Florida Accident Attorney Blog

If you drive a Toyota Matrix or Corolla model years 2005 to 2008 -- your car may be on Toyota's latest recall list.

Toyota Motor Corporation announced last week that it would recall more than one million Matrix hatchbacks and Corolla sedans due to potential for the engine stalling. The problem has been linked to a "defective engine control module" which could lead to difficult starting, shifting, or the cars stalling.

In the past year, Toyota has recalled some 10 million cars, trucks and SUVs for various safety issues -- including sudden acceleration, sticking gas pedals and faulty brakes -- some of which were linked in the news to deadly car accidents.

(See link to Miami, Florida newspaper site below for rundown of recent Toyota recalls.)

General Motors has also recalled the Pontiac Vibe -- a vehicle that resembles the Matrix and was built under a partnership between GM and Toyota -- for a similar problem.

A Miami car accident injury attorney keeps track of automotive recalls of vehicles, as well as car accessories such as tires -- particularly those safety recalls that may be linked to traffic accidents that have injured or killed drivers and other motorists or pedestrians.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has been investigating the engine issues in the Matrix and Corolla since late 2009, according to news reports.

Toyota models recalled over stalling problems
MiamiHerald.com Aug. 27, 2010

Key Toyota recalls in the last year
MiamiHerald.com Aug. 26, 2010

Related Web Resources

Toyota Recall Information

Recall Alert: Pontiac Vibe
Cars.com Blog Aug. 26, 2010

A boy walking home from school in Cape Coral, Florida was injured in a hit and run accident by a driver picking up his own child from Challenger Middle School.

According to news reports, the driver was traveling east on Trafalgar Parkway after 4 p.m. when his truck veered off the road, striking a boy walking home from school. The driver reportedly went home and then returned to the Cape Coral accident site to see if he'd hit a mailbox.

The child was treated at Cape Coral Hospital for injuries that occurred when the truck's passenger-side mirror struck him in the head. The driver was arrested and charged with DUI (driving under the influence) in a hit/run crash involving injury.

Children walking to and from school are vulnerable to pedestrian accidents, as are children getting on and off the schoolbus. The mother of the injured child in this case told the media that there were no sidewalks on the street where the Cape Coral - Ft Myers area traffic accident occurred.

A Fort Myers, Florida pedestrian accident attorney may be consulted by families seeking advice in traffic accident cases where negligence or recklessness may have led to injury or death.

DUI charges in after-school hit and run
ABC-7.com Aug. 25, 2010

Related Web Resource

SafeKids USA: Pedestrian Safety

South Florida drivers who own an older model Jeep Grand Cherokee should be aware of a safety investigation regarding the fuel tank.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation of approx. 3 million older Jeep Grand Cherokees, over concern that the fuel tanks may catch fire when the SUV is involved in a motor vehicle crash.

While an official safety recall has not been issued as of date, the safety investigation is looking at Jeep Grand Cherokees with model years 1993 to 2004. The reason: Center for Auto Safety records show that from 1992 to 2008, Jeep Grand Cherokees have been involved in 172 fatal traffic accidents with 254 deaths -- all involving fire. It remains unclear whether the fuel tanks are at fault in these fatal car accidents.

Fort Myers, Florida auto product liability lawyers keep track of car and SUV recalls and related automotive product recalls and investigations -- including tire recalls. All can affect the safety and well being of drivers on South Florida roads and highways.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Fuel Tanks Spark a Safety Probe
DailyFinance.com Aug. 24, 2010

Older Grand Cherokees In Federal Probe Over Fuel Fires
Wall Street Journal blog Aug. 25, 2010

Petition to Investigate and Recall Jeep Grand Cherokee (PDF)
Center for Auto Safety, Oct. 2009

The U.S. Dept. of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued its findings in a highly publicized Orlando, Florida accident that left a SeaWorld trainer dead.

The incident received international news coverage last February when a SeaWorld trainer, who had been working with a killer whale, was pulled underwater by the whale in front of a park audience. The trainer suffered injuries to her spine, head and ribs and died by drowning.

OSHA maintains Florida offices including one in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

OSHA is the same regulating agency that is called to investigate types of work-related accidents in South Florida, including construction accidents and accidents related to maritime law.

OSHA found SeaWorld to be in violation of three safety regulations and has fined the company $75,000 for allowing trainers to work with potentially dangerous animals. The case has raised many questions about the risks involved to trainers and other staff in working with large animals and whether it is humane to keep these creatures in captivity. OSHA stated that the same whale was involved in the death of another trainer in Canada.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida work accident lawyers may work with families in cases where an employer's negligence may have led to injury or death of an employee.

