Florida Injury Attorney Blog

A House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee study about medically unfit truckers is expected to be released at a hearing this week. Among the findings was the discovery that truckers that suffer from health problems that could make them dangerous drivers have no incentive to get a legitimate medical certificate. The study examined 614 medical certificates from truckers in Illinois, California, and Ohio. The examiners could only verify 407 of these certificates.

A safety study, obtained by the Associated Press, found that there are hundreds of thousands of truckers on the road with health issues that could cause them to have seizures, blackouts, and heart attacks. These motorists continue to drive their large vehicles despite the fact that they are at risk for causing deadly traffic accidents.

In 2006, the Transportation Department reported 7.3 million commercial driver violations. The data named Florida as one of 12 US States where truckers received the most sanctions for breaking medical regulations.

The National Safety Transportation Board wants examiners to set up a system for being able to track medical applications, identify the drivers with medical conditions, and prevent truckers from doctor shopping.

Truck Accident Causes
Truck drivers suffering health issues while driving is a leading case of serious motor vehicle crashes. Drivers without health issues that fall asleep is another common cause of trucking collisions.

Transportation Department statistics show that 5,300 people were killed and 126,000 people were injured in motor vehicle accidents involving buses or large trucks in 2006.

In South Florida, our truck crash attorneys know how to protect our clients’ rights against truckers and trucking companies. We have helped many injured victims and their families recover personal injury compensation for their injuries, pain and suffer, and medical expenses.

House Committee Probes Medically Unfit Truckers, Newsweek.com, July 24, 2008
Medically unfit truckers still on the road, safety study shows, CNN.com, July 21, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

National Transportation Safety Board

US Department of Transportation

Continue reading "Latest Available Data Names Florida Among the States Where Truckers and Bus Drivers Received the Most Sanctions for Breaking Medical Regulations" »

Posted by Paige Trop & Ameen | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Truck Accident

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In Fort Pierce, Florida, Jennifer Powers, the widow of Timothy Powers, a Vero Beach motorcycle rider who died last January when he was truck by a tractor-trailer rig on US 1 is suing truck driver Felix Villa and Torres Trucking & Tree Hauling Corp., the company Villa was working for, for wrongful death.

Timothy, 49, died at the scene. The morning fog was heavy on January 24 and the Florida Highway Patrol say the motorcyclist was not able to see the truck due to low visibility. The FHP says Timothy tried to put his motorcycle safely down but flew off the bike when the truck hit him. The heavy fog was also the reason that the St. Lucie County Fire District could not send a rescue helicopter to the accident site.

Jennifer alleges that Villa acted negligently to cause her husband’s death and she is accusing Torres Trucking of vicarious liability. Her lawsuit doesn’t specify a specific damage amount.

If you were hurt or someone you love died in a tractor-trailer accident in Florida, you need to retain the services of an experienced South Florida truck crash law firm that knows how to investigate your truck crash case and pursue recovery from all liable parties. Truck crash claims can be complex cases, and liable parties may include:

• The truck driver
• The truck company
• The owner of the truck
• A truck leasing company
• The truck manufacturer
• The truck shipper
• The manufacturer of a defective truck part
• Other motorists

Truck crash accidents will usually result in serious injuries, especially for motorcyclists and pedestrians that have no protection from the physical impact of getting hit by a tractor-trailer, big rig truck, 18-wheeler truck, or large garbage truck.

Our South Florida truck crash lawyers can help you explore your legal options. If we agree to work together, we will begin investigating your case, including examine all the evidence and assess your injuries, and take action to get your compensation.

Vero Beach widow files lawsuit against truck driver, TCPalm.com, July 1, 2008

Related Web Resource:

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Continue reading "Florida Widow Sues Tractor-Trailer Driver for Wrongful Death of Motorcyclist " »

Posted by Paige Trop & Ameen | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents , Truck Accident , Wrongful Death

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In West Palm Beach, a jury has awarded Terry Williams, a 45-year-old mural artist $2.1 million for permanent and disabling neck and brain injuries that he sustained in a 2003 Florida truck crash.

Williams’s van was rear-ended by a Loomis & Fargo truck on Interstate 95 in Palm Beach Garden. Because of the accident, he cannot paint quality work. The jurors ruled that the driver and Loomis & Fargo were negligent in causing the accident.

Traumatic Brain Injuries
Some 1.4 people sustain traumatic brain injuries each year. A TBI usually occurs when there is a violent blow to the head. Common causes of TBIs include car accidents, motorcycle crashes, truck collisions, assault crimes, fall accidents, physical abuse involving violent shaking of the head, and gunshot wounds.

Traumatic brain injuries can be completely life changing. A person with a serious traumatic brain injury may have problems speaking, eating, remembering things, or have difficulty controlling their motor functions. Seizures may ensue and a TBI patient may experience sudden mood swings or personality changes.

A TBI can also seriously affect the lives of the victim’s friends and family, who can no longer enjoy the kind of relationships and interactions that they used to with their loved ones. If the TBI victim was the main source of financial support for the family, their quality of life can also be compromised.

