CGWC Orlando Injury Attorney Blog

Orlando, Florida

Tractor Trailers Cause Fatal Accident In Brevard County - Saturday, June 27, 2009

Due to shear size and power, relative to most standard automobiles, compact automobiles, and even sport utility vehicles, collisions with tractor trailers can often be fatal. On only one day this week there were two fatal accicents on Interstate 95 in Brevard County. The accidents were only two miles apart, and one involved tractor trailers.

When you're on the road, pay special attention to tractor trailers and drive defensively. Many truckers follow the rules, but many don't and drive too many hours at a time, are fatigued, and sometimes even take prescription or over the counter medications or supplements to stay awake. As a result, they drive distracted and cause serious truck accidents that often prove fatal.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile accident, call CGWC for a free consultation about your legal rights.


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Have A Safe Memorial Day - Saturday, May 23, 2009

Memorial Day began evolving in 1868 in remembrance of Union and Confederate soldiers who died in action in the Civil War. Flowers were placed that year on the graves of Union and Confederate Soldiers at what is now Arlington National Cemetery. New York was the first state to recognize Memorial Day as a holiday, and by 1890 all northern states had followed suit. The South refused to recognize the day, honoring Confederate dead on a different day, until after World War I when the day of remembrance was expanded to include honoring dead American soldier of all wars. Memorial Day became a national holiday celebrated in its current form in 1971.

If you are enjoying a Memorial Day outing, remember the men and women of the United States Military who have given their lives so that the rest of us can enjoy the liberty and freedom our founding fathers sought to guarantee in the U.S. Constitution. Drive safely, wear your seatbelt, don't drink and drive, and remember safety first when enjoying any water sports, cookouts, hiking, or other outings.

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Ten Most Deadly Driving Mistakes - Friday, May 08, 2009

Some driving mistakes cause more deaths than others. The worst mistake is swerving out of one's own lane. In 2007 alone over 15,000 people died from drivers simply swerving out of their own lane of travel. Other fatal driving mistakes include:

Driving while fatigued;

Drinking and driving;

Over-correcting;

Speeding;

Failure to yield right of way;

Reckless driving;

Running red lights;

Not wearing a seatbelt; and

Driving while distracted.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident, contact CGWC for a free consultation.


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Head On Collisions Most Deadly - Sunday, April 19, 2009

Head on collisions are the most deadly types of motor vehicle accidents. Just this weekend, two drivers were killed when they collided head-on, resulting in both vehicles bursting into flames, on Epcot Center Drive in Orlando, Florida. Most head on collisions are the result of an unintentional maneuver, crossing over the center line into oncoming traffic. Falling asleep at the wheel, for example, is a common cause of head on collisions, so many occur at night when drivers are fatigued. Avoid driving while tired, and be alert for places where head on collisions are most likely to occur, such as on sharp curves, and always maintain awareness of what oncoming vehicles are doing and watch for unanticipated movements

If you or a loved one is involved in a head on collision, you will need skilled legal help. Call CGWC for a free consultation.

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What To Do About Uninsured Drivers - Saturday, April 11, 2009

According to the Insurance Journal, uninsured drivers are not just a problem, they're a big one. While it is impossible to know for sure how many drivers are uninsured, Some estimates are as high as one in every three drivers. Since only no fault medical and wage loss benefits and minimum property damage insurance are mandatory for most cars in Florida, an even higher percentage of drivers here have inadequate coverage, including little or no bodily injury liability coverage, which covers other people they may injure in an auto accident. That's right. Most drivers in Florida are NOT required to have insurance that pays you if they cause an accident and hurt you. Bodily injury liability coverage is not required for family automobiles in our state.

We all know what a chance we take in Florida everytime we get on the road, and uninsured drivers place you at even more risk of financial ruin from an accident that's not your fault. What can you do about this? Make absolutely sure that your family or business automobile has uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. UM/UIM coverage takes the place of no coverage on the driver at fault, or inadequate coverage. Be sure you elect stacking UM/UIM, too, if you own more than one vehicle so that you can get the UM/UIM benefits under all your cars if you're in an accident. Don't victimize yourself. Call your agent now and find out if you have UM/UIM coverage. If you don't, get it. If you're in an accident, the chances are very, very good that the other driver will have either no liability coverage, and it is almost certain that the other driver will have too little coverage if your injuries are serious.

If you've been injured by an uninsured motorist, don't assume your policy doesn't protect you either. Call CGWC for a free consultation, and we'll review your automobile insurance policy and make sure you're getting all the benefiits you're entitled to receive.

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CGWC Partner Nominated Fellow of Litigation Counsel of America - Friday, April 03, 2009

CGWC partner, Ronald S. Gilbert, has been nominated to become a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel Of America. The LCA is an invitation only honorary society in which membership is limited to a very few honored triall attorneys. There are only 3,500 Fellows in the LCA, less than one-half of one percent of all the lawyers in America. When seeking nominees for the LCA, its board seeks highly qualified lawyers who have demonstrated excellence in trial practice. Fellows are invited to become members of LCA after being evaluated for their effectiveness and accomplishments in the field of litigation and trials, and their ethics in the practice of law. Congratulations Mr. Gilbert!

If you've been hurt in an accident, you deserve an experienced and highly qualified attorney. Call CGWC for a free Consultation.

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41,000 Traffic Deaths - Tuesday, March 31, 2009

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, over 41,000 people died in traffic accidents in 2007 alone. Most traffic accidents are avoidable. Distracted and negligent drivers cause tens of thousands of wrongful deaths each year.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of an auto accident, call CGWC for a free consultation.

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Polk County Jury Awards 65 Million Dollars To Truck Accident Victim - Saturday, March 21, 2009

Recently, a Polk County Jury found by its verdict that a young 19 year old girl was entiteld to $ 65 million after suffering brain damage after her vehicle collided with a tractor trailer at an intersection. She was going to college and studying psychology before the accident which left her unable to care for herself, feed herself, dress herself, or even use the bathroom without assistance. The trucker and his trucking company claimed she ran a redlight, but an eyewitness said otherwise.

Trucking accidents are complicated legal cases requiring an attorney experienced in the myriad of trucking regulations imposed by the Federal Motor Carrier Act to protect the public and assure truck drivers are alert and operating big rigs safely on state highways and streets. If you or a loved one has been injured in a trucking accident, contact CGWC for a free consultation.

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Facts of Life About Driving - Saturday, February 28, 2009

There are 40,000 deaths each year from automobile accidents. That is 110 auto accident deaths each day. Automobile accidents are the number one cause of death for people between the ages of 1 and 34.

If you or a loved one has been involved in an automobile accident, you need a skilled and experienced attorney. Contact CGWC for a free consultation.

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Pedestrian Decapitated By Tractor Trailer - Thursday, February 26, 2009

In Orlando today, a pedestrian was decapitated when run over by a semi-tractor trailer. Orlando is one of the most dangerous cities in America for pedestrians. In 2003, for example, Orlando ranked in the top 10 most dangerous cities for pedestrians. Cities with streets built for speed instead of safety are the most dangerous. We can certainly say that our streets allow high speeds in areas of high pedestrian traffic.

Victims of pedestrian accidents require skilled and experienced attorneys to get the compensation they and their families deserve. Don't sell yourself short and hire an attorney just because of a fancy slogan or commercial jingle. Call CGWC for information about our qualifications and experience and for a free consultation.

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Head On Collisions Most Deadly - Sunday, February 08, 2009

Some of the deadliest automobile accidents are head on collisions. According to the Fatal Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 18% of fatal auto accidents were head on collisions in 1999. 75% of those occurred on rural undivided two lane roads. Statistics also indicate that most head on collisions are the result of "unintentional" maneuvers like falling asleep, distractions, speeding, or over-correcting on curves.

If you've been involved in a head-on collision, you may need an attorney. Especially if you or a loved one has been seriously injured, or worse. The experienced automobile accident attorneys at CGWC can help. Call for a free consultation.

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Truck Accidents Often Caused By Fatigue - Saturday, January 31, 2009

We all know what it's like to be deprived of sleep for too long. It becomes difficult to concentrate on the task at hand and hard to perform. It's no different for truckers. When they are fatigued from driving too many hours without enough rest, the chances of a truck accident increase substantially. Truckers often stop for sleep. Just not long enough. The fatigue builds over the days or weeks until tragedy occurs. Trucking companies still constantly ask for lighter regulations from Congress; regulations that allow more leeway for long hours on the road.

Trucker fatigue has been a big concern recently and in April 2003, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) set new restrictions on allowed hours on the road to try to cut down on tired truckers. These new hours became effective January 2004. But regulations don't stop some truckers for "cooking their books" by falsifying their driver logs and other paperwork. This means some truckers may comply with these new regulations on paper only. The longer truckers can drive, the more the profits for the trucking company. So, tired truckers remain a danger on the nation's highways.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, you need an experienced truck accident attorney who knows how truckers operate. Call CGWC for a free consultation about your legal rights.

