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A recent study concluded that from March 2021 to March 2022 there were 264,000 private civil cases in the United States. Of those cases a whopping 80,689 were in Florida. Of those 80K+ cases, over 66,000 of them were personal injury cases. At 40% of all private civil lawsuits, “Other Personal Injury” continues to be the most prevalent case type nationwide. During that same time frame, there were 105,478 instances in the US that fit this description. Contract litigation accounted for 9% of the total nationwide, and civil rights claims followed at 14%.
So, what does this data mean? Florida is a hot spot for people of all ages and backgrounds. The climate is warm all year round and millions of people visit the state for vacation. Often times, vacation can mean irresponsible behavior. Furthermore, many retirees drive well into their 80’s and even 90’s. A person’s ability to react to a situation decreases with age.
Florida has the third most registered motorcycles of any state in the country. With the warm weather, more miles are put on these bikes than most any other state. Now mix in the fact that the state also has heavy rainfall for half the year and you can see the opportunity for accidents to happen are dramatically increases.
Accidents happen and injuries occur. This holds true for any part of the world. But for Florida, they happen more often, mainly because the state has more people, more warm weather, more older folks, and more motorcycles than almost every other state in the Union.
What You Can Do to Stay Protected
You remember hearing about “driving defensively” in traffic school. Always be on the lookout for what others are doing or what they are about to do. You cannot always count on them to use their signal and check their mirrors. There is no doubt you have been cut off by reckless drivers before. Its a scary feeling. But it happens. You never know what state of mind other people are in on the road. Are they angry? Are they impaired? You never know.
Make sure you have the right amount of insurance. In Florida, you really should have full coverage when it comes to bodily injury as well as uninsured motorists insurance. 15.9% of drivers in Florida do not have insurance. Their attempts to skirt the law and not pay for this service can really leave you in a bind if they cause an accident with you. You should make sure you are covered on your end.