Pile-Ups on the Road
A four-car collision near Disney World took four lives, ranging from age 5 to age 76. The senseless loss of life occurred when a truck smashed into a van that was slowing due to traffic congestion. The collision caused the van to flip over, killing four individuals inside. The tragedy brings to mind the transience of life, and reminds us how quickly an uneventful day can become cataclysmic. If you happen to encounter such a day, having an aggressive legal team on your side can be a great comfort.
Florida’s History with Pileups
Florida has an extensive history with serious pileups. Consider the following:
- In 2018, six people were injured in a collision involving eight vehicles on the Florida Turnpike one January day in Miami-Dade County;
- 12 cars and a half dozen semis were involved in a pileup near Gainesville in January 2012, resulting in 10 fatalities and multiple injuries. Blinding smoke from a brushfire is the reported cause of the incident, which involved over a mile of Interstate 75.
- In the Jacksonville area one September afternoon in 2017, a tractor-trailer smashed into a vehicle that was at the end of a line of stopped vehicles. The ensuing domino effect involved 22 vehicles, eventually injuring 13 and killing one.
- A fog related pileup involving 27 vehicles on Alligator Alley resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries in 2002;
- The biggest pileup in Florida history involved 70 vehicles, and occurred in January of 2008. Smoky conditions related to a nearby brushfire limited visibility, leading to the pileup. Ultimately 38 injuries were reported.
Causes of Pileups
Many factors may contribute to pileups here in Florida. Some key issues of concern include:
- Poor visibility: Dense fog can be a significant problem in Florida. At other times, heavy rain or smoke from surrounding fires can be blinding;
- Driver distraction: In stop-and-go traffic, drivers really have to be focused on the task at hand. Taking one’s eyes from the road for even a second or two can be disastrous, leading to a bump that pushes a stopped vehicle into the preceding vehicle, resulting in a series of sandwiching incidents;
- Failure to leave enough space between vehicles: A rear-end collision can become a long train of collisions when drivers pull up too close to other cars;
- Unsafe speeds: Drivers who don’t consider the conditions on the road and plow through at unreasonable speeds put everyone else at risk.
Are you a Victim?
While some pileups cannot be pinned on a particular driver, oftentimes driver error does result in such collisions, resulting in serious injuries or death. If you or a loved one has been the victim of such an incident, the Kissimmee personal injury attorneys at the Salazar & Kelly Law Group, P.A. can help. Contact our office to schedule a free, confidential consultation today.
Resource:
clickorlando.com/news/local/2020/02/18/4-killed-in-crash-on-state-road-429-in-orange-county-troopers-say/
https://www.salazarandkelly.com/rollover-crashes/
