Articles Posted in Car Accidents

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Early yesterday morning, a two-car accident in Pembroke Pines claimed the life of a 22-year-old man from Miami Springs. According to a release from Pembroke Pines police, Alfredo Belerra was riding in the right-rear passenger seat near the 10800 block of Pines Boulevard when the car was hit from behind. A 2006 Nissan SUV struck the 2008 Nissan, causing the driver , a 24-year-old from Miami Springs, to lose control and hit a tree in the median.

Following the car crash, Belerra died at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood.

The drivers of both cars and two other passengers were treated for minor injuries at a nearby hospital. Police have not released information about charges in the fatal auto accident, but they ask those with information on the crash to call Crimestoppers at 954-493-8477.

Miami man dies in Pembroke Pines car accident, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, April 19, 2009 Continue reading

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According to a spokesperson for the Florida Highway Patrol, a FHP trooper will be confined to a wheelchair for the next three months as he undergoes surgery to mend a broken pelvis from a car accident on Interstate 4. Trooper Rickie Zigler, 47, also suffered wrist injuries when a driver switched lanes and rammed into a Jeep that Zigler pulled over.

He was speaking to the driver through the passenger-side window when he was hit. The seven-year FHP veteran is recovering at Halifax Health Medical Center, while the driver of the Jeep that hit him was treated for minor injures at Central Florida Regional Hospital. Donalo White, the driver of the car that switched lanes, was taken by helicopter to Orlando Regional Medical Center. White had to be cut out of her car and is listed in critical but stable condition.

Because of White’s injuries, police have not been able to investigate why she switched lanes.

Injured trooper to spend three months in wheelchair, News-Journal Online, April 10, 2009 Continue reading

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A 1998 car accident left Eric Brody, now 29, paralyzed and severely brain damaged after a Broward County deputy ran into his car. At the time of the accident, Brody was a high school senior preparing for graduation. Now he will need care for the rest of his life.

He and his family are lobbying lawmakers in Tallahassee to pass a claims bill that would ensure that Brody can collect the nearly $31 million in injury compensation that he was awarded by a jury. The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Rachel Burgin, R-Brandon, and Sen. Ken Pruit, R-Port St. Lucie.

According to the Florida Constitution, governments are held liable up to $200,000 unless the Legislature passes a claims bill. Though lawmakers have approved close to two dozen claims bills, collecting the money has proved difficult because of Florida’s budget shortfall.

The family hopes that if lawmakers see Eric, the will understand the need to pass the Brody’s claims bill. The bill had not received a hearing in the Senate as of March 31, 2009.

Aid bill for Broward crash victim stalls, Miami Herald, March 31, 2009
Florida families want their injury compensation; State poses hurdle, CBS12.com, March 30, 2009 Continue reading

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A jury in Palm Beach, Florida has awarded the family of Pompano Beach resident Claudia Avila $6.98 Million for her wrongful death. Avila died on February 17, 2004 in Delray Breach when a 34-pound metal plate crashed into the windshield of the motor vehicle she was riding on I-94 and struck her on the head.

Avila went into a coma. She died a few weeks after the accident when doctors took her off life support.

The Palm Beach County jury found company Tarmac America 28% liable for the tragic accident. Tarmac America was the company that packaged thousands of metal plates for shipping and then loaded them onto a number of flatbed trailers for transport to Fort Lauderdale.

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Seven people suffered burn injuries in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday following a deadly gas pump explosion at the BP station located at the intersection of Southwest 27th Avenue and Davie Boulevard. The blast happened after a 2008 Dodge pickup truck collided with a 1992 Buick before crashing into the pump. Following the explosion, the pickup truck and a nearby Toyota caught on fire.

One victim, Fort Lauderdale resident Ricardo Mottley, was admitted to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami in critical condition. Another victim sustained moderated burn injuries, while five other victims sustained minor injuries. Pickup truck driver Roy Donald Link is one of the people that suffered minor burns.

