South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog

Published on: February 19, 2014

Focus on Child Traffic Safety Long Overdue

Better car seats, seat belts and more effective air bags have been able to decrease the number of child auto accident fatalities by close to 45 percent since 2002, but there have still been over 9,000 child car accident fatalities in the last 10 years — a third of which involved children who were not wearing seat belts. According to NBC News, officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are focusing on just how vulnerable our young motorists are in these incidents.

“Based on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calculations, an estimated 3,308 lives were saved by child safety seat use among children aged 0–4 years during 2002–2011,” the report concludes. “If child safety seats were used in motor vehicles 100 percent of the time for children aged 0–4 years, an additional 837 lives could have been saved.”

Our child injury attorneys in Pompano Beach know the importance of motor vehicle safety when it comes to children. These young motorists rely on us for safety on our roadways. Passengers of all ages should be buckled in during each and every car ride. Children need to be seated in an age/weight-appropriate child seat until they’re at least 8-years-old. Only then should they be upgraded to an adult seat belt. Still, all children should ride in the back seat until they’re at least 13-years-old.
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Published on: February 9, 2014

Raising Awareness: Bicyclists Face Deadly Roadways in South Florida

By Dean Freeman

It’s awfully dangerous out there on our South Florida roadways. According to the Miami Herald, there were three people killed in one recent weekend.

Coral Springs detectives investigated a serious accident between a motor vehicle and a bicyclist on the northbound lanes of the Sawgrass Expressway at State Road 7. Miami officials looked into an accident involved an SUV and a truck and Broward officials looked into two fatal single car accidents.

Our Coral Springs bicycle accident lawyers understand that traffic can be a headache for all of us. Unfortunately, it’s often cyclists who face the brunt of it. Since bicyclists are much more vulnerable in the event of a traffic accident, they’re oftentimes much more seriously injured or killed. With the Spring season approaching, we’re facing some of the busiest times on our roadways for these kinds of accidents. It’s time we focus in on bicycle safety before it’s too late.
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Published on: February 4, 2014

Warning: Acetaminophen Intoxication has Life-Threating Effects

By Dean Freeman

In the last 10 years, there have been close to 2,000 Americans who dies because they accidentally took tom much of a drug all too well known for its “safety”: Acetaminophen. This drug is considered one of the nation’s most popular pain relievers, according to ProPublica.

As the active ingredient in Tylenol, it’s considered safe when it’s taken at recommended doses and millions of Americans take this drug each and every day with no bad side effects, but when you look at the big picture (and when you pair it with alcohol) the drug can destroy you.

Our Delray Beach personal injury attorneys understand that there are close to 200 Americans who are killed each and every year by accidentally taking to much. This drug has a narrow safety margin, which means that the dose that can help you is much too close to the dose that can harm you. For some time now, officials with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have known about the studies conducted to show consumers just how dangerous this drug is. Officials with Johnson & Johnson, McNeil Consumer Healthcare and Tylenol have also been aware of these studies. Still, for more than 30 years now, officials with the FDA have delayed or neglected to enact and kind of measures to help to reduce the number of injuries and death from this common household drug. Back in the 70s, these same officials started a comprehensive review to enact rules for the drug, but they have yet to finish.
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Published on: February 2, 2014

Florida School Injuries and Bullying: A Bigger Problem Than Expected

By Dean Freeman

Despite all that we’re hearing about the fight against bullying, there are still far too many children who are seriously injured while on school grounds, according to a recent study published in Pediatrics. According to NBC News, there are more than 90,000 school children who are the victim of “intentional” injuries that are serious enough to land them in the E.R.

While there has been a decrease in this number in the last decade, it’s been very small. It’s important to point out that the study only observed incidents in which a school child wound up in the E.R. The true number of injuries is likely much higher.

Our child injury lawyers in Vero Beach understand that bullying is largely unreported. Oftentimes, children are hesitant to come forward to an adult about bullying and little is ever done about it. Officials are hoping that this recent study shines more light and attention on the problem.
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Published on: January 28, 2014

Weak Enforcement of Florida’s Texting and Driving Laws

By Dean Freeman

Traffic laws and enforcement of those regulations through citations are intended to minimize violations and keep roads safe. When law enforcement agencies fail to enforce traffic laws, they could fail in providing a safeguard for other motorists sharing the road. A new Florida law against texting while driving is intended to prevent distracted driving and hold drivers accountable. What if the law goes unenforced? Is it still beneficial to reduce texting and driving on Florida roads?

According to recent reports, Florida’s texting and driving ban has gone largely unenforced in Broward County and throughout the state. Though the law went into effect in October, there have been few citations issued in South Florida and statewide. Our Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys are dedicated to preventing accidents and providing advocacy for individuals who are impacted by collisions. We are also committed to raising awareness to prevent accidents caused by distracted driving.
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Published on: January 26, 2014

Florida School Liability for Child Injuries

By Dean Freeman

Some child injuries are expected—minor cuts and bruises, and scrapes are common for school-aged children. When parents send their kids off to school, they may anticipate some injuries, but what if the injuries are more serious or permanent? Can parents hold a school liable when a child suffers a serious injury while under the care of a private or public school? According to researchers 1 in 14 children suffers a medically-attended or temporarily, disabling injury while at school. In many cases, teacher, staff, or administrative negligence is to blame.

