South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog

According to the director of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), Col. David Brierton, the FHP will be participating in this year's Operation Safe Driver. This annual campaign will be taking place this year from October 16th through the 22nd. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports that the event is nationally organized and is being put by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. During this time, law enforcement will be targeting drivers of commercial and passenger vehicles to ensure that the vehicles and the drivers are meeting federal safety standards.

Nearly 90 percent of fatal trucking accidents in West Palm Beach and elsewhere that involve a commercial truck are caused by driver error. During this safe driving campaign, troopers from the FHP will be out combing our roadways in search of dangerous drivers. They'll be targeting these drivers by performing driver safety inspections on commercial trucks and targeting dangerous driving habits on Florida roadways.

Our Broward County car accident attorneys understand how dangerous traffic accidents with large vehicles can be. During Operation Safe Driver, members of the FHP will be cracking down on these drivers and will be taking aggressive enforcement action against drivers of commercial trucks, passenger buses and passenger vehicles. Raising awareness of the dangers that these vehicles present has been proven effective in increase roadway safety.

“Activities such as Operation Safe Driver have had a noticeable effect,” said Brierton.

Traffic accidents with large trucks and with commercial vehicles can oftentimes end fatally. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were nearly 3,500 people killed in U.S. roadways in 2009 because of accidents involving these large vehicles. Another 74,000 people were injured in these types of accidents. According to state statistics, there were more than 295,500 large trucks involved in traffic accidents throughout the year.

Of the people who were killed in these types of accidents in 2009:

-More than 75 percent of fatalities occurred to the occupants of the other vehicles.

-Roughly 15 percent occurred to those who were occupants in the truck.

-Approximately 10 percent occurred to those who were nonoccupants.

It's quite clear that occupants of passenger vehicles are more vulnerable than any other party involved in a car accident with a large truck. The size, weight and force carried by these large vehicles make them deadly. With the proper knowledge and safe driving habits, we can all do our part to help reduce these risks. Remember to be cautious around these large vehicles, stay out of their blind spots and to allow them plenty of room on our roadways. There's no reason to travel too closely and to flirt with danger. Be alert, be cautious and be aware.

Continue reading "FHP Uses Operation Safe Driver Campaign to Help Reduce Bus and Truck Accidents in Tamarac and Elsewhere" »

Miami-Dade Transit and Metrorail employees all called in sick to protest wage cuts, but the buses were all up and running on schedule on Monday morning. The County is currently facing s $400 million budget deficit in the upcoming year. Officials are looking for any and all ways to cut corners to fill the gap. If its new budget plan is passed, these transit workers will not receive their expected three percent raise and they will be required to double their health care contributions and workers are not happy about it.

Safe transportation advocates worry about the cuts as they believe the reductions will affect the safety of our bus system and will increase the risks of fatal bus accident in Miami and elsewhere in the area. Transit officials are turning towards retired drivers to help cover shifts should the protest continue.

Our Miami bus accident attorneys understand that many residents and visitors rely on these buses to travel throughout the area. Busing accidents have the potential to seriously affect a rider's entire life, from medical bills to lost time at work to life altering injuries. Those who have been involved in a public transit accident are urged to contact an attorney immediately as a number of statute of limitation laws apply and delay can limit your ability to make a claim.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that there were approximately 12,000 injuries sustained as a result of bus accidents in 2007 alone. Nearly 40 people died in these same types of accidents that year.

These statistics illustrate just how dangerous riding a public bus can be. Cutting wages for our bus drivers is no way to help ensure bus safety.

"I can tell you, positively, there will not be a work stoppage," said John Bland of the Transport Workers Union Local 291. "We have encouraged all of the employees to report to work as usual."

Through protesting bus drivers, people could potentially miss meetings, doctors appointments and work shifts. To help our residents get to their destination, the Miami-Dade Transit and Metrorail has called up retired transit drivers to help fill any shifts if needed, according to 7 News.

By recruiting the retired bus drivers, local officials may be putting our bus riders at even more danger. Drivers are required to be familiar with the bus route, the bus functions and the current traffic conditions. Calling in drivers that have not operated these vehicles in quite some time could put our riders at increased risks for an accident.

Although Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez has a stated that it's illegal for current bus employees to participate in any protesting actions, he still believes some will partake in opposing actions. He reiterates that there were be dire consequences to such individuals.

Besides poorly trained bus drivers, bus accidents can occur for a number of reasons:

-Bus driver negligence.

-Poor weather conditions, especially from rain during our Florida summers.

-Defective bus equipment.

-Dangerous roadways.

-Improper maintenance. Companies are required to ensure that their buses are properly maintained and meet a number of federal safety requirements.

-Dangerous or blocked bus stop areas.

Miami-Dade County has set up bus rider alerts that will inform those who sign up if something is to change with the current bus schedule.

