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In a recent pedestrian accident in Tamarac, a pedestrian was killed while trying to cross one of the busiest roads in the area.

The tragedy occurred when the Florida man walked into the southbound lanes of the Florida Turnpike, according to the Sun Sentinel. Florida Highway Patrol officials are saying that it happened just before 10:00 a.m. near the exit of Commercial Boulevard.

Because of the accident, three southbound lanes of that part of the Turnpike were closed.

Our Tamarac pedestrian accident lawyers understand the risks that pedestrians face. Our two-footed travelers are vulnerable when walking in our South Florida area. As a matter of fact, the state and our area of it serve as one of the most dangerous areas in the country for these kinds of accidents. Pedestrians are asked to be cautious when walking near vehicular traffic. They’re also asked to stay away and off of the Turnpike as well as other popular roadways. These kinds of accidents can be avoided with responsible travel habits. Consider following the tips below to help to make your on-foot travel a little bit safer.

To help to keep pedestrians safe, Broward County officials offer the following safety tips:

-Try to stay along roadways where sidewalks can be found. Avoid walking along the portion of a roadway paved for motor vehicle traffic.

-If there is no sidewalk available, be sure to walk on the side of the road facing traffic.

-No pedestrian should walk upon a limited access facility (freeway or interstate highway) or a ramp connecting a limited access facility to any other street or highway, as stated by Florida law.

-When walking during the evening, be sure to steer clear of vehicular traffic. During this time you always want to wear brightly-colored clothing to help motorists to see you more easily. Consider adhering reflective tape to your clothing or carrying a flashlight to increase visibility.

-Avoid wearing headphones, listening to music, talking on a cell phone and text messaging. Just as distracted driving is dangerous on our roadways, so is distracted walking.

-Try to cross the street at intersections.

-Make eye contact with drivers before attempting to cross the road to help to make sure that they see you.

-Avoid drinking or taking drugs. These substances can impair your ability to walk safely, just like they do a person’s ability to drive.

Unfortunately, pedestrians are oftentimes overlooked on our roadways. All in all, we ask pedestrians to make their moves as predictable as possible and to make themselves as visible as possible. We can’t always rely on other travelers responsible habits to keep us safe. We’ve got to be proactive travelers ourselves and work to make our roadways safe for everyone.
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Residents in the state of Florida are able to dip into their pool just about every day of the year, but with kids out of school those pools will be used a lot more often. The summer season, when kids are out on summer break, is a time when we see an increase in the number of fatal swimming pool accidents in Palm Beach County and elsewhere across the state.

During this time of the year, parents are asked to keep a close eye on their young ones and on their home’s pool.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are nearly 4,000 people who are killed in drowning-related accidents across the U.S. each year. Not only are a majority of these victims young children under the age of 15-years-old, but a good majority of them happen in the state of Florida, too. As a matter of fact, Florida leads the nation in drowning accidents.

Our Palm Beach swimming pool accident attorneys understand that about 20 percent of drowning victims are young children. For each child who is killed in a swimming pool-related drowning accident, another five are sent to an emergency room. This time of the year is the most important time to review safety precautions for the pool and to review the layers of protection around your pool to keep kids out when you’re not around. Here are some important tips from Palm Beach County officials.

Recommended Layers of Protection for Your Pool:

-A fence that’s at least 4 feet tall.

-A gate alarm to notify homeowners when the gate is being tampered with.

-Ropes and float lines to let swimmers know where the short end and the deep and are.

-A life ring and a shepherd’s hook to help to rescue those who may be having trouble in the pool.

-Emergency contact information posted near your pool.

-A telephone nearby.

-Anti-entrapment drain covers and fittings.

-Clear pool water to be able to better identify those in trouble.

How to Stay Safe in the Water:

-Make sure children are always supervised.

-Always swim with a friend. Use the buddy system.

-Become certified in CPR.

-Enroll your family into a professional swim class.

-Make sure there are safety flotation devices nearby. Floating toys do not count.

-Never drink alcohol and play around pools.

Children most at risk are those between the ages of 1- and 4-years-old. In 2009, 30 percent of this age group who was killed by unintentional injuries were killed in drowning accidents. These accidents most commonly happened in swimming pool. Still, drowning continues to be the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death behind motor vehicle crashes.
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To help to raise awareness about the risks of bicycling accidents in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere, Hector Picard, a bicyclist who lost both of his arms in an accident back in 1992, is setting out on a journey from Fort Lauderdale all the way to New York City on his bicycle. The ride is not only to draw attention to the dangers bicyclists face on roadways nationwide, but to also help to raise money for other physically challenged athletes, according to the Sun Sentinel.

He is expected to complete his close to 1,500 mile journey on the 10th of June.

“If I can inspire people along the way, it’s a great thing,” said Picard.

Our Fort Lauderdale bicycle accident lawyers understand that there were nearly 100 bicyclists killed on Florida roadways in 2010. In addition to these fatalities, there were nearly 5,000 bicyclist injuries, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). Florida is one of the most dangerous states for these kinds of accidents year after year. The truth of the matter is that these kinds of accidents can be avoided with bicycling education. It’s clear that motorists have little to no consideration for our pedaling friends and we need to take safety into our own hands to help to avoid these kinds of accidents.

Bicycle Safety Tips from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT):

-Bicyclists are to ride with the flow of traffic. Never ride facing oncoming traffic. When bicyclists drive facing oncoming traffic, their risks for accidents increase by nearly 20 percent. This is likely because motorists don’t expect traffic, bicycles or not, to come from the opposite direction of traffic flow.

-When riding between sunset and sunrise, bicyclists are required by law to equip their bike with a light on the front of the bike. These front white lights must be visible from 500 feet. In addition to the front light, bikes are required to be equipped with a rear lamp giving off a red visible light that can be seen from 600 feet.

-Riders who are under the age of 16-years-old are required to wear a helmet that has been properly fitted, fastened and one that meets federally recognized standards.

-All bicycles must have a regular, fixed seat designated for riding.

-There may be no more than one person on a bicycle that is designed for just that — one person.

-Ride in a single-file line.

-Adult bicyclists are allowed to carry children with them in a sling, a backback or a child seat that is designed for young riders.

-Bicyclists are required to always keep at least one hand on the handlebars at all times.

-Every bicycle must have a brake or brakes that can allow riders to stop within 25 feet from traveling at a speed of 10 mph.
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Chances are that you have a defective and dangerous product in your household, a product that could cause serious injury in Tamarac or elsewhere. The biggest problem is that you probably don’t even know about it! TIME recently released an article discussing the very real dangers that are associated with defective products and released a list of the latest and most common defective products that are found in consumers homes’ around the country.

Remember the recall from earlier in May when officials took back a number of inflatable pool slides? This recall didn’t come until after a woman was killed and another two were seriously injured. This exact scenario highlights the stakes when it comes to product safety.

Our Tamarac defective product attorneys understand that most people never hear about federal recalls or they do and fail to do anything with the defective product. In the case of the recent inflatable pool slide recalls, only about 10 percent of the purchased inflatable pools were ever returned to the manufacturer for a repair or for a refund. It’s important for residents to stay well informed about the latest recalls. Staying informed is your best defense against an injury from a defective product! You’re urged to visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission‘s recall site to check the recalls frequently. You want to rid your home of any listed dangerous and defective products immediately, but to do so you have to know about them first!

“We know that the majority of products that are recalled remain in consumers’ homes,” said the execute director of Kids in Danger, Nancy Cowles.

Another example of consumers failing to learn about or to react to a recall is the furnace recall that happened back in February. There were nearly a quarter of a million furnaces recalled because of the risks that were associated with them and with in-home fires. Of the accident reports, close of 95 percent of the 400 were filed after the recall was already made.

But why do people hang on to defective products? Some experts believe that it’s because the notification system isn’t very effective and that consumers never even hear about the recalls in the first place. Other reasons, experts believe, is that consumers blatantly ignore the recalls, thinking that nothing will happen. Whichever way you look at it, the result is that consumers are oftentimes injured by defective products long after the recall and their dangers have been released.

If you have a product that has been recalled by either the manufacturer or by federal safety officials, you should remove it from your home immediately. Once it’s out of the home, contact the manufacturer to get details on a refund or a repair. Removing these products immediately is the best way to help to keep you and your family members safe. The stakes are too high for consumers to continue to ignore recalls.
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If it’s about time for your teen to start driving, it might also be time to start helping them to look for a car. But where do you start? They want a speedy, flashy set of hot wheels and you want them to have something affordable and reliable. Unfortunately, they don’t always mix.

According to the Evening Tribune, more than 80 percent of parents and guardians put reliability above all else when choosing a vehicle for their teen. Parents want to rely on a car’s ability to not only hold its own, but to be able to protect their child in the event of a car accident in Stuart and elsewhere. After reliability comes a high safety rating and then the cost of auto insurance.

“I can replace cars, but I can’t replace a kid,” says Lauren Fix, The Car Coach.

Our Stuart car accident attorneys understand that this decision may be one of the most important ones you’ll make for them. During their first few years behind the wheel they face the highest risks for accidents! You want to make sure that they’re provided with a vehicle that’s going to help to keep them safe and alive behind the wheel should they get into an accident.

Here are some simple tips to make sure that you and your teen settle on a vehicle that fits in the budget and helps to provide you with some peace of mind:

-Should I go new or used? Price may be better for used cars, but the older you go the fewer technological safe guards you have. It’s the newer cars that have the new technology to help reassure parents. Some of these features include front air bags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and even back-up collision intervention systems. You can always add tint and some cool seat covers to make a car look cool, but you can’t add airbags and ECS.

-Check out the USAA’s list of top cars for teens. This list looks at vehicles based on their affordability, their safety and their reliability.

-Look at each vehicle’s crash-test ratings before narrowing your choice.

-Once you’ve selected a vehicle, consider having a trusted mechanic check it out.

-Check out insurance costs. Remember, boys cost more than girls. Driving education, good grades and other positive factors help to bring down costs for your teen.

-Talk with your teen about basic car maintenance once the vehicle makes it to your driveway.
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It’s officially the summertime and both residents and visitors of the area will be flocking to our sandy beaches at every spare moment. During this time of the year, our beaches can be a lot of fun but they can also be very dangerous. For this reason, we’d like to discuss some beach safety pointers to help to reduce the risks of a needless beach accident in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere.

The Greater Fort Lauderdale area has nearly 25 miles of sun-kissed beaches, which are all just a hop, skip and a jump away from local restaurants, hotels and other fun activities but they’re also one wrong move from a hospital room.

Our Fort Lauderdale accident attorneys understand that this is a fun, and dangerous, time of the year. Both residents and visitors are urged to be cautious when visiting our sandy beaches. There are a few simple beach safety tips and rules that can help to keep your and your family safe during your summer’s beach excursions. Be sure to review the following and to share them with your loved ones to help to keep everyone safe.

Beach Safety Tips:

-Always stay within 50 yards of the shoreline. Remember that the ocean’s current can pull you out to sea in the blink of an eye. Stay near the shore and near other people.

-Never swim alone.

-When possible, swim within areas that are covered by lifeguards.

-Always obey instructions from lifeguards.

-Keep your alcohol in designated areas.

-Landscape materials are meant to make the beach even prettier. Help to protect its environmental integrity. Do not affix any items (hammocks, bicycles, beach chairs, etc) to plants or trees along our beach.

-Keep vehicles off of the beach, in most areas it’s forbidden.

-Keep an eye on where pets are and are not allowed.

-Refrain from feeding the birds.

-When in the water, be on the lookout for boats, jet skis and other personal watercraft. While they’re supposed to be looking out for you, you can’t always rely on others. Be aware of your surroundings at all times.

-Do not stand on the rocks in or around the water. These rocks can be very dangerous and can contribute to some serious injuries.

-Beach goers are only allowed to snorkel within 50 yards of the shoreline.

-Be sure to only surf and skimboard in permitted areas.

-Remember that all surfboards and bodyboards must be used with a leash to prevent injury to others.

-Glass containers are strictly prohibited on our beaches.

Beach-related injuries can result from a number of scenarios. Beach goers are encouraged to make sure that their belongings are properly secured. Oftentimes gusts of wind can pick up and carry items along the shore line, posing serious risks for other beach goers. Always be cautious of your surroundings and make sure that you keep safety as a number one priority this summer. It’s not a bad idea to slap on some sunscreen either. Get out there, have fun and be safe.
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Each and every year, there are more than 12,000 Florida residents who die in car accidents, falls, domestic violence, work-related accidents, burns and other accidents in Stuart City and elsewhere.

These numbers, recently released from an injury report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America’s Health, conclude that Florida ranks in at number 18 in the country for death by injury, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

The report, “The Facts Hurt,” looked at the fatality rates of each state and determined which one’s residents were most likely to die in. It also looked at what preventative measures were being taken and which could be taken to help to keep residents and visitors safe.

In the state of Florida, about 67 out of every 100,000 Floridians are killed each year in preventable accidents, such as motorcycle accidents, drunk driving, falls, domestic violence and drug overdoses. Nationwide, states average about 58 fatalities for every 100,000 residents. Males account for about 70 percent of these fatalities.

