Jacksonville Injury Attorney Blog

A wife and mother of two died when her SUV was involved in a car accident and forced off of the Buckman Bridge late Saturday night in Jacksonville, Florida. Her car landed in the St. Johns River in approximately 45 feet of water.

The driver of the car that caused the auto accident fled the scene. Witnesses followed her to an apartment on Jacksonville's southside. That driver has been charged with DUI manslaughter.

Witnesses claim that that driver was driving erratically before the vehicle collision. She had recently been charged with several traffic offenses, including leaving the scene of another accident.

While the family will have the basis for a wrongful death lawsuit, no amount of money can ease their pain.

Continue reading "Woman Killed in Car Accident on the Buckman Bridge in Jacksonville" »

A 25-year-old man from Middleburg, Florida (located approximately 30 minutes Southwest of Jacksonville) died Tuesday when he was involved in a collision with a truck. Around noon, his car rear-ended a tow truck on Southside Boulevard in Jacksonville.

The man was driving at a high rate of speed and was not wearing his seat belt when he collided with the rear of the tow truck, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The man was ejected from his vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

While it is not known if wearing a seatbelt would have prevented this man's death, in all likelihood, it would have prevented his ejection, which presumably, was through the windshield. An ejection through a window causes devastating personal injuries, if not death. The need to always wear a seatbelt cannot be overstated.

Continue reading "Middleburg Florida Man Killed in Collision with Tow Truck" »

A man from Elkton, Florida, near St. Augustine was killed Thursday night in a single car accident when the truck in which he was a passenger rolled over. The man along with the driver were in Jeep Grand Cherokee on State Road 207, when the vehicle left the roadway. The driver then overcorrected, causing the SUV to flip.

The deceased was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle. The driver was also not wearing a seatbelt either and was seriously injured. The driver was taken to Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine. The official FHP report says alcohol was involved.

Once again, we see an example where an unbelted occupant of a vehicle is ejected in a vehicle rollover crash and killed. Ejection from a vehicle that flips is very common due to inertia causing the body to remain in place while the vehicle tumbles around that person causing the occupant to forcefully strike windows, doors or open spaces, such as an open window or the open top of a convertible car.

When personal injuries or wrongful death occurr in a car accident in Florida when a person is not wearing a seatbelt, the recovery for such injuries or death can be severely reduced. If the defendant can prove that the person would have received less significant or no injuries, then the jury is to award only for the injuries that would have occurred if the person was seatbelted.

An attorney for an injured plaintiff can face serious challenges proving that the same degree of injuries would have resulted if the injured person was belted.

Continue reading "SUV Flips Near St. Augustine - One Man Dies" »

A car crash on Interstate 95 occurred in McIntosh County, Georgia, when a tractor-trailer rear-ended a minivan. A three year old boy was killed and two adults and two other children suffered personal injuries and were taken to area hospitals. The auto wreck happened shortly before 1 p.m. in the southbound lanes of I-95.

McIntosh County is halfway between Savannah and Brunswick, about an hour and a half north of Jacksonville, Florida. Witnesses say that the truck was traveling at a high rate of speed prior to the automobile accident. The driver of the truck is from Jacksonville, Florida.

Tractor-trailer accidents often involve the most serious of personal injuries and wrongful death. Due to the immense weight of tractor-trailers, breaking distances can be quite large. As such drivers of eighteen wheelers must be especially careful of traffic conditions in front of them.

We are currently handling a similar case that occurred on I-10 in Jacksonville, where, thankfully, the victim in the car did not die, but did suffer serious personal injuries. Traffic conditions, especially during holidays and in areas of construction can cause sudden stops even on interstates, making it all the more important for all drivers to be on the lookout for slow down or stop conditions.

Continue reading "Truck Crashes Into Car on I-95 in Georgia" »

A vehicle traveling west on Valley Forge Road near the intersection with Edgewood Avenue in Jacksonville struck a sign and a telephone poll and went airborne. All three occupants were ejected from the vehicle.

A woman died in the single vehicle accident and the other two people, including a baby, were hospitalized with personal injuries. The woman was pronounced dead at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center. Police are still investigating the cause of the accident. Thick fog may have played a role.

Car accidents such as this are all too frequent in Jacksonville. Whether any of the ejected occupants were wearing a seatbelt is unknown. It is also unkown if the baby was properly restrained in an infant car seat. It is very common for unrestrained occupants to be ejected from a vehicle if it flips or becomes airborne, often throwing occupants through closed windows. Obviously serious personal injury or wrongful death can result from being ejected.

Seatbelts are not only legally required to be worn in Florida, they can prevent ejection in rollover accidents and can prevent the resulting devastating injuries.

Continue reading "Single Car Accident in Jacksonville Kills One and Injures Two" »

A Flagler County jury returned a $5.1 million verdict in a wrongful death case resulting from a fatal trucking accident. A tractor trailer struck a husband and wife driving a minivan. The accident happened at a rural intersection and the plaintiff claimed that the truck driver ran a stop sign.

