A driver going in reverse can be responsible for injuries or deaths caused by an accident if negligence can be shown says Boca car accident lawyer Joe Osborne.

A vehicle going in reverse is potentially very dangerous because it may cause an accident with another vehicle or strike a pedestrian. Vehicles are built to go forward and visibility out the back may not be good and passengers or cargo may block the view. We also go into reverse in potentially dangerous situations: crowded parking lots and out of driveways (possibly crossing sidewalks) into streets. No matter which direction a vehicle is moving the driver has a responsibility to drive safely says Boca car accident lawyer Joe Osborne.

A study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that between 2002 and 2006 there were 48,000 injuries nationwide due to accidents involving all types of vehicles backing up on public roads and private property such as driveways and parking lots. These accidents also caused an estimated 463 deaths.

There are all too many instances of serious injuries and deaths involving vehicles going in reverse.

1. A two year old boy was killed in July after he was struck by an SUV driven by his grandmother who was backing out of a driveway in Fontana, California, reports the Los Angeles Times. A police officer at the scene told the Times, “It’s one of the worst calls you can go to.” Police report the child went behind the vehicle without anyone seeing him. A neighbor who works as a nurse tried to use CPR to revive the child but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
2. Another two year old boy was killed in June in Jacksonville after being struck by a vehicle backing up, driven by his mother, according to WJXT, in an apartment complex parking lot. He survived the collision but died hours later at a hospital. The boy's mother was visiting his grandmother and asked her to watch her two small children while she went to the store. The two year old left the apartment without his grandmother realizing it and was behind the vehicle when his mother backed out of a parking spot.
3. A Virginia volunteer firefighter was killed when he was struck by a firetruck going in reverse at the scene of a vehicle accident in May, reports WSLS.
4. The Florida Highway Patrol stated that a 59 year old Panama City resident and Bay County Road and Bridges worker was killed in a worksite accident in Fountain in February. He was part of a work crew doing street maintenance when he was struck and killed by a dump truck that was backing up, according to WJHG. The worker was taken to a local hospital where he died.

Under Florida statute, “The driver of a vehicle shall not back the same unless such movement can be made with safety and without interfering with other traffic.” Violation of the law is considered a moving violation and you may be ticketed if law enforcement finds you were going in reverse in a dangerous manner. In a personal injury case if the driver is cited for violating this law it can be used as evidence of negligence and can greatly help the case.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident or as a pedestrian by a vehicle going in reverse, contact Boca car accident lawyer Joe Osborne at (561) 293-2600 or fill out this online contact form. You can discuss your case, how the law may apply and your best legal options to protect your rights and obtain compensation for your injuries.