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Trucking Accidents - Friday, January 02, 2009

In 2006 alone, over 5,000 men, women and children died in trucking accidents nationwide. At CGWC, we understand the devastation to families caused by inuries and deaths caused by accidents with big tractor trailer rigs. If you or a love one has been injured in an accident with a trucker, call CGWC for a free consultation.


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Orlando Auto Accident Lawyers Say Head On Collisions Are Worst Accidents - Sunday, November 30, 2008

Head on collisions are usually the most devastating automobile accidents. Most occur on two lane rural roads with not divided highway design or medians. Avoid head on collisions by paying attention and looking as far ahead as possible when traveling, so that you can anticipate an oncoming vehicle crossing over into your lane. In addition, on curvy roads, be particularly attentive and don't hug the center line.

At CGWC we hope your Thanksgiving was a safe one. If not, you need legal counsel and we invite you to contact us for a free consultation.


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Orlando Accident Attorneys Say Stay Safe During Holiday Travel - Tuesday, November 25, 2008

The Orlando accident attorneys at CGWC wish you and your family a very happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday. Here are some tips to help your family stay safe during your holiday travels:
  1. Make sure you car is in good condition for traveling.
  2. Get your car serviced before traveling and check the tires, brakes, headlights, tail lights, and windshield wipers.
  3. Make sure your driver gets a good nights sleep before the day you travel so the driver remains alert in heavy holiday traffic.
  4. Stop and take frequent breaks.
  5. Plan to travel during daylight as more accidents happen at night.
  6. Avoid distractions. Not paying attention is a leading cause of automobile accidents.
  7. Have everyone in your car wear a seatbelt.
  8. Be patient of other drivers and don't speed.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and stay safe!

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Auto Accident Calls for Experienced Florida Attorney - Saturday, November 15, 2008

On average, over 6 million auto accidents occur each year in the U.S. Over 3 million injuries are caused by these accident and about 2 million of those injuries are permanent injuries, physical impairments or disabilities. About 40,000 people die in these automobile accidents. One person dies in a car accident every 12 minutes, and someone is injured every twelve seconds in motor vehicle accidents. The consequences for the families of these auto accident victims are often tragic and life altering.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident, call CGWC for a free consultation with an experienced and highly qualified motor vehicle accident attorney.

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Florida Automobile Accident Lawyers Say Speed Kills - Sunday, October 05, 2008

Speed is perhaps the biggest single contributing factor in causing automobile accidents, inflicting hundreds of thousands of casualties and deaths annually. The relationship between speed and accidents is simple. As the speed of a vehicle goes up, the likelihood of an accident also rises. Increased speed is not accompanied by an increase in the driver's reaction time. As speed goes up, the severity of accidents also increases. Driving too fast for conditions is the major factor in about one half of all accidents. Reducing speed directly reduces the chances of a serious accident, as well. For every one mph reduction in speed, the chance of an automobile accident decreases by 5%, and the chances of a death from such an accident decreases by 7%. Studies at specific locations have shown even more drastic reductions in fatalities and accident rates.

The Florida Legislature took aim at speeders by enacting a new law that took effect this month. Under the new law, drivers speeding 50 mph over the speed limit face a $ 1,000 fine, and the second time they're caught, they pay $ 2,500 and lose their license for one year. Get caught a third time, and the speeder pays $ 5,000 and loses their license for 10 years.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a motor vehicle accident, call CGWC for a free consultation.

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The Origins of Traffic Deaths - Saturday, September 13, 2008

Road accidents have often been the cause of tragic accidents, injuries and deaths, including horse and carriage deaths dating back to the 10th century, causing the deaths of the King of France and two kings of England. Accidents and deaths since the introduction of motorized modes of transport, however, have increased exponentially.

The first death from a car accident is said to have been Mary Ward, an Irish scientist, in 1869. It is said she was struck by a steam powered automobile which witnesses said was travelling at a "reckless pace, like a fire engine." The driver claimed he was only going about 4 miles per hour. A coroner's inquest returned a verdict of an "accidental death" and there was no prosecution, witht he coroner saying he hoped such a thing would never happen again." A few years later in 1896, Bridget Driscoll was killed in a car accident in London, dashing the coroner's hopes.

Henry Hale Bliss was the first person to be killed in a motor vehicle accident in America. He was struck by an electric powered taxi cab when disembarking a street car in Central Park in 1899. His head and chest were crushed in the accident. He died from those injuries the next morning. The cab driver was charged with manslaughter but was acquitted on the grounds that the death was unintentional.

And with those events began the 20th century and the thousands among thousand of traffic deaths that have plagued society for almost 110 years. Such accidents are most often simply mistakes, not subject to criminal prosecution. The only justice is found in civil courts for monetary compensation to the families of the victims under wrongful death statutes which vary from state to state.

If you or a family member has been involved in an automobile accident, contact CGWC for a free consultation. There is no fee and no costs unless we make a monetary recovery.

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Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Not Surprised At Highway Rankings - Friday, August 01, 2008

A new survey from the Reason Foundation puts Florida highways 41st in the nation. The foundation, which has been conducting the survey for 17 years, looks at such factors as traffic congestion, pavement condition, and highway deaths.

This poor ranking comes as no surprise to Florida automobile accident attorneys like the attorneys at CGWC. Every day, we see people whose lives have been turned upside down by automobile accidents on Florida highways and streets. If you've been hurt, call us for a free consultation or visit TheFloridaFirm.com for more information.

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Florida Automobile Accident Attorneys Warn You To Watch Out For Disabled Vehicles - Tuesday, July 29, 2008

The attorneys at CGWC would like to warn you to watch out for disabled vehicles on our busy roads. Due to the fuel crisis and gas prices, consumers feeling the economic squeeze are trying to get further than a tank of gas will take them. As a result, motorists are running out of gas on busy Central Florida roadways and having to leave their cars, creating hazards for the rest of us. Watch the medians, emergency lanes, and shoulders of Interstate 4, the toll roads, and city streets for these disabled motor vehicles to avoid colliding with a ton of stationary metal and iron. And for goodness' sake, as dreadful as it may be at these prices, fill up your tank and don't take a chance on running out of gas at an inopportune place or time. If you or a loved one is injured in an automobile accident, be sure to contact us for a free consultation about your legal rights.

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Running Redlights Causes Many Accidents - Sunday, June 15, 2008


The Fatalities Analysis Reporting System (FARS) reports that there are more than 1.8 million auto accidents at intersections every year. Over 900 people were killed and another 168,000 people were injured as a result of drivers running red lights in 2004. There were 622 automobile accidents caused by running redlights in Orange County, Florida alone. There were 108 auto accidents in Seminole County caused by drivers running redlights. Another 72 occurred in Osceola County.

A recent study of the five busiest intersections in Orange County showed that more than 11,000 drivers ran redlights in a SINGLE DAY!!! All of us can help improve road safety in Central Florida. First, buckle up. Wear your seatbelt. Second, don't talk on the phone or text while driving. Pay attention and practice situational awareness to avoid accidents. Finally, just obey traffic laws. Visit MetroPlanOrlando for more information.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile accident, call CGWC for a free consultation.

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Head On Collisions Most Often Fatal - Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Head on collisions are the car crashes that are most likely to result in highway fatalities. Head on collisions often result when a car leaves the roadway, over corrects, and crosses over a centerline or median. Head on collisions also occur when drivers mistakenly go the wrong way on multi-lane freeways, toll roads, or interstate highways. Essentially, these are all "roadway departure" accidents.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, such accidents account for many traffic accident deaths every year. In 2001, there were over 23,000 roadway departure deaths accounting for 55% of all roadway fatalities. There were almost 750,o00 injuries from such accidents. There were 267 freeway deaths from "crossover" head on collisions in 2001. The FHA says that there are an average of 250 people killed each year in freeway head-on collisions and about one death for every 200 freeway miles. Median crossover crashes are also 3 times more severe than other highway accidents.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a head on collision or any type of automobile accident, call CGWC for a free consultation about your legal rights.

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Orlando 4th Worst City For Commuters - Friday, May 02, 2008

According to a Forbes magazine report, Orlando ranks as the fourth worst city for commuters in the nation. The lack of public transportation leads to long and time consuming commutes. Central Floridians know that going to work can also be dangerous. Rarely a day goes by that doesn't involve lengthy delays caused by traffic accidents. Some cause serious injuries, requiring complete shutdown of lanes on major thoroughfares and toll roads. On occasion, hospital helicopters are the only way the seriously injured can be provided emergency care before it's too late. Just today, the Beach Line, S.R. 528, was closed eastbound until hospital helicopters and wreckers could care for the injured and clean up the roadway after a rollover accident

Be careful in Orlando's rush hour commute. Don't make split second decisions in a rush, only to regret them for a lifetime. If you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile accident, a trucking accident, a motorcycle accident or any other motor vehicle accident, call CGWC for a free consultation.

