Florida Accident Attorney Blog

The family of a teenager killed in a speeding related car crash in 2003 has been awarded $6 million by a jury in West Palm Beach, Florida.

According to the Palm Beach Post, driver Carlos Pozo is serving a 5.5 year sentence in adult prison for vehicular homicide in a fatal Palm Beach County car accident that took place in November 2003.

CBS News 12 reported that Mr. Pozo was driving his Acura at extreme speeds on residential roads in the Palm Beach Gardens' PGA National community, when he lost control of his vehicle, slamming into trees. Kaitlin Kazanjian, age 16, was ejected from her seatbelt by the impact and killed. News media reported that the car was cut in two.

The parents of Ms. Kazanjian pursued a civil lawsuit in a West Palm Beach, Florida court, they said, so that the story of their daughter and her lost potential could be told. The car crash victim's father is a sergeant in the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.

An experienced Palm Beach County injury lawyer is aware of the potentially fatal combination of motor vehicles, speeding and young drivers. A study by the AAA Foundation revealed that teenaged drivers do not have the life experience and judgment to handle vehicles at high rates of speed, particularly with friends in the car. (Source: Teen Crashes -- Everyone Is at Risk, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Feb. 2009.)

Jury awards $6 million to parents of 16-year-old killed in crash
Palm Beach Post June 12, 2010

Family of girl killed in crash awarded $6 million
CBS12.com June 12, 2010

Related Web Resource

Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller

A tow truck driver who'd stopped on the highway to assist a motorist with car trouble was struck and killed shortly after 11 p.m. Monday May 10 in West Miami-Dade, Florida.

According to news reports, the fatal West Miami-Dade highway traffic accident occurred near the Flagler St exit of the Palmetto Expressway south bound. Tow truck driver Nelson Hernandez, 58, had stopped to assist a disabled motorist when he was reportedly struck and killed by a white van.

News reports state that the driver of the white van in this fatal motor vehicle accident had initially driven away, but returned later to the accident scene. The Palmetto Expressway is also known as Florida state road 826 and is an alternate highway to I-95 to get around the greater Miami, Florida area.

No further information was available on this fatal South Florida highway accident. Investigators continue to examine the details surrounding what happened.

Miami, Florida car accident injury lawyers have knowledge pertaining to the traffic laws in place designed to protect emergency roadside workers such as tow truck drivers as well as police officers and road construction workers. The Florida Move Over Law was passed requiring motorists to slow down and change lanes if they see an emergency vehicle, construction workers, or a Florida Highway Patrol or other law enforcement officer or first responder stopped on the side of the road assisting a motorist. According to Move Over America, thousands of emergency responders are killed every year while doing their jobs on our nation's roads and highways by motorists who fail to slow down and avoid them.

Tow truck driver killed on the job
WSVN.com May 11, 2010

Related Web Resources

Towing and Recovery Association of America

Florida Move Over Law

Move Over America

Florida news media report that the Friday night death of a promising high school football star who fell over a hotel balcony rail was the second such fatal fall accident to occur in the past two weeks of Spring Break.

Police in Panama City Beach, Florida reported that Matthew James of Ohio, who had been recruited to play for Notre Dame, was on the balcony of a Days Inn hotel with several friends when he reportedly went over the rail and fell to his death. Witnesses told police that James may have been leaning over the railing and arguing with another hotel guest on another balcony before the accident occurred. While the investigation remains ongoing, police believe alcohol may have been involved in James' death.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that unintentional injuries is the leading cause of death for young people under age 30. The CDC lists a number of potential hazards to teens' and college students' safety during spring break in Florida and other vacation destinations, particularly when alcohol is involved. These include drunk driving accidents, sexually transmitted diseases, acts of violence, swimming pool accidents, and other causes of injury and drowning death including boating accidents and personal watercraft accidents.

Spring Breaker Death-Update
WJHG.com April 3, 2010

Matt James, Notre Dame Recruit, Dies in Fall From Hotel Balcony
SportsIllustrated.com April 3, 2010

Related Web Resource

CDC: Spring Break Health and Safety Tips

The son of a wealthy Chicago area family is being held without bail in a Broward County, Florida jail in connection with a hit and run pedestrian car accident last year that left two British businessmen dead.

