Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

In our 30 years in practice as Coral Springs motorcycle accident lawyers, we have helped many victims and the families of victims who have been involved in motorcycle crashes. These types of accidents result in injuries that are oftentimes more catastrophic than injuries suffered from car crashes because motorcycles don't provide as much protection as a car or a truck. Injuries that result from motorcycle accidents range from traumatic brain injury, paralysis, and in some cases death.

Given that our firm represents clients from multiple cities including Parkland, Coral Springs, Tamarac, Margate, and Pompano Beach, we make our best effort to keep up with the latest news in those cities. Unfortunately, we oftentimes see stories involving car accidents, truck accidents and motorcycle accidents. One of these stories involves a Coral Springs man who passed away after he lost control of his motorcycle and hit a curb last weekend.

Motorcycle crashes are caused by a number of factors including speeding, drunk driving, or negligence of another driver. According to the latest Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles report, motorcycle accidents led to 402 deaths in 2009, compared to 532 in 2008. Thankfully, the number of deaths resulting from motorcycle accidents decreased by 24% in 2009. The report also points out that there was a 14% reduction in the amount of deadly car accidents in 2009.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Motorcycle Accident Lawyer on Crash that Killed Coral Springs Man" »

Last weekend, a Coral Springs man became the victim of a fatal bicycle accident that took place on Sample Road. Coral Springs police are still investigating the accident, which involved bicyclist Michael Fish, and the driver of a 2008 Infiniti, Anthony Pennachio, who has not been charged.

As Coral Springs bicycle injury lawyers, we are very familiar with the dangers that bicyclists face on our Florida roads. Bicyclists face risks of serious personal injuries and, in some cases, death, when riding for leisure or to their workplaces. While there are a number of reasons bicycle accidents occur, they are, in some cases, caused by negligent car drivers or defective bicycle manufacturing.

Unfortunately, bicycle accidents occur way too often in Florida. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics, Florida has been one of the top 3 states for bicycle accident fatalities since 2001, and had the highest number of bicycle accident deaths in the nation in 2007 and 2008. In 2008 alone, there were 4,380 accident injuries involving bicyclists and 118 deaths.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Bicycle Accident Lawyer on Accident that Killed Local Man" »

A baby boy in Palm Beach County suffered personal injuries and was taken to the hospital after he was run over by his grandfather's pickup truck last Thursday. The 20-month-old toddler suffered a broken pelvis and is in stable condition.

It is a difficult state of affairs when a family member has to face such a tragedy. Thankfully the child survived. Unfortunately, there are far too many instances where children are inadvertently backed over by family members who, for whatever reason, are not aware that young children are in their vicinity. Sometimes the rear view cameras available on more expensive vehicles can prevent these incidents, but there have been cases where the child was even too small to be seen by the rearview camera.

Some similar stories have made headlines this year in Florida, but with more tragic consequences. Earlier in May, another 20-month-old boy was run over in the driveway of the family's home. The baby's father accidentally ran over him, causing injuries that led to the baby's death. In January, a 4-year-old girl died after being run over by her mother.

If the child does not live in the same household as the person who backed over them, even if that person is a relative, the family can collect for the injuries that that child has sustained as a result. These are very sensitive cases, of course, as pursuing a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit against a family member is not an easy decision.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Personal Injury Lawyer Comments on Truck Accident that Injured Baby" »

Tire blowouts are linked to thousands of car accidents and hundreds of deaths each year. Last week in Broward County, on May 13, 2011, a Margate man and his passenger were critically injured in a tire blowout that resulted in a rollover car accident on I-75.

While a tire blowout cannot always be prevented, one should make it a habit to check their tires periodically to make sure they have enough tread. According to Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) recommendations, drivers should check the pressure on their tires every time before driving. In addition, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has compiled safety tips to avoid a tire blowout.

Our Coral Springs personal injury lawyers are curently handling a case where a tire blew out on a vehicle on the highway, resulting in a collision with another vehicle. The individual we represent was then unable to avoid one of the vehicles that was stopped on the highway due to the blowout.

