South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

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”
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Pedestrian’s Arm is Severed in Ft. Lauderdale Car Crash Involving Bus Bench

November 24, 2010 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

A 49-year-old pedestrian was seriously injured today when a vehicle that crashed into the bus bench he was sitting on severed his arm. The man was transported to Broward General Medical Center after the Ft. Lauderdale car accident.

In other South Florida traffic crash news, eight people were sent to local hospitals today after a Boca Raton SUV rollover crash on southbound Interstate 95. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 18-year-old Javis Pace lost control of the SUV. Also injured were passenger Cliff Innocent, 19, Glenneisha Darkins, 18, Isnard Michaud, 18, Antown Wilson, 18, George Johnson, 25, Kenin Bailey, 18, and Quinisha Jones, 19. Most of them suffered serious injuries.

As we enter the holiday season, our Miami car accident lawyers want to remind you to drive safely. The Thanksgiving season is considered among the most deadly holidays of the year for motorists, with many people taking to the road to break bread and eat turkey with friends and family and/or go away for the long weekend. Speeding, drunk driving, or drowsy driving can take their toll during the holiday traffic rush or when coming home from a Turkey Day gathering. If you or someone you love is injured this weekend in South Florida because of another party’s negligence, do not hesitate to contact our Palm Beach injury law firm to request a free consultation.

Family Blames Four Loko for Florida Wrongful Death of College Student

November 22, 2010 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

The family of Florida State University sophomore Jason Keiran is suing the maker of Four Loko for his wrongful death. Joe and Vicki Keiran say that their 20-year-old son killed himself last September after drinking three cans of the alcoholic energy drink. Jason had picked up a roommate’s gun and used it to shoot himself in the head.

The Keirans contend that their son wasn’t suicidal or depressed but that his blood alcohol was over three times the legal limit when the tragic shooting occurred. In addition to Four Loko manufacturer Phusion Projects, the couple is also suing the stores where their son bought the drink.

Following Jason’s Florida wrongful death, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent warning letters to the makers of several alcoholic energy drinks. Phusion Projects has also since announced that it will remove taurine, caffeine, and gaurana from its Four Loko beverage. Experts have equated the caffeine and alcohol mix in the drink to a cup of Starbucks coffee and five beers combined.

Miami Injury Lawsuit: Customer Injured from Eating Artichoke Blames Houston’s Restaurant

November 19, 2010 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

In South Florida, Arturo Carvajal is suing Hillstone Restaurant Group Inc. for Miami personal injury. Carvajal, who is a doctor, says he was hospitalized after he ate a house special of grilled artichokes at a Houston’s Restaurant.

Carvajal says that at the time, he was not familiar with how to eat an artichoke and that the waiter failed to warn him that the outside part of the leaf was indigestible. After eating the artichoke, Carvajel says that he experienced “severe abdominal pain and discomfort.” Medical tests showed that the artichoke leaves had gotten stuck in his small bowel.

In his Miami-Dade injury lawsuit, Carvajel blames the restaurant and its manager for failing to properly train the waiters. He contends that the servers should have directed the patrons on how to safely eat an artichoke.

Mother Files Florida Pedestrian Accident Lawsuit Against Alleged Drunk Driver Over Daughter’s Wrongful Death

November 17, 2010 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

The mother of Kate Kohlier is suing the man accused of fatally striking her during a pedestrian accident for Florida wrongful death. Kohlier and Doug Kozar were walking across the Harbour Island bridge early on October 30 when they were hit by a car driven by Matthew R. Moye. Both Kohlier, 24, and Kozar, 23, died from their injuries. Another pedestrian, 47-year-old Joao Armando Fonseca Barbosa, broke his ankle has a struggled to get out of the speeding vehicle’s way. All three of them were walking to their cars after finishing their shifts at a local hotel when the tragic accident happened.

Moye, who is a 34-year-old Florida dentist, has been charged with two counts of driving under the influence manslaughter, two counts of vehicular homicide, and one count of DUI with injury. Moye may have been operating his vehicle at speeds of up to 90 mph.

Florida Pedestrian Accidents

$33.1 Million Broward County, Florida Car Accident Verdict Awarded To Man Who Now Has Quadriplegia

November 12, 2010 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

A jury in Florida has awarded Manos Milien $33.1 million for his Broward County car accident injuries. The 62-year-old became a quadriplegic after the 1996 Toyota Corolla that he was a passenger in was rear-ended by a 2004 Kia Sedona driven by Ponte Vedra Beach resident Wendy Whitney. The catastrophic South Florida car crash occurred on December 31, 2008 at around 2:40 am near Deerfield Beach on Interstate 95. Milien, who now lives in the Florida Institute for Neurologic Rehabilitation in Wauchula, cannot live independently and requires extensive nursing care.