According to news reports, Ryan LeVin, 35, was arrested at his condominium on South Ocean Lane in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Levin is the son of a wealthy Illinois family in the jewelry business. He became the subject of media attention surrounding his involvement in a fatal Fort Lauderdale hit-and-run motor vehicle accident that occurred in Feb. 2009.

Police stated that LeVin's Porsche sports car was driving along State Road A1A near Fort Lauderdale beach when it jumped the curb, striking and killing two British businessmen as they walked to their hotel. Pedestrian accident victims Craig Elford, 39, and Kenneth Watkinson, 48, were in America recruiting staff for their pharmaceutical business. LeVin has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide as well as leaving the scene of an accident causing death. LeVin, whom the media reports has a long history of multiple traffic violations, has denied being behind the wheel at the time of the accident. His friend, Derek Cook, surrendered to authorities this week and has been charged with being an accessory for helping LeVin hide the damaged Porsche, as well as for aggravated fleeing and eluding.

Florida Pedestrian-Car Accident Statistics

Fort Lauderdale, Florida hit and run injury lawyers are familiar with state and federal laws designed to keep pedestrians and bicyclists safe on our streets and roadways. The LeVin case has received considerable media attention due to the wealth and status of the accused driver; it is one Florida pedestrian traffic accident among many more that add up to 490 pedestrians being killed in Florida in one year (2008 statistic from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). In addition, NHTSA reports that...

• Nationally, one in five pedestrian-car accident fatalities is caused by a hit-and-run driver


• Of the 10 most dangerous cities in the country for pedestrian traffic accident injury and fatality, 5 are located in Florida

For background on the case, see previous blog entry: Lawsuit Filed in Fatal Fort Lauderdale Hit and Run Pedestrian Accident

Hit-and-run suspect Ryan LeVin ordered held without bail
Sun-Sentinel.com March 17, 2010

US heir Ryan LeVin charged over deaths of Britons
The Independent March 17, 2010

Porsche driver jailed in Florida hit-and-run
ChicagoBreakingNews.com March 17, 2010

Fort Lauderdale, Florida police are seeking a black late model SUV, possibly American made, in connection with a hit and run car accident that injured two pedestrians, leaving one with a life-threatening head trauma.

According to South Florida news reports, 65-year-old Carolyn Bianco of Fort Lauderdale and her friend, 62-year-old Victoria Kirby, were attempting to cross busy Las Olas Blvd near Southeast 11th Ave last Weds. night around 7:30 pm, near several restaurants. Witnesses told the press that as the women were crossing Las Olas Boulevard in the crosswalk, a dark-colored SUV hit them and sped off.

Ms. Bianco was taken to Broward General Medical Center with a serious head injury resulting from this Fort Lauderdale traffic pedestrian accident. Ms. Kirby sustained minor injuries and was released from the hospital. The family of Ms. Bianco is appealing to the public for anyone with information about this hit-and-run traffic accident in Fort Lauderdale to come forward. Broward County, Florida Crime Stoppers has asked anyone with information to call them at 954-493-TIPS (8477).

Fort Lauderdale pedestrian injury lawyers work with families whose members have been injured or killed by reckless or negligent drivers, including pedestrians and motorists who have been hurt in drunk driving accidents.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 490 pedestrians were killed in Florida car pedestrian crashes in 2008 (Source: NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Florida 2004-2008). In this case, Fort Lauderdale Police are examining pieces of the SUV left behind at the traffic accident scene in hopes of determining the make and model of the car, and finding the driver responsible for injuring two women pedestrians.

Family of woman critically injured in Fort Lauderdale hit-and-run pleads for help
SunSentinel.com March 17, 2010

Police Search for SUV Driver Who Hit Two Women & Fled
NBCMiami.com March 12, 2010

Hit and run injures 2 women
WSVN.com March 11, 2010

Related Web Resource

Broward County Florida Crime Stoppers

South Florida's pain management clinics have come under increased scrutiny in connection with the illegal pill trade and trafficking of Oxycontin and other powerful prescription drugs.