The wife was killed instantly and the husband suffered personal injuries including a pelvic fracture. The two had recently retired and moved to Palm Coast, Florida, located about one hour south of Jacksonville.

In wrongful death truck accident cases such as this, it is important that the attorney for the plaintiff thoroughly investigate the driver and the employer's decisions regarding hiring and retaining the driver. In addition, it is important to determine how many hours the trucker had been driving in order to determine if federal laws limiting the number of hours a driver can work in a given time period were violated.

Continue reading "Flagler County Jury Awards $5.1 Million in Fatal Truck Accident Case" »

Last night, a pedestrian was struck by a sport-utility vehicle at a Jacksonville Northside intersection. The SUV was traveling on North Main Street near 53rd Street when the man was struck. It was raining at the time of the accident.

The victim was taken to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center with life-threatening personal injuries. A relative told the Times-Union that he died.

Car accidents involving pedestrians seem are far too common in the Jacksonville area. Of course, these types of accidents cause devastating if not fatal injuries to a pedestrian.

Continue reading "Pedestrian Struck by Car in Jacksonville Suffers Life-Threatening Injuries" »

Tuesday night, near the intersection of Old Kings Road and St. Augustine Road, in Jacksonville Florida, a car collision killed one person and caused personal injuries to two other people.

The car accident happened at about 8:30 p.m., when a van T-boned a vehicle that was traveling on Old Kings Road. The passenger of the vehicle died at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center.

As Jacksonville accident attorneys, we see "T-bone" car accidents quite frequently. Often they result from one car attempting to turn left across oncoming traffic. Given that it was the passenger side of the car that was T-boned in this instance, it very well could have been a left turn scenario.

The difficulty posed by a left turn accident is that the driver with the right of way, the one going straight, often has little or no warning that the other car is going to turn across his or her lane of travel. These types of car collisions typically result in severe impacts and serious personal injuries.

Continue reading "One Dead, Two Injured in South Jacksonville Auto Crash" »

As Jacksonville injury lawyers, we have many clients who are injured that have no health insurance. With the downturn in the economy many people have lost their jobs and the health insurance benefits that came with the job. Also, some employers have stopped offering health insurance as a way to save money.

A letter of protection can be an important tool for personal injury clients who lack health insurance or have used all of their personal injury protection ("PIP:) benefits following an auto accident. Many doctors and facilities in the Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Fernandina areas will accept a "letter of protection."

A letter of protection permits the patient to continue to receive treatment without having to pay for it until their personal injury case resolves. Typically, the health care provider receives a direct reimbursement from the settlement or jury award.

Continue reading "Obtaining Medical Care for Personal Injuries When You Have No Insurance - Letters of Protection" »

This morning, a woman was driving north on Masters Drive in St. Augustine when she lost control of the car. The car went into a roadside ditch and flipped. The woman was partially ejected and trapped in the car.

The woman was life flighted to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center for her personal injuries including a fractured ankle and lacerations to her head.

Interestingly, the area of Masters Drive where this auto accident occured, near Highway 16, has numerous speed bumps, as it has had many problems with motorists driving too fast. It is unknown if speed was a factor in this crash.

Continue reading "Single Car Crash Causes Injuries in St. Augustine, Florida" »

Multiple vehicles crashed on I-295 near Duval Road on Jacksonville's Northside Monday. Because of the car accident, one person was rushed to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center with life-threatening personal injuries.

One vehicle was heading northbound when it struck a ladder in the roadway and veered across the median, striking two southbound vehicles. One of the southbound vehicles was struck head-on.

A similar incident ocurred several years ago on the Buckman Bridge here in Jacksonville, when a ladder fell from a truck. As a result of the ladder in the roadway, there was a serious vehicle collision. One person was killed in that accident. A wrongful death lawsuit against the owner of the vehicle that dropped the ladder resulted in a significant recovery for the family of the deceased person.

Continue reading "Crash on Interstate 295 Causes Life Threatening Injuries" »

A man driving a motorcycle rear-ended a sport utility vehicle (SUV) in St. Johns County yesterday. The auto accident happened on U.S. 1 North of St. Augustine, Florida.

The driver of the motorcycle was flown by lifeflight helicopter to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center. His passenger also sufferred personal injuries; however not as severe.

Collisions between motorcycles and vehicles often result in catastrophic injuries to the motorcyclist and any passengers. Of course, motorcycles do not have seatbelts and the riders are usually thrown far from the collision only compounding their personal injuries. Although wearing a helmet is not longer required by law in Florida, doing so can prevent serious brain injury, spinal injury or death.

Continue reading "St. Johns County Motorcyclist in Critical Condition After Accident with SUV" »

A five year old boy was injured when he was struck by a pickup truck in front of his home in St. Johns County, Florida. St. Johns County is one county south of Jacksonville, Florida.

