Fort Lauderdale accident attorney

Published on: February 4, 2016

Wuthrich v. King County – When Vegetation Blocks a Driver’s View

The Federal Highway Administration encourages roadway agencies to adopt roadside vegetation management programs that identify the best maintenance practices for each location. An integrated approach includes:

Mowing
Cutting (mechanical and hand)
Use of herbicides
Grazing of livestock
Cultivating desirable vegetation
Re-vegetation

Essentially, drivers have to be able to see and navigate the road clearly. If overgrowth of vegetation blocks a driver’s view of roadway signs or oncoming traffic, the municipality in charge of maintenance could find itself facing a car accident lawsuit.

That’s the situation in Wuthrich v. King County, a lawsuit recently revived by the Washington Supreme Court. Continue reading →

Published on: June 25, 2015

Browder v. City of Albuquerque – Suing Government for Traffic Injuries

By Dean Freeman

Emergency responders – including police officers – are given an enormous responsibility to make it to emergencies quickly. However, there is also an expectation that they will do so as safely as possible.

These government workers are given a great deal of latitude in terms of liability, but only so long as they are acting within the scope of their employment and only as long as they are behaving reasonably under the circumstances.

Still, when the public is placed in jeopardy as a result of these actions, there may be grounds for litigation. The U.S. Department of Transportation estimates there are approximately 250,000 high speed chases annually. Of those, between 6,000 and 8,000 end in crashes, claiming the lives of 500 people and injuring some 5,000.

Continue reading →

Published on: May 19, 2015

Social Media Posts Examined in Personal Injury Cases

By Dean Freeman

Car accident victims – those who are able and well enough to engage in social media after the accident – must be cautious about the things they post after the accident. In fact, it’s not a bad idea to go over some ground rules with your attorney, once you’ve secured representation.

At first, many clients are puzzled by this. After all, why would it matter? The facts of the case won’t be altered by a few posted photographs or smiley faces, right?

Actually, that’s not entirely accurate. Of course, what happened at the crash site won’t change. But what’s really at issue is proof of the injuries suffered, which can directly affect how much compensation you receive in the event you win your case.

Continue reading →

Published on: January 20, 2015

Robinson v. Wash. Metro. Area Transit Auth. – Bus Injury Litigated

By Dean Freeman

The Broward County Transit has been operating for years, deploying 300 buses to cover more than 400 square miles with connections to both Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, as well as the Tri-Rail.

This is a lot of area to cover daily, and for the most part, drivers do a good job of getting passengers safely to their destination.

However, sometimes accidents occur. In 2013, a 14-year-old boy trying to get to school was left permanently brain damaged when he was trying to board and the bus accelerated before the doors had completely closed and prior to all passengers taking their seats. While prosecutors did not find the action rose to the level of culpable negligence or recklessness (as required for a criminal prosecution), there was evidence to support findings of inattentiveness and carelessness – violations of the Bus Driver Administrative Code.

Continue reading →