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Avoid Head-On Collisions - Saturday, April 19, 2008

The worst nightmare of most drivers and occupants is a head-on collision. Head-on collisions are not only terrifying to envision, but they are, in fact, extremely deadly. Avoid head-on collisions by following some general principles.
  • Pay attention.
  • Think before you react when faced with highway situations. Remember, you're often traveling at hundreds of feet per second. React wrongly, and it could be fatal.
  • Anticipate potential situations, particularly at curves and at intersections.
  • Avoid distractions like talking on the phone and jamming to music.
  • Look far down the road so you can see oncoming automobiles and trucks long before they can be a problem.
  • Watch for erratic behavior of other drivers and pay special attention to them.
  • Use headlights or day driving lights.
  • Don't hug the centerline.
If despite your best efforts, a last second collision is unavoidable, be sure to veer right, not left. Whether it's the oncoming motor vehicle, or a stationary object off the road, do your best to strike with a side collision or glancing collision, rather than head-on. If you or a loved one has been involved in an automobile accident or, worse, if you have lost a loved one in a head-on automobile accident, know your legal rights. For a free consultation, call CGWC.

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AAA Says Auto Acccidents A Public Health Threat - Saturday, March 22, 2008



A new study by the American Automobile Association ranks Orlando 15th in the amount of money lost through traffic accidents. Nationally, the cost to society is $164 Billion in property damage, lost earnings, medical expenses, police and rescue costs, etc. According to this study, the cost to the tri-county area of Orange-Osceola-Seminole is $2.8 Billion.

According to this study by Cambridge Systematics, the cost of motor vehicle accidents nationwide is over $ 1,000 per person annually. These costs include expenses associated with medical, emergency, law enforcement services, as well as costs of property damage, lost productivity, and loss of quality of life. According to AAA's President, despite the fact that 43,000 people are killed each year in automobile accidents, it barely registers "a blip" in the minds of most Americans. He says it is time to recognize motor vehicle crashes as a genuine public health threat. "If there were two jumbo jets crashing each week, the government would ground all planes until we fixed the problem. Yet, we've come to accept this sort of death toll with car crashes," said President Darbelnet.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident of any kind, or worse, if a loved one has been killed in a motor vehicle accident, you need to have your legal rights protected and a prompt independent investigation of the accident by your own legal representative. Call CGWC for a free consultation.

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Central Florida Highways Can Be Deadly - Saturday, March 15, 2008

So far, 2008 is shaping up to be another deadly year on Central Florida roads. Orlando's 14th traffic fatality resulted from an accident on Interstate 4 Friday night. I-4 becomes more crowded and dangerous as Central Florida's population growth continues to strain the road system, law enforcement resources, and fatigued and stressed drivers in heavy traffic.

If you have been injured or a loved one killed in an automobile accident, CGWC for a free consultation about your legal rights against others involved in the automobile accident or your own insurance company.

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Buy Uninsured Motorist Coverage - Saturday, March 01, 2008

According to the Florida Progressive Coalition, there are an estimated 770,000 uninsured drivers in Florida. There are many more who have no-fault coverage to pay their driver's own medical bills but no liability coverage to pay for the medical bills, wage loss, and lifetime of pain and suffering caused when they injure others.

The chances are good that you'll be hit by an uninsured driver if you're involved in an accident in Florida because, contrary to popular belief, automobile liability insurance is not mandatory for the millions of family automobiles on the roads of Florida at this very moment. Consequently, a truly gigantic number of automobiles on the road have no liability insurance at all to cover your injuries. Some estimate that 1 in 4 Florida cars have no bodily injury liability coverage. Of the three that do have bodily injury liability coverage, most probably have policy limits of $ 50,000 or less. Given the cost of today's health care and wage losses from serious injuries, it's easy to see how an auto accident can put an entire family in peril quickly.

For this reason, it is important for you to elect to buy uninsured motorist coverage when you renew your automobile policy or buy a new one. Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage on your own car takes the place of the absent or inadequate liability insurance of the driver who causes an accident. With uninsured motorist coverage, you're covered, even if the other guy isn't. You can buy two kinds of UM coverage: stacking and non-stacking. Choose the "stacking" UM/UIM coverage if there are two or more cars in your household. That allows you to add the UM coverages together to increase your benefits when injured by an uninsured or underinsured driver.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile accident, call CGWC for a free consultation.

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Effect of FHP Shortage on Public Safety - Friday, February 08, 2008

It was recently reported that there are 200 vacant Florida Highway Patrol trooper positions statewide. In fact, at the time of the 70 car pile-up on Interstate 4 in Polk County, there were only two troopers patrolling Polk County, which is roughly the size of the entire state of Delaware. This shortage not only diminishes the physical presence of visible cruisers, but it also likely decreases the existing troopers abilities to adequately investigate accidents.

The physical presence of FHP troopers on the highways is the single most effective means of encouraging motorists compliance with speed limits, for example. Speed kills. We've all been driving on interstates and toll roads in Florida at the speed limit, only to be passed like we were sitting still. The faster a motorist is traveling, the less reaction time they have to respond to sudden dangers, like the fog and smoke that enveloped I-4 in Polk County.

Florida troopers are respected, dedicated, skilled, professionals. But lets face it. They are being asked to do the impossible. And investigation of accidents, particularly traffic deaths, which require time intensive and detailed investigation and coordination with other law enforcement arms, such as the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, are likely not getting the attention and detail necessary for adequate determination of the cause of accidents.

If you or a loved one are involved in an auto accident and the accident report doesn't adequately or accurately represent what occurred, you should know an accident report is generally not evidence in a civil lawsuit, as it merely represents the opinion of the investigating officer. It is the witnesses to the accident and the physical evidence at the scene that a jury is asked to assess when assigning fault for an accident. Some witnesses may not be listed on the accident report. Critical witnesses may have never even spoken to the investigating officer who is often pressed for time and perhaps even needed at yet another accident scene.

n the unfortunate event of an accident, the sooner you retain an attorney to investigate your accident independently, the less likely a poor investigation will harm your legal rights. So, don't wait to retain legal counsel. Time is precious and evidence disappears and the memory of witnesses grows stale. Call the experienced personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at CGWC if you are involved in an accident, and protect your legal rights.

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Florida Highway Patrol Faces Shortage of Troopers - Sunday, January 20, 2008

Frustrated by low wages and a shortage of troopers to bear the work load, many troopers are leaving their jobs with the Florida Highway Patrol for higher paying and less demanding jobs with other law enforcement agencies.

Many now wonder if the shortage of FHP officers is not a public safety concern. In fact, on the day of the tragic I-4 pile-up that involved about 75 vehicles and caused five deaths, only two troopers were on duty to patrol Polk County which is about the size of the entire state of Delaware.

According to the FHP's new director, the weather wasn't the only cause of the I-4 pile-up. Speeding motorists caused the accident. We all know what it's like to be on any interstate highway in Florida while trying to drive within the speed limit. You feel as if you'll be run over by automobiles, SUV's and tractor trailers passing you as if you are sitting still. People speed in large part because of the lack of a physical presence of law enforcement. This must be corrected.

The fewer troopers there are to enforce the law, the more people will die in avoidable accidents as a result of reckless speeders. There are almost 200 vacancies with the FHP right now statewide. Unless wages are increased, it may get worse. Do your part. Don't speed just because there's no one to stop you and give you a citation.

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More Details Come To Light in I-4 Pileup - Wednesday, January 16, 2008

As more details come to light about the devastating pileups on I-4 involving 70 vehicles, including scores of passenger vehicles and dozens of heavy trucks, a fifth person died from injuries sustained in a related crash on the highway. The man was one of several construction workers traveling to a job site in two minivans when they encountered the dense fog and smoke on I-4 and got caught in a pileup. The minivans were crushed by the impacts of multiple vehicles, including a tractor-trailer truck. Several of the men suffered severe injuries to their backs, shoulders, and faces, but one suffered a severe brain injury and had to be put on life support. He slipped into a coma and then died.