We are investigating two aspects of that case. First: whether the vehicle on the highway could and should have moved out of the way, as required by Florida statute, if the vehicle was able to do so, and second: whether the vehicle, whose tire blewout, failed to maintain proper equipment, also a violation of the Florida statutes.

Unfortunately for our client, he sustained very serious injuries in his car accident.

Other avenues to investigate in these tire blowout cases are whether the tire itself was defective. There have been numerous successful tire blowout cases against tire manufacturers throughout the country. These types of cases fall under the product liability category. As product liability lawyers, we help people who are involved in product liability cases against vehicle manufacturers.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Injury and Accident Lawyer Discusses Rollover Crash in Broward County" »

Palm Beach County police are investigating a hit and run accident that killed a pedestrian close to Boca Raton on Thursday, May 12, 2011. Guadalupe Corrizales was struck by an Infiniti G35 sedan. The driver has not been charged and his name has not yet been released. According to investigators, the vehicle was speeding.

The above story is another catastrophic case of an irresponsible driver crashing into an innocent victim, and then fleeing the scene. According to a Governors Highway Safety Association report, there were more pedestrian accident fatalities in 2010 than in the previous four years. The report, which contains statistics for accidents nationwide, shows that Florida had the second largest rise in pedestrian deaths in the country.

On many occasions, such as the story cited in this blog, hit and run accidents are responsible for causing pedestrian injuries and deaths. According to a USA Today report, the number of deaths resulting from hit and run accidents has gone up by 20 percent since 2000.

This is precisely what uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is for. Family members and relatives should be able to collect under the family's underinsured/underinsured motorist coverage for the victim of this horrific accident. Many times persons who flee the scene do so because they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Other times they flee the scene because they're doing something wrong, such as speeding.

Oftentimes these "speeders" have little or no insurance coverage. Don't be caught without adequate insurance coverage.

If you are the victim of a hit and run crash, that is where your uninsured motorist coverage comes into play. Even if you never find the vehicle that fled from the scene of the collision, your uninsured motorist coverage will cover you for damage caused by a car or other motor vehicle that flees the scene. Tip: purchase uninsured motorist coverage at least equal to your bodily injury limits. We also recommend that you purchase stacking coverage if you have multiple vehicles in your household. This will multiply the amount of coverage that you have available to you if you are in one of these "stack" cars at the time of the car crash. If you do have multiple vehicles, you can stack the coverage of all the vehicles in the household for any resident relative, most of whom will be covered in such an incident.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Auto Accident Attorney Discusses Hit and Run that Killed Pedestrian" »

If you are a driver in Coral Springs, you may be familiar with the "Red light cameras coming soon" signs around town. In an effort to reduce the amount of car accidents, the city will install red light cameras in seven intersections, starting with Royal Palm Boulevard and Coral Ridge Drive.

Although the purpose of red light cameras is to improve driver safety, the efficiency of the cameras is being questioned in Fort Lauderdale, where six cameras have been installed since 2010. According to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, the amount of car accidents increased during a period of four months at two of the intersections where red light cameras have been installed. The number of auto accidents decreased at three of the intersections and stayed the same at the sixth.

Cities including Sunrise, Hollywood and Boynton Beach have implemented red light cameras, while others, such as Delray Beach and Boca Raton are taking a "wait and see" approach due to the challenges that have come along with the installation of red light cameras. Some of these challenges include the sizeable expense to prosecute red light runners which have brought in less money in fines than originally anticipated.

The Florida Legislature is thinking about repealing the law, but supporters point out numbers that show red light cameras reduce the number of deadly car accidents.

