Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

Broward County - A pedestrian was hit and injured by a pickup truck in Tamarac on September 27, 2011. The pedestrian accident happened around 8:40 pm and led to the pedestrian being "badly injured," according to reports. Further information on this accident has not been released.

Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles accident statistics show that 482 pedestrians were killed, and 7,676 were injured in 2009. 18.8 percent of all traffic deaths in 2009 involved pedestrians. According to the report, 232 pedestrians were killed while crossing the street, but not at an intersection, while 65 pedestrians were killed while crossing at an intersection.

Continue reading "Car Accident Attorney: Tamarac Accident Injures Pedestrian " »

As Coral Springs personal injury lawyers, we regularly cover important consumer topics on our blogs regarding product recalls and safety tips. Some of the blogs we have written in the past have alerted parents about product recalls including cribs, baby monitors, strollers, baby sling carriers, and toys. Because it's important to stay alert on product recalls and safety topics, we want to remind parents and caregivers that September is national baby safety month.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), 12 children under 15 years old suffered toy-related deaths in 2009. Also, in 2003, approximately 35,000 children were injured from defective products.

Please visit the CPSC website for tips on how to keep your baby safe throughout your home.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Personal Injury Lawyer Reminds Parents that September is National Baby Safety Month " »

Palm Beach County- An SUV rollover accident has resulted in the death of a teenage boy. The accident, which happened shortly before 9pm on Sunday, September 25, 2011, involved a Ford SUV, which veered off I-95 and rolled over, ejecting 16-year-old David Benitez and 14-year-old Donia Otano. Two cars hit Benitez, and killed him, after he was ejected from the SUV. The SUV was driven by 39-year-old Hialeah resident Midialia Otano Rodriguez, who along with two other passengers, were in critical condition. A sixth passenger had minor injuries. The cause of this accident is currently being investigated.

The latest accident statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that in 2009, a total of 8,267 people were killed in rollover accidents in cars and light trucks including utility trucks, pickup trucks, and vans in the U.S. According to the report, out of the 4,091 people killed in utility trucks in 2009, 56% (2,294) were killed in rollover accidents.

The Coral Springs personal injury lawyers at Law Offices Cytryn & Velazquez understand that you may have many legal questions after an accident. Frequently asked questions include:

Do I need a lawyer after an accident?
Should I try dealing with the insurance company on my own?
Can you help me with property damage?
Am I entitled to a rental if my car is damaged?
How much is my case worth?

Continue reading "Car Accident Lawyer: Palm Beach County Rollover Accident Kills Teen" »

Broward County - Fort Lauderdale was recently named the most dangerous city in the United States for drivers, according to a CNBC report. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) were gathered to assemble a list of the 15 most dangerous cities in the U.S. for driving, which showed that Fort Lauderdale had the highest fatality rate per 100,000 people. Three other Florida cities - Orlando (which came in second), Jacksonville, and St. Petersburg, also made the list.

As Coral Springs personal injury lawyers who handle Fort Lauderdale car accidents, we are familiar with the many causes for car accidents in South Florida. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, careless driving topped the list of contributing causes of Florida car accidents in 2009, resulting in 49,568 injuries and 386 fatalities. Other contributing factors include improper lane change, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, following too closely, improper passing, and disobeying traffic signals.

Continue reading "Car Accident Lawyer: Fort Lauderdale Number One Most Dangerous U.S. City for Motorists" »

A Coral Springs truck accident early Saturday, September 24, 2011, has resulted in the death of a 17-year-old and injuries to three other people. The accident happened shortly after 12 a.m. at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Coral Ridge Drive in Coral Springs. According to reports, Hollywood resident Wayne McIntosh, who was driving a Nissan truck with a passenger, struck the Honda Civic that Alejandro Romeo and his mother were riding in. The truck then crashed into Riverside Elementary School. Romeo died at the scene, and the three other people involved were injured. The accident is currently being investigated.

According to a witness who heard the crash and called for help, two accidents have happened at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Coral Ridge Drive in the past month. According to the witness, the lights change at midnight to blinking yellow and blinking red lights.

As Coral Springs personal injury lawyers, we are constantly researching statistics on motor vehicle accidents. According to statistics from the Florida Department of Highway and Motor Vehicles,73 teen passengers were killed in traffic accidents, and 8,653 were injured in Florida in 2009. According to the report, there were 1,311 accidents Saturday during the midnight hour in 2009, 23 of which were fatal.. The largest number of deadly accidents took place Sunday during the midnight hour, with 33 fatal accidents and a total of 1,361 crashes.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, call the car accident lawyers at Law Offices Cytryn & Velazquez today to schedule a free consultation toll-free at 1-877-853-7466.

