Florida Accident Attorney Blog

A West Palm Beach news source reports that a four-year-old was killed when he was run over by a truck that was driving on a beach in Central Florida.

According to Florida Highway Patrol, the child, Aiden Patrick, was at New Smyrna Beach with his parents on Sunday afternoon when he was struck and killed by a Dodge pickup truck that was driving along the beach. Preliminary reports stated that the truck accident may have occurred because the driver did not see the child.

Florida Beach Driving Accidents

The Palm Beach Post reports that in the past 5 years in Volusia County, Florida, at least 40 beach-goers have been struck in motor vehicle accidents on the beach with more than half of the accident victims suffering serious personal injury.

Allowing cars and trucks to drive on the beach in the United States and in certain Florida locales, such as the Daytona area, is controversial -- due to the risk of catastrophic pedestrian accidents as well the impact on the coastal environment and wildlife. Volusia County regulates beach driving by designating beaches into three zones -- urban, transitional, and natural zones -- and by limiting when cars and trucks can drive on the beach to certain times and months of the year.

West Palm Beach injury lawyers have knowledge regarding Florida traffic laws put in place to keep pedestrians safe. The tradition of beach driving in Florida is tied to NASCAR and the Daytona International Speedway.

Pickup runs over, kills 4-year-old on Central Florida beach
Palm Beach Post July 19, 2010

Related Web Resources

Volusia County Beach Safety: Beach Driving and Parking

Coastal A - Z : Beach Driving

A North Fort Myers, Florida man has been charged in a hit and run accident from May 10 that seriously injured a Fort Myers bicyclist.

According to news reports, 22-year-old David Mustonen was riding his bicycle home from his restaurant job around 1 a.m. when he was struck by a pickup truck, which fled the accident scene. The Fort Myers traffic accident occurred on Bayshore Road near Glick Drive. Bicyclist Mustonen was hospitalized in intensive care for three days at Lee Memorial Hospital with serious personal injuries.

Florida Highway Patrol reports that a witness tip led investigators to a damaged white 1994 Ford F-150 pickup truck parked in a local supermarket parking lot. After an investigation that lasted several weeks, state troopers arrested Richard Clem, age 54, of North Fort Myers, Florida. Clem is charged with leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident that caused bodily injury.

Fort Myers truck accident injury lawyers may be consulted by injured parties and their families if an accident may have been caused due to the negligence and recklessness of another driver.

Bicyclists, like motorcycle riders and their passengers, are particularly vulnerable to serious injury when involved in Florida traffic accidents with cars, trucks, and SUVs. Florida bicycle accident injury attorneys are familiar with the safety laws in place designed to help bicyclists and motorists share the roads safely.

N. Fort Myers man charged in hit-and-run crash
ABC-7.com July 2, 2010

FHP finds suspect vehicle in hit & run case
NBC-2.com May 13, 2010

Related Web Resource

NHTSA Bicycle Safety Portal

According to Miami, Florida new reports, a pedestrian was struck and fatally injured this past weekend in a multi-vehicle traffic accident involving a van and a county bus.

Miami-Dade Police reported that a fatal pedestrian accident occurred Sunday night after 8 p.m. in Northwest Miami Dade at the intersection of 22nd Ave. and Northwest 62nd St. Details of the fatal Miami car crash are emerging:

CBS4 news reports that a witness who was on the Miami Dade Transit bus involved in the accident stated that a van ran through a red traffic light, causing the bus to veer off course. In addition, WSVN-TV news of Miami / Fort Lauderdale reports that Miami-Dade Police stated that the van involved in the traffic accident hit the pedestrian and another vehicle, sending the pedestrian into the path of the oncoming Miami-Dade County transit bus.

Miami, Florida pedestrian accident lawyers may be consulted by families in cases where the reckless or negligent driving of another party causes injury or death to a pedestrian on South Florida's streets. According to Transportation for America's recent Dangerous by Design study, Miami, Florida ranks among the top most hazardous four cities in the country where pedestrians are most at risk for injury or death in traffic accidents.