Whether or not red light cameras are effective is "too soon to know," according to Hollywood city officials. The city recently installed cameras, back in December 2010.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Car Accident Lawyer on Red Light Cameras - Are They Effective in Reducing Car Accidents? " »

We often hear about the importance of car seats to help prevent injuries to children and to keep them safe while traveling in automobiles. However, we don't often hear about the importance of booster seats. When children reach the age of 4 in the state of Florida, parents are no longer required to use car seats, and have the option of using a seat belt, a separate carrier, or a booster seat as a means to keep their children safe. Why are booster seats merely an option when studies show that booster seats are safer than just using seat belts? Earlier this year, a bill that would require the use of booster seats stalled in the Florida Legislature. Opponents of the bill favored education and awareness on booster seats over making it a law. Currently, 47 states in the country require the use of booster seats. The only states without this requirement are South Dakota, Arizona, and Florida.

When children are between the ages of 4 and 8, they are in that gray area where they have outgrown their car seats, but are too small to use a seatbelt. Because seatbelts were designed for larger frames, they do not fit a child properly and can cause injuries known as "seatbelt syndrome" if an auto accident occurs. For example, the lap belt is made to sit on the pelvis of an adult, but on a child, it sits on the abdomen, increasing the risk of abdominal and spinal cord injuries. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, children in this age group who use booster seats are 59 percent less likely to sustain injuries than children who only use seatbelts. Studies from other publications also point to the dangers in only using seat belts for children, as the likelihood of head injuries increases by 4 to 5 times, and abdominal injuries increase by 3 times. It is recommended that children start using seatbelts when they are between 8 and 12 years old and are at least 4'9".

Auto accidents are the number one cause of death for children between 2 and 14 years old, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, the likelihood of death in an auto accident decreases by 28 percent for children who are properly restrained. A report by Channel 4 in Jacksonville earlier this year revealed that an alarming 83% of children ages 4 to 8 are restrained using seat belts, not booster seats. It is important for parents and caretakers to learn about the use of booster seats as a way to help prevent injuries to children while riding in motor vehicles. Safe Kids USA, a non-profit organization that provides information on preventing childhood injuries, offers tips on booster seat and seat belt usage.

Continue reading "Booster Seats Can Help Save Lives...So Why Doesn't Florida Require Them? " »

Distracted drivers. Traffic congestion. Speeding. This happens on Florida's I-95 every day, and it may come as no surprise to Florida drivers that this highway is the deadliest road in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). At 1.73 fatal car accidents per mile from 2004 to 2008, Florida's 382-mile highway tops the list of the most dangerous roads, which also ranks Florida's I-4 at number 3, according to further analysis by The Daily Beast.

Distractions such as cell phones and vehicle navigation systems, combined with the high volume of traffic on I-95, are a dangerous combination and increase the likelihood of getting into an accident, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Florida auto accidents involving distracted drivers resulted in 1,436 injuries and 15 deaths in 2008, according to a Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles report. Distractions such as texting while driving reduce a driver's reaction time and can cause serious, sometimes fatal, auto accidents. Congested roadways are also an issue, but adding more lanes to I-95 is no longer an option, according to The Florida Department of Transportation.

Summer is often the time when families take road trips, which leads to busier roadways. The summer months have been called the most dangerous months for drivers, the "100 deadliest days," according to Road Safe America, an organization that promotes highway safety and also offers safety tips for drivers. According to the NHTSA, 50,765 deadly car accidents occurred in the U.S. from June through August of 2004 to 2008.

Continue reading "Attention Florida Drivers: I-95 Named Deadliest Highway in the U.S. " »

A Florida woman has died after a blown tire caused her vehicle to roll over on I-95. Katherine Parker was driving her 2000 Ford SUV on I-95 near Malabar, Florida, on June 21st when, according to a witness, one of her back tires blew out causing her vehicle to flip three times and catch on fire. The 19-year-old was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from her SUV before the vehicle caught on fire. Parker died two days later from the injuries she sustained during this rollover accident.

Another Florida auto accident linked to a tire blowout involved a Florida police officer a few years ago. Unfortunately the trooper died after his rear tire blew out during a police chase. Tire blowouts are one of the major causes of car accidents. According to tire manufacturer statistics, tire blowouts account for nearly 535 deaths and 23,000 auto accidents each year.

