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Driving Safely on Boca Raton’s New I-95 Express Lanes

After years of construction and millions of dollars of expense, the new I-95 express lanes by Boca Raton are nearly complete. The possibility of alleviating the constant congestion and backups is welcome news to those of us who regularly traverse this overcrowded highway. However, with more lanes comes the increased risk of more lane changing accidents. While lane changing accidents only cause 2.1% of all traffic accidents[1], they can be among the most gruesome.

Who Has the Right of Way When Changing Lanes?

According to Florida law, the driver who is already driving in the destination lane is the one with the right of way and the driver in the other lane must yield to the driver who is already there. For example, if you are driving in the middle lane on a highway with three northbound lanes and the driver in the right-hand lane wants to enter your lane, you have the right of way. The other driver needs to first put on their turn signal, check their sideview and rearview mirrors, and then, when safe, switch lanes.

Causes of Lane Changing Accidents

There are a myriad of possible causes for lane-changing accidents. Preventable causes include racing another car, weaving through traffic, road rage, impaired driving, forgetting to turn on a turn signal, not looking in the sideview and rearview mirrors, and distracted driving. Other causes include poor visibility due to weather conditions, swerving to avoid a pothole, roadkill, road debris, or even an existing car crash. The latter situation, swerving to avoid an existing accident, can cause multiple car pileups as drivers approach the accident but can’t stop or move out of the way in time since they are traveling so fast. Another situation that can occur is two cars in different lanes crashing as they both try to switch into the middle lane. This situation is very complex to resolve since each driver could be partially responsible for the accident.

Since lane changing accidents often occur when driving at a high rate of speed, severe injuries are more likely to occur. This is especially true with multiple car pileups because drivers in the cars in the middle can become trapped in their cars as additional cars continue to hit the pileup.

If you are injured in a lane-changing car crash that you believe was not your fault, call ECanter Lawyers right away. It’s important to act fast to preserve as much evidence as possible, especially because proving fault in a lane-changing case can be difficult. We will thoroughly investigate the case and advise you on your options for obtaining compensation. We have won high-value settlements and verdicts for hundreds of clients and we will fight aggressively to do the same for you.

ECanter Lawyers

When you are dealing with the chaos and pain of accidents and personal injuries, the last thing you need is technical, confusing legal language.  ECanter Lawyers breaks down the complexities and provides clear, informative answers so that you understand your legal options. 

For almost a quarter of a century, ECanter Lawyers has remained committed to honest, straightforward answers.  Named one of AVVO’s Clients’ Choice, ECanter Lawyers has helped clients receive multi-million-dollar verdicts, and millions of dollars in settlements.  ECanter Lawyers specializes in personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, medical malpractice, premises and product liability, and healthcare law.

With offices conveniently located throughout South Florida and 24/7 services, ECanter Lawyers personal injury law firm offers you the personalized attention that you need in order to maximize your compensation. 

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[1] National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey: Report to Congress (dot.gov). Accessed March 31, 2022.