Fort Myers Bad Weather Accidents

Bad weather and flooding can create dangerous driving conditions across Fort Myers and Lee County. However, weather alone does not excuse careless or reckless driving. When drivers fail to slow down, maintain control, or adjust to road conditions, they can be held responsible for the damages they cause. Wolfson & Leon represents victims of weather-related crashes and aggressively pursues compensation — even when insurers attempt to blame the weather instead of the driver.

Fort Myers experiences frequent afternoon thunderstorms, coastal wind patterns, hurricane season rain bands, and localized flooding — particularly during summer and fall months. Roads like Colonial Boulevard, U.S. 41, Daniels Parkway, and Six Mile Cypress Parkway can accumulate standing water quickly, creating hydroplaning risks and sudden lane loss.

Drivers still have a legal duty to operate their vehicles safely under these conditions. This means slowing down, increasing following distance, activating headlights, and avoiding flooded lanes when possible. When drivers ignore these responsibilities, accidents happen — and those injuries are preventable.

Wolfson & Leon has represented injured crash victims since 1963. Our trial attorneys understand how insurers attempt to minimize responsibility in weather-related crashes, and we know how to challenge these defenses effectively.

Poor weather conditions don’t cause accidents by themselves. Negligence during poor weather does.

Common contributing behaviors include:

• Driving too fast for conditions
• Following too closely on wet pavement
• Driving with worn tires or faulty brakes
• Failing to turn on headlights during rain, which is required under Florida law
• Attempting to cross flooded intersections or causeway roads
• Sudden braking or unsafe lane changes during low visibility
• Distracted driving, which becomes more dangerous during rain or wind events

Even experienced drivers can misjudge stopping distances on wet pavement. But when a driver knows the roads are slick and still chooses risky behavior, they may be found legally at fault.

Weather-related crashes often occur at or near:

• U.S. 41 (Cleveland Ave) — heavy traffic + fast speed transition zones
• Colonial Blvd & McGregor Blvd intersections — congested turning lanes
• Daniels Parkway & Six Mile Cypress — hydroplaning risk during storms
• I-75 southbound lanes — high-speed standing water and spray conditions
• MLK Blvd & Palm Beach Blvd corridors — heavy commuter and night traffic
• Sanibel Causeway & Summerlin Road — storm surge / coastal wind impact

Neighborhoods with older drainage systems or low-lying coastal grading may flood after only short rain periods.

Weather does not eliminate responsibility — it heightens it.

Insurance companies often argue:

Shows speed, braking, steering input, and acceleration in the seconds before impact.

We obtain recordings from:

• Gas stations
• Shopping centers
• Doorbell / neighborhood cameras
• City traffic-control cameras (when available)

If texting or device use is suspected, we may subpoena phone records.

We document whether the driver could and should have seen standing water or visible puddling.

Engineers reconstruct:

• Vehicle travel path
• Hydroplaning event likelihood
• Stopping distance vs. speed
• Driver reaction window

Our approach anticipates insurance defense strategies and prepares cases for litigation from day one.

Florida’s negligence law changed in 2023.

You may still recover compensation if:

• You are 50% or less at fault for the crash.

If the insurer attempts to argue shared fault, we respond with evidence of:

• Roadway visibility
• Weather alerts and advisories
• Driver speed-to-condition ratio
• Vehicle control inputs (steering / braking)
• Tire tread and maintenance history

We focus on clearly proving the other driver’s responsibility — not letting insurers hide behind weather conditions.

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) from sudden impact
• Herniated discs and spinal cord trauma
• Neck and back soft tissue injury
• Fractured ribs, hips, shoulders, or wrists
• Internal bleeding and organ injury
• Chronic pain and mobility limitations

Injuries can worsen when the body tenses at the moment of hydroplane or loss of control impact.

Depending on the severity of the injuries, compensation may include:

• Emergency room and ongoing medical care
• Rehabilitation and physical therapy
• Surgical treatment if required
• Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity
• Pain and suffering damages
• Loss of enjoyment of life or daily activity limitations
• Wrongful death support for surviving family members

We document how injuries affect your life now and in the future — not just initial medical bills.

• Serving injured Floridians since 1963
• Extensive experience trying complex vehicle accident cases
• We challenge insurance company assumptions and defenses
• No fees unless we recover compensation

Our focus is on protecting your financial stability and long-term well-being.

If you were injured in a weather-related or flooding crash, you should not have to face the insurance company alone.

Call (239) 777-9954 for a free consultation.We represent clients in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, Estero, Sanibel, and throughout Southwest Florida.