Ryan Hutson, Esq. is a Coral Springs injury lawyer at Law Offices Cytryn and Velazquez, P.A. Our South Florida attorneys handle cases in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Counties, including the cities of West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Coconut Creek, Parkland, Pembroke Pines, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and more.

Our firm's founder, Dan Irving Cytryn, is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer who has been handling accident cases in South Florida for 30 years. 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.

Broward County - The driver of a pickup truck who struck the back of a utility truck on the Florida Turnpike has apparently died as a result of this truck accident, which took place on September 21, 2011. Florida Marlins president David Samson, along with other witnesses, tried to rescue the driver. They were ultimately unsuccessful in their efforts. The Florida Highway Patrol will provide a report on the accident.

As Coral Springs car accident lawyers who handle truck accidents as one of our practice areas, we think it's important for people to learn about statistics from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. For example, 224 fatal accidents and 76,817 injury accidents involved a rear-end crash with a moving vehicle in 2009 in Florida. The major causes of Florida car accidents, according to the report, is careless driving and failure to yield the right-of-way.

Continue reading "Truck Accident Lawyer on Davie Crash Which Killed Pickup Driver" »

As Coral Springs personal injury lawyers, we encourage parents to have their children's car seats checked on a regular basis. This week (September 18-24) is National Child Passenger Safety Week, which is made possible every year through the collaboration of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, child safety groups and police departments nationwide. This week serves as a reminder for parents and caregivers to make sure they are using the proper safety restraints for their children.

Locally in South Florida, parents can have their children's car seats inspected at various sites throughout Broward County, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties. For more information on locations and how to make an appointment to have your car seats inspected, please visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website. According to the site, you can have your car seat inspected by certified technicians for free (in most cases).

Car accidents are the main cause of death for kids ages 3 to 14. On average, four children age 14 and younger were killed and 490 were injured in car accidents in the United States every day in 2009. According to statistics from the NHTSA, an estimated 8,959 children's lives have been saved between 1975 and 2008 as a result of using proper child safety seats.

Safe Kids is an organization that promotes child safety with tips for parents on keeping their kids safe at home and one the roads. Visit their website for safety tips and for more information.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Personal Injury Lawyer Urges Parents to Inspect their Children's Car Seats During Child Passenger Safety Week " »

Miami-Dade County: A man was killed last month in Miami after attempting to cross a busy road in Miami. 53-year-old Jose Aviles-Vasquez was struck by several cars in this pedestrian accident. According to reports, the first driver who struck the pedestrian stopped for help, but the other drivers did not stop.

The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach area was recently ranked as one of the highest-risk areas for pedestrians in the U.S., according to the New York Times.

As Coral Springs personal injury lawyers with experience handling pedestrian accidents in South Florida, we are familiar with the complexities involved in these types of accidents. In pedestrian accidents involving hit and run, having uninsured motorist (UM) coverage is very important. UM coverage helps protect you in the event of an accident caused by a driver with no insurance. We recommend checking your auto insurance policy to make sure you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. For more information on uninsured motorist coverage and why it's important, visit our website.

In pedestrian accident cases involving the death of a pedestrian caused by the negligence of a motorist, the pedestrian's family has the right to pursue a wrongful death claim against the at-fault driver. An experienced wrongful death lawyer will help you understand your rights and fight for justice.

Continue reading "Miami Pedestrian Accident: Man Struck by Multiple Cars, Killed" »

A group of witnesses rescued a motorcycle rider who was trapped underneath a burning car following a car accident last month in Utah. The crash happened when a car pulled in front of 21-year-old Brandon Wright, who was riding his motorcycle. In an effort to avoid an accident, Wright lay down his bike, but his bike collided with the car and both vehicles ended up catching on fire. For more information and to see video of the rescue, visit this NY Daily News article.

According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 4,462 motorcyclists were killed and an estimated 90,000 were injured in 2009 in the U.S. As Coral Springs personal injury lawyers, we work with motorcycle accident victims and their families throughout South Florida and are therefore familiar with the dangers of the road. We often post traffic statisitics on our blog to better inform the public about pedestrian, motorcycle and car accidents and ways to avoid them.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Accident Attorney Comments on Rescue of Motorcyclist After Utah Car Accident " »

A Palm Beach County accident involving a pickup truck and a Palm Tran bus has injured 11 people including the driver of the pickup truck. According to the Sun Sentinel's report, it is unknown yet which vehicle had the right of way in this crash, which took place in West Palm Beach on September 19, 2011.

As Coral Springs injury lawyers who handle all types of motor vehicle accidents including bus and truck accidents, we are familiar with the types of injuries that bus passengers involved in an accident can suffer. These injuries are typically more severe than a car accident because buses are not equipped with safety belts. A bus accident can lead to injuries including head injuries, traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury, broken bones, lacerations, and in some cases, death.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 8,452 deadly accidents, and 376,000 injury accidents involving pickup trucks in the U.S. in 2009. By comparison, far fewer bus accidents took place that same year, with 221 fatal accidents and approximately 10,000 injuries.

