South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

In September, a chartered bus carrying 32 South Florida Baptist senior adults was part of a 19-vehicle pile-up on Interstate 75. There were several injuries involving passengers in the other vehicles, but none of the seniors were injured in the bus accident. According to one of the bus passengers, the motor vehicle accident occurred in the mid-afternoon as light rain fell on the roads and “ballgame traffic” clogged the interstate.

The passengers were on their way from Florida to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, where they were to attend Johnny Hunt’s annual Jubilee. The group apparently continued to their destination after boarding another bus.

Reports from the Tampa Tribune indicate that northbound lanes of I-75 at State Road 60 were closed for approximately three hours after the multiple vehicle crash.

Baptist seniors’ charter bus involved in 19-car accident, Florida Baptist Witness, October 8, 2009 Continue reading

Earlier this year, a 9-year-old boy suffered severe burns and lost all ten fingers in a go-kart accident at Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter, Florida. His go-kart flipped over and burst into flames after he allegedly hit a patch of uneven pavement. The boy’s family has filed a negligence lawsuit against the raceway and the manufacturers of the go-kart and its engine.

The family’s negligence lawsuit accuses the raceway of not having adult supervision, fire extinguishers, or phones nearby for emergencies. It also alleges that the raceway had poorly maintained surfaces and accuses the go-kart company of making a product that dangerously leaks fuel when inverted. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating the go-kart’s design.

The family of the injured boy has not spoken publicly about the go-kart accident, but their attorney said that based on the accident victim’s suffering, the judgment could be as high as the eight figures.

Family sues raceway over son’s go-kart crash, South Florida Sun Sentinel, October 5, 2009 Continue reading

According to a new study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, hybrid electric vehicles are twice as likely to be involved in accidents with cyclists and pedestrians, who may not hear the hybrid’s quieter engine.

Researchers examined almost nine thousand hybrid and 600,000 internal combustion engine vehicles in 12 states, including Florida. They found that the car accidents usually occurred at low speeds, when the sound different between the two types of engines is greatest. However, accident rates were similar when the cars were going straight. None of the car crashes studied were fatal.

As hybrid cars gain in popularity, automotive engineers and manufacturers are examining ways to address this safety concern. In the future, they may add a device that would generate noise under certain circumstances to alert pedestrians or bicyclists when the vehicle is backing up or performing other maneuvers.

Broward County is working on a pilot project to give 15 new licenses to fuel-efficient taxis and luxury sedans, and the county’s consumer protections administrator says she may ask drivers about safety concerns when the licenses are awarded in 2010.

Study: Hybrids twice as likely to crash into pedestrians, cyclists, South Florida Sun Sentinel, September 30, 2009 Continue reading

Our South Florida motor vehicle accident lawyers recently read about a car accident on Interstate 75. According to a release from the Florida Highway Patrol, a 30-year-old man was hospitalized with critical injuries after a car crash Friday morning. He was transported to Shands Hospital at the University of Florida.

The accident occurred on I-75 south of Lake City around 9:55am. The victim was traveling southbound in a 1995 Chevrolet Geo behind a lot drunk when a portion of the log truck’s drive shaft fell off and hit the car. The driver swerved into the center median and hit the guard rail. After hitting the guard rail, the car traveled back into the traffic lanes, rolled over, and ended up upside down in the center of I-75.

The driver of the log truck was not injured, and the condition of the Chevrolet driver was listed as critical.

Driver injured in I-75 accident, Gainesville.com, September 18, 2009 Continue reading

On Sunday afternoon, a Florida police cruiser collided with another vehicle, forcing authorities to shut down Northbound Interstate 95 for several hours as investigators examined the site of the rollover crash. According to a Fort Lauderdale police spokesman, the police officer was responding to a report of a man with a gun when the cruiser hit another vehicle.

The unidentified officer sustained neck and back injuries. The driver of the other vehicle was rushed to Broward General Medical Center, and the interstate reopened around 7:30pm Sunday evening.

The cause of the car crash and the details surrounding this accident are still being investigated.

Fort Lauderdale officer hurt in roll-over crash, Orlando Sentinel, September 20, 2009 Continue reading

In Tampa, two auto crashes on Sunday morning injured four people and caused the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) to temporarily close parts of Interstate 75. All four motor vehicle accident victims were taken to Tampa General Hospital. One of the people was listed in critical condition.

According to the FHP’s website, the accident was reported at 10:47am and troopers were on the scene less than ten minutes later. The driver of a Ford F-250 was traveling north on I-75 when he lost control of the vehicle and swerved, entering the exit lane for Fletcher Avenue. The truck and trailer went into a ditch, sustaining $11,000 worth of damage.

The two accidents involved a car, semi-tractor trailer, and a truck towing a fifth-wheel RV. FHP did not have a report on the other traffic accident.

I-75 reopens after multivehicle accident, TBO.com, September 13, 2009 Continue reading