Here's how the crash happened. At 10 am on January 8, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission lit a controlled burn. In the dry conditions of the day, the fire got out of control, and though firefighters were called to the scene and fought courageously, one of them suffering second-degree burns to his arms and face, the blaze has engulfed over 500 acres by that night. At this point, the Florida Highway Patrol is notified of the smoke danger, and promises to close the road if necessary. Although by 2 am visibility drops to only a quarter-mile and stays there until after 8 am, the FHP only puts out smoke warning signs. In the county, there were only two deputies able to respond to crashes and monitor the fog conditions, and both were called to crashes, unable to make the decision to close the road. The first crash occurs at 4:30 am, and the first police officer on the scene at 4:54 am is caught in the accident as it unfolds. By 5:07, state troopers close the highway, but by then there were over 10 pileups involving 70 vehicles, with five fatalities and nearly 40 injuries, not to mention the extensive damage to property.

Questions remain about how the fire was allowed to rage so much out of control, and why the decision to close the road was left as a secondary concern to two deputies with many other pressing issues to attend. The leading edge of the crash is suspiciously thick with semi trucks that were either the cause of the crash or plowed through other vehicles in the wreck, leading one to wonder whether the accident might have been avoided if truckers had responded to the condition appropriately. If you or a loved one were involved in this or any other automobile accident, call the experienced auto accident attorneys at CGWC for a free consultation.

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Massive Pileup turns I-4 into Highway of Death - Wednesday, January 09, 2008



Today, fog and smoke along Interstate 4, 12 miles west of Highway 27 set the stage for a 50-car pileup that has left at least three people dead, seven in serious condition, and several more trapped in their cars amid burning wreckage. When the smoke from a controlled burn drifted across the highway this morning, it combined with the fog off the cool, damp earth, reducing visibility. It is unclear how the crash started, but once it began, it continued, with over 20 tractor-trailer trucks and dozens of passenger vehicles heaped up.

Circling traffic helicopters could see the twisted metal and burning wrecks through the smoke, a thick black column rising from the crash. The fires gave the fog and smoke a hellish glow in the predawn darkness and early morning light. One reporter said, "I've never seen anything like this before. I'm at a loss for words." Polk County Sherriffs have declared the crash site too dangerous to approach by car, so sheriffs are making their way by foot to render aid and assess damages.

If you were involved in this terrible accident or had a loved one involved, call the experienced auto accident attorneys at CGWC.

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Motor Vehicle No Fault Back In Effect - Friday, January 04, 2008

Effective January 1, 2008 Florida drivers must again have personal injury protection insurance on their automobiles registered for operation in the Sunshine State. The Florida Legislature acted last year to restore the coverage which had expire in October 2007 after decades as a legal requirement for all Florida motorists.

Florida PIP coverage provides insurance benefits that cover 80% of the automobile owners medical expenses and 60% of the automobile owners wage loss sustained as a result of an auto accident, regardless of fault, up to $ 10,000. The coverage also applies to passengers and relatives of the insured owner's household. Failure to carry this insurance can result in suspension of an owner's driver's license or vehicle registration.

If you are injured in an automobile accident and have questions about your legal rights, call the experienced auto accident attorneys at CGWC for a free consultation.

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New Year's Eve Safety Tips - Saturday, December 29, 2007

New Year's Eve concludes the year-end holiday season. Unfortunately, due to carelessness and intoxication, a deadly end awaits all too many revelers every New Year's Eve. Automobile accidents are a leading cause of death any day in the U.S.A., but on New Year's Eve, the chances of being killed in an automobile accident are higher than most times of the year. As with any other day of the year, there are ways to decrease the chances that you will be a victim.

  1. Designate a driver: Whether you arrange for a cab or limousine, or assign the task to a friend who promises not to drink, designate a sober driver BEFORE you take to the streets on New Year's Eve.
  2. Avoid driving: If possible, arrange an evening that doesn't require you to drive. The safest place on New Year's Eve could be your own home, a hotel, a resort, or some other place where you can rest in bed after the party without having to drive anywhere.
  3. Be aware of your surroundings: Watch for erratic driving or other dangerous or reckless behavior by others. Pay attention and recognize dangerous situations, so you can prevent an accident or take evasive action.
  4. Look out for others: Don't let friends drive drunk. Remind them that they could hurt someone else if they drink and drive, or act irresponsibly or unsafely.
  5. Travel in groups: Especially for women on the town alone, it is always safer to travel in groups. Groups who set out with safety first on their minds are more likely to keep each other on a safe path all evening. And for the ladies, traveling in groups decreases the chances that they will be a victim of a sexual assault.
From all of us at CGWC, have a SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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Holiday Roads More Dangerous This Year - Saturday, December 22, 2007

Holiday traffic increases the risk of injury or death during a season that should be filled with happiness, love, and peace. Indeed, anytime of year, automobile accidents are the number one cause of death for Americans 5 years of age to 27 years of age.

The holiday weekend has already gotten off to a deadly start in Orange County, Florida with three people killed in two separate automobile accidents on state road 520 in East Orange County and on State Road 50 in West Orange County. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the Christmas-New Year holiday season is the deadliest for Florida motorists. Last year, 69 people were killed in 60 motor vehicle accidents statewide. This year could be worse. According to the American Automobile Association, about 3 million people are expected to drive on Florida highways.

The staggering loss of life and limb from automobile accidents in America can only be described as a public health crisis. According to the United States Department of Transportation and the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration studies over the last 15 years, motor vehicle accidents account for around 40,000 deaths each year in the U.S. and an additional 3-4 million injuries annually.

When you take to the streets this holiday season, take special care. Make sure your car is in safe operating condition, including especially your brakes and tires. And take your time. You'll get there when you get there. Being stressed and in a hurry won't get you where you're going any sooner and may not get you there at all. From all of us at CGWC, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Season's Greetings. Have a safe and wonderful holiday.

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Should Florida Ban Cell Phone Use While Driving? - Friday, November 30, 2007

Senator Carey Baker has proposed a bill banning cell phone use while driving for drivers under 18 years of age. Seventeen other states have similar bans, so there is a chance he will get what he wants. Getting teenage drivers to stop talking on their cellphones while driving makes good sense. Studies indicate that inexperienced drivers are the most easily distracted. While the bill doesn't specifically ban text messaging, keeping cell phones out of young drivers' hands will take away the means of text messaging while driving, which is more dangerous than simply talking while driving.

The bill should not stop there. The bill should be expanded to ban cell phone use by all drivers. At a bare minimum, it should be illegal for anyone of any age to text while driving. Banning cell phone use while driving is certainly a nationwide trend. Other states, like New York, have already banned cell phone use while driving for all drivers of any age. Why not Florida?

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Holidays Risky On Roadways - Tuesday, November 20, 2007

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles, there were over one quarter million automobile accidents in Florida in 2006. There were over 3,000 deaths, and there were over 200,000 injuries.

There's no question about it. Whether you realize it or not, perhaps the most dangerous thing you do every day is get behind the wheel of your automobile. That's just on ordinary days. With elevated levels of traffic, the holiday seasons are even more dangerous than the average day. Drivers are distracted, their attention directed to joyous times with family and friends. As you take to the highways this Thanksgiving holiday week, remember how dangerous driving in Florida can be. Pay attention, and arrive alive.

Be thankful this season for all the blessings life has given you and your family. Especially your good health. CGWC wishes you and your family a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving!

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Be Careful Out There - Sunday, October 28, 2007

Whether you are driving your personal car, riding your motorcycle, bicycling, or walking your dog on a city street, there is no denying the fact that Florida roadways are dangerous. In 2006, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were over 250,000 traffic accidents in Florida involving over 350,000 drivers. That was an average of over 700 automobile accidents per day! There were over 3,300 deaths and over 214,000 injuries in those accidents. Over 7,700 pedestrians were injured and over 500 pedestrians were killed. Over 4,200 bicyclists were injured and over 120 were killed. Over 7,900 motorcyclists were injured and over 500 motorcyclists were killed. These aren't just statistics. These are human beings. Fathers, mothers, children, grandparents, and friends, from all walks of life. Lives changed in the blink of an eye. So, be careful out there and don't become another addition to these awful statistics. If you are injured, contact the experienced automobile accident attorneys at CGWC.

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New Florida Motor Vehicle No Fault Law - Sunday, October 07, 2007

On January 1, 2008, Florida's no-fault automobile insurance law will be back. On Friday the Florida Legislature submitted which re-enacts a version of the decades old Florida Motor Vehicle No Fault Law. The new law renews many of the old provisions Florida drivers are accustomed to, such as $ 10,000 in medical and wage loss benefits, known as personal injury protection (PIP) benefits which are available to an injured driver (and his/her passengers) from his own insurance company regardless of fault. Under the new law, physicians are generally limited to payments on a fee schedule that is 200% of Medicare's rates. Hospitals emergency rooms can be paid 75% of their bill. In order for clinics to be paid, they must be owned by physicians or specialists.

