Motor Vehicle Accidents

Drunk Driver in 2009 Miami-Dade Truck Crash that Killed Three Kids Could End Up in Jail for 45 Years

February 18, 2011 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

It’s been a little over two years since a Miami-Dade truck accident claims the lives of three young siblings. Now, Gabriel Delrisco, the drunken trucker who rear-ended the minivan they were in, has pleaded guilty to three counts of DUI manslaughter. He now faces up to 45 years in prison.

Delrisco was driving at speeds over 60 mph and with a blood alcohol content that was three times above the legal limit when he collided with the Serrano family’s vehicle that was stopped at a red light near Homestead on January 25, 2009. Killed in the Miami-Dade motor vehicle collision were Hector, 10, Esmeralda, 7, and Amber, 4.

Delrisco has apologized for his actions, and his attorney says that they don’t believe there is a “viable defense to the case.” The children’s parents, Hector and Mirian, say it is too late for an apology and that that their lives have been destroyed. Hector was in the minivan with the kids on the night of the fatal Miami-Dade auto crash.

$5.3M Naples Wrongful Death Verdict Awarded to Family of Motorcyclist

January 21, 2011 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

A jury has awarded the family of Andrew C. Corsini, Jr. $5.3 million for his Naples wrongful death. The 49-year-old Islamorada man died on May 17, 2009 after he was struck head-on by another vehicle in a Collier County motorcycle accident. The 1996 Jeep that hit Andrew, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, had driven into oncoming traffic on US 41.

The impact of the Naples motorcycle accident pushed Andrew motorbike into his wife’s motorcycle. Melissa Dawn Corsini sustained serious injuries, including torn ligaments, broken bones, a concussion, and other injuries. Meantime, according to the family’s wrongful death lawyer, Andrew’s organs were “pulpified” and “his aorta was ripped out from his heart” during the crash.

Also injured in the Naples car accident were the Jeep’s driver, 77-year-old driver Carlos Riol, who sustained minor injuries, and his 73-year-old passenger, Maria Gomez, who suffered serious injuries. Riol received a ticket for failing to maintain a single lane. A police trooper told a county judge that the elderly motorist might have fallen asleep while driving. Riol’s license was suspended for a year and he was fined $20,000.

Man’s Legs Severed in Miami Car Accident

January 19, 2011 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

A man’s legs were severed in a Miami pedestrian accident on Saturday night when he became pinned between a wrought iron fence and a Ford Bronco. According to authorities, he was standing on the sidewalk when a Ford SUV, which was going the wrong way, struck the Bronco, which then hit him.

Following the Miami-Dade traffic crash, a number of people came running and a fight ensued. Seven other people sustained injuries.

Miami Pedestrian Accidents

Motorcyclist Dies in Hiahleah Gardens Car Accident

January 14, 2011 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

A motorcyclist is dead and two others were seriously injured in a Miami-Dade County car accident involving a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV, a motorcycle, and a Honda Civic on the Palmetto Expressway. The Hialeah Gardens multi-vehicle accident took place at around 1am this morning.

The Florida Highway Patrol says that motorcyclist Adrian Cespedes Kelly died after he was ejected from his bike that had just rear-ended the SUV. At the time, the Tahoe was stopped in the middle of the road because its driver was helping the Civic’s driver, who was just involved in another collision. The motorcycle also struck the Civic. Both the SUV’s driver, Juancarlos Alvarez, and the Civic’s driver, Edward Crouch, were admitted to Jackson Memorial Hospital.

In other recent South Florida car accident news, another motorcyclist, 56-year-old Confessor Ramirez, died in a West Palm Beach motorcycle crash on Wednesday afternoon. Ramirez was thrown from his Harley and into a 1999 Chevrolet Blazer that struck his bike while making a left turn. Ramirez was later pronounced dead at Delray Medical Center.

Also, the 12 students who were injured in Tuesday’s Palm Beach school bus accident are expected to make a full recovery. The Miami Herald reported 16 injuries from when a car crashed into a turning bus. The student with the most serious injuries, a boy, sustained facial lacerations and injured his leg. Our Palm Beach personal injury law firm reported on this news earlier this week in another blog post.

Florida Traffic Accidents
Getting hurt or losing someone you love in a Palm Beach motor vehicle crash can be catastrophic and life-changing. The financial costs that result may be far greater than what your insurance can cover. Medical bills, recovery expenses, funeral costs, lost income, lost benefits, and lost future wages can take a financial toll unless you can hold the responsible parties liable for causing your Miami-Dade car accident.

