It may very well be the most dangerous thing any of us does each day: drive a car. We speed around in metal machines, trusting strangers to obey the rules and keep an eye on our safety. And for the most part, we all make it home safely. But thousands of times a day across Florida, danger strikes and someone is involved in a car accident. Luckily, most car accidents are so-called fender benders. But when high speeds and extreme force come together, an auto collision can cause serious injuries that leave families with lasting damage.
If you were injured in a Delray Beach car accident, contact the experienced lawyers at Keller Swan for a free case evaluation. We are here to help!
Delray Beach is a suburban city located on the southeast coast of Florida in the United States. The city was incorporated on May 11, 1927, and its population is around 66,846 as recorded in the last US census on April 1, 2020. Delray Beach is known for its bustling street and nightlife on Atlantic Avenue, nice beach weather, unending choices of restaurants and bars, and inviting cultures. The city is a perfect destination to enjoy your vacations. However, just like any buzzing city, Delray city also has a fair share of common car accidents, and that’s what we shall be looking at in this article.
WHAT POLICE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATES CAR ACCIDENTS IN DELRAY BEACH?
If a car accident occurs within the city limits of Delray Beach, then it will usually be investigated by the Delray Beach Police Department which is located at 300 West Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida 33444, and can be contacted at the non-emergency number at (561)243-7800. In particular, the Traffic Unit will handle car accident investigations including traffic homicide crashes.
If a car accident occurs in unincorporated Delray Beach, the accident would be investigated by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office District 4. The District 4 substation is located at 14925 Cumberland Drive, Delray Beach, Florida 33446, and can be contacted at the non-emergency number of (561)688-4760.
Lastly, if a traffic accident occurs on certain roads, the Florida Highway Patrol will be in charge. The Florida Highway Patrol will investigate car accidents that occur on state roads such as I-95 and the Florida Turnpike.
A Delray Beach car accident lawyer will know not only which agency is investigating the car accident but how to obtain the evidence (police reports, witness statements, photographs, etc.). These may seem like minor details but it’s small details like this that can make a big difference in how your case progresses.
WHAT ROADS IN DELRAY BEACH HAVE THE MOST CAR ACCIDENTS?
Delray Beach is located in Palm Beach county in Florida, which has several hazardous roads. One of the most notorious and deadly roads in Florida is I-95, in which accidents happen mainly due to heavy traffic and speeding. As discussed above the accident on I-95 are investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol.
However, there are other intersections in Delray Beach that have recorded numerous crashes, including the Atlantic Avenue and Lyons Road intersection, the Military Trail and Atlantic Avenue intersections, and Congress Avenue and Atlantic Avenue. These intersections are known for excessive speeding, distracted drivers, congestion, and busy roads.
A local attorney will not only know these intersections but may even know the particular officer assigned to the district where the accident occurred. This
WHAT HOSPITAL WOULD YOU BE TRANSPORTED TO IF YOU ARE IN A CAR ACCIDENT IN DELRAY BEACH?
Once a car accident occurs in Delray Beach, if you need to be transported to a local hospital the closest one is the Delray Medical Center, which offers 24-hour services. It is located at 5352 Linton Blvd, Delray Beach, FL 33484, and can be contacted at (561)498-4440. Even if the accident is extremely severe, the Delray Medical Center is a Level 1 trauma center that is equipped to handle significant injuries.
A Delray Beach car accident lawyer has dealt in the past with the Delray Medical Center and the doctors that have privileges to practice there. This makes your claim move along faster from the very beginning when the attorneys are gathering your medical records and medical bills to the end when the attorney is trying to reduce your bills.
If you are injured and decline to be transported to a hospital, you can have a doctor examine you at an urgent care center. There are several urgent care centers in Delray Beach including MDNow Urgent Care which is located at 601 Linton Blvd, Delray Beach, FL 33401, and can be contacted at (561)276-2270. It is important to keep in mind that all urgent cares are generally not open 24/7 like emergency rooms.
Again, a Delray Beach car accident attorney will know the urgent care centers in the area. This is advantageous when obtaining your medical bills and medical records. For example, if there are any issues with Personal Injury Protection paying your medical bills, an attorney who knows the medical provider can help them properly bill the Personal Injury Protection insurance to alleviate the financial burden on clients.