For the next three months, however, no "no-fault" coverage is required. Drivers should either choose an insurance company that is offering voluntary "no fault" coverage if renewing a policy before January 1, 2008, or they should buy a policy with plenty of medical payments coverage, a voluntary medical benefit that has been on the market for decades for an additional premium. Governor Crist is expected to sign the new bill into law this week.

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Running Red Lights - Thursday, September 20, 2007

According to the Fatalities Analysis Reporting System (FARS), there are more than 1.8 million car crashes at intersections each year. Nationwide in 2004, over 900 people were killed and another 168,000 injured as a result of careless drivers running redlights. In Orange County, Florida alone in 2005, there were 622 automobile accidents caused by running redlights. Another 108 auto accidents were caused by running redlights in Seminole County, and another 72 occurred in Osceola County.

Orange County recently conducted a study of the five busiest intersections in the area. This study showed that more than 11,000 drivers ran redlights at these five intersections IN ONE SINGLE DAY!!! The City of Orlando set up a camera at a Hiawassee Avenue intersection recently and photographed over 7,500 incidents in the nine months between November 2005 and August 2006. Orange County is considering using automated enforcement, i.e. cameras at intersections, to issue citations in an effort to reduce accidents at intersections. The City of Orlando recently enacted an ordinance allowing fines to be levied for running redlights based upon automated camera enforcement. The City of Apopka has also recently passed an ordinance authorizing the use of cameras to fine drivers who run redlights.

You can help improve traffic safety in Central Florida by obeying all traffic laws and driving safely and attentively. Wear your seatbelt, obey traffic laws, don't talk on the phone or text while driving, and pay attention. If you want to get involved in helping make Central Florida roadways safer, visit MetroPlanOrlando for more information.

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Auto Accidents Cause More Deaths Than Natural Disasters - Sunday, September 09, 2007

According to the Disaster Center traffic data analysis, automobile accidents account for more deaths than all natural disasters combined. Your chance of being injured in a motor vehicle accident in the U.S. are more than one in a thousand each year. Males are twice as likely as females to die in auto accidents, but females are more likely to be injured in an accident. The most dangerous ages for auto accident fatalities and injuries are between 16 and 24. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in an automobile accident, you need an experience and skilled team of personal injury attorneys to navigate the complex legal and health care systems that will determine your physical and financial recovery from the accident.

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Avoiding Automobile Accidents - Saturday, August 25, 2007

About every 12 minutes in America, someone dies in a fatal automobile accident. Florida roadways are some of the most crowded in the country, making them some of the most dangerous in the country. In addition, Florida roads attract visitors from other states and countries. These visitors are often unfamiliar with the roads, further increasing the risk of a serious automobile accident.

Accidents happen, despite the best efforts of many drivers. Try your best to remain safe on the road:
  • Don't let yourself be distracted;
  • Be alert to driving and your surroundings;
  • Don't use a cell phone or other electronic communication device while driving;
  • Get plenty of rest and don't drive when you're tired;
  • Keep you car maintained, including especially your tires and brakes;
  • Plan your trips, and know where you're going;
  • Wear your seatbelt;
  • And of course, don't drink and drive.
If you or a family members are involved in an automobile, truck, pedestrian, bicycle, or motorcycle accident, contact CGWC for a free consultation about your legal rights.

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Ford Recalls 3.6 Million Vehicles - Saturday, August 04, 2007


On Friday, Ford Motor Company announced a recall of about 3.6 million passenger cars, trucks, vans and suv's due to defects in cruise control switches that has led to previous recalls related to fires. Ford says it was responding to safety concerns of its customers and questions about the speed control deactivation switch in the vehicles. Ford had previously recalled 6 million vehicles in 2005 due to fires linked to the cruise control systems.

Owners with questions about the recall and whether their vehicles are involved can call Ford at (888) 222-2751. In addition, Ford says it will start calling customers on August 13, 2007. The recall involves Ranger pickups, Lincoln Town Cars, Crown Victorias, Ford Explorer models, some F-series trucks, and several other Ford models.

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Motor Vehicle Responsibility Statute Enacted - More Reform Needed - Saturday, July 21, 2007

Last week Governor Crist took a meaningful first step toward motor vehicle responsibility reform in Florida by signing the Motor Vehicle Responsibility Act. This new statute requires drivers with convictions of driving under the influence (DUI) to purchase and maintain mandatory insurance coverage in order to drive legally. The coverage must include $100,000 in bodily injury liability coverage for the first injured person, $300,000 for two or more injured people, and $50,000 in property damage coverage.

This mandatory liability insurance coverage is a good first step to make those operating automobiles and trucks on our highways financially responsible for injuries to others, but more reform is needed. For example, the powerful car rental company lobby was able to convince the legislature a few years ago to enact a cap on its responsibility as owner of a vehicle it rents to $100,000. That statute should be repealed and the amount of liability limits increased. These car rental companies are billion dollar industries who put dangerous instrumentalities, motor vehicles, in the hands of out of state and foreign drivers who often have no insurance coverage of their own and who can often escape the jurisdiction against lawsuits brought by Florida residents they injure. Rental car companies should be held responsible for the use of their many vehicles, just like everyone else. Likewise, all motor vehicle owners should be required to have mandatory bodily injury liability coverage in an amount of at least $100,000. Florida does NOT require auto owners to have liability coverage for injury to others unless they are commercial business vehicle owners. This is wrong. If you are going to drive a car on Florida roads, you ought to have to have insurance to protect someone you injure in an accident that is your fault. It is only fair that people take personal responsibility for ownership of a motor vehicle they put on the roadways, including being required to buy insurance to protect anyone they injure in an accident.

We applaud Governor Crist for enacting this law, but more reform is needed to make motor vehicle owners and operators fully accountable for any injury or damages they cause on Florida highways. It's not fair for the law to allow some to escape accountability and still have the privilege of operating, owning, or renting vehicles in our state.

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Burn Injuries - Sunday, July 15, 2007

Burn injuries create serious risks for its victims and can be some of the most painful and feared forms of injury. Burn injuries can result from a variety of accidents, including fires, faulty products such as hot water heaters or electrical devices, flammable products, products with inadequate flame retardation qualities, motor vehicle accidents, and aircraft accidents.

First degree burns are the least severe and typically only involve the epidermis or first layer of skin tissue. Second degree burns involve the dermis or second layer of skin tissue, sometimes involving nerve injuries. Third degree burns involve charring of the outer and deep tissues resulting in hard leather like eschar or dead tissue and implicate destruction of nerve endings. Burns that involve damage to body tissue underneath the skin, such as muscle tissues or bone are sometimes classified at fourth degree burns. Fourth degree burns involve irretrievable skin loss. Fifth degree burns involve irretrievable muscle loss, and sixth degree burns involve charred bone.

Serious burn injuries are expensive to treat, painful for the victim, and often involve complex medical legal issues for the victim and the victim's family. An attorney experienced in litigation of burn injuries can help families survive the complicated legal and emotional challenges ahead of them.

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Keeping Your Teen Driver Safe - Thursday, July 12, 2007

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) auto accidents are the leading cause of death for U.S. teenagers. Car accidents account for 36% of all teen deaths! Per mile driven, teen drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 are four times more likely than older drivers to have an accident. But the CDC does report that there are ways to make teen drivers safer.
For example, training teens to drive through Graduated Drivers Licensing systems has been proven to significantly reduce accidents involving teenage drivers. These programs gradually introduce new teens to driving experience by starting with low risk condition, requiring learners permits initially, requiring supervised driving for a time, restricting nighttime driving, and progressing gradually to higher risk driving conditions under both supervised and unsupervised conditions. Training teens to avoid driving while distracted by passengers, cell phones, conversation, etc. is of paramount importance, as well. For more information and tips, visit the CDC website and the National Safety Council's website. The National Institute for Highway Safety also has an excellent video on the dangerous teen driving years that is worth buying and watching in an effort to keep your teen safe behind the wheel.

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Pope Issues 10 Commandments For Drivers - Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Yesterday the Vatican relased the "Drivers Ten Commandments" warning drivers about the dangers of everything from road rage to using cars for prostitution. The "Guidelines for the Pastoral Care of the Road" which contains the "Driver's Ten Commandments" also urges motorists to help accident victims.
The motivation for these guidelines was the 1.2 million people who die each year on roads, according to Cardinal Renato Martino in a press conference from Rome. The Cardinal said, "That's a sad reality, and at the same time, a great challenge for society and the church."
The "Guidelines For The Pastoral Care of The Road" lists the "Driver's Ten Commandments" as follows:
  1. You shalt not kill.
  2. The roads shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
  3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
  4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially accident victims.
  5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
  6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
  7. Support the families of accident victims.
  8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
  9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
  10. Feel responsible toward others.

