Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

If you’re planning on driving in order to get to a family holiday event, you may well have to leave Florida and enter states where winter driving has a whole new meaning. Although in many cases Florida drivers do not need to worry about the dangers of winter driving – dangers which can include driving snow, snow drifts, and icy roads -- once Florida drivers leave the state to visit family for the holidays, they may be in more danger than usual. Since Florida drivers are often unused to winter driving conditions, they may be at a higher risk of accidents when driving in unfamiliar, winter conditions. There are some ways to prevent this, however, if you will be traveling out of state for the holidays:

1) Make sure your car is ready for your destination. You may not need snow tires at home to prevent a Florida pedestrian accident or car accident. However, if you are driving to a state where winter conditions are probable or likely, get winter snow tires. If you are likely to be driving in heavy snow or is rural areas, look for studded tires, which have small spikes which grip icy roads and give you more control of your car.

2) Consider alternate forms of travel. If you have no experience driving in the snow, it may be easier and less expensive to fly, take a train, or take some other form of transportation to your holiday destination. Even letting someone experienced in winter driving can help.

3) Take a course in winter driving. A course in winter driving is likely readily available through a local driver’s education school. The tips you learn can help you prevent a Florida car accident and will prepare you for winter roads in other states as well.

4) Make sure you understand what conditions you will face. Use weather stations and Internet weather information from the government to determine what conditions you are likely to face. Knowing whether you are likely to face icy roads, snows, or hail can help you plan ahead.

5) Stay alert of weather condition changes and keep your plans flexible. If you are driving to a holiday destination in a wintry state, check weather forecasts before your departure. If there is any snow, you will need to slow down, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to arrive safely. If the weather is severe, stay flexible in your plans and find another way of arriving safe. In a snowstorm, it will be much safer to leave your car at home and use a train or plane to get to your destination, especially if you have limited winter driving experience.

Continue reading " Even Florida Drivers Need to Worry About Winter Driving During the Holidays " »

If you are planning on having holiday parties or get-togethers at your home, now is the time to start planning to ensure that none of your guests are in a Florida car accident after your party. Remember: if you serve alcohol and one of your guests causes a Florida drunk driving accident, you could be held partly liable for the accident. You don’t want to cause a fatality or serious injury and you certainly don’t want to become involved in a legal action. The only solution is to start planning.

Consider ways to ensure that your guests do not drive drunk. You could avoid serving alcohol entirely, or stop serving alcohol early. If you live in a remote location, consider having enough bedding and space for every guest to spend the night. This way, anyone who is intoxicated would not have to drive. Contact taxi and shuttle services before your party to find out how much transportation would cost. Some driving services provide special flat rates at the holidays. They will drive your guests to and from your party for a flat fee.

Another option is to designate drivers or to create your own shuttle service. Have two or three people abstain from drinking entirely and have these volunteers shuttle your guests back home as needed. Hotels and local motels may also offer group rates to ensure that your guests do not drink and drive. Consider having taxi cash, taxi numbers, and a few alternatives on hand.

Even if you plan to have a few options available to ensure that guests do not drive drunk, however, you will also need to plan to ensure that guests are monitored. You need to have a plan in place to keep guests from driving drunk. At a busy party, it can be difficult to spot every guest heading for their cars, so plan ahead. Consider having all guests deposit their car keys when they arrive at your house, for example. Consider having someone walk each guest to their cars after the party, to ensure that they show no signs of intoxication.

Another great option is to offer breathalyzer key chains as party favors or small gifts. It is an easy and simple way to evaluate intoxication. Another option is to simply observe guests and to note who is drinking how much. At small parties, it’s relatively easy to monitor overall consumption. This is one reason why you may want to keep get-together small. Working with guests to help them make good choices can help you save the lives of your friends and family so that they can visit your holiday events next year, too.

Continue reading " Planning Holiday Parties? Plan Now to Prevent Florida Drunk Driving Accidents " »

This is the time of year when many families are planning long trips – including loan road trips – for the holidays. If you want to help prevent Florida car accidents and arrive safely, you need to plan ahead. Here’s how:

1) Use online mapping tools to chart your holiday driving plans, especially if the route is not familiar with you. Tools such as Google maps and Google Streetview allow you to envision your route before you go, select different routes, and even estimate how long your drive will take you.

