Florida Injury Attorney Blog

A jury has awarded a 21-year-old woman $65 million for catastrophic injuries she sustained in a 2007 Florida truck accident. Kendra Lymon was just 19 and a South Florida community college student when the Dodge Neon she was driving was t-boned at the intersection of State Road 17 and State Road 64 by an 18-wheeler truck driven by truck driver Robert Bohn.

Lymon went into a coma and stayed at a hospital for months. She continues to require 24-hour specialized care, needs help to walk and eat, and is still undergoing speech, occupational, and physical therapy. Prior to the Florida truck crash, Lymon could speak six languages and was working for the Florida Institute of Neurologic Rehabilitation. Now, her family has to help Lymon bathe, use the bathroom, dress, and perform other regular tasks. The jury award will help the family provide for Lymon’s special needs.

The Polk County jury found Bohn and Bynum Transport Inc. 100% liable for causing the Florida truck crash. While the defendants say that Bohn had a green light when he drove into the intersection, a witness claims that it was Lymon who had the green light.

The Florida personal injury team for Lymon's family says that because Bohn had just finished a 24-hour shift as the battalion chief for the Polk County Fire Services, driver fatigue was a likely factor. Her attorneys contend that the transport company failed to make sure that Bohn took the federally mandated number of hours of work off before beginning his shift.

Lymon’s verdict is considered one of the largest personal injury verdicts awarded by a jury in Polk County, Florida.

Woman deserves $65M for crash injuries, jury says, Newschief.com, March 20, 2009

Polk Jury Awards Woman $65 Million in 2007 Crash, The Ledger, March 18, 2009

Documents Supporting $65 Million Verdict, The Ledger, March 18, 2009

In Florida, toxicology test results are expected later this week for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth. The NFL football player was in Miami riding his Bentley to the beach on Saturday morning when he hit a 59-year-old pedestrian who was crossing the causeway that connects Miami Beach to downtown Miami. Mario Reyes died from his traffic accident injuries.

At this time, it is not known whether Reyes was crossing the street legally or if Stallworth had broken any traffic laws. Miami Beach police administered alcohol and drug tests to Stallworth, who is cooperating with the investigation. No criminal charges have been filed against him for the Miami pedestrian accident. Driving records from the state of Ohio show that Stallworth was convicted twice for speeding in 2008.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 1,700 to 1,800 pedestrian accidents occur each year in Miami-Dade County—especially in the areas of South Miami Beach, Liberty City, Little Havanah, and Little Haiti. While the Miami-Dade pedestrian safety program has helped reduce pedestrian accidents, there are, unfortunately, Florida motor vehicle crashes that still result in pedestrians dying or sustaining serious injuries.

Throughout the US in 2007, 4,654 pedestrians died in motor vehicle crashes while 70,000 others were injured. Over 2/3rds of the victims that died were males. While in Florida, of the 3,214 traffic deaths that occurred that year, 531 of the victims were pedestrians.

Ways Motorists Can Prevent Pedestrian Accidents:

• Don’t drive drunk.
• Don’t drive above the speed limit.
• Yield the right of way to pedestrians.
• Pay attention to the road so that you notice whether there are any pedestrians crossing the street at non-intersections.

Police investigating fatal crash say lab results for NFL's Donte Stallworth could be ready soon, Sun-Sentinel, March 16, 2009

Evaluation of the Miami-Dade Pedestrian Safety Demonstration Project, NHTSA, February 2009 (PDF)

NFL Player Kills Miami Pedestrian, May Be Charged, CBS4.com, March 15, 2009

Related Web Resource:
NHTSA

Continue reading " NFL Cleveland Browns Football Player Involved in Deadly Miami Car Accident that Killed Pedestrian " »

In Fort Lauderdale, students and teachers are in shock following news that three-vehicle accident this morning involving a semi-trailer truck killed a fourth grade teacher, as well as injured another teacher and four students. Grief counselors have been working with the staff and the students at Stephen Foster Elementary School to cope with the loss of fourth-grade teacher Sharon Braun.

