West Palm Beach Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end collisions are near-daily events in West Palm Beach. Although many people see these accidents as a mere inconvenience to traffic flow, rear-end collisions can lead to significant injuries for many of the victims involved, especially for elderly drivers, children, and people in vehicles traveling at high speeds. The West Palm Beach car accident lawyers at Donaldson & Weston help injured victims seek the compensation that they are entitled to receive by pursuing appropriate legal action against responsible parties. If you have been affected by a rear-end collision, our attorneys offer compassionate and knowledgeable legal guidance in personal injury and wrongful death claims. You can contact our office today to speak with an attorney regarding your legal rights and options following a serious car accident.

According to the National Safety Council, each year, over 2.5 million rear-end crashes are reported nationwide, making these types of accidents especially common. In West Palm Beach, rear-end collisions are often seen on heavily traveled streets like Okeechobee Boulevard, Jog Road, and Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, as well as on major highways passing through the area, like Interstate 95. A rear-end accident occurs when one vehicle strikes another vehicle from behind. These collisions can result in a chain reaction, whereby that vehicle strikes another vehicle in front of it, and so on. Rear-end collisions can lead to significant, life-altering injuries, and they may be even more dangerous if they involve other types of vehicles, such as motorcycles or trucks.

A number of factors can result in a rear-end collision. Some of the most common situations giving rise to these types of accidents in West Palm Beach include:

• Driver distraction


• Sudden stops


• Drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol


• Tailgating


• Excessive speeding


• Storms and other weather conditions

Many of these situations are caused or exacerbated by the negligence of one or more drivers. When a careless motorist causes injuries in a rear-end accident, they should be held legally accountable.

Negligence is shown when a driver breaches their duty to act as a reasonable and prudent person would behave under the circumstances, causing a victim’s injuries, as well as damages. Most often, fault for a rear-end collision lies with the driver who hits the vehicle in front of them after not leaving enough space in relation to their relative speeds. However, the front driver can also be found liable, such as in situations when a driver stops suddenly without warning or switches lanes rapidly without a signal. When there is a disagreement regarding who was in the wrong leading up to an accident, an investigation into the circumstances and a reconstruction of the scene, as well as other evidence, might be vital to success in a personal injury claim. However, even if a victim is found partially at fault for causing their own injuries, compensation can still be available. Under Florida’s pure comparative scheme of fault, damages are awarded based on each party’s degree of fault. For instance, a victim who is found 40 percent at fault can still receive 60 percent of the damages incurred from another negligent party responsible for the remainder of the fault. These damages may include past and future medical expenses, loss of income, property damage, diminished earning capacity, and pain and suffering.