A person with a serious TBI may also require costly, ongoing, specialized medical care.

In South Florida, our serious injury attorneys know how to properly pursue your case and prove to a jury that your injuries warrant significant recovery. Our motor vehicle crash lawyers have helped many auto accident victims and their families recover compensation through settlements and verdicts.

Jury awards West Palm artist $2.1 million for 2003 car wreck, Sun-Sentinel.com, May 27, 2008

Traumatic Brain Injury, MayoClinic.com

Related Web Resource:

Traumatic Brain Injury Information Page

Continue reading "West Palm Beach Artist Awarded $2.1 Million for Traumatic Brain Injury from Car Accident " »

Posted by Paige Trop & Ameen | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Car Accidents , Traumatic Brain Injuries , Truck Accident

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20-year-old Florida Southern College twins Meghan and Melissa Kelly were returning to school on U.S. 27 on Monday when the Honda they were riding in was struck by a semi-truck that ran a red light at U.S. 27 and State Road 29.

The Florida Highway Patrol says that Meghan died from her injuries, while her twin, Melissa, was seriously injured. The sisters, college juniors, played together on their school’s women’s soccer team.

Truck collisions can be devastating experiences for the drivers and passengers of cars, motorcyclists, or pedestrians that are involved in these accidents.

In Florida, you must hire an experienced truck accident law firm that knows how to deal with truck drivers, trucking companies, and their insurance companies. Your truck crash lawyer will have to be familiar with the rules and regulations established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Semi-trucks are extremely large in size and weigh a great deal. Their impact upon collision is frequently catastrophic.

Common causes of truck accidents:

• Driver carelessness
• Fatigue
• Speeding
• Driving under the influence
• Truck malfunction
• Driving longer than the number of hours allowed
• Disregarding the rules of the road

A good truck crash lawyer will know what to look for in terms of determining who was at fault. Your lawyer should know how to work with accident reconstruction experts and be familiar with reading the truck driver’s logs. It is important that you retain the services of a truck accident lawyer right away.

In Return Trip to FSC, 1 Twin Dies in Crash, The Ledger.com, January 8, 2008

Tragic crash kills Florida Southern student, injures her twin, My FOX, January 8, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Center for National Truck and Bus Statistics

Continue reading "Truck Accident in Southern Florida Leaves One Twin Dead and the Other Critically Injured" »

Posted by Paige Trop & Ameen | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Truck Accident

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Florida resident Gwen Hightower, an employee for All Service Refuse lost her leg in a truck crash on Friday. Doctors and paramedics had to amputate her leg after she was freed from under the toppled recycling truck that she had been riding in.

Pembroke Pines Police have charged the driver of the garbage truck, Ft. Lauderdale resident Alexander Wright, with driving without a valid license and reckless endangerment.

The truck accident that caused Hightower to lose her leg took place when the vehicle overturned while Wright was turning left onto Northwest 140th Avenue from Taft Street.

Hightower was partially ejected from the truck, which landed on her right leg. Doctors and paramedics tried to save her leg while a big towing truck lifted the garbage truck off her leg.

Hightower underwent surgery for several hours at Memorial Regional in Hollywood, Florida.

The truck is equipped with two steering wheels and sets of pedals. Wright, a temporary worker at All-Service, wasn’t allowed to drive the truck. He is employed by another company. His job description while working with All-Service entailed picking up garbage. By allegedly causing the accident, he also violated his probation sentence that he is serving for aggravated fleeing and eluding an officer and grand theft.

If you have been injured on the job in Florida, the state’s workers’ compensation law prevents you from suing your employer for personal injury compensation. Workers’ compensation guarantees employees certain financial benefits if they are injured at work.

However, third parties can be held liable for a person’s personal injuries even if he or she while on the job. The best way to determine whether you can file a personal injury claim is to speak with an experienced Florida personal injury lawyer who can inform you of your legal options.

Spinal cord injuries, amputated limbs, traumatic brain injuries, and permanent disfigurements are just some of the many catastrophic injuries that a victim can sustain in a truck accident or any other type of serious motor vehicle crash.

Chances are that medical costs and recovery expenses will be very high. Your workers’ compensation benefits may not be able to cover all your financial and medical needs.

If another person, company, or another entity that is not your employer caused your personal injury accident by acting negligently, you may be able to obtain additional compensation for your catastrophic injuries.

Garbage truck driver charged in Pines rollover incident, Sun-Sentinel.com, November 8, 2007

Driver of garbage truck in Pembroke Pines crash jailed, Sun-Sentinel.com, November 8, 2007

Pines rescuers amputate woman's leg to free her from toppled truck, Sun-Sentinel.com, November 3, 2007

Related Web Resources:

Florida Division of Workers' Compensationhttp://www.protectingyou.com/

Continue reading "Florida Woman Loses Leg in Truck Accident " »

Posted by Paige Trop & Ameen | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Truck Accident

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