South Florida Injury Attorneys Blog
Earlier this week in a tragic accident that occurred in Melbourne, three women—all sisters—were killed when they were involved in a chain-reaction accident on northbound Interstate 95. According to one local news report, the three sisters were on their way home after a short gambling trip.
The women were in a 2007 Hyundai Elantra driving behind a 2008 Infiniti when the Infiniti left the roadway and slammed into the median guardrail. After the car crashed into the guardrail, the women in the Hyundai collided with the Infiniti. After that, several other vehicles crashed into the wreckage. Altogether, four vehicles were involved in the chain-reaction accident.
All three sisters were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. It is unclear at the present moment whether they were killed in the initial collision with the Infiniti or if they were killed as a result of one of the subsequent chain-reaction crashes. There was also one other passenger traveling with the woman. She was admitted to the hospital with critical injuries.
The driver of the Infiniti, as well as his two passengers, were all injured in the accident as well. The drivers of the other two vehicles were not seriously injured in the accident.
Financial Recovery after Serious Accidents
Tragic accidents are often preventable. In even the most inexplicable accident, there is usually a cause if one looks hard enough at the available evidence. For example, in the case discussed above, it seems as though the driver of the Infiniti may have been responsible for the chain-reaction accident by crossing into the median and crashing into the barrier.
In many cases, personal injury plaintiffs rely on a police report or a citation issued to the other driver to help them prove a case of negligence against the other driver. If there was a citation issued in the accident to the other driver, this is strong evidence of that driver’s negligence because the standard of proof at civil trials is less than at criminal trials.
It should be noted, however, that there is no requirement that there be a citation issued in order for an accident victim to prove negligence. The bottom line in a negligence case is proving that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care that was violated in some way. In the case of traffic accidents, establishing a duty of care is usually not an issue because all drivers owe all other drivers, pedestrians, and anyone else on the road a duty of care. Most often, the bulk of litigation in a negligence case is establishing that the defendant’s conduct was a violation of that duty and that his or her conduct was the actual and proximate cause of the plaintiff’s injuries.
Have You Been Injured in a South Florida Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been involved in a serious Florida accident of any kind, you may be entitled to monetary damages based on the other driver’s negligence. To learn more about how you may be able to recover for your injuries, call one of the dedicated attorneys at Cecere Santana at 1-800-753-5529 set up a free initial consultation.
More Blog Posts:
Are You a Victim of Personal Injury?, Cecere Santana Injury Lawyers Blog, published August 26, 2014.
Save Money on Auto Insurance, Cecere Santana Injury Lawyers Blog, published July 23, 2014.