The driver of the truck left the scene and was charged with leaving the scene of an automobile accident with injuries. The boy was taken to Flagler hospital in St. Augustine.

Pedestrians struck by a vehicle have the right to bring an action against a negligent driver and can obtain compensation from that driver's bodily injury liability coverage. Of course, accidents between vehicles and pedestrians often involve trafic or fatal injuries.

Continue reading "Five Year Old Struck by Pickup Truck in St. Augustine" »

This morning, a car traveling on Harts Road near the intersection with William Burgess Road overturned causing personal injuries to five people.
The accident happened in Yulee, which is in Nassau County about 30 minutes north of Jacksonville, Florida. All five people were taken to a nearby hospital. The cause of the car accident has not been reported.

Car accidents involving an overturned vehicle can result in severe personal injuries and wrongful death. Given that the injuries in this car accident have been reported to be non-life threatening, I would bet the occupants were seat belted. Very often passengers that are not seatbelted are forced through window glass and ejected from a vehicle that rolls over causing tragic personal injuries.

Continue reading "Five People Injured in a Single Vehicle Wreck in Yulee" »

Four people were killed in a car accident on Interstate 10 when a pickup crossed the centerline and crashed into their car. The car accident happened in Jackson county, which is about three hours west of Jacksonville, Florida.

The Florida Highway Patrol reports that the driver of a truck heading east on I-10 through Jackson County Saturday morning lost control and ended up in the westbound lane. He crashed head-on into a car carrying four people. All four people in the car were killed. The driver of the truck sufferred personal injuries and was taken to a hospital.

The cause of the car crash is not currently known.

As Jacksonville car accident and injury attorneys, we have seen more and more car accidents caused by texting while driving. Several news stories have reported that texting while driving is as dangerous as drinking and driving. Some authorities are starting to take action.

Last week, the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce became the first chamber in the state to ask its affiliated businesses to sign a safe-driving pledge that their employees will not text and drive. The AAA Auto Club South initiated the idea, which has support from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.

Texting is now legal for Florida drivers. A bill was introduced in the Florida Legislature this year to ban texting while driving; however it was not taken up before the legislative session adjourned.

The federal government has estimated that motorist distractions may have caused as many as 5,800 wrongful deaths last year. Earlier this month, President Barack Obama signed an executive order that banned the nation's 3 million federal employees from texting while driving federal vehicles.

Continue reading "St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce Fights Texting While Driving" »

Monday afternoon, two school buses were involved in an automobile accident that happended in the 10000 block of Russell Sampson Road in St. Johns County, Florida. A. St. Johns County Fire and Rescue spokesperson said three students complained of personal injuries.

There have been a number of bussing accidents for this early stage of the school year in the greater Jacksonville area, as can be seen in our prior blog entries.

Continue reading "Two School Buses Collide in St. Johns County" »

In Middleburg, Florida, located about 30 minutes south of Jacksonville, two people died after their car collided with the back of a school bus. As a result of the auto collision, the car caught on fire. The driver and front passenger died as a result of the accident. A passenger in the rear of the vehicle suffered non-lifethreatening personal injuries. All three were wearing seatbelts.

The driver of the car ran into the back of the schoolbus at the intersection of Hall Boree Road and Blanding Boulevard in Middleburg. The reason for the driver's failure to stop safely is not currently known.

As Jacksonville car accident attorneys, we see more rear-end collisions than any other type of automobile accident. Often, the driver causing the accident was distracted by something and failed to appreciate that traffic ahead came to a stop.

Early Sunday moring, firefighters were called to a single car accident on County Road 208 in Hilliard, Florida. When they arrived they found the vehicle on its driver side near a power pole.

One of the occupants was thrown from the vehicle, and the other had to be cut from the vehicle. Both died. Neither were wearing their seatbelts. The cause of the vechicle accident is unknown.

As Jacksonville injury lawyers, we see this type of scenario far too often. When a vehicle rolls over in a crash, passengers that are not seatbelted usually suffer catastrophic, if not fatal, injuries. Serious personal injuries and wrongful death can often be avoided by simply wearing a seatbelt.

Continue reading "Two Die in Nassau County Car Accident in Hilliard" »

Late last night, a pickup truck traveling on Martin Luther King Boulevard in St. Augustine, Florida, left the road and struck a power pole. According to police, the driver of the pickup then got into a friend's pickup nearby in an attempt to flee; however, the friend then lost control of his truck and struck an air conditioning unit connected to the United Way building on Weeden Street.

The first driver has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident. Both drivers are under investigation for suspicion of driving under the influence. The two accidents left local Florida Power and Light customers without power for hours.

Tuesday afternoon, two pickup trucks collided in Jacksonville's westside. A nineteen year old pregnant woman was thrown from one of the pickup's beds and died. Her unborn child did not survive.