The office of State Attorney Michael McAuliffe of Palm Beach County, Florida, is hosting a summit in West Palm Beach to look at the growing problem of pain clinics, drug trafficking, and prescription drug abuse. The Prescription Drug Abuse and Pain Clinic Summit, held in late Feb., will bring together medical officials, law enforcement personnel, and policymakers to examine the problem.

Last year, several pain management clinics in Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach County and Broward County, Florida, came under investigation for illegally selling prescription drugs. (See Florida Elder Care Alert: Fort Lauderdale, Broward & Palm Beach County Pain Clinics Scrutinized.) SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) reports that drug abuse among senior citizens is on the rise, as the Baby Boom generation ages.

Florida medication error lawyers have knowledge pertaining to product liability, prescription drugs, and medical malpractice as they all impact the care of our senior citizens.

Overdose of powerful prescription pain drugs such as opioids can lead to wrongful death. Experts at the Feb. 2010 Summit, which will be held Clayton Hutcheson Agricultural Center in West Palm Beach, will discuss legislation for greater self-regulation in the Florida medical industry.

West Palm Beach summit takes look at prescription drug abuse, pain clinics
Sun-Sentinel.com Feb. 22, 2010

Drug Use Rising Among Seniors; Baby Boomers Continue Using, SAMHSA Says
Jan. 11, 2010

Related Web Resources

Florida State Attorney Michael F. McAuliffe, Palm Beach County, Florida

American Academy of Pain Medicine

Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, issued a patient update on its website regarding the case of a nurse who reused IV tubes and bags on cardiac stress-test patients -- possibly exposing them to blood borne diseases such as Hepatitis B and C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

The case came to light last fall when news media reported that a nurse at the South Florida medical center had been reusing lengths of IV tubing and bags on cardiac patients who submitted to intravenous stress tests between Jan. 2004 and Sept. 2009. (See Medical Liability Raised in Broward General Hospital Contaminated Blood Case: Fort Lauderdale, Florida Police Investigating).

Broward General issued a patient notice update on its website Feb. 15, 2010, on how many potentially affected patients had been contacted by certified mail to come in for screenings; how many had confirmed receipt; along with other patient communication data related to this case. According to the medical center website, 1,851 patients may have been exposed to disease by this nurse's actions. Patients are being voluntarily tested for HIV, and Hepatitis B and C. The medical center reports that to date, 929 patient test results had been received from LabCorp.

Though Broward General states that the nurse responsible for reusing IV equipment in pharmalogical stress tests acted independently, many questions about medical liability and negligence surround this troubling case. The medical center website states that after Feb. 15, 2010, updates on patient notice efforts will be posted every other week.

Fort Lauderdale medical negligence attorneys familiar with the Broward General Medical Center case in South Florida work with patients and families whose members may have contracted serious diseases due to practices not in keeping with proper medical protocols and sterile procedures.

Broward General Patient Notice Update: Feb. 15, 2010

Broward General Chemical Stress Test Issue

Concerns about the quality and safety of Toyota vehicles continue to mount, as the car manufacturer issues yet another safety recall -- this time for the four-wheel drive 2010 Tacoma pickup truck.

There is concern that the front drive shaft in some 2010 Tacoma trucks could be cracked -- an equipment manufacturing defect that could lead to malfunction and loss of vehicle control, which in turn could cause serious car and truck accidents.

The Tacoma recall is just the latest in a series of public safety and public relations problems for Toyota, which has been in the headlines since late last year when news of fatal car accidents blamed on faulty gas pedals came to light. An additional braking problem with hybrids such as the Prius prompted an additional recall -- while Toyota had shut down manufacturing and tried to come up with fixes for millions of vehicles.

Florida truck accident attorneys with experience handling product liability and defective auto parts cases monitor safety recalls such as this one closely. The Toyota Tacoma recall is a voluntary recall for owners to bring their trucks to a dealer for the drive shaft to be inspected and repaired, if needed. The Toyota website states that owners of affected vehicles will be notified by mail beginning in March.

