South Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

Last Thursday afternoon around 3:45pm, two highway contract workers were seriously injured in a truck accident on Highway 31. Authorities say the two workers were working in front of their Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck next to a guardrail when the rear of the truck was hit by a delivery truck.

One of the workers underwent a complete leg amputation when he was pushed along the guardrail. The other suffered severe leg injuries. The two were taken to Pensacola's Sacred Heart Hospital by two LifeFlight helicopters.

The driver of the delivery truck and a third worker, who suffered a head injury, were taken by ambulance to D. W. McMillan Hospital in Brewton.

Source: Four Injured In Flomaton Wreck; One Suffers Amputation (With Photo Gallery), NorthEscambia.com, December 10, 2009

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Posted In: Truck Accidents

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On Friday morning, a pick-up truck driver from West Palm Beach was killed in a Coral Springs traffic accident. The 39-year-old man was driving a Toyota pick-up truck when he collided with a Chevrolet Impala as it was exiting a parking lot nearby. Coral Springs police say the driver of the truck lost control of his vehicle and it rolled over, ejecting him. The man was pronounced dead at the scene of the truck accident.

The 58-year-old Coral Springs woman who was driving the Chevrolet Impala was not injured in the accident, and there were no other passengers in either vehicle.

The truck crash occurred around 10:45am last Friday near the 10700 block of Wiles Road. Police say the collision remains under investigation.

Driver killed in Coral Springs crash was a West Palm Beach man, police say, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, October 31, 2009

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On Friday evening, a pedestrian died after a truck accident on 7th Street in Chipley. Lashawn Henderson was taken to Northwest Florida Regional Hospital and air-lifted towards Tallahassee. The 17-year-old died en route to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.

The Chipley Police Department issued a press release stating that the motor vehicle accident involved a pickup truck driven by 20-year-old Samuel Taylor Toole and two pedestrians. One pedestrian was walking in the northbound lane of traffic and another on the east shoulder.

Toole apparently did not see pedestrian, and his pickup truck hit Henderson. He steered sharply in an attempt to avoid colliding with the pedestrian, and the pick skidded 73 feet on its right side tires before coming to a final rest in the southbound lane facing northwest.

Pedestrian killed in Chipley accident, ChipleyBugle.com, September 8, 2009

Continue reading "Florida Truck Accident Kills Teen" »

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In Miami, a 10-year-old boy from Jacksonville was seriously injured last month after being hit by a truck near the Seven Mile Bridge. The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) reports that the boy was airlifted to Miami Children's Hospital.

A FHP spokesperson indicated that the boy may have run into traffic while he and his family were attempting to cross the highway to Knights Key campground on a fishing outing. Neither drugs nor alcohol appeared to be factors in the truck accident.

Since the truck crash that injured the 10-year-old, the family has been staying in a Miami apartment. He remains in critical condition at Miami Children's Hospital, but friends say is making progress and may be able to return home to Jacksonville in a few weeks. In addition to the broken bones the boy suffered during the accident, he also contracted Swine Flu and suffered kidney failure.

Jacksonville Boy Recovering After Miami Accident, FirstCoastNews.com, July 1, 2009

Jacksonville Boy Hit, Seriously Injured in Miami, FirstCoastNews.com, June 10, 2009

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In Levy County, Florida, four teens were left seriously injured by a single- vehicle accident on Levy County Road 339A Friday night.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, two were ejected from the 2000 Ford Ranger, while the other two were trapped inside the vehicle, when the driver somehow drove onto the north shoulder of the road. Apparently, the driver steered right to avoid a ditch. His pickup truck rotated counterclockwise and spun over two or three times before it ended up on the passenger side.

All four teens were taken to Shands at the University of Florida, where their injuries were listed as serious. One was flown by helicopter, but the other three truck accident victims rode in ambulances. None of the passengers or the driver were wearing seatbelts, which may have increased the severity of their injuries.

The Florida Highway Patrol said they are investigating the motor vehicle crash. Charges are pending.

