Florida Personal Injury Blog
In Miami, the Perazzo Law Firm explains accidents that cause damages to the ride side of the vehicle and accidents involving passengers.
When a motor vehicle is involved in an accident, in Miami, Jonathan Perazzo and his staff of personal injury and car accident lawyers, understand the damages that a vehicle can experience and the injuries that can come from collisions on the right side of a car or truck. Motorists, especially passengers, are very prone to injuries when their car they are in suffers a collision on the right side, especially when the vehicle is struck at high speed.
Whenever a motorist attempts a right-hand turn, he or she may fall victim to a negligent motorist that may either not yield right of way, or be the driver that causes a collision with another vehicle. Motorcycle riders regularly fall victim to right-hand turns by car or truck drivers, as they will usually fail to observe an oncoming vehicle approaching from the right. Failure to spot another motorist approaching on the right is quite common when motorists are in a rush, using a GPS service, or distracted by negligent cellphone use.
THE MIAMI CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER, JONATHAN PERAZZO OF THE PERAZZO LAW FIRM SERVES PASSENGERS HURT IN CAR ACCIDENTS IN MIAMI-DADE AND BROWARD
Just like in most cosmopolitan cities throughout the U.S.A, dealing with traffic is an inevitable part of the everyday hustle and bustle for residents and visitors. And when it comes to driving, Miami has its fair share of rules and regulations with which to make getting around a safe and enjoyable experience. A mecca for entertainment that appeals to visitors from all over the world, being a passenger in Miami can either be a moment to remember or one you wish to forget. Motor vehicles ranging from large and loud trucks to small and silent scooters can be spotted cruising Miami’s streets, avenues, and roads. To boot, modern rideshare and convenience delivery services such as Uber, Lyft, Amazon Prime Now, DoorDash, and InstaCart, can turn driving into a nightmare. Furthermore, when it comes to cluttering urban streets, the scooter craze has swarms of riders wreaking havoc on unexpecting motorists. This motorized reality has its dire consequences, as when combined with negligent cellphone use, the chances of an accident surge.
PASSENGER ACCIDENTS
The Miami car accident lawyers at the Perazzo Law Firm know that passengers and drivers are almost always hurt when cars collide, especially at high speeds and on highways. Studies find that passengers are just as likely to suffer the same, if not worse injuries than the driver of the car in which they were riding. Fortunately, passengers injured in car accidents have the legal right to hire a personal injury lawyer with whom to seek compensation for damages or losses incurred from an accident. Even though there are accident cases in which a motorist will have no right to claim for damages or injuries, the passenger will be found free of fault in 9 out of 10 accident cases. A driver’s insurance policy, (See TOP TEN INSURANCE POLICIES), will often be limited to how much it can offer in compensation for medical expenses and other damages. This point becomes crucial when the passenger has suffered severe personal injuries which exceed the driver’s insurance policy limit. If legal proceedings follow the incident, a court ruling will have to determine fault for the accident. When a motorist is found to not be at fault, he/she will not be held legally liable for the passenger’s claim for personal injury compensation. This does not particularly mean that the passenger should not seek compensation for serious injuries or losses incurred by the accident. When an accident involves two or more motor vehicles, the passenger should hire a Personal Injury Lawyer to seek compensation from the insurance providers of the other motorists. Perazzo Law reminds passengers hurt in car accidents that they have the legal right to seek compensation for their personal injuries, damages, and losses in Miami.
TOP 5 STEPS FOR A PASSENGER IN AN ACCIDENT
- Unless your life is in further danger, do not move or let anyone move you until the proper authorities arrive.
- Attend to any evident severe personal injuries.
- If physically possible, take photos of the accident scene and get the contact info of the other drivers and of any witnesses.
- Gather copies of all police and medical reports.
- Call 800-PERAZZO
Under Florida Law, every registered vehicle owner and operator must carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP).
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT PIP INSURANCE
What happens when PIP insurance does not cover the full amount of injuries or damages incurred from a car accident?
“In a perfect world, the car accident wouldn’t have happened. In a semi-perfect world, which is the one most Miami residents think they live in, the driver at fault and his/her insurance provider would swoop down upon them and make sure they are ok, that their family is ok, that all their medical bills are covered in full, and that they recover fully from all physical and emotional damages suffered, and live happily ever after. In the real world in which we live, things do not pan out the way they should or the way most people think they should.” Perazzo Law
A COMMON OCCURRENCE
A passenger suffers a broken hip in a car accident and must be taken to the hospital for emergency medical treatment. The victim’s hospital bills to treat a broken hip start at six figures. Who’s going to pay for this?
