HIT-AND-RUN VICTIMS ABLE TO PURSUE WRONGFUL DEATH LITIGATION

Floridians in the Boca Raton area have experienced a rash of hit-and-run accidents, prompting a look at what recourse hit-and-run victims may have in the event of such an accident, including wrongful death lawsuits.

Recent Hit-and-Run Accidents Leave Residents Ill-at-Ease

The latest hit-and-run accident in Oakland Park has left residents skeptical about the safety of their neighborhood. In early May, an 18 year-old unlicensed driver hit and killed an elderly pedestrian in broad daylight. The unlicensed driver has been charged with leaving the scene involving a fatality and driving without a valid driver's license resulting in death.

Unfortunately, this tragedy is only the latest in a string of such accidents in the area. Earlier this year, a hit-and-run driver injured a motorcyclist in West Park, and a pedestrian in Lighthouse Park was critically injured by a driver who fled the scene.

Boca Raton has experienced two recent hit-and-run fatalities, including a young girl killed while riding her tricycle and an elderly woman was killed while crossing the street. In the latter accident, the woman was hit twice: The first car stopped, but the second car fled the scene.

Florida Hit-and-Run Accident Laws and Liability

Those who commit hit-and-run accidents causing injury or death are criminally charged in the state of Florida. The charges in hit-and-run cases can vary from third-degree felony charges for serious injury to first-degree felony charges if the victim dies. If the guilty driver was drinking at the time of a fatal accident, he or she automatically serves a mandatory two-year prison sentence.

In addition, those convicted of committing a Florida hit-and-run accident must pay restitution to the injured parties or their families for any loss or damage sustained in the accident.

It is also possible to pursue damages through a experienced Boca Raton car accident lawyer. In a wrongful death lawsuit, plaintiffs must demonstrate that the defendant's negligence or intent to cause harm caused the death of their loved one and that surviving family members are facing monetary injury due to the loss of their family member.

Hit-and-run accidents can be extremely dangerous for victims and frustrating for their families seeking justice and appropriate compensation. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a hit-and-run accident, please contact an experienced personal injury attorney.

5 Common Driving Myths That Are Causing Accidents in West Palm Beach

Pop Quiz: If you’re driving behind a school bus and it turns on its red lights, how far behind the bus should you stop? 50 feet? 100 feet? If you’re on the other side of the road, do you have to stop at all?

If you’re unsure of the answer, you’re not alone. Many Florida drivers forget the answers to these questions the minute they get their licenses, building their driving habits purely from on-the-road experience.

Unfortunately, this leads to a lot of different interpretations of road rules-and these simple mistakes are a common cause of west palm beach car accidents.

So what are the most common misconceptions among Florida drivers?

• Never let someone in! Some drivers think that they can teach late-merging cars a lesson by not letting them into the lane. Unfortunately, many cars will try to push in anyway, turning a simple merge into a game of chicken on the highway.
• If someone’s going too slow, riding their tail will speed them up! Many drivers will tailgate to “send the driver a message.” Disregarding following distances in Florida only results in rear-end collisions that usually result in heavy injuries for the tailgater.
• Cars always go before pedestrians-we’re faster! It is easy for a driver to assume he has the right of way in a car. Yet when that same aggressive driver is the one in the crosswalk, you can be sure he’ll shake his fist at a car threatening to turn in front of him.
• Yellow light? Floor it! If you ask a driver what a yellow light means, the answer is often “speed up.” However, it actually means “proceed with caution,” or more simply: stop if you can. If you absolutely cannot stop safely, continue through the light.
• Turn signals are for suckers! Drivers often assume that if they move quickly enough, they don’t need to signal. What they don’t realize is that turn signals are not for their own benefit, but for those around them who need warning before a car darts in front of them.

As experienced West Palm Beach car accident attorney, we know that even the drivers who obey official road rules are at risk from reckless drivers. That’s why we fight for justice for car accident victims. We hold dangerous drivers accountable for their actions and get our clients the help they need to recover.