2) Plan to drive well-rested. When deciding on your trip, develop a strategy to ensure that you will not drive fatigued. Fatigued driving causes many Florida pedestrian accidents and traffic accidents each year. Make sure that the day before you leave is not too hectic and you have enough time to get a proper rest. Note hotels and motels along your route, in case you are tired and need a rest. Consider driving with a friend, who can do some of the driving when you get tired.

3) Plan to drive undistracted. Distracted driving causes many Florida truck accidents and car accidents each year. Make sure that you avoid all distractions – such as mobile devices and loud music – while you drive. Turn your phone off before you get in the car, to prevent family members from calling to check where you are on your route.

4) Consider weather past state lines if you are driving outside of Florida for the holidays. If you will be driving well outside the state, you may encounter snowy conditions and ice on the roads. Make sure your vehicle is in good shape and has good snow tires for the journey. Listen to weather reports before you leave and change your plans as needed.

Continue reading " Traveling to See Family This Holiday Season? Plan to Arrive Safe " »

When most of us think of Florida car accidents and pedestrian accidents, we picture busy roads. However, many accidents at this time of year occur on private properties. As people visit with each other and host special holiday events, extra pedestrian and car traffic is often brought to residential areas, increasing the risk of Florida pedestrian accidents and car accidents in these areas. Here’s how to prevent this type of tragedy in your home:

1) If you have a party or holiday event, plan for parking. Determine how many guests you will have and plan where they can park. Is there public parking nearby? Is there adequate street parking on your street? If you’re having a large party and parking will be a problem, consider renting transportation for your guests. A charter company can arrange for safe transport for your guests and can help prevent Florida drunk driving accidents, too. Or, consider having guests carpool to cut down on pedestrian traffic and to provide some designated drivers.

2) Make sure your parking area is well-lit. If your guests will be driving themselves, make sure that parking areas are well-lit to prevent accidents, falls, and other hazards. You can buy temporary lights if you need them.

3) When saying good-bye to guests after a party, help them leave safely. Walk them to their car. This will help ensure that they are sober enough to drive. If you notice that they are not sober, don’t let them drive. If your friends are fit to drive, help them by standing near the car and ensuring that the way is clear for them to back out and drive away.

4) Consider rear-view systems as gifts to friends. These handy devices are very useful in preventing Florida pedestrian accidents involving children, because they allow drivers to see exactly what is behind their car as they back up.

5) Do not allow your children to play in your driveway or in the street when there is a party. It’s too easy for visitors to drop by your home and your child to be injured. If there is a party on your street, your child may be drawn to the cars and the party. Any guests backing up out of a parking space may not see your child. When there is extra traffic on your street or expected traffic, find fun indoor activities for your children.

Continue reading " Could You Be at Risk for a Florida Car Accident or Premises Liability Claim at Home? " »

During the holidays and the weeks leading up to the holidays, Florida car accidents often increase in frequency. There are many reasons for this. Many of us are driving more often to take care of holiday errands and visits. As well, slippery roads can easily lead to car accidents. Shorter days and less visibility are a contributing factor to many accidents at this time of year and unfortunately, Florida drunk driving accidents are also more common at this time of year, as some motorists partake of good cheer and decide to drive home.

Florida pedestrian accidents are also more common at this time of year. Unfortunately, many of us are in crowded store parking lots, rushing about with our to-do lists. High stress and more traffic in pedestrian and car shared areas can lead to more accidents. As well, there are often more pedestrians about as people walk from store to store or head out to visit friends. There are also more delivery persons making deliveries, meaning more people walking about. Now is the time to do your part to prevent Florida car accidents and pedestrian accidents. Here’s how:

1) Have a plan for getting home safely. If you decide to drink at a holiday event, make sure that you have money to get home or a plan to get home. Preventing Florida drunk driving accidents starts with planning ahead.

