Florida
Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Strong emotions can distract you on the road and can cause a car accident. Each year, people suffer fatalities or serious injuries, such as brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, due to reckless driving caused by road rage. Strong emotions behind the wheel can kill, so it is important to control your temper when you drive. Here are some tips for staying cool-headed and arriving safely at your destination:

1) Learn deep breathing. If you are driving and you find yourself getting upset, emotional, anxious, or angry, take several slow, deep breaths. When we get emotional, our breathing often becomes shallow and rapid, and this can actually agitate emotions further. Breathing deeply can calm you down.

2) If you find yourself focusing on something other than driving, focus on the road. If you find yourself focusing on an upsetting situation while you’re driving, make a conscious effort to focus on the road. Focusing on anything other than driving can distract you from the road and can put you at risk of an accident.

3) Avoid emotional input from passengers or the cell phone. Upsetting phone calls – or any phone calls at all – and arguments or spirited debates with passengers are very distracting. Rather than becoming engaged emotionally with a conversation, stay calm and focus on your driving.

4) Do not drive when upset. If you get terrible news about a family member or an emergency, do not drive yourself to the hospital or wherever you need to go. If you are upset, get a friend or family member to drive you or take a taxi.

5) Visualize something pleasant. If you are getting upset or angry while stuck in traffic or while driving, picture something soothing and pleasant in your mind. This can be a favourite memory or a treasured vacation spot. Focusing on something positive soothes away anger and other negative emotions.

6) If you find yourself losing control in the car, pull over. If you find that you are speeding up because you are enraged or having trouble concentrating because you are angry, pull over until you get your emotions under control.

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Shoes are a key ingredient in safe driving. Some shoes, such as clogs, flip-flops, platform shoes, and high heel shoes, are not very safe when driving. In fact, in Japan, a number of accidents have been caused by women wearing irregularly shaped platforms. Some people also drive with no shoes at all, and this can prove just as deadly because you have less force with your feet when applying pressure to the break and accelerator pedals.

Wearing the wrong type of shoes is more than just a fashion faux pas. When you're driving, the wrong shoes can become jammed behind your brake pedal or gas pedal, causing an accident. In some cases, thick soled shoes can make it very difficult to tell how much pressure you're applying to brakes, so that you brake suddenly or speed without realizing it, leading to an accident.

Be wary of shoes that do not offer good ankle support. Flip-flops, mules, and slip on shoes that don't stay on the foot very well can lead you to miss the pedal or can allow your foot to slip off the pedal, causing an accident. High heels are also a problem because they can cause you to miss the pedal or slip off the pedal. Statistics have shown that flip flops are the most dangerous footwear to wear while driving, precisely for this reason.

The most important element of a shoe, when you're driving, is the sole. The sole should be thin enough so that you can feel how much pressure you're applying to the pedal. Your shoes should also not have a very thick heel, as you operate the gas pedal and the break with your heel, and you need to be able to feel the pedal through your shoe. A flat heeled, thin soled shoe is ideal.

Pumps and deck shoes are both safe options for driving. These shoes have thin soles, flat heels, and good stability. Many people assume that running shoes are good option, but they are not. Usually, their soles are too thick and tend to stick. Look for shoes that are comfortable and will not distract you, even when you're driving for long distances.

Many people drive with the wrong sort of footwear simply because they happen to be wearing impractical shoes when they need to hop in the car and drive. A good way around this is to keep a pair of sensible driving shoes in the car. You can easily switch your shoes for driving, and then put on your favorite shoes or high heels when you're at your destination. The few extra seconds you'll spend will be well worth it if it allows you to avoid a car accident and a serious spinal cord injury, burn injury, or brain injury.

Keeping an extra pair of shoes in the car is also important in wet weather. Your regular shoes -- even if they are safe for driving -- may become wet on the pavement and may cause your foot to slip on the gas or accelerator. Being able to slip into a pair of dry shoes is important for safe driving. You may also wish to tuck some good driving clothes into your car. Driving is clothes that are too loose, too distracting, too uncomfortable, or too constricting can be dangerous because it can distract from the road. Wear practical shoes and clothing for driving, and you'll be able to avoid some car accidents.

Aggressive drivers cause many accidents -- and many personal injuries as a result -- because they behave recklessly behind the wheel or take unnecessary risks on the road. It is therefore important to stay alert for such drivers and to use extra caution to avoid accidents when these sorts of drivers are sharing the road with you. Here are some tips on how you can avoid car accidents caused by aggressive drivers:

1) Learn to spot drivers affected by road rage. Drivers experiencing road rage often make unsafe lane changes, have jeering facial expressions, or verbally assault other drivers. They may make aggressive gestures, drive well above the posted speed limits, and generally drive recklessly. Keep an eye out for such drivers so that you can react appropriately.

2) Try to maintain your good manners on the road. Avoid tailgating, cutting people off, and weaving round other drivers. This can often set off an aggressive driver and lead to an instance of real road rage. Being a courteous driver can prevent provoking other drivers.

