West Palm Beach Backover Accidents
In West Palm Beach, there are many places that backover accidents could occur. From a Publix parking lot to any neighborhood street, an accident involving a negligent driver who reverses from a spot or driveway without looking can lead to serious injuries to pedestrians and bicyclists alike. The West Palm Beach car accident lawyers at Donaldson & Weston understand that being hit by a car not only takes a physical toll on victims but also has an emotional impact. As a result, we are dedicated to offering compassionate legal guidance to our clients, while vigorously representing their interests in court. If you have been injured in a backover accident, or if you have lost a loved one as a result of a careless driver, our attorneys can help you pursue proper legal action against those responsible. Contact our office to learn more about your legal options and see how we can help.
Backover Accidents Can Lead to Serious Injuries
Backover accidents refer to crashes that result when a driver is backing out of a parking space or driveway and strikes a pedestrian or cyclist as a result of failing to check for them before moving. In busy West Palm Beach parking lots like those accompanying CityPlace, Palm Beach Outlets, or The Gardens Mall, backover accidents can be more common, especially if a driver is distracted while trying to figure out their next destination or finishing a text message. Other areas, like residential streets where children may be playing, are also common places for these types of accidents to occur.
In the United States, backover accidents account for almost 300 fatalities each year, as well as 18,000 injuries. Children under five and elderly individuals over the age of 70 are most susceptible to being victims of backover accidents. A little over 35 percent of West Palm Beach’s population is either under the age of 18 or over 65 years old, making these accidents especially likely. Drivers over the age of 75 years old are also more likely to cause a backover accident. Regardless of a driver’s age, if they act negligently and cause a backover accident, victims may pursue legal action to receive financial assistance for their injuries.
Both pedestrians and bicyclists can be victims of backover accidents. Since these victims are not protected by a vehicle, as is the case with other car accidents, they may sustain more significant, permanent injuries, such as brain trauma, paralysis, or even death. Drivers are most often liable for causing these types of accidents. For victims to recover compensation, they must show that a driver’s carelessness rose to the legal level of negligence. Negligence exists when a driver has breached the duty to act as a reasonable and prudent person would act under the circumstances. In many backover accident cases, this breach is shown by a driver’s failure to check blind spots on the vehicle, pulling out of a driveway too quickly, or otherwise acting carelessly. A victim must also show that the breach caused the injuries and resulted in damages. If a negligence claim succeeds, victims may be awarded damages in the forms of past and future medical expenses, loss of income, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, and more.
In the United States, backover accidents account for almost 300 fatalities each year, as well as 18,000 injuries. Children under five and elderly individuals over the age of 70 are most susceptible to being victims of backover accidents. A little over 35 percent of West Palm Beach’s population is either under the age of 18 or over 65 years old, making these accidents especially likely. Drivers over the age of 75 years old are also more likely to cause a backover accident. Regardless of a driver’s age, if they act negligently and cause a backover accident, victims may pursue legal action to receive financial assistance for their injuries.
Both pedestrians and bicyclists can be victims of backover accidents. Since these victims are not protected by a vehicle, as is the case with other car accidents, they may sustain more significant, permanent injuries, such as brain trauma, paralysis, or even death. Drivers are most often liable for causing these types of accidents. For victims to recover compensation, they must show that a driver’s carelessness rose to the legal level of negligence. Negligence exists when a driver has breached the duty to act as a reasonable and prudent person would act under the circumstances. In many backover accident cases, this breach is shown by a driver’s failure to check blind spots on the vehicle, pulling out of a driveway too quickly, or otherwise acting carelessly. A victim must also show that the breach caused the injuries and resulted in damages. If a negligence claim succeeds, victims may be awarded damages in the forms of past and future medical expenses, loss of income, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, and more.
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