Jacksonville Injury Attorney Blog

On Wednesday morning an auto accident in Columbia County claimed the life of a man and caused serious personal injury to a 10 month old boy. Columbia County's seat is Lake City which is located about one hour west of Jacksonville, Florida.

The car accident happened at the intersection of County Road 131 and County Road 240, when one car entered the path of another car driving through the intersection. Two other adults suffered injuries in the crash and were taken to Shands Hospital in Gainesville.

The man who died was ejected from the Jeep he was in and was not wearing a seatbelt. The other passengers who all survived were wearing seatbelts. The reason for the car entering the path of the other car is not currently known.

This provides yet another example of one person involved in a car crash without a seatbelt dying when others wearing seatbelts survived a crash. There are also legal ramifications if a person is injured in a car accident and was not wearing a seatbelt. Florida law allows such an injured person to only recover for the injuries he or she would have received if he or she had been wearing a seatbelt.

Continue reading "Car Crash in Columbia County Kills Man and Injures Child" »

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office arrested a man beleived to be responsible for a hit and run car crash that happened early Saturday morning. The car accident sent one man to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center with serious personal injuries including cracked ribs, broken bones, stitches and bruises.

The victim reported that following the accident, he got out of his vehicle, when he was struck by the fleeing driver. The arrested driver admitted to drinking earlier in the day. He was arrested for fleeing the scene; however, proof of his intoxication will be very difficult given the time that elapsed between the vehicle accident and his arrest.

Pulling to the side of a road following an auto accident and getting out of a car can present a very dangerous situation. Other drivers can be distracted by "rubber-necking" and cause an additional accident. Of course, a person standing outside of car is in a very vulnerable position for severe injuries if struck by a car. Our advice is to park your car as far off of the roadway as possible when exiting your vehicle following an auto accident.

Continue reading "Driver Arrested in Hit and Run Car Accident in Jacksonville" »

In March of 2008, a head-on car wreck occurred on State Road 16 at County Roaad 233 in Bradford County, Florida. Bradford County, the county seat of which is Starke, is located about thirty minutes Southwest of Jacksonville. A 56 year old woman was killed in the crash.

The woman causing the car accident was charged with vehicular homocide and driving under the influence manslaughter. The jury convicted her of vehicular homicide but acquited her of the DUI charge. The woman causing the auto accident was sentenced to ten years in prison.

While the court system may provide long sentences for careless and drunken driving, it does nothing to replace the loss of a person's life. Likewise, although Florida's Wrongful Death Act provides compensation for the pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost support and services and lost savings for the family members of a person wrongfully killed in an auto accident, the devastated family members often find little solace in compensation.

We can all help. Report careless or drunk drivers by calling 911. Try to get the license plate number of the car, but, by all means steer clear of such a driver.

Continue reading "Woman Sentenced to Ten Years for Fatal Auto Accident in Bradford County " »

Late last night, a teenage girl was killed in an auto accident in Starke. Starke is located in Bradford County, Florida, about thirty minutes southwest of Jacksonville.

Four people were in a pickup truck driviing near the intersection of State Road 200 and County Road 225. The driver of the truck lost control, the truck left the roadway and flipped multiple times.

Two of the four people in the truck were thrown from the vehicle as it flipped. Unfortunately, no one was wearing a seatbelt. Two other passengers received personal injuries and were taken to Shands Hospital in Starke.

One of the greatest dangers in not wearing a seatbelt occurs when a vehicle rolls over. The inertia of a human body in a spinning vehicle propels a person into the interior of the vehicle. If windows are down the person is easily ejected. The force can also propel a person through a closed window.

Severe personal injuries and death from a rollover collision are very common, especially when someone is thrown from the vehicle. When a person is thrown from a vehicle, they suffer injures from: striking the inside of the vehicle; being thrown from the vehicle; striking the ground, trees or other objects after being ejected; and being hit by the vehicle itself.

This is just too common. Seatbelts are required by the law for a good reason: they save lives. If a person suffers personal injuries or wrongful death in a car accidnet and was not wearing his or her seatbelt, Florida law provides that any right to recovery will be reduced to only those injuries the person would have received if he or she was wearing a seatbelt.

Continue reading "Another Example of Failure to Wear Seatbelts Resulting in Fatal Injuries in Weekend Crash in Starke, Florida" »

A multiple vehicle accident in Fruit Cove, just south of Jacksonville, Florida, sent three people to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center late last night. A man ran from the crash site into nearby woods and was arrested Friday morning.

Because the driver fled from the scene and hid in the woods, one must wonder if he was intoxicated. Unfortunately, if enough time passed before he was arrested, blood alcohol testing may not be worthwhile.

As Jacksonville auto accident lawyers, we notice that some of the worst drivers, especially drunk drivers, tend to be irresponsible across the board. Often this translates into such drivers having little or no bodily injury liabilty insurance.

Your best ally if such an auto accident occurs is to have significant uninsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage will provide you payment for medical expenses, lost wages, disability and pain and suffering for personal injuries caused by an uninsured driver.

Continue reading "Multiple Vehicle Crash in South Jacksonville Causes Injuries to Three" »

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an alert for the potential for personal injuries caused by certain foods - guacamole and salsa. Of course, both of these dishes are common in our restaurants in Jacksonville.

