Articles Posted in Car Accident

A recent car accident in Royal Palm Beach sent two motorists to the hospital. The accident happened on Belvedere Road. One of the motorists had to be extricated from the vehicle and was taken by Trauma Hawk helicopter to St. Mary’s Medical Center, according to News Channel 5. The passenger was taken to the same hospital by an ambulance. No information has been released involving the motorists of the other vehicle.

Our Royal Palm Beach car accident lawyers understand that overall, traffic accidents decreased from 2010 to 2011. We recently discussed this announcement from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. But it’s important to point out that the number of accidents only dropped by about 70 deaths and that there were still roughly 2,400 people killed on our roadways during the year.

In light of the recent announcement and of the New Year, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety is asking all drivers to make the switch to safe driving habits. According to a recent study conducted by AAA, U.S. drivers desire a greater level of safety on our roadways. Most drivers say they support government action to achieve this. Still, with all this support, many drivers are not willing to change their own habits first.

“Even one death on our roads is unacceptable,” says AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety President and CEO Peter Kissinger. “Something is terribly amiss in our traffic safety culture when…on average there is still one needless death every 16 minutes.”

According to the AAA 2011 Traffic Safety Culture Index:

-Drivers frown upon drinking and driving. About 97 percent of those who were surveyed said that drinking and then driving was completely unacceptable. Still, about one out of every five drivers admits to getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol at least once in the last 30 days.

-Drivers find distracted driving to be a serious threat on our roadways. About 95 percent of those who were surveyed said that, yet still nearly 40 percent of all drivers admitted to doing so themselves.

-Drivers don’t like speeders. Nearly 95 percent of those who were surveyed said that they find it unacceptable to go more than 15 mph over the speed limit. But again, more than half of drivers admitted to doing it themselves.

-Driver’s don’t like red-light runners either. Almost 95 percent of surveyed drivers feel it’s irresponsible and dangerous for a driver to run a red light, but nearly 40 percent said that they are guilty of doing it.

-Drowsy driving is a no-no. Nearly 100 percent of drivers said there’s no excuse for drowsy driving. Roughly 30 percent of driver said they’ve done it in the last month though.

-Only about one out of every four drivers said that they have driven without a seat belt in the last month.

Motor vehicle accidents can be prevented with cautious and responsible driving habits. Drivers are urged to start practicing what they preach. It’s like the saying, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Practice safe driving habits. Maybe it will catch on.
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As we recently reported on our South Florida injury Lawyers Blog, the Florida Highway Patrol and many other law enforcement departments across the state joined together over the Christmas and New Year’s holiday to crack down on drunk drivers through the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign.

We also previously warned drivers about the dangers to be expected on our roadways through the holidays. In 2010, about 40 percent of all car accidents during this season were alcohol-related. Well, the results are in. They conclude that, once again, drunk drivers were still out in full force during the 2011 holiday period.

Our Indiana River County drunk driving accident attorneys understand that enforcement efforts were increased throughout the 18-day holiday period. According to the preliminary results, officers throughout the state issued nearly 40,000 traffic citations and made nearly 510 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs during this time. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle (FHSMV) another 2,000 motorists were issued traffic citations for failing to buckle up. To help to make our roadways safe for everyone in 2012, we’re asking all drivers to stay sober behind the wheel, to wear a seat belt to reduce the risks for injury and to abide by all traffic devices – especially speed limit signs. We can have safer roads if drivers across the state make one of their New Year’s resolutions for 2012 to be a better driver. It’s a simply resolution that everyone can benefit from.

If these holiday-period citations and arrests aren’t enough, preliminary results conclude that more than 110 people were killed in traffic crashes during this short time.

The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign was exercised by law enforcement officers around the state as a part of the nationwide campaign that is put on by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Drivers are asked to be even safer in 2012. With the New Year, we’re asking residents to make safe driving as a New Year’s resolution. Again, safer roadways start with you. Talk with your friends and family members about the dangers and consequences associated with impaired driving and with other irresponsible driving habits.

