Deadly Left-Turn Vehicle Collision In Hernando County

The wreck killed the driver of one vehicle and seriously injured the passenger in another vehicle.

A man from Lecanto, was on U.S. 19 making a left turn onto Vespa Way. In so doing, he collided with a 2013 Silverado which was directly in the man’s path. The impact killed the man almost instantly and seriously injured the Silverado’s passenger.

None of the other names were released.

Types of Car Crash Injuries in Tampa

Every year, car wrecks seriously injure millions of Americans. Airbags, seat belts, and other restraint systems are more advanced than ever before. But at the same time, many people drive large pickup trucks and SUVs. These massive vehicles greatly increase the force in a collision, leading to serious injuries like:

Broken Bones: When a vehicle comes to a sudden halt, the objects and people inside that vehicle keep travelling at the same speed until they too strike solid objects. So, cell phones and other such items essentially become high-speed missiles.
Neck Injuries: Airbags prevent many head trauma injuries. But they cannot prevent whiplash, which is a motion-based injury. This condition is difficult to diagnose and treat, and if it is not taken care of properly and promptly, it quickly gets much worse.
Internal Bleeding: That same rapid motion usually causes internal organs to bump and grind against one another. When that happens, they often bleed profusely. As a result, many victims are on the brink of anaphylactic shock before first responders even arrive.

Florida has a no-fault injury law. So, if the victim sustains a serious injury, compensation includes money for both economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. Additional punitive damages may also be available in some cases.

Passenger Injuries in Tampa

Drivers and passengers bear almost the exact same risk of injury in a Florida car wreck. If anything, passengers may be more susceptible to injury, because they are sometimes not as focused on the road ahead.

Passenger injuries often give rise to the assumption of the risk doctrine. This rule usually applies in slip-and-fall or other premises liability cases. However, it could be used in other contexts as well. This defense has basically two prongs:

Voluntary assumption of
A known risk.

In passenger injury cases, both these elements are in doubt. Passengers do not always voluntarily get into cars. For example, the passenger may have no other way to reach a certain destination. Moreover, there is a difference between a theoretical risk and a known risk. Alcohol impairment is a theoretical risk, but the risk arguably does not become a known one until the victim sees visible evidence of driving impairment.

Left-Turn Crashes in Tampa

If Driver A turns in front of Driver B, the accident report almost always blames Driver A for the crash. But legal liability may be different, because of the last clear chance doctrine.

This rule, which also applies in many head-on and rear-end crash cases, excuses liability if a driver failed to avoid an avoidable collision. For example, if Driver B could have avoided the crash by changing lanes or stopping, Driver A is not legally responsible for damages.

This doctrine only applies if the driver had the last clear chance as opposed to any possible chance.

Reach Out to Tenacious Lawyers

Even seemingly straightforward car crash cases often involve complex legal issues. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney in Tampa, contact The Matassini Law Firm, P.A. Attorneys can connect victims with doctors, even if they have no insurance or money.

Resource:

tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/FHP-20-year-old-Lecanto-man-dies-Saturday-in-Hernando-crash_170817043