A six-year-old girl was killed in a fiery multi-vehicle crash in Miami, causing the Florida Turnpike to close for five hours afterwards. The accident happened when a driver of a white Dodge SUV, traveling northbound, made an improper lane change toward the right. The Dodge SUV drove directly into a white GMC SUV’s path.
The front of the GMC hit the right side of the Dodge, which burst into flames and slammed into a Mercedes SUV. There were seven people inside the Dodge during the crash, including the six-year-old girl. The other passengers and driver in the Dodge were hospitalized.
Improper lane change accidents
Florida has several statutes regarding safe lane changes. For instance, Florida Statute 316.089 requires drivers to stay in a single lane of travel, and cannot move into another lane unless they can do so safely. If there are any traffic signs or signals preventing lane changes on any given section of the road, the driver may not change lanes.
316.085 further requires drivers to avoid moving into other lanes unless there are no cars approaching in either direction, and the lane change won’t interfere with a driver. If a driver fails to follow these laws, they may be deemed negligent.
Other drivers and passengers who are injured in an accident may be eligible for compensation from the driver at fault. This includes the surviving family members of someone who is killed as a result of a driver’s negligence.
If you or a loved one have been injured in an improper lane change accident, talk to a personal injury attorney about your options right away. Reach out to the experienced Sarasota, FL auto accident lawyers at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh to learn more.