Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

A Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputy was injured after a rollover accident with a vehicle in Loxahatchee last month. The accident, which involved a car and the pickup truck which the deputy was driving, left one other person injured with non life-threatening injuries.

Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that 21.4 percent of fatal crashes in 2009 in the U.S involved at least one vehicle rolling over. Utility vehicles had the highest rollover rates in deadly crashes (32.3%) and in accidents involving injuries (9.3%). Pickup trucks had the highest rollover rate in accidents involving property damage only (2.3%).

Continue reading "Palm Beach County Car Accident Injures Sheriff's Office Deputy " »

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 " »

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" »

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 " »

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 crash in Margate on July 5, 2011 involving a fuel truck and a Broward County transit bus has injured 25 people. Police are investigating the cause of this truck accident, in which the fuel tanker apparently rear-ended the bus. The drivers of the vehicles involved were not injured.

Truck accidents can be caused by many different factors, including driver fatigue, improper vehicle maintenance, careless or reckless driving, improper driver training, speeding and drug or alcohol impairment. Accidents involving large trucks often result in serious personal injuries, including brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and damage to internal organs. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2009, 74,000 people were injured and 3,380 were killed in accidents involving large trucks.

Accidents involving buses can be very dangerous because of their large size and weight. Additionally, buses don't provide the protection of safety belts found in many other motor vehicles.

In Florida, many buses fall under the category of common carriers, meaning the owners and operators must follow high safety standards for their passengers. When people suffer serious injuries or death at the hands of a negligent bus driver, the bus company may be vicariously liable for the accident, meaning the company will be held responsible because of its relationship to the driver.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Truck Accident Lawyer Comments on Margate Accident Involving Fuel Truck and Broward Bus" »

Earlier this month, three vehicles were involved in a truck accident in Palm Beach County. According to the Palm Beach Post, at least one person involved in the accident may have had minor injuries. The vehicles involved in the accident were two cars and one semi-tractor trailer.

Thankfully, the above story did not result in catastrophic injuries or death for the people involved in the accident. However, there is a high likelihood of serious injury or death when a large truck is involved in a crash.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2009 in the United States, 503 people were killed and 17,000 people sustained injuries as passengers or drivers in large trucks. In total, 3,380 people were killed in 2009 as a result of a crash involving a large truck and 74,000 people sustained injuries. More than 80% of those killed and more than 77% of those injured in truck accidents in 2009 were not passengers or drivers in the truck, but were instead occupants of the other vehicles in the crash or pedestrians.

NHTSA statistics also show that 3,215 large trucks were involved in deadly accidents in 2009 in the U.S. For that same year, 53,000 large trucks were linked to crashes involving injury.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Truck Accident Lawyer Comments on Lake Worth Multi-Vehicle Crash involving a Truck" »

A Fort Lauderdale car accident has sent a mother and her son to the hospital. On June 14, 2011, a 22-year-old female pedestrian and her son were hit by a pickup truck at an intersection. The woman was pushing a baby stroller carrying her son when the accident occurred. The driver, afterward, remained at the scene of the accident.

Thankfully, this pedestrian accident did not result in the death of the victims involved. According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles statistics, of the 8,248 pedestrian accidents that occurred in 2009, 7,676 pedestrians were injured and 482 pedestrians were killed. A report by the Governors Highway Safety Association, which analyzed the first half of 2010's total accident figures, shows Florida has the second largest number of pedestrian fatalities in the United States, with 243 for the first six months. California was first, with 260 pedestrian deaths.

Continue reading "A Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Injures a Pedestrian and her Baby" »

A baby boy in Palm Beach County suffered personal injuries and was taken to the hospital after he was run over by his grandfather's pickup truck last Thursday. The 20-month-old toddler suffered a broken pelvis and is in stable condition.

It is a difficult state of affairs when a family member has to face such a tragedy. Thankfully the child survived. Unfortunately, there are far too many instances where children are inadvertently backed over by family members who, for whatever reason, are not aware that young children are in their vicinity. Sometimes the rear view cameras available on more expensive vehicles can prevent these incidents, but there have been cases where the child was even too small to be seen by the rearview camera.

Some similar stories have made headlines this year in Florida, but with more tragic consequences. Earlier in May, another 20-month-old boy was run over in the driveway of the family's home. The baby's father accidentally ran over him, causing injuries that led to the baby's death. In January, a 4-year-old girl died after being run over by her mother.

