South Florida personal injury attorney

Side Impact Collision: How Palm Beach Car Accident Lawyers Determine Fault

June 25, 2024 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

As West Palm Beach car accident lawyers, we’re closely familiar with the outsized danger posed by side impact collisions. Even though side impact crashes tend to be less common than front impact crashes, they tend to be much more serious. Determining fault requires analysis of right-of-way, traffic signals, speed, and road conditions (inclement weather, debris, low visibility, etc.). Other factors include driver impairment and distraction and whether the injured person was wearing a seatbelt. Palm Beach car accident lawyer explains fault in side impact collisions

Side impact collisions are a type of motor vehicle crash where the side of one or more vehicle is impacted.

Sometimes referred to as T-bone accidents, we often see these at intersections, parking lots, and in scenarios where two cars or other vehicles pass each other on a multi-lane road.

Why Side Impact Crashes Are So Serious

According to a 2016 study, side impact collisions accounted for about 30 percent of total crashes, but 35-45% of passenger fatalities and serious injuries, compared to 55% in head-on collisions. Even in newer, safer cars and at lower speeds, side impact crashes still tended to have higher injury rates.

Factors that can make side impact collisions more serious:

Fewer built-in protections. When a car is struck head-on or even in a rear-end crash, both the driver and passengers have greater distance and structural protection from the point of initial impact compared to a side-impact crash – particularly for those on the side that is struck directly.
More vulnerable body parts impacted. Most rear- and front-impact crashes tend to result in serious injuries to the legs and feet, while side impact crashes tend to hit the chest and head harder.
Minimal avoidance action. A driver who is struck on the side by another may not even see the other car coming – and therefore may take little evasive/avoidance action to minimize the crash.
Vehicle size disparity. More than half of all new vehicles purchased in 2021 were SUVs. Anytime passenger cars collide with light trucks or SUVs, it’s former that usually sustains the greatest damage – regardless of which was the striking vehicle. But when a smaller vehicle is struck on the side by a larger vehicle, the damages tend to be very significant.

According to one study by the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine, rear seat occupants were most likely to suffer the most serious injuries in side impact crashes. Continue reading

Appreciation for our South Florida Health Care Workers, First Responders

April 5, 2020 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

Health care workers and first responders are known for being the first helpful faces on the scene in the midst of a crisis. That’s perhaps no more true than in the moment we’re all facing together right now. healthcare workers

Doctors, physician’s assistants, nurses, paramedics and other medical professionals are considered among the most essential workers on the front lines as we collectively navigate this global health emergency.

As most Floridians are under state and local orders to remain socially distanced, keeping each other safe by staying in, these workers do so by showing up. Often, they’re caring for the most vulnerable among us. They’re conducting roadside tests, caring for at-risk nursing home residents, admitting emergency room walk-ins and treating critically ill ICU patients.

Reasons to Hire a South Florida Injury Lawyer With Experience

January 30, 2019 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

When you are reeling from a personal injury in Florida, the materials on your cast may hardly even be dry before you are hit with a barrage of paperwork from doctors, police and insurance companies. None of those entities or individuals, however, is looking out for your best interest, making sure your rights are protected and that you aren’t saddled with a financial burden you don’t deserve. Whether your injury resulted from a work accident, car accident, slip-and-fall or some other incident, it will behoove you to hire a South Florida injury lawyer with experience, as opposed to one just starting out. South Florida injury attorney

There have been numerous reports the last handful of years about the fact that there are too many law students and too few legal jobs, with the American Bar Association reporting schools are continuing to raise tuition and produce twice as many graduates as the job market has to absorb. We mention this to say that while there is plenty of bright young talent in the legal profession, there are also a fair amount starting out – even in the first few years – who may not have much if any experience in handling the kind of case on which you require assistance. There are also attorneys who take many different kinds of cases – from personal injury to criminal defense to business law – just to make ends meet. But that doesn’t help you with a Florida work injury claim where the rules for workers’ compensation benefits and third-party liability claims are very specific. You can have greater confidence in the experience of attorneys who can point you to proof of success in past cases.

Personal injury attorneys in Florida are paid on a contingency fee basis, meaning you do not pay a fee for attorney services upfront. Instead, you pay a portion of whatever is recovered (if anything is recovered) either from a settlement or jury verdict. Continue reading