The evening of Monday, June 18 brought another accident in Parrish at an intersection locals say has been trouble for years.
Members of the Parrish United Methodist Church say they regularly hear screeching brakes and near misses at the intersection of County Road 675 and U.S. 301. The latest incident prompted new pleas for better traffic control at the intersection.
The pastor of the church, Chris Schmidt, says the accident could have been avoided had the intersection’s traffic signal been fully operational, but instead it was flashing yellow for U.S. 301 and red for traffic on C.R. 675. The church, along with other local organizations, has petitioned the Florida Department of Transportation to add full functionality to the traffic signal in the past, but the request was denied.
However, local residents say traffic in the area is awful, and that there have been too many accidents. Police agree — the Parrish Fire District says the intersection is the top spot in the area for traffic accidents. In recent months there were three trauma-alert accidents at the intersection, in which patients must be flown to Blake Medical Center.
A government entity could be liable
There are circumstances in which municipalities can be found liable in personal injury cases. Plaintiffs who are able to prove a lack of traffic control devices or improperly functioning traffic control devices directly caused an accident may successfully demonstrate the liability on the part of a municipality.
For further guidance on your legal options when it comes to filing a personal injury claim, consult a dedicated Bradenton auto accident attorney with Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh.