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Car accidents cause serious injuries across South Florida. Each year, victims of car accidents are rushed to Fort Lauderdale and Florida emergency rooms with head injuries, spinal cord injuries, burns, fractures, and other serious injuries. However, it is not just the accident and impact of the crash itself that can cause serious injuries. In some cases, a secondary cause can cause serious and even fatal injuries.

Some car accidents in Fort Lauderdale and South Florida, for example, involve not only another car but also utility poles. Downed power lines can seriously injure a driver attempting to leave their car. In some cases, victims of traffic accidents in Fort Lauderdale and across South Florida sustain serious burn injuries or are even electrocuted because of downed power lines.

The safest place is in your car

If you are in a car or truck accident in Fort Lauderdale or anywhere in South Florida and the accident involves utility poles and downed power lines, the safest place for you to be is inside your car. If possible, remain in your vehicle and call 911 as well as the local power authority. Even if the downed power line is not close to your car, the area could be electrified and could harm you if you attempt to get out of your car or approach a car that has been in an accident near a downed power line. Verify with emergency dispatch and the power company that it is safe to get out of the car before you attempt to do so.

If you must leave your car after an accident, use caution

If you are in a traffic accident in Fort Lauderdale or South Florida involving a downed power line but cannot safely remain in your car, you can tuck your arms close to your body and try to leap free of your car. You can reduce the risk of electrocution if you try to avoid touching the car and the ground at the same time. However, it is best to call 911 first and try to get the power shut off before attempting this.

If you do leap from the car, experts suggest keeping your feet together and shuffling or hopping, avoiding placing one foot in front of the other or lifting one foot higher than the other. If one foot is placed in a higher voltage zone than the other, this could make your body a conduit for electricity and this can lead to serious injuries.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

While all Davie car accidents are frightening and can lead to serious accidents, collisions involving a car and a bicycle are often devastating. Since the cyclist is not enclosed, the size and car of a passenger car often leads to very serious or even fatal injury. In many cases, Davie bicycle accidents are caused by drivers who take risks or fail to pay attention. Fortunately, there are many things that drivers can do to prevent these types of accidents:

1) When passing cyclists, give them plenty of room. At least a few feet reduces the risk of collisions.

2) Pass cyclists quickly. While drivers may think that they are being courteous by passing cyclists slowly, it can actually make cyclists nervous and can cause a collision. Simply give cyclists plenty of room and pass as you would a car.

3) Check for cyclists before opening a car door. If you are opening your car door where cyclists are riding, a bicyclist may not notice the car door in time to stop, and the collision is enough to seriously injure or kill a cyclist.

4) Do not honk at bicyclists unless absolutely necessary. This can startle someone on a bicycle and can lead to a collision. Bicyclists can generally hear a much larger vehicle, such as a car, behind them.

5) Get familiar with the signals bicyclists use when turning. In some instances, drivers are not aware of these signals and cannot prevent an accident because they cannot anticipate where bicyclists are headed.

6) Never drive distracted. Bicyclists are more flexible than motorists in that they can zip up behind a car quite quickly and can be hidden in a car’s blind spots. Driving distracted increases your risk of a Davie pedestrian accident, bicycle accident, and every other type of traffic accident.

7) Check your blind spots. Bicycles are small enough to hide in your blind spot, so check your blind spot.

Never drive drunk. Davie drunk driving accidents claim too many lives each year. These accidents are completely preventable, which makes them even more tragic. If you will be drinking, make sure you have a few plans for getting home safely.

9) Drive defensively. Driving defensively ensures that you anticipate the movements of other motorists, so that you can avoid a collision if necessary.