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Negligent Driving More Dangerous Than Drunk Driving? - Sunday, June 17, 2007

According to NegligentDriving.com, a consumer information site hosted by representatives in the restaurant industry, negligent driving is statistically more dangerous today than drunk driving! Both the total number of traffice fatalities and the rate of traffic fatalities have increased over the last 20 years while fatalities from drunk driving accidents have plummeted.
Traffic fatalities from accidents involving illegal blood alcohol content (BAC) dropped from about 55% in 1982 to less than 35% in 2005. Yet, traffic fatalities from accidents involving no alcohol increased from 40% in 1982 to over 60% in 2005. Why?
According to Negligent Driving the rate of highway deaths will only decrease when the dangers of negligent driving are taken more seriously, as drunk driving has been, by groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, law enforcement agencies, and state legislatures. Negligent driving includes such risky behavior as speeding, fatigued driving, and distracted driving.
Speeding, for example, is even glamourized by the sports industry, commercials and films, and even has a cable channel as a namesake. The public gives almost no thought to the dangers of speeding and motorists routinely drive at 10, 15 or even 20 mph over the speed limit without a second thought. Yet, speeding accounted for 30% of all traffic fatalities in 2005. Driving 10 mph faster than surrounding traffic is like driving with a .09% BAC. Driving 15 mph faster than surrounding traffic is like driving with a .12% BAC, and driving 20 mph faster is like having a .14% BAC.
Distracted driving, like driving while talking on a cellular telephone, text messaging, fixing your hair, putting on make-up, reading, writing, talking or listening to music, has become an everyday activity for most commuters. Distracted driving is the number one killer of American teens. Brain power used while driving decreases by 40% when a driver is listening to a conversation or music. It is estimated that a million people a day drive while emailing or text messaging. Drivers talking on cell phones are more impaired than drivers at a .08 BAC.
Think about all of this when you take to the highways this summer. If you're multi-tasking while driving, you may be more dangerous than a drunk driver. Drive safely, and pay attention to the task at hand.

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Alcohol Related Traffic Fatalities At Highest Rate Since 1992 - Saturday, May 26, 2007

Statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that alcohol related traffic fatalities are at their highest total number since 1992. Preliminary data from the NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) indicate there were 17,941 alcohol related traffic accident deaths in 2006, up 2.4% from 2005. Mothers Against Drunk Driving is calling for legislative hearings and a plan of action to eliminate drunk driving on American highways and city streets. In addition to more aggressive law enforcement, MADD is seeking enforcement of the law through technology, such as legislation mandating alcohol ingition interlocks for all convicted drunk drivers, as well as exploring other advanced vehicle based techology to prevent drunk driving.

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Extension of Florida Motor Vehicle No Fault Law Sought - Friday, May 25, 2007

Florida House of Representatives Democrats are seeking to include consideration of an extension of the Florida Motor Vehcile No Fault Law in the summer special legislative session. The "No Fault" law requires automobile insurance companies to include in all automobile insurance policies, required of car owners in Florida, $ 10,000 in property damagea coverage and $ 10,000 in "personal injury protection" coverage that covers medical bills and wage loss resulting from automobile accidents. The decades old law is set to expire October 1, 2007 unless extended by the legislature.
Democrats, along with most hospitals and other health care providers, are worried abou the economic impact of the expiration of the "No Fault" statute. Lawmakers supporting an extension of the "No Fault" law say that statistics show that 40% of accident victims treated in emergency rooms and trauma centers have no health insurance coverage other than the benefits provided by the "Florida Motor Vehicle No Fault Law" which covers 80% of the medical expenses and 60% of the wage loss resulting from an automobile accident, up to a maximum of $ 10,000. Many policies provide additional medical benefits, known as medical payments coverage, up to as much as $ 50,000 over and above the "PIP" or personal injury protection benefits mandated by the "No Fault Law".
Hospital lobbyists, particularly, would like to see an extension of the law. They say that hospitals will end up with "pennies on the dollar" being paid on bills that would have otherwise been covered by "no fault" policies. Instead, Medicaid and group health insurance would pay substantially reduced rates. Or worse, the bills would be unpaid, resulting in hospitals being forced to sue victims personally for unpaid auto accident related bills.

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Chamber of Commerce Misrepresents "Lawsuit Abuse" - Saturday, May 19, 2007

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been airing a television advertisement claiming that "lawsuit abuse" costs American families $ 3,500 per year. According to FactCheck.Org the Chamber of Commerce claim is simply untrue. The figure actually represents the cost of ALL lawsuits, not just "abusive" lawsuits. Even the study's author says the Chamber is misleading the public in quoting that statistic. The study even specifically warns against drawing conclusions about the costs and benefits of the judicial system and says the benefits of our system of justice could outweigh ANY costs.
The Chamber of Commerce not only ignores the truth and warnings in the study, it also twists the facts. Perhaps most important of all, the U.S. Chamber completely ignores the fact that the study also estimated the cost of ALL lawsuits to be at the lowest level in ten (10) years! So, the truth is that this study does not in any way support the claims of "lawsuit abuse" touted by the Chamber of Commerce year after year.
Most lawsuits are not even "tort" or "injury" related, and are not only not "abusive" but perfectly just claims for debts owed, foreclosures, breaches of contracts, and other wrongs for which citizens are seeking justice. Obviously, members of chambers of commerce all over America avail themselves of courtrooms every day in business against business litigation.
Moreover, politicians who pander to their big business constituents like insurance companies and the health care industry by demanding damage caps and other legislative measures to curb "lawsuit abuse", often use courtrooms to seek justice for their own families injured by the negligence of others. For example, Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania has lobbied for "lawsuit reform" for years, yet he and his wife sued a chiropractor for more than the damage caps he sought for his well funded constituency. Tom Delay and his siblings sued a product manufacturer for the death of their father despite aggressively promoting tort reform for years thereafter. Trent Lott professed over and over that lawsuits were destroying American businesses and tort reform was needed, yet he and his family sued State Farm, their homeowners insurance company, for refusing to pay for damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. Apparently, lawsuits are frivolous to politicians only when it's not them making the claim.
Legitimate lawsuits for injuries or the death of a loved one are not "law suit abuse." What is abusive is the Chamber of Commerce suggesting it is wrong to seek legal help when you have been seriously injured or disabled by the negligence of a business or its employee, or when your loved one has been killed because of the carelessness of some company out to make a buck.

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Don't Text And Drive - Sunday, May 13, 2007

Last week the Governor of Washington signed the first law making it illegal to "drive while texting" on a telephone, PDA, Blackberry or similar device. The Governor likened it to driving while reading a newspaper. Florida does not yet have a similar law, but certain television equipment and headphones are prohibited while driving on Florida roads.
Indeed, distracted drivers account for a high percentage of accidents on American roadways. Work and family pressures cause all of us to "multi-task" in order to meet all our business and personal obligations. Whether or not a law is on the books prohibiting texting while driving, each of us has an obligation to use reasonable care while driving our cars, trucks, and other motor vehicles on urban streets and rural highways. Before you pick up your cellphone, your Blackberry, or your PDA, when behind the wheel, always ask yourself, "Can't this wait until I'm safely stopped?" Don't text and drive!

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Verdict of $ 410,687 For Accident Victim - Saturday, May 12, 2007

After a jury trial CGWC attorneys Melvin B. Wright and Ronald S. Gilbert recently obtained a verdict of $ 410,687 from a jury in Osceola County for a 61 year old client. The former drywall repairman had no symptoms from the arthritis in his neck and low back before being rearended by a dump truck on U.S. Highway 192 in Kissimmee. The insurance company for the dumptruck owner and operator had only offered $ 60,000. And that was not offered until the trial started.

CGWC is proud of the result, but mostly, we are happy this client was fortunate enough to be compensated for his injuries. So many times, jurors are swayed more by the millions of dollars spent over the last two decades by the insurance and health care industries to invoke negative images of attorneys and disparage injury claimants and their lawyers with the specific purpose of poisoning potential jurors against injured victims. Too often, before hearing any evidence at all, jurors think there's "something fishy" just because a person is making a claim for being injured. This is because the public has been conditioned, or poisoned, by many years of an organized multi-million dollar public relations campaign to discredit injury victims and their attorneys.
Thankfully, this jury of Osceola County citizens did their sworn duty and heard the evidence with open and unbiased minds. As a result, they did justice.

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Motor Vehicle No Fault Law Likely To Expire - Saturday, May 05, 2007

About 36 years ago, Florida became the second state in the country to enact a motor vehicle no fault law which required all drivers to buy insurance coverage providing certain minimum protection from medical and wage loss resulting from an accident. Enacted in 1971, the current law requires all automobile insurance policies to provide $ 10,000 in medical and wage loss benefits, regardless of whether the policy holder was at fault for the accident. The law is set to expire in October of this year. In exchange for being required to provide this mandatory coverage, auto insurers were given protection, as well. This was another provision of the law that required proving a permanent injury before any injured person could recover money for pain and suffering against a driver with Florida No Fault coverage.