According to the FHSMV, there were nearly 20,000 alcohol-related accidents Florida in 2010. Of these accidents, nearly 1,000 people were killed. This is the most recently available detailed statistics regarding traffic crash statistics in the state. In these accidents, there were more than 12,000 people who were injured.

Residents are reminded to drive carefully in 2012. We understand that there is a lot to celebrate with every passing year and many toasts will be made with friends and family members throughout that time. We ask that all drivers be safe and avoid driving after consuming alcohol. Alcohol significantly increases your risks for a fatal accident on our roadways. Let’s all work together to make 2012 safer than any other year!
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According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), there were nearly 2,400 people who died in car accidents in Jupiter and elsewhere throughout the state in 2011. The FLHSMV is already patting themselves on the back for the slight reduction in the number of traffic fatalities from 2010 to 2011. The truth of the matter is that while fatalities have decreased by about 70, we’re still losing far too many lives on our roadways. Car accident fatalities may have gone down, but a number of other traffic accident fatalities increased significantly. Still, the 2,400 fatalities we saw in 2011 was the lowest number of traffic accident fatalities on record since 1978.

“While the six-year downward trend is encouraging, we continue our strategic efforts to drive down the number of crashes in Florida and the number of injuries and fatalities that come as a result,” said FLHSMV Executive Director Julie L. Jones.

Our Jupiter car accident lawyers understand that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among residents between the ages of 4 and 34 in the United States. And despite the decrease in fatal car accidents reported by some areas in 2011, the truth of the matter is there are still too many people killed in these needless accidents. Also, while the number of car accidents may have decreased, Florida continues to be the most dangerous state in the country for fatal pedestrian accidents. We’re asking for help from residents to help to make these numbers even lower. Your safe driving habits can help to increase roadway safety.

According to the Director of the Florida Highway Patrol, Col. David Brierton, he and his law enforcement team is working at a strategic approach to make our roadways safe for everyone. Through these enforcement efforts, the Department is helping to educate drivers and advance the use of safe-driving technology. Still, the most effective way to help to prevent accidents on our roadways is to practice safe, alert and defensive driving habits.

According to FLHSMV, there were nearly 340,000 car accidents in the state of Florida in 2010. These are the most recent, detailed accident statistics available in the state. Complete statistics for 2011 are not yet available. This means our state witnessed more than 640 car accidents every day during 2010. Of these accidents, more than 2,440 people died during the year. In addition to those fatalities, another 124,850 were injured. Yes, there were fewer accidents in 2011 than in 2010, but that doesn’t mean we can afford to lose vigilance.

For example, pedestrian fatalities increased by 4 percent just in the last year. And pedestrians weren’t the only ones to see an increase during this time. The number of bicycle accidents and injured bicyclists increased. Also the number of property damage accidents increased. Teen driving fatalities, meanwhile, remained stagnant.
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Recently, a Miami police officer, Fausto Lopez, was issued a traffic citation by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper, Donna Jane Watts. The ticket was issued because Lopez was allegedly traveling along a Florida Highway at roughly 120 miles per hour, according to the Huff Post. Law enforcement is now taking sides in the case, as Lopez says that he was just late for work while the highway patrol says Lopez lead the trooper on a brief high-speed chase.

Many officers, including Watts, say that no one is above the law. Others are standing behind Lopez. Some are saying that Watts used excessive force in the incident after allegedly pulling a gun to get the speeding officer to pull over. Officers continue to worry about the influence of speed in many car accidents around Hollywood and elsewhere throughout Florida and feel that no one should be able to endanger innocent drivers like that.

This is the third entry of a six-part blog in which we are asking Florida residents to take the New Year to pledge to be a safer driver. New Year’s resolutions oftentimes consist of losing weight or trying to quit smoking, but we’re asking you to make a resolution to help keep everyone safe. We would like you to make a New Year’s resolution to abide by Florida’s speed limit. These limits are posted to help keep motorists safe on our roadways.

Our Hollywood car accident lawyers understand that speeding is a significant contributor to the outcome of traffic crashes. The faster a vehicle is traveling at the time of impact, the higher the risks are for injury. The amount of speeding tickets in the state has dropped recently after we were ranked as one of the top states for speedy drivers in the U.S.