Police are investigating the cause of this multi car accident in Miami that took the life of a pedestrian. Charges may be filed against the driver of the van if this chain reaction car crash is revealed to be a drunk-driving accident. The name of the pedestrian killed in the Miami traffic crash has not been released.

Pedestrian Struck & Killed In Northwest Miami-Dade
CBS4.com March 28, 2010

Pedestrian struck by multiple vehicles
WSVN.com March 28, 2010

Related Web Resources

Florida Dept. of Transportation: Pedestrian Bike Safety Program

U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration: Bicycle and Pedestrian Program

Transportation for America: Dangerous by Design

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

An Illinois resident originally from North Fort Myers, Florida was sentenced to 2 years in prison following a pedestrian car accident that left a Cape Coral boy with serious injuries.

According to news reports, three-year old Gage Root suffered several broken bones and other serious injuries in Oct. of 2008, when he jumped out of a child's wagon being pulled by his aunt and ran across a construction site on Del Prado Blvd near Kismet Pkway. The boy was struck and dragged by a vehicle that did not stop at the accident scene. Police identified the maroon Lincoln involved in the Florida hit-and-run crash as belonging to Kenneth W. Upmann, 43.

News reports state that Upmann had left Florida during the police investigation, but tips led authorities to his location in Warren, Illinois. He was extradited back to Florida. Last week, a Lee Circuit Court judge gave Upmann a plea deal of two years in prison and three years probation.

Fort Myers pedestrian accident lawyers follow cases such as this where people out for a walk in Florida are seriously injured or killed by hit and run drivers. A study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration revealed that hit-and-run drivers are responsible for roughly one-fifth of all traffic-related pedestrian accidents, which killed 4,882 pedestrians in 2001. (Source: Pedestrian Roadway Fatalities, NHTSA Technical Report, April 2003.)

Construction zone accidents are unfortunately not all that uncommon. Safety advocates advise pedestrians, motorists, police, flaggers and road workers at construction sites to use extra caution to avoid car-pedestrian accidents.

(See related blog entry Report Sheds Light on South Florida Highway Construction Zone Accidents & Deaths).

Man accused of running over Cape Coral boy strikes plea deal
News-Press.com Jan. 14, 2010

Suspect in Hit-and-Run Accident from October Arrested in Illinois
CapeCoral.net May 8, 2009

This past week has been particularly dangerous and deadly on Fort Myers, Florida, area roads and highways. Florida Highway Patrol and news sources reported the following traffic accidents:

• On Tuesday, a car accident with a school bus occurred in Fort Myers Shores at Parkview and 5th Street, injuring three students and the bus driver. The driver of the motor vehicle that struck the schoolbus faces charges.
• On Monday, Nicholas Contessa, age 58, of Fort Myers, Florida, was killed on I-75 when he lost control of his vehicle following a tire blowout accident. The victim's car was the only vehicle involved in this fatal Florida highway rollover accident.
• Last Friday, a pedestrian was killed in North Fort Myers, Florida, in a hit-and-run accident on West North Shore Ave and Business 41. Police were seeking the driver of a white van involved in this fatal pedestrian traffic accident in Lee County, Florida.

Fort Myers, Florida car accident lawyers may be consulted in cases where negligent or reckless driving may have contributed to serious traffic accidents resulting in injury or death.

Accident in Fort Myers Shores injures four
NBC-2.com Jan. 12, 2010

Victim in fatal Fort Myers I-75 crash identified
NewsPress.com Jan. 11, 2010

One person dead in North Fort Myers accident
NBC-2.com Jan. 8, 20108

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

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

A traffic accident this past week in Lee County, Florida, has left a construction worker with a broken arm.

The Florida car - pedestrian accident happened on Thurs. Oct. 29 on a stretch of Interstate 75 undergoing road expansion work in Lee County. The accident occurred on the northbound side of I-75 between the Daniels Parkway and Alico Rd. exits, just past 3 a.m. Florida Highway Patrol took a male driver into custody after he struck a highway worker and fled the scene.