If the child does not live in the same household as the person who backed over them, even if that person is a relative, the family can collect for the injuries that that child has sustained as a result. These are very sensitive cases, of course, as pursuing a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit against a family member is not an easy decision.

Continue reading "Coral Springs Personal Injury Lawyer Comments on Truck Accident that Injured Baby" »

Although it may seem like common sense to many South Florida residents, a new study confirms that texting (or text messaging) while driving is the most dangerous cell phone task. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute study showed that heavy truck drivers were 23 times more likely to crash than non-distracted drivers. The reason for the increase in the likelihood of automobile accidents is that texting drivers take their eyes off the road for nearly five seconds at a time which according to reports is enough time to travel the length of a football field at 55 miles per hour. Other cell phone tasks also increase the risk of car accidents including a 2.8 times higher risk of crashing while dialing the phone and a 1.3 times higher risk while talking on the phone.

An experiment conducted by Car and Driver Magazine showed that the reaction time of a driver attempting to brake is worse while sending and reading text messages than that of an impaired or drunk driver.  According to the article, one driver's reaction time decreased an average of 0.68 seconds while texting at 70 miles per hour compared to when braking without distraction.  At that speed, it took the driver an average of 70 additional feet to stop his vehicle while texting and driving.  The same driver's reaction time decreased by 0.04 seconds while attempting the same experiment while impaired.

Florida has yet to ban texting while driving and does not require the use of hands-free devices. There have been pushes in the Florida legislator to takes steps against these obviously dangerous driving activities including a bill re-introduced this year by Representative Doug Holder. Florida has also recently started the "Stay Alive ... Just Drive!" campaign which is aimed at preventing injury and death caused by automobile accidents through education and awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.

Even though Florida has not yet banned cell phone activities while driving, Florida drivers are still responsible for maintaining control of their vehicles at all times. There are far too many stories of distracted Florida drivers causing accidents that result in injuries to others including one driver that was so distracted she crashed into a police car. Although cell phone distraction stats are not specifically kept in Florida, they fall under the "distracted driver" category of accident causes which accounted for 15 fatalities and 1,436 injuries in Florida in 2008 according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Continue reading "Texting While Driving Can Lead to Serious Automobile Accidents" »

A Clearwater, Florida, man and his truck driving company, Stan Trucking, Inc., are being sued for negligence after he allegedly struck and killed two honeymooners in Las Vegas.  According to reports, the couple was stranded on the side of the road after their vehicle either ran out of gas or suffered a flat tire when they were struck by the driver and then again by another semi-truck driver that is also being sued.  Both drivers failed to stop after hitting the couple and later claimed they believed they had run over a pothole or bump in the road.  The family of the female victim is suing both drivers for failing to maintain safe distances, failing to pay proper attention, failing to stay in the proper lane, and driving too fast for the conditions at the time which they are alleged to have caused the trucking driving accident injuries and deaths.  The family is also suing the employer of  the second driver for negligent hiring, negligent training, and negligent supervision.

This unfortunate accident is indicative of the devastating effect of truck driving accidents and injuries.  According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 4,860 traffic accidents involved large trucks, including various configurations of tractors and trailers, in Florida in 2007.  These tractor-trailer accidents resulted in 321 fatalities and thousands of injuries.  Adding an additional layer of danger to these truck accidents, 137 accidents involved a truck carrying hazardous materials.

These trucking accidents can cause so much damage to property and inflict such serious injury because the speed and size of the trucks.  Many of these trucks weigh over 26,000 pounds and travel at incredible speeds.  The difference in the size and mass of the semi-truck compared to that of a human body or passenger vehicle makes it obvious why these vehicles cause such damage when they strike pedestrians and cars.

As in the case above, the truck driver is not always the sole party responsible for injuries and deaths caused by truck accidents.  Often times, the truck driving company also has a responsibility to ensure that their drivers are qualified, properly trained and supervised, and have a driving record that indicates they are safe drivers.  Failure to properly screen truck drivers prior to hiring or failure to review their current drivers' records may make trucking companies responsible for the injuries caused by their drivers even when those drivers are independent contractors.

Continue reading "Florida Company Sued in Trucking Accident that Killed Two" »