WHAT TO DO AFTER A DELRAY BEACH CAR ACCIDENT
The following are some added points on what you should do after a car crash:
Regardless of the type of injury you have sustained, you should always seek medical assistance first. Remember that some injuries may appear small but may cause problems later in case you bleed out too much. Moreover, you also need to know if you have any other underlying issues.
The next step is to gather all relevant documents, such as medical records, a driver’s license exchange, and a police report.
If you need to file a lawsuit, then do so before the expiration period, which is four years, and remember to speak with an injury lawyer first.
The accident lawyer can then help you to be compensated for damages like suffering and pain, lost earnings due to fatal injuries that require you to quit working for a while, and payment of the medical bills.
HOW MANY CAR ACCIDENT FATALITIES ARE THERE IN DELRAY BEACH?
In 2019 alone, Palm Beach County recorded around 26, 817 crashes with 16,787 injuries and 174 fatalities. Out of all these accidents in Delray Beach, only six vehicles were involved with five fatalities. To date, this is the very last data recorded.
In 2018, Delray Beach experienced 15 fatalities with the involvement of 22 vehicles, leading to 212 fatal accident counts. For 2017 and 2016, there were 4 and 13 fatalities respectively with 2016 recording 3 drunk people.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports that the yearly car crash counts in Florida are 150,000+. Delray Beach receives around 3,000+ accidents every year with accidents on Atlantic Avenue taking up the most number.
WHAT IS THE MOST DANGEROUS ROAD IN DELRAY BEACH?
There are various accident-prone intersections found in Delray Beach but the most notorious one is Atlantic Avenue at Military Trail. These two interceptions were confirmed with more crashes in 2020 than any other city in the county of Palm Beach.
Most of these car accident reports are usually caused by excessive speeding, driving while using the phone, driving while drunk or high, ignoring traffic signs and rules, and more.
It is therefore always advised to be keen while driving and submit any car accident claims before the deadline of 4 years, in case of any car accident incidents.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON INJURIES IN A CAR ACCIDENT?
With nearly everyone driving a car nowadays, most roads become so dangerous with accidents happening every day due to various reasons. Some car accidents could lead to trauma, which later causes stress while others result in serious injuries that can put our lives at risk or even lead to death.
The following are some of the most common injuries caused by car accidents:
INTERNAL INJURIES
There are two ways in which people suffer internal injuries from a car accident. First, people tend to experience harm to their internal organs due to debris, glass, or any other object entering the body as a result of a car accident. The other manner in which people suffer internal problems is when the force of a car accident causes the internal organs to be bruised or lacerated causing internal bleeding. This second manner is internal problems is extremely dangerous because the car accident victim appears externally to have no injuries.
BURNS AND BRUISES
In most cases, bruises are not fatal but you should still seek medical attention in case of internal bleeding. As for burns, they can disfigure your appearance by leaving permanent scars. The permanency of any injury is important for a car accident attorney to assess because it drastically changes the maximum value of a case.
FRACTURES
Broken bones can occur on the ribs, arms, wrists, legs, or ankles. These are common injuries caused by car accidents. You may need a cast for minor injuries or surgery for serious ones. The difference in the type of fracture can drastically change the medical bills and value of your case.
BACK AND NECK INJURIES
Back and neck injuries frequently occur in car accidents. The human spine is not made to absorb the immediate impact of whiplash as a result of vehicles traveling at high speeds and suddenly changing direction from the impact of the collision.
BRAIN INJURIES
Commonly referred to as Traumatic Brain Injuries, this will occur whenever your brain gets damaged. People who undergo TBIs tend to suffer from memory loss and disruption of normal functions of the body.
It has also been noted that around 2.8 million TBI emergencies occur yearly in the US with 50,000 deaths out of those emergencies.
NON-PHYSICAL INJURIES
Other common car accident injuries may include:
Post-traumatic stress
Distress and pain
Loss of enjoyment of life
Loss of a loved one
HIRE A TEAM OF EXPERIENCED DELRAY BEACH CAR ACCIDENT LAWYERS
A knowledgeable attorney can help you evaluate your case to determine how much your injury should be worth. All injuries are painful and have some monetary value when they are caused by the wrongdoing of another. However, it can be very difficult to put a price tag on your health because your health is priceless.
Hire an experienced attorney at Keller Swan to not only win your case but maximize your case value. Call us at (561) 295-5825.