The driver was apprehended by police after searching the woods surrounding the accident scene. He will be charged with driving under the influence (DUI) and leaving the scene of an accident. (In Florida, the legal blood alcohol concentration limit is .08) The injured construction worker was taken to Gulf Coast Medical Center for treatment and released.

A Florida construction site accident lawyer is familiar with the laws in place designed to protect highway workers and law enforcement officials from this type of motor vehicle/pedestrian accident.

Florida Highway Construction Accidents
Construction work accidents where road workers are injured or killed by motorists are unfortunately not all that uncommon. Construction workers doing their jobs in or on the sides of the highway or roadway are vulnerable, particularly at night. Earlier this year, a traffic accident in Bonita Springs, Florida, on I-75 resulted in the death of a highway construction worker when he stepped into the path of a semi-truck.

Florida law enforcement officials are also at risk for this type of work-related injury or fatality when they pull over motorists or stop to assist disabled vehicles. The Florida Move Over Law states that motor vehicle drivers are required to safely change lanes or slow down to a speed that's 20 mph below the speed limit when encountering a police or emergency vehicle stopped on the roadway.

VIDEO: I-75 construction worker injured; DUI arrest made
NaplesNews.com Oct. 29, 2009

Construction worker struck on I-75 in Lee
News-Press.com Oct. 29, 2009

I-75 construction worker killed when hit by semi in Lee County
NaplesNews.com April 3, 2009

Related Web Resources

iROX I-75 Road Expansion Project

Florida Move Over Law

News reports state that two friends from Fort Myers, Florida, who were killed in a car accident this past weekend, were U.S. Army soldiers en route to surprise their families in southwest Florida, before being deployed to Iraq.

According to Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), this fatal traffic accident occurred in Fort Pierce on a dark stretch of Okeechobee Rd on Sat. night Oct 24. The FHP reports that a 21-year-old man from Fort Myers, Florida, and his friend, a 24-year-old man from North Fort Myers, Florida, had pulled over, parked on the median, and were arguing in the westbound lane of SR 70. They were struck by a vehicle traveling westbound.

The other vehicle involved was driven by a 24-year-old Okeechobee man, who told authorities he did not see the other two men in time to swerve and avoid them. There were no further details available regarding investigation into this Florida motor vehicle accident.

Fort Myers car accident attorneys may get involved in cases where a fatal Florida car crash or car-pedestrian accident has occurred due to negligent or reckless driving. To date no charges have been filed in this tragic case, which has left all the families involved grieving.

New details released in deaths of two Lee County soldiers
News-Press.com Oct. 26, 2009

Two men killed by vehicle in Fort Pierce were soldiers on their way home to families
TCPalm.com Oct. 26, 2009

Arguing Soldiers Killed in Car Accident
NBCMiami.com Oct. 26, 2009

Related Web Resource

Florida Highway Patrol

The victim of a Lauderhill, Florida pedestrian accident remains hospitalized at Broward General Medical Center after he was struck by a driver who left the scene.

This serious traffic accident occurred on October 10 when the male victim, age 50, was walking north across the 3200 block of West Broward Blvd in Lauderhill (which is near Fort Lauderdale, Florida) after dark. According to police, he was struck by a Chevy SUV or similar vehicle. The victim suffered serious personal injuries including head injuries in this traffic pedestrian accident, and has not been able to speak or provide police with information.

The police are seeking the public's assistance in locating the driver in this hit-run car accident.

Florida Pedestrian Accident Statistics
Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers are consulted by families in cases such as this where a family member suffers personal injury or dies as a result of a hit-and-run traffic accident. 490 pedestrians died as a result of motor vehicle accidents in 2008 in Florida. (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Florida 2004-2008).

Why Do Florida Hit and Run Drivers Flee the Accident Scene?
An article reprinted from the Orlando Sentinel on the Florida Highway Patrol website (see link below) asked the question "Why are hit-run drivers fleeing?" after several hit and run traffic deaths in Orange County, Florida, in 2006. A spokesman for the Florida Safety Council stated that drivers who strike pedestrians sometimes hit the gas pedal and flee out of fear, whether the accident was their fault or not. Interestingly, the same article stated that drivers in Norway are given CPR training before they can get their licenses -- in hopes they would assist in the event of a motor vehicle accident. Driver education in the United States tends to focus on traffic laws and driving technique.

