Lusko Law Cites New Crash and Injury Data Amid Florida Cases Press Services

Evidence That Can Strengthen a Florida Personal Injury Lawsuit

Pensacola, United States - October 7, 2026 / Lusko Law /

PENSACOLA, Fla., October 7, 2026 – Newly released state and federal data point to a continued volume of crash and injury reports across Florida, according to Lusko Law, a Pensacola-based personal injury firm. Preliminary figures from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles show more than 181,000 crashes recorded statewide between January and early July 2026, alongside national mortality data separately released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A person holding a smartphone taking photos of a car accident scene with police present in the background, labeled with text explaining that critical evidence gathered immediately after a Florida accident can prevent denied insurance claims, branded for Lusko Law.

State Crash Data Shows Sustained Impact Across Florida

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported 181,780 total crashes statewide in preliminary data covering January 1 through July 9, 2026, resulting in 1,310 fatalities and 117,534 injuries. The data set, marked preliminary as of July 11, 2026, also recorded 78,387 injury crashes and 6,764 pedestrian crashes during the same period. Sheriff's departments investigated just over 32 percent of crashes statewide, while municipal police departments investigated more than 41 percent, with the Florida Highway Patrol accounting for roughly 26 percent.

Hit-and-Run Incidents Remain a Persistent Concern

Hit-and-run crashes accounted for 46,137 of the incidents recorded in the same window, resulting in 100 fatalities and more than 9,000 injuries. Monthly totals held above 25,000 hit-and-run crashes for most of the reporting period before the data set closed in early July. This pattern complicates efforts to identify responsible parties and preserve evidence quickly, a factor personal injury attorneys weigh heavily when advising clients on next steps after a crash.

National Data Reinforces Long-Term Injury Trends

Separately, the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics reported 41,241 motor vehicle traffic deaths nationwide in 2024, a rate of 12.1 per 100,000 people, as part of a broader total of 197,449 unintentional injury deaths recorded that year. Emergency departments logged 26.2 million visits tied to unintentional injuries in the most recent reporting period, while physician offices recorded another 24.8 million visits for the same category, underscoring how often injury cases reach a hospital or a doctor's office before they reach an attorney.

Evidence Collection Remains Central to Case Outcomes

Case outcomes at the Firm frequently hinge on how quickly documentation, including photographs, medical records, and witness statements, is gathered following an incident. Lusko Law represents clients across car accidents, trucking wrecks, motorcycle wrecks, medical malpractice, and wrongful death claims throughout Escambia County and the surrounding Florida Panhandle.

Florida's Fault Rule Adds Another Layer for Injured Residents

Florida's modified comparative negligence standard allows an injured party to recover compensation as long as their share of fault does not exceed 51 percent, with any award reduced by that percentage. Insurance companies frequently contest fault percentages during settlement negotiations, particularly in cases lacking early documentation, making the timing of evidence collection directly relevant to the state's crash figures. Attorney Justin Lusko says this dynamic plays out across car accidents, motorcycle wrecks, and slip-and-fall claims alike.

"These numbers line up with what we see walking into the office every week," said Justin Lusko, Founder and Trial Attorney at Lusko Law. "A crash report tells you what happened, but the medical records, the photos, and the witness statements are what tell you who's responsible. The families who come to us within those first few days almost always end up in a stronger position."

A medical file folder containing diagnostic reports, treatment notes, and physician opinions alongside patient information forms, with bullet points advising to gather scene evidence early, secure medical causation records, and collect key witness accounts for Lusko Law.

About Lusko Law

The firm was founded by Justin Lusko, an attorney who has focused his practice on personal injury and medical malpractice cases for the past decade. In 2022, he secured a $7.5 million verdict in Escambia County on behalf of a client who suffered an above-the-knee amputation due to a healthcare provider's failure to diagnose and treat his condition. In 2023, he secured a $2.625 million verdict for the family of a patient who suffered permanent injuries from medication complications that went untreated. In 2026, he secured a $8.785 million verdict for a client who suffered an above-the-knee amputation following a motorcycle wreck.

Justin Lusko is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a group limited to attorneys who have won million- and multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements, representing fewer than one percent of attorneys nationally. He is licensed before all Florida state courts and the U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Florida. The firm handles trucking wrecks, motorcycle wrecks, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and personal injury claims for residents across Escambia County and the Florida Panhandle.