Motorcyclist killed on Palmetto, Miami Herald, January 14, 2011
Motorcyclist dies in crash near West Palm Beach, Orlando Sentinel, January 13, 2011
Palm Beach Central students hurt in crash expected to make full recovery, Palm Beach Post, January 12, 2011
Recent Palm Beach County Car Crashes Pedestrian Accidents, and Bicycle Collision Cause Deaths and Injuries, South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, January 12, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Florida DMV

What to do after a car accident, MSN Continue reading

Recent Palm Beach County Car Crashes, Pedestrian Accidents, and Bicycle Collision Cause Deaths and Injuries

January 12, 2011 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

A 78-year-old Greenacres woman is dead after she was injured in a Lake Worth, Florida pedestrian accident. Fatemeh Kazemishahmirzadi was crossing Melaleuca Lane early this morning when the Palm Beach motor vehicle accident happened.

The driver of the 2005 Hyundai SUV that struck Kazemishahmirzadi is was Wellington resident Tracy Laing. The 22-year-old motorist has said that she did not see the elderly pedestrian.

In other recent Palm Beach traffic crash news, 16 people were hurt yesterday when a school bus was rear-ended by a Dodge compact car. The rear of the school bus, which was transporting Palm Beach Central High students, reportedly lifted and part of it was torn off. The bus driver, eight students, and all three occupants in the Dodge were transported to hospitals.

Over the weekend, a multiple-Palm Beach bicycle accident sent two riders to the hospital. According to police, one cyclist fell and then two others followed suit. One of the riders, age 40, sustained bruises, scratches, and a possible broken collarbone. Another bicyclist complained lower back and left rib pain after the South Florida bicycle collision. The third rider refused medical care.

On Thursday, another Palm Beach pedestrian accident took another life when 63-year-old Edward Bert Allee was injured in a Lake Park, Florida car accident. Allee was walking his dog at around 6:40 am when he was fatally struck by a van whose driver did not stay at the crash site. However, 55-year-old James Clark Bristow, who drives a 1999 Ford, later arrived at the North Palm Beach Police department. He told police that he thought he had struck something with his van. He was later identified as the motorist that hit Allee.

Elderly woman killed in accident in suburban Lake Worth, The Palm Beach Post, January 12, 2010
Drivers, kids injured in school bus accident in suburban West Palm Beach, The Palm Beach Post, January 12, 2010
Multiple-bicycle crash on South Ocean Boulevard sends two to hospital, Palm Beach Daily News, January 8, 2011
Victim in deadly hit-and-run in Lake Park identified, Sun-Sentinel, January 6, 2011 Continue reading

Florida Tractor-Trailer Accident Kills Two

January 7, 2011 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

Two people were killed yesterday when the car they were riding was hit by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 95 and dragged 760 feet. Two other autos were also involved in the Florida semi-truck crash.

The two truck collision victims that died are Todd Olthoff and Marcy Olthoff, both 48. Also injured in the four-vehicle collision were Philip Keen, 74, and Sandra Keen, 72, who were briefly trapped in their auto. The driver of the fourth vehicle, Filbert Delva, 35, sustained minor injuries. A construction worker at the scene also sought medical care at the local hospital.

The Florida Highway Patrol says that the trucker, Miami Lakes resident Eduardo Avila, failed to slow down in a construction zone, which was near a closed exit ramp. That was when he rear-ended the Olthoffs’ vehicle, which ended up pinned under the tractor-trailer’s undercarriage. Avila then went on to rear-end the vehicles that were transporting Delva and the Keens.

7-Year-Old Pedestrian Injured in North Lauderdale Car Accident is in a Coma

December 23, 2010 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

7-year-old Francesa Moise is in a coma after being injured in a North Lauderdale car crash on Wednesday evening. Moise and her mother, sister, and brother, were walking along Tam O’Shanter Boulevard when a car drove onto the grass next to the sidewalk and hit the little girl as the family was attempting to cross the street.

Rescuers were able to restore Moise’s heartbeat before she was flown to Broward General Medical Center. The little girl also sustained severe wounds to her face.

The vehicle that struck Moise, which authorities later described as an Acura Integra, fled the North Lauderdale pedestrian accident site and was later found abandoned near a local warehouse. Police are trying to figure out who was driving the car at the time of the Broward County traffic crash.

In other South Florida car accident news, a teenage bicyclist was transported to the hospital after he was injured in a Weston car accident. The boy was riding his bicycle at Bonaventure Boulevard and West Ridge Drive late Wednesday afternoon when the crash happened.

Also yesterday, a Fort Lauderdale bus crash sent three passengers to the hospital with minor injuries after their county transit vehicle was in a collision with a car. It is not known at this time who caused the Broward County motor vehicle crash.

Meantime, 45-year-old Coral Gables model Valentina Hubsch has been charged in the hit-and-run Miami car accident that killed college student Jared Paul last month. The 21-year-old University of Miami student was crossing the street when a 2004 Hyundai struck him on November 13. He died from his injuries 10 days later.

Teen bicyclist injured in crash with car in Weston, Sun-Sentinel, December 22, 2010
Model charged in wreck that killed Miami student, Miami Herald, December 22, 2010
3 injured after car slams into transit bus, WSVN, December 22, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Florida Department of Transportation

Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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Broward County Tractor-Trailer Accident Injures Four People and Kills Three Teenagers

December 20, 2010 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

A Broward County truck crash involving a semi-truck rear ending two vehicles on US 27 has claimed the lives of three people while injuring four others. The catastrophic South Florida tractor-trailer accident occurred on US 27 on December 10.