A tire blowout occurs when a tire becomes suddenly deflated while driving. The Florida Highway Patrol recommends checking tire pressure prior to driving, as tires that are under-inflated and exposed to heat are susceptible to tire separation. When a tire separates, it becomes a challenge to control a vehicle, especially while driving at a higher speed. Drivers often lose control of their vehicles during a tire blowout. It is important for drivers to learn how to prevent a tire blowout from happening in the first place. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers some useful tips for tire blowout prevention.

Continue reading "Fatal Florida Auto Accident Linked to Tire Blowout" »

If you like reclining your seat back when riding in a car, you should be aware of the danger in doing so. Last month a federal jury in Texas awarded $1.8 million to the family of a young woman who lost her life in a car accident while riding as a passenger with her seat fully reclined. It is recommended that automobile seats should not be reclined past a 45 degree angle while traveling because the seat belt system becomes less effective and places the passenger at a greater risk of injury or death.

In July 2007, 19-year-old Sarah Goodner was napping in the front seat of a Hyundai Tucson driven by her sister when the SUV rolled over. Goodner was ejected from the vehicle even though she was wearing her seatbelt. According to trial evidence, Goodner slid out from under the lap belt. The jury blamed Hyundai for "using a defective reclining seat system." Goodner's attorney said Hyundai did not use safety technology that would keep seats from being reclined further than a 45 degree angle or use a system that would bring a tilted seat back to its upright position if an automobile accident occurs. Hyundai attorneys argued that the vehicle driven by Goodner's sister met vehicle standards and had a 5-star safety rating. They also argued that people should read the fine print in the owner's manual.

Reclining one's seat to extreme angles while traveling in a vehicle is extremely unsafe. At greater than a 45 degree angle, the seatbelt straps ride higher up on the body than they are supposed to, causing the upper strap to sit near or on the neck and the lower strap to sit closer to the stomach. This can be dangerous during a car accident because the force against the seat belt could cause injuries such as internal bleeding . In addition to risking injuries from the seatbelts, the positioning of the body at these angles makes it more susceptible to serious spinal cord injury or even death, as in Sarah Goodner's case.

In the late 1980's, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration research the risk of seat reclining, but the NHTSA dismissed the request, in part because the owner's manuals offered warnings to consumers about the potential risk. Despite the concern from the NTSB, warning labels on automobile seats have yet to become a requirement for auto makers.

Concerned consumers should check their vehicle's owner's manual and ensure they are properly using all safety equipment before operating the automobile. It is also important for people to understand the dangers of reclining one's car seat and to keep that in mind while riding in a vehicle.

Continue reading "Warning: Driving With Automobile Seats Reclined Can Cause Death" »

Florida residents and consumers across the country have been advised not to purchase the Lexus GX 460 SUV until issues with the vehicle's electronic stability control are resolved. This latest warning comes from Consumer Reports after labeling the car a "Don't Buy: Safety Risk" as a result of on-track safety testing. According to ConsumerReports.org, the Lexus SUV is a rollover risk because the electronic stability control fails to engage quickly enough to prevent the back wheels from sliding and causes the vehicle to go sideways.

The test conducted by Consumer Reports simulated a driver taking a curve at high-speed and then attempting to slow down by releasing the accelerator through the turn. Although most cars with electronic stability control compensate for such a situation by cutting engine power and braking individual wheels, the Lexus stability control took too long to engage and correct such driving pattern and allowed the wheels to slide out from under the vehicle. Consumer Reports conceded that neither of the two Lexus SUVs tested actually rolled over during testing, but the poor performance of the vehicle makes the back wheels more likely to come into contact with a curb or leave the roadway causing the vehicle to overturn.

Vehicles that fail to properly prevent rollover accidents because of defective safety equipment should be of great concern to Florida drivers since this state sees more than its fair share of rollover accidents every year. According to the 2008 Traffic Crash Statistic Report from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, 348 fatal crashes, 8,748 injury crashes, and 1,729 vehicle/property damage crashes involved an overturned vehicle during the reporting year.

