Car Accident in Winter Garden

Winter Garden is one of the fastest-growing cities in Orange County. It’s historically been known as a small town of old Florida charm, but the number of 40,000 inhabitants tallied at the latest U.S. Census is sure to grow.

The historic downtown area, marked by the clock tower and pavilion, are a big draw to many in this Central Florida city. That’s where you’ll find a host of art galleries, shops, museums and local restaurants. The Garden Theatre is also a popular attraction, as is the weekly farmer’s market, the kids’ splash park and a newer luxury dine-in theater chain. The quaint downtown region is also slated for a series of residential and business growth initiatives.

City officials in recent years have been prioritizing growth in the 17-square-mile municipality, offering incentives both to small mom-and-pop businesses as well as larger chain stores. The Winter Garden Village is large, open-air shopping center just north of SR 429. The city’s population expanded from just 14,000 in 2000 up to 40,350 in 2015.

Winter Garden car accident attorneys recognize that these changes have meant – and will continue to mean – an uptick in traffic safety trouble. Already as part of the Orange County metro area, it sees a fair amount of traffic problems stemming from travelers making their way along either the Florida Turnpike or State Route 429. The city is about 30 minutes outside of downtown Orlando and about the same to Walt Disney World.

The Winter Garden Police reported in a single recent year:

• 512 total crashes
• 183 injury crashes
• 253 total injuries
• 37 commercial vehicle crashes
• 328 property damage crashes
• 17 pedestrian crashes
• 18 bicycle accidents

These figures may not seem extremely high compared to some of the more populated surrounding areas, but they represent a sharp rise from just a few years ago.

Top auto accident months in Winter Garden are September, October and December. This coincides with the influx in seasonal residents we see each year. This is not to say that these “snow birds” are bad drivers, so much as the overall increase in motorists results in a higher number of accidents.

The kinds of injuries suffered by Winter Garden car accident victims varies greatly, depending on the kind of collision.

Some of the most common include:

• Head Injuries. These are among the most serious of car accident injuries that can occur. Drivers and passengers involved in high-speed collisions especially may suffer traumatic brain injuries when their heads make forceful, rapid contact with the steering wheel, dashboard or window. Brain injuries can range in seriousness from mild concussions to comas. Those who survive serious brain injuries may be left with lasting cognitive, vision and emotional issues.

• Back Injuries. Any type of injury to the spinal cord is serious and worthy of further examination. Significant nerve damage can result in lowered sensation of extremities and in some cases, may even involve paralysis. Although paralysis can occur in more serious crashes, the more common injury is a herniated disc. This is when a disc in the spine is moved or dislocated. This can result in acute and chronic pain in the back, arms and legs. It may also result in muscle weakness, numbness or tingling sensations.

• Neck Injuries. The most common type of neck injury in a Winter Garden car accident is whiplash. This is caused by the sudden movement of the heat and neck, resulting in ligament and muscle damage. Pain and swelling is common.

• Chest Injuries. Blunt trauma to the chest can cause an array of serious problems, including collapsed lungs, broken ribs and internal bleeding. Those with existing heart trouble may suffer from cardiac arrest as a result of a crash. Such injury would be compensable as well.

When these kinds of injuries are incurred as a result of a Winter Garden car accident, claimants can seek compensation both through Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits) up to $10,000 and then via insurance claims against the at-fault driver. If the at-fault driver’s insurer refuses to settle for a reasonable amount, the case may be taken to court. In the event the other driver lacks insurance – or doesn’t have enough insurance to cover the full extent of the victims’ damages – the injured driver/ passenger may file a claim for uninsured/ underinsured motorist (UM/ UIM) coverage through their own insurer. UM/ UIM benefits would also cover victims of hit-and-run accidents, and such benefits also apply if you are hit by a car while walking or on a bicycle.