In 2007, nearly 25,000 drivers in Florida got their driver’s license suspended because they accumulated too many points. Many of these points were from speeding.

Traffic Violation Points Assessed:

-Non-Moving violations: 0.

-Moving violations (this means non-speeding and non-accident): 3.

-Speeding (less than 15 mph over the speed limit): 3.

-Speeding (traveling faster than 15 mph over the speed limit): 4.

-Passing a stopped school bus: 4.

-Moving violation (not speeding) in which an accident occurs: 4.

-Unlawful speed that results in an accident: 6.

-Reckless driving (considered a criminal offense): 4.

-Leaving scene of an accident with property damage: 6.

-Littering: 3.

-Violation of child restraint laws: 3.

If you get 12 points on your license in 12 months, you may be ordered to serve 30 days in jail. If you get 18 points in 18 months then you can get three months in jail. If you get 24 points on your driver’s license in 36 months then you can get one year in jail. Drivers who are ages 15- to 17-years-old who get six points on their driver’s license can be restricted to a business purposes only driver’s license for a year or until they turn 18.

Drivers are asked to be cautious of posted speed limits and of road laws in the state. Breaking the law and driving irresponsibly can land you with traffic tickets, fees, fines, jail time or worse — a fatal car accident. Make this year’s New Year’s resolution to be a safe driver!
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As we recently reported on our Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, Florida is still one of the few states left in the U.S. that hasn’t enacted any laws to keep drivers from using cell phones or text messaging devices at the wheel. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, Florida has zero laws on the books, so Florida drivers can legally call and text while driving as much as they’d like — although such behavior is ill-advised. As Florida lawmakers continue to propose measures to help to halt these types of distractions that cause thousands of accidents every year, they continue to be shot down.

This is the first of a six-part blog we will be writing to give you information you need to help make Florida roadways safer for everyone. Each blog entry will be discussing another way you can fulfill your New Year’s resolution to make our roads safer. Throughout this entry, we will be discussing the dangers of distracted driving.

As we start the New Year, our Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys are asking drivers to honor road safety by willingly curbing distractions at the wheel. In 2010, there were about 3,100 people who died because of distraction-related car accidents in the country.

“We’re all on the roads, we all see what’s going on. It’s crazy out there,” said Marc Cannon of AutoNation, a Ford Lauderdale-based auto retailer, which also supports driver distraction bans. “We need to do something.”

Recently, the University of Miami joined up with the Florida Department of Transportation’s anti-distraction campaign, “Put It Down,” to help to get drivers to hang up the phone behind the wheel. FDOT’s District Six teamed up with the University of Miami to help to educate drivers in Monroe and Miami-Dade counties about the risks and consequences associated with distracted driving. While all drivers are urged to put down the phone behind the wheel, this campaign specifically targets drivers ages 16- to 24-years-old. These drivers are already have higher accident rates than older drivers. Throw in the dangers of cell phones and their risks skyrocket. Through the campaign, Miami-Dade College, Florida International University, the University of Miami and Miami-Dade County Public Schools were included in the anti-distraction activities. Joining UM and FDOT was South Florida Commuter Services, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise and the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority.

“When you’re behind the wheel, your focus should be on the road and getting where you need to be safely,” said says District Six Secretary Gus Pego.

Whenever you’re on the road, look around and you’re sure to find numerous drivers talking on cell phones, text messaging, surfing the web and engaging in other dangerous distractions. According to recent studies, nearly 700,000 drivers are talking on a cell phone on our roadways at any given moment. Please head into 2012 with a positive attitude and a devotion to make safer roadways and to curb distractions to avoid potentially fatal car accidents. Happy New Year!
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There are only 15 states that have yet to make it illegal for drivers to send and receive text messages while operating a motor vehicle. According to The St. Augustine Record, there’s a small chance that lawmakers in the state could enact such a ban during the 60-day legislative session that will start in the beginning 2012. Experts are still split on whether these types of bans will actually help make our roadways safer. Distraction-related car accidents in Miramar and elsewhere took the lives of almost 3,100 people in 2010.

