Lane-Change Accidents
There are a variety of different ways that someone changing lanes can cause an accident, and each has their own unique circumstances and possible impacts on those around them. In many cases, a lane-change accident is the result of a driver failing to see another vehicle in their blind spot, distracted driving that caused them to not notice another car, or lane changes without a blinker. Of course, there are many other situations that could case these types of accidents as well, and the team at Friedland & Associates will be happy to help you no matter how you were injured in one of these accidents in order to get the money you deserve from the person who caused it (or their insurance company).
Read more below about lane-change accidents in Fort Lauderdale, how our team can help, and how we will work to calculate the damages that you are truly owed after your accident. We understand that no two car accidents are alike, and as such we suggest contacting us for a consultation as soon as possible so that you can speak with a legal professional about the specifics of your own accident and injuries.
About Lane Change Accidents
There are many different ways that two (or more) cars can collide during a lane change, and in some cases the damages are minor, but in others, they can be absolutely catastrophic. For instance, a person changing lanes at low speeds into the side of another vehicle of equal size may only do cosmetic damage to each vehicle, at which point the insurance claim will be settled after a quote from a mechanic and an approval by the insurance adjuster. However, if the other vehicle was a motorcycle or the cars were traveling at a high speed, such as on the highway, then the stakes are a lot higher and the possibility of a serious injury or even death increase dramatically.
Most commonly, these accidents take place when a lead car goes to change lanes and does not see the vehicle in their blind spot. If they do not realize their mistake and correct quickly enough, they may make contact with a vehicle and send them off the road or into a spin, and in some cases even cause a rollover crash.
In other cases, a driver may be distracted by their phone and change lanes believing that there is nobody around them, having not noticed the vehicle that is either next to or slightly behind them whether or not it is in their blind spot. In this case, the motorist may be cited for using their phone while driving in addition to causing the crash.
If a two- or more lane road has a merge, this is a location that has a high likelihood of a crash as the two lanes try to merge down into one. Technically a merge is different than a lane change, but in some cases, one car may swerve into another lane to avoid a collision with the merging vehicle. This swerving can cause a chain reaction of other accidents, or may force that driver off the road without ever making contact with the responsible driver.
Determining How Much Someone is Owed After an Accident
After an accident, we will work with our clients to determine how much they are owed for both the actual costs and expenses of their injuries and accidents, but will go beyond this to quantify the non-economic impacts that this accident has had on their lives. While it is fairly simple to compile the expenses, bills, invoices, and lost earnings that have resulted because of an injury (including and paid time off or vacation leave used to cover lost hours), it is harder to put a dollar value to something like the actual pain endured.
In order to calculate these “non-economic damages,” we will likely work to determine a multiplier—a number that can clearly represent the physical, emotional, and psychological impact that your injuries have had on your life. Once we have arrived at a reasonable multiplier to present to the insurance company or judge, we will then multiply your economic damages by that multiplier in order to reach a financial equivalent of your non-economic suffering.
Contact Us Now
We are ready and willing to help you work through every step of your lane-change accident in Fort Lauderdale as soon as you contact us for your free consultation. The sooner you call, the sooner we can begin fighting for the money that you deserve.