2) Be alert for more pedestrians and more cars on the roads. More trucks are on the roads at this time of year, too, as stores go into overdrive to meet consumer demand. Adjust your driving.

3) Adjust your driving to weather conditions. It gets darker at this time of year, which means less visibility. At the same time, holiday lights can cause glare or distract drivers. Wet roads can further compound these problems, especially with more people on the road. Slow down, use your lights and wipers, and stay alert.

4) Note and respect new pedestrian areas. Some stores create new pedestrian areas in order to encourage shoppers. These pedestrian areas may result in closed parking lots or closed streets. Stay tuned to traffic updates on your radio so that you can anticipate and respect these pedestrian areas.

5) Put away your mobile device. Distracted driving is deadly at any time of year, but it is especially dangerous during the holidays, when extra traffic and poorer lighting put you at even greater risk. Your phone conversation or text is not worth the heartbreak you would cause a family this holiday season if you caused an accident. Put your mobile device away and turn it off when driving.

6) Get your car tuned up. Make sure your breaks are in good working order, your tires are in top shape and your wipers and wiper fluid are ready for wet weather. When your car is in good shape, it responds better and allows you to avoid collisions more easily.

Continue reading " At This Time of Year, Florida Pedestrian Accidents are a Concern for Drivers " »

Some universities in Florida and across the country are starting awareness campaigns to warn student drivers about the dangers of distracted driving in a bid to reduce the number of Florida car accidents and pedestrian accidents. Campaigns such as the “Put Down Ur Cell Fone” campaign try to raise awareness among the students about distracted driving through on-campus signage and demonstrations. The message is clear: to reduce your risk of causing a Florida pedestrian accident or car accident, put away your cell phone when getting behind the wheel of your car.

Targeting student drivers may be a smart move, since according to some studies, drivers under the age of 20 have the highest number of drivers who routinely drive distracted. According to some statistics, up to 16% of under-20 drivers drive distracted. The dangers of this type of behavior are well documented. A study by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis found that 6% of all car collisions are related to cell phone use. Cell phone use causes 636, 000 car accidents each year, and these accidents result in 330 000 injuries and 2 600 fatalities.

Cell phones are not the only danger. According to studies conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute 65% of near-accidents and 80% of all car accidents involve a driver who was distracted by some activity within three seconds of the collision or near-miss. Distracted driving can include texting, cell phone use, talking to passengers, adjusting music, searching for an item, eating, drinking, applying makeup, and any number of other activities. Researchers are very clear: don’t attempt to multitask while you drive.

Some states have banned texting while driving, but Florida so far has not taken that step. Nevertheless, law enforcement would like to see drivers voluntarily putting their mobile devices away when driving. Any distractions take away your focus and your eyes from the road. Even if this happens for only a few seconds, that is more than enough time for a Florida car accident to take place.

Distracted drivers face penalties for reckless driving. As well, if someone causes a crash because they have chosen to drive distracted, they can be held liable for the accident and can be sued. Insurance rates for such drivers also tend to increase. It is smartest – and safest – to put your entire focus on the road while driving.

Continue reading " Distracted Driving a Concern for Law Enforcement Trying to Halt Florida Car Accidents " »

The tradition of beach driving may be costing lives. According to experts, beach driving leads to many Florida car accidents and pedestrian accidents each year. Between 2005 and 2010, 45 Florida pedestrian accidents took place on Volusia County beaches alone because someone was driving a vehicle on the beach. According to experts, beach driving leads to about 6% of Florida pedestrian accidents. This year, Volusia County Council has hired a consultant to review beach safety and beach driving to determine whether there is any way to reduce the number of beach accidents involving cars and vehicles.

A review by the News-Journal, a local newspaper, found that in many Florida car accidents and vehicle accidents on the beach, pedestrians were in fact lying down or sitting down on the beach, potentially making them less visible to drivers. In about one-third of cases, drivers were backing up when the accident occurred, suggesting that in many cases the pedestrian was simply not seen by the driver in the rear-view mirror.