10) Treat bicyclists like cars. Never attempt to share a lane with bicyclists and make sure that you provide them with the same space and courtesy you would provide to any vehicle. Use signal lights and eye contact to ensure that bicyclists can see you when you change lanes, turn, or pass.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

According to research by Consumer Reports, traffic accidents are the leading cause of death among teens, ahead of cancer, violence, or substance abuse. While graduated licensing has reduced the number of teen deaths due to car accidents, Fort Lauderdale car accidents are still a major risk factor for teens. Luckily, traffic accidents are largely preventable. According to Consumer Reports, there are many things that parents can do to help their teens drive safely:

1) Insist on a seatbelt. Consumer Reports found that in 60% of fatal car accidents involving teens, the teens were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. A seat belt is one of the simplest and least expensive ways to prevent Fort Lauderdale head injuries and other injuries in an accident. In the event of a Fort Lauderdale truck accident or car accident, wearing a seatbelt could save your child’s life.

2) Set a good example. Children learn from the adults around them, often without even realizing it. If you drive safely and responsibly, chances are good that your child will, too.

3) Set strict rules about drinking. Consumer Reports found that 27% of teens involved in fatal car accidents had been drinking at the time of the accident. Even if a teen driver is under the legal age for drinking, many teens do experiment with alcohol. When that experimentation is combined with driving, the consequences can be deadly. Worse, many teens fear phoning their parents for a drive home after drinking, worried that they will be in trouble for drinking. Make it clear to your teen drivers that they can always contact you for a drive home if they cannot get home safely – no questions asked.

4) Talk to your teen driver about distracted driving. Distracted driving is a major cause of Fort Lauderdale traffic accidents. Distracted driving can mean anything from texting and driving to having too many passengers in a car. Some companies and car manufacturers are stepping in to help parents prevent distracted driving. Ford’s MyKey, for example, can be programmed so that a teen has to faster a seatbelt before turning on the radio and allows a top speed to be set on the car.

5) Insist on additional driving training, including defensive driver training. According to Consumer Reports and many safety experts, the driver training required to get a driver’s license is not usually enough to truly teach safe driving skills. In most cases, the instruction results in only limited time behind the wheel and the courses usually focus on the basics of driving, rather than on important skills such as defensive driving. Sign up your teen for one-on-one driver training or additional driving instruction. The extra investment could save your teen’s life.

6) Limit car privileges until your teen has taken additional classes or has gained some driving experience. Consumer Reports found that 16-year-old drivers are three times more like to get into a car accident when compared with 18 or 19-year-old drivers. The first year of driving is riskiest, but parents can reduce the risk by setting some ground rules – such as limiting the number of passengers in the teen’s car – or by insisting that the teen hone their driving skills and experience before being allowed more time with the car.

7) Buy your teen the right car. Consumer Reports suggests a newer model that has some safety features, such as side curtain air bags and electronic stability control. Many teens opt for older cars due to the costs, but experts agree that older cars may have fewer safety features and may be in poorer shape, putting young drivers at risk.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, two teens were seriously injured near Wellborn in early June, as a result of an ATV accident. Neither teen was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. The ATV was struck by an on-coming car as the ATV driver failed to yield to a stop sign.

This accident is one of many to occur across the country each year. According to experts, Miami traffic accidents involving ATVs are especially troubling since they often involve injuries to minors and children. These types of accidents often cause Miami brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other types of injuries, since ATVs have fewer protections than cars, which encompass passengers entirely with glass and metal. In a Miami car accident involving an ATV and a passenger car, the passengers in an ATV are likely to be seriously injured due to the impact of the collision and due to the fact that ATVs are prone to rollovers, which can cause even more serious injuries. According to experts, there are several things that can be done to help prevent these types of injuries and accidents:

1) Avoid allowing children on ATVs. While driving a car requires a license and driver training, ATVs have fewer rules, even though the injuries from accidents on these vehicles can be quite severe. Since ATVs have fewer rules, they are attractive to teens and children who may be too young for a license, but it is important to remember that these vehicles are not toys. Read the owner’s manual about safe operation and do not permit children and young teens to operate ATVs unsupervised.

2) Insist on helmets. Miami brain injuries are among the most common injuries in ATV accidents, and in many cases these accidents are preventable with the correct use of helmets. In most fatal ATV accidents, the victims were not wearing a helmet at the time of their accident.

3) Choose your ATV and routes carefully. Look for an ATV with the best safety features and the best safety track record possible. When choosing routes, avoid roadways. ATVs are not safe to share the road with much larger passenger vehicles. As well, avoid ungroomed and rough terrain, especially if you are just learning to ride your ATV. Although ATVs are designed for rougher terrains, they are subject to rollovers and uneven ground increases your risk of a rollover.

4) If you are injured in an ATV accident, speak with a Miami personal injury attorney. The cost of injuries after an ATV accident can be substantial and it can be challenging for victims to recover the fair compensation they may be entitled to under the law. An experienced attorney can investigate the accident and can help determine who the liable parties are, ensuring that you negotiate for fair compensation from a position of strength. If the accident was caused by poor design or a product defect, pursuing legal action can also help prevent other customers from being injured in the same way.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

According to an investigative report by the Sun Sentinel, at least 21 people in Florida have been seriously injured or killed by speeding police vehicles since 2004. In some cases, the speeds do not seem justified. In 2008, 20-year-old Erskin Bell Jr. was left severely brain damaged when a police car rear-ended his vehicle at 104 mph. A subsequent investigation showed that the police officer behind the wheel, Mark Maupin, was not responding to a call and was not taking part in a pursuit when he lost control of his police car. Maupin had a history of accidents and speeding violations on the job, but after the Bell accident the only punishment he received was to lose his license for 90 days. Maupin was also injured in the crash.

According to the Sun Sentinel investigation, seemingly unnecessary speeding is one of the most disturbing trends when it comes to Florida car accidents involving police cars: in most of the 21 cases involving a serious car accident with a police car, the officers involved were responding to a routine call or were simply driving too fast. In most cases, they were not speeding due to an urgent situation. The investigation also found that police officers involved in these 21 accidents tended to face low criminal sentences, ranging from no jail time to no more than 60 days in jail, even when the car accidents they caused were fatal.

The problem of speeding police cars also causes a heavy toll for police officers. Of the people killed by police cars between 2004 and 2011, seven were police officers. In some cases, their vehicles were traveling as much as 61 mph above the posted speed limit at the time of the accident. Obviously, the Sun Sentinel report is disturbing, as many of these accidents that lead to serious accidents appear to be highly preventable.

There is no doubt that law enforcement personnel do a terrific job in keeping communities safe. They work tirelessly to uphold the law and help individuals. In many cases, they risk their lives for others. In some situations, police officers and other emergency vehicles do need to speed. If they are chasing someone who is dangerous or trying to get to a life-threatening situation, speed of course can save lives. And emergency responders do get special training to ensure that they do get to emergency situations quickly in order to save lives.

At the same time, when families lose loved ones due to the situation described by the Sun Sentinel, these types of losses can be devastating and angering. These accidents can cause serious injuries, including Fort Lauderdale brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and fatalities. In many cases, victims who have been injured by emergency responders face tremendous challenges when it comes to recovering compensation for injuries and other costs. Community governments and their employees are protected and have teams of experienced attorneys working for them. If you have been injured in a Fort Lauderdale car accident, it is important to speak with a qualified Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney who can defend your rights and can seek compensation for your injuries, so that you do not have to bear the burden of medical costs and other expenses yourself.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

While the number of drunk driving car accidents has slowly been declining in recent years across the country, the number of car accidents in the community involving drugged driving has been increasing. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), a third of all drivers killed in US car accidents in 2009 tested positive for drugs.

Like many communities, Miami Gardens has many plans in place to fight Miami Gardens drunk driving accidents. There are breathalyzer tests, roadside checks, and special programs to make drivers aware of the dangers of drunk driving. However, some experts say that not enough is done to make people aware of Miami Gardens car accidents and truck accidents involving drugs.

Part of the problem is that many people are not even aware of the types of drugs that can cause a serious Miami Gardens car collision. Experts list many potentially driver impairing (PDI) drugs which can cause car accidents. Among them are illegal drugs such as methamphetamines and marijuana. However, PDI drugs also include prescription medications and even innocuous over-the-counter drugs, including many popular flu and cold remedies. If drivers are not aware of the dangers of these drugs and do not take care to read labels, they can easily cause an accident.

