Police officers classify car accidents in Tampa, Florida, based on many factors, including the type of collision, the cause, and the road users involved. These classifications help policymakers and law enforcement agencies determine how they can reduce crash risks and potentially save lives.
These classifications also help lawyers and insurers determine who caused a car crash and thus bears liability for the resulting injuries. The crash type can even predict the injuries you will suffer and your long-term prognosis for recovery.
If you’ve recently sustained injuries in a Tampa car accident, Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers can help. Call today our Tampa office to schedule a free consultation at (813) 686-7588 to discuss your case and receive legal advice.
How Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Auto Accident in Tampa, FL
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers has handled personal injury cases for Tampa, Florida, accident victims since 1996. Over the past 27 years, our Tampa car accident lawyers have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars to help our injured clients.
We help you by providing the following:
- Comprehensive legal services throughout the entirety of your case
- Passionate advocates with over 50 years of combined legal experience
- A legal team including a board-certified civil trial lawyer and two former insurance defense attorneys
A car accident can leave you with mountains of medical expenses and no way to pay them. If you hire our trusted personal injury lawyers in Tampa to help with your case, you’ll be able to focus on your medical recovery. In the meantime, we’ll work hard to secure the compensation you need and deserve.
Contact Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers to discuss your car accident injuries and how we can help you pursue full and just financial compensation for them.
How Many Car Accidents Happen in Tampa?
Tampa has a reputation for being one of the most dangerous cities for drivers. Car accident risks, fatality rates, and DUI arrests combine to put Tampa near the bottom of most lists for traffic safety.
According to the Florida Traffic Safety Dashboard, Tampa had 16,664 car accidents in 2022. These accidents resulted in 61 deaths, 238 serious injuries, and thousands of minor injuries.
Fortunately, these crash numbers represent a significant decrease compared to previous years. But Tampa still accounts for 2.4% of Florida’s traffic accidents despite only having 1.7% of the state’s population. In other words, Tampa has roughly 34% more accidents than it should, based on its population.
This might not seem like many. However, in 2022, 34% represents about 4,300 excess accidents that would not have happened if Tampa had been as safe as the rest of Florida.
Classifying Tampa Car Accidents
Some common types of Tampa car accidents include:
Rear-End Collisions
One way to classify car accidents is by the type of collision. If you classify accidents this way, rear-end collisions are the most common type of car accident.
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), rear-end crashes happen in about 41.7% of all collisions. These crashes occur when a trailing vehicle strikes the back end of a leading vehicle. A rear-end collision commonly occurs due to the following:
- Tailgating
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
A rear-end crash can produce serious injuries like concussions and whiplash. But only about 17.9% of traffic fatalities result from these types of crashes, according to the NSC.
Angle Crashes
The deadliest type of collision is an angle collision. These crashes cause 44.8% of traffic deaths, according to the NSC.
An angle collision happens when one car strikes another at an angle. Side-impact collisions produce some of the worst injuries among angle collisions. When a car strikes the door of another car, it can push the door into the vehicle’s occupants. This crushing force can cause severe or fatal chest, abdomen, or head injuries.
Intersection Accidents
You can classify accidents by where they happen. Based on location, intersection crashes are some of the most dangerous for drivers. In 2021, intersection accidents injured or killed nearly 98,000 people in Florida, according to the Florida Crash Facts Report.
Distracted Driving Crashes
Police officers often categorize crashes by the cause or contributing factors. Distracted driving is one of the areas of focus for Florida police departments.
Distracted driving happens when your attention focuses on something other than driving. In 2021, car accidents caused by distracted driving injured or killed over 48,500 people, according to the Crash Facts Report.
Speed-Related Collisions
Speeding is another area of concern for police officers since speeding is both common and preventable. According to the Crash Facts Report, over 6,000 drivers, passengers, and other road users were injured or killed in speed-related crashes.
Pedestrian Accidents
Another way to categorize car accidents is to focus on the road users involved. According to the Florida Traffic Safety Dashboard, Tampa had over 600 pedestrian accidents in 2022.
These accidents have a high risk of causing fatalities and serious injuries since pedestrians have no protection when they get hit by cars. In 2022, pedestrian accidents caused 28 deaths and 63 serious injuries.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Tampa Car Accident Lawyers
Regardless of the type of car accident, your injuries can cause significant physical and financial damage. To discuss your car accident and the injury compensation you can recover, contact Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation. Our Tampa car accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, so you only pay attorney’s fees if we win or settle your case.