As well, according to the newspaper, about half of Florida car accidents on the beach take place during March and July, the months when beaches are busiest. This may mean that simply changing the rules or laws during these two months can significantly reduce the instances of Florida pedestrian accidents on the beaches. Volusia County Council has also considered adding more car-free zones and more signage on the beach to prevent accidents.

Exerts claim that one of the problems is that the beach is a constant intersection. Most Florida car accidents occur at intersections, simply because these are the points where conflict can most easily take place. On a beach, however, the flow of people and vehicles is constant, creating almost endless points of conflict. At the same time, experts note that more people on beaches are bitten by sharks than injured in collisions with vehicles.

Some suggestions for improving beach safety also include creating completely separate areas for sunbathing and driving. This will help ensure that people who are lying down and people who are driving are simply not in the same area. Some experts have also suggested that parts of beaches should be completely closed down during times when the beaches are busy to allow for better supervision. However, for families who have lost children or loved ones to beach pedestrian accidents want cars banned entirely from beaches, saying it is too unsafe for pedestrians and vehicles to share the same space.

Continue reading " Florida Car Accidents on Beaches Linked to Tradition " »

At least one study suggests it might be the case. According to researchers at the University of South Florida, elderly drivers who take part in brain training reduce their risk of being in car accidents by half, when compared with elderly drivers who receive no brain training. The training involves cognitive training programs which do not address driving skills in particular, but are rather concerned with strengthening cognitive power.

The study tested 908 drivers with an average age of 73. Some drivers were given no training, some took part in a program designed to improve reaction speed while others trained with a program designed to hone reasoning skills. A final group worked with a program created to improve memory. All drivers received ten sessions and were then tracked for six years. According to researchers, drivers who took programs designed to improve reasoning skills and reaction speed were able to reduce car accidents by 50%. The programs designed to improve memory had no discernible outcome on accident rates.

Of those drivers who took the memory training course, 16% had at least one accident that was personally their fault. The drivers who took no training had an 18% accident rate. However, of those who took the reasoning program, only 12% were in car accidents. Only 10% of those drivers who took the speed response program were in accidents over the six-year period.

The study seems to suggest that training – even training that does not have anything to do with improving driving skills – may be able to help prevent Florida pedestrian accidents and traffic accidents involving elderly drivers by honing specific skills. Researchers are especially excited by the fact that the brain training seems to have long-term impact on driving ability, since participants were still seeing different car accident rates years after their mind training sessions.

However, another study from the University of Cambridge that studied 11, 000 drivers found that brain training did not help cognitive skills in real-life tasks such as driving. However, authors of the University of South Florida note that theirs is the first study to take driving skills into consideration specifically and to test different types of brain training.

Continue reading " Could Brain Training Help Reduce Florida Car Accidents Involving Elderly Drivers? " »

According to recent studies, Florida is now the leader in car insurance fraud. Although Florida car insurance fraud is not new, it has risen to new highs, largely due to unemployment and economic woes, according to experts. There are a few types of car insurance fraud schemes that are popular in the state:

1) Abandonment. Some car owners are simply leaving their cars abandoned in remote locations to avoid having to pay the high bills that come with cars. Some owners them claim the cars as stolen to defraud insurance providers.

2) Arson. Some owners are lighting their cars on fire to avoid further payments and in order to recover claim money from insurance providers. The fire, they believe, will eliminate the evidence of fraud, although this is often not the case.

3) Florida car accident fraud. In some cases, fraudsters work with others to stage Florida car accidents in order to fraudulently claim insurance money for non-existent injuries. The National Insurance Crime Bureau reports that between 2007 to 2009 there were 511 staged Miami car accidents and even more such accidents in other Florida states. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, one out of every four staged traffic accidents occurred in Florida.

Florida truck accident and car accident fraud is a serious problem for everyone. Even staged accidents can lead to serious injuries and of course this type of fraud can increase insurance costs for everyone. Plus, there are often innocent victims in these fraud schemes who are accused of causing an accident when in fact they did not. Worse, people who genuinely sustain a Florida spinal cord injury or another serious injury in a car accident often have a harder time recovering their claims because insurance providers are on the alert for fraud.

Continue reading " Florida Car Accident and Traffic Accident Scams Lead the Country " »