Braun, 58, who was not wearing a safety belt at the time of the truck accident, was thrown from the car. The Florida Highway Patrol says she died at the truck crash scene. The Fort Lauderdale truck accident took place a little after 7am close to Broward Boulevard when Tracy Fiffia, a 1999 Freightliner semi-trailer driver, hit a 1999 Buick while trying to change lanes. A 1998 Volvo was also involved in the Fort Lauderdale multi-vehicle crash.

Police say the truck struck Buick, which hit the Volvo, which went off the road and hit a light pole. The Buick also drove off the road and overturned.

All of the accident victims were riding in the Buick driven by Gail Carter, who was the other teacher injured in the crash. The children injured in the accident were ages 11, 10, 9, and 7. They were taken to Broward General Medical Hospital.

Truck Accidents
Proving liability in Florida truck accidents can be tough—unless you have an experienced Fort Lauderdale truck crash lawyer by your side. It is important that you choose a Florida personal injury attorney who knows how to properly investigate your case. This includes asking the right questions and knowing how to search for and preserve evidence.

There are various federal regulations and requirements that govern US truck drivers. A good Florida truck accident lawyer will know how to determine not just what happened but what could have been done to prevent such a catastrophic crash from happening to you and who caused the deadly trucker crash. Some examples of questions your attorney will likely explore:

• Did truck driver exceeded the federal limit for the amount of hours that he or she is allowed to operate a vehicle without taking a break?
• Was the truck overloaded?
• Do truck maintenance logs indicate that a vehicle was not properly maintained.
• Did your truck driver have the proper licensing?
• Does he or she have a medical disability that should have kept him or her off the road?

Teacher killed in wreck on I-95 near Broward Boulevard , Sun-Sentinel.com, March 9, 2009

Sharon Braun Guest Book, Legacy.com

Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Continue reading " Fort Lauderdale Semi-Trailer Truck Accident Near Broward Boulevard Kills Teacher and Injures Five Others, Including Four Children " »

A Broward County woman who claims she lost her legs and arms because of the negligent treatment she received at a local hospital has won a second Florida medical malpractice trial. Lisa Strong lost her first trial in January when a Broward county jury ruled in favor of South Broward Hospital District, Memorial Hospital West, Dr. Jason Strong, Dr. Laurentina Kocik, and Dr. Rajkumar Nebhrajani.

Strong had sought $75 million against the defendants. In her Florida medical malpractice lawsuit, she contended that defendants' delayed diagnosis of a kidney stone infection resulted in her suffering from septic shock, which lead to catastrophic complications, including the amputation of her forearms and lower legs. Strong has three young children.

Now, Broward Circuit Judge Charles M. Greene has overturned the jury’s findings. He says that he agrees with the 45-year-old plaintiff that negligence on the parts of the defendants was established during the trial.

The judge said that Jason Strong, Memorial Hospital’s admitting physician, and Laurentina Kocik, the emergency room doctor, had placed the blame on each other for failing to diagnose that Strong was suffering from kidney stones. Greene, however, says that trial testimony showed that at least one of the doctors, if not the two of them, are to blame for delaying Strong’s CT scan, which could have correctly diagnosed her condition. If her infection had been treated sooner, her limbs may have been saved. Greene did, however, uphold the part of the jury’s verdict that ruled in favor of South Broward Hospital, which runs Memorial Hospital West, and Dr. Rajkumar Nebhrajani.

Septic Shock
Septic shock can occur when there is bacteria in the blood. This can lead to a deadly decrease in the person’s blood pressure, multiple organ failure, respiratory failure, or death. Immediate and proper medical treatment is required to prevent such catastrophic consequences.

Davie woman who lost limbs in 2003 wins a new trial, Sun-Sentinel, February 28, 2009

Jury Finds For Uninsured Doctor in 75 Million Dollar Malpractice Suit, MMD Newswire, January 13, 2009

Related Web Resources:
The outcomes of Septic shock, SteadyHealth.com

Kidney Infection, HealthSquare.com