Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

Economic recovery has brought record-low unemployment throughout Southwest Florida. But hospitality, service and construction trades have seen increased work accident risks.

NBC 2 reports a 58-year-old man was killed when a crane truck backed into him as we was loading boxes onto a forklift. The accident happened in a North Fort Myers parking lot along Tamiami Trail. The Naples Daily News reports a Bonita Springs construction accident claimed the life of a man working on a concrete wall. We reported recently on our Florida Injury Lawyer Blog, a fatal Fort Myer roofing accident and a Naples elevator accident that claimed the lives of two construction workers. 

Factors in determining sources of economic recovery following a serious or fatal work accident, include whether an employee was an employee or independent contractor,  and whether an at-fault party or other third party (other than victim’s employer) was wholly or partially liable.

A recent series of accidents on the water is a reminder of the risks of boating accidents in Southwest Florida.

NBC reported a woman was rescued by beach workers after a boating accident. The 29-year-old woman was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital, where she spent weeks in the hospital recovering. Her leg hit the propeller of a rented pontoon boat near Matanzas Pass Bridge, according to media reports.  Two nearby Fort Myers Beach workers pulled her from the water and applied emergency aid until the Coast Guard arrived. In other news, FOX 4 reports a boat captain was medically evacuated from a parasailing boat after suffering from heat exhaustion near Fort Myers Beach.

These incidents illustrate the diverse risks faced by people on the water off the coast of Southwest Florida.

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NBC News is reporting hundreds of trampoline park injuries have been reported across South Florida. A two-year investigation determined more than 300 calls to 911 have been placed from trampoline parks across South Florida. Assistance from paramedics was needed on at least 70 occasions.

Strains and sprains are common, as are falls. However, some of the most serious injuries occurred when two or more users collided. Head injuries, broken bones and spinal cord injuries are also risks, particularly if a user misses the trampoline and lands on the floor or other hard surface.

Trampoline Injuries – Liability Lawsuits and Product Liability

A recent article in the Florida Record highlights an issue far too few victims of personal injury stop to consider when choosing a law firm: Your law firm must understand as much about your medical condition and treatment history as it does about litigating your case in court.

The advent of electronic medical records has further complicated the issue. Florida Record reported medical consultants made their case recently at a Florida Justice Association convention, as deciphering and understanding electronic records becomes increasingly critical to proper representation of clients in personal injury, medical malpractice and wrongful death litigation. While most might correctly assume complex medical malpractice cases will require in-depth medical knowledge, the truth of the matter is expert medical knowledge is necessary in almost every personal injury case. 

Our injury lawyers in Fort Myers have focused exclusively on personal injury and wrongful death litigation since Bruce L. Scheiner founded the firm in 1971. This singular focus has allowed us to build decades of knowledge and experience. We routinely hire and contract with doctors, registered nurses and other medical experts, many of whom we’ve worked with for years. It’s an area we take very seriously, and intently focus on, as proper understanding of your medical case can be just as critical to winning an appropriate damage award as knowledge of the law.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving has released its annual state rankings for 2017, and Florida scored 14th nationally based on a number of fronts in the battle against drunk drivers. 

MADD reports drunk drivers continue to be responsible for nearly 850 road deaths a year in Florida, accounting for more than one-fourth of all traffic fatalities. The agency gave Florida 2.5 of 5 stars, compared to 3 stars for Georgia, 3.5 for Alabama and 4.5 for Mississippi. Florida scored similarly to other states with large populations, including New York (2.5) and Texas (2.5). California scored better at 3.5. Most of the lowest-scoring states were in the upper midwest, including Michigan (1), Wisconsin (2) and the Dakotas. 

For decades, our drunk driving injury lawyers in Southwest Florida have sponsored MADD and local law enforcement efforts to crackdown on drunk drivers, including roving patrols and sobriety checkpoints. We are working hard at the local level, but the MADD report reveals there is more work to be done at the policy level. MADD notes that since its founding in 1982, the number of fatal drunk driving accidents has been cut in half, from a high of more than 20,000 deaths a year. Much of this success has been due to legislative and policy changes at the state and federal level, and high-visibility enforcement at the local level.

Tropical storm Beryl dissipated this week, long before reaching the Caribbean. But there was tropical storm Chris to takes its place, becoming the third named storm of the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season. Like storms named for the letters of the alphabet, Florida safety advocates are encouraging motorists to brush up on their ABCs when it comes to driving in poor weather. Regardless of whether mainland Florida sees any hurricane activity this year, the tropical storm season is a time of heavy rains that can make driving dangerous, and leave standing water, which can be deadly.

Driving in inclement weather usually means rain in South Florida. However, it can also mean reduced visibility from fog or wild fires. High winds can also create risks; Florida is so flat that wind can be especially strong on long stretches of road at highway speeds. Here are some of the summer road risks in Southwest Florida and how to avoid them.

Low Visibility

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is urging motorists to “Slow Down, Stay Cool” and avoid summer driving accidents.

While many Southwest Florida motorists don’t think of summer as being a time for heavy traffic and car accidents, our injury lawyers in Fort Myers know a lack of snowbirds and tourists does not mean the risks have abated. The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is considered the 100 Deadliest Days for teen drivers. And, summer or winter, Florida is dealing with crisis levels of motor-vehicle collisions, motorcycle collisions, and injuries to bicyclists and pedestrians. Per capita, or per mile traveled, local residents face alarmingly high risks in summer. It’s just that during winter tourist season there are more of us living here.

Additionally, you must be proactive when it comes to protecting your rights. Florida has the most uninsured motorists on the road, is a state with among the highest number of fatal hit-and-run collisions in the nation, and has rock-bottom minimum insurance requirements even for motorists who are carrying the lawfully required auto insurance.