Our Stuart City injury attorneys understand that the loss of anyone is emotional. Unfortunately, these fatalities cost the state a little more than sadness. They rack up a tab of nearly $120 million in total lifetime medical costs. Luckily, the report also put forth some suggestions for how each state could help to improve their numbers to help keep residents alive. In addition to saving lives, the report’s suggestions could help to prevention millions of injuries every year too.

Of the suggestions to make states safer for everyone, Florida already has six of them. What our state is lacking is tougher breathalyzer and ignition interlock laws, tougher motorcycle helmet laws, our state failed to meet the American Academy of Pediatrics standards for kids’ car and booster seats in cars and we should have been working harder to break the cycle of teen dating violence.

In our state, laws already require motorists to wear seat belts, for riders to wear helmets while driving bicycles and we also had a prescription drug monitoring system. We earned some bonus points in the study for those, but it still wasn’t good enough.

In comparison to other states, Florida ranked about in the middle for preventative measures. California weighed in at number one for these, holding down 9 out of the 10 preventative measures. Its strict laws and aggressive enforcement that help to keep residents alive and well.

Motor-Vehicle Accident Preventative Measures:

-Seat belts were able to help save nearly 70.000 people from 2006 to 2010.

-Motorcycle helmets saved an about 8,000 lives between 2005 and 2009.

-Kids’ car seats saved nearly 2,000 kids from 2005 to 2009.

•Sobriety check-points helped to cut alcohol-related accidents by about 20 percent.
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The kickoff weekend for the summer season is getting close — Memorial Day! During this time, residents and visitors from around the country will be kicking off their long weekend working on their tan in a swimming pool under the Florida sun.

Unfortunately, with this long holiday weekend, we’re expected a number of news reports of boys and girls who needlessly drowned because of negligence, their own lack of swimming skills or because of inadequate protection, faulty equipment and lack of supervision. It happens every year, an increase in the number of these kinds of accidents over the Memorial Day weekend. Swimming pool accidents in Broward County and elsewhere are alarmingly common during this time of year. Luckily, there are precautionary steps that can be taken to help to minimize the risks of these kinds of accidents.

It’s especially important to keep an eye on our young swimmers. As a matter of fact, kids ages 1- to 4-years-old face the highest risks for drowning. These accidents are the number one cause of death for this young age group in the state of Florida. Did you know that Broward County leads the state of Florida in the number of drowning deaths each year? Picture this. Enough children drown in the state of Florida each year to fill the seats of roughly four classrooms.

Our Fort Lauderdale accident attorneys understand that there’s one link that can help to save children from drowning-related accidents — parents! Parents and guardians are asked to take all of the necessary safety precautions to minimize these risks. It may be a weekend for fun, but it’s also a time to step up and to help protect our young ones. Review the safety tips listed below to help make your Memorial Day injury free.

“We hope parents and caregivers will take heed of these very important safety tips and suggestions,” says Sheryl Woods, President/CEO of the Broward County YMCA.

Swimming Pool Safety Tips:

-Make sure that children are ALWAYS supervised. Never leave them alone in a pool, not even for a second.

-Consider installing a four-sided fence around your swimming pool to keep wandering children away. These fences should be at least 4 feet tall and should be difficult to climb, meaning it shouldn’t be a chain-link fence.

-Keep all doors around a pool locked, including the swimming pool fence.

-Consider enrolling your child into a swim class.

-Parents, guardians and caregivers should be certified in CPR.

Of the children who died in drowning-related accidents in Broward County in the last 3 years:

-Nearly 85 percent were males.

-Nearly 60 percent were African-American.

-More than 80 percent were familiar with the swimming pool where the accident happened and died in their own backyard or in their community.

-In more than 95 percent of the cases, an adult was present when the accident happened.
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Memorial Day weekend is approaching and so are increased risks for a serious car accident in Lantana and elsewhere.

For that reason, officers throughout the country will be enforcing their “Click It or Ticket (CIOT)” campaign. During this time, officers nationwide will be on the hunt for drivers who aren’t wearing a seat belt and for those who aren’t practicing safe and responsible driving habits, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This nationwide campaign will be taking place from the 21st of March through the 3rd of June.

According to recent studies, men ages 18- to 34-years-old are those who are least likely to wear their seat belts. They also make up the group of drivers who are most likely to engage in dangerous driving habits.