The pickup in which the young woman was riding turned left in front of the second pickup on Normandy Boulevard near the intersection with Parrish Cemetary Road. The woman who was ejected from the bed of the pickup was airlifted to Shands-Jacksonville Medical Center, where she died. According to authorities, three other people suffered personal injuries in the crash, including a 4-year-old girl in the second pickup.

Although there are circumstances where riding in the bed of a pickup is legal in Florida, it is never a good idea. Of course, pickup beds do not have seatbelts or other safety devices and being thrown from a vehicle in any accident often results in tragic, if not fatal injuries.

Continue reading "Pregnant Woman Dies in Accident on Jacksonville's Westside" »

In 2008, there were 14,064 car accidents in Duval County - Jacksonville. With a total population of 859,421 in Jacksonville, the rate of car crashes per 1000 people comes to 16.36. The statewide average was 12.94 vehicle crashes per 1000 residents.

Although Jacksonville's rate of automobile accidents is higher than the state average, it is lower than ten other large cities in Florida, including Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale and Tallahassee.

Continue reading "Jacksonville's Car Crash Rate Higher Than Average in Florida" »

A tractor-trailer carrying chlorine and other chemicals on Interstate 75 in Halmilton County, about one hour west of Jacksonville, Florida, left the road and crashed. Parts of I-75 were shut down for hours.

Because of the location of I-10 and I-95 in Jacksonville along with its large industrial port, trucks carrying toxic chemicals routinely pass through the City. Accidents involving these trucks can cause serious personal injuries to those involved in the trucking accident, and due to the chemicals being transported, to those nearby as well.

Continue reading "Chemical Truck Crash on I-75 West of Jacksonville Shuts Down Traffic" »

Our blog entries below reflect a significant number of traffic deaths occuring to pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcylists in the Jacksonville area. Jacksonville is no different than the rest of Florida in this regard. In 2008, 16.8% of all traffic accident deaths in Florida were suffered by pedestrians, 4% were byclists and 17.8% were motorcyclists. This comes to over 38% of all Florida traffic fatalities!

With our warm climate in Florida, a lot of people run, walk and bike along our roadways. Unfortunately, when there is an accident between a vehicle and a person walking, bicycling or driving a motorcycle, the consequences are often fatal.

These accident statistics from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, further demonstrate that safety equipment is not used often enough. For example, seventy-two percent of the bicyclists killed were not wearing helmets and thirty five percents of those dying in motorcycle accidents were not wearing helmets.

Continue reading "Pedestrians, Bicyclists and Motorcyclists Account for Greater Than 38% of All Traffic Deaths in Florida" »

Yesterday, in Alachua County, near Gainesville, Florida, a school bus driver lost control on a wet dirt road and crashed into a tree. Five children suffered minor personal injuries from flying glass. The driver was cited for driving too fast for the conditions.

Whether bussing children to school is handled directly by county government or contracted out to private companies, it is obviously of the utmost importance that drivers act with care. Most bus drivers are very safe and have good driving records. However, sometimes unsafe bus drivers are hired and the results can be catastrophic.

In Florida, when a county operates school buses, there is a $100,000.00 liability limit for personal injury to a child if the driver is negligent. When a county, such as Duval County, Jacksonville, contracts with private companies to operate the bussing system, there is no such limit.

Continue reading "School Bus Crashes Into Tree With 41 Children on Board" »

Late last night, a young man was struck from behind by a car while he was driving a scooter on Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville Florida. The car that rearended him left the scence. The victim was thrown onto the road and struck by a second car. The driver of the second car left the scene as well.

The vehicle accident happened at 2:20 a.m. Of course, given that both drivers that struck the victim left the scene, it is currently unknown if drinking was involved. Sadly, the driver of the scooter died at the scene from his injuries.

Continue reading "Man Dies After Rear End Collision While Driving Scooter" »

Duriing the last 24 hours many streets in Jacksonville have been shut down due to flooding from heavy rains. The Arlington Expressway and portions of Beach Boulevard were flooded with as much as three feet of water and had to be shut down, causing severe traffic jams and numerous car accidents.

This slow moving rain cell came from South Georgia, through Nassau County, Duval County and then St. Johns County. In some places rain was reported to be falling at the rate of 9 inches per hour.

Especially during the summer months and early fall in Jacksonville, we experience dramatic weather that makes driving all the more dangerous. As Jacksonville accident lawyers, we see many vehicle crashes with serious personal injuries that are caused in part to the weather. Heavy rain decreases visibility and greatly increases breaking distance. When possible it is best to avoid traveling during such weather conditoins, to drive carefully when driving cannot be avoided and to make sure your windshield wipers are in good condition.