Killed in the Broward County semi-truck collision were 19-year-old Anthony Perez of Miami, and 19-year-old Ileana E. Mira and 15-year-old Dairon Ledesma, who are both from Hialeah. The Florida Highway Patrol has been looking into whether illegal racing was a factor.

According to witnesses, the Honda Civic and Integra that the trucker Placid Ferdinand rear-ended were stopped and occupying two lanes of the road. FHP says that Ferdinand attempted to stop his Freightliner truck but failed.

The driver of the Civic, Miami Springs 18-year-old Angel Lazo says that he was not racing and that he was experiencing car trouble at the time. Lazo, and 18-year-old Virginia Gardens resident Raymond Garcia, who was driving the Integra, were among those who were injured. Other injury victims include Civic passenger and Miami Springs 19-year-old Matthew A. Foreman. Ferdinand’s wife, Sandy Kay Ferdinand, also sustained injuries.

Truck Accident
Our Miami tractor-trailer crash lawyers want to remind you of the importance of exploring your legal options as soon as possible. Going up against a trucking company to recover Broward County personal injury or wrongful death recovery can be a tough endeavor-especially when attempting this alone. Many trucking companies have the resources and manpower to fight liability claims against them. You need someone who can protect your rights and fight for your right to compensation.

There also may be other parties, such as the driver of another truck, the manufacturer of a faulty vehicle part, or the entity responsible for maintaining a road that had defects who should be held liable.

Third teen dies after truck hit two cars on US 27, Sun-Sentinel, December 10, 2010
Third South Fla. teen dies after Broward crash, Miami Herald, December 10, 2010

$8.4M Palm Beach County Motorcycle Accident Verdict Awarded In Florida Wrongful Death

December 14, 2010 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

A South Florida jury has awarded an $8.4 million Palm Beach County wrongful death verdict to the family of motorcyclist John Potts. The 51-year-old was killed in 2006 when he was involved in a traffic crash with a Hummer.

The Palm Beach motorcycle accident occurred when Potts, who was driving through a flashing yellow light on the Beeline Highway, was hit by driver James Harvey, who first slowed then accelerated through a flashing red light. Harvey was supposed to yield when the red light was flashing. Potts, who was not wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the South Florida accident site.

Evidence in the Palm Beach wrongful death case included testimony from two witnesses who say that Harvey’s Hummer “T-boned” Potts’ motorcycle. The South Florida motorcycle accident verdict awards $4 million to Potts’ widow Tracey and $2 million to each of his two daughters. $840,000 in estimated lost income was also awarded.

Miami Car Crash Kills Pregnant Pedestrian and Her Unborn Baby

November 29, 2010 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

Cecelia L. Chinn, a 26-year-old pregnant woman, and her unborn child died from injuries they sustained during a Miami pedestrian accident on Saturday. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Chinn and a man were crossing the street in the city’s Kendall neighborhood when she was struck by a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt.

Chinn and her baby weren’t the only ones to die in a South Florida traffic crash over the Thanksgiving weekend. On Thursday night, 36-year-old single mom Tarita Jonas, a Tamarac resident, suffered fatal injuries during a car crash on Interstate 95.

Jonas and her son Keajee Jonas, 16, had finished attending Thanksgiving dinner in Fort Lauderdale when the 2000 Toyota Avalon they were riding collided with a 2010 BMW 750i. She lost control of her vehicle, which then hit a concrete barrier wall. Jonas’s son and the four people in the BMW did not sustain injuries.

As our Palm Beach car accident lawyers mentioned in our last blog post, the Thanksgiving weekend is considered one of the deadliest holiday periods of the year for vehicle occupants. As early as Wednesday night, the Florida Highway Patrol reported at least one deadly car crash that claimed the life of a 48-year-old driver, whose vehicle overturned after it was struck by another auto that was attempting to avoid another accident. The rollover ejected the driver and her two passengers from the auto.

Also on Thanksgiving Day, 89-year-old Peggy Osowski was killed in a Florida car collision when the car she was in was hit by another auto. Osowksi’s 26-year-old grandson Michael Osowski, who was driving the car she was a passenger in, did not sustain injuries. The driver of the other vehicle, 25-year-old Jason Meyers, sustained a non-life threatening injury.

Fla. pregnant woman dead after being hit by car, Miami Herald, November 29, 2010
Sheriff’s official loses mom in Thanksgiving Day wreck, News-Journal Online, November 27, 2010
Family mourns Tamarac hairstylist killed in I-95 holiday crash, Sun-Sentinel, November 26, 2010
FHP reports two Thanksgiving fatal accidents, WDBO, November 25, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Florida Highway Patrol

Florida DMV

Florida “Personal Injury Protection”
Continue reading