The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ACCIDENT
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
A
C
C
I
D
E
N
T
More clues leading to the result ACCIDENT
- Stress about infectious diseases? It happens
- Unfortunately dance price not likely to fall?
- Misfortune sees Sid losing head, in a manner of speaking
- Liable to mishaps, confounded doc with recent pain
- Mishap when the west has a change of leader
- West’s leader becoming a calamity?
- Stress I had internalised as result of driving badly?
- Stress keeping identification in disaster
- Upstanding girl admitted to stress creating hazard
- Cause of casualties in account given by police to hospital department?
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Misfortune" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case misfortune = accident.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ACCIDENT mean?
ACCIDENT noun- An unexpected event with negative consequences occurring without the intention of the one suffering the consequences.
- Especially, a collision or similar unintended event that causes damage or death.
- Any chance event.
- Chance.
- Any property, fact, or relation that is the result of chance or is nonessential.
- An instance of incontinence.
- An unintended pregnancy.
- A quality or attribute in distinction from the substance, as sweetness, softness.
- (grammar) A property attached to a word, but not essential to it, such as gender, number, or case.
- An irregular surface feature with no apparent cause.
- A sudden discontinuity of ground such as fault of great thickness, bed or lentil of unstable ground.
- A point or mark which may be retained or omitted in a coat of arms.
- Casus; such unforeseen, extraordinary, extraneous interference as is out of the range of ordinary calculation.
- Appearance, manifestation.