3) Control your own behaviors and facial expressions. Making facial expressions at other drivers, gesturing at other drivers, and beheving in aggressive ways draws attention to you and can make an aggressive driver respond in kind. Maintain a calm, neutral expression when driving and keep your hands inside the vehicle. Do not gesture. Also, avoid looking into an aggressive driver's eyes. This can often provoked even more anger.

4) Use your horn carefully. Never use your horn around an aggressive driver. This can make them focus on you and can even make some aggressive drivers wish to seek revenge. Even polite beeps can be misunderstood by someone who is looking for an altercation.

5) When you see an aggressive driver, leave more distance between yourself and them. This will help ensure that the driver cannot use his or her vehicle as a weapon against you. Added space also gives you more time to respond to the aggressive driver’s behaviors.

If your car suddenly breaks down, you are at a possibly increased risk of a car accident. If you go walking to a service station in order to get help, for example, you may become the victim of a pedestrian accident. If you leave your car by the side of the road, it could be rear-ended. If your car breaks down very suddenly, you could be in a rear-end collision if the car behind you does not stop quickly enough.

If your car breaks down, there are several things that you should do to keep yourself and your car safe:

1) If you are on the motorway, pull over to the left as far as you can on the shoulder. Your wheels should be turned to left. Turn on your headlights so that oncoming cars can readily see your vehicle. Assess the damage to your vehicle, close up your car, and call for help. Make sure that you can offer some type of identifying information about where you are located.

2) If you have reflective or bright-colored clothing, put on this clothing. Make yourself visible on the road so that oncoming cars do not hit you. If you have children with you, make sure that they stay with you and do not step out into oncoming traffic.

3) While waiting for help, stay with your car, but do not remain in the car. If your car is hit, you want to be able to remain safe. Also, remaining in a car on a hot day or even a mild day can quickly cause you to suffer heat distress. If the weather permits, stay outside, on the far side of your vehicle, as far away from oncoming traffic as possible.

4) If you are not able to pull off onto the shoulder, turn on your hazard lights. Exit the vehicle and stand as far away from traffic as possible, keeping your car in view. Only remain in the car if it is unsafe to leave. If you can't pull off onto the shoulder of the road, it is generally safer to exit the vehicle, as your card may be hit by another car in the oncoming traffic lane.

5) If you are disabled, switch on your hazard lights when your car breaks down and remain in the vehicle. Call for help or signal to passing vehicles that you need assistance.

Sometimes, the simple things that we do each day are the things that end up being the most dangerous. Simple bad habits in a car – such as multitasking, for example – can easily result in a car accident that results in personal injury, broken bones, fatalities, spinal cord injuries, and other serious consequences. Here are some good driving habits to cultivate if you want to avoid car accidents:

1) Look directly behind you when backing up. It seems so obvious, but many drivers don’t do this every time, especially when zipping out of a parking spot. Check for oncoming traffic as well as the space directly behind you.

2) When stopping at a stop sign and getting ready to pull into an intersection, look twice for cars. Looking once is simply not enough because a car can be hiding in your blind spot (usually behind the windshield pillar). When you push yourself to look again, you notice the car that has just zipped out of your blind spot and this can help you avoid an accident.

3) When making a right-hand turn, look both right and left. When drivers are turning left, many focus exclusively on the traffic coming towards them from the left. They look for a break in the traffic so that they can zip out. Often, drivers neglect the right side and don’t bother checking because they know that no cars are coming from the right. However, a pedestrian may be crossing the street and other traffic problems may be occurring to your right that you need to be aware. Drivers not checking the right when making a right-hand turn is a key cause of pedestrian accidents, so always be aware of what is going on all around you and do look left and right before turning.

4) Watch for cars that are late through a red light. If you are sitting at a red light, always look both ways when the light turns green. Some drivers do try to push their luck with yellow lights and will speed through a red light.

5) On a highway, crane your neck to check what’s behind you before switching lanes. Many drivers just rely on their rear-view mirrors, but these mirrors leave pretty large blind spots. When you combine that with highway speed limits, that’s a high risk of car accidents. Check to make sure that the lane is clear by turning around and looking.

6) Look out for trucks with loose cargo and cars with trailers. Unsecured cargo can roll out of the back of a truck, so use extra caution when behind a truck. Cars pulling trailers can also be a problem if they turn or swerve suddenly.

Car accidents are expensive as well as traumatic. In addition to causing distress and suffering, they often create severe financial trauma as well. Under Florida law, you may be entitled to have some of these costs paid for if someone’s recklessness and negligence has caused the car accident:

1) Medical bills. You may have to stay in the hospital for a long time and see specialists. You may need to pay for medical tests, medicine, or even medical equipment such as a wheelchair or casts. A severe injury caused by a car accident can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars out of pocket if you do not seek legal assistance.

2) Property damage. If your car is ruined or damaged and the other driver is not adequately insured, some of those costs may be coming out of pocket if you do not seek legal help. Any item you may have had in your car at the time of the crash – such as your cell phone, computer, or camera – may also have to be replaced.

