Jacksonville Injury Attorney Blog

In June of 2009, a group of teenagers headed to the beach to celebrate the end of their school year were involved in a car accident when the SUV they were in lost control and flipped over. Nine teenagers were in the SUV and most were ejected in the SUV rollover accident. Four of them died.

The driver of the SUV was charged with four counts of driving without a license causing death and four charges of driving without a license causing injury. The driver, who admittedly did not have a license, blamed the auto accident on a tire tread that separated causing him to lose control of the SUV. Expert witnesses were called at the trial to testisfy about defects in the tire.

Family members of those killed or injured asked the court to spare the driver from prison time. The Judge found the driver guilty for driving without a license but acquited him of the felony charges of causing death or personal injuries.

There is currently pending a product liability case for wrongful death against the tire manufacturer. Other product liability lawsuits for wrongful death and personal injury are expected to be filed.

Continue reading " Teen Driver in Auto Accident That Causes Four Deaths Convicted of Lesser Charge " »

A sport utility vehicle ran a red light at the intersection of Altantic Boulevard and St. Johns Bluff Road at 12:40 a.m. Sunday morning and struck a vehicle driven by a 19 year-old woman. The woman suffered critical personal injuries and was taken to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center. The driver of the SUV also suffered personal injuries and was taken to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center. Thankfully, both drivers were wearing their seatbelts.

Previously, on this blog we reported on Jacksonville's most dangerous intersections. All of the major intersections with Altantic and Beach Boulevards are very dangerous with repeated instances of car crashes. Traffic moves very quickly on these roadways and, if a driver, gets distracted for even a brief moment, he or she may miss that a light has changed. I am not sure if defensive driving would have done much for the woman struck as it seems she was blindsided by the truck running the red light. This auto accident serves as a reminder than an auto accident can happen anytime without any warning. Our advice: do your best to drive defensively; buckle up; and buy uninsured motorist coverage.

Continue reading " Woman Critically Injured at Eastside Jacksonville Intersection " »

In February of this year, an out of control driver caused an auto accident which sent a young mother's vehicle over the side of the Buckman Bridge to her death. The driver was arrested for driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident. Investigation revealed that she was intoxicated by one or more drugs while driving. A jury convicted the driver of vehicular homocide and manslaughter driving under the influence for causing the wrongful death of the young woman. Earlier this week, the driver was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

The woman killed in this car accident left behind a grieving husband and two children, aged 9 and 10. The sentence does little to lessen their grief.

The Buckman Bridge connects the Mandarin area of South Jacksonville to Orange Park, Florida. Being three miles long, it has been the scene of many fatal vehicle accidents.

Continue reading " Jacksonville Woman Gets 30 Years for Buckman Bridge Accident " »

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of a car accident that happened Wednesday morning in Flagler County. The two vehicles involved in the accident hit head on after one vehicle crossed the center line. Tragically, both drivers died at the scene. Flagler County is located about 45 minutes south of Jacksonville, Florida.

Car accidents like this can present a difficult problem in determining who is at fault. Often, accident reconstruction experts must be hired to analyze the vehicles and any marks or debris left on the roadway. It is necessary that all evidence, including both vehicles, be preserved in order that experts can examine them.

If a lawsuit is brought, the defendant will be entitled to hire an expert to examine the vehicles. If the vehicles have been destroyed in the meanwhile, the case may be seriously compromised. Sometimes, in the face of lost evidence, Florida courts will dismiss a case altogether. As a result, it is important to hire an attorney that has the resources to hire an accident reconstruction expert and to store vehicles for an indefinite period of time.

Continue reading " Flagler County Accident Kills Two " »