Our Latana car accident attorneys understand that Memorial Day is a busy holiday weekend on our roadways. Families and visitors from around the country will be making their way to the Sunshine State to enjoy a long weekend and an extra day off of work. During this time, we see a significant increase in the number of car accidents on our roadways. During this time, drivers are asked to be extra cautious behind the wheel to help to avoid a potentially fatal accident.

Every year, law enforcement agencies across the country use the annual Memorial Day Weekend holiday period to join forces, during both evening and daytime hours, to nab irresponsible drivers. During this time, the mobilization is supported by both local and national paid advertising and earned media campaigns that are used to raising awareness before the blitz.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), the Memorial Day holiday weekend is defined as the time from 6:00 p.m. on Friday May 25th through 11:59 p.m. on May 28th. During this time, officials with the NSC predict that roughly 420 traffic accident-related fatalities. Also during this time, officials also predict that more than 40,000 will be injured on our roadways. Memorial Day is typically known as the traditional summer kick-off.

The NSC is making some uplifting estimates, too. Officials also predict that nearly 150 people may survive car accidents over the Memorial Day holiday weekend because of seat belt usage. In addition, another 110 people could be saved if all motorists were to wear their seat belt.

Over the last 6 years, the Memorial Day holiday weekend saw an increase of more than 11 percent in the number of fatal car accidents than similar non-holiday period.

Drivers are urged to be safe out there, to buckle up, to be courteous on our roadways and to practice safe and responsible driving habits to increase roadway safety for all.
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A recent accident in Fort Lauderdale on Broward Boulevard left a man trapped in his car. He was extracted from his vehicle by emergency response teams with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, according to the Sun Sentinel. The accident involved a passenger vehicle car and a Broward County Transit bus. The man was taken to Broward General Medical Center.

Accidents involving trucks, buses and other commercial vehicles can produce some catastrophic results. These larger vehicles carry some serious weight, power and strength. Accidents involving these vehicles unfortunately produce deadly results oftentimes. Drivers are urged to practice safe and responsible driving habits when traveling near these vehicles. Drivers are to practice very different and specific driving habits when traveling near commercial vehicles than when traveling near only other passenger vehicles.

Our Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers understand that our roadways are busy during this time of the year. Students are off of school and tourists are still trickling in to catch some Florida sun. We’re asking all drivers to keep safe driving habits as a number one priority no matter where they’re driving to and no matter how far they’re traveling. Safe driving habits can save lives. That’s why we’re here to offer you some safe driving tips to help you to navigate safely around commercial buses, school buses, emergency vehicles, other large vehicles and our busy Florida traffic on our roadways. Listen up!

When driving near school buses and county buses:

-Remember that these school buses carry very special cargo, our children. It’s important to be extra cautious when traveling near these vehicles, especially when they’re picking up or letting off kids. Allow these vehicles with plenty of space, always travel slowly near them and keep an eye out for children nearby. When traveling near commercial passenger buses be cautious and never follow too closely. These vehicles make frequent stops along our roadways and can be a serious hazard if you’re not paying attention.

When traveling near emergency vehicles:

Remember that the number one rule is that when you see one of these vehicles nearby with their emergency lights and/or their sirens activates, you’re required to pull as far to the right as possible and stop. Remember that you’re always supposed to yield to the right of way for these vehicles (at intersections and other road crossings). Help to help our neighbors and get out of these vehicle’s way when you see them coming. Be cautious of nearby traffic while doing this. You don’t want to cause another accident.

When traveling near tractor-trailers and other large, commercial vehicles:

-Be sure to steer clear of these vehicles. You never want to travel too closely to these vehicles. They take longer to stop that our small, passenger vehicles. It’s also important to stay out of these vehicles’ blind spots. If you can’t see a driver then the driver can’t see you!
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Contact Information
WEST PALM BEACH
5 Harvard Cir #110
West Palm Beach, FL 33409
Phone: 561-999-9999
Fax: 561-689-4310
PLANTATION
8751 W Broward Blvd #106
Plantation, FL 33324
Phone: 954-999-9999
Toll Free: 800-561-7777
Fax: 954-979-1225
MIAMI
7685 SW 104th St #200
Miami, FL 33156
Phone: 786-517-9774
Toll Free: 800-561-7777
Fax: 954-979-1225
ORLANDO
258 Southhall Ln #140
Maitland, FL 32751
Phone: 407-999-9999
Fax: 407-956-3820

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