Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

Broward County, Florida - A Coral Springs police officer was injured on Monday, August 22, 2011 after his Harley-Davidson was involed in a school bus crash on Coral Ridge Drive in Coral Springs. The bus driver and her three passengers were not injured in this motorcycle accident. Police are currently investigating the crash.

U.S. Department of Transportation statistics state that there were 857 school bus accidents from 1999 through 2005. According to reports, approximately 17,000 children suffer injuries linked to school bus accidents each year in the U.S.

Coral Springs motorcycle accident lawyers can help victims and families of victims who have been injured due to the negligence of another motorist. If your accident case involves a school bus, an attorney can help you understand your rights, liability, and the complexities associated with these types of cases.

If a school bus driver's negligence causes an accident, many times that driver will be terminated from his or her position. In some cases involving a child who has been injured or killed in a school bus accident due to a bus driver's negligence, financial recovery has been obtained against school bus drivers, bus owners, and school boards.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Motorcycle Accident Injures Local Police Officer" »

Five people were injured in a Tamarac car accident on Friday, August 19, 2011. Three vehicles were affected in this multiple-vehicle accident - a Dodge Caravan, a Toyota Camry, and a Nissan Versa. The cause of the accident has not been released.

As Coral Springs car accident lawyers, we help accident victims whose lives have been affected by the negligence of other drivers and vehicle manufacturers. Car accidents happen for a wide variety of reasons, including reckless driving, driver distraction, failure to obey traffic laws, failure to yield the right of way, speeding, drug or alcohol use, defective vehicle manufacture, and improper road and highway maintenance.

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were 25,957 car accidents in Broward County in 2009. Of those accidents, 20,249 resulted in injuries and 189 were fatal. It may come as no surprise that Friday afternoon traffic - specifically during the 4 o'clock hour - experienced the largest number of motor vehicle accidents in Florida in 2009. The highest number of deadly accidents took place during the midnight hour on Sunday, not surprising, Saturday night going into Sunday, when you'd most expect the largest amount of drunk drivers on the road. Be wary of your children driving after midnight: remember, it's not always you or them, it's: "the other guy."

Continue reading "Tamarac Car Accident Injures Five" »

Just a day before starting his senior year of high school, Tamarac teen Randolph Bieszczak died in a boat accident on the C-14 canal in Coral Springs. The accident took place on Sunday, August 21, 2011, when Bieszczak and his friend Nicholas Messier were on a tube being towed by a 17-foot motorboat. The tube they were riding on crashed into rocks close to the shore, killing Bieszczak and injuring Messier. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is currently investigating the accident.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 389 people were injured in Florida boat accidents in 2010. The most common type of injury was laceration, which is the type of injury that Messier suffered in the above boating accident.

As Coral Springs boat accident lawyers, we help people who have been victims of the negligence of boat drivers in Florida. In the particular case noted at the start of this post, it's hard to imagine there was not at least some negligence on the part of the boat driver. If the boat is insured, there could be an action against the driver and owner of the boat. The boat is also considered a dangerous instrumentality under Florida law, which may create liability upon the owner even if the owner was not in the boat at the time and even if the owner was not negligent.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Boat Accident Kills Tamarac Teen" »

Coral Springs injury lawyers understand the dangers pedestrians face on Florida roads, so it comes as no surprise that four Florida metropolitan regions are ranked as some of the most dangerous areas for pedestrians in the U.S., according to a recent New York Times article.

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach ranked 4th as the most dangerous metropolitan areas for pedestrians in the country. Orlando topped the list, followed by Tampa and Jacksonville. This research comes from Transportation for America, a nonprofit group focused on pedestrian and transportation safety in the U.S.

According to Transportation for America, over 47,700 pedestrian fatalities occurred in the U.S. from 2000 to 2009. In addition, over 688,000 pedestrian injuries happened in that same time period, which means a pedestrian was hit by a vehicle every 7 minutes. Pedestrians make up about 12% of the total number of traffic fatalities in the U.S.