Lauderhill police seek public's help to find hit-run driver
South Florida Sun Sentinel Oct. 19, 2009

Why Are Hit-Run Drivers Fleeing?
Florida Highway Patrol (article reprinted from Orlando Sentinel, Aug. 5, 2006)

Related Web Resources

Lauderhill Police Department

South Florida Traffic Reports

Florida Safety Council

Last month, Fort Lauderdale car accident attorney Jason Chalik was asked by a Plantation, Florida, newspaper what he thought about texting and driving. The question was posed as the community of Parkland is introducing a ban on texting and driving, in keeping with a national movement to outlaw the practice. In case you are unaware of what texting is -- it is typing (often with one's thumbs) and sending messages on a cell phone, Blackberry, or other wireless, mobile hand-held device.

Should other Florida communities also ban texting and driving? "Yes, they should ban texting while driving," Attorney Chalik said. "Your reaction time is slow if you're texting." (Source: Plantation Forum, "On the Street," Sept. 30, 2009) As a veteran motor vehicle accident lawyer in Florida, Attorney Chalik is all too aware of the deadly consequences that can happen when drivers don't keep their eyes on the road.

A national summit on distracted driving sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT) was held earlier this month. The DOT is pushing to make the practice of texting and driving illegal in all states, citing that distracted drivers are more apt to be involved in serious car accidents. Some authorities believe texting and driving is as dangerous as driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol. The DOT estimates that in 2008, driver distraction was involved in 16 percent of all fatal crashes in the U.S., estimating some 515,000 people injured and 5,870 killed.

In addition, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wants to curb large truck accidents, bus accidents, and other commercial and public transportation accidents (e.g., subways and rail) by restricting cell phone access while on the job. As a start, President Obama signed an executive order earlier this month banning all Federal workers from texting while operating equipment or driving vehicles while on government business.

A piece of state legislation called "Heather's Law" was proposed to ban cell phone use and texting while driving in Florida, after a young woman died in a fatal Florida highway accident on Highway 27 on her way to plan her wedding in Orlando in 2008. A truck driver who was allegedly texting while driving caused the deadly pile-up. The bill died in the Transportation Committee. Several states have laws banning texting while driving. Florida is not yet one of them.

Gov't seeks ban on texting truckers, bus drivers
SunHerald.com Oct. 1, 2009

Texting while Driving in the Headlights
CBSNews.com Sept. 29, 2009

Texting while driving gets attention in Florida
MiamiHerald.com Aug. 2009

State Bans on Texting While Driving
FoxNews.com May 11, 2009

Text and drive? Proposed law would ban it
baynews9.com Feb. 24, 2009

Related Web Resources

U.S. Dept. of Transportation: Distracted Driving Summit

Florida House of Representatives: Heather's Law (SB 172)

Stay Alive ... Just Drive! Program

The DUI manslaughter trial of former New York Yankees ball player Jim Leyritz was scheduled to begin this month, but reports of a videotape that has surfaced will likely delay the start of the trial until January 2010.

Leyritz was arrested for driving under the influence in a downtown Ft Lauderdale car crash on Dec. 28, 2007 that left a 30-year-old mother of two dead. Broward County prosecutors accuse Leyritz of being intoxicated and running a red light, striking the other driver's SUV. News reports state that the victim, of Plantation, Florida, was working at a Fort Lauderdale steakhouse as a bartender and on her way home in the early morning hours when the accident occurred. The Miami Herald reported that both drivers were driving with blood-alcohol levels above the state's legal limit of .08.

Now the defense claims the time of the accident is in question: The prosecution estimates that the car accident occurred at 3:19 a.m. Leyritz's defense reports that a videotape from a nearby light pole camera shows that the accident actually happened minutes earlier, and that therefore Leyritz was not as intoxicated as authorities reported. This development is likely to delay the start of the trial for several months.

