Car Crashes into Buildings – Who is Liable in Florida?
A car crashed through the wall of a business injuring an occupant of the building. The accident happened around 10 a.m., Wednesday, February 27, 2019. According to witnesses at the scene, it appeared that the driver of the Fusion hit her gas instead of the brake and came through the front of the building.
The driver had just left the office which is occupied by an insurance company and got into her car attempting to back out of the handicapped spot when she lurched forward instead. This injured one person inside the office with significant cuts and scrapes. Paramedics took them to a local hospital.
Car and Building Crashes
Cars crashing into buildings occurs over 60 times a day across the United States, according to the Texas Traffic Institute at Texas A&M University. Out of those, restaurants and other retail stores make up 43 percent of all building collisions causing over $300 million in damages.
The location of the building is a primary factor in the likelihood of a car-building accident. Although it would seem that high traffic areas such as convenience stores and gas stations would be high on the list, it is office buildings and strip-mall retail stores. Why? Because most happen by someone hitting the gas instead of the brake when leaving or parking.
Most of these types of buildings have parking stalls facing the storefront putting the stores at risk for a collision.
It catches people off guard when cars crash through buildings. In addition, they have no time to take defensive positions. The first danger is being impacted by the car itself, and then there is a fair amount of flying debris. This can result in deep lacerations, broken bones and head trauma.
What Should I do?
The first thing to do is to get treatment for your injuries. When at the scene, and if you are able, get as much information as you can, or have someone there do it for you. Pictures of the damage will help out later if a trial is needed.
Then when you have been treated and can focus on other things, call an attorney. Some people in building-vehicle accidents don’t think about getting an attorney because it wasn’t a traditional car accident. However, the driver of the car is responsible for his or her actions and will typically have insurance.
Contact a Tampa Auto Accident Lawyer
Always speak to an attorney after an accident resulting in a serious injury.
If you were involved in a crash similar to this one, contact our personal injury team today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
RHINO Lawyers is the powerful, results-driven law firm, that takes Insurance Companies and Bullies “head-on!” We describe our bold modern approach to “Accident & Personal Injury Law” and “Our Personal Mission” to empower Florida’s families to “Take Charge!”