Last week, a couple of Florida state senators brought the argument back to life after they approved a proposal to make texting and driving illegal in Florida. This happened at the measure’s first committee hearing. This proposal was sponsored by Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, She’s proposing this offense to be a secondary offense, meaning that an officer would have to pull over a driver for another infraction before being able to slam a driver with a citation for texting at the wheel.

Our Miramar car accident attorneys understand that a number of proposed bans have failed in our state throughout the years even though the public largely supports these types of laws. They’re usually pushed out by Republican lawmakers who believe that these types of laws serve as an affront to personal liberty. The bottom line is that distractions, whether they’re cell phones or text messaging devices, pose potentially deadly consequences.

Detert is proposing this anti-texting law for the third time. It’s what she calls a “no-brainer.” Although she is still a supporter of small government, she feels that the bill, SB416, is more important than privacy concerns. Safety should always override privacy, says Detert.

“I am a big fan of personal freedom…as long as you’re not taking me out with you,” she Detert.

The bill was moved up by a 10-0 vote. Some lawmakers admitted that they were going to vote against it, but after heading Detert’s side they chose to back it. Under this bill, drivers would still be allowed to use these devices at red lights. Drivers would also still be allowed to dial a phone number, talk on the phone or use a GPS while driving. They just wouldn’t be allowed to text message.

If the bill took effect and texting was illegal at the wheel, drivers would get a $30 fine for the first offense and both a $60 fine and three points on their driver’s license for a second offense. Six points would be put on a driver’s license if the use of one of these devices resulted in an accident.

There are 35 states that ban drivers from text messaging at the wheel. Other states have enacted laws to govern the use of these devices among specific age groups. Still, Florida has zero laws on the books.
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According to ABC Action News, the Senate Transportation Committee recently approved a bill that prohibits drivers from texting while driving. However, the House companion bill hasn’t made it through the committee process yet. These types of anti-texting bills aim to reduce the risks of car accidents in Lake Worth and elsewhere. Sen. Nancy Detert, R-Venice, is pushing this ban for the third time. Florida is one of a few states that doesn’t have a law prohibiting this dangerous behavior behind the wheel.

“It’s time that we caught up to the rest of the nation,” said Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa.

Our Lake Worth car accident attorneys understand that drivers who text behind the wheel are in more danger of getting into an accident than a drunk driver. Teenagers are most likely to text behind the wheel and therefore have a higher accident rate than drivers in any other age group. To help raise awareness in these young drivers about the consequences of distracted driving, the U.S. Department of Transportation is launching its “OMG” public service announcement campaign.

The PSA will be airing on the Distraction.gov website, at Regal Cinema theaters and on gas station pump-top screens around the country throughout the month of December.

“Teen drivers are particularly vulnerable to distracted driving, which is why we are making an extra effort to ensure they understand the dangers,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

As the holiday season gets underway, teenagers will be granted with some time away from school for winter break. During this time, these young drivers will flock to our roadways in route to visit with friends and family members for the holidays. Parents are asked to talk with these young drivers about the risks, dangers and consequences that they’ll be faced with during the busy holiday travel season.

Included in the PSA is common texting lingo that teenagers are using these days on their wireless devices, including “LOL” and “L8R.” DOT officials feel this is an effective way to reach these drivers. This lingo and the safety message will be displayed at roughly 12,000 gas pumps, at more than 525 theaters on roughly 6,600 movie screens and on the Distraction.gov website.

Currently, there are 35 states, Guam and the District of Columbia that prohibit all drivers from text messaging behind the wheel. Another nine states have made it illegal for all drivers to use a hand-held cell phone at the wheel. Florida lawmakers are working diligently to get a law into office to help regulate this dangerous behavior. Until then, drivers are asked to honor roadway safety and voluntarily curb the distractions. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.
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Three bills are making their way through state legislature and could potentially stop drivers in the state of Florida from texting behind the wheel, according to NBC2. Florida is one of the few states left that have no restriction of drivers using cell phones or text messaging devices behind the wheel. Since January, there have been more than 3,000 distraction-related car accidents in Plantation and elsewhere that were blamed on drivers who were using text messaging devices.