Pickup trucks used to be mainly driven by construction workers and others who needed a powerful vehicle to haul equipment and supplies for work purposes. Now pickup trucks with modern comforts and amenities, such as the Toyota Tacoma, are driven by many people who simply like to drive trucks -- whether for off-roading, commuting to work, taxiing the family, or pulling trailers for recreational activities such as boating. If you live in Florida and are driving a 2010 Toyota Tacoma, contact your local dealer or visit Toyota.com for more information.

Truck recall adds to Toyota's troubles
AFP, Yahoo! News Feb. 13, 2010

Toyota Extends Recall To 2010 Tacoma Trucks
AP, Fox40News.com Feb. 12, 2010

Toyota Announces Voluntary Recall on 8,000 2010 Model Year Tacoma 4WD Trucks to Inspect the Front Drive Shaft
Toyota.com News Release, Feb. 12, 2010

Related Web Resources

Toyota.com: 2009-2010 Recall List

Toyota.com: Tacoma

Florida drivers with a Honda in the garage can now share in Toyota owners' headaches and safety concerns, as they all flock to auto dealers for recall repairs. This week Honda recalled hundreds of thousands of cars due to concerns about potentially dangerous airbags. Honda issued a news release stating that the airbags could inflate with too much pressure -- enough force to rupture the air bag casing, which could cause serious personal injury or even death.

Toyota's latest safety recall involves its popular hybrid model, Prius -- which reportedly has a glitch in the braking system. Owners report the brakes fail to engage immediately when applied over rough roads, which could lead to serious auto accidents. The Prius recall adds to the public relations nightmare for Toyota, which hit news headlines late last year for problems with gas pedals becoming ensnared in floor mats.

The Toyota gas pedal recall expanded to millions of cars, trucks, and SUVs earlier this year, with reports of gas pedals being slow to rise when drivers try to decelerate their vehicles.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida product liability lawyers with experience in personal injury cases involving defective auto parts are watching these latest consumer recalls carefully. CNN reports that there are already several lawsuits in the works against Toyota, as nervous consumers wonder if the car in their driveway is safe to drive.

Honda recalls 438,000 cars for airbag hazard
CNN.com Feb. 10, 2010

Toyota Recall -- Special Coverage
CNN.com Feb. 9, 2010

Related Web Resources

Toyota Recall Information

Statement by American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Regarding Expansion of Driver's Airbag Inflator Recall
Honda News Release, Feb. 9, 2010

A teenage boy is recovering from a New Year's Eve single-car rollover traffic accident in Plantation, Florida, that claimed the lives of two of his teenage friends.

According to the Sun Sentinel, Plantation Police reported that the fatal car crash happened on New Year's Eve around 8 p.m. on Sunrise Blvd. A black Hyundai was traveling west at a high rate of speed when the driver lost control and struck a brick sign. CBS4 News reported that the sign was at the Plantation Technology Park complex.

Eighteen-year-old David Naboretti from Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, was able to escape the wreckage. He was transported to Broward General Medical Center for treatment. His friends, 18-year-old Ledaaron Sweeting, of North Lauderdale, and 17-year-old John F. Smith, also of Lauderdale Lakes, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Plantation, Florida, auto accident lawyers may be consulted by families who have questions about liability in single-car accidents where death or injury to drivers, passengers, and pedestrians have occurred.

The name of the driver of the car in this fatal South Florida traffic accident has not been released. Police are investigating whether drugs and/or alcohol played a factor leading up to the holiday crash.

Teen recovering from New Year's Eve wreck
Sun-Sentinel.com Jan. 3, 2010

Car Crashes Into Sign In Plantation, Two Men Die
CBS4.com Dec. 31, 2009

Related Web Resources

Teen Driving: Drive with Care
2009 Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

Teen Crashes: Everyone Is at Risk (PDF doc)
AAA Foundation Report 2009

Florida consumers should be wary of any toys purchased or received as holiday presents that may pose safety hazards to children. The U.S. Federation of State Public Interest Research Groups (US PIRG) has published the 24th Trouble in Toyland report and interactive website that allows parents to search for toys that may cause personal injury to children (see links to resources below).