Continue reading "West Palm Beach Bus, Truck Accident Injures 11 " »

According to a recent Sun Sentinel article on red light cameras, Pembroke Pines has one of the least amounts of red light camera citations per day in South Florida. In Broward County, the intersection with the highest number of tickets per day is eastbound West Sunrise Blvd and NW 15th Ave in Fort Lauderdale, with 20 red light citations each day. Compare that with the Pembroke Pines intersection of SW 136th Ave and Pine Boulevard which has, on average, less than one ticket per day.

On average, 856 people are issued red light camera citations every day in South Florida. Around 339,000 tickets have been issued in South Florida as a result of red light cameras.

Most red light camera tickets, according to the Sun Sentinel article, take place on Friday in Broward County, and on Saturday in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade Counties. Fort Lauderdale, Aventura, and Coral Gables issue the most citations per intersection every day.

As Coral Springs accident lawyers, we hope red light cameras are effective in helping to reduce the number of car accidents in Florida's roads. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, disregarding a traffic signal led to 56 traffic fatalities and 5,190 injuries in Florida in 2009. Driving over the stated speed limit led to 106 deaths and 650 injuries that same year.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Car Accident Lawyer Discusses Red Light Camera Citations in South Florida" »

Last month, toy manufacturer Fisher Price recalled more than 10 million toys in the U.S. due to injury and choking hazards. The recall includes tricycles, toys, and high chairs. Several children were injured, and seven needed stitches from the use of these products. For more information on this story, please see the report by ABC News. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns people who own any of these recalled items to stop using them and contact the manufacturer for repair kits and replacements.

According to CPSC statistics, there were 12 reported deaths linked to toys in 2009 among kids under 15 years old. More than half of those deaths (58%) were from riding toys including tricycles. That same year, there were approximately 250,100 injuries from toys which required treatment in emergency rooms.

As Coral Springs defective products attorneys working on product liability cases, we help people who have been injured and families of people who have been killed due to defective products such as dangerous drugs, defective medical devices, dangerous children's products, and defective vehicle design and manufacture. Our attorneys use their experience to hold negligent manufacturers accountable and obtain justice for the victims and families of victims whose lives have been changed due to defective products.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Injury Lawyer Warns Consumers Against Using Recalled Fisher Price Toys" »

An Iraq War Veteran from St. Petersburg, Florida, was killed on Sunday, September 11th, when a SCUBA tank exploded inside his home. According to reports, an investigation is being conducted to determine the cause of this potential wrongful death case, including whether the SCUBA tank was defective.

Alerts have been issued in the past warning people about risks of injury and death from tank explosions. There have been incidents where the cracking of the alloy around the fill ring has caused explosions, along with too pure an oxygen mix or overfilling of tanks. SCUBA tanks that are found to be defective upon inspection should not be used and a warranty claim should be filed with the manufacturer.

In a case involving wrongful death due to a defective product, the family of the victim should contact an attorney specializing in personal injury and products liability who can help determine their rights and investigate the case.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Wrongful Death Attorney Looks at Possible Product Liability Case in SCUBA Tank Explosion Death" »

Broward County -- After losing control of the Chevy Camaro he was driving, Dustin Wayne See hit a guardrail and flipped the vehicle into a condominium building in Fort Lauderdale, in late August 2011. See was injured in this Fort Lauderdale car accident. Thankfully no pedestrians or building residents were injured.

According to the NHTSA, U.S. car crashes result in around $43 billion dollars worth of property damage each year. Property damages includes damage to vehicles, objects inside the vehicles, roadway signs, lightpoles, guardrails, homes and other structures.

As Coral Springs personal injury lawyers, we help people who have been injured in auto accidents and have also suffered property damage caused by the negligence of other drivers. Other types of damages that we help injury victims to recover include medical costs, loss of income, disability, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life.

Continue reading "Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Injures Driver of Car that Flipped Into Condo Building" »

Broward County - A man from Coral Springs suffered critical injuries after falling from a concrete wall on I-95 and landing on the street below. Jonathan K. Holley was sitting on the concrete wall on I-95 after being involved in a Fort Lauderdale car accident. According to police, Holley had been helped to the highway's shoulder following his accident, which took place on August 14, 2011 shortly before 6:30 a.m.

As Coral Springs car accident lawyers, we often read news stories like this one regarding auto accidents in Broward County, and provide legal analysis on our blogs.

In the incident noted above, if the other driver was at fault, the at-fault driver may be responsible for the victim's injury from the fall. Even though the at-fault driver's conduct operates in combination with some other cause (e.g., dizziness, vertigo, etc.) that led to the victim's fall, such other cause was itself reasonably foreseeable and the driver's conduct contributed substantially to producing the fall or the fall was a reasonably foreseeable consequence of the at-fault driver's conduct and the driver's conduct contributed substantially to producing the victim's fall.

