Woman Killed in Multi-Car Collision on the Turnpike
On Monday, November 14, 2022, sometime around 6:00 p.m., a woman was killed in a crash on the Florida Turnpike. The fatal crash happened near Mile Marker 258, just south of Interstate 4. According to the troopers, three different vehicles crashed into the woman. As a result, she was pronounced dead on the scene.
Ever since I started writing these blurbs about serious accidents in Orlando, I have been astounded by how many times I find myself writing about a fatal accident. In an instant, things can go bad and change a person's life forever. That's a good reason to stay alert as possible and be ready to deal with a careless driver.
What Are the Legal Implications When Multiple Vehicles Are Involved in a Crash?
It’s bad enough to get hit by one vehicle. However, what happens when multiple vehicles crash into the same person? How do you determine who is liable?
There is no hypothetical better than real life. In the situation here, the victim died as a result of the crash. Therefore, she cannot get up on the stand and tell her side of the story and how the accident happened. As a result, the drivers that crashed into her would have to rely on their word versus the other drivers’ word. That is, unless there was a nearby camera or person with a cell phone or some recording of the incident. However, on the Turnpike, that’s certainly not guaranteed.
Another complication in this matter is that three different vehicles crashed into the woman. Who is liable for her death? The answer is not all that straightforward and would require intense investigation.
Florida is a pure comparative negligence state. This means that in a multi-car collision or vehicle pile-up, the jury will be tasked with assigning fault. In other words, the jury will look at the evidence and assign fault to the drivers involved in the crash. Therefore, in the situation above, Drivers 1, 2, and 3 that crashed into the woman’s vehicle would be assigned various percentages of fault from 0% to 100%, depending on their actions or inactions.
Contact an Orlando Car Accident Attorney at Our Office if You Need Help
If you’ve been injured in a car accident or if you lost a loved one due to a fatal car accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Whereas a case involving injuries would be a personal injury claim, a case involving a fatality would be styled as a wrongful death claim. However, these types of cases both boil down to the same thing: Did someone carelessly, negligently, or intentionally cause the victim’s death or injuries?
We offer free legal consultations, and we’re happy to help you however we can. Moreover, when you have a consultation with someone at our firm, that someone is going to be a lawyer. We don’t let intake people in call centers or customer service reps do consultations. That’s not the way we do business. If you want to talk with an Orlando personal injury or wrongful death lawyer, give us a call at (321) 352-7588 to schedule your free consultation. Alternatively, you can schedule your consultation on our website with Attorney Buist or Attorney Spetsas.