Continue reading "Miami-Dade Transit and Metrorail Recruits Bus During Protest -- Increasing Risks of Bus Accidents in Miami" »

As the school year comes to a close, parents have a legitimate concern for their children who ride on school buses. Children tend to get spring fever around this time of year so it is important to remind them about school bus safety in order to prevent them or other pedestrians from being involved in a school bus accident in Port St. Lucie or elsewhere in the state.

Not only do we trust the school system to educate and care for our children during school hours, but most of us rely on them to transport our kids safely to and from school. Palm Beach injury lawyers know that the highest risk of a school bus accident is from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. time periods. Pedestrians in and around schools and walking children are also at high risk.

A recent 6:30 a.m. bus accident at Lake Worth High School has parents thankful their children are safe. The Examiner reports that a bus driver employed by Palm Beach County School District suffered a heart attack and lost control of her bus while going to pick up some kids on her route. Fortunately she didn't have any students on the bus but a bus attendant was on board at the time of the accident. The driver drove into some hedges, through a fence and around a pole before hitting the fence again. The bus attendant managed to pull the emergency break to get the bus stopped. The attendant was not hurt in the accident but the driver was taken to JFK Medical center in critical condition.

In this instance, a poor health condition was the contributing factor causing the accident in which no one but the driver was hurt. However, in many cases the common causes of a bus accident are related to driver inexperience, mechanical issues related to poor maintenance of the bus or driver carelessness. Serious injury and even fatality can occur from these kinds of causes which direct negligence towards the school bus operator or the school system who employs the drivers.

Continue reading "School bus accidents in Port St. Lucie often caused by operator negligence, contact an experienced law firm immediately" »

Following the recent tragedy involving a tour bus company in New York City, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has put passenger carrier safety on the front burner in order to reduce bus accidents in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere in the country.

Our West Palm Beach bus accident lawyers know that tour buses and motorcoaches are a popular mode of transportation in Florida so safety should be a number one priority for the passengers who travel on them. Tour companies sometimes take a questionable approach to hiring drivers and maintaining their buses so surprise inspections should be conducted routinely to help keep the passenger carrier industry honest.

Almost 2,800 surprise inspections were conducted from March 28 through April 6 across the United States by FMCSA along with the help of state and local law enforcement officials. The surprise inspections, prompted by the death of 15 passengers traveling on a casino tour bus which crashed in the Bronx earlier in the month, came too little too late.

MSNBC reports the driver of the NYC tour bus shouldn't have been permitted to drive the bus after investigators found he had two licenses and several traffic violations. Tickets for speeding and driving without a license were issued to the driver which led to suspension of his license when he failed to respond to the charges. Federal regulations prevent drivers who have a commercial license from having more than one license but states don't prevent someone with a criminal record from having a commercial driver's license to drive a bus.

The nine-day period of passenger carrier safety inspections resulted in removing almost 300 unsafe buses or drivers from roadways across the U.S. There were 156 drivers and 262 vehicles cited for out-of-service violations. There are an estimated 3,700 registered motor coach companies in the U.S. of which only 1,042 had a compliance review done in 2010.

The U.S. Department of Transportation provided an analysis of all buses involved in fatal crashes. During the period of 1999-2008, Florida averaged 27 buses involved in fatal crashes per year.

With all the tourist attractions that Florida has to offer, tour companies stay in business by transporting passengers to sporting events, amusement parks, and other day or weekend trips. Passengers who suspect or experience unsafe driving behavior or commercial carriers are urged to call 911 or report the driver or coach by clicking on FMCSA National Consumer Complaint Database to file a complaint.

Before you plan or take your next trip on a commercial bus, passengers are encouraged to check Bus/Passenger Carrier Information for reputable companies with high safety ratings.

Continue reading "Tour Bus Accidents a Common Danger in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach" »

A 12-year-old Swain Middle School student was struck and seriously injured Sept. 23 after getting off a school bus and running into the path of a northbound Mercedes-Benz, the Palm Beach Post reports.

As our West Palm Beach pedestrian accident attorneys have noted in an early post to our South Florida Injury Lawyer blog, school bus accidents are most common during the start of the school year and most school-bus related fatalities involve pedestrian accidents. In fact, on average, 14 out of 19 school transportation-related crashes annually claim the lives of school-age child pedestrians who are most frequently killed between 3 and 4 p.m.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that most fatalities involving school transportation happen when students are getting on or off the bus and enter the 10-ft. “danger zone” encircling a bus. The NHTSA offers a few tips to making school bus travel safer for students:

~ Students need to S-L-O-W D-O-W-N and focus on their surroundings when they are getting on and off a bus. Students should never assume the bus driver or other motorists are waiting for them to act.

~ Students should NEVER bend down to retrieve an item (book-bag, jacket, lunchbox, etc.) dropped while getting on or off a bus.

~ Students should always board or disembark from a bus individually. Getting on or off a bus is not a group activity.

~ Teach students to make eye contact with the bus driver before getting on the bus and to stop and look both ways before getting off a bus.

