Six Injured in Multi-Vehicle Accident
Six people were hurt in a multi-vehicle car accident in West Palm Beach recently involving three separate vehicles. The Palm Beach County Fire Rescue reported that the accident took place around 9:20 a.m. at Military Trail and Purdy Lane. When they responded, the rescue workers found three different cars all with heavy damage.
According to the police report, officers found people lying on the roadway after being ejected from their vehicles by the force of the crash. It was declared a “Level 1 Mass Casualty” event with six people injured by the same incident. Four people required hospitalization for their serious injuries and two were treated on the scene for minor wounds.
The Palm Beach police are still investigating the cause of the accident and which parties may be liable for the damage sustained. So far, no charges have been filed against anyone involved in the accident.
Determining Liability in Car Accidents
When a car accident occurs the insurance company, attorneys, and police all try to determine who is at fault. In Florida, liability for car accidents is determined in a “no fault” context. The law requires that every person driving must have bodily injury and property damage coverage in their full liability auto insurance policy. The minimum requirements for bodily injury liability are $10,000 per person, $20,000 per crash, and $10,000 property damage liability per crash, and the personal injury protection limit is $10,000 per person per crash.
This means that you must first go to your own insurance company for coverage of your damages before you can seek out compensation from the at-fault party. Only in certain cases can a person injured in a car accident go after the other party’s insurance for additional coverage, even if that party was completely at fault. Under the law, you must be able to show in court that you suffered from a permanent injury or a significant scarring or disfigurement in order to bring a claim.
Comparative Fault
Florida operates as a pure comparative fault state, which means that a court will determine what percentage each party is liable for the accident and apportion damages accordingly. For example, in a two car accident the judge may determine that Car 1 was 70% responsible and Car 2 was 30% responsible for an accident causing $100,000 damage. Therefore, Car 1 could only collect $30,000 in damages and Car 2 could collect $70,000 in damages. Pure comparative fault can make a significant impact on the amount of compensation if you are allowed to go after the other party for damages.
Contact Our Attorneys Today
At Gary Roberts & Associates, we understand how traumatic a serious car accident can be. Our personal injury attorneys are here to help you through every step of your case. If you or a loved one was involved in an auto accident in the West Palm Beach area, call or contact our office today for a free and confidential consultation of your case.