In more general terms, Florida law provides that, if the Coral Springs victim was not at fault in the crash, and the crash was the other party's fault, the other party would likely be responsible for any further harm that the victim suffered if the harm was "reasonably foreseeable" and the crash substantially contributed to the further harm. In this particular case, if the fall was caused because the victim was delirious, or dizzy, etc. as a result of the crash, a jury may be able to find that at-fault driver liable for the injuries suffered from the subsequent fall from the wall.

Continue reading "Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Injures Coral Springs Resident " »

Florida is finally cracking down on elderly abuse and neglect. It began with a Broward County assisted living facility in Lauderhill, which had been recently reported in a Miami Herald article as having ignored a dying resident. After the Miami Herald investigative report in May, the Agency for Health Care Administration has closed two facilities and cut Medicaid funds to over a dozen other facilities. In fact, there have been more sanctions against assisted living facilities since the May Miami Herald report than any other time period in the last five years.

As a Coral Springs nursing home abuse lawyer, Dan Cytryn, the founder of our firm, has been helping the victims and families of victims who have suffered at the hands of negligent nursing homes and assisted living facilities during his 30-year career. Some of the most common cases that our firm handles include bed sores (decubitis ulcers), broken bones suffered as a result of falling, dehydration, and death. Mr. Cytryn fights to obtain justice for his clients.

Continue reading "Nursing Home Abuse: A New Crackdown on Florida Adult Living Facilities " »

Broward County, Florida: A Pompano Beach car accident led to the death of a 30-year-old man on Friday, August 26, 2011. Daniel Kocik, from Fort Lauderdale, lost control of his vehicle on I-95 after an SUV towing a trailer struck his car. Police are currently investigating the accident.

According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding was the number one cause of accidents in the U.S. in 2009, accounting for 21.3 percent of the accidents that year. The second largest cause of car accidents, (17 percent) was attributed to drivers deviating from their lanes or running off the road.

As Coral Springs accident attorneys, we understand the hardships that families face after losing a loved one. We're here to help victim's families understand their rights regarding the filing of a wrongful death lawsuit. An attorney will investigate your case and help protect your rights.

Continue reading "Pompano Beach Car Accident on I-95 Kills Fort Lauderdale Resident" »

Five people were injured in an amusement park accident on August 19, 2011 in New Jersey. The accident happened when the mast of a pirate ship ride snapped, resulting in minor injuries to four patrons and the hospitalization of a teenager. An investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the accident. Earlier this summer, an 11-year-old girl was killed in a Ferris wheel accident at the same amusement park

As Coral Springs injury lawyers, we are familiar with statistics from the National Safety Council. They report that approximately 1,783 people were injured at fixed-site amusement parks in the year 2005 alone. According to the Council, an estimated four people are killed every year at fixed-site amusement parks.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Personal Injury Lawyer Comments on New Jersey Theme Park Accident that Injured Five " »

Broward County, Florida - A shooting earlier this summer in Lauderdale Lakes ended with the death of two men and 10 people injured. The incident occurred after 3 a.m. in late June at a bar in a Lauderdale Lakes shopping center, when two men began fighting. One of the men allegedly took out a gun, causing the security guard at the bar to pull out his gun. When the bar patron refused to put away his gun, shots were fired, resulting in the death of the two men who had originally gotten into a fight. The security guard was not hurt in the shooting.

As Coral Springs personal injury lawyers, we help people who have been victims of security negligence in South Florida. According to stophandgunviolence.com, 79 people are killed each day as a result of firearms in the U.S. In order to avoid injuries and deaths from the use of guns, nightclubs should search patrons and have them go through a metal detector as is done at airports and other public places such as the courthouse.

Continue reading "Lauderdale Lakes Nightclub Shootout Kills Two" »

After coming across some news stories regarding flip flops and car accidents, as Coral Springs personal injury lawyers, we thought it was important to share this information with our blog readers. Florida's year-round warm climate translates into flip flops being a common choice of footwear. However, driving while wearing flip flops may be dangerous, as illustrated by the following news stories:

In August 2011 in New York, three pedestrians were killed after the driver of a Toyota Highlander SUV driven by a female driver ran them over, eventually crashing into a church. It's possible that the driver's foot or flip flop got stuck on the gas pedal, according to police.

Another flip flop-related car accident happened last summer in New York, when a female driver hit another vehicle after her flip flops got caught between the brake and gas pedals in the car she was driving. A male passenger inside the other vehicle suffered cuts to his head.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Car Accident Lawyer Warns Drivers About the Potential Dangers of Driving with Flip Flops" »