Fort Lauderdale accident lawyer

Published on: April 28, 2016

Wrong-Way Florida Car Accident Kills Deputy

A Florida deputy is being hailed as a hero after he reportedly sacrificed his life by driving his cruiser in the path of a wrong-way driver – ahead of another driver who otherwise would have been struck.

Deputy John Kotfila, 30, was killed in the crash, as was the 31-year-old wrong-way driver, Erik McBeth. The wrong-way car accident happened in Hillsborough County around 2:45 a.m. on the Leroy Selmon Expressway.

The 41-year-old woman who was saved said the deputy saw the imminent danger she faced and made a split-second and heroic decision to sacrifice his own life to save her. Continue reading →

Published on: March 31, 2015

Townsend v. Pierre – Liability of Property Owners For Obstructive Landscaping

By Dean Freeman

In order to operate their motor vehicles safely, drivers need to be able to see what’s in front of them – and coming at them from the side.

Part of this is the job of traffic engineers and city planners. However, it’s also up to property owners, both commercial and private.

When overgrown shrubs, tree limbs or other landscaping features obstruct the view of motorists and result in a crash, the property owner may be held liable for damages. However, it must be proven that the landscaping feature was a known (or knowable) hazard as well as a proximate cause of the crash.

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Published on: January 30, 2015

Analysis: Florida Worst State for Crash Victims

By Dean Freeman

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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Published on: January 14, 2015

Sellers v. Twp. of Abington – Police Pursuit Lawsuit Stalls

By Dean Freeman

High-speed driving and even pursuits are an especially dangerous part of police work. This is why many states, including Florida, have laws barring officers from acting with reckless disregard for the safety of others – regardless of the circumstances (F.S. 316.072(5)(c)).

That said, establishing liability for injuries or death resulting from a police pursuit may prove challenging. It will depend on the circumstances. When innocent civilian drivers or pedestrians suffer personal injury or are killed as a result of a reckless or ill-advised high-speed pursuit, the chances of securing compensation are optimum.

However, if plaintiff or decedent was in any way involved in the pursuit, the case may prove more difficult.

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Published on: December 23, 2014

December National Impaired Driving Prevention Month

By Dean Freeman

She was 20-years-old the night she reportedly got drunk with work friends, Tweeted to her boyfriend she was “2 drunk 2 care” about an argument they were having and then got behind the wheel of a car. She drove wrong way down the Sawgrass Expressway in Coral Springs traveling nearly 100 mph. She crashed into another vehicle head-on, killing the two occupants – both 21-year-old women.

In a deposition for a civil lawsuit brought against her by the victim’s families, the women, also facing 30 years in prison for DUI manslaughter, said she would take her own life in a second if it meant bringing back the two who were lost. Not a day goes by she doesn’t think of it, she told attorneys, and “It will never go away.”

Those expressions of remorse come amid one of the most dangerous times of the year for drivers. December has one of the highest rates of drunk driving injuries and fatalities, according to Florida traffic officials. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported between 830 and 1,000 people die every year in December as a result of drunk driving. That’s why this month is also recognized as National Impaired Driving Prevention Month.

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