Fort Lauderdale Injury Lawyer Blawg

As noted in a recent CNBC report, Fort Lauderdale, FL was ranked as one of the most dangerous dangerous city for driving in America. Although other cities had a higher total number of fatalities, no city had a higher total fatality rate per 100,000 person population. Obviously this news is quite alarming and troublesome for the residents of the South Florida area. As a Plantation Car Accident Lawyer, I wanted to discuss this report so that people that live in our area are aware of the everyday driving danger. Hopefully if people are aware of how statistically dangerous it is out there, they will exercise more caution while driving in the future.

According to the report, which you can also find at the Sun-Sentinel, the total fatality rate per 100,000 person population for Fort Lauderdale, FL is 22.39. Additionally, throughout the year there were 41 total fatalities, and 24.4% of those fatalities were pedestrians. From the perspective of a Plantation Accident Attorney, these numbers are simply way too high. People simply must be more careful when they are driving. This includes among many other things, staying alert, keeping a safe distance from the car in front of you, and not texting while driving.

It is also worth mentioning that Orlando, FL was number two on the list and in total, four cities in Florida made the list. As a Plantation Car Accident Attorney, my hope is that people see this report and become concerned enough about what is going on out there to drive in an almost overly cautious manner. People also need to be more aware of pedestrians on the sidewalk or in the crosswalk while driving in order to seriously reduce the number of pedestrian fatalities. All in all, hopefully the residents of Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area can begin to drive more carefully and make driving safer for everyone.

The Schulman Law Group is a personal injury law firm located in Weston, FL that is committed to representing personal injury victims, including victims of Plantation, FL car accidents. Please visit our website at www.schulaw.com. For a free consultation, please call us at (877) LAW-0444 or email us.

Earlier this month, a jury in Maryland awarded $3.3 million to the family of Kelay Smith as a result of a wrongful death lawsuit. The lawsuit was against the State of Maryland for not having a sidewalk along a stretch of the road where other pedestrians had been struck by cars and died in the past. What makes this case even more tragic is the fact that Smith was five months pregnant at the time of the accident. She and her unborn child died shortly after at a hospital near where she was hit. As a Plantation Wrongful Death Attorney, this case truly breaks my heart and I feel so bad for this woman's family. The pedestrian accident lawsuit reportedly resulted in an award of $2.5 million to Smith's daughter, who was 2 years old at the time of the accident, and an additional $800,000 to Smith's mother.

As a Plantation Wrongful Death Attorney, I agree with most of the allegations in this case. The wrongful death lawsuit also alleged that Smith's death could have been avoided if there was a sidewalk to prevent pedestrian accidents.

This particular pedestrian accident was at least the fourth fatality on that same portion of the road in 2008 alone. It seems readily apparent that the government should have made the necessary safety improvements, given the likelihood that these pedestrian accidents would keep occurring. Unfortunately, in Florida there are some very specific and archaic limitations that could prevent a similar outcome. These limitations may prevent a Florida court from finding that a Florida municipality would have had a duty to install a sidewalk or guard rails or some combination of safety measures for pedestrians. Instead, the court would impose a duty to properly maintain them, only if those measures were installed and in disrepair.

Therefore, in Florida, personal injury lawsuits against the government can be very tricky to navigate. As a result of the previous pedestrian deaths, it would have been reasonable to expect additional accidents or deaths. Unfortunately, unlike in Maryland, the State of Florida may not have been liable under the same allegations even though the government should have foreseen this hazard and made the necessary improvements to protect its people.

On June 30, 2010 a pedestrian was struck by an neighbor's vehicle in the quiet neighborhood of Sunshine Ranches, Broward County, Florida while he was otherwise taking a leisurely stroll with his wife after dinner at approximately 9:18 in the evening. One minute the victim is strolling alongside his loving wife and in the next minute she witnesses her husband violently struck, and thrown against the windshield; suffering a severe skull injury and then propelled in a violent, grotesque fashion down the road.

Based upon the immediate investigation the operator of the vehicle that struck the pedestrian had reached down to retrieve a water bottle that fell from his lap and therefore did not notice the couple strolling. To the driver's credit he had acted responsibly by not only remaining at the scene but for using his cell phone to assist in summoning emergent help; which were able to provide immediate emergent care at the scene.

The pedestrian victim was air lifted to a local hospital where he had undergone multiple surgical procedures to nearly every corner of his body. His skull injury required approximately 57 sutures to close after apparently making contact with the windshield and thereafter, the roadway. The investigating agency, The Broward County Sheriff's Office, initially prepared their report as though it was a homicide investigation due to the apparently overwhelming serious, multiple injuries. The wife had been severely traumatized by the accident.

The victims shall be rightfully seeking compensation for all their injuries and damages suffered as a result of this unfortunate accident.

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Every day thousands of pedestrians are struck by cars, motorcycles, trucks and other vehicles. Victims of pedestrian vehicular accidents generally face a life of crippling injuries and damages and should always seek the advice and representation of the most committed Fort Lauderdale injury lawyers to assist them in dealing with this tragedy and its aftermath. A victim of a pedestrian accident will likely require not only the best medical care but also the assistance from a knowledgeable Fort Lauderdale personal injury accident attorney who can act as their patient advocate in seeking and obtaining the best possible hospital, medical, nursing and rehabilitative care.

From a legal consideration, a victim of a pedestrian injury accident is strongly advised to seek monetary damages from all responsible persons and entities in order to be properly compensated for their injuries and losses and care for all their future health and financial needs. A victim of a Fort Lauderdale pedestrian injury accident will also need a strong legal advocate to present the victim's case as effectively and as legally possible. Florida has many laws governing the rights and responsibilities of pedestrians as well as all vehicles sharing roadways where pedestrians may be. It is important that victims of Fort Lauderdale pedestrian injury accidents have strong Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers to advocate their case. Insurance companies who defend Fort Lauderdale pedestrian injury accident cases will attempt to use many defenses to diminish or defeat a Fort Lauderdale pedestrian injury accident case. It is very important that before you speak with any insurance company representatives that you obtain the best possible representation from a Fort Lauderdale personal injury accident attorney.

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