Car Accident in Edgewood

Edgewood is 1.5-squre miles of primarily residential community located just three miles south of downtown Orlando. It’s relatively small – fewer than 3,000 residents – and sits along the shores of several lakes, including Lake Mary Jess, Lake Jessamine, Lake Jennie Jewel, Lake Gatlin and Little Lake Conway.

The city was first established back in the 1880s, when the South Florida Railroad line was built as a means to connect Tampa to Orlando. That’s when Orange Avenue, also known as State Route 527, was first forged. A boom in the 1920s pushed area leaders to form a local government system, though it would later split into three – Edgewood, Pine Castle and Belle Isle. Edgewood (sometimes confused with Edgewater in Volusia County) was officially incorporated as a city in 1973, just two years after its most famous neighbor, Mickey Mouse, moved in.

Although there are a small number of residents in the city, our Edgewood car accident attorneys know there are approximately 40,000 drivers just on Orange Avenue every single day. Many more traverse other sections of the city. According to the Edgewood Police Department, whose officers patrol these streets daily, traffic is driven largely by:

• Proximity to downtown Orlando
• Proximity to the Orlando International Airport
• Proximity to Disney World, the world’s most popular tourist destination
• Proximity to the Lake Nona “medical city” near the southeast

A recent report by the Urban Land Institute Central Florida District Council, seeking to identify and help plan real estate, landscape architecture and development goals, indicated there are a number of issues of concern for the city’s future development. That includes forging a distinct identity for the city outside of “the place where Orange Avenue where the road forks and becomes Hansel Avenue.” At worst, it’s known to some outsiders as a “speed trap.”

With a goal of drumming up a diverse commercial district along Orange Avenue – which the city is considering annexing – there is need to be efforts to calm traffic along Orange Avenue. The panel also suggested working to establish greater connectivity. That would include:

• Working with state and county transportation officials to improve the connections of regional bus services, rail lines and roads.

• Expansion and development of public transportation station areas, service times and cross access links.

• Redevelopment of the Orange Avenue corridor to identify exact improvements of pedestrian safety, parking and traffic flow.

City leaders want to become more than a “pass-through” community, and that is going to mean a number of road alterations over the next several years that is going to encourage people to slow down, get out of their cars and explore on foot or on bicycle. In order to do that, the analysts noted that Orange Avenue needs to function not just as “an impenetrable barrier that just moves traffic, but as a facility that can handle all modes of transportation and connects auto, transit, bicycle and pedestrian traffic to the commercial establishments” in the city.

Although Edgewood is a great place to live and work, it’s primarily a bedroom suburb of Orlando, mostly invisible to those on the outside. Many are just passing through. City leaders are planning to launch a multi-year effort to change that and make Edgewood a destination in its own right.

Injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents in Edgewood can vary greatly. Many of the crashes in this city occur on Orange Avenue, though other areas certainly aren’t immune. We’re seeing an increase of drivers who are distracted, which tends to increase the number of rear-end collisions and red light running. Injuries in those instances tend to be quite severe because the drivers fail to react in time to take the type of evasive action that can minimize the impact.

That can result in:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal injuries
• Paralysis
• Broken bones
• Facial scarring

In these situations, it is best to contact an experienced injury attorney who can help you obtain full compensation for your injuries. This includes compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, damaged property, pain and suffering and more.