Leyritz has been in and out of court while he awaits trial, not just on the DUI manslaughter charge but on domestic battery charges. He is free on bond though forbidden to have contact with his ex-wife, who accused him of beating her at their home in Davie, Florida earlier this summer. Leyritz is among the list of celebrity sports figures involved in fatal drunk driving accidents. The NFL's Dante Stallworth was recently released from prison after serving time on a DUI manslaughter conviction, resulting from a fatal Miami pedestrian accident.

Fort Lauderdale accident lawyers see the results of mixing alcohol and driving in their daily work on behalf of bereaved families. Drunk driving can affect anyone, whether they're a celebrity or not: 875 people died in Florida in 2008 due to alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents

Videotape could help ex-baseball star Jim Leyritz
MiamiHerald.com Sept. 5, 2009

Judge revokes ex-Yankee Jim Leyritz's bond
MiamiHerald.com July 3, 2009

Leyritz charged following accident that killed 30-year-old woman
ESPN.com Jan. 31, 2009

Related Web Resources

MLB.com: Jim Leyritz Stats

Wikipedia: Jim Leyritz

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) reports that nationally, the number of women drivers involved in fatal drunk driving motor vehicle accidents is on the rise--a fact Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood calls "a very disturbing trend."

A recent study conducted by the DOT and NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) shows that approx. 2,000 drunk driving deaths a year involve women who are driving under the influence of alcohol. While FBI statistics show that men arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) still outnumber women by 4 to 1, the percentage of women arrested for DUI has increased--up nearly 30% in the ten-year study period of 1998 to 2007.

Florida Female Drivers and Drunk Driving Deaths

While any death on Sunshine State roads and highways due to alcohol-impaired driving is one death too many, some positive news for Florida emerged from the NHTSA study: Florida was not among the states where the numbers of women drivers involved in fatal drunk-driving accidents had increased. Florida actually showed a decrease in this area. Statistics of interest:

• The number of Florida female drivers in fatal crashes with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) level at or above the legal limit of .08 was 134 drivers in 2008 -- down from 144 in 2007.
• In 2008, in total, 875 people lost their lives in fatal Florida car crashes where alcohol was a factor. (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Florida 2004-2008)
• The study reported 10 states showing increases in numbers of women drivers who operated motor vehicles under the influence of alcohol and were involved in fatal accidents. Of those, Ohio and New Hampshire showed the greatest number and percentage increases (respectively).

This study shows what Fort Lauderdale accident lawyers observe in their daily work -- that drunk driving can impact anyone regardless of gender, race, profession, or station in life.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Kicks Off Nationwide Enforcement Crackdown on Impaired Driving
Releases New Report Highlighting Increasing Number of Impaired Female Drivers
NHTSA Press Release, August 19, 2009

Alcohol-Impaired Drivers Involved in Fatal Crashes, by Gender and State, 2007-2008
NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts, August 2009

As summer ends and young students head back to their classrooms, Fort Myers and Lee County, Florida law enforcers are reminding motorists to be mindful of sharing the road with both pedestrians and bicyclists. Police will be on the lookout for drivers who exceed the speed limit or drive recklessly in school zones, including those who illegally pass school buses.

An estimated 800 school-aged children are killed in traffic accidents during daytime school hours in the United States every year -- roughly 14 percent of the total number of children killed in car accidents. Research has found that teenagers were behind the wheel in more than 50 percent of these deadly traffic accidents that occur during normal school day travel hours. Students getting on and off of the school bus are particularly at risk (University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, collected Aug. 29, 2009 -- see link below).

Fort Myers accident lawyers may be consulted by families in cases where children have been injured or killed in traffic accidents while walking or biking to and from school.

Overall, in 2008 in the state of Florida, 490 pedestrians lost their lives in car - pedestrian accidents (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Florida 2004-2008).

Bicycle safety is also a concern, particularly as school gets back in session. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has recorded 6 bicycle accident fatalities in Lee County, Florida in 2008 and 3 fatalities as of late August 2009.