Broward Circuit Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips is expected to readjust the amount of compensatory damages awarded to Milien down to $31.4 million. This is account for the fact that the jury found Milien 5% at fault for not wearing a seat belt at the time of the Florida car accident happened.

Spinal Cord Injury

Drowsy Driving: Drivers who Fall Asleep Behind the Wheel Causes 1,550 US Traffic Crash Deaths and 71,000 Injuries a Year

November 9, 2010 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

November 8-14, 2010 marks Drowsy Driving Prevention Week. According to the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety, 41% of drivers surveyed have admitted to drowsy driving. Unfortunately, what many people fail to realize is that driving while tired is similar to driving while under the influence of alcohol. Impaired judgment, slowed reflexes, blurred vision, a foggy mind, and possibly drifting in and out of consciousness can be symptoms of both drunk driving and drowsy driving. Our Miami car accident lawyers have seen the catastrophic consequences that can arise when someone is exhausted or falls asleep while operating a motor vehicle.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drivers who fall asleep while driving are responsible for 71,000 traffic injuries, 1,550 fatalities, and over 100,000 motor vehicle crashes in the US annually. Per the AAA Foundation’s new study, drowsy driving plays a role in 16.5% of deadly US traffic crashes.

Among the study’s findings:
• Young drivers, ages 16-24, were the ones most likely to fall asleep while driving.
• Men more than women were more likely to fall asleep while operating a motor vehicle.
• 26.1% of those who admitted to falling asleep while driving did so between the hours of noon and 5pm. The percentage was about the same for drivers who fell asleep between midnight and 6am.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, a person that risks drowsy driving takes the chance that he/she will fall asleep at the wheel. That said, some groups are at higher risk of drowsy driving. In addition to young drivers, other motorists who are potentially at risk of this dangerous driving behavior include:

• Shift workers
• Commercial truck drivers
• People with sleep disorders-especially undiagnosed ones
• Business travelers suffering from jetlag
• Tired travelers

One need only look back to the 2009 Miami tractor-trailer accident in Oklahoma involving a 76-year-old trucker who investigators say fell asleep at the wheel. The multi-vehicle chain reaction crash that he triggered killed 10 people and injured 6 others.

Study examines toll of drowsy driving, Washington Post, November 8, 2010
Study shows drowsy drivers behind the wheel, Los Angeles Times, November 7, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Driving Tired is Like Driving Drunk, US News & World Report

Related Web Resources:
Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, National Sleep Foundation (PDF)

Read the AAA Foundation’s Drowsy Driving Report (PDF)
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Coral Springs, Florida Injury Lawsuit Accuses Music Teacher of Molesting Student

November 5, 2010 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

A family of a young boy who was allegedly molested by art and music teacher Miguel Cala is suing St. Andrew’ Catholic School and The Archdiocese of Miami for Coral Springs personal injuries to a minor. They claim that Cala, 37, molested the boy at his home while giving him music lessons. The alleged Florida sex abuse incidents took place between 2009 and August 2010.

In their Broward County injury complaint, the family accuses Cala of using his role at the school and at the parish (he no longer teaches at the school) to scope out possible victims. The boy’s mother learned that he had been molested by Cala after she contacted the authorities because the teacher had stopped showing up for the lessons. She was told that Cala was under investigation for possible sexual abuse.

Cala was arrested last September on charges related to the sexual abuse of another boy, who had also been one of his private music students. Police believe there may be more victims.

Palm Beach Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Polo Mogul John Goodman Can Proceed Even With Criminal Case Unresolved, Says Judge

November 3, 2010 | by David J. Halberg, Esq.

Circuit Court Judge Glenn Kelley says that the Palm Beach wrongful death lawsuit against polo club founder John Goodman can proceed. In issuing his ruling, Kelley denied Goodman’s motion to postpone the civil lawsuit until the criminal case against him is resolved.

Goodman is charged with vehicular manslaughter, DUI manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a crash in the Palm Beach County car accident death of Scott Wilson. Wilson died early on February 24 when his Hyundai Sonata was hit by Goodman, who ran a stop sign. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reports that Goodman’s Bentley convertible was traveling at about 28 mph above the speed limit when he struck Wilson’s vehicle. The impact of the collision caused Wilson’s auto to turn over into a canal. The 23-year-old then proceeded to drown.

Meantime, the polo magnate allegedly fled the Palm Beach County traffic crash site and did not notify police about the accident for close to an hour. Even hours after the collision, Goodman’s BAC was 0.177, which is two times the legal driving limit.

Belle Glade Man Awarded $720,000 Palm Beach County Truck Accident Verdict by Jury

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

A jury has awarded Niven Anderson $720,000 for his Glades, Florida truck crash injuries. The Belle Glade store owner was injured in 2007 during a hit-and-run traffic crash.

Anderson had to undergo surgery for his back and neck injuries. Gypsum Express Ltd. and trucker Matthew Moore are the defendants of the Palm Beach County truck accident lawsuit.

Hit-and-Run Accidents