Clearwater is a tourist favorite, known for its sunny weather, gulf coast beaches, gorgeous white sands, and clear blue water. Yet, as people flock to the area to experience it all, the congestion does not come without a price, especially as the roads fill with traffic, with people wanting to explore everything Clearwater offers.
Unfortunately, as the streets get busier with tourists unfamiliar with the area and highways become more crowded, Clearwater becomes the perfect storm for car accidents and devastating injuries.
In this blog post, to help keep you better informed about the area and traffic accidents, we will go over some of the most dangerous Clearwater roads and intersections, provide statistics regarding accidents here, and also review the legal options you have if you have suffered harm in a Clearwater car accident due to another person’s wrongful actions.
Overview of Crashes in Clearwater and Surrounding Areas
The Clearwater area is no stranger to devastating traffic accidents. In fact, in one year, Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) statistics show that the area experienced around 15,618 crashes, resulting in 115 fatalities and 9,184 injuries.
In addition, Clearwater city data indicates that 47 percent of the deadly motor vehicle accidents in Clearwater happened during the day, while the remaining crashes occurred:
- During the dark, with lighted conditions (42.3 percent)
- During nighttime hours, with no lighting (7.8 percent)
- At dusk (1.8 percent)
- At dawn (1.05 percent)
- In the dark, with unknown lighting conditions (0.2 percent)
Additionally, the Florida Traffic Safety Dashboard indicates that in one year, the Clearwater Police Department investigated over 3,500 traffic accidents in the Clearwater area and determined that these crashes caused 87 serious injuries and six deaths.
What’s more, it does not look like these figures are dropping anytime soon as the Clearwater area continues to top all the other counties in Florida regarding fatality rate and automobile accidents, averaging 4.57 deaths per mile.
However, if you suffered harm in a Clearwater automobile crash, you should know your legal rights and options if another motorist was responsible for your accident. That is why, following a Clearwater motor vehicle accident, consider contacting an experienced Clearwater car accident attorney. These legal professionals can go over your accident with you in detail, review your options for recovering the financial damages you deserve, and help you fight for the maximum compensation you need.
The Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections in Clearwater
Clearwater’s most dangerous roads tend to act as major routes throughout the city, connecting tourist areas, residences, and commercial developments. Consequently, these roads tend to see heavy traffic and devastating collisions.
These roads include:
- FL-60 (Gulf to Bay Boulevard)
- Old Coachman Road
- U.S. 19
- Belcher Road
- Enterprise Road
In addition, some of the more dangerous intersections in Clearwater are also those that have a lot of traffic, as well as a heavy bicycle and pedestrian presence because of the nearby restaurants, attractions, and businesses.
These dangerous intersections include:
- U.S. 19 at Drew Street
- U.S. 19 and FL-60 (Gulf to Bay Boulevard)
- Court Street and Fort Harrison Avenue
- Gulfview Boulevard and Hamden Drive
- FL-60 (Gulf to Bay Boulevard) and Belcher Road
- FL-60 (Gulf to Bay Boulevard) and Hercules Avenue
- Chestnut Street and Fort Harrison Avenue
- Cleveland Street and Fort Harrison Avenue
- Eastland Boulevard and McMullen Booth Road
- SR 686 at 34th Street North
However, no matter where in Clearwater your accident occurred, if it was due to another individual’s reckless, negligent, or intentional actions, contact a skilled Clearwater car accident attorney as soon as possible. These attorneys can review what happened, determine if you have a viable legal case, and discuss the legal options you can pursue.
What Makes the Road and Intersections in Clearwater So Dangerous?
Many factors make a road or intersection more prone to accidents and fatalities.
However, in Clearwater, these accidents frequently tend to result because of the following:
- Drunk driving
- Distracted driving
- Road design that promotes speeding
- Reckless and aggressive driving behavior
- Dangerous lane changes
- Lack of crosswalks, medians, and sidewalks
- Excessive speeding
- Drivers failing to yield to the right-of-way or making dangerous left-hand turns
- Tailgating
- Defective motor vehicle equipment
Consequently, these dangerous roads and intersections can see many motor vehicle accidents, including:
- Rear-end collisions
- T-bone accidents
- Hit-and-run accidents
- Blind-spot accidents
- Head-on crashes
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Motorcycle accident
However, if a Clearwater automobile accident harmed you for a cause not indicated above but believe you have a valid legal claim, discuss it with a Clearwater car accident lawyer. An attorney can figure out what happened, who caused the accident. and hold these wrongful parties accountable for your losses and injuries.
Common Injuries Resulting From a Clearwater Motor Vehicle Accident
Car crashes can result in a variety of injuries.
