The city of Melbourne in Florida is a great place to live and visit. You get a small-town vibe with all of the amenities of the big city—not to mention, the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean are only a few feet away. Something drivers often wonder is how safe are Melbourne’s roads.
In other words, should drivers be concerned about getting into a vehicle accident even time they head out the front door? Over 12 months, there were 9,283 traffic crashes reported in Melbourne. This accounts for around 2% or so of the state’s total number of traffic accidents.
So, while this does seem to indicate Melbourne is a fairly safe place for drivers, this doesn’t mean you should let your guard down. Vehicle accidents can happen anywhere, even in a city with a relatively low collision rate.
Types of Car Accidents in Melbourne
Like pretty much every other city, Melbourne sees different types of vehicle accidents. Sometimes, the accident involves a single vehicle, while other accidents have multiple vehicles tangled up. Even accidents with commercial vehicles can occur in the oceanside city.
Single Car Accidents
A single-car accident is precisely what the name implies: one vehicle is involved in the wreck. This can include a vehicle hitting debris in the road, or even crashing into a stationary object.
Most single-car collisions are the result of driver error. For example, the driver is distracted and runs off the road. Other times, someone else’s negligence is the underlying cause, and this includes if debris falls off another vehicle and causes the single-car accident.
Since Florida is a no-fault state, you turn to your auto insurance provider to help you cover your damages. Your PIP (personal injury protection) insurance takes care of some expenses relating to your injuries. PIP insurance also covers medical expenses for any passengers in your vehicle.
Multiple Vehicle Accidents
More than one car is involved in a multi-vehicle accident. There are also different types of multi-car collisions:
- Fender benders are often minor accidents, but some can cause significant damage and injuries. A fender bender occurs when the rear driver hits the lead vehicle. This type of accident usually happens when the rear driver can’t stop in time. As you probably already know, speed plays a large role in the severity of this type of accident. If the rear vehicle is traveling at a high rate of speed, the damage is often extensive.
- Side-impact collisions typically happen in intersections. This type of accident occurs when one vehicle strikes another on the side. Once again, speed factors into the accident’s severity. If one vehicle strikes another on the side at a high rate of speed, property damage, and injuries can be significant. Sometimes, the force of the impact can send a vehicle spinning into oncoming traffic.
- Head-on crashes are frightening, primarily for their severity. If two vehicles hit head-on and both are going around 35 mph, the resulting force is as if each driver is traveling at 70 mph. Unfortunately, head-on collisions often result in fatalities. An estimated 10% of fatalities in motor vehicle accidents are caused by head-on collisions.
- Rollover accidents can involve a single car or multiple vehicles. Thankfully, rollovers are some of the least common types of vehicle accidents. Part of this is due to improvements in vehicle design. New model vehicles are designed to be more stable, even in an accident. However, when a rollover occurs injuries tend to be catastrophic due to the flipping motion of the vehicle and the force of the impact.
Accidents Involving Commercial Vehicles
Commercial vehicle accidents aren’t common in Melbourne, but they can still happen. Since commercial vehicles tend to be heavier and larger than standard vehicles, damages and injuries tend to be more severe.
Determining fault in a commercial vehicle accident can be complex. Sometimes, more than one party or entity is responsible for your damages. To ensure you receive compensation for your injuries, it’s best to work with a personal injury attorney.
What to Do After a Car Accident
Since Florida is a no-fault state, you turn to your insurance provider after being involved in a vehicle accident. However, most auto insurance policies and PIP have strict caps. This means you can’t receive more in compensation than the cap allows.
So, what can you do if your expenses from the accident are greater than the insurance caps? You can’t file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier but you can file a lawsuit in civil court.
Your lawsuit will name the at-fault driver as the defendant. To receive compensation above insurance caps you’re going to need to take the other driver to court.
Gather Your Evidence
Before heading to court, you need evidence to support your claim. As the plaintiff, the burden of proof is on you.
So, what type of evidence do you need? This often depends on your lawsuit. If you’re only seeking compensation for injury expenses, you’re going to need to produce your medical records. You may also need to provide expert testimony from medical experts, especially if you’re claiming long-term injuries.
For property damage, get estimates of the damage and repair or replacement costs. Try to get more than one estimate. Judges and juries like seeing plenty of proof. If your lawsuit also includes lost income, you’ll need past pay stubs and bank records.
Don’t forget about the accident report. You need a copy of the report to prove your damages stem from the accident. You can usually pick up a copy of the accident report around ten days after the incident date.
File Your Claim in Civil Court
When you’re finished gathering evidence, it’s time to file your case in civil court. Be prepared to pay some filing fees and other associate court costs.
Your case will be added to the court’s docket and now you just wait for the date. From there, your attorney will present your case to the judge or jury.
Filing an Accident Claim Is Easier with Help From an Attorney
A lot goes into proving an accident claim, and it’s usually not something you want to do without an attorney. Scheduling a consultation with an attorney before heading to court can make the process go much smoother.
Best of all, while your attorney handles the legal details, you can focus on recovering from the accident, knowing that your case is in capable hands.