“Fortunately, Florida law dictates all registered motor vehicle owners and operators to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) to cover the first $10,000 in medical bills or damages. Sadly, in the real world of car insurance, PIP, even if stretched-out across the amount-due board, won’t go a very long way. That said, the injured party will be somewhat liable for the remaining balance due for copayments and deductibles. Overall, the injured party will owe the copayments and deductibles on the first ten thousand, as well as whatever amount PIP did not pay. In other words, payment for medical bills fall legally on you. There is light at the end of the tunnel as the person found at fault for the accident and the injuries sustained, will ultimately be responsible to pay the bills, but that could take months or even years. In the meantime, the bills belong to you, with the hospital or medical providers seeking to recover the amount owed for services rendered through a possible lawsuit. This is when it pays to have healthcare insurance in America. In the event the motorist and the insurance provider are unable to cover YOUR bills after the first $10K from PIP, your private healthcare provider would pick-up the slack, leaving you only responsible for the contractual duty, which may be a copayment or deductible depending on each person’s particular insurance policy. In other words, without private healthcare insurance, the injured passenger would be legally liable for payment to healthcare facilities for all medical services rendered. Although the system may not seem fair to a passenger that was not at fault, it does try to have some sort of balance.” Perazzo Law
GREAT, YOU HAVE REACHED A SETTLEMENT!
Insurance companies are in the business of making money, thus they have a lien to be first in line when it comes to getting paid for any, if not all the bills that they have paid. Thus, if you or a passenger gets a $100,000 bill for medical expenses, the medical facilities and insurance providers will adjust the costs according to their contractual agreements and reduce the final amount owed. The lower the insurance companies liens, the more in-pocket compensation for the injured party. In the event an at-fault motorist carries a million dollar policy, a $100,000 compensation settlement to cover medical bills, damages, or losses is highly viable. Whereas, in the event a driver holds a $100K policy and causes $1M in personal injury, damages, or losses, his/her assets would come into play through a lawsuit brought-on by the injured party’s personal injury attorney.
WORST CASE SCENARIO FOR INJURED PARTIES IN CAR ACCIDENTS
What happens if the motorist at fault doesn’t have insurance, and you or a passenger doesn’t have health insurance and or Uninsured Motorist coverage?
In the event there exists no insurance coverage to pay for medical bills, a lawsuit targeting the assets, if any, of the motorist responsible for the accident can be filed. However, this would most likely involve multiple years of litigation and could result in the accused filing bankruptcy or simply not have any funds to compensate for your medical bills. This said, Perazzo Law recommends all motorists to be prudent in this non-perfect world and to be insured against the unexpected.
Personal Injuries from a car accident may not seem realistic to you or a loved-one. But they happen, basically because we live a world that’s chaotic in which people get into accidents everyday, Perazzo Law advises motorists and all individuals alike, to carry insurance coverage to help cover the costs of what could be possible life-altering events.
The best car accident lawyers agree that most traffic accidents occur at intersections. In Miami, the Perazzo Law Firm’s staff of Personal Injury Lawyers understand intersection accidents and the sorts of injuries drivers and passenger suffer following a crash, which may include head-on, rear-end, and side collisions.
THE PERAZZO LAW FIRM EXPLAINS INTERSECTION ACCIDENTS AND WHAT TO DO FOLLOWING A CRASH THAT LEADS TO INJURIES
Drivers that are either stopped at an intersection or approaching one, are equally at risk of being involved in a traffic accident. In Miami, Jonathan Perazzo, personal injury lawyer and founder at the Perazzo Law Firm, together with his staff, have ample experience dealing with accidents that occur at intersections, and most often those which suffer the greatest losses are those that were in no way at fault for the accident. For example, a driver maybe stopped at an intersection waiting for a red light to turn green. Suddenly, another driver may attempt a left-hand turn and crash head-on into the motorist at the light. It happens. Stopped drivers are crashed into regularly while waiting for a green light at intersections, waiting to turn, and even with a steady green light. Sadly, intersection accidents such as these, usually result in physical injury, which most likely will require medical care, either through an evaluation of any injuries sustained in the accident, or physical therapy to treat the common injuries, such as cervical, thoracic, and lumbar injuries. The Perazzo Law Firm highly recommends that car accident victims, including passengers, contact their Miami-Dade law offices ONLINE immediately after an accident to help make sure medical bills are covered and the accident victim receives the treatment he or she deserves as compensation.
WHY DO PEOPLE CRASH AT INTERSECTIONS?
Some of the main reasons include:
- Distracted drivers – many drivers use their cell phones while driving. This causes failure to notice stopped traffic ahead, which leads to rear-end accidents.
- Drunk drivers – intoxicated motorists tend to make aggressive or abrupt maneuvers, which cause accidents such as blowing red lights, illegal left turns, and failure to yield to oncoming traffic.
- Negligence for traffic laws ; some motorists don’t respect stop signs or traffic lights. Hence, they usually cause intersections accidents.
- Fast drivers – Miami is riddled with fast cars. When drivers operate vehicles at high speed, they are more likely to be involved in accidents at intersections.
- Poor vehicle maintenance – cars that are in poor condition, tend to be involved in accidents. Sometimes bad brakes and poor tires may cause an accident at an intersection.