Fort Myers police taking special steps for first day of public school in Lee County
NewsPress.com Aug. 22, 2009

Lee County bike safety spotlighted
NewsPress.com Aug. 22, 2009

Related Web Resources

Fort Myers Police Department

University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center

A study published in the journal Ergonomics found that people who work in hospitals are far more likely to lose work time and file Workers Compensation claims due to slip/trip/fall injuries than people in other private industry sectors.

The 10-year study -- which took place between 1996 - 2005, and whose authors were affiliated with the CDC, NIOSH, and health care facilities in the U.S. and Finland -- reported that lost workdays for hospital employees who had suffered slip-trip and fall injuries amounted to 35.2 per 10,000 full-time equivalents (FTE). That statistic is 75 percent greater than the average for all other private industries combined (which is 20.2 per 10,000 FTEs).

Causes of Slip, Trip, and Fall Accidents and Injuries
Hospitals, of all places, should be safe for both staff and patients. However, just like other establishments such as restaurants and hotels, hospitals can be prone to the same safety hazards that cause people to slip or trip and fall and get hurt -- wet floors and slick or slippery spots being the most common cause, along with obstacles on the floor or in walkways, loose or nonexistent handrails, and damaged flooring and stairs/steps.

Florida slip, trip and fall lawyers are sometimes consulted by individuals and families who suffer broken bones or other serious injuries as a result of slipping and falling while on the property of a commercial establishment. Premises liability may be an issue in some of those cases.

The Ergonomics study revealed that housekeepers, food services staff, and transport and EMS staff were at highest risk of suffering personal injury in a slip/trip/fall accident. The study went on to make recommendations for broad-based prevention programs for hospitals, including cause identification and hazard assessment, improvements to flooring, changes to housekeeping procedures and products, programs for outside ice and snow removal, and slip-resistant footwear for certain groups of employees.

Evaluation of a comprehensive slip, trip and fall prevention programme for hospital employees
Ergonomics, Volume 51, Issue 12 December 2008, pages 1906 - 1925

Related Web Resources

Slips, Trips & Falls
The International Contact Group for Researchers

The International Ergonomics Association

CDC: Falls Among Older Adults

The Dante Stallworth case is back in the news, as the NFL announced it will suspend the Cleveland Browns wide receiver for the remainder of the 2009 football playing season. Stallworth was found guilty of DUI manslaughter in a Miami, Florida traffic accident that claimed the life of a pedestrian.

Stallworth served his 30-day sentence and earlier this month, a judge agreed to let him work out to get in pro condition, though he had been ordered to two years house arrest. Nonetheless, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell chose to suspend Stallworth for the remainder of the season. A report on the NFL.com website (see link at end of entry) says he will be reinstated after the Super Bowl.

Florida Car Pedestrian Accident Fatalities
In cases where a driver's recklessness or negligence may have led to pedestrian injury or death, a Miami pedestrian accident lawyer is sometimes called upon by the aggrieved families to assist with the case. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 490 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in Florida in 2008. Driving under the influence of alcohol over the Florida legal limit of BAC .08+ was reported in 875 traffic deaths that same year. (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Florida 2004 - 2008.)

This fatal Miami Beach, Florida drunk driving accident involving Stallworth occurred last March, when the car he was driving struck and killed a construction worker crossing MacArthur Causeway on foot to catch a bus. Stallworth plead guilty to manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol -- a charge which typically carries 10 years imprisonment in Florida. He came to an agreement with the victim's family to pay them a confidential financial settlement. His prison time was reduced to 30 days, which he has served.

In addition to the prison time and confidential financial settlement the verdict brought back for the aggrieved family, authorities also suspended Stallworth's driver's license for life, and ordered him to pay fines of $10,000 and to perform 1,000 hours of community service.

Brown Down: Wide Receiver Donte Stallworth Suspended By The NFL For 09' Season
19ActionNews.com Aug. 14, 2009

Goodell: Stallworth suspended for season, placed 'stain' on NFL, players
NFL.com Aug. 13, 2009

Browns' Donte Stallworth Gets 30 Days for DUI
Wide Receiver Will Pay Financial Settlement to Victim's Family
ABCNews.com June 18, 2009

Related Web Resources

WalkingInfo.org

NHTSA Pedestrian Safety Program