While no criminal charges have been filed, some witnesses say that Link ran a red light before the crash.

2007 Burn Injury Facts from the American Burn Association:
• Some 4,000 people a year die from burn injuries.
• 3,500 of these fatalities occur in fires at residences.
• 500 burn deaths occur in aviation and motor vehicle rashes.
• Some 500,000 people receive medical care for burn injuries each year.

Kinds of Burns First-Degree Burns: The top layer of skin has burns.
Second-Degree Burns: Involves the first two layers of skin.
Third-Degree Burns: Penetrates all layers of skin and causes permanent tissue damage.

Burn injuries can be serious injuries. If you or someone you love suffered burn injuries in a Florida accident that was someone else’s fault, it is important that you explore your legal options.

Man critically burned in gas pump fire, Miami Herald, October 7, 2008

Related Web Resources:
American Burn Association
Burn Emergencies, Phoenix.gov Continue reading

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In Fort Pierce, Florida, one man died and three others sustained injuries on Sunday in a two-vehicle auto collision on Avenue K and North 16 Court. The accident happened about 3 am when the 1988 Mercury Grand driven by 22-year-old Jarrell Housing collided with a 2008 Toyota Tacoma. Local authorities say the driver of the Toyota ignored a stop sign.

Raythez Flowers, who was a passenger in The Mercury, died in the car accident. Housing and another passenger, Sarmeca Johnson, were taken to local hospitals in serious condition. 23-year-old Jermaine Kearse, a passenger in the Toyota, sustained minor injuries.

Failure stop at a red light or traffic stop sign is considered a negligent action if a pedestrian, a bicyclist or another motorist is injured at a result. Many times, other motorists and pedestrians that think they have the right of way are caught unaware when they are struck by a vehicle that was supposed to have stopped before crossing an intersection. Injuries to these accident victims can be catastrophic and costly.

According the Federal Highway Administration, intersection collisions are among the most common kinds of traffic accidents in the United States accounting for 6,700 deaths and 2 million accidents each year . Injuries can range from minors cut, scrapes, and bruises to broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and wrongful death.

Our South Florida car crash lawyers can help you determine whether you have grounds to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit. We can also determine whether there is more than one negligent party that can be held liable for your injuries.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 3,214 motor vehicle deaths in Florida in 2007, a slight decrease in number compared to the 3,357 Florida traffic accident fatalities that occurred in 2006. Any motor vehicle accident that causes injury or death is one crash too many.

Crash in Fort Pierce kills one, sends four to area hospitals, TCPalm.com, August 17, 2008
One killed, three injured in crash, PalmBeachPost.com, August 16, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Federal Highway Administration
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The Florida Highway Patrol says that Kevin Bunsie, the 32-year-old man who was injured in a car crash on the afternoon of July 12 at the junction of Forest Hill Boulevard and Congress Avenue, has died of his injuries. Bunsie passed away on July 31.

He sustained serious injuries after a van driven by Lake Worth resident Pedro Perez struck another car close to Summit Boulevard before hitting Bunsie’s car at Forest Hill. Perez also sustained serious injuries, while a passenger riding with Bunsie was treated for minor injuries.

If you or someone you love is seriously injured in a motor vehicle crash, you should contact our South Florida car crash lawyers and ask for your free case evaluation. Many motor vehicle collisions happen because at least one motorist was negligent on the road. While a person cannot control other drivers and their actions, there are preemptive steps a motorist can take to avoid collisions.

Suggestions offered by Property Casualty of America include:

• Do not talk on the cell phone while driving.
• Do not drive after drinking alcohol.
• Keep a safe driving distance between you and other vehicles.
• Make sure that your vehicle is up-to-date on all required maintenance checks.
• Check your side and rear view mirrors frequently.
• Drive defensively.
• Ignore the actions of rude or obnoxious drivers.
• Drive defensively.
• Obey all traffic laws.
• Cross intersections carefully.
• Adjust your driving to the changing road conditions.

