Category Archives: Personal Injury
I Wasn’t Wearing a Helmet. Can I Still Get a Motorcycle Crash Settlement?
You just asked a mouthful. Although Florida’s motorcycle helmet law doesn’t apply to most riders over 21, the Sunshine State’s motorcycle helmet defense law, which is similar to the seat belt defense law, is unusually broad. Wearing a seat belt is a lot like wearing a motorcycle helmet, at least in terms of negligence… Read More »
How Drunk is Too Drunk in a Drunk Driving Accident?
One for the road is one too many. In fact, just one drink is one too many. The impairing effects of alcohol kick in after the first drink. These impairing effects include clouded judgement and slow motor skills. One out of two is bad enough. The combination of both is often deadly behind the… Read More »
Kinds of Distracted Driving in Florida
Every year, distracted drivers kill or seriously injure thousands of people in the Sunshine State. Most of these drivers mistakenly believe they can multitask behind the wheel the same way they multitask behind a desk. But there’s a big difference between a relatively static office, school, or home environment and the constantly changing on… Read More »
Common Car Crash Brain Injuries
Vehicle collisions are, by far, the most common cause of brain injuries. Each year, these injuries send over 1.2 million people to hospital emergency rooms. Over a million of these patients are treated and released. Initial head injury symptoms, which include disorientation and confusion, seem mild. But these injuries are degenerative. Therefore, doctors send… Read More »
What is the #1 Cause of Motorcycle Accidents?
Driver error is the #1 cause of motorcycle accidents, and all other vehicle collisions. Driver error substantially causes about 90 percent of the motorcycle accidents in Florida. Driver error is usually negligence, or a lack of care, as opposed to an “accident.” People accidentally leave the lights on. They don’t accidentally drive while distracted,… Read More »
What Percentage of Accidents Are Caused by Drunk Driving?
In some areas, alcohol is a factor in over 80 percent of fatal traffic accidents. Fewer drunk driving crashes was supposed to be a “silver lining” of the dark coronavirus lockdown cloud. But the coronavirus pandemic, and its associated mental health effect, has dramatically, and seemingly permanently, increased the number of fatal drunk driving… Read More »
My Injured Child Wasn’t Wearing a Bicycle Helmet. What Happens in Court?
Most states have a mandatory bicycle helmet law. Florida’s version of this law requires all cyclists under 16 (bikers and passengers alike) to wear helmets. Usually, criminal laws, such as the DUI law, establish the standard of care in civil court. But that’s not always the case. The bicycle helmet law is a good… Read More »
What Causes Truck Accidents?
The number of truck accidents has increased significantly in recent years. These vehicles are bigger than ever, and many truck drivers are more inexperienced than ever. The maximum allowable weight for a large truck recently increased to 80,000 pounds. Furthermore, regulators routinely issue waivers that allow bigger vehicles on streets and highways. Additionally, due… Read More »
Should I Worry About Fatigued Truck Drivers?
Since the coronavirus pandemic ended, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has repeatedly diluted HOS (hours of service) requirements, such as the definition of rest. Previously, according to the FMCSA, resting usually meant sleeping or at least napping. Now, in most situations, the r-word means “not driving.” These activities include pumping gas, loading and… Read More »
The Five Kinds of PTSD
Many people are surprised to learn that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is one of the most common car crash injuries. Normally, trauma causes head injuries. But PTSD is different. A stress-induced chemical change causes this brain injury. Stress causes the amygdala to swell and the hippocampus to shrink. As a result, the brain’s emotional… Read More »