Florida High-Speed Collision Lawyers
High-Speed Collisions
It goes without saying that speeding is dangerous. Anywhere you drive there are posted speed limit signs that are there for a reason - because road and traffic engineers along with law enforcement have determined that the posted speed is the maximum allowable to remain safe under normal driving conditions.
Drivers should assume they are obligated to drive even slower when road conditions are not ideal, such as during a rain storm.
While car accidents kill over 40,000 people a year, another three million are injured, some seriously. Florida saw 243,342 crashes in 2008, according to state statistics, which resulted in 2,983 fatalities.
The state does not track how many of these crashes and fatalities resulted from high-speed collisions, but let's assume for a moment that Florida drivers don't always follow speed limit signs.
In Florida, high-speed collisions are very common, particularly at intersections and on highways. Speeding may create a situation where the driver is not in control of his vehicle and he is unable to take correction action to avoid an accident.
And in a collision, that speeding car is poised to exert more force on any other vehicle that gets in its way. Basically there is more kinetic energy involving high-speed cars than ones traveling at a low speed.
The formula is MASS (weight) X SPEED = FORCE. That means a 2,000 pound vehicle going 20 mph requires 40,000 lbs of stopping force.
In a high-speed collision, the vehicle actually weighs more with its force in momentum, meaning a greater force is exerted on the other vehicle.
Only something of an equal and opposite force will stop it and when that is a vehicle, fatalities often result.
While a crash involving low-speeds or a rear-end crashes typically occur on streets that have traffic and more likely involve rear-end accidents with the resulting whiplash injury and the vehicle crushing in. Only speeds at 35 mph or below are generally survivable in a high-speed collision.
But a high-speed crash at 30 mph or faster, often occur on highways, freeways, or other high speed roadways and the likelihood of injury or death increases with the speed.
In a high-speed crash, the initial impact is the car hitting the other vehicle. The secondary impact is your body hitting the interior of the car - the windshield, dashboard, steering wheel or air bag. Then there is the impact from your internal organs hitting your skeleton, including your brain hitting your skull, which can cause permanent brain damage with enough force.
A well designed car can absorb the majority of energy in a low-speed crash, not so in a high speed collision where additional forces are present.
Some of the injuries resulting from a high speed collision are:
- Traumatic brain or head injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Soft tissue injuries and internal organ
- Herniated disks
- Paralysis
- Fractures
- Burns
And in the case of a high-speed collision, emergency personnel on the scene may have a more difficult time removing the driver. If a "Jaws of Life" has to be called in to extract the injured, precious time is lost that can make the difference between life and death. There is also a small chance that a high-speed impact could result in the vehicle erupting in fire.
When insurance adjusters come around, you can be sure they will look at the damage caused and calculate the speed travelled. The at-fault driver can be the individual who chooses to break the law and speed meaning they are more likely to be charged with causing an accident.
An experienced Florida high-speed car collision attorney is knowledgeable in handling crashes of this type. The fault and aggressiveness of the other driver may depend on just how fast he was speeding. Our investigation can make the difference in proving your claim against the at-fault speeding driver.