While Florida’s mandatory PIP (Personal Injury Protection) coverage offers some insurance protection, it may not cover all your injury costs. Our West Palm Beach car crash lawyers can work to help you obtain the maximum recovery possible.

Palm Beach County: West Palm Beach man dies from injuries in July crash, Sun-Sentinel.com, August 11, 2008
Easy Ways To Avoid Auto Accidents, Insurance.com

Related Web Resources:

Car Insurance Primer, DMV.org
Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Continue reading

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In Broward County, Florida, Marie Arsenault-Langlois, a 38-year-old pregnant woman from Pembroke Pines, lost her 17-week-old unborn baby when the car she was riding in was struck by another motor vehicle. The driver of the other vehicle, Miami Gardens resident Renee Greene, failed to stop at a stop sign.

Arsenault-Langlois was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital where she was treated for serious injuries. Her baby was declared dead. The Broward Medical Examiner’s office pronounced cause of death to be intra-uterine demise resulting from blunt force trauma from an auto accident.

Although Florida’s mandatory Personal Injury Protection (PIP) provides all drivers with $10,000 coverage for medical costs for auto accident injuries, this amount often does not cover all medical expenses and recovery costs for serious personal injuries. It certainly cannot compensate for the death of a loved one.

With offices in Miami, Port St. Lucie, and West Palm Beach, our Florida car accident lawyers will work with medical experts to assess the immediate and long-term effects of your injuries. If your loved one was killed in a car crash, we know how to prove negligence. Our motor vehicle crash lawyers have an excellent track of getting the necessary results-whether through negotiation or a jury verdict.

Causes of driver negligence that can lead to serious car accident injuries:

• Failure to stop at a red light or stop sign • Speeding • DUI/DWI • Driver fatigue • Failure to pay attention to the road, motorists, and pedestrians • Driver negligence • A defective or poorly maintained motor vehicle

Contact one of our Florida personal injury law offices to schedule your free consultation.

Pembroke Pines woman loses unborn child in crash, Sun-Sentinel, June 5, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Florida Motor Vehicle Insurance, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

What To Do After a Car Accident
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In Florida, the passengers of a driver known as a “habitual drunkard” are suing the Banana Boat restaurant and bar in Boynton Beach for serving driver Brian Licitra too much alcohol prior to their 2004 drunk driving accident.

Licitra has already settled his personal injury lawsuit with the restaurant that served him alcohol. Now Evol Ho-Sang, Alissa Deming, and David Holotanko are also suing the Boynton Beach restaurant for allowing Licitra, “who was visibly intoxicated,” to leave the restaurant drunk.

All three plaintiffs sustained serious injuries in the drunk driving accident caused by Licitra. One of the plaintiffs, Alissa Deming, says she had just met Licitra and did not know he was a “habitual drunkard,” which is why she got into the car with him.

The Florida Department of Corrections says that Licitra was convicted of a Felony DUI and served time in prison before his release in 2007.

Florida law holds bars responsible for serving alcohol to habitual drunkards.

If you or someone you love was seriously injured in a Florida car crash, our South Florida motor vehicle law firm can help you explore your legal options and determine who is liable for your injuries.

Common causes of car accidents that can be grounds for a personal injury or wrongful death claim include drunk driving, negligent driving, driver inexperience or inattention, a defective automobile or auto part, and debris on the road. In certain instances, there may be more than one liable party, such as when alcohol is served to a minor at a party and that person is killed or injures someone else during a drunk driving accident.

Drunk driving accidents and other serious car accidents can result in serious injuries, including broken bones, massive internal injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and wrongful death. You have a right to compensation from all liable parties.

DUI felon’s 3 passengers sue bar over 2004 crash, PalmBeachPost.com, May 27, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Impaired Driving Facts, CDC.gov
768.125 Liability for injury or damage resulting from intoxication, The 2007 Florida Statutes Continue reading

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