by Aronfeld Trial Lawyers | Aug 21, 2017 | Car Accidents
Florida Named the Number-Two State with the Most Distracted Driving Accidents Florida drivers seem to have a dangerous addiction to their cell phones. While it is illegal across the State of Florida to text and drive, a recent study by online insurance company EverQuote found that nearly 92% of people who owned cell phones used them while driving a car. The company found that drivers in the Southern States were most likely to use their cell phone, with drivers operating vehicles and using cell phones on 41% of their trips. EverQuote revealed specific information about Florida’s distracted driving tendencies. Based on EverQuote’s results, Florida ranked just behind Louisiana for the highest number of distracted driving incidents. These results reflect the number of accidents that occur because of distracted driving. How Many Florida Accidents Does Distracted Driving Cause? It can be difficult to determine the number of car accidents caused by distracted drivers. Sometimes drivers don’t admit to using phones or indulging in other distractions; in other instances, drivers are unable to provide the information to responding officers. Nevertheless, statistics show that 2016 was one of the worst years in Florida for distracted driving accidents. In that 12-month period, nearly 50,000 distracted driving motor vehicle accidents occurred in Florida alone. That number grows exponentially when you add accidents across the United States. This high number of accidents continues a trend in Florida. Moreover, far more motor vehicle accidents could be attributed to distracted drivers, if accurate information were provided to police officers and insurance companies. These accidents can result in serious injuries and property damage, with 214 people dying...
by Aronfeld Trial Lawyers | Aug 4, 2017 | Car Accidents
In 2015 (the most recent reporting year), the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles recorded 374,342 total traffic crashes in the State of Florida. Of these traffic accidents, 159,795 resulted in injuries to a driver, passenger, or pedestrian. Both the number of total accidents and accidents with injuries increased from the previous years, with the number of accidents with injuries increasing almost 7% over 2014. In fact, over 243,000 individuals were reported as suffering injuries from traffic accidents in 2015. Across the United States, approximately three million people are injured in car accidents each year. These statistics show that traffic accidents in Florida are far too common, and when these accidents happen, there is a 43% chance that someone involved will sustain an injury. While no two traffic accidents are exactly the same, similar specific injuries result time and again from car accidents. A Miami car accident lawyer represents hundreds of people injured in a traffic accident during the course of a career. We also see the same injuries on a regular basis. Vehicle manufacturers try to address the most frequent accident injuries, but choosing not to wear a seatbelt, speeding, or otherwise ignoring safety precautions are major causes of traffic accidents and injuries. Moreover, certain risks in vehicular injury are difficult to mitigate, such as whiplash. So, what are the most common injuries from car accidents in Florida? Walking Away with Scrapes, Bruises, or Lacerations Even minor vehicle accidents can result in injuries. Scrapes, cuts, bruises, and lacerations are among the most common injuries in Florida car accidents. Even the impact of an airbag or...
by Aronfeld Trial Lawyers | Jul 21, 2017 | Car Accidents
Back in May 2017, Frontiers of Psychology released a study on the risks of a driving practice we all engage in from time to time. Probably, we never even think of this behavior as risky. It isn’t texting while driving or even eating in the car; instead, it is simply following a friend’s car in your own. On a regular basis, you and a friend find yourselves both heading to the same destination. If one person knows the fastest route or the location of your destination, that person is likely to lead, and the other person follows. It even seems like logical behavior, but statistics show that following a friend causes accidents and leads to poor decision-making out on the road. Regulating Risky Behavior Behind the Wheel A Miami car accident injury lawyer handles cases caused by all manner of reckless, distracted, and risky driving. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has put into place traffic rules to prevent much of this dangerous driving behavior. Actions such as tailgating, turning in front of another vehicle, and running a stop sign all result in a ticket. The Florida legislature has even criminalized some of the underlying behavior that leads to this risky driving. These laws focus on such actions as drunk driving and texting while you drive. However, road safety depends on individual drivers. Even when controlled substances and cell phones aren’t involved, drivers can be prone to poor decision-making. Actions the Government Can’t Regulate Drivers speed when running late, make a hasty turn when frustrated by a tough left, and slam on the brakes to grab...
