a low-speed rear-end crash can cause severe whiplash, which may not reveal itself for days or even months after the crash. Far more serious head, neck, and back injuries are also possible. A crash that causes a death can be and often is considered a criminal offense in Delray Beach, but the offender can still be sued in civil court.

Common Misconception in Finding Fault

If a driver hits another vehicle from behind, it is often assumed that the driver is at fault. While that may be true in some instances, the degree of fault for each involved party may vary depending on the circumstances surrounding the wreck.

According to a rule modified by the Florida Supreme Court in 1959, it was once assumed the motorist behind was at fault because of following too closely. The court’s 2009 revision now allows specific defenses for the rear driver.

Defenses for a rear-end collision often recognized in court include that the forward driver:

• May have had to stop abruptly for some reason such as someone’s pet dashing across the road
• May have made an illegal stop
• Developed an electrical problem in their vehicle that, for example, prevented the brake lights from lighting up
• Was stopped by an unexpected mechanical problem, such as running out of fuel

Establishing Negligence

Florida’s comparative negligence standard applies in rear-end car accidents. Negligence is committing an act that a reasonable person would not do in the same situation. Motorists owe a legal duty of care to others on the roads.

If breaching that duty causes the accident and results in injuries, property damage, and/or financial loss, Delray Beach rear-end collision lawyers may be able to win damages claimed in a lawsuit.

Get in Touch with Delray Beach Rear-End Collision Attorneys Today

Those injured in a rear-end collision may sue the offending driver for damages without paying initial attorney fees. Our Delray Beach rear-end collision lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning if the lawsuit wins damages, the attorney fees are paid from a portion of the damages won. However, if a case does not succeed, we do not charge attorney fees.

If you sustained damages from a rear-end car accident, our team of dedicated attorneys could assist you in getting the compensation you deserve.