In addition to monitoring child product liability recalls posted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the US PIRG lists toys still on store shelves that could pose danger to children. The group's website states that toys on their list may pose choking hazards, emit overly loud sounds, or contain potentially toxic chemicals.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida product liability lawyers keep up-to-date on recalls including toys and other products that could be harmful to children. In addition to toys being recalled for safety hazards in 2009, a number of other child product related recalls made headlines:

> The Dorel Juvenile Group recalled 447,000 infant car seat carriers with the Disney and Eddie Bauer logos, due to risk of the seat carrying handles breaking.

> The Consumer Product Safety Commission renewed its recall of Simplicity Drop Side Cribs (first recalled in 2007) after another child death occurred, bringing the total to 11 child deaths. The 2009 recall states that babies may suffocate if they become trapped by the sides of the crib, which drop down to allow access.

> In a related drug product recall, Proctor & Gamble recalled 700,000 packages of Vicks Dayquil Gel Caps because the packaging was not child proof.

Baby car seat carriers recalled
Gainsville.com Dec. 19, 2009

CPSC: Simplicity Drop Side Cribs Recalled by Retailers Due to Risk of Death from Suffocation
CPSC.gov July 2009

Vicks Dayquil recalled because packaging isn't child-proof
CNN.com Dec. 18, 2009

Related Web Resources

U.S. PIRG websites:

Toy Safety homepage

Toy Safety database and unsafe toys 2009 list

Consumer Product Safety Commission child product recalls

A CBS News investigation revealed that China may not be the only country that has manufactured defective drywall construction products, which have made hundreds of Floridians and other homeowners in southern states sick -- and left their homes in shambles. Some have even abandonned their homes, which they feel are no longer safe or fit to live in.

Chinese drywall manufacturers have been under scrutiny since earlier this year, when homeowners in communities such as West Palm Beach, Florida, began noticing foul-smelling fumes emitting from their walls. (See related blog item from April '09, South Florida Construction Product Liability: Faulty Chinese Drywall to Be Tested.

The CBS report, released last month, asserts that some U.S. companies may also be responsible for manufacturing faulty dry wall that crumbles and gives off noxious, foul-smelling, sickening fumes. The defective product also causes electrical wiring to corrode. To add insult to injury, some home owners are reporting that their insurance companies are not only denying their claims for damage caused by the faulty drywall, but they are cancelling their homeowners' policies. And because scam artists like to prey on people in desperate circumstances, the Federal Trade Commission issued an alert in Dec. warning homeowners against fraudulent offers of faulty drywall tests (see link below).

A number of lawsuits have been filed on behalf of homeowners against American construction product manufacturers, including Georgia Pacific and National Gypsum.

Florida product liability lawyers are familiar with laws and regulations as they relate to the manufacture of construction products such as drywall used to build homes. Drywall became popular in the 1950s as an inexpensive and lightweight construction material, used as an alternative to plaster for framing walls.

Beware of Bogus Tests, Inspections, and Fixes for Damaged Drywall
Federal Trade Commission, Dec. 11, 2009

Homeowners Charge U.S. Made Toxic Drywall
CBSNews.com Nov. 23, 2009

Related Web Resources

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Drywall Information Center

Florida Dept. of Public Health: Dry Wall

The Associated Press reported that some 300 guests at a luxury Miami, Florida hotel have been evacuated following the death of one guest who is believed to have contracted Legionnaire's disease from drinking city-supplied water. Two other guests reportedly became ill.

The Miami Herald reported that on Sunday, guests of the EPIC Hotel were relocated to other nearby facilities to avoid any further spread of what is believe to be Legionnaires' Disease -- also known as Legionellosis and Pontiac Fever. According to the CDC website, Legionnaires' Disease is associated with travel and may occur in hotels or on cruise ships.