In addition to Transportation for America's report, research from the Governors Highway Safety Association also ranked Florida as one of the most hazardous places for pedestrians in the United States. According to a recent report, Florida had the second highest number, in the U.S., when it came to pedestrian deaths in 2010.

Continue reading "Fort Lauderdale Pedestrian Accident: Miami-Ft Lauderdale Ranked as One of the Most Dangerous Places for Pedestrians in the United States" »

A Lauderhill resident was involved in a rollover car accident in late July near the Forest Hill Boulevard exit on I-95. 17-year-old Jasmin Gonzalez lost control of her Chevy Cobalt, which rolled over and landed in a canal off I-95. Six motorists, from Palm Beach and Broward Counties, helped rescue the teen, who thankfully suffered only minor injuries from the accident.

Coral Springs car accident lawyers are familiar with rollover accident statistics. One source of rollover statistics comes from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (iihs.org), which state that in 2009, 8,296 people died in rollover accidents in passenger vehicles in the U.S. More than 75 percent of deadly rollover accidents are single-vehicle accidents.

Continue reading "Lauderhill Teen Involved in Rollover Car Accident on I-95, Car Lands in Canal " »

A rollover accident on the Florida Turnpike near the Lake Worth Road exit on August 11, 2011, has injured two people. After the accident, witnesses helped rotate the overturned Nissan Versa to its upright position. Two men were injured inside the vehicle, and one woman was able to get out of the car. It is not known at this time whether a semitrailer and dump truck that were sitting on the roadside close to the scene were involved in the accident.

As Coral Springs car accident lawyers, we are familiar with rollover accident statistics. We know that rollover accidents most commonly occur in SUVs, but they can also happen in other types of vehicles such as cars. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), utility vehicles had the largest percentage - 32.3%--of rollovers in deadly accidents in the U.S. in 2009, compared with 16.4% of cars involved in deadly rollover accidents.

If you have been involved in an accident, you may have questions like the ones our clients typically ask us during their free initial consultation. These questions include:

• What's my case worth?
• How much will it cost to hire a lawyer?
• Do I need a lawyer to handle my case?

After an accident, it is important to speak with an experienced car accident lawyer in order to protect your rights and answer your questions. Call the personal injury lawyers at Law Offices Cytryn & Velazquez today for a free consultation at 954-255-7000 or toll-free at 1-877-853-7466.

Our office is located in the Morgan Stanley building on University Drive in Coral Springs. If you are unable to meet us at our office, we will visit you at your home or hospital. We provide legal services to people all around South Florida, including Lake Worth, Tamarac, Pembroke Pines, Fort Lauderdale, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, and Miami.

Ryan Hutson, Esq. is a Coral Springs injury attorney at Law Offices Cytryn and Velazquez, P.A.

The founder of our law firm, Dan Irving Cytryn, is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer who has been handling car accident cases for 30 years in South Florida. He has received a 10.0 rating on Avvo, a lawyer rating service, which is the highest rating given for a lawyer. He is also rated the highest ability and ethics rating, "AV", by Martindale Hubbell, a company rating lawyers for more than 100 years.

A Pembroke Pines accident involving a motorcycle and a pickup truck on Sunday, August 14, 2011, has killed a motorcyclist from Hialeah. The crash occurred when 52-year-old Nelson Quinones struck the back of a pickup truck and was thrown from the motorcycle. Police are investigating the accident.

Motorcycle accident statistics are something that Coral Springs personal injury lawyers keep up with on a consistent basis. Statistics from the Florida Department of Transportation show that in 2009 in Florida, motorcycle riders between the ages of 45 and 54 had more injuries than riders in any other age group. During that same year, 47% of riders were not wearing a helmet prior to a deadly motorcycle accident. Also, 32% of deaths from motorcycle accidents were linked to traumatic brain injuries from 2006 to 2008.

