Car accidents are incredibly common in West Palm Beach, with over 500 collisions in a week on average. West Palm Beach also has a relatively high fatal accident rate, especially for accidents involving pedestrians.
However, West Palm Beach has a lower fatal accident rate than many rural counties or the state as a whole.
If you have been hurt in a car accident in West Palm Beach, you are more than a statistic. Your well-being and your ability to claim your losses after a car accident matter. You can work with a West Palm Beach car accident lawyer to file a claim and fight for the maximum compensation available for your injuries and other losses.
Learn more about West Palm Beach’s car accident statistics and important trends below.
West Palm Beach Collision & Injury Data
The most important fact about West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County is that the area sees a high volume of car accidents in any given period.
According to statistics from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) Department, Palm Beach County had an average volume of 26,666 collisions per year from 2015 to 2017. That’s the equivalent of over 500 collisions a week and 73 per day.
The three-year average for accident-related injuries was 15,906, equivalent to around 43.5 injuries per day. Fortunately, the average number of annual fatalities was relatively low at 177.
On the Decline: Palm Beach County Accidents
From 2016 to 2017, accidents as a whole decreased by 2% in Palm Beach County. Injuries also dropped by nearly four percent.
Road fatalities showed the biggest sign of progress, steadily declining by 10.5% from 2016 to 2017.
| Palm Beach County Accident Statistics 2015 – 2017 (Source) | |||||
| 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | % Change ‘16 – ‘17 | 3 Yr. Average | |
| Total Crashes | 27,273 | 27,838 | 24,887 | -2% | 26,666 |
| Total Fatalities | 162 | 181 | 187 | -10.5% | 177 |
| Total Injuries | 15,912 | 16,552 | 15,254 | -3.9% | 15,906 |
Palm Beach County Fatal Accident Rate
Another bright spot for West Palm Beach’s car accident statistics is the fact that it has consistently maintained a lower fatal accident rate than the state of Florida every year for the past 20 years, with 2006 being the exception.
Even as the state of Florida’s fatal accident rate saw a downward trend from 2008 to 2014, Palm Beach County managed to have an even better rate overall.
Still, Palm Beach County had a higher motor vehicle crash fatality rate than Miami-Dade County in 2018. While Palm Beach County had 13.46 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2018, Miami-Dade had 10.12. The majority of counties with a higher road death rate were rural and had lower populations. This means that they likely had a lower volume of overall fatal accidents but a high rate because of their sparse populations.
West Palm Beach: One of the Deadliest Corridors for Pedestrians
Florida is notorious for its high rate of pedestrian road fatalities. High poverty rates, a large landmass, and a lack of pedestrian-friendly road designs combine to make Florida the most dangerous state in the U.S. for pedestrians.
Of the top 20 most deadly metro areas, the entire top six were found in Florida. Overall, nine of the 20 on the list were from the state.
The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL was counted as a contiguous metro region for the pedestrian safety study in question. The region sees an average of 2.61 pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 people, with a staggering 1,549 pedestrian deaths from 2008 – 2017.
Getting Compensation After an Accident in West Palm Beach
Those who get hurt in a road accident in West Palm Beach have a long and difficult road to recovery, but they don’t have to go it alone. They can appoint a West Palm Beach car accident lawyer to help them build a personal injury claim. Together, they can seek the maximum amount of compensation available for their losses.
Common damages claimed after a car accident include hospital bills, lost wages, out-of-pocket expenses, and pain and suffering.
Steinger, Greene & Feiner can provide attorney services with no up-front fees. We don’t charge you anything if we are unable to recover money for you. Our attorneys have collectively won over $1 billion in settlements and verdicts on behalf of clients. Find out what we can do for you when you schedule a free, no-obligation case review today.
Call (561) 566-5021 or contact us online to schedule a free case evaluation now.