Florida legislators appear to be unable to reach an agreement extending the no fault law or devising a new law. So, unless something happens in a special session this summer, the 36 year old Florida Motor Vehicle No Fault Law will expire in October of this year. This means that auto insurers won't be required to provide those minimum levels of insurance. They will likely provide similar coverage voluntarily, but the coverage will also likely come with contractual restrictions that will probably not be in the best interests of the consumers and their doctors. That remains to be seen, but one can certainly expect insurers to include restrictions on such coverage that, until now, would have been illegal. It also means that accident victims won't have to prove that they sustained a permanent injury in order to recover money damages in court for pain and suffering from drivers at fault for an accident.

Without the "personal injury protection" benefits of the old no fault law, Florida hospitals and doctors who treat patients in emergency situations following auto accidents may be left unpaid or resorting to taxpayers, through the state Medicaid program, to satisfy unpaid debts for this care. In addition, those injured in auto accidents will have to pay out of their own pockets for follow up medical care or resort to their own health insurance, if they are lucky enough to be insured by an employer or private health insurance company. For most, wage losses will go uncompensated unless the injured person is fortunate enough to be covered by some kind of short or long term disability insurance, either private or through an employer benefit plan.

What this means to the consumer is that hiring an experienced and competent attorney early will be critical to minimizing the losses to the family of anyone injured in an accident. Medical expenses and wage loss, as well as intangible damages like pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, mental anguish, permanent disability and disfigurement, will have to be recovered from either the driver at fault and his insurer or the injured person's own uninsured motorist coverage. Given that about one in three drivers have no liability insurance coverage, uninsured motorist coverage may become more important that ever. Yet, insurers are not required to include that coverage in policies and some even encourage consumers to reject the coverage in writing, without truly explaining how important UM coverage can be.

If the Florida Legislature doesn't enact some special laws extending or modifying the no fault law this summer, consumers of automobile insurance in Florida will need to be very careful when buying automobile insurance in the coming years. They will need to be careful not to buy coverage that includes restrictions on their legal rights and their basic human right to adequate and appropriate health care. They will need to be careful to buy valuable protection, like uninsured motorist coverage, to protect against being injured by the often uninsured drivers on Florida roadways. If you are renewing your automobile insurance after the Florida Motor Vehicle No Fault Law expires and are concerned about what your insurer is offering you in place of the mandatory coverage required in policies for the last 36 years, call CGWC and ask for a free consultation about automobile insurance in Florida.

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Traumatic Brain Injuries A Silent Epidemic - Friday, March 16, 2007

Traumatic brain injury has become a signature wound of Iraq War veterans and has garnered more public and medical attention as a result. But TBI from automobile accidents, construction accidents, falls, and other personal injury incidents is called a "silent epidemic" by some experts.
Advances in body armor and emergency medical care on the battlefield have allowed soldiers to survive bomb blasts that would have likely proven fatal in past wartimes. Yet, these brave survivors have been left with devastating brain injuries. The tragic brain injury of ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff brought TBI into American living rooms when his story of his recovery from a TBI caused by a roadside blast while reporting from Iraq was broadcast in agonizing detail.

Most cases of TBI occur far away from any war zones on American highways and streets, construction sites, and other areas where mishaps occur too often. More than 40% of traumatic brain injuries occur as a result of automobile accidents. Advances in car safety, like seatbelts, airbags, and motorcycle helmets, allow more motorists to survive traffic accidents, but they often live the rest of their lives with badly wounded brains, much like their heroic counterparts on the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan.

TBI can do significant damage without visible signs of trauma. In fact, experts say that significant brain damage can occur even when there is no visible sign of head injury and even when a brain scan comes back as normal. Consequently, injuries are often dismissed early in treatment as mere bumps on the head or resolved concussions. Countless victims of TBI look fine on the outside, but they will never be the same on the inside, suffering from disparate symptoms like short term and long term memory loss, impaired judgment, attention deficit, speech problems, and behavioral and personality changes. Experts believe that much of the damage in cases of TBI occur when the brain's soft and delicate tissue collides with the hard interior walls of the skull, sometimes stretching and ripping nerve fibers during the sudden accelerations or decelerations that occur in seemingly routine traffic accidents or falls. These tiny tears can lead to cell death days after the original injury, and those cells that don't die may never function properly again.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 5.3 million people in the U.S. are living with disabilities due to TBI. Each year, about 1.4 million suffer a traumatic brain injury. That's more Americans than suffer from heart attacks annually. If you or a loved one have sustained injuries in an accident that have left symptoms of TBI, it is important that you consult with physicians well-versed in recognizing and treating closed head or traumatic brain injury patients. Likewise, if someone was responsible for the injury, it is important to choose a law firm experienced in handling cases involving TBI or closed head injuries.

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Truck Safety Groups Call For Reform - Thursday, March 15, 2007

On Monday, a coalition of trucking safety groups called for reform to make America's highways safer from large truck accidents. Over 100 people a week are killed in large truck accidents on U.S. highways. According to the Truck Safety Coalition, a partnership between the Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH) Foundation and Parents Against Tired Truckers (P.A.T.T.) dedicated to reducing the number of deaths and injuries from big truck accidents, there has been an increase in deaths from large truck accidents over the last several years. In 2003, there were 5,036 fatalities. In 2004, the number of deaths increased to 5,190, and in 2005, the number of deaths increased again to 5,212.

According to spokespersons for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the effort at truck safety by government officials pales when compared with federal regulation of food safety, for example. While only about 61 people die from e. coli infections each year, and the federal government uses every resource available to stop the public health threat of contaminated food products, little is done to make Americans safer from big rig accidents. The number killed from e. coli infections each year is the equivalent of a mere four day death toll from truck accidents. Unsafe big rigs kill and maim tens of thousands of people each year because truckers are allowed and even encouraged to drive long hours under unsafe conditions. The federal government's Motor Carrier Safety Administration's response has been indifference since its creation in 1999. In fact, the Motor Carrier Safety Administration has increased the number of hours a driver can operate a truck by 28% since 2003, up to as much as 88 hours over 8 days!

According to CRASH, the Motor Carrier Safety Administration has failed miserably, shortchanging public safety for the productivity and economic interests of the trucking industry. When the agency was created, about 5,380 people died in big rig crashes, and that figure has barely budged over the past six years. There were about 5,212 deaths in big truck crashes in 2005, as well as an additional 114,000 injured. And while large trucks account for 3% of registered vehicles, 12 to 13% of traffic deaths involved big trucks.

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Tractor Trailer Underride Cases Often Overlooked - Saturday, February 24, 2007

Accidents involving tractor trailers involve many potential legal issues that are often overlooked by attorneys representing victims and their families. Issues such as the lack of compliance with federal motor carrier regulations designed to protect the public from fatigued drivers, excessive and unsafe payloads, poor truck or trailer maintenance, etc.

Likewise, families are often unaware that injuries or death may have been avoided by underride protection. Many large tractor trailers are almost, but not quite, high enough for a typical passenger car to pass under the trailer. When a collision occurs, this can result in the top half of a vehicle, and the occupants' upper bodies and heads, colliding with the trailer while the bottom half of the car rides under the trailer. Neither seatbelts nor airbags are of much use in preventing serious injury or death in such accidents. The front of the car doesn't collide with any portion of the trailer and the impact is absorbed by the windshield and an occupant's heads and upper torso.

While there are no federal regulations requiring installation of underride guards to design against the consequences of an underride accident, manufacturers and distributors of trailers are not free of the responsibility to sell a reasonably safe product. By failing to design trailers with underride protection, the sellers are placing defective and unreasonably dangerous products on U.S. highways. In Texas, a jury recently awarded $ 38.5 million for designing a truck without underride protection when one woman was killed and another sustained brain injuries in such an accident. Neither the jury nor the court allowed the manufacturer to evade liability by hiding behind the lack of government regulations requiring underride guards.

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Teenage Drivers Often Distracted - Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Recently, a national survey of teenage drivers revealed what teens do when driving, suggesting that distractions often cause accidents and, regrettably, tragic consequences for their families. While about 90% of teens say they don't drink and drive, 9 out of 10 admit they've seen passengers distracting the driver or drivers using cell phone. Many admit they don't always wear their safety belts.

Due to peer pressure and desire for social acceptance, teens don't want to be seen as uncool by telling friends to buckle up or sit back and quit distracting the teen driver. In addition, teens see adults, including their parents, drive while engaged in cell phone calls, putting on makeup or eating, routinely.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 7,500 teenagers were involved in fatal automobile accidents in 2005. Speeding is more common than substance abuse as a contributing cause of these accidents, and about 70% of these motor vehicle accidents involve teens who are either fatigued or in highly emotional states for some reason. In other words, they're distracted from driving.