Guacamole and salsa have been shown to be linked to salmonella and E. Coli. The biggest problem with these food products come from freshly made dishes instead of processed items. Freshly made products usually do not contain preservatives and stringent production safeguards when being made.

Salmonella and E. Coli are two of the most common food-borne illnesses in the United States. In the last few years we have seen alerts from certain fresh vegetables including spinach and tomatoes. Such illnesses, which can cause personal injuries and wrongful death, can lead to a product liability or negligence case against the manufacturer of the product, the distributor of the product and the restaurant or grocery store selling the product.

Because it is often difficult for the consumer to prove how toxic bacteria or other substances got into food products, Florida law allows for the consumer to bring a "strict liability" defective product case, where all companies involved in the manufacturing, distribution and sale of the product may be liable if the the product was defective an unreasonably dangerous.

Continue reading "Food-borne Illnesses Continue to Cause Injuries" »

Interstate 95 runs from along the eastern coast of the United States and through Jacksonville to Miami. The 382 mile section of I-95 in Florida appears to be the most dangerous interstate in the U.S. according to statistics from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

From 2004 to 2998, there were 765 vehicle accident deaths on this portion of the interstate. During that period, there were 100 fatalities in the section of I-95 within the Jacksonville area counties of Nassau, Duval and St. Johns. Jacksonville fared better than nearby Volusia and Brevard counties, which both had a much higher number of deaths than Jacksonville. South Florida also a higher number of fatalities.

According to an FDOT spokesman, the number of fatal auto accidents in Jacksonville may be lower than other areas because of the numerous improvements to the roadway in the Jacksonville area including: imrovements to the Fuller Warren Bridge; widening the interstate to 6 lanes in areas; and the construction of 9A.

Continue reading "The Florida Section of I-95 May Be the Country's Most Dangerous Highway" »

Earlier on this blog, we reported about one of the first product liability cases to be tried regarding defective drywall from China. The case, brought in Miami, Florida, was tried against a supply company in the U.S. that bought the drywall and sold it to developers.

The plaintiffs purchased an expensive home in Miami and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars renovating it. Ulitmately, due to noxious smells they moved out. Defective Chinese drywall has been linked to some health issues and can cause the corrosion of the piping and air conditioning systems in a house.

The plaintiffs demonstrated that the supply company was aware of the problem as it returned a large supply of the drywall prior to the plaintiffs purchasing their home. The jury awarded the plaintiffs nearly $2.5 million in damages.

This case will probably represent a landmark in the hundreds of drywall cases that are pending throughout Florida. Numerous cases are also pending in Jacksonville.

Continue reading "South Florida Jury Awards $2.5 Million in Chinese Drywall Case" »

A St. Augustine man died as a resullt of a car accident when his car crossed the median on U.S. 1 in St. Johns County last night. After crossing into oncoming traffic, he was struck by a sport-utility vehicle on the right passenger side.

The driver of the car was airlifted to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The driver and passengers in the SUV suffered minor personal injuries. Police report that everyone in the two vehicles involved in this collision was wearing a seat belt.

The reason for the car crossing the median has not been reported.

Continue reading "St. Augustine Man Dies in Car Collision on U.S. 1" »

Homeowners across Florida have suffered damages as a result of the use of defective Chinese drywall in their homes. One of the first cases to go to trial is now being deliberated by a South Florida Jury.

Consumers have filed hundreds of cases throughout Florida seeking damages for product liability as a result of the use of drywall manufactured in China. The components of the drywall at issue are alleged to cause corrosion of pipes, air conditioning units and personal injury.

In Jacksonville, the use of Chinese drywall was common during the construction boom that occured from 2000 through 2005. Many homeowners are just now learning that they have a defective product in their home as they are beginning to experience the problems that can result.

We will report on the jury's verdict when it is rendered.

Continue reading "Jury to Decide Chinese Drywall - Defective Product Case" »

A man and three children were on an ATV in Middleburg, Florida, when it rolled over. The man and a girl were seriously injured and were taken to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center. Two boys on the ATV also suffered personal injuries and were taken to Orange Park Medical Center.

As Jacksonville injury lawyers, we see a lot of instances where ATVs are involved in accidents causing serious personal injury or death. An ATV has a high center of gravity and they have had problems with rollovers since they were first sold. Having four people on one ATV may have increased the possibility of the ATV flipping by making it even more top heavy.

Cases are often brought against ATV manufacturers for alleged defects causing rollover accidents.

Continue reading "ATV Rollover Accident Sends Two to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center" »

Three bicyclists were struck by a car on U.S. Highway 1 in St. Augustine, Florida, today. All three suffered personal injuries. Two of the cyclists were lifeflighted to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center. The third was taken by ambulance to Flagler Hospital.

After the collision, the driver of the car left the scene but was later stopped by police. The cause of the crash has not been reported.

Distance bicyclists often use the long stretch of highway between St. Augustine and Jacksonville; however, there is no separate bike lane for them. There have been several similar accidents in recent years. Because this area is not heavily congested, there is little reason for accidents to occur provided that drivers are paying attention. However, drivers have more distractions than ever, with cell phones, texting and dvd players now playing a role in car accidents.

Continue reading "Bicyclists Hit by Car in Saint Augustine" »