Continue reading "Pembroke Pines Motorcycle Crash Kills Miami-Dade Resident" »

A Palm Beach County car accident on August 8, 2011 has killed a 51-year-old man from West Boca Raton. The crash happened around 7 a.m. on Lyons Road, when an Isuzu Rodeo SUV struck Antoine Jasmin's Honda sedan. Jasmin was not wearing a seatbelt and died shortly after the accident. The other driver "suffered minor injuries," according to reports.

As Coral Springs personal injury lawyers, we urge all drivers and passengers to use a seat belt when in a vehicle (and for children, to use the proper safety restraint according to age). According to the latest statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), from 1975 through 2009, a total of 267,890 lives in the U.S. were saved due to seat belt use.

Continue reading "Palm Beach County Crash Kills West Boca Raton Man" »

A Davie woman faces several criminal charges following a drunk driving car accident on August 3, 2011. Charges against Summer Christlieb include DUI and child neglect after drinking and then driving with five children in the backseat of her car.

As Coral Springs car accident lawyers, we know how important it is for the public to be aware of the dangers of drunk driving and to be familiar with drunk driving accident statistics. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) statistics, one in three people will be in an accident involving alcohol in their life. In fact, statistics show someone is injured every minute in a drunk driving crash. Perhaps most shocking of all, a drunk driver, on average, has driven drunk 87 times before they're arrested for DUI the first time

Continue reading "Davie Car Accident Leads to Mother's Arrest on DUI and Child Neglect Charges " »

A Hollywood, Florida car accident on August 6, 2011, has resulted in the death of an unidentified driver. According to witnesses, the driver, who was in a Lexus, was speeding and repeatedly switching lanes. The vehicle was T-boned after crossing into oncoming traffic. The driver of the Lexus was killed, and the driver of the other vehicle was hospitalized. Police are investigating the accident.

As Coral Springs personal injury lawyers, we know that many auto accidents are caused by factors such as speeding, distraction, drug or alcohol consumption, and erratic driving. We urge drivers to practice safety on the roads. Make sure you use your turn signals prior to switching lanes. Always check your blind spot and allow plenty of room to switch lanes.

Continue reading "Hollywood Car Accident Kills Unidentified Driver" »

A Palm Beach County car accident on August 7, 2011 has resulted in the death of a 23-year-old man. The accident happened shortly before 7 a.m. on I-95 in West Palm Beach, when a Lexus struck a stalled Nissan. According to the FHP, the vehicle may have stalled due to running out of gas. Police are currently investigating the accident.

As Coral Springs personal injury lawyers, we understand how dangerous a vehicle stall can be, especially on a busy highway such as I-95. The following news report offers advice on what to do if your vehicle stalls on the highway.

A wrongful death claim can result from different types of negligence including car crashes, nursing home negligence, construction accidents, truck accidents, and death resulting from defective products. These claims differ from personal injury cases in that a wrongful death claim is typically brought by the victim's personal representative who recovers monetary damages from the at-fault party for the benefit of the victim's survivors and estate.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Car Accident Lawyer Comments on Fatal Palm Beach County Weekend Crash " »

When red light cameras were initially installed in the cities of Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, and Miami, the purpose of the program was to cut down on the number of car accidents and to provide incentive for motorists to be more cautious. However, due to the controversy over the use of these cameras, the city of Davie is considering canceling its red light camera program, scheduled to start on August 20, 2011.

What's so controversial about red light cameras? Some research has shown that red light cameras lead to more accidents than they prevent. In fact, according to a University of South Florida College of Public Health study from 2008, red light cameras cause drivers to suddenly stop at intersections where these cameras are installed, leading to a greater number of accidents. The study also highlights that red light cameras lead to higher car insurance premiums.

However, those in support of the cameras argue that they help reduce dangerous car accidents and injuries. Coral Springs recently began its red light camera program. On the city's website, coralsprings.org, the Federal Highway Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety are cited as sources in studies showing the benefits of red light cameras.

