Can Red Light Cameras Impact My Florida Motor Vehicle Accident Personal Injury Claim?
Red light cameras first began to be used widely across Florida in the early-mid 2010’s. They were often employed by cities across Florida at key intersections to catch people running red lights. Red light cameras gradually became more and more commonplace. Today they are at almost every intersection, even for some of the more lightly traveled roads in South Florida. According to a recent article, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has determined that 63 Florida cities were operating 638 red light cameras in 2018. According to the same article, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an insurance-industry safety organization, 22 percent of all traffic accidents in the U.S. are caused by drivers running red lights. Given how ubiquitous these cameras are in Florida, it should come as no surprise that red light cameras can also play an important role in your personal injury claim or lawsuit.
The Debate About the Use of Red Light Cameras in Florida
Red light cameras faced a number of constitutional challenges at first, including the fact that drivers were being ticketed for offenses by private vendors who operated these cameras for cities and were compensated based on the number of tickets that were written. Ultimately, however, they were determined to be legal by the Florida Supreme Court in 2018 because the footage of the alleged offenders was forwarded to and then reviewed by police officers trained to determine whether someone had indeed violated state or local law in running the red light. The Florida Supreme Court also late last year elected not to hear another challenge that came out of an appeals court in Miami-Dade County, which may have closed the door on challenges to the constitutionality of red light cameras in Florida.
Red Light Cameras and Your Personal Injury Lawsuit
Although most people would not think of them as a source of evidence in a personal injury lawsuit, these cameras can serve an important role in a personal injury claim or lawsuit. Assume you are the victim of a hit and run caused by a driver who blows through a red light and then speeds away from the scene of the accident, but a nearby red light camera may have captured the motorist’s license plate. The still photograph taken of that driver’s license plate by the red light camera would then become the key piece of evidence to tie the motorist that hit you to the accident.
Contact Schwed, Adams, & McGinley
At Schwed, Adams & McGinley, our experienced personal injury attorneys have more than 150 years of experience representing the victims of motor vehicle accidents and other personal injury scenarios in Florida. During that time, we have represented numerous individuals from Florida injured in a motor vehicle accident as a result of someone else’s negligence in a hit and run. We know how to use all available sources of evidence, including red light cameras, to prove our client’s case. Contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Schwed, Adams & McGinley, P.A today at 877-694-6079 or contact@schwedlawfirm.com for a free consultation if you have been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence in Florida.