Fort Lauderdale Sideswipe Accidents Lawyer
Sideswipe accidents are fairly common in Florida because of our many multi-lane roads. A sideswipe accident is when two cars are traveling in the same direction, and one drifts into the other and hits the side. The initial impact may not be that severe, but can cause other issues like forcing a driver into oncoming traffic, causing the car to spin out, or a variety of other things that can happen as a result of the initial sideswipe.
If you have been involved in a sideswipe accident, contact Friedland & Associates as soon as possible to discuss your situation. We offer a free initial consultation where you will be able to speak with a car accident attorney in Fort Lauderdale to explain the accident, the injuries that you received, the circumstances that led to the collision, and the impact that it has had on your life. In addition, you will learn about our process with clients, how we will interact with the insurance companies, what a lawsuit will look like, and an idea of how strong we feel that your case is. Contact us today, and read more about sideswipe accidents below.
What Causes a Sideswipe Accident?
Like all accidents, there are many different ways that a sideswipe accident can occur. One of the most common ways for these accidents to happen is when someone is making a lane change and does not see the car next to them, and instead simply drifts straight into them. This can be a result of distracted driving like sending a text message, an accidental lane change because of fatigue or intoxication, or a simple mistake.
In other cases, the sideswipe accident can be during an attempt to merge, when each car believes that either they are going in front, or that they are letting the other car merge in front of them. If the two miscommunicate, the driver on the left side may be forced to swerve right in order to avoid oncoming traffic, or the driver on the right may be forced to swerve left in order to avoid hitting a sidewalk, tree, phone pole, pedestrian, or other obstacles.
Florida Statutes make it clear that merging or changing lanes without ensuring that it will not interfere with other drivers is a non-criminal moving violation.
Additional Issues With Sideswipe Accidents
When there is a sideswipe accident, there are a few concerns: Firstly, anyone in the car has an arm out the window on the side of the impact, they can experience serious injuries. Secondly, there is a lot of glass that could shatter and cause damage to eyes, skin, or scalp.
In addition to the immediate injuries that could occur, there is often a possibility that one or both drivers swerve in the opposite direction of the impact. This can cause them to either drive up onto a curb towards pedestrians, phone poles, mailboxes, transformer boxes, or other obstacles. If they are the car towards the middle of the road, they can be pushed into oncoming traffic and are at risk of a head-on collision after the initial sideswipe.
Who Is At Fault In a Sideswipe Accident?
It is clearly stated in the aforementioned Florida Statutes that the driver who chooses to change lanes is responsible for ensuring that they are clear to do so. If they fail to do so, then they are the ones who are responsible for the crash. This means that the car that left the original lane is the one that caused the accident.
If there is a dispute about who is at fault for your accident, there are a variety of ways that we can determine and prove who truly was at fault for the collision. If this is the case in your accident, be sure to bring this up with our team early on in your initial consultation so that we can explain how we will handle this situation. If you believe that you were not at fault in the situation, then we will fight to prove the other driver’s liability.
Contact us today to discuss your accident during our free consultation. When you are working with Friedland & Associates, you can prioritize recovering from your injuries with the confidence that we are fighting for your rights in court.