Toyota responded to the concerns over its luxury brand's SUV by agreeing to conduct similar testing to identify the problem. Toyota said that similar testing was conducted on the Lexus GX 460 during development and that the vehicle had met all federal testing requirements. This latest safety concern adds to the growing list of Toyota complaints that began with defective pedals and uncontrollable acceleration of many of their models.

Consumer Reports is advising people not to purchase the Lexus GX 460 until a solution is made available potentially through a software update. Owners of the Lexus SUV were instructed to exercise caution when on highway exit ramps and winding roads, to be alert for road hazards, and to always obey the speed limit.

Continue reading "Toyota's Lexus SUV a Potential Rollover Risk" »

If you're a Florida driver, you should think twice before texting and driving now more than ever. A bill to stop texting while driving has been unanimously approved by a House committee in the state's capital, Tallahassee. If the texting ban law is passed, Florida will join 19 other states that have already banned texting and driving.

According to The Miami Herald, if the law is passed, drivers in Florida would not be able to read information on their phones or send texts when driving. Unfortunately, texting would only be chargeable as a secondary offense; meaning if you're texting and driving, you would also have to be speeding or committing some other offense in order for the police to cite you. Initially, some lawmakers such as Rep. Doug Holder pushed to make texting while driving a primary offense, but realized they would face too much resistance and agreed to the current version of the bill. Other lawmakers, however, still want to see tougher enforcement.

It is common knowledge that using a cell phone while driving is distracting and could cause a car accident. But seeing the statistics will hopefully keep drivers' eyes on the roads. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), distractions contribute to 80 percent of crashes, and people who use mobile devices increase their chances by four times of getting into an accident where they could get injured.

Earlier this year the Department of Transportation banned truck drivers across the country from texting while driving. Studies have shown that texting while driving is more dangerous than drunk driving because it takes longer for a driver who is texting to react and hit the brakes than a driver who has been drinking.

Continue reading "Florida Gets Closer to Banning Texting and Driving" »

When Toyota recalled over 2 million cars last month, it was too late for one Houston family. Michael Harris is suing Toyota for an accident that caused his wife's death just a week before Christmas 2009.

Trina Harris was killed instantly when her car ran a stop sign and hit a cement wall on December 18th. She was driving a 2009 Corolla, one of the vehicles that Toyota recalled in January. Mr. Harris says his wife had mentioned that her car sometimes sped up on its own. He wants Toyota to be held accountable for its alleged negligence.

Mr. Harris claims Toyota was aware of the vehicle defect in the 2009 Corolla his wife was driving but did nothing to fix the problem. He is also suing the vehicle's gas pedal manufacturer and the company that leased the car to his wife. Mr. Harris, who serves in the Navy, is now left to take care of his two daughters.

Toyota recalled over 4 million cars in November to fix accelerator issues. Unfortunately, the recall did not involve the 2009 Toyota Camry that Trina Harris was driving. In January, it recalled 2.3 million vehicles because of accelerator problems and soon after that stopped sales in the U.S. on several of its models.

In recent news, Toyota has recalled over 400,000 hybrids, including Prius, around the world because of brake issues.

Continue reading "Houston Man Sues Toyota over Accident that Killed his Wife" »

After a recent recall that affected 2.3 million vehicles, Toyota has put the brakes on sales of eight of its models in the U.S. because of accelerator problems. In the latest reports, the recall has just been extended to Europe and China, and possibly Britain as well.

Toyota Motor Corp. has announced its decision to stop sales and North American production so that the gas pedal issue on the affected models can be fixed. It is not yet known how many vehicles in Europe or Britain could be recalled. According to the UK's Guardian, plans for Toyota to stop production at its British plants have not yet been announced, however the company warned that 750 jobs could be cut in the UK. Toyota also plans to recall over 75,000 RAV4 vehicles made in China between March 2009 and January 2010.