But perhaps the most important factor in a city's decision to install red light cameras has to do with money. Opponents of red light cameras in Davie say that the amount of money collected in fines won't be enough to cover the cost to run the cameras --$76,000 a month.

Pembroke Pines and Fort Lauderdale may also end the use of red light cameras due to unforeseeable legal and court costs.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Personal Injury Attorney on why the City of Davie May Withdraw from Installing Red Light Cameras" »

Two women were killed in a Miami car accident on August 2, 2011, when an elderly man lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a Miami boutique. A 33-year-old pregnant woman, who was the boutique owner, and her friend, were killed. According to the Sun Sentinel report, the driver hit the gas pedal by accident as he was trying to park his SUV. Police are investigating the accident.

As Coral Springs personal injury lawyers, we are aware of a similar Palm Beach car accident which took place on July 29, 2011, when a 24-year-old man lost control of his car and struck a shoe store. Thankfully, the accident did not injure any pedestrians or bystanders. The driver of the car, however, was hospitalized.

In reading about other accidents nationwide involving drivers who crashed into businesses or public places, we found that some of those accidents were caused by distracted drivers. In late July, for example, a woman was struck by a distracted driver at a gas station in Washington state and almost lost her right foot. The driver was reportedly having a cell phone conversation before the accident.

Continue reading "Miami Car Accident Kills Two Women" »

An 34-year-old male pedestrian was killed in a Fort Lauderdale freight train accident on August 2, 2011. The accident happened shortly before 1:30 pm in Fort Lauderdale's Downtown Himmarshee area and resulted in the temporary closure of nearby streets. An investigation is ongoing to determine why the man ran from his burning Ford F-150 before being struck by the train.

Coral Springs train accident lawyers are familiar with the causes of train accidents, which include derailments, failure to properly maintain the train tracks, inoperative warning signals, speeding, train operator distraction, fatigue, or intoxication.

Continue reading "Fort Lauderdale Train Accident Kills Pedestrian, Closes Several Streets" »

A man from Fort Lauderdale was killed in a motorcycle accident in Broward County on Friday, July 29, 2011. 28-year-old Mathew Osowski, who was not wearing a helmet, hit the guardrail on the Oakland Park Boulevard exit ramp on I-95 heading south. He died at the scene of the crash. Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

As Coral Springs motorcycle accident attorneys, we are familiar with the various causes of motorcycle accidents, including speeding, driver distraction, failure of the other driver to yield, failure of drivers to check their blind spots, drug or alcohol use, and improper road maintenance.

From 1998 through 2008, there was a steady increase in the amount of motorcyclists killed or injured in the U.S., according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Riders and their passengers are subject to serious injuries as a result of a motorcycle accident due to the lack of protection a motorcycle provides. A motorcycle crash can lead to catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and in some cases, death.

Continue reading "Fort Lauderdale Motorcycle Crash Death on Oakland Park Boulevard" »

Two South Florida residents were killed in a Broward County motorcycle accident on Friday, July 29, 2011. 24-year-old Luis Gustavo, the driver, and 20-year-old Stephanie A. Fredericks, his passenger, were found on railroad tracks beneath the I-95/595 connector. Police are currently investigating the cause of this fatal motorcycle crash but believe the motorcycle may have gone over the railing of the highway and fallen to the track below.

Similar motorcycle accidents have happened at the elevated 95/595 connector over the past several years. Most of these accidents were linked to speeding, according to police. For example, in 2007, a Fort Lauderdale man was killed when his motorcycle hit a barrier wall on I-95, causing him to fall 30 feet onto another highway below. That same year, a Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident occurred when a man from Lauderhill lost control of his motorcycle and fell from an entrance ramp at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport, causing him to land near Federal Highway.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Motorcycle Accident Attorney on Fatal Broward County Crash" »