Miami, Florida premises liability lawyers are well versed in safety regulations in place to protect hotel guests such as tourists and conference attendees from harm, illness, or personal injury, while staying at or visiting a commercial establishment.

The Miami Herald reported that the Epic Hotel had a water filtration system designed to reduce chlorine in the water, which may have allowed bacteria to grow. The tourist who died from Legionnaire's Disease was European and had stayed at the hotel in September before embarking on a cruise, only to be rushed back to the hospital, where he died. Two other European visitors contracted the disease in November.

The Miami-Dade County Health Department and state officials are investigating. The Herald reported county officials as stating that no action was taken until this month due to "inefficient international communication channels." The Epic hotel was determined to be the common element between the tourist who died and the other two who became sick.

300 hotel guests relocated after bacteria kills 1
Associated Press, Yahoo! News Dec. 14, 2009

Tourist killed by hotel water
MiamiHerald.com Dec. 13, 2009

Related Web Resources

Epic Hotel

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
Legionellosis Resource Site

Miami Dade Health Department

A Florida Turnpike road worker was killed early last week when he was struck by a dump truck at a construction site. The Fort Lauderdale highway accident occurred near the Commercial Boulevard exit ramp, where work to widen the road was taking place in the northbound lanes.

According to news reports, this fatal construction accident occurred around 3 a.m. on Tues. Dec. 8. Florida Highway Patrol reported that Arturo Moradiellos, 64, was working with the Community Asphalt Corp. construction crew. Moradiellos was standing in back of a dump truck when it backed up over him.

FHP reports that a preliminary investigation of this Florida Turnpike death showed that the backup alarm on the dump truck was working, but the victim failed to hear it. Alcohol did not appear to be a factor. The driver of the dump truck was part of the same road crew as his colleague who was killed.

Fort Lauderdale construction accident lawyers realize the dangers inherent in road construction work. Such projects often work overnight, in tight spaces, to minimize lane closures and traffic congestion for the thousands of commuters and vacationers who travel the Florida Turnpike daily.

Highway construction workers are also at risk of being struck by motor vehicles that swerve into the construction site. This fatal Fort Lauderdale, Florida highway accident remains under investigation.

Turnpike Construction Worker Killed On The Job
CBS4.com Dec. 8, 2009

FHP: Turnpike worker killed in accident
MiamiHerald.com Dec. 8, 2009

Related Web Resources

Federal Highway Administration: Work Zone Safety

National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse

A Fort Myers, Florida traffic accident involving a school bus claimed the lives of two men last week. According to the Miami Herald, on the morning of Thurs. Dec. 3, Adrian Nunez-Romero, age 30, and Elfego Mercado-Quintana, age 28, were killed when their vehicle struck a school bus.

The Herald reported this was the area's second fatal accident involving a school bus in just more than a week, and at least the third schoolbus accident to happen that week.

On Mon. Nov. 30, another Ft Myers traffic accident sent a trainee school bus driver to the hospital with work-related injuries. No further details were available on these South Florida motor vehicle crashes involving schoolbuses.

Florida School Bus Safety
Fort Myers, Fla. truck accident lawyers are knowledgeable about safety regulations governing the operation of commercial motor vehicles, including school buses used to transport children and teenagers to and from school. School buses are also sometimes used to transport other non-school groups, such as senior citizens and church groups.

School bus safety is always a concern for Florida parents, as young children getting on and off the schoolbus may be more vulnerable to car and pedestrian accidents.

2 men killed in Fort Myers crash with school bus
Associated Press, Miami Herald Dec. 4, 2009

Related Web Resources

NHTSA School Bus Safety Program

School Bus Information Council

Florida Weekly published a report stating that Charlotte County and Lee County, Florida, are among the most dangerous places in the nation for motor vehicle / bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents. The article states that, "Traveling without a motor vehicle here can be more dangerous than almost anywhere else in the United States...."

The author, who references Transportation for America's recently released "Dangerous by Design" traffic engineering report, quotes a number of Floridians involved in Southwest Florida pedestrian accidents as well as car and bike accidents.