Continue reading "Heavy Rains in Jacksonville Shut Down Roads and Causes Accidents" »

Several people were injured in a three car accident that happened in the 400 block of Third Street North in Jacksonville Beach yesterday night at 9:40. One who suffered personal injuries was taken by helicopter to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center.

Details of how the accident happened have not been made available. Although there are numerous bars in the area of the accident, it is unknown if alcohol played a factor.

Continue reading "Several Injured in Three Car Crash at Jacksonville Beach" »

Yesterday, at 1:30 a.m., a man driving near the 312 bridge in St. Augustine, Florida, died after he lost control of his pickup truck causing it to roll over repeatedly. The man, only 18 years old, was not wearing his seatbelt and was thrown from the truck.

Unfortunately, rollover accidents almost always cause the ejection of vehicle occupants that are not seatbelted. Being thrown from a vehicle can cause severe personal injury or death. Such injuries occur from striking the inside of the vehicle, being thrown through a window, by the vehicle landing on the person, or by striking the ground.

Wearing a seatbelt is the law in Florida, and for good reason. As Jacksonville accident lawyers, we often see situations where a rollover occurs with seatbelted passengers surviving the accident while those not seatbelted are ejected and either seriously injured or killed.

Continue reading "St. Augustine Man Killed in Single Vehicle Crash" »

A man travelling west on Interstate 10 west of Glen St. Mary, Florida (about 30 minutes west of Jacksonville), was killed when his pickup truck crossed the median and collided with a tractor trailer traveling eastbound on I-10.

The force of the collision knocked the pickup truck back into the mediation. The tractor trailer jack-knifed and crashed into another car eastbound car on I-10. Afterwards, the cab of the tractor trailer caught on fire. No one else suffered any personal injuries.

Continue reading "Man Killed When he Strikes Tractor Trailer with His Pickup Truck West of Jacksonville" »

A woman from Hilliard died Thursday in a single vehicle accident. She was driving on County Road 108 in Nassau County when she swerved to the right shoulder of the road. She was driving a Ford Explorer. After leaving the roadway she crossed over a culvert and the SUV overturned. It is unknown why she left the roadway. It had been raining. The driver was taken to Shands Jacksonville where she was pronounced dead.

The amount of rain we have been having in the Jacksonville area has made driving more dangerous. As Jacksonville personal injury lawyers, we see many auto accidents that resulted, in part, from rain. Heavy rain causes driving difficulties including: decreased visibility; increased braking distances; slick roads; hyrdoplaning; traffic jams; and flooded roadways. Drivers should take additional precuations when it is raining including making sure their windsheild wipers are in good shape, driving slower, and using headlights.

Continue reading "Hilliard Woman Dies in Nassau County Accident" »

A motorcycle and a bicycle collided this morning in Middleburg, Florida, leaving one person dead and one injured. The collision took place at approximately 10:30 a.m. at the intersection of Blanding Boulevard and Kingfisher Boulevard according to the Clay County Sheriff's Office. One of the victims was lifeflighted to a Jacksonville Hospital. The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating this motorcycle accident.

Here in Jacksonville and the surrounding areas, many forms of transportation share the same roadways: cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, runners, mopeds, farm equipment,and ATVs, to name a few. As Jacksonville injury lawyers, we see that accidents between different types of transportation are often catastrophic as one person is travelling via a much smaller and lighter object. For example, pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicyclists almost always suffer serious personal injury or death as a result of accidents with vehicles.

When driving a vehicle, it pays to be especially careful to check blind spots thoroughly and to be especially mindful of the presence of pedestrians and bicyclists. Finally, when walking, jogging, or riding a bicycle, you should not let your "defensive driving" guard down. Being on the lookout for drivers who may not be paying proper attention could safe your life.

Continue reading "Clay County Motorcycle - Bicycle Accident Leaves One Dead and One Injured" »

Recently, it became a primary violation in Florida for a driver to not wear a seatbelt. This means that a driver can be pulled over for that reason alone. Previously, a driver could only be cited for not wearing a seatbelt if he or she was stopped for another offense.

Since this change in the law, the number of tickets written in both Jacksonville and Northeast Florida has greatly increased. In Jacksonville, the number of tickets issued for failing to wear a seatbelt by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office went up 31% in July compared to June. In Northeast Florida, the Florida Highway Patrol wrote 60% more tickets in that same time frame.

As Jacksonville injury lawyers, we see many unfortunate accidents where people not wearing seatbelts suffered serious personal injuries in a car accident or truck accident. Often, we see collisions with multiple people involved where all of the occupants wearing seatbelts suffered little or no injury yet a person who was not seatbelted suffered a very serious injury or death. Our experience is that seatbelts truly do save lives.

Continue reading "Tickets for Not Wearing Seatbelts on the Rise in Jacksonville" »

Yesterday, a woman and a young child suffered personal injuries when the car they were in was involved in a three vehicle collision. The woman and child were in a car that collided with a BMW. Their car then flipped and crashed into a Ford Explorer. All of this happened in a residential neighborhood in east Jacksonville.

