High Incidence of Car Crashes
Fort Myers does have a high incidence of car crashes. We have a higher rate of car accidents than the national rate. No one wants the area in which they live to be considered more dangerous in any regard than the national average. However, it’s important to understand the risks involved with where you live so that you can be prepared for anything. Lee County has one of the highest number of car accidents in Florida.
Has a High Incidence of Auto Accidents
The statistics on auto accidents that occur within city limits. When you review the data over time, you can see various trends.
At this time, the organization only features records from 2016 to 2019. Still, there’s no denying the increase in auto accidents. Consider the following information:
- 2016 saw 53 fatal accidents. In 2019, that number jumped to 63 deadly collisions.
- Fatal accidents involving intoxicated drivers increased by 50 percent between 2016 to 2019.
- 2019 saw the highest number of pedestrian fatalities. Twenty-eight pedestrians lost their lives in 2019 as opposed to 16 pedestrians in 2016.
This data suggests that more and more collisions happen each year. Remember: if you suffer harm in an accident, you have legal rights.
Lee County Car Accident Statistics Compared to State and National Statistics
According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), Lee County had the 8th most car accidents among Florida counties in 2019, the most recent year for which data is available. This is to be expected as Lee County is also the 8th most populous.
The 12,547 car accidents in Lee County in 2019 resulted in 98 fatalities and 7,570 injuries. This means that the rate of car accidents in Lee County is higher than the state of Florida as a whole, which has a higher rate than the United States as whole.
This is somewhat intuitive as Fort Myers is a more densely populated area. More people means more cars on the road in a given area. The most common kinds of car accidents involve multiple moving vehicles, so it makes sense that areas with lots of cars have more accidents.
What Causes Car Accidents?
population density contributes to the high incidence of auto accidents. The U.S. Census Bureau notes that between 2010 to 2020, the city’s population grew by about 17,000 people.
However, other contributors to collisions include:
- Intoxication. Broward County saw 14 collisions involving intoxicated drivers in 2019. Fourteen accidents may not seem like much. However, of those collisions, 10 were fatal. Intoxicated drivers have lessened response times, speed, and disobey traffic signals, each of these things put other road users at risk of grievous harm.
- Distracted Driving. Distracted driving is a huge problem , but throughout the rest of the country. Cellphone use, talking to other passengers, and playing with the car’s console can impede safe roadway use.
- Elderly Drivers. As noted, October, November, and December bring the most auto accidents. Usually, during those times, “snowbirds” reside in Florida. As a result, more elderly drivers are on the road, which contributes to the likelihood of collisions. Poor vision, reduced muscle mass, and cognitive impairments affect how seniors drive.
Other contributors to auto accidents include speeding, disobeying traffic signals, and fatigue.
You Have Options After a Car Accident
There is no denying that sees many car accidents each year. However, as an injured party, you have options under the law for seeking damages.
You can file a claim with your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage to seek damages for your medical bills and other covered losses. If insurance doesn’t cover your expenses, you can either file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurer or file a lawsuit.
The claims process may seem overwhelming while you’re dealing with serious injuries. Yet, there’s no need to worry. Our Florida personal injury law firm advocates for injured people throughout Broward County.
You Can Recover Compensation Following a Accident
With our team’s help, you can seek recovery for each accident-related loss, including:
- Healthcare expenses
- Lost Income, Wages, Tips, Commissions, Contracts, and Bonuses
- Pain and Suffering
- The cost of replacing or repairing your vehicle
- Emotional trauma
- Funeral Expenses (if you lost a loved one)
- Temporary transportation arrangements
We also work on a contingency-fee basis, so you pay nothing out of pocket for our help. We take a percentage of your settlement as payment for our legal services. This means you can contract legal aid at no financial risk or obligation today.
You Can Minimize the Risk of a Car Accident
It’s impossible to completely get rid of the risk of a car accident, or any other kind of accident for that matter, but there are simple things you can do that can help you stay safe and give yourself a better chance of avoiding a car accident.
When driving in an area like Lee County, where there are more drivers on the road and accidents are statistically more likely, it’s especially important to drive safely.
Drive at the Speed Limit, as Speeding Leads to Car Accidents
You can’t control what other drivers do, but you can control what you do to minimize the risk of accidents. Two common causes of car accidents are speeding and distracted driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 9,478 people died in 2019 from speeding.
Simply driving under the speed limit can give you more time to react to what’s in front of you and result in less dangerous car accidents. Mitigating risks by giving yourself more reaction time can make you and other road users safer.
What Constitutes Distracted Driving?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 3,000 people died in the United States from distracted driving in 2019. The CDC defines that there are three kinds of distracted driving:
- Visual: Taking your eyes off the road
- Manual: Taking your hands off the wheel or doing something else that would impair your ability to drive a car
- Cognitive: Not being focused on the task of driving
Keeping your eyes on the road, your hands on the wheel, and staying alert and focused will help you to drive more safely and cut down on the risk of an accident.
How Much Property Damage Is Caused By Car Accidents in Lee County?
Car accidents are not only dangerous with the possibility of injury or death, but they can also result in damage to personal property. Most car accidents involve one car crashing into another which can result in damage to your vehicle. Other instances involve cars crashing into fixed objects which could involve other pieces of property like buildings.
The number of property damage car accident cases in Lee County in 2020 was 7,539. Compare this with the total number of car accidents during the same year, which was 11,644. That means that a majority of car accidents in Lee County result in at least some property damage.
While car accidents occur in Lee County more often than most other counties in Florida, they also cause property damage that can amount to huge costs.
You Don’t Have To Manage the Legal Process Alone
After suffering harm in an accident, your focus should be on healing, not negotiating with insurers or gathering evidence. You have every right to hand off your case to an injury lawyer. Their goal is to resolve your case and secure the best possible outcome.
Our car accident lawyers share that goal. To date, we’ve recovered more than $200 million for injured claimants and their loved ones. We look forward to meeting with your family and discussing your options.
Our Team Is Ready To Listen to Your Story Now
The Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato advocates for injured people. We pursue the best possible outcomes for injured claimants. You can schedule a no-obligation review of your injury case by calling (954) 633-8270. During our conversation, we can discuss collision rates, along with other aspects of your situation.
You Can Take Action After a Car Accident Case
You do not have to deal with the fallout of a car accident by yourself. You can turn to our legal team for support in pursuing compensation from the insurance company or the other driver.
Our team can guide you through this process, starting today. Call our Fort Myers car crash lawyer from the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato at (954) 633-8270 for a free consultation today. We can answer your questions and talk about your legal options.