by Aronfeld Trial Lawyers | Jul 20, 2017 | Car Accidents
Many parents do not want to consider the possibility of accidents or injuries befalling their children. Nevertheless, numerous daily incidents do lead to scrapes, cuts, and bruises. Then there are mishaps that cause bigger and more lasting injuries, such as car accidents. In the United States, car accidents are the leading cause of death in children between the ages of three and fourteen. Parents and caretakers may not be able to prevent every car accident, but there are important safety standards that parents can follow to keep their kids safer. Buckle Up Is More Than the Law The best protection for your child when riding in a car, truck, or SUV is a physical restraint. Car seats save more pre-adolescent lives than any other factor. Given that car accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages three to 14, finding the right car seat is essential to safety. While many expensive options exist, the best car seat for your child’s safety is going to fulfill two main objectives. First, the seat will buckle properly into your vehicle, whether it uses a seat belt or the LATCH systems included in newer model cars. Second, the straps on the car seat will fit snuggly around your child. Most car accidents involving children happen close to home. Many caretakers forget this essential fact when putting kids in the car to run a quick errand or drop an older child off at school. It may seem like an insignificant decision to leave the car seat unbuckled or not carefully secure straps around your child. However, accidents are most prone to happen...
by Aronfeld Trial Lawyers | Jul 6, 2017 | Car Accidents
Probably the greatest revolution in consumer transportation in the last 100 years is the advent of ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft. Anyone with a smartphone and a place to be can simply log in and almost instantly summon a late-model car or SUV driven by a licensed driver eager to get you where you want to go through the least traffic. For busy Florida personal injury lawyers, ride-sharing apps are a godsend, making traveling to depositions, mediations, and Miami’s busy courthouses much easier. Now, I no longer need to park and schlep boxes of exhibits and documents past homeless people and the often urine-soaked sidewalks surrounding the courthouse. Instead, I just get dropped off in front of the courthouse by some guy named Juan driving a Prius. But what happens when passengers get into accidents while in an UBER or LYFT vehicles? can they make a claim? The short answer is, yes, but as always it depends on who caused the accident. IF UBER DRIVER IS NOT AT FAULT If the Uber driver is not at fault–let’s say your ride was rear-ended at a stop light–then the person who rear-ended you would be responsible for your medical bills and lost wages (if you have PIP, after your PIP has been exhausted), and your pain and suffering. However, being responsible and having insurance to pay for the damage are two entirely different considerations–especially in South Florida, where we have found most drivers either have no insurance or carry inadequate coverage to pay for the damages they both cause and receive. In Florida, Uber and/or Lyft passengers who own a...
by Aronfeld Trial Lawyers | Jun 26, 2017 | Car Accidents
As a personal injury lawyer in Florida, I have over 26 years of experience representing individuals and families who have been injured in traffic accidents across the state. One of the most important factors that can affect how much money car accident victims may ultimately be able to recover involves what they do and say at the accident scene. It you are injured in a traffic accident, it is vitally important that you seek and obtain proper medical care–as soon as possible. If you have been seriously injured, we strongly recommend allowing fire rescue to transport you to the nearest emergency room, where you can be properly diagnosed and treated, rather than waiting to figure out when, where, and by whom you can be seen. We have found that the best course of action is not to delay immediate medical care. It is also very important to understand that what you tell the EMS personnel about how your accident occurred can often be used against you in your subsequent case if for any reason your version of the events changes over time. Such was the case for Gerardo Condado-Perez and Nancy Rodriguez-Ventura, who were injured in an accident on I-75 in Pasco County, Florida, when they were hit by a truck. Dispute of Blame in a Car Accident in Florida Our personal injury law firm did not represent these plaintiffs, but according to the court records, statements made by Mr. Condado-Perez to the EMS about the facts of the accident became the subject of a trial and subsequent appeal to Florida’s 2nd District Court of Appeal. The accident occurred...