3) Long-term therapy bills. Many car accident victims need long-term physical therapy, counseling, or other long-term services that are often not considered in an insurance company’s initial offer.

4) Lost wages. If you have been injured in a car accident, you likely lost wages because you had to lose work. You may also have to lose additional wages and more work if you need long-term therapy or treatment or if you need to attend court dates because of your accident.

5) Associated costs. You may need to renovate your home to accommodate an injury. If you are in a wheelchair after your accident, for example, you may need to make your home wheelchair-accessible. You may need to have your car towed and you may need to pay a number of legal costs.

6) Wrongful death. If you have lost someone in the car accident, you not only feel their loss, but you may also lose the income they contributed to your household as well as help they provided you.

Continue reading " Costs in Car Accidents " »

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that the three long weekends of the summer tend to account for 500 car crash fatalities and the summer in general proves to be the deadliest time of year for drivers. According to the NHTSA, fatalities as well as serious car accident injuries such as burn injuries, spinal cord injuries, head injuries and other serious injuries all occur too frequently in the warmer months. Many car accidents, car accident fatalities and injuries caused by car crashes could be prevented. According to the NHTSA and other experts, there are several things that drivers can do to reduce the car accident rate:

1) Always leave another option. When driving, stay a safe distance from other vehicles and keep other cars from your blind spot. Seeing more and having extra room to move gives you more time to react and more options in a dangerous situation, which in turn can help you avoid an accident.

2) Keep vehicles in good repair. Regularly checking windshield fluid, tires, brakes, lights, mirrors and tires is a must. Ideally, check before you start your car – each time. At the very least, check these things once a week. Keep track of your mileage and your last fluid change and check-up so that you know when to go in for regular maintenance. If you notice a strange noise or your car reacting unusually, visit a mechanic right away. Mechanic failure and mechanic problems can lead to loss of control of your car and an accident.

3) Where appropriate, use your flashers. If you need to slow down on a highway, put on your flashers to notify vehicles behind you to stay alert. If you need to pull over on a dark street, highway, or road or need to pull over during poor weather conditions, put on your flashers so that other drivers can see your vehicle.

4) Keep your eyes on the road and anticipating the next stretch of road. Keeping your eyes on one part of the road means that you may not spot some dangers until it is too late. Keep your eyes moving far ahead and scanning as far ahead of you as possible. Check your side views and rear views periodically as well so that you are very aware of what is going on around you.

5) Use extra caution with any precipitation. Many drivers mistakenly assume that weather is only a factor when rain is heavy or when weather patterns are unusual. In fact, even small amounts of rain create slippery surfaces on the roads when they mix with oil residue that has been spilled on roadways. Even a very light rain can create very slippery conditions, especially if there has not been precipitation for a while and more oil residue is left on the road. In addition, all wet conditions create the potential for hydroplaning and other dangerous driving conditions. Always slow down in rainy weather and inclement weather.

Of all car accident injuries, burn injuries can be especially traumatic and painful. Burn injuries occur in car collisions when a car catches on fire, burning a passenger or driver. Burn injuries range from relatively mild localized burns to severe burns that cover much of a patient’s body.

There is a great deal of physical pain associated with burn injuries. In cases where the skin is deeply burned, the muscles and joints may be affected as well, and these can ache very severely for much of the recovery period. In some cases, clothing or other items are actually fused into the skin during a car fire, and removal of these items is painful. Many severe burn injuries affect the muscles and tendons of the body, and this can inhibit movement or make movement extremely painful.

In addition to the physical pain of a burn injury, most patients also suffer severe emotional distress. Burns cause severe disfigurement and in some cases can cause not only surface tissue damage but can literally melt away hair or can cause a patient to lose a nose or fingers. Some of these injuries can be permanent. Many patients suffer terrible distress the first time they are allowed to see themselves after a burn injury. Many feel anger or depression and some patients become isolated. Some patients do not feel able to return to work and some avoid contact with others because of the way that a few rude people behave around their injuries.

Unfortunately, one of the main treatments for burn victims is cosmetic surgery to restore the skin and facial or bone structure. Cosmetic surgery can be painful and it can take several procedures for a patient with severe burns to see any results. Worse, most medical insurance providers do not cover cosmetic surgery, which means that patients often feel that they have to pay the costs out of pocket, even if the surgery is necessary because the patients feel depressed and isolated without it.

Burn injuries can take years of recovery time, long hospital stays, and many hours of lost work time and lost wages. Many patients also need expensive pain medication and therapy – which is also not covered by most medical insurance – in order to get back on track.

Florida laws do have provisions for patients with burn injuries. If someone’s negligence or recklessness has caused a car accident that has caused your burn injury, Florida law allows you to seek assistance with all the costs associated with your injury. Many patients are hesitant to seek legal assistance, but without this help you could face hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. By law, you may be entitled to have those bills paid in full or in part. If you are not sure whether you have a claim, contact a qualified Florida attorney.