Toyota has also announced plans to inspect 1.1 million vehicles in the U.S. in addition to the 2.3 million it most recently recalled.

The recalls have been prompted by reports of involuntary acceleration resulting from gas pedal defects. Toyota previously recalled over 4 million vehicles in the U.S. in November 2009 due to gas pedal issues. Several car accidents, and some fatalities, were reported from sudden speed caused by defective gas pedals. U.S. Congress has just announced it will launch an investigation on Toyota's manufacturing problems that may have led to the death of 19 people in the last decade.

The affected models in the U.S. recall include the popular Camry, Corolla and RAV4. For a complete list, visit the Toyota website.

Toyota's cost-cutting methods have been scrutinized in the past few years as the company has aggressively pursued leadership in global sales. Many have blamed Toyota's vigorous growth for the problems in vehicle quality. Toyota's former president, Katsuaki Watanabe, admitted to this after a 2006 criminal investigation was conducted by the Japanese government. Nobody was charged in this investigation, which associated vehicle problems to some car accidents in Japan.

If you have been injured as a result of defective vehicle manufacturing, call us today for a free consultation. Our personal injury attorneys are experienced in handling car accident and dangerous product cases, and will fight to get you the compensation you may be entitled to.

Dan Irving is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer handling injury and accident cases for more than 29 years. He has received a 10.0 rating on AVVO, a lawyer rating service, which is the highest rating given for a lawyer. He is also rated the highest ability and ethics rating, "AV", by Martindale Hubbell, a company rating lawyers for more than 100 years.

Ford recently settled for a confidential amount with a woman who was paralyzed in a 2005 collision involving a 2002 Ford Explorer. This decision came after a jury considered punitive damages and had already ordered Ford to pay over $16 million to compensate for negligently designed rear seats and seat belt structure on the Ford Explorer.

Lynn Wheeler was a passenger in the Explorer when it was struck head on by another driver. She was riding in the back seat between the booster seats her grandchildren were sitting in. The only thing restraining Wheeler was a lap belt. Upon impact, the rear seat latch broke, causing the back seat to collapse on her. Her head and neck were pushed forward into the center console, resulting in devastating spinal cord injuries. She is now in a wheelchair and on a ventilator.

Wheeler's lawsuit challenged Ford's decision to install a lap belt instead of a three-point shoulder belt and accused Ford of negligently designing the rear seat latch. Now, thanks to a law that went into effect in 2007, automobile manufacturers are forbidden from installing lap-only seat belts for rear middle seats.

Ford argued that it met government safety standards and defended its decision to install lap belts in the Explorer's rear bench seat.

The jury sided with Wheeler - Ford was ordered to pay over $16 million in damages. The driver who collided into the Explorer was ordered to pay $1.2 million.

Ford has been in the press several times in relation to rollover accidents. A California woman's rollover accident involving her 1997 Ford Explorer is an example of one major case where Ford was under fire for being prone to rollovers. The woman sued Ford when the roof on her Explorer collapsed on her during her rollover accident. She became paralyzed as a result of the spinal injuries she suffered in the accident. The jury found Ford was aware the roof on the Explorer would collapse during a rollover accident, and awarded her over $82 million.

Each year, thousands of people are injured or killed in SUV accidents. Vehicle manufacturers have a responsibility to make safe vehicles for consumers. At the same time, consumers should be armed with as much knowledge as possible before buying a vehicle. The following websites contain important vehicle information:

Safercar.gov is a government website that has information on crash test ratings, recalls, safer driving tips, etc.

Consumerreports.org is a nonprofit established to protect consumers and offer objective product reviews.

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety provides vehicle ratings, statistics, news and more.

Dan Irving is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer handling injury and accident cases for more than 29 years. He has received a 10.0 rating on AVVO, a lawyer rating service, which is the highest rating given for a lawyer. He is also rated the highest ability and ethics rating, "AV", by Martindale Hubbell, a company rating lawyers for more than 100 years.