Causation in Personal Injury Cases

A “proximate cause” is a legal term for the closest reason why the bad thing happened. In the context of personal injury cases, a plaintiff must prove that the defendant’s negligence was the closest reason why she was injured. The closest reason is distinguished from other possible reasons for the injury. For example, if you were struck by another vehicle …

When Do I Need to Hire an Attorney After a Car Accident?

When is it smart to hire an attorney after a car accident? If there was no injury in the accident, you probably do not need an attorney. For minor injuries that heal quickly and do not significantly interfere with life, you probably do not need an attorney, but make sure that a doctor has confirmed the true extent of your …

Driving with Pets in Florida

The Florida Department of Transportation defines “distracted driving” as “any mental or physical activity that takes the driver’s focus off the task of driving.” However, when the typical Floridian speaks of distracted drivers, they are generally referring to those who are texting while driving, talking on handheld devices while driving, or fiddling with the car’s dashboard while driving. But one …

New Trucking Regulations Implemented to Prevent Accidents

On July 1, 2013, new federal hours-of-service regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) went into full effect. The regulations were first announced in December of 2011 and trucking companies had about 18 months to come into compliance with the new hours-of-service requirements. These regulations are the tightest yet. Essentially, the 82-hour maximum …

The Facts About Senior Citizen Falling Accidents

Senior citizens get fractures from falling more than anything else. Falls are also the most common cause of traumatic brain injury in senior citizens. Once a senior falls the first time, it generally leads to a greater fear of falling which leads to decreased activity which increases the chances that a senior will fall again due to muscle weakness. Falling …

Road Rage in Florida

The two most common causes of car accidents in Florida are negligence and distracted driving, but a third leading cause of accidents is road rage. “Road rage,” as a term, came into popular use in the late 1980s when a string of traffic-related shootings occurred in the Los Angeles, California area. Today, it typically refers to aggressive driving including tailgating, …

Florida Highway Patrol Launching Aggressive Driving Campaign

The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) has announced a new safety program called Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT) under which they will be attempting to reduce crashes and injuries involving commercial vehicles. The program includes outreach and targeted enforcement. 88% of the time, fatal crashes involving large commercial trucks are caused by driver error, as opposed to vehicle defects or …

Seniors Drivers

According to a 1997 NHTSA study, when people over 65 made up 9% of the population, they accounted for 14% of the traffic fatalities. According to USA Today, analysts predict that by 2030 people over 65 will be involved in 25% of all traffic fatalities. This is partially due to the fact that the older population is growing faster than …

Do Talking and Texting Bans Actually Prevent Accidents?

States across the U.S. have passed various types of bans on texting and cellphone use while driving. 14 states (not including Florida), plus D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have banned hand-held cell phone usage and have made it a primary enforcement law so that officers can cite you for this alone. In those states, you have …