Police were uncertain about what happened and are considering whether a crime took place. They are looking into whether the two drivers knew each other. Neighbors reported that drivers often speed in the area.

Continue reading "Woman and Child Injured in Three Car Crash in Jacksonville Neighborhood" »

A recent personal injury lawsuit filed in Duval County, Florida, illustrates one of the important rights held by individuals injured in car accidents. While working roadside, a Jacksonville man was hit by a teenager driving a car she did not own. The teenager admitted she was looking at her cell phone at the time of the accident, and the worker suffered devastating injuries including the amputation of his right leg.

As a result, a lawsuit was filed against the teenage driver and the owner of the car even though the owner was not directly involved in the accident. That is because Florida’s dangerous instrumentality doctrine provides that car and truck owners are responsible for the people they let drive their vehicles.

This is a crucial legal safeguard. While all vehicle owners are required to have certain automobile insurance, some drivers, and especially teenagers, may not have insurance or assets to pay for injuries caused by their negligence. Because of this, our lawyers who handle car accident and truck accident cases throughout North Florida, including Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Orange Park, know how important it is to investigate the details of each accident to make sure all responsible parties are identified and held accountable.

Continue reading "Florida's Dangerous Instrumentality Doctrine Assists Car Accident Victims" »

This afternoon, I was travelling back to the office from a client meeting in Callahan when I came across a very serious auto accident on I-95, just north of downtown Jacksonville. When I drove by, there was a full size pickup flipped upside down and the cab space was almost entirely crushed. Hopefully the occupants of the truck were not hurt; however, it did look pretty serious.

The vehicle accident occured at a location on I-95 where one lane was closed for construction. Traffic in that lane had to merge left into the two remaining lanes. Obviously, there is a lot of road construction going on in the Jacksonville area now and, as Jacksonville accident lawyers, we see many crashes that occur when high speed traffic is required to merge due to a lane being shut down for construction purposes.

Remember, just because you are paying attention to the lane merges and changes, do not assume others are. With cell phone usage and texting on the rise, drivers can easily be distracted. Given that a vehicle travelling 70 miles per hour travels over 100 feet per second, if a driver's attention is distracted for even a very short period of time, the consequences can be catastrophic. Make certain that a driver that is going to need to merge does not stay even with your vehicle, either speed up or slow down, in case the other driver is not aware of the upcoming merge. Defensive driving in these situations is a must.

Continue reading "Serious Accident on I-95 in Jacksonville Near A Construction Site" »

Here in Jacksonville, we have more than our fair share of bad drivers. In fact, Duval County is the second highest county in Florida for the number
of drivers causing three or more car accidents during the three year period of 2006 to 2008. A new state law aims to remove such careless drivers from the road.

Starting January 1, 2010, motorists convicted of three moving violations that result in auto accidents, will lose their licenses. In order to get their licenses restored, they will have to attend a drivers' education course, pay $548.00, and retake the driving test.

From 2006 through 2008, Jacksonville had 372 drivers that caused three or more car crashes. The only county higher is Miami-Dade County, with 378 such drivers. However, Miami-Dade County has three times as many licensed drivers, meaning Jacksonville has, by far, the highest number of such careless drivers per capita in the state.

Statewide, there were 3,277 such drivers during the 2006 to 2008 time frame. Thirty-two percent of these auto accidents caused personal injuries. Five of these car wrecks resulted in death.

Continue reading "Jacksonville Had the Highest Number of Drivers Per Capita Causing Three or More Car Accidents from 2006 through 2008 in the State of Florida - A New Law is Designed to Remove Such Drivers From the Road" »

Our lawyers who handle personal injury and car accident claims in the greater Jacksonville, Florida, area have seen far too many serious personal injuries which could have been avoided with the simple use of a seat belt.

In an attempt to help with this problem, the Florida Safety Belt Law has now gone into effect. Unlike before, police officers are now permitted to stop and ticket drivers solely because they are not wearing seat belts. Previously, police officers were only allowed to ticket a driver for not wearing a seat belt if they stopped that driver for another violation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that the new bill will save 124 lives and prevent over 1,700 serious injuries every year in Florida.

Continue reading "Florida's Seat Belt Law Changed" »

Auto accident deaths in the State of Florida decreased each of the last three years. Last year, 2,983 persons died in car wrecks. In 2005, that number was 3,533.

Duval County had 120 traffic related deaths in 2008, down from 166 in 2007. Clay County and Nassau County also saw reductions in 2008; however, St. Johns County experienced an increase in vehicle accident deaths.

State and local officials attribute the decrease to increased enforcement and education regarding seatbelt usage, drunk driving and obeying traffic control devices.

