Articles Posted in Motor Vehicle 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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On Sunday, a Tampa motorcycle accident left one man dead and critically injured his wife, who was riding on the back of the cycle. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, neither one was wearing a helmet.

Troopers said Gregory L. Lewis, 55, was driving a Harley-Davidson northbound on Interstate 275 when he veered across multiple lanes and hit a concrete wall. The impact of the motorcycle crash sent Lewis and his passenger, 52-year-old Bonnie Lewis, over the wall. They landed on the grassy shoulder below.

Gregory Lewis was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Emergency medical responders took Bonnie Lewis to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where she was listed in critical condition as of Monday.

One dead, another critically injured after I-275 motorcycle accident, TampaBay.com, April 13, 2009
Motorcycle Accident Claims Life Of Mansfield Man, WMFD.com, April 13, 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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In Florida, Emmanual Carry has been charged with first-degree murder for the death of Coral Springs resident Patrick Dameus. Carry, also from Coral Springs, is accused of “intentionally” hitting the 48-year-old man with his 2005 Honda Element more than once before using the vehicle to drag his body 2 ½ miles.

The alleged attack reportedly occurred right before 5am on Sunday in a parking lot on Riverside Drive. Coral Springs Police say that the two men had been arguing.

Police accuse Carry of not only striking Dameus and dragging his body under his motor vehicle as he left the scene, but also of backing the car over him and driving over him again. Dameus’s body was found on State Road, where he was pronounced dead.

Carry, who was arrested at 6:15 pm at a family member’s house in North Miami Beach, is being held in the Dade County Jail without bond. He will be extradited to Broward County.

Wrongful Death
In Florida, the family of a victim who was killed by another person’s negligent or reckless act may be able to file a Florida wrongful death lawsuit to obtain compensation for the loss of their loved one and the harm suffered by the family as a result of that loss. The kinds of recovery that surviving family members can claim may vary. For example, a child who has lost her mother or father in a car accident may be able to claim damages for loss of parental support.

Family members may seek economic and noneconomic compensatory damages. In certain cases, they may have grounds to file a Florida wrongful death claim that also seeks punitive damages.

Punitive Damages
Punitive damages in a Florida wrongful death case may be awarded if there is evidence to prove that the defendant acted intentionally and/or with gross negligence to cause the victim’s death.

Coral Springs man runs down another man, drags him 2 1/2 miles, Sun-Sentinel, October 27, 2008
Man Dragged To Death, Suspect Arrested, Local10, October 26, 2008

Related Web Resource:

Types of Personal Injury Damages, Justia Continue reading

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In West Palm Beach, Florida, five people died on the Florida Turnpike on Friday night when the sport utility vehicle they were riding in rolled over after it blew a tire. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the driver lost control of the Ford Expedition and rolled into a 15-foot canal.

Eight people were in the SUV, which was completely submerged in the canal when police arrived. Troopers say that bodies had been ejected from the vehicle and children were crying at the crash scene.

Three people, a boy and two women, were pronounced dead at the crash scene. A dive team found the body of another boy the following morning. Another victim, a girl, was pronounced dead at Delray Medical Center, where the three survivors were also treated for their injuries.

Only four of the eight people riding in the SUV -driver Moline Etienne and the three injury victims that survived the crash-were wearing seat belts. The children were not riding in child safety seats or wearing seat belts.

The victims that died were Etienne, 23, Roodandray Louis, 3, Shelley Peters, 30, Natayel Meyer, 10, and Malesha Louis, 5. The victims that were injured but survived the crash are Gina Merceron, 41, Enichka Maurice, 15, and Shadrack Gustave, 6.

Tire Blowouts
There are many reasons why tire blowouts can happen. Defective tires is one reason that tire blowouts occur.

Examples of tire defects:

• Valve stem cracks
• Breaks in the tire fabric
• Damaged or exposed cords
• Knots and bumps resulting from tire damage

Tire blowouts can cause a motorist to lose control of the vehicle, resulting in motor vehicle collisions, SUV rollovers, and other catastrophic accidents.

5 dead in Turnpike crash,, Sun-Sentinel.com, October 18, 2008
5 Killed When SUV Rolls Over On Turnpike, WPBF, October 18, 2008

Related Web Resources:

The Hidden History of the SUV, PBS.org
Tire Blowouts on the Highway, Safety.com 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.

Continue reading

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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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Six men were killed in a deadly Florida motor vehicle crash in Glades County on Monday when a tractor-trailer struck the van carrying them. The crash is being called one of the deadliest auto accidents to ever occur in Southwest Florida.

The accident occurred after a sand truck driver failed to stop at a stop sign, crashing into the van. All six victims were killed on impact. Four of the victims were ejected from the van and only two of the six men were carrying identification.

Ewing Saunders, the 66-year-old tractor-trailer driver, was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital where he was reportedly in serious condition on Monday night. The truck he was driving is owned by West Coast Aggregate Haulers.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s “Large Truck Causation Study,” major causes of crashes involving large trucks and passenger vehicles, such as sport utility vehicles, cars, pickup trucks, and vans, include:

• Improper surveillance
• Speeding
• Illegal driving maneuvers
• Exhaustion
• Illness
• Driver inattention
• Not anticipating other motorists’ maneuvers
• Driver distraction

Deadly truck crashes continue to be a potential danger for motorists on US roads. Injuries from truck crashes are usually catastrophic-especially for other drivers and pedestrians-and the costs for recovery and ongoing medical care can be very expensive.

6 killed in Fla. tractor-trailer crash with van, AP, October 1, 2008
Truck hits van, kills six in rural Glades County, News-Press.com, September 30, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Deadly Southwest Florida Crashes, News-Press.com, September 29, 2008
FMCSA
Continue reading

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Following reports that the number of red-light running traffic violations have decreased significantly in the Florida cities of Apopka and Gulf Breeze since red-light cameras were installed on certain busy roads, more Florida cities (including Sunrise, Ft. Lauderdale, and Hollywood) are considering installing the devices on their own roads. Pembroke Pines and Hallandale Beach have said that they will install the cameras, which photograph a motorist as he or she drives through a red traffic light.
Not only does getting caught running a red light lead to a traffic violation and an expensive fine for the owner of the vehicle, but the cameras are intended to prevent people from running a red light and striking a pedestrian or another motor vehicle.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that 22% of all US motor vehicle accidents are a result of drivers running red lights, with at least 800 traffic fatalities occurring as a result each year. In the Broward County city of Ft. Lauderdale alone, there were 3,201 auto crashes caused by drivers running red lights last year that lead to 23 fatalities. Between 1998 and 2006 in Florida, 110 of the traffic deaths that occurred in the state happened because motorists ran red lights.

There are, of course, reports that argue that red-light cameras also increase the number of auto accidents, such as when a driver slam on the brakes in an effort to avoid running a red light and causes an auto crash instead. This is more likely to happen when other motorists are following too closely behind the vehicles in front of them.

According to a seven-year Virginia Transportation Research Council study, the number of motor vehicle accidents increased at intersections after red-light cameras were installed by 29%. Meanwhile, an Urban Transit Institute at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University study found that the number of auto accidents at intersections with red-light cameras grew by 40%, with injury crashes increasing by 40-50%.

Success with red-light cameras should earn green light from state, Sun-Sentinel.com
How Red-light Cameras Work, HowStuffWorks
Red-Light Cameras Increase Accidents, USF Study Says, 2.Tbo.com, March 12, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Continue reading

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