What Happens after an Intersection Accident?
Depending on the severity of the intersection accident and the injuries sustained, the authorities will normally arrive within minutes of the accident. Witnesses are quite common at intersection accidents, depending on the time of the accident. Jonathan Perazzo strongly urges car accident victims, especially passengers injured in accidents, to gather eye-witness testimony by having them give a statement to the police officer reporting the accident, or have them give you their contact information. Gathering eyewitness testimony is fundamental when fault is not entirely evident. Sometimes drivers crash at intersections and claims that both of them crossed the intersection with a steady green light, or that the other driver failed to yield right of way. Fortunately, but not always, the final resting point and the damages to the vehicles help reveal which driver was ultimately at fault. However, sometimes this method of establish fault after an intersection accident does not always carry out lot of weight in a court of law should the claim merit a trial. Most often, settlements following an intersection accident can be reached without having to go to court, which could become very costly and time consuming for all parties involved.
See: WHAT TO DO AFTER AN ACCIDENT
See: WHAT HAPPENS IF I AM A PASSENGER INJURED IN AN ACCIDENT?
Injuries after an intersection accident may include:
- Herniated discs
- Radiculopathy
- Cervicalgia
- Fractured or broken hips
- Extremity injuries
- Facial injuries from deployed airbags
- Head / brain trauma
See THE MOST COMMON CAR ACCIDENT INJURIES
MIAMI-GARDENS FATAL CAR ACCIDENT
A devastating five-car accident at NW 183rd and 38th Court resulted in two dead and various injured in Miami Gardens. Several vehicles were flipped over, with passengers and drivers ejected onto the street, sidewalks, and residential driveways. The severity of the accident sent several people to the hospital and made police have to block off the scene of the accident as bodies lay scattered about and rescue crews placed accident victims into ambulances. The cause of the multi-vehicle intersection accidents is being investigated to determine which of the motorists was responsible for the accident and whose insurance will cover the injuries and losses sustained. In Miami, the Perazzo Law Firm attorneys remind accident victims that Florida motor vehicle owners carry vehicle accident insurance to cover medical expenses through PIP coverage. CONTACT the Perazzo Law Firm NOW for a FREE initial consultation and ZERO OUT-OF-POCKET FEES to clients until their insurance claim for compensation is settled. See INSURANCE POLICIES FOR FLORIDA MOTORISTS
The Importance of a Dash Cam
“After an accident, your dash cam footage can be worth a million dollars,” Jonathan Perazzo of the Perazzo Law Firm in Miami-Dade.
Driver fault following a traffic accident that results in personal injuries, may sometimes be difficult to prove without eye-witness testimony or nearby camera surveillance footage. Thus, an insurance claim for compensation to cover personal injury, damages, or other economic losses may be unsuccessful or fall short of covering your losses. In Miami, the personal injury car accident attorneys at the Perazzo Law Firm, understand that having a dash cam on your vehicle can help improve the potential for establishing fault and help pave the way for a successful insurance claim as well as free you of fault for the incident. A dash cam can also protect you from an increase in your insurance premiums after an accident and some insurance providers may offer a discount if you have a dash cam installed in your vehicle. This is all made possible because a dash cam may be able to capture the vehicle accident and show which driver was at fault or what led to third party injuries and losses.
How does a dash cam work?
Mounted on your vehicle’s dashboard or behind your rearview mirror, it records what is heard and visible as your drive. The Perazzo Law Firm reminds drivers or motor vehicle owners that according to Florida Law, dash cams may not be placed where they obstruct the driver’s view, such as within the sweep of driver’s wiper. Dash cams may be used to record what is happening on the road ahead as well as within your vehicle, not only to help establish fault, but for many other purposes. They usually turn on and off when you start your engine and record while you drive. Thus, they are practical to have because they basically operate themselves to help protect you in the event of a traffic accident. Furthermore, you can set up your dash cam to record when you are parked and with the engine off to protect against vehicle theft. However, for the dash cam to record while parked, you will have to connect it to your vehicle’s battery when in Parking Mode. Most dash cams can record for as much as two hours, depending on the GB capacity of the Micro SD card, which will begin to automatically overwrite previously recorded footage. A 128GB memory card can hold as much as 19 hours of footage while behind the wheel of your vehicle. The Perazzo Law Firm highly suggests purchasing a dash cam, which can range from $60 – $150 depending on the model and features. This is a small price to pay for the added piece of mind and legal protection against a lawsuit following a traffic accident.
In Miami, contact the Perazzo Law Firm NOW for a FREE initial consultation and ZERO OUT-OF-POCKET FEES* to our Clients.
If you, a friend or relative has been hurt in a motor vehicle accident in Miami-Dade or Broward Counties, either as a driver or a passenger, contact the Perazzo Law Firm’s North Miami Beach office ONLINE or CALL (786) LAWS-411 for a FREE consultation.
PERAZZO LAW – DEDICATED TO PUTTING YOUR INTEREST FIRST