On the heels of a St. Lucie County, FL accident where a teenager lost his life when he was ejected from the car that rolled several times, at least four more people have died on Florida highways in similar accidents. In one accident last week, a family suffered tragic consequences during a rollover accident where safety restraints were not used.
GantDaily.com reports that in a single-car, rollover accident early Saturday morning on I-75 near Ocala, FL four family members, including a 3-year-old and 7-year-old, all died after being ejected from an SUV in which they were traveling. In addition, one other family member was listed in critical condition and another in serious condition after also being ejected. None of the six accident victims ejected from the vehicle was wearing a seatbelt. Two others suffered minor injuries. Of the eight family members in the vehicle at the time of the accident, only one was wearing a seatbelt.
In a report compiled by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and released early this year analyzing rollover accidents through 2009, the department reported that more people die each year in the United States due to single vehicle crashes. Although vehicles roll over in just 3 percent of those accidents, the crashes are linked to more than one-third of all passenger vehicle occupant fatalities.
According to the study, the death of 25,428 passenger vehicle occupants occurred in various types of vehicle crashes in the U.S., but of those deaths, 9,023 were from accidents where the vehicle rolled over. Fortunately, in Florida the number of rollover fatalities decreased by nearly 27 percent from 2008 to 2009. Furthermore, the number of rollover fatalities in which neither the driver nor passenger were wearing seatbelts decreased by nearly the same percentage.
The study authors reported that a number of rollovers lead to either a full or partial ejection of occupants from the vehicle, thus increasing the probability of injury or death. In Florida in 2009, 174 people died from rollover accidents.
Florida’s recently released 2010 traffic statistics show that passengers and drivers that wear their seatbelts in an automobile accident significantly increase their chances of survival. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. Of the 1,450 traffic fatalities in 2010 on Florida highways, over half (54 percent) of the people that lost their lives were drivers and passengers in seatbelt equipped vehicles where seatbelts were not worn.
Further proof from the rollover report that seat belt use is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of injury or death in a Florida rollover accident: In 2009, 65 percent of the drivers and 68 percent of the passengers who died in passenger vehicle rollover crashes were not wearing seatbelts.
The car accident attorneys at the law firm of Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, hope to see the fatal accident trend continue to decline. Driving is a privilege in the state of Florida, and Florida’s safety laws were put in place to keep all occupants safe while traveling Florida’s roadways. We encourage you to drive safely and to follow all of Florida’s driving laws.
Contact an Experienced Florida Car Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Florida car accident due to the negligence or carelessness of another driver, seek experienced counsel. I am attorney Philip DeBerard. I have three decades of legal experience representing people injured in car accidents and other personal injury claims.
The law firm of Philip DeBerard, Injury Attorney, represents victims of car accidents and automobile crashes in Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Jupiter, Stuart, Okeechobee, Vero Beach and Palm Beach.
If character traits such as integrity, dedication and compassion are what you seek in an accident lawyer, call Philip DeBerard. Choosing the right accident lawyer does make a difference. Call 1-800-299-8878 to speak with a knowledgeable Florida car accident attorney or fill out our online contact form.
