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

Four men from North Fort Myers, Florida were hospitalized -- one with serious injuries -- when a pickup truck hauling a trailer of lawn care equipment lost control on the highway -- the vehicles separating and careening out of control.

According to news reports, the South Florida pickup truck accident occurred the weekend of May 1 on Veterans Memorial Parkway. The driver of a Dodge pickup truck hauling a trailer of lawn care equipment, traveling west in the center lane, lost control of his vehicle. Witnesses reported that the trailer was fishtailing before it came unattached, sending the truck into a spin across the median and into the eastbound lanes.

Two men, Mark Smith, 52, and Raymond King, 22, were ejected from the vehicle in this South Florida highway traffic accident. The driver, Vincent E. Ehrhardt, 24, and passenger Edward R. Ehrhardt, 38, were also hospitalized for their injuries. Smith reportedly sustained life-threatening injuries and was med-flighted to Lee Memorial Hospital. All four men were from North Fort Myers, Florida, in the Cape Coral–Fort Myers metropolitan area.

Fort Myers, Florida truck accident lawyers are aware of the safety laws and regulations surrounding the operation of commercial trucks and other business vehicles, as well as for the usage of trailers and trailer hitches. Commercial trucks that haul gear or cargo in trailers -- as well as cars, trucks, SUVs and RVs that pull rented U-Hauls, boats, and other types of personal and recreational use trailers -- are at risk of causing serious motor vehicle accidents if the equipment used fails to prevent trailer sway (causing the vehicle driver to lose control) and/or if the trailer hitch breaks and the vehicles separate.

Man involved in weekend accident remains hospitalized
Cape-Coral-Daily-Breeze.com, May 4, 2010

Related Web Resources

Towing a Trailer: Being Equipped for Safety (PDF)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), April 2002

National Association of Trailer Manufacturers

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 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

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

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 Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) blamed heavy rains and slick pavement for multiple motor vehicle crashes and pile-ups that occurred along Florida Interstate 75 on Saturday night.

According to news reports, the following car, SUV, and truck accidents took place:

--A female motorist, who saw an SUV slide off the road and go into the brush, pulled over and got out of her car to help during a heavy downpour. As she dialed 911 for emergency assistance, three vehicles collided behind her vehicle and a truck ran into the meridian. Two motorists, one from Cape Coral and another from Fort Myers, Florida suffered minor injuries. This accident occurred near Palm Beach Boulevard on I-75.

--The Lee County Sheriff's office reported that a truck driver was hospitalized in critical condition following a single-vehicle accident. The driver was ejected from his vehicle, which landed upside down and damaged a bridge on SR 31 south of Bayshore Road.

Fort Myers, FL car accident lawyers may be consulted in cases where personal injury or fatality occurs due to reckless and/or impaired driving, driver negligence, or equipment failure. The FHP stated that the I-75 accidents that occurred Saturday night were due to poor driving conditions and drivers more likely "not paying attention" rather than speeding.

At press time, there were no traffic fatalities resulting from these Sat. night accidents. Heavy rain, slick road conditions, and poor visibility are not to be underestimated as driving hazards. Highway pile-up accidents can cause multiple deaths and injuries when motorists come upon existing accidents and are unable to safely stop, and they become part of the accident scene themselves.

Wrecks Litter I-75 in the Rain
News-Press.com, Sept. 27, 2009

Related Web Resources

Florida Dept. of Highway Safety

Florida Highway Patrol

The U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the national rates of fatal work injuries are down, including in Florida. Preliminary data released for The National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries showed that 5,071 work injury fatalities were reported in the United States in 2008 -- down from 5,657 work deaths reported in 2007.

Florida work related deaths declined from 363 in 2007 to 290 in 2008. Of those deaths,

107 were due to transportation accidents
56 were caused by assaults and violent acts
41 resulted from "contact with objects and equipment"
Fall accidents caused 39 deaths
Exposure to harmful substances or environments caused 38 workers to perish
6 workers died in fires or explosions

Nationally, construction accidents causing death declined by 20 percent, in the private construction sector, and fatal falls were down. However rates of workplace suicides rose by 28% (though workplace homicides decreased), and fatal workplace injuries in the forestry, farming, and fishing industries also saw an increase. The BLS will release the final statistics in April 2010.

The National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2008 (PDF file)
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Aug. 20, 2009

Related Web Resources

Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI): Current and Revised Data

Florida Safety Council: OSHA Training

Florida Atlantic University: Institute for Design and Construction: Safety Science

The attorney representing a woman injured in a fatal Florida semi-truck crash is asking the courts to reconsider the case.

The fiery commercial truck accident involving two semi trucks -- one transporting potato chips for Frito-Lay and another carrying hot dog meat -- occurred Oct. 12, 2007, at the U.S. 441 exit off I-75 in Alachua, Florida, around 7 a.m. According to news reports, the Florida Highway Patrol had ordered traffic diverted off interstate 75 southbound due to an earlier accident in Gainesville. I-75 begins near Miami, Florida and ends at the Georgia state line.