According to a recent Mason-Dixon Poll, nearly 95 percent of the 300 who were surveyed expressed support for this type of ban. Only about 3 percent were against it and the remaining 3 percent were indifferent.

Our Plantation car accident attorneys understand that nearly half a million accidents are the result of distracted driving every year across the U.S. Statistics conclude that one in every five accidents involves the use of a cell phone. These accidents have recently become so frequent that the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) started tracking the accident data for electronic distraction factors at the beginning of this year. While more than 3,000 accidents reported the fault of distractions on various electronic devices, nearly 150 were specifically blamed on text messaging at the wheel.

Those statistics mean that these distraction-related traffic accidents account for about 2 percent of the total number of accidents we’ve seen so far in 2011 so far, but officials say that is way too high for such a preventable instance.

“Texting has no place in a vehicle. It’s a huge distraction, it takes your focus, it takes your vision off the roadway,” said FHP Lieutenant Greg Bueno.

Some travel experts believe that these statistics are only that low because most drivers who were distracted at the time of an accident are hesitant to admit that they were in fact distracted. Bueno says that that’s a top reason why this type of ban would be difficult to enforce. If you look just for a couple of second, a series of events can happen in that short time, including a fatal accident, he adds.

The three bills aiming to prohibit texting behind the wheel are still caught up in subcommittee. There have been no further details regarding when the bills will be discussed next.

In 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that distraction-related accidents accounted for nearly 20 percent of all of the fatal accidents in the U.S., meaning that this careless behavior took the lives of nearly 6,000 people and injured another estimated 520,000.

Although there may be no laws in the books that currently prohibit drivers in the state from texting at the wheel, drivers are still asked to practice good moral standards and to curb distractions on your own free will.
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A woman recently filed a lawsuit against the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) after the death of her husband in the iRox Interstate-75 expansion construction area. The woman is claiming that the negligence of FDOT and contractors in the construction area caused the wrongful death of her husband.

Construction zones are dangerous for both workers and for passing motorists. As millions travel through the state during the holiday season, drivers are asked to be cautious of one another and for those whom we are sharing the road with, including construction workers. Car accidents in Margate and elsewhere can happen in a matter of seconds if a driver is not paying full attention to the roadway. Be alert and cautious during the upcoming holiday travel season to avoid a serious collision.

Our Margate car accident attorneys understand Florida’s highways rank as some of the most dangerous in the country. Your risks of a traffic accident are even higher when traveling through a construction zone. With traffic expected to be more chaotic through the remainder of the year, drivers are asked to pay even more attention to our roadways. Construction zones, other vehicles, pedestrians, motorcycles, etc., all serve as dangerous hazards on our roadways and can only remain safe with the practice of safe driving habits.

The woman decided to sue FDOT and the construction contractors after the fatal October accident that took the life of her husband. Road work was being done along Interstate 75 between Naples and Fort Myers. Her husband was reportedly driving by mile marker 105 when his vehicle was thrown out of the lane. He over-corrected, drove over numerous lanes of traffic and slammed into some steel cables that were in the median. The collision between his SUV and the cables caused the vehicle to flip several times. Reports indicate that the roadway, that was uneven because of the ongoing construction work, caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle in the first place. The driver was not wearing a seat belt and the time of the accident, was ejected from the vehicle and died.

In the wrongful-death suit that the wife is filing, she claims that both the contractors and the FDOT were negligent in their work. She says that their negligence caused the fatal accident. The suit goes on to say that both parties had a responsibility to make sure that the work was done so in a way that passing vehicular traffic could get through safely and that those workers failed to fulfill that responsibility.

In addition to those claims, the lawsuit points out that the signage, including road markers, barricades, warning signs, etc., were confusing, misplaced and faulty. Also, she claims that the contractors failed to reduce the speed limit to accommodate that work zone.

When a fatal accident occurs, family members of the victim may collect the compensation for the damages. These damages can include pain, loss of companionship, suffering, medical expenses, loss of future earnings, funeral expenses, etc.
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