US Labor Department's OSHA cites SeaWorld of Florida following animal trainer's death
OSHA News Release Aug. 23, 2010

SeaWorld fined $75,000 for safety violations
CNN.com Aug. 23, 2010

Related Web Resource

OSHA Homepage

Flamboyent NBA icon and reality TV star Dennis Rodman walked away from a rollover SUV accident on I-95 near Fort Lauderdale, Florida last week.

The Miami Herald along with other news media ran an Associated Press report that Rodman was a passenger in a Range Rover traveling north on Interstate 95 in Broward County, Florida. According to the AP, Florida Highway Patrol stated that the SUV flipped over three times after experiencing some sort of tire problem. Passers-by reportedly helped Rodman out of the crashed SUV; he emerged without serious injuries, as did another female passenger in the car.

The SUV driver was reportedly taken to Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with non life-threatening injuries.

Mr. Rodman was fortunate to walk away from this SUV roll-over accident on a Florida highway. Ft Lauderdale, Florida SUV accident injury lawyers are aware that these types of roll-over SUV accidents -- which can happen in a heartbeat -- can be deadly. Research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has found that SUV and other roll-over vehicle accidents have a higher traffic accident fatality rate.

Defective tires and driving on aged tires can cause SUV roll overs and other serious car accidents.

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman escapes injury in Fort Lauderdale crash
MiamiHerald.com Aug. 1, 2010

Dennis Rodman in Car Accident
WTVY.com Aug. 1, 2010

Related Web Resources

HowStuffWorks: Roll Over Accidents Explained

SaferCar.gov: Rollover Crashes

University of Iowa Hawkeyes defensive end Adrian Clayborn has been named the no. 1 player in the The Big Ten Conference pre-season rankings, based on his past performance and his 2010 potential. It's a major accomplishment for any college athlete. What's remarkable is that Clayborn has overcome an Erbs Palsy birth injury to get to where he is today.

According to media reports, Clayborn suffered an Erb's palsy injury at birth that left his right arm weakened. Erb's palsy paralysis and other birth injuries can occur during difficult deliveries. Clayborn's mother told an Iowa newspaper that Adrian was a large baby (over 11 pounds) who became breeched during the birthing process. He suffered nerve damage that caused weakness in his right arm. Clayborn underwent physical therapy for most of his young life to regain strength and mobility in his injured arm -- and today is enjoying the results of that hard work.

As Fort Myers Florida Erbs Palsy injury attorneys, we work with families who have been affected by Erb's Palsy -- also referred to as shoulder dystocia. An Erb's palsy injury can occur when, for example, the baby's shoulder gets stuck behind the mother's pubic bone and the infant's neck bends in the birth canal, damaging a group of nerves surrounding the shoulder called the brachial plexus.

Experienced Florida birth injury lawyers may be consulted by families in cases where an Erb's Palsy injury may have been caused due to medical error or medical negligence.

Iowa's Adrian Clayborn Made Toughest Tackle of His Life off the Field
Bleacher Report July 24, 2010

Big Ten rankings: No. 1, Adrian Clayborn
ESPN.com July 6, 2010

Related Web Resources

Iowa Hawkeyes Player Bio: Adrian Clayborn

Google Health: Brachial Palsy

A British man, age 50, was killed late last month in a parasailing accident at a beach resort in Southern Turkey.

According to The Sun newspaper, the man was parasailing in tandem with his daughter at the Turkish vacation spot of Side when his harness broke. The man fell 150 feet to his death on the beach, below. His daughter, 25, was parasailing next to her father and talking with him when his harness failed. The young woman told news reporters that prior to the accident, she had concerns about the safety of her own parasailing harness, as "one of the clips on mine didn't look like it was clipped up properly."

Though this parasailing death occurred overseas, tragic accidents like it have happened in Florida and elsewhere in the U.S. What most consumers don't know is that despite parasailing accidents and deaths, the parasailing industry is largely unregulated.

An experienced Fort Myers parasailing accident lawyer knows the potential risks involved when Florida vacationers engage in what may seem like a breezy, thrilling adventure. Faulty or poorly maintained harnesses, ropes, and other equipment can lead to parasailing tragedies like the one described here. Parasail rides are offered by operators in a number of Florida beach communities including Clearwater, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami.

The Daily Mail reported that another tourist at the Turkish resort who had parasailed with the same tour company reported similar problems prior to the fatal accident that killed the 50-year-old British man. That parasailer, in his early 20s, stated that his harness had frayed while in flight -- forcing him to hold it together to prevent himself from falling. The British press and safety advocates are calling for tighter parasailing regulations at overseas vacation resorts.

Parasailing Dad Falls to His Death
The Sun July 29, 2010

Tourist 'came close to death' on same parasail tour which killed British tourist Glenn Hudson
Mail Online Aug. 1, 2010

Related Web Resource

How To Avoid a Parasailing Accident