Alachua Police were directing traffic when the accident between the two semitrucks and a van transporting employees to the V.A. Medical Center in Gainsville occurred. Reports state that the Frito-Lay semi-truck slammed into the rear of the semi carrying hot dog meat, forcing it into the van. The Frito-Lay truck driver was killed in this Florida highway traffic accident.

A Florida attorney representing a woman in the van who suffered personal injury objects to the jury's findings, which split negligence across four parties: the Alachua Police Dept. (35% negligent), the deceased Frito-Lay truck driver (15% negligent), the van driver (35% negligent), and the hot dog meat semitruck driver (15% negligent). No monetary compensation was awarded in this case. The lawyer for the injured woman asserted that the deceased truck driver had a history of hypertension and traffic violations, and that the trucking company should have been held accountable for full damages.

Florida truck accident lawyers have experience and knowledge in the areas of personal injury law and liability, in complex cases like these involving multiple drivers and entities. The attorney representing the woman injured in this accident has scheduled an October 2 date asking for the case to be reconsidered. He would like to see charges against the Alachua Police Dept. dropped, as they were not named a defendant in the original lawsuit in Florida. He alleges that assigning a percent of negligence to parties not named in the original lawsuit is a tactic used by trucking companies to avoid paying full damages. His client had filed a lawsuit against FL Transportation Inc., which maintained the Frito-Lay Orlando Traffic Center where the deceased potato chip semi-truck driver was headed.

Attorney wants ruling against Alachua Police Department dropped
The North Florida Herald, Sept. 17, 2009

Jury finds Alachua police, others negligent in crash
Gainsville.com Sept. 4, 2009

Related Web Resources

Alachua County, Florida

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

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 26-year-old Florida woman driver charged with DUI manslaughter in a fatal Fort Myers car crash that left an Iraq war veteran dead is scheduled to go on trial in September.

According to news reports, Army Staff Sgt. Danny Beougher was driving his Jeep Cherokee on Hancock Bridge Parkway in North Fort Myers, Florida, on the evening of Dec. 8, 2007. A Ford F-350, driven by Ashley East, crossed the meridian, hit a tree, and struck Beougher's vehicle. Staff Sgt. Beougher was killed and his wife was critically injured.

Florida Drunk Driving Death Statistics
In 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that of the 2,978 Florida traffic fatalities that occurred that year, 875 deaths were classified as "alcohol-impaired fatalities" -- involving all car and motorcycle drivers with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) above the legal limit of .08 percent. (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Florida 2004-2008)

A Fort Myers accident lawyer familiar with drunk driving laws and driver liability may be consulted by families in cases where an innocent person is hurt or killed due to another driver's negligence or recklessness.

In this fatal DUI case, the driver, Ms. East, is set to go to trial in September. She faces 10 charges, including leaving the scene of an accident causing death and DUI manslaughter. She may face up to 70 years in prison if convicted. Investigators at the time reported that East did not have a valid driver's license. Staff Sgt. Beougher, who was 23, had returned home to Cape Coral, Florida, after serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was an 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper.

Fatal North Fort Myers crash case goes to trial in Sept.
News-Press.com July 29, 2009

82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper dies in Traffic Accident
Paratrooper.net Dec. 10, 2007

Related Web Resources

NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Florida 2004-2008

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)

An elderly driver involved in a Florida highway traffic accident on I-95 in Brevard County late last month told law enforcement she became confused by a construction project prior to making a bad turn that sent her driving the wrong way on the highway.

The driver, an 84-year-old woman from Melbourne, told Florida Highway Patrol that she was not sure what to do when she came upon a construction site at Palm Bay Road. She then drove up the southbound exit ramp to interstate 95 and proceeded to travel north -- the wrong way -- in the southbound lanes. Two other motorists stopped to avoid the wrong-way driver, but a Miami driver unable to stop his semi truck struck the other two motorists. Two people received medical care for minor injuries, and the elderly driver was charged with driving the wrong way.

Construction site accidents at Florida highway work zones can occur and cause injury or death to both motorists and road construction workers, when drivers become confused by unexpected obstacles such as cones, barrels, blocked lanes, rerouted traffic, temporary signage, and detours. The Federal Highway Administration has published a Work Zone Operations Best Practices Guide in an effort to help states learn from each other's experiences and improve work zone mobility and safety management.

Florida Elderly Driving Accidents
Luckily no one was seriously injured or killed in this accident. But car crashes involving elderly drivers that make news headlines are not unique to the Sunshine State. A national debate is underway with some states discussing whether or not older drivers should be retested before having their driver's licenses renewed -- or revoked. Discussion is also focused on whether age alone should be the major factor in determining driving aptitude...or if health is a more important factor for drivers of all ages, and whether physicians should play a role in reporting patients whose medical conditions may make them unfit to drive.