The "Dangerous by Design" study examined safety issues on roadways that were designed for motor vehicles but not for other vehicles (such as bicycles) or walkers. Florida Weekly cites some sobering facts that emerged from the study...

> Of the 360 most dangerous places for cyclists and walkers in the U.S. -- Lee County, Florida, is no. 23.

> Though it's the safest urban place to walk in Southwest Florida, the Naples-Marco Island region is still twice as deadly for pedestrians when compared to the national average.

> Charlotte County, Florida is the most dangerous place in the state to travel on foot.

In their work with injured people and bereaved families, Fort Myers, Florida car accident lawyers witness the tragic results of what can happen when car, SUV, van, or truck accidents involve bicyclists or pedestrians.

The BikeWalkLee group seeks to make Lee County, Florida streets safer for those on bicycles or on foot by urging transportation planners to finish street construction with bike paths, sidewalks, and signage that promote safe travel for all. The group's website states that, "Florida is ranked #1 in the nation for both bicycle and pedestrian fatalities per capita in 2007." Florida pedestrian deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents amounted to 490 deaths in 2008 and 530 deaths in 2007 (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Traffic Safety Facts Florida 2004 - 2008).

Southwest Florida's Deadly Streets
FloridaWeekly.com Dec. 3, 2009

Related Web Resources

Transportation for America: Dangerous by Design

BikeWalkLee

West Palm Beach and Delray Beach, Florida were the sites of two separate fatal traffic accidents that claimed the lives of two elderly Florida pedestrians within a 24-hour period.

According to news reports, on Weds. Nov. 12, Mona Radowsky of West Palm Beach, Florida, whose age has been reported as 81 or 91, was struck by a Toyota as she walked north across the westbound lanes of Okeechobee Blvd. This car - pedestrian accident occurred around 6:30 p.m. in the evening.

On the evening of Tues. Nov. 11, Charles Meyer of Delray Beach -- an Alzheimer's patient who had been reported missing shortly before the accident -- was struck and killed by a northbound Chrysler that had a green light. News reports state that Mr. Meyer was walking across the intersection of South Military Trail and Via Del Ray.

A West Palm Beach car accident lawyer is familiar with Florida traffic laws and safety regulations designed to keep pedestrians safe. No further details were available on these two fatal Florida car and pedestrian accidents.

Florida Traffic and Pedestrian Accident Statistics
According to NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Florida 2004-2008, of the total 2,978 state traffic deaths in 2008, 490 were pedestrian fatalities. This statistic was down from 530 pedestrian traffic fatalities in 2007. NHTSA reports that in 2007, older people (over age 65) represented 19 percent of all pedestrian fatalities (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts 2007 Data: Older Population).

Fatal car accident near West Palm kills pedestrian, 91
SunSentinel.com Nov. 12, 2009

Two pedestrians killed in separate accidents
CBS12.com Nov. 12, 2009

Related Web Resource

NHTSA Traffic Safety: Pedestrian Programs

Broward General Medical Center has issued a patient notice update regarding the investigation of a Broward Medical nurse who reused IV bags and tubes on cardiac stress test patients.

A Nov. 9, 2009 update posted on the Fort Lauderdale, Florida based Broward Medical Center's website (see link below) reports that 1,851 patients were sent certified letters notifying them of possible exposure to diseases due to the nurse's alleged misuse of IV equipment. The hospital asked patients to call a hotline and come in for testing. Of that group 1,172 responded to the letter and 804 have received preliminary test results.

The hospital website states that it plans to send a second round of letters to patients who may have been affected and have not responded to the first mailing. Broward Medical is testing them for 3 bloodborne infections: hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV.

Background on the Broward General Medical Center Investigation in Florida
Registered Nurse Qui Lan, 59, is charged with reusing intravenous bags and tubing on patients undergoing chemical cardiac stress tests at Broward Medical Center between January 2004 and September 2009. In October 2009, and the hospital notified 1,851 patients who may have been exposed to blood diseases due as a result of Nurse Lan's actions.