4 Levy teens injured in crash, Gainesville.com, June 7, 2009

Continue reading "Florida Teens Seriously Injured in Pickup Truck Crash " »

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The driver of a Honda CRV sustained head injuries in a downtown Miami traffic collision during rush hour last Thursday. That same motor vehicle accident killed a 49-year-old Tampa woman and critically injured her 17-year-old daughter.

According to police, the truck crash happened just before 4pm when the Honda was broadsided by a Toyota Tundra pickup truck that had spun out of control, possibly due to wet road conditions. The husband of the woman driving the Honda told press that his wife was stopped at the intersection and was hit by the Toyota when it ran a red light.

The truck accident is still under investigation and no charges have been filed as of yet, according to police. The woman driving the Toyota Tundra was questioned by detectives and later permitted to leave the scene of the accident.

Police Identify Downtown Miami Crash Victims, CBS4.com, May 30, 2009

Continue reading "Miami Truck Collision Kills One, Injures Others" »

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Posted In: Injuries to Minors , Traumatic Brain Injury , Truck Accidents , Wrongful Death

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Six men were killed in a deadly Florida motor vehicle crash in Glades County on Monday when a tractor-trailer struck the van carrying them. The crash is being called one of the deadliest auto accidents to ever occur in Southwest Florida.

The accident occurred after a sand truck driver failed to stop at a stop sign, crashing into the van. All six victims were killed on impact. Four of the victims were ejected from the van and only two of the six men were carrying identification.

Ewing Saunders, the 66-year-old tractor-trailer driver, was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital where he was reportedly in serious condition on Monday night. The truck he was driving is owned by West Coast Aggregate Haulers.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s "Large Truck Causation Study," major causes of crashes involving large trucks and passenger vehicles, such as sport utility vehicles, cars, pickup trucks, and vans, include:

• Improper surveillance
• Speeding
• Illegal driving maneuvers
• Exhaustion
• Illness
• Driver inattention
• Not anticipating other motorists’ maneuvers
• Driver distraction

Deadly truck crashes continue to be a potential danger for motorists on US roads. Injuries from truck crashes are usually catastrophic—especially for other drivers and pedestrians—and the costs for recovery and ongoing medical care can be very expensive.

6 killed in Fla. tractor-trailer crash with van, AP, October 1, 2008

Truck hits van, kills six in rural Glades County, News-Press.com, September 30, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Deadly Southwest Florida Crashes, News-Press.com, September 29, 2008

FMCSA

Continue reading "Southwest Florida Tractor-Trailer - Van Accident Claims Six Lives" »

Posted by David J. Halberg, Esq. | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Motor Vehicle Accidents , Truck Accidents

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According to results from the inspection conducted by the Florida Department of Transportation following the deadly Burhap, Walton County truck accident that left one man dead and a young girl seriously injured, the tractor-trailer driven by former Walton County Commissioner Herman Walker was overloaded with cattle feed by about 1,000 pounds( over the 80,000 limit). DOT inspectors also found that two breaks on the truck were out of adjustment and that the truck had not undergone its latest inspections.

The deadly crash, which happened on July 11, killed Eric S. Burhap, injured his wife Shannon and two children, and left family friend Katie Johnson, 9, with catastrophic injuries. The tractor-trailer collision occurred on State Road 2A north of DeFuniak Springs when Walker lost control of his truck on a curve and struck Burhap’s SUV. While blood alcohol test results show no proof Walker had alcohol in his system at the time of the crash, toxicology results are still pending.

In August, Shannon and Johnson filed a lawsuit against Walker for wrongful death and personal injury caused by the deadly Florida truck crash. The lawsuit also notes that Walker and his wife filed and finalized their divorce soon after the collision and that over $7 million in assets were transferred to his wife as part of their settlement. The lawsuit contends that Walker filed for divorce to avoid paying the money as compensation to the injury victims. Johnson and Shannon are seeking unspecified damages.