Another problem is that some of the drugs which can cause Miami Gardens truck accidents and car accidents are illegal. Drugs such as methamphetamines and heroin, for example, can make drivers very unsafe and can also impair judgement to the point where a driver does not realize that they are too impaired to drive. Some experts have suggested that those who flout the law by taking illegal drugs may also ignore safe driving laws and anti-drunk-driving laws as well.

A third problem is that it can be very hard to discern and legislate drugged driving accidents. Breathalyzers and other tools that law enforcement officers use to catch drunk drivers may not work on drivers who are under the influence of drugs. Many drugs also do not leave any odor, the way that alcohol can. In many cases, law enforcement can only determine whether someone has been driving after doing drugs is to get the driver to take a drug test. In many cases, these types of tests are only administered after a fatal accident – after it is too late to stop an impaired driver.

If you have been in a Miami Gardens traffic accident that you think was caused by a driver who was under the influence of drugs, it is important to speak to an experienced Miami Gardens personal injury attorney. If the accident was caused by drugs, an attorney can investigate a driver’s medical records and background to determine whether drugs were a factor. If someone’s negligent use of drugs has caused an accident that has caused you injuries, that driver may be held liable for your injuries.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 99 bicyclists were killed in Florida in 2009. Florida bicycle accidents accounted for 3.9 % of all traffic fatalities in 2009 and that year 4,376 bicyclists sustained serious personal injuries as a result of collisions with cars. Many bicyclists in Florida have voiced concerns about bicyclist safety in Florida, especially in light of the death of assistant professor Kurt Lang Frankel, who was killed while bicycling in Florida in early July. According to experts, there are many things which can be done to help prevent Florida car accidents involving bicycles:

1) Wear helmets. All bicyclists should wear helmets each time they get on a bike to ride. Helmets have been proven by research to help prevent many Florida brain injuries. In the event of an accident, a helmet can help prevent fatal head injuries.

2) Stay alert and safe. Bicyclists can stay alert for cars and drive in bicycle lanes where such lanes are available. However, motorists also need to stay alert and avoid distracted driving in order to notice bicyclists and others sharing the road.

3) Educate motorists and the public about laws, then enforce the laws. Many bicyclists in Florida agree that drivers in the state do not seem to be aware of many laws. For example, cars should drive about three feet away from bicyclists, but many motorists do not obey these laws.

4) Create better logistics for bicyclists. More bicycle lanes, wider bicycle lanes, and more signs can help make sharing the road easier. As well, more crosswalks where bicyclists can cross can be useful for both bicyclists and pedestrians.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

According to the National Golf Cart Association, golf carts are becoming a very popular mode of transportation – and not just on the course. Many people are in fact using the golf carts on public roads, in order to run errands or just to get around. Thanks to increasing gas prices and an increasing number of retirees, there is a huge growth in golf cart use, especially in residential areas. In fact, in some Florida residential communities, golf carts are a more popular form of transportation than cars.

Unfortunately, there is also growing concern about the number of car accidents involving golf carts. According to a research study completed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, between 2002 and 2005, there were 48,000 golf cart-related injuries reported across the US. Men between the ages of 10 and 19, as well as people over the age of 80, were most likely to be in these types of accidents. According to police authorities, the National Golf Cart Association, and other experts have several suggestions for preventing these types of injuries:

1) Create new rules and safety instructions. According to the University of Alabama at Birmingham study, safety instructions are not adequately provided by golf cart retailers and manufacturers. Researchers felt that such instructions as well as safety standards for golf cart users would help to prevent accidents.

2) Create educational awareness programs for drivers and golf cart users alike. According to authorities, many golf cart users treat golf carts just like cars, and this can be dangerous. According to experts, golf carts should not be used of higher-traffic or higher-speed roads and even a turn at 11 mph can cause a golf cart user to be ejected from the cart. Drivers must also be taught to share the road with golf cart users and to be aware that such vehicles may be sharing some roads.