School liability in child injury cases are on the rise. When children suffer serious injury or wrongful death because of failures in standards of care, it is important that responsible individuals and entities are held accountable. Our West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys are dedicated to protecting the rights of victims and in raising awareness to prevent future injuries and wrongful death. With a comprehensive understanding of school liability, we are dedicated to keeping parents of our community abreast and informed of their rights.

Personal injury or tort cases require that the plaintiff demonstrate that the defendant acted negligently or violated a duty of care. For school personnel, officials, and districts, wrongful death, injury harassment and bullying are all instances of liability that could return significant settlements or verdicts for victims and their families.
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Published on: January 22, 2014

Falls Causing More Fatalities – Florida Seniors at Highest Risk

By Dean Freeman

Falls off ladders, slip and fall injuries, falls from balconies and other fall-related injuries are a leading cause of death in the United States. According to experts, the rising trends indicate that in only a few years, falls could account for more fatalities that motor vehicle accidents or gun-related deaths. Experts are now considering new ways to treat falls to prevent fatalities. This includes new strategies in trauma centers and emergency rooms to ensure immediate and effective treatment.

While the elderly are most vulnerable in the event of a fall, every age demographic is at risk of head trauma and death caused by a serious fall. Our Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys are experienced in helping victims recover compensation after an accident. We are also experienced in developments in the medical field that focus on patient care and recovery. Our priority is to raise public awareness to prevent serious accidents and future injury or death.

A recent study showed while motor vehicle accident deaths are on the decline by 27%, fatalities caused by falls are on the rise by 46%. The study has tracked accidental deaths since 2002 and highlights the need for further efforts in public awareness and advancements in medical treatment for fall victims. Experts agree that injury trends can shift overtime. Tracking these shifts can help to better understand risks and improve treatment opportunities.
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Published on: January 8, 2014

Work Accidents, Cell Phone Policies & Distracted Driving in 2014

By Dean Freeman

Cell phone distracted driving policies help employers keep employees safe and also protect bottom lines, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). Some employers have realized the dangers of cell phone use while driving and are taking action by passing policies to prevent cell phone distracted driving.

In fact, this is becoming the norm as it is nearly impossible for an employer to claim ignorance of the risks driving distraction plays in the road — particularly if employees are required to stay in touch while on the road for work. Motor vehicle crashes are the No. 1 cause of workplace death and No. 1 cause of death for people
ages 1 to 35, accounting for about 40,000 deaths each year in the United States. Beyond concern for the safety of employees, crashes are also costly to employers. An on-the-job crash costs an employer more than $24,000, rising to more than $125,000 if the crash involves injury. All employers face ongoing liability, insurance, productivity and absenteeism costs.

Our car accident attorneys in Miramar understand that many drivers think they can handle distracted driving. They think that they’re skilled enough behind the wheel to handle tasks other than driving. And they couldn’t be farther from the truth. Distracted driving is any non-driving activity a motorist engages in that has the potential to distract him or her from the primary task of driving. Stressful jobs, busy lifestyles and technology advances are just a few of the reasons why individuals may engage in distracted driving activities. When motorists engage in distracted driving — it increases the likelihood of motor vehicle incidents and crashes.
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Published on: January 4, 2014

Speed Blamed for Fatal Coral Springs Traffic Collision

By Dean Freeman

In a Christmas day accident in Coral Springs, two men were killed, according to CBS Miami. Officials are ruling speed a main factor in this accident.

It happened just before 5:30 a.m. along the 11900 block of Lake View Drive. Officers arrived on scene to find the car wrapped around a tree. They believe that it happened as the two were heading eastbound and lost control rounding a curve. Both 22-year-old men were pronounced dead at the scene.

Our car accident attorneys in Coral Springs understand that the economic cost to US society of speed-related crashes is estimated at more than $27 billion per year. It continues to be a factor in about a third of all fatal traffic accidents. Crash forces on impact double with every 10 mile per hour increase in speed above 50 miles per hour. As crash forces increase, so does one’s chances of being killed or seriously injured in a motor vehicle collision.
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Published on: December 29, 2013

Attractive Nuisance Doctrine in Florida

By Dean Freeman

Establishing negligence in West Palm Beach personal injury claims is sometimes fairly straightforward. For example, someone drives drunk and causes an accident that results in serious injuries.

Other cases, however, are a bit more complex. Those that involve the attractive nuisance doctrine, often pertaining to child injuries.

The attractive nuisance doctrine makes a person or entity negligent for leaving a piece of equipment or some other condition on a property that could be both attractive and dangerous to children. Some examples might be an unguarded swimming pool or an open pit or an abandoned refrigerator.
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