Continue reading "Florida Fatal Car Accidents Decreased in 2008 - Jacksonville (Duval County) Followed Suit" »

Unfortuanately, truck accidents involving pedestrians often prove fatal. Earlier this week, a pedestrian was struck by a logging truck and killed in Nassau County.

The pedestrian, a resident of Fernandina Beach, was on the side of Florida A1A near Sadler Road about 10:30 a.m. when he was struck by an empty logging truck.

The police beleive the pedestrian walked into the path of the rig and was struck by the rear trailer. It is currently unknown why he stepped into the truck's path.

Sometimes, pedestrians or drivers will fail to realize that a tractor-trailer is pulling an empty logging trailer. Unlike trailers that pull containers or that have a high sided box, an empty logging trailer is much harder to see.

As Jacksonville injury attorneys, we have also seen accidents where a tractor-trailer makes a right turn too tightly and the rear wheels of the trailer come onto the sidewalk. An unsuspecting pedestrian can easily be struck in such a scenario.

Continue reading "Fernandina Beach Pedestrian Dies in Logging Truck Accident" »

Our Jacksonville injury lawyers regularly meet with clients throughout Jacksonville, Orange Park, St. Augustine, Fernandina, and Callahan who were injured in automobile and truck accidents. Thankfully, their personal injuries have often been minimized by the use of a seat belt.

While we all likely know that drivers and passengers in the front seat must wear a seatbelt at all times, here are some more important facts regarding Florida's laws:

All rear passengers under the age of 18 must wear a seatbelt.

Children ages 3 years and younger must be secured in a federally approved child restraint seat.

Children ages 4-5 years must be secured either by a seatbelt or a federally approved child restraint seat. This can include the use of a booster seat in conjunction with the vehicle seatbelt.

Drivers are legally responsible for ensuring that children in the vehicle are properly restrained.

Continue reading "Some Seat Belt Laws You May Not Know" »

Often people involved in car wrecks throughout Jacksonville are uncertain what they should do in the event of a serious accident.

Calling the police is a must, especially if the other driver suggests that you do not. If you are able, it is important to get the names and contact information of witnesses. Make a mental note of any skid marks on the road as they can be photographed later and can provide valuable evidence about how an accident happened.

It is common for a person to be upset and full of adrenaline immediately following an accident. This can mask serious personal injuires. When in doubt, go to the hospital or to a doctor. In addition, it is common for injuries, especially soft tissue injuries, to first cause serious symptoms the day or two after an accident.

If you have any bruising from a seatbelt, it is important to take photographs of the bruises to be able to resolve any claims later on that you were not wearing a seatbelt. Photographs depicting the damage to your car are important as well in order to demonstrate the significance of the impact. The old adage that "a picture is worth a thousand words" is especially true in car accident cases.

It is not necessary to contact an attorney immediately; however, it may be very helpful as the application of no-fault insurance benefits, employment issues, lost wages, and getting your vehicle repaired or replaced can be very confusing.

You are not obligated to give a statement to the other driver's insurance company; however, you should give a statement to your own insurer in most circumstances.

Continue reading "What To Do in the Event of a Car Accident" »

Our injury lawyers in Jacksonville see many clients for whom the financial burdens resulting from an injury can be as devastating as the physical pain and suffering. Whether caused by a car or truck accident, an on the job injury, or other negligence, the ability to recover past and future medical bills is a crucial component of any personal injury claim.

However, when all or some of the medical bills have been paid by a health insurer, a lien may arise which would entitle the insurer to a portion of the proceeds from settlement or trial. Importantly, the lien rights differ whether the payment was made by a private health insurer, insurance provided by an employer, Medicare or Medicaid.

When seeking a personal injury lawyer in the Jacksonville area, it is important that the client confirm that the lawyer has the knowledge and experience to address and resolve these complicating factors so that the client’s personal injury recovery can be maximized.

Continue reading "Personal Injury Claims and Medical Liens" »

Many of our Jacksonville personal injury clients think they have uninsured motorist insurance coverage because they were told they purchased "full coverage" from their insurance agent or broker. How the term "full coverage" has become so widespread is puzzling since there really is no such thing. A person can always have more insurance coverage. Its like saying someone has a "full" bank account.

Unfortunately, some injury victims only learn after suffering serious injury in a car accident that "full coverage" often means just the opposite: the absolute minimum coverage required by law, which does not include uninsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage provides coverage for you in case you are injured in an automobile accident and the at-fault driver has either little or no bodily injury insurance coverage.

Far too often we meet with people who have suffered serious injuries in a car wreck, where the at-fault driver has no bodily injury coverage. In this circumstance, the person would be compensated by his or her own uninsured motorist coverage. Without uninsured motorist coverage, such a person will usually receive no compensation for his or her injuries, medical expenses and lost wages.

We believe that uninsured motorist coverage is even more important because often the worst drivers have no insurance. We find this to be especially true with respect to drunk drivers.
Because uninsured motorist coverage is not particularly expensive, we recommend that everyone consider carrying at least $100,000.00 in coverage.