Yet, while the severity and extent of these damages will typically depend on the circumstances of the accident, in general, some of the more common types of injuries that can result from a Clearwater car crash include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage and paralysis
- Soft tissue injuries
- Fractured bones
- Neck and back injuries
- Lacerations
- Crushing injuries
- Knee and foot injuries
- Facial trauma, including eye injuries
- PTSD
- Wrongful death
Additionally, many of these injuries can lead to a lifetime of medical care, including extensive surgeries, at-home nursing services, and even assistive medical devices. As a result, victims of these devastating accidents can be left paying hefty medical bills for years, which can forever impact them and their loved ones financially.
For these reasons, if you sustained significant injuries in a Clearwater traffic accident, consider discussing your case with an experienced car accident attorney. These lawyers can determine the full extent of your injuries and losses and help you fight for all the compensation you need to cover your care now and in the future.
What to Do Following a Clearwater Motor Vehicle Accident
Even though taking action after a car crash is probably not the first thing you want to focus on after an accident, it is important to understand that the things you do after these crashes can impact your rights, as well as your health and safety. That is why, following a Clearwater car crash, you should consider doing:
Call 911 Immediately
After a motor vehicle accident, you want to call 911 immediately and alert the officials of the accident and your injuries. After you get the medical treatment you need, the police officers can investigate the incident and write down their findings in their police report, which can be helpful if you decide to pursue legal action following the accident.
Wait for the Police Officers to Obtain Party Details
As the police officers are investigating your accident, they can also get information from all the parties involved, including:
- Full names
- Addresses
- Driver’s license numbers
- Insurance information, including carrier and policy numbers
- Make and model of the cars involved
- Phone numbers
Be Careful What You Say to Others
As you discuss the incident with others, you must watch what you say. Avoid taking any blame for the accident, apologizing, or making definitive statements about the incident. The other parties involved or the insurance company can use these comments to hurt your case.
Get to a Doctor Regardless of Your Injuries
Even if your injuries appear insignificant following a motor vehicle accident, you should still get examined following this crash. It is not uncommon for symptoms of a severe injury, such as brain trauma, to take some time before they show up.
However, the longer you wait to get the condition looked at, the more debilitating it can become. That is why it is a good idea to get to a doctor or health care professional as soon as possible following a car crash.
Besides, getting checked over immediately after an accident can also help your legal claim. Following an accident, the insurance company will look for anything to deny your claim or settle for less than you deserve.
By not getting medical care after a car crash, these companies can argue that your injuries are not that serious or were the result of a different reason. However, if you obtain a medical report following your accident, this report can help show the total extent of your injuries and connect the harm sustained and the accident in question.
Watch What You Discuss With the Insurance Representatives
The insurance company will likely be calling after a motor vehicle accident. Yet, before you have these conversations with them and provide details regarding what happened, you must remember that these insurance adjusters are not there to help you secure the money you need. Rather they are there to help themselves.
Like other businesses, the insurance company wants to make money. When they pay you less for your claim or deny it altogether, the more compensation they make. As a result, these adjusters will try to get you on the phone with them as soon as possible following an accident and try to get you to admit to something that can hurt your legal claim.
For these reasons, before you speak with these adjusters, consider discussing the accident with an experienced car accident lawyer who can help you handle these conversations.
Reach Out to an Experienced Clearwater Car Accident Attorney
Collecting evidence after a car accident is challenging, especially after you have sustained serious injuries. However, when you retain an experienced car accident attorney, you will not have to worry about handling this step alone.
Instead, these legal professionals can promptly get to work, investigating your crash and looking for evidence to validate your claim, such as videos or pictures of:
- The vehicles involved
- The damage to these cars
- The placement of these vehicles on the road
- Traffic signs and signals in the area
- Road defects or skid marks
- The weather at the time of the accident, as well as traffic conditions
These attorneys can also look for individuals who saw the accident and try to get their information. These witnesses can not only offer your lawyer information and other helpful details regarding what happened, but they can also provide testimony to help substantiate your legal claim.
Schedule A Free Consultation
Fight for the Justice You Deserve With a Clearwater Car Accident Attorney
If you or a loved one suffered harm in a Clearwater car accident, you might have legal options available to you. That is why following this accident, consider contacting a knowledgeable Clearwater car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Once hired, these legal professionals can help you determine if you have a valid legal claim, and they can also go over your legal options and assist you in your next steps.
Additionally, these attorneys can:
- Investigate your Clearwater car crash and gather evidence that can help your claim.
- Hire experts, such as doctors, accident specialists, and others, to help show what happened and who was at fault.
- Ensure you do not run out of time to file your case before the statute of limitations runs out.
- Handle the settlement negotiations with the insurance companies and fight for a fair offer.
- Proceed to take your case in front of a jury or a judge if the other side is unwilling to settle your case for a just amount, and fight for every dollar you deserve.
For more information regarding these accidents, contact an experienced Clearwater car accident attorney for your free case consultation and learn how these lawyers can help you fight for your rights.