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In Florida, 24-year-old Miramar resident Errol Michael Etosha Dodd died on Sunday when he lost control of his motorcycle on I-95 and fell down 60 feet onto the riverbank. The deadly Florida motorcycle accident happened around 3:30 in the morning as Dodd was making his way from I-95s to the New River bridge. He was riding toward the bridge overpass when he struck an SUV that he was trying to pass. Dodd’s motorcycle then hit the concrete barrier before plunging off the road.

This is not the first time that someone has died on or close to one of the many ramps on I-95. In April, a 30-year-old man jumped over the low-lying barrier to relieve himself and fell. In February, three men died when their car fell onto the riverbank after vaulting the exit ramp.

The Florida Department of Transportation Is taking a new look at the ramp design. They are also taking steps to improve the signs and lighting. A 4-foot chain link fence will be installed onto the I-95’s barrier walls close to the New River overpass.

Motorcycle Accident Statistics
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 5,154 motorcycle deaths in 2007, which is the highest number of motorcycle accidents to occur within a year since the NHTSA began collecting crash statistics 28 years ago. This means that of the 41,059 motor vehicle deaths that occurred in 2007, motorcycle fatalities made up 13% of the overall total. The NHTSA also reported a significant increase in motorcycle injuries from 88,000 in 2006 to 103,000 in 2007.

While some motorcycle crashes happen because of a motorcyclist’s negligence, there are many catastrophic accidents that occur because another motorist was negligent, there was an unsafe condition on the road, or the motorcycle was defective.

While Florida’s PIP (personal injury protection) provides drivers some coverage when they are injured in motor vehicle accidents regardless of who was at fault, this coverage does not extend to motorcyclists.

Motorcyclist’s 60-foot plunge renews calls for safety at I-95 ramp, Sun-Sentinel.com, August 25, 2008

Related Web Resources

Florida Department Transportation

Bodily Injury Locations in Fatally Injured Motorcycle Riders (PDF)
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In Florida, the family of Sarasota resident James Brashear is suing Zep Construction for his wrongful death. Brashear is one of two victims that died in a deadly 11-vehicle collision on Interstate-85 last October.

The families of the two men settled their wrongful death claims with the insurer of the semitrailer driver that drove into stopped traffic. Brashear’s family, however, says the Fort Myer’s construction company is liable for his death because its workers did not warn drivers that there was a closed lane on the freeway.

The construction roadblock had stopped traffic and there were no visible signs indicating the delay, which made it a challenge to react to the roadblock and the stopped traffic after driving through the overpass at speeds of 70 mph or greater. A construction supervisor would later tell the media that warning signs intended for the drivers had been moved on the day of the accident.

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In Clearwater, John Niesen and his mother Mary Riley are suing the Florida city and five ex-police offers for his brother’s death. Riley says that city cops bludgeoned his brother Michael, then age 18, to death over 30 years ago.

Niesen and Riley are accusing the city of Clearwater of conspiracy, including failure to conduct a complete investigation, and destroying evidence. Their Florida wrongful death lawsuit seeks damages that include loss of companionship, loss of support and services, and past and future mental pain and suffering.

According to Niesen, Michael died in July 1977 after he was attacked by police officers that were upset when a fellow cop died after being thrown from the truck that the teenager was driving.

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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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In Broward County last month, two Florida workers were hospitalized after they sustained electrical shock injuries in two separate work accidents on July 16. One man in Pompano Beach fell from a tree after coming into contact with electrical wires while trimming branches.

In another accident, a construction worker in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea was admitted to the hospital in critical condition after also being shocked by an electrical wire. Both men were admitted to North Broward Medical Center.

The construction worker, who was remodeling a home, came into contact with an electrical line while trying to relocate an air duct in the attic of the house. He became trapped in a tight crawl space and workers had to cut through the ceiling to retrieve him.

If you or someone you love was injured in an electrical shock accident, you may be able to obtain personal injury compensation for your injuries, pain and suffering, medical and recovery costs, and other damages. While a construction worker or another employee injured on the job cannot file a personal injury claim against his or her employer, there may be third parties that can be held liable for the injury accident.

For example, property owners must make sure that exposed electrical wiring and other hazards on the premise are either secured, removed, or repaired so no one gets hurt or dies. Failure to provide a hazard-free environment can lead to a premises liability lawsuit if the owner knew or should have known about an unsafe condition but did nothing to remedy the situation.

Electrical Shock
Direct exposure to an electrical current can result in an electrical injury to the internal organs or the skin. Electrical shock can lead to thermal burns, damage to the tissue, nerve, or muscles, cardiac arrest, or death.

Two men shocked by electrical wires in separate incidents, Sun-Sentinel.com, August 14, 2008
Electrical Injury, NIH.gov

Related Web Resources:

Electrical Shock Injuries, HealthAtoZ.com
Premises Liability Overview, Justia.com
In South Florida, our personal injury law firm represents clients that have been seriously injured in accidents caused by another party’s negligence.
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This week, Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration began posting reports online to allow Floridians to evaluate the services and conditions available at some 32,000 hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, surgery centers, dialysis units, and other health care centers. The reports will contain information about complaints, and findings related to medical errors, procedural errors, unsanitary conditions, and other violations. All reports written after June 1, 2008 will be published online.