Continue reading "Beware of "Full Coverage" Automobile Insurance" »

In handling car accident cases throughout the Jacksonville area, our lawyers often see clients who are struggling with severe budget contraints as a result of being out of work following a vehicle collision. Personal Injury Protection, or "PIP," benefits will cover lost wages at the rate of 60%.

However, PIP also pays medical expenses and the limit of coverage can quickly be exhausted long before the client is able to return to work, leaving him or her without any income at all. This can be avoided by reserving the PIP coverage to pay only for lost wages. Many injured persons have no idea that this can be done causing them more financial hardship than is necessary.

Since many employed clients have health insurance, reserving PIP benefits to cover only lost wages does not prevent them from obtaining medical care.

Continue reading "Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Insurance Benefits Can Be Reserved to Pay Only Lost Wages" »

Throughout Jacksonville, automobile collisions occur when drivers are sending text messages and fail to pay sufficient attention to traffic conditions. Often, car accidents with serious injuries are the result. We find that young drivers are the most likely to engage in this dangerous habit.

Anyone with a teenager is most likely familiar with their texting habits. According to a recent poll, 46% of the 1000 teens surveyed admitted to texting while driving. The danger involved in typing out a message while behind the wheel of a car that is moving at sixty miles an hour should be obvious.

Rep. Doug Holder, of Sarasota, Florida has introduced a bill to make it illegal in Florida to text while driving. He introduced the bill in response to the death of several teens in tragic auto accident last year in New York in which it was determined that the driver was texting while driving. It remains to be seen whether the bill will become a traffic law and whether it will be obeyed, but one of the most frustrating things in the practice of personal injury law is to see the tragic harm that results from injuries or ">wrongful deaths which could have easily been avoided through responsibility and a little common sense.

Continue reading "Jacksonville Teens Texting While Driving Causes Accidents" »

As I recently wrote in our blog, as Jacksonville accident lawyers, far too often we see instances of serious collisions where the only person injured is the one not wearing a seat belt. Unfortunately, the examples just keep coming.

A man was traveling westbound on Florida 200 on Amelia Island when he rear-ended another vehicle. The man in the vehicle that was rear-ended was wearing his seat belt and was not hurt. The other driver was not wearing his seat belt and suffered serious injuries.

According to the State of Florida, seven people not wearing seat belts were killed in car crashes in 2006 in Nassau County and fifty two people not wearing seat belts were killed in Duval County.

If you are involved in a car crash and would like a free consultation to learn about your rights, please contact our North Florida accident attorneys.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the intersection of Kernan Road and Atlantic Boulevard has the most car accidents each year of any intersection in Jacksonville. The second most common intersection for car wrecks is Beach Boulevard and University Boulevard.

What do both intersections have in common? They both generate very long waits during rush hour, which may make some drivers impatient enough to run a red light.

At my Jacksonville Florida law firm, we have seen many accidents caused by impatient drivers, especialy those who run red lights. Almost all of us on the road routinely witness drivers turning long after their light has turned red.

To avoid an accident, it may pay to allow a second or two to elapse before entering an intersection after your light turns green. If you are approaching an intersection and your light turns green before you come to a stop, it may be best to slow your vehicle as you will otherwise be entering the intersection more quickly than a red-light running driver may have anticipated.

Remember, defensive driving is your best ally to avoid an accident. If you are injured as a result of an accident, consider contacting our Jacksonville Accident Attorneys.

Last night, on Interstate 295 in Jacksonville, an auto accident was caused by a vehicle traveling the wrong way. A young woman appears to have been driving southbound in the northbound lane of I-295 when she collided with a woman driving northbound. How she ended up going the wrong direction is currently unknown.

Unfortunately, the woman driving the wrong direction was not wearing her seat belt and she died from her injuries. While it is uncertain whether a seat belt would have saved the young woman's life in this situation, sixty-two percent of Florida's car accident fatalities involved people who were not wearing seat belts, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

As Duval County accident attorneys, we review many types of accidents. We often see accidents where there are several occupants in a car with all of them wearing seatbelts except one person. Very commonly the person not wearing a seatbelt is the most seriously injured.

For example, several years ago, we handled a case where three teenagers were driving in a car when the driver accidentally ran a stop sign. Their car collided violently with a van properly driving through the intersection. The driver and passenger, who were both seatbelted, suffered no serious injuries. Sadly, a fifteen year old girl, who was not wearing her seatbelt, was ejected from the car and died from internal injuries.

Of course, wearing a seatbelt is required by Florida law. In addition, if someone else wrecks into you and you are not wearing your seatbelt, the at-fault driver's insurer will only be obligated to compensate you for the degree of injury you would have suffered if you had been wearing your seatbelt. If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, please feel free to contact one of our Jacksonville Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.