Car accidents are a daily occurrence on our roadways, but what happens to law enforcement officials when they are involved in an accident? A recent investigation by the Orlando Sentinel has found that most cases are dropped and the law enforcers are rarely charged. This is angering those that have lost love ones who were involved in car accidents with the police.

From 2006 to 2010, 118 people were killed in fatal crashes involving Florida law enforcement vehicles according to the Orlando Sentinel. In analyzing the five years worth of data, in 32 accidents that killed 33 people, officers were at least partially to blame and in 10 of those crashes, the officers were solely to blame. In just these 32 accidents, the data showed that only two officers were prosecuted, four were ticketed, nine were killed and 17 faced no charges or tickets.

The victims feel that more needs to be done to protect the public when police are chasing a suspect or pulling over an individual for a traffic stop. According to the investigation on the two officers that were prosecuted, one officer struck and killed an elderly woman while driving 80 mph in a 45 mph zone. He was charged with vehicular homicide, but prosecutors dropped the charge last year. Another officer was driving 98 mph in a 40 mph zone when he struck and killed a man. Although his records are sealed, the officer was sentenced to a year of probation after pleading no contest to culpable negligence.

Car accidents can have life-altering consequences if you've been hurt in one. You could miss work, your bills pile up, and you worry if your insurance company will cover your losses. These physical, emotional and financial strains can be overwhelming. An experienced attorney specializing in personal injury can help you figure out your options. They can provide you with an approach that fits your situation and benefits you the most.

Source: Orlando Sentinel, "Collision with the law, Day 2: Cop crashes leave devastated families," Rene Stutzman and Scott Powers, Feb. 12, 2012