The reports should be helpful in a state that is considered the nation’s capital for many doctors that lack medical malpractice insurance. While Florida requires podiatrists, chiropractors, midwives, optometrists, nurses, and acupuncturists to carry insurance, doctors can forego insurance if they promise to pay up to $250,000 per medical malpractice award (with a $750,000 per year maximum).

In 2003, Florida lawmakers limited pain and suffering awards to half a million dollars for personal injury lawsuits or $1 million dollars for wrongful death cases. They did not place a limit on payments for medical costs.

In Florida, the best way to increase your chances of obtaining medical malpractice compensation is to retain the services of an experienced medical malpractice law firm.

Our South Florida injury lawyers are experienced in dealing with all kinds of injury and wrongful death cases involving medical malpractice. We know how to successfully pursue a claim against a doctor, a hospital, a nursing home, a surgeon, or another health care provider.

We know how devastating it can be to seek medical attention and end up injured as a result. Health care providers are required to provide a certain level of care. Failure to provide that care can be grounds for a Florida medical malpractice lawsuit if someone gets hurt or dies.

Inspection reports of health facilities now available online, Sun-Sentinel.com, August 13, 2008
Uninsured doctors on the rise in South Florida, Sun-Sentinel.com, July 27, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Agency for Health Care Administration Public Record Search, MyFlorida.com
FloridaHealthFinder.gov
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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
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The Florida Highway Patrol has charged a Kenworth tractor-trailer driver of violation of the right of way in the wake of a Florida truck crash that left a 10-year-old Lake Wales boy seriously injured. Charles Geim was taken to Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital in Orlando following the motor vehicle accident.

The FHP says that trucker Sonia Mcgaha turned her Kenworth tractor-trailer left from US 27 into the path of a Chevrolet that was coming from the opposite direction. Her rig struck the car’s left side. Lorine Jones, the driver of the car that Geim was riding in, sustained minor injuries.

Mcgaha wasn’t hurt in the crash, but Jermie Mcgaha, 9, sustained minor injuries.

Tractor-Trailer Accidents

Common causes of tractor-trailer crashes

• Tailgating
• Exhausted drivers
• Failing to obey road signs
• Speeding
• Aggressive drivers
• Talking or text messaging on the cell phone
• Drunk driving
• Forgetting to check blind spots

An 80,000-pound truck can be a huge danger to car passengers, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists if they are involved in a truck accident with one of these large vehicles.

Boy, 10, critically injured in accident, Newschief.com, July 30, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Florida Highway Patrol

Truck Accident Laws, Justia
In South Florida, our truck crash lawyers are familiar with the federal and state regulations that govern truck drivers and we know how to deal with truckers and trucking companies to help you obtain the maximum recovery for all your personal injuries.
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Florida Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp has arrived at a settlement agreement over his personal injury lawsuits filed against Lee Memorial Hospital and three companies. While Lee Memorial Hospital revealed that its portion of the settlement was $200,000, the settlement terms between Kottkamp and three of the companies remain confidential.

Kottkamp sustained physical injuries and a fungal infection after undergoing heart surgery at the Southwest Florida hospital. His lawsuit alleges that the improper maintenance of the hospital roof caused mold to enter the operating room, resulting in his infection.

Kottkamp had to be placed in an induced coma for several weeks so multiple surgeries could be performed to scrape mold from his chest. He then underwent several reconstructive surgeries to repair his chest cavity and replace a deteriorated sternum.

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In Pembrooke Pines, police have identified the motorcyclist that died after he was struck by a car in a Florida traffic accident. Miami resident Ricardo F. DeCastro died on Wednesday when the motorcycle he was riding was rear ended by a Honda Civic driven by Miami Gardens resident Larry Beltran.

Police report that Beltran was following too closely behind DeCastro, which led him to crash into the motorcycle. DeCastro was thrown from the motorcycle and then struck by Beltran, before he was able to stop his car. An investigation is ongoing and no criminal charges have been filed.

If you or someone you love was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash that you believe was caused by another party’s negligence, a good Florida motorcycle crash attorney can help you file a claim or lawsuit against the liable party or parties.

2006 Motorcycle Accidents Facts

• About 104,000 motorcycles were involved in traffic crashes.

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 4,810 motorcycle deaths.

• These deaths comprised 11% of all traffic deaths that year.

• 88,000 motorcyclists were injured.

Our Florida motorcycle crash law firm has law offices in Miami, Port St. Lucie, and West Palm Beach. Our personal injury and wrongful death lawyers work with experienced accident reconstructionists and medical experts to prove our clients’ cases so that they can receive the maximum recovery for their injuries and losses.

Motorcyclist killed in Pembroke Pines identified as Miami man, Sun-Sentinel.com, July 24, 2008
Florida State Motorcycle Laws, American Motorcyclist
The Hurt Report
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