Defending An Insurance Claim Against A Driver Who Forgot To Wear Their Glasses
Clear vision is incredibly important for drivers, and it is impossible to safely operate a vehicle without a functioning set of eyes. This is why the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles takes vision tests so seriously when issuing driver’s licenses. From an insurance defense perspective, it may help to determine whether a driver was wearing their glasses at the time of a crash. Could an insurance defense attorney in Tampa help implement this type of defense strategy? Failing to Wear Glasses Can Be a Moving Violation in Florida If someone is legally required to wear glasses while driving in Florida, they face serious consequences for forgetting them. This can become a moving violation and a second-degree misdemeanor. Technically speaking, this means that a driver could face up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine for not wearing their glasses. These penalties could be even more severe if a driver causes an accident that injures or kills other people. In the past, drivers have faced homicide charges for striking pedestrians after failing to wear their glasses. Can Drivers Still Pursue Claims if They Forgot Their Glasses? Because failing to wear glasses while driving is a legitimate offense in Florida, it also represents a form of negligence during an auto accident claim. While drivers can still pursue claims after crashes, the fact that they forgot to wear their glasses could make it challenging to pursue compensation. With Florida’s modified comparative negligence rule, a motorist loses the right to pursue compensation if they are more than 50% responsible for their own crash. If a driver left their glasses at home, their negligence could exceed this threshold, leading to positive outcomes for insurers. That being said, each case is different. Someone with only slight near-sightedness may argue that the loss of their glasses did not significantly affect their ability to drive. In contrast, an 85-year-old who is “blind as a bat” without their glasses may struggle to make the same argument. It May Be Challenging to Find Evidence of This Negligence Most drivers do not admit to forgetting their glasses. Police officers may fail to notice restrictions on licenses, and they may not check to see whether the drivers in question are wearing their glasses. A driver might lie and say that their glasses were knocked off by the impact of a collision. It may fall to experienced insurance defense attorneys to find evidence that the individual in question was not wearing their glasses. This evidence might include images or videos from the crash, eyewitness accounts, and more. Can an Insurance Defense Attorney in Tampa Help? An auto insurance defense attorney in Tampa may be able to help your organization explore various strategies after an auto liability claim. With so many senior drivers in Florida, many get behind the wheel with poor vision. This could form the basis for an effective insurance defense strategy, especially if the driver failed to wear their glasses or contact lenses. Learn more by contacting HD Law Partners today. Sources: flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/medical-review/vision-standards/#:~:text=The%20minimum%20visual%20acuity%20standard,be%2020%2F40%20or%20better. sarasotataxcollector.gov/services/motorist-services/drivers-license/medical-vision Posted in Insurance Defense | No Comments » Connect with us Archives May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 July 2025 June 2025 January 2025 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 November 13 Categories Alimony Appellate Arbitration Auto Accidents Auto Insurance Business Corporate Business Insurance Law Child Custody Child Support Criminal Law Divorce Family Law FEMA Insurance Payments Florida’s Mandatory 2‑Hour Legal Professionalism CLE: Foreclosure Defense Fort Myers Hurricane Insurance Attorney General Guardianship HD Law Partners Service HOA/Property Management Homeowners Association Homeowners Insurance Hurricane Claims Hurricane Insurance Insurance Bad Faith Insurance Claims Insurance Defense Insurance Litigation Landlord Tenant Law Enforcement Liability Loan Modifications Mold Water Damage Parental Rights Paternity Personal Injury Premises Liability Law Prenuptial Agreements Private Security Property Distribution Property Owner Law Sarasota Insurance Litigation Attorney Slip Fall Tampa Business and Corporate Attorneys tampa family attorney Tampa Insurance Attorneys Timeshare Timesharing Uncategorized HD Law Partners is proud to be your trusted full-service law firm Quick Links Property & Casualty Business & Corporate Litigation Family Law Contact Us Careers Get In Touch 2002 North Lois Avenue Suite 510 Tampa, FL 33607 813-253-5333 Contact Us