There are specific federal and state regulations that large truck operators must abide by when driving on US and state roads. For example, truckers must make sure that their vehicles are properly maintained, that all cargo is properly secured, and that the load they are carrying does not exceed weight requirements. Failure to meet these regulations and others can lead to deadly truck accidents and be grounds for a truck collision lawsuit.

FHP: Truck in fatal Buharp crash was overloaded, NWFDailyNews.com, September 3, 2008

Piecing together Buharp crash; lawsuits ahead?, NWFDailyNews.com, September 3, 2008

Walker sued in fatal Buharp crash (with LAWSUIT), WSOWAL.com, August 20, 2008

Related Web Resource:

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

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Posted In: Motor Vehicle Accidents , Truck Accidents , Wrongful Death

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The Florida Highway Patrol has charged a Kenworth tractor-trailer driver of violation of the right of way in the wake of a Florida truck crash that left a 10-year-old Lake Wales boy seriously injured. Charles Geim was taken to Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital in Orlando following the motor vehicle accident.

The FHP says that trucker Sonia Mcgaha turned her Kenworth tractor-trailer left from US 27 into the path of a Chevrolet that was coming from the opposite direction. Her rig struck the car’s left side. Lorine Jones, the driver of the car that Geim was riding in, sustained minor injuries.

Mcgaha wasn’t hurt in the crash, but Jermie Mcgaha, 9, sustained minor injuries.

Tractor-Trailer Accidents

Common causes of tractor-trailer crashes

• Tailgating
• Exhausted drivers
• Failing to obey road signs
• Speeding
• Aggressive drivers
• Talking or text messaging on the cell phone
• Drunk driving
• Forgetting to check blind spots

An 80,000-pound truck can be a huge danger to car passengers, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and bicyclists if they are involved in a truck accident with one of these large vehicles.

Boy, 10, critically injured in accident, Newschief.com, July 30, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Florida Highway Patrol

Truck Accident Laws, Justia

In South Florida, our truck crash lawyers are familiar with the federal and state regulations that govern truck drivers and we know how to deal with truckers and trucking companies to help you obtain the maximum recovery for all your personal injuries.

Continue reading "10-Year-Old Boy Sustains Serious Injuries In Florida Tractor-Trailer Accident" »

Posted by David J. Halberg, Esq. | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Injuries to Minors , Motor Vehicle Accidents , Truck Accidents

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The wife of Timothy Powers, the 49-year-old Vero Beach motorcyclist who was killed in a crash with a tractor-trailer on US 1 on January 24 is suing the trucker and the driver’s truck company for wrongful death.

The Florida Highway Patrol says Powers could not see the truck due to the heavy morning fog. He tried safely laying down his motorcycle but was thrown off as the truck struck him as it tried to make a U-turn. Powers died at the truck accident scene.

In her lawsuit, Jennifer Powers is accusing truck driver Felix Villa of negligence. She also alleges that Torres Trucking & Tree Hauling Corp was vicariously liable for her husband’s death.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, there were 5,212 truck accident fatalities in 2005—a large truck being defined as a truck with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 lbs.

18-wheeler trucks, tractor-trailers, big rig trucks, large delivery trucks, and other large trucks can be a serious injury hazard to motorcyclists, the drivers and passengers of other cars, pedestrians, and bicyclists if a truck driver is negligent on the road and causes a traffic accident. Trucking companies are prepared to deal with these injury cases, and many of them will act fast to minimize liability on their part.

Our South Florida truck accident law firm is knowledgeable about dealing with large truck companies, their representatives, and their insurance companies, and we will protect your right to financial recovery.

We know how to investigate the truck crash scene and the vehicles involved to prove liability, and we will zealously pursue your compensation for you.

Vero Beach widow files lawsuit against truck driver, TC Palm.com, July 1, 2008

Large Truck Fatal Crash Statistics, 1975-2005, FMCSA.dot.gov

Related Web Resource:

Truck Safety Coalition

Continue reading "Florida Motorcyclist’s Widow Sues Tractor-Trailer Driver and Trucking Company for Wrongful Death" »

Posted by David J. Halberg, Esq. | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents , Truck Accidents , Wrongful Death

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