Rear-end Car Accidents in Florida
When we are driving, we obviously have a certain amount of control over our own cars. On the other hand, the driving behaviors and actions of other drivers are entirely out of our hands. Take a rear-end crash, for instance. We can be prudent and safe drivers. We may obey all traffic laws and still end up involved in an automobile crash with another who has crashed into us from behind.
Rear-End Car Accident Law in Florida
Under Florida Law, there is a rebuttable presumption that the rear driver is at fault in a rear-end crash. Florida Law prohibits drivers from following vehicles too closely. This means that a victim of a rear-end collision does not have to prove negligence, as long as the victim proves that the driver rear-ended her/her. A rear driver may attempt to present evidence that the driver to the front did something wrong and that the driver to the front should be to blame for sharing some of the blame, which is known as comparative negligence. For example, the rear driver may allege that the driver to the front changed lanes right in front of the rear driver or that the brake lights of the driver to the front were not working.
What to Do After a Rear-End Crash in Florida
If you are rear-ended, here is a checklist of what you should do:
- Take photographs of the scene.
- Take photographs of your car from all angles and all areas, the front, the rear, the sides, below the rear, and of your tail lights. Take a video if you can of your tail lights working.
- Take photographs of the other vehicles involved in the car.
- Make sure to email all photographs to yourself, so they are not lost, if you have problems with your phone or the cloud.
- Write down the names and contact information of all witnesses.
- Go to a hospital or urgent care center right away if you at all feel injured. If not, that day, as soon as possible.
- Do not speak with the insurance company of the rear driver. You should report the injury to your own insurance company right away.
- Speak with an attorney for free.
For more information about rear-end collision law in Florida, contact personal injury attorney Tim Nies of Van Riper and Nies Attorneys, P.A. at 850-650-1243. Our motor vehicle accident and motorcycle accident lawyers take our jobs very seriously and we will outwork the lawyers hired by the insurance companies.