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A number of recent bicycle deaths underscore the unfortunate truth here in Florida: That this is the most lethal place in the country for cyclists, and that South Florida in particular is especially dangerous.

One recent case occurred in Danie Beach earlier this month, when a 46-year-old cyclist was struck and killed around 3 a.m. The driver who hit him fled the scene, leaving behind the vehicle’s fog light cover. Emergency crews arrived and pronounced the rider dead at the scene.

The driver was on-the-run until a man in Hollywood contacted authorities after seeing a news report on the case, and notifying them of his neighbor’s vehicle, which was under a tarp in the back yard. Authorities determined the vehicle matched the description of the one involved in the crash, and damage to the windshield and passenger side – plus the missing fog light cover – confirmed these suspicions.

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Plaintiffs in a teen car accident injury case will have to prepare for trial, after the Alabama Supreme Court reversed a default judgment against defendant.

In most cases, default judgments are not preferred in injury cases. Whereas a summary judgment may be granted prior to trial as a matter of law, default judgments are granted typically when a defendant(s) fails to timely respond to a complaint or appear in court.

Default judgments are often overturned if a defendant can show good cause why he or she did not respond/appear in court. In the case of Hilyer v. Fortier, the issue came down to a misunderstanding between the defendant and two insurance agents – each of whom though the other was handling the claim and civil defense in the case.

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It was a horrific scene on I-75 northbound, on Florida’s east coast, near Winter Haven. That’s where authorities say a 24-year-old woman behind the wheel of a sport utility vehicle carrying nine children – ages 6 months to 10 years – plus one other adult, veered off the road, became airborne, rolled over numerous times and struck several trees.

A 2-year-old boy was killed after he was ejected from the vehicle. The other children also were ejected, and suffered injuries ranging from minor to serious. The 6-month-old is in serious condition, as is the other adult passenger, 44.

While the adult passenger wore her seat belt, authorities say none of the children wore seat belts or were properly belted in with size-appropriate restraints. There was one car seat in the vehicle, however authorities say it was not in use at the time of the crash.

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There is an erroneous stereotype that holds old drivers are bad drivers.

The reality, however, is quite the opposite. A new report issued by the Insurance Institute for Traffic Safety indicates drivers over the age of 65, when compared to other age groups, are less likely to text and drive, more likely wear to their seat belts and rarely drink and drive.

That makes them among the safest drivers on the road. However, they are more likely to be killed if involved in a crash. The reasons for that are nuanced and individual circumstances often have much to do with it. It’s worth analyzing though, particularly as we consider that within the next decade, 25 percent of all drivers in the U.S. will be 65 or older.

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Car manufacturers have been under fire in recent months, for everything from faulty ignition switches to exploding air bags to malfunctioning accelerators. In fact, 2014 had the most auto industry recalls in history. This indicates firstly there are many problems with vehicle design resulting in injury. Secondly, it tell us regulators are getting better at calling the industry out.

But a mere allegation of product liability is not enough to prove causation. Of course, it is easier if there are a host of prior similar cases, but even then, success isn’t a given. What will be necessary in almost each of these cases is expert witness testimony.

Usually, expert witness testimony isn’t necessary in car accident claims. But every case is different, and when a crash is the result of a dangerous or defective vehicle part, expert witness testimony bolsters the claim of causation and can help a case get passed the summary judgment phase and on to trial.

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Errors in roadway design and construction can result in serious injuries to motorists. Because the costs incurred by injured victims is so significant, it often becomes necessary to pursue litigation in order to be compensated for those damages.

When a road or intersection is poorly designed or constructed, victims may have limited options for compensation per the Slavin doctrine. The doctrine holds that if the road owner (i.e., city, county or state) accepts the designs or construction work of the contractor, the contractor can no longer be held liable – even if the design or construction contained clear errors. Victims still have the option of taking action against the owner/overseer of the site.

In some cases, though, when injury occurs while the work is pending or underway – i.e., before it has been “accepted” – claims may still potentially be brought successfully against the contractor as well. This is what is at issue in Villaneuva v. RS&H Inc., before the Fla. 5th DCA.

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A woman who suffered serious injuries after a patrol car driven by an on-duty Delray Beach police officer slammed into her sedan at an intersection will receive nearly $540,000 in damages, per a South Florida jury’s recent decision.

According to reports, the 56-year-old victim, a fast-food worker, suffered a head injury, compression fracture of her spine and numerous other injuries when the officer struck her at the intersection of Federal Highway and Southeast 10th Street. She nearly died.

At the time, the officer was responding to a burglary-in-progress call. Problem was, he didn’t have his emergency lights or sirens activated when he sailed through a red light – and right into plaintiff’s car.

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Auto insurance carriers are some of the most notoriously difficult to negotiate with following a crash resulting in injury. Often, they will extend low-ball settlement offers in lieu of policy limits, even when it seems clear full coverage is warranted.That’s if the carrier doesn’t deny the claim outright.

Policies are often drafted with many contingencies and exemptions, and the language can be extremely confusing to someone unfamiliar with contract and insurance law. Insurers bank on your lack of knowledge, which is why it’s so important to have an experienced lawyer advocating for you at the start.

In the recent case of Smith v. Maryland Casualty Co., before an appellate court in Missouri, an insurer dug in their heels to deny coverage to a crash victim under a commercial liability policy.

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It’s never desirable to be in a car accident, no matter where you are. But if it were going to happen anyway, drivers might want to avoid Florida, if WalletHub.com’s latest report is any indication.

Researchers with the financial news source rated Florida dead last in terms of the economic damage a crash victim is likely to sustain.

It’s not so much that Florida crashes are comparatively worse than those occurring anywhere else.

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A luxury car test drive went horribly wrong for a salesman along for the ride with the son of a prospective buyer.

Although there are conflicting accounts presented in Gonsalves v. Li, what is undisputed is that the son of a man interested in buying a high-end, high-powered BMW crashed the vehicle while taking it on a test drive.

The salesman, who was in the passenger seat, asserted significant back injuries were proximately caused by the crash.

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