3) Enforce traffic rules and keep statistics. Many municipalities do not keep records of golf cart accidents, the way they do for Florida truck accidents and car accidents. More careful record keeping and stricter enforcement of rules for both golf cart users and drivers can help prevent many accidents.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

In 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that Florida led the US in bicycle accidents. Although the numbers of bicycle accident fatalities in the state has been dropping slowly since 1991, the state still sees many such accidents and according to at least one Florida newspaper, twenty percent of traffic fatalities in five Florida countries (Broward County, Indian River County, Martin County, Palm Beach County, and St. Lucie County) in 2009 were attributed to pedestrian and bicycle accidents.

There are many things that cause Florida car accidents involving bicyclists. One problem is that there are many motorists and many bicycle enthusiasts in Florida, which means two very different types of vehicles sharing the road. Some counties have been trying to build more bicycle-only paths and lanes to keep bicyclists and cars apart. In May 2011, for example, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties proposed a new trail for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-car traffic.

The summer is an especially dangerous time for Florida bicycle accidents. More cyclists take the opportunity to head outside and more tourists can mean more car traffic in Florida, as well. Vacations and time away from work also mean more chances for people to hop into their cars or on their bikes, meaning more traffic. Luckily, we can all work together to prevent Florida car accidents and bike accidents this summer.

Bicyclists can help by riding safe. That means riding on bicycle trails or bike lanes where possible. When no such options are available, it is safest for bicyclists to ride with the flow of traffic on the far right, closest to the right hand side of the street. Bicyclists can also wear reflective clothing, maintain good eye contact with drivers around them, and use hand signals to ensure that drivers are aware of their intended direction.

Motorists can help by staying alert for bicyclists. In many car accidents involving passenger cars, motorists claim that they simply did not see a bicyclist in time. Stay alert when passing popular areas for bicyclists and never drive in the bicycle lane. Give bicyclists plenty of room and become familiar with the hand signals that bicyclists to indicate turns.

Both bicyclists and motorists can avoid traffic accidents by driving sober and alert. While motorists tend to be the focus of awareness campaigns, both bicyclists and motorists are dangerous on the road when driving under the influence or when driving tired. Both on a bike and in a car, you need good response times and a good focus. If you are tired or intoxicated, take a cab or get a friend to drive you safely home.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Florida ranks highest for fatal pedestrian accidents, according to a study by Transportation for America. There are many factors that affect the rates of such accidents:

1) Traffic. High volumes of traffic increase the odds of Florida car accidents and pedestrian accidents. Quite simply, the more pedestrians are out and about and the more cars are on the roads, the more interaction there tends to be between drivers and pedestrians, which increases the risk of an accident. Florida has very busy roads and many pedestrians as well, increasing the chances of collisions.

2) Road design. According to Transportation for America, many roads with high fatality rates were designed mostly for motorist use. Many of these roads are designed with little consideration for pedestrian safety. Once the roads are constructed, adding safety features can be a challenge. For example, it can be hard to add a wider sidewalk for pedestrians in an already-congested Florida urban area.

3) Laws. Some advocates for pedestrian and bicycle safety note that motorists who cause serious Florida bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents often receive very light penalties (or none at all), even when they seriously injure or kill a pedestrian or cyclist. Some experts recommend new laws which would make laws stricter, especially for motorists who cause multiple accidents.

4) Distractions. Numerous studies have been published, showing the dangers of distracted driving. Currently, Florida has no laws preventing texting and driving. However, studies have shown that drivers who text and drive effectively take their eyes off the road for the length of entire football fields – more than enough time and space to cause a serious pedestrian accident. Less research has been done about the dangers of walking and texting. However, distracted pedestrians are also less likely to notice and anticipate dangers.

According to the Transportation for America study, four out of the top ten most deadly urban areas for pedestrians are in Florida. Between 2000 and 2009, the Orlando-Kissimmee saw the highest rate of fatal Florida pedestrian accidents, with 557 pedestrians killed. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater was in second place as a dangerous area for pedestrians and Jacksonville as well as the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach were also listed as among the most dangerous in the country.

Florida Car Accident Lawyer Blog