Florida Injury Attorney Blog

US Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters says that there were 41,059 motor vehicle-related deaths in 2007—the lowest number of traffic fatalities/per year since 1992—and that 2.49 million people sustained injuries in highway accidents. The number of motor vehicle-related deaths in 2006 was 42,708 with 2.58 million reported injuries.

Peters attributed the decline in overall deaths to safer vehicles, aggressive law enforcement measures, and the federal government’s own efforts to prevent auto accidents. While the total number of traffic fatalities dropped, Peters noted an increase in motorcycle fatalities from 4,837 in 2006 to 5,154 deaths in 2007, accounting for 13% of all traffic fatalities last year. The number of injured motorcycle victims also increased from 88,000 to 103,000.

Other 2007 Traffic Statistics:

• Traffic deaths involving passenger vehicles dropped from 30,686 in 2006 to 28,933 in 2007.

• The number of pedestrian deaths decreased from 4,795 in 2006 to 4,654 in 2007, while the number of pedestrian injury victims increased from 61,000 to 70,000.

• Bicyclist deaths dropped from 772 deaths in 2006 to 698 deaths in 2007, with injuries to pedalcyclists dropping from 44,000 to 43,000 victims.

• The total number of large truck accident-related deaths dropped from 5,027 deaths in 2006 to 4,808 truck accident fatalities in 2007.

• The NHTSA reports that there were 3,214 motor vehicle deaths in Florida in 2007, which is a slight decrease from the 3,357 traffic deaths that occurred in 2006.

The data is part of the 2007 Annual Assessment of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes and People Injured compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Our South Florida motor vehicle crash lawyers would like to discuss your case during a free consultation.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters Announces Historic Drop in Highway Fatalities and Rate, Dot.gov

Read the Summary of the NHTSA 2007 Report (PDF)

Related Web Resources:

Florida Department of Transportation

Continue reading " NHTSA Says Number of Traffic Deaths Declined in 2007 " »

In Broward County, Florida, the city of Fort Lauderdale is considering installing red-light cameras on its busiest roads. The devices would be used to catch anyone running a red light, and a fine would be imposed on the car’s owner.

Some 28 auto crashes occur on Ft. Lauderdale roads daily, totaling to about 10,000 motor vehicle collisions a year. Motorists that failed to stop at red lights caused many of these accidents. In 2007, there were 3,201 red-light running motor vehicle-related collisions in Ft. Lauderdale resulting in 23 deaths.

Several other communities in Florida have installed or are considering installing red-light cameras. In Apopka and Gulf Breeze, officials are reporting a decrease in red-light runners and accidents involving drivers that have run a red light since the cameras were installed on some of their roads. Other cities in the United States are reporting similar successes, although the number of rear-end collisions has been known to increase when these cameras are present—especially when drivers follow too closely behind the vehicle in front of them or are driving too fast in an attempt to beat a yellow light.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com has published a list of busy Ft. Lauderdale intersections where installing a red light could decrease the number of injury accidents. The site also lists the number of accidents that have occurred at these intersections over the past four years.

Federal Highway and Oakland Park Boulevard: There have been almost 300 motor vehicle collisions.

Commercial Boulevard and Federal Highway: Almost 295 auto accidents.

Northwest Ninth Avenue and Commercial Boulevard: 264 auto collisions.

Northwest 9th Avenue and Northwest 19th Street: 214 auto accidents.

Federal Highway and Broward Boulevard: 196 motor vehicle collisions.

Northeast 4th Avenue and Sunrise Boulevard: 128 auto accidents.

In Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Palm Beach, Hollywood, Naples, and other cities throughout Florida, our auto crash law firm represents clients injured in motor vehicle accidents caused by negligent, careless, or reckless drivers.

Success with red-light cameras should earn green light from state, Sun-Sentinel, August 13, 2008

Fort Lauderdale plans to use cameras to catch red-light runners, Sun-Sentinel, July 15, 2008

Related Web Resource:

Red Light Cameras, IIHS.org

The National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running

Continue reading " City of Fort Lauderdale Considers Catching Red-Light Runners on Camera " »

The family of Ereck Plancher, the 19-year-old University of Central Florida football player who died after a practice session, says they intend to sue the school for wrongful death. Plancher collapsed during a conditioning workout last March.

The family’s Florida wrongful death law firm submitted a notification of intent that a lawsuit would be filed. The complaint accuses UCF of negligence and alleges that school coaches and/or trainers ignored the symptoms that the college freshman was experiencing, which included dizziness, exhaustion, and shortness of breath.

While UCF is not commenting on the pending lawsuit, a spokesperson for the school maintained that the health of its athletes is a major priority.

Last month, the Medical Examiner’s Office in Central Florida determined that Plancher’s cause of death was sickle sell trait, which could get triggered by physical stress.

UCF Athletic Director Keith Tribble has acknowledged in a statement published on the University Web site that the school has known since January 2007 that Plancher had sickle cell trait. He also has stated that the school staff always carefully monitored his physical condition during workouts and practice sessions.

Elements that usually must be present in order to file a wrongful death lawsuit:

• The defendant must have caused or been partially responsible for causing the victim’s death.
• The defendant either acted negligently, recklessly, on purpose, or was strictly liable and caused the death as result of his or her actions.
• Surviving family members have suffered certain losses because their loved one died in the accident.

In Florida, the state gives family members two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit against defendants. Remember that there are certain steps involved leading up to the filing of a wrongful death lawsuit, which is why it is important that you speak with an experienced Florida wrongful death lawyer as soon as possible.

Family of Ereck Plancher to file wrongful death suit against UCF, Naplesnews.com, August 2, 2008

UCF football player Ereck Plancher dies after conditioning drills, OrlandoSentinel.com, August 6, 2008

Related Web Resources:

University of Central Florida

Sickle Cell Trait

Pablo Gonzales, An ex-truck driver who became paralyzed in a loading dock accident, is suing supermarket chain Publix for $10 million. The Florida resident is alleging negligence in the way the company works with independent truckers.

The injury accident occurred on September 20, 2007, when Gonzales was delivering a load of eggs to a store in Palm Beach Gardens. Gonzales was using the lift to unload his cargo, when the remote fell from his grasp.

According to his personal injury lawyer, Gonzales called out for help and had to wait for several minutes. He reportedly tried to sit down to get off the platform—in a previous accident, he injured his knee when he tried jumping off the platform—and landed on his head after losing his balance.

The lawsuit accuses Publix of only giving providing the proper safety equipment to its own truckers. The loading dock Gonzales was using did not have railings.

Gonzales is now paralyzed from the chest down and can no longer work as a trucker. He has continued to require medical care.

In Florida, you can file a personal injury lawsuit if you sustained serious injuries because another party was negligent, careless, or reckless.

Paralysis
A person with paralysis has experienced a loss of muscle function in a certain area of the body. A person diagnosed with paralysis in the lower half of their body is called a paraplegic. Quadriplegia is when a person’s legs and arms are paralyzed.

Common causes of paralysis include spinal cord injuries, stroke, a broken neck, nerve diseases, and autoimmune diseases. Personal injury accidents can result in paralysis if a person is seriously injured in a motor vehicle crash, a boating accident, a motorcycle accident, a pedestrian accident, while using defective machinery, in a medical malpractice accident, a truck accident, or another kind of serious accident that occurred because someone may have been negligent.

Paralyzed Truck Driver Suing Publix, The Ledger.com, July 30, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Injury and Accident Law Overview, Justia

Publix