~ Teach students about the five-step zone that surrounds a school bus where neither bus drivers nor fellow motorists can spot a child.

~ Teach students to NEVER walk or run from the edge of a bus or from beyond the “danger zone” without first stopping and looking in all directions. That only when the road is clear and the bus driver indicates it is safe should a student cross and enter a roadway.

Click here for a safety video to view with your children.

Continue reading "12-year-old school bus rider seriously injured in South Florida pedestrian accident " »

Since August 18, there have been five reported Florida school bus accidents that have involved at least 70 school children and claimed the lives of one school bus driver and the driver of a pickup truck.

The 57-year-old school bus driver was killed in Jefferson County after her bus veered from County Road 257 and struck a tree. According to wctv.tv, none of the six children she was transporting were injured during the crash and what cause her to drive off the road is still unknown. Grief counselors have been dispatched to area schools to help grieving children, their families, and fellow bus drivers cope with her death.

As our experienced Fort Lauderdale school bus accident attorneys have reported on our website and in an earlier post on our South Florida Injury Lawyer blog, between 1991-2001, on average, 26 children died each year due to a school bus accident. Half of the victims were between the ages of 5-7.

In Florida, school bus accidents are most common at the start of the school year – a point further validated by number of accidents around the state just during the last month.

The attorneys at Freeman & Mallard have found that in many school bus accident cases, driver inattention, an inexperienced bus driver, faulty or poorly maintained equipment, or a dangerous bus stop location often play some contributing role in a crash. All are common factors in accidents where serious injury or death occur and point to potential issues of negligence and liability on the part of the school bus operator and those who manage and oversee the fleet and their drivers.

Continue reading "Five Florida school bus accidents in less than a month raise liability issues " »

Adding to an existing aggressive seat-belt safety awareness and regulatory campaign, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a proposal this week that will require new motor coaches to have lap-shoulder belts which, when worn, can save lives by preventing ejection during crashes or rollovers.

“We’re committed to making sure that motor coach travelers reach their destination safely,” said Secretary LaHood. “Seat belts save lives, and putting them in motor coaches just makes sense.”

In Florida in 2009, of the 1,555 fatalities linked to car accidents, 917 passengers and drivers – or 59 percent – who were killed were not wearing seatbelts, according to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

In July we reported on our South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog that while Florida traffic accidents reached a new low in 2009, the number of accidents in St. Lucie actually increased.

And despite the statewide tick downward, there were still more than 25,000 traffic accidents in Broward County, more than 42,000 accidents reported in Miami-Dade, and the Palm Beach and St. Lucie areas combined reported more than 15,000 traffic accidents.

At Freeman & Mallard, our Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys understand that being injured or losing a loved one in a car crash can be financially, emotionally and physically devastating. Dealing with car repairs, hospitalization, multiple trips to the doctor or rehabilitation, lost days at work, and even funeral expenses, add unbearable stresses and strains to daily life..

Talking with and experienced attorney who has a thorough understanding of Florida’s traffic laws and can properly investigate your case will help you better preserve your rights and navigate your way back from the aftermath of a serious accident.

Continue reading "Seat belts could reduce risk of serious or fatal injuries in Fort Lauderdale bus accidents" »

Back to school is one of the most dangerous times for students, who face increased risk of school bus, bicycle and pedestrian accidents in Fort Lauderdale and throughout South Florida.

Fort Lauderdale school bus accidents are most common around the start of each school year and can result from driver inattention, an inexperienced school bus driver, faulty equipment or because of a dangerous bus stop, bus shelter or other gathering place for students waiting for a school bus. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that pedestrian accidents outside the bus account for 14 of the 19 bus-related fatalities that are reported each year.

Thousands more are injured in school bus accidents each year. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports that 23 people were killed and 1,203 were injured in Florida bus accidents last year, which also includes crashes involving passenger and commercial buses.

Motorists are required by state law to stop for all school buses displaying red flashing lights. Passing is not permitted until the red lights have been turned off.

Bus safety tips include:

-Make sure they get to the stop on time and wait away from the road.

-Children should never attempt to retrieve something from beneath the bus.

-Talk to school administrators or the school district if you have concerns about the safety or location of your school bus stop.

Bicycle and pedestrian accidents

A significant number of students will be injured in bicycle and pedestrian accidents as the school year begins. Motorists are encouraged to watch for children, particularly in school zones and near bus stops and crosswalks.

The NHTSA reports that more than 80 young children a year are killed in bicycle accidents and more than 50,000 are injured. More than 250 are killed in pedestrian accidents and more than 69,000 are injured.

Speaking to children about the risk factors can go a long way in keeping them safe. Here again, motorists can do their part in helping to ease the transition into the school year by allowing extra time for their morning and afternoon commute. And by watching out for the tens of thousands of children who will be making their way to school this month.

Continue reading "Back to school means increased risk of pedestrian, bicycle and bus accidents for students" »