According to a CBS News report, Florida leads the country in older-driver deaths, and drivers over age 75 have more fatal accidents than any other driver age group except teenagers (CBS News Health, "Elderly Drivers Not Ready to Give Up the Keys," May 13, 2001). Florida is aware of the challenge, which will increase as the Baby Boom enters its golden years. Edmunds.com praises Florida's highway planners for "making visibility and navigability improvements statewide since at least 1991" and for launching the Florida GrandDriver program.

Wrong-way driver sets off I-95 accident in Brevard
OrlandoSentinel.com July 29, 2009

Edmunds.com: Florida Paves the Way for Senior Drivers

Related Web Resources

Florida GrandDriver

Florida Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration: Work Zone Safety

The driver of a convertible walked away from what could have been a deadly Ft Lauderdale truck accident, when her out-of-control Mazda slipped underneath a tanker truck carrying diesel fuel.

According to news reports, the accident occurred during rush hour July 29 on South Federal Highway north of Fort Lauderdale / Hollywood International Airport. A 48-year-old woman driving a Mazda Miata, who said she was hit from behind, lost control of her sports car and collided with an oil tanker -- the car becoming wedged underneath the tanker truck. Aerial news shots show the top and passenger side of the car crushed beneath the belly of the tanker.

An off-duty Miami-Dade firefighter assisted the driver out of her car and walked her to paramedics. She sustained minor injuries and was transported to Broward Medical Center for treatment. The driver reportedly told the press that she is surprised and grateful she survived, as a car and commercial truck accident this serious could have left her dead or gravely injured.

Florida Large Truck Accident Statistics
Both drivers in this case were extremely lucky. Experienced Florida truck accident lawyers see the often tragic results of what can happen when cars, minivans, SUVs and motorcycles are involved in accidents with commercial trucks -- which can outsize and outweigh them by several tons. For the year 2000, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recorded 4,930 large trucks involved in fatal crashes and 101,000 large trucks involved in injury crashes in the U.S.

For the state of Florida for 2008, NHTSA reports that of the 2,978 fatal traffic crashes that occurred last year, 263 fatalities involved an accident with a large truck. That number is down from 400 fatalities involving at least one large truck in 2005 (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Florida 2004-2008). In South Florida, many of these car-truck accidents occurred in Miami-Dade County followed by Broward County and Palm Beach County.

Sports Car Gets Wedged Under Tanker Truck
CBS4.com July 29, 2009

Related Web Resources

NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts Florida 2004-2008

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Authorities including the Florida Highway Patrol and the Lee County Sheriff's Office are investigating a fatal Fort Myers car accident involving an unmarked police car en route to join cruisers in pursuit of two burglary suspects.

The fatal crash occurred in the afternoon of July 23 near the intersection of Palm Beach Boulevard and Buena Vista Blvd in Fort Myers, Florida. A deputy driving an unmarked sheriff's SUV crashed into a civilian motorist, killing the male driver of the car. According to news reports, several police cars, a helicopter, and a K-9 unit were involved in the pursuit of two men suspected of breaking into a Lehigh Acres home. The suspects were apprehended on foot.

High-Speed Police Chase Accidents and Fatalities
The topic of police chase policies and law enforcement liability is controversial in Florida and around the country: Innocent civilian drivers or pedestrians may suffer personal injury or death if caught in the middle of police vehicles pursuing fleeing criminal suspects at high rates of speed. Police officers can also suffer injuries or die as a result of car accidents caused by high-speed pursuits. Traffic safety advocates estimate that hundreds of people are killed and thousands injured every year in such accidents -- igniting national conversation about banning high-speed police chases.

A Florida car accident attorney sometimes gets involved in cases where families believe that their members have suffered personal injury or loss of life due to the reckless or negligent driving of another party.

Police departments in Florida and around the country are challenged to set policies for police chase guidelines that both preserve traffic safety and give officers the discretion to pursue criminal suspects who are fleeing in motor vehicles -- who also pose a potential threat to other motorists, police, and civilians. Some law enforcement departments use other techniques to stop suspects fleeing in cars, trucks, or vans -- such as tire deflating devices, roadblocks, surrounding the suspect's vehicle, or using their own police vehicles to bump and disable the suspect's car.

Deputy involved in fatal crash while trying to catch suspected burglars
WINK News Jul 23, 2009

Witness to fatal, deputy involved accident: "You don't know what this is doing to me right now."
WINK News Jul 24, 2009

Related Web Resources

Kristie's Law: A California measure to address safety standards to minimize the risk relating to police vehicular pursuits for the public and peace officers

Florida Highway Patrol

Lee County Florida Sheriff's Office