The details of possible Florida medical malpractice and/or criminal negligence in this case remain under investigation. Police were looking into whether criminal charges would be filed against the nurse, who resigned in Sept. after details of the case came to light. The hospital website states that the nurse "acted on her own." The Florida Dept. of Health and CDC were notified.

A Fort Lauderdale, Florida medical error lawyer familiar with the Broward Medical Center nurse investigation may advise families and patients who are concerned about exposure to diseases resulting from improper use and handling of IV tubes and bags.

Broward General Patient Notice Update: Nov. 9, 2009

Nurse accused of reusing equipment; patients warned
CNNHealth.com Oct. 8, 2009

Related Web Resources

Florida Department of Health

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Diseases & Conditions

A South Fort Myers High teen from San Carlos Park, Florida was hospitalized after being struck by an SUV while riding his bicycle along busy U.S. 41.

According to news reports, 15-year-old Todd Beland was airlifted to Lee Memorial Hospital earlier this week after being struck and injured in a Lee County traffic accident. Police told the press that teens were cycling in and out of traffic on the heavily traveled highway, when Beland was struck by a car that could not stop in time.

The Fort Myers car bike accident occurs as a national safety study just released ranks the Lee County, Florida metropolitan area as no. 23 among the nation's most dangerous locales for preventable fatal pedestrian accidents.

Florida Most Dangerous State for Car and Pedestrian Accidents
Often the conditions that make some roadways more prone to bicycle accidents are similar to those that contribute to pedestrian accidents. NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Florida 2004-2008 reports that 490 pedestrians were killed in Florida traffic accidents in 2008. The Dangerous by Design study released by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Transportation for America campaign (see link below) lists the top three most dangerous metro areas in the U.S. for pedestrians as Orlando, Tampa, and Miami, Florida.

A Fort Myers, Florida pedestrian and bike accident lawyer may by consulted in cases where a cyclist or person on foot is injured or killed due to an aggressive or reckless driver, and/or because someone was driving under the influence (Florida drunk driving accidents).

San Carlos Park teen hit by car
WINK News, Nov. 9, 2009

Transportation for America: Dangerous by Design
Solving the Epidemic of Preventable Pedestrian Deaths (and Making Great Neighborhoods)

Related Web Resource

Federal Highway Administration: Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety

OSHA has fined the construction company involved in a Broward County, Florida crane accident that claimed the life of a 43-year-old father of three earlier in the year.

The fatal construction accident occurred June 16 in Pompano Beach, Florida, where Albert Phillips of Coconut Creek was working on a project to shore up a seawall at Lighthouse Point. A crane fell and pinned Mr. Phillips' legs. Mr. Phillips was taken to North Broward Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The crane operator took a leave of absence from the job.

The construction company involved in this deadly crane accident has been fined over $18,000 for safety regulation violations. OSHA -- the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration -- fined Ray Qualmann Marine Construction Inc. for failure to conduct proper safety inspections that may have revealed weak points in the equipment, and for allowing a worker not trained on this type of crane to operate the equipment. The construction company disputed some but not all of OSHA violations levelled against them.

A Fort Lauderdale construction accident lawyer familiar with liability laws and worker safety regulations may be consulted by families in construction accident cases such as this. Sometimes issues surrounding worker training and the responsibility of construction site subcontractors is called into question, when an accident takes the life of someone who left home to do their job, and did not return. Sometimes cases also involve Florida workers' compensation.

Crane operation and construction site safety is a priority area for NIOSH -- the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. While overall work related deaths in the U.S. have declined over the past year (including in the construction industry -- where deaths declined by 20 percent), 5,071 workers in 2008 lost their lives as a result of doing their jobs. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2008, reported Aug. 2009)

Pompano Beach company fined in fatal crane accident
South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com Nov. 4, 2009

Related Web Resources

NIOSH Alert: Preventing Worker Injuries and Death from Mobile Crane Tip-Over, Boom Collapse, and Uncontrolled Hoisted Loads (PDF)

NIOSH Construction Safety

South Florida Associated General Contractors: Safety