Teenage drivers are involved in 6,000 to 8,000 auto accidents annually, about 4 times the rate for older drivers. Driver distraction is a contributing cause in many such accidents.

Teen drivers need to be educated to this fact and the fact that safe driving doesn't stop with designating a driver who won't drink that evening. They must also pay attention and avoid distractions in order to avoid tragedy. One website dedicated to educating teenage drivers to the dangers of driving while distracted is Journey Safe, which admonishes teen drivers to buckle up, turn off their phones, turn down the music, and drive safely.

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Auto Insurers Play Hardball - Wednesday, February 14, 2007

According to an investigative report by CNN, auto insurers play hardball in defending minor automobile accident claims, regardless of the severity of the injuries claimed and even if the accident was clearly the fault of their policyholder.

CNN reviewed more than 6,000 documents and court records and interviewed former insurance company employees and accident victims to find that the message from auto insurers is crystal clear in so-called MIST (minor impact soft tissue injury) cases. If you challenge them, you will be left with no option but to go to court and they will drag you through the wringer. In an affidavit in a New Mexico lawsuit, one of the insurance companies' former employees testified that the strategy is to drive lawyers out of these cases by making the process so time-consuming and so expensive, that lawyers will start choosing to turn such clients away.

While the insurance companies are engaged in an orchestrated effort to make it appear to the public that the victims are trying to defraud insurers, CNN says it is profit, not fraud, that motivates insurers to play hardball on these cases. According to former Allstate and State Farm employee Jim Mathis, "The profits are good, and as long as the community, the public, allows this to occur, the insurance companies will get richer and people...will not get a fair and reasonable settlement."

Trials are risky business and many many completely legitimate MIST claims are lost at trial as a result of these hardball tactics. Make sure your attorney has experience taking cases to trial and a reputation that the insurance companies must consider when evaluating your claim.

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Truck Accidents Kill Or Injure Thousands In Florida - Saturday, January 27, 2007

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation there were 389 large trucks involved in fatal accidents in 2005 in the State of Florida. These truck accidents resulted in 406 deaths. There were over 4,500 large trucks involved in non-fatal Florida truck accidents. About 3,000 large truck accidents resulted in injuries in Florida, and almost 5200 people were injured in those Florida truck accidents.

For those injured or the families of those who are killed in truck accidents, choosing an attorney experienced in litigation against trucking companies is critical when seeking justice and compensation. The insuring arrangements, employment and lease contracts, trucking company policies and procedures, and federal and state trucking regulations governing the trucking industry are complex and confusing. An attorney's knowledge and experience in dealing with the trucking industry and its many varied forms is critical to successful resolution of personal injury and wrongful death claims in these tragic cases. Legal representation in a trucking accident requires far more skill and knowledge of the trucking industry and its standards and practices, than in a run of the mill automobile accident. Only a trained and experienced truck accident attorney can properly and thoroughly investigate a serious tractor trailer accident.

Be sure you have an attorney with real experience investigating and prosecuting trucking companies, drivers, and truck accidents if you or a loved one are involved in an accident with a tractor trailor or other large truck.

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Dangerous Way to Travel - Saturday, January 06, 2007

Every morning when you get in your car to go to work or take the kids to school, you are truly taking the lives of all your car's occupants in your own hands. If you believe this is an overstatement, consider this.

The first death from an automobile accident was documented in 1899. Since then, more than 30 million people worldwide have died in auto accidents.

Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 3 and 33, according to a recent study. On average, an automobile accident causes one death every 12 minutes on our streets and highways. In 2005, about 119 people died each day in auto accidents.

Think of these statistics each time you get behind the wheel. Consider them for a moment and think about how much you love your family. Then, pay attention, be careful, and drive defensively
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New Year Holiday Results In 15 Traffic Deaths - Friday, January 05, 2007

The Florida Highway Patrol released statistics of the 72 hour New Year Holiday weekend, and there were 15 death on Florida highways over the holiday period. Most were not alcohol related. This busy time of the year is one of the most dangerous times of the year to be on the road.

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New Year Holiday Traffic - Friday, December 29, 2006

In 2006 there were 29 traffic deaths over the New Year Holiday from December 31, 2005 to January 2, 2006. Seventeen percent (17%) were alcohol related. Twenty two involve careless driving, violation of right of way or speeding. Seventy one percent (71%) of those killed were not wearing seatbelts.

Do your part to make the 2007 New Year Holiday different. If you must drive over the New Year Holiday, drive safely, wear your seatbelt and don't drink and drive.

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Deadly Holiday Traffic - Wednesday, December 27, 2006

The Hannukah, Christmas and New Year Holiday Season should be a time for joy, happiness and fun. Far too often, holiday traffic has fatal consequences that ruin the season for crash victims forever. Distracted by the season's many activities, drivers in heavy traffic make split second decisions that too often prove fatal.

At least 13 people were killed in traffic crashes over this past Christmas weekend, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. And that number may increase if critically injured traverlers do not survive in the coming days.

Stay off the roads if you can during the holiday season. If you must drive, wear a seatbelt, and pay attention. And by all means, no drinking while driving. And that means NO drinking. Not even one. Driving while buzzed IS drunk driving.

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Work Zone Accidents On The Rise - Thursday, December 21, 2006

Over the last five years, more and more people are killed in automobile accidents in work zones. The number of deaths in motor vehicle crashes in work zones rose from 872 in 1999 to 1,028 in 2003 (an average of 1,020 fatalities per year).

Of those killed in work zones, 85% were drivers or vehicle occupants. About 15% of the deaths from auto accidents in work zones were pedestrians or bicyclists.

More than 40,000 people are injured each year in automobile accidents in work zones. Of the 1,028 deaths in work zones in 2003, about 230 involved large trucks.

About half of all fatal work zone accidents occurred during the day, and more than twice as many occurred on weekdays as on weekends.

Work zone safety involves more than alert motorists. Road contractors must also design detours and work zones to facilitate safe travel, both for motorists and workers.

Roadways keep America moving, and roads must be built and maintained to keep up with growth. But work zones can be death traps for unwary motorists. So slow down and drive safely in work zones.

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Bus Accidents Raise Unique Legal Issues - Saturday, December 16, 2006

Recently, a bus accident on I-75 north of Tampa resulted in the death of a bus passenger and serious injuries to several more. All were residents of a senior living community being transported by a bus operated by their active senior living community.

Bus travel is often a safe method of highway transportation for senior citizens whose physical limitations, such as vision and hearing loss, may make driving themselves more dangerous. But when bus accidents happen, unique legal issues arise. Issues such as whether state law required the use of passenger seatbelts, whether the bus owner owed a higher duty of care (as a "common carrier") to its passengers, whether the bus driver was properly trained and experienced before being placed behind the wheel, and whether the bus was properly maintained. In addition, in cases involving buses operated by nursing homes, assisted living facilities, active living communities, whether proper policies and procedures for the safe operation of passenger transportation services were developed and followed can involve complex legal analysis by attorneys with experience with such issues.

Concern about bus safety, particularly school bus safety, has raised the interest of the public and state legislators in recent years, leading to the enactment of new laws governing the operation of buses on public roads. Up to date knowledge of the laws applicable to bus transportation and bus safety is critical to the proper analysis of any injury claims or claims of wrongful death arising from any accidents involving buses.

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Relaxed Trucking Regulations Contribute to Deaths and Injuries - Saturday, December 09, 2006

Over the last several years, the Bush administration has rejected tighter standards on the trucking industry and instead reduced what the trucking industry and their lobbyists have viewed as cumbersome rules. Following intense lobbying by the powerful trucking industry, regulators in the last several years have rejected proposals to tighten drivers' hours and have instead relaxed the rules on how long truckers could be on the road. Government officials also turned down repeated requests by safety groups and insurers to require more rigorous training of new truck drivers.

By loosening standards, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was fulfilling President Bush's pledge to free the trucking industry of "cumbersome rules." In the last six years, the executive branch has embarked upon the boldest strategy of deregulation in a generation.

Even with restrictions on the number of hours a trucker can be on the road, it is an open secret in the trucking industry that truck drivers' logs are routinely falsified. Truckers commonly refer to their drivers' logs as "comic books." Even so, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has, with support from the White House over the last 6 years, eased rules on truckers work hours, rejected proposals to impose electronic monitoring to prevent widespread cheating on drivers' logs, and resisted calls for more rigorous training of truck drivers.

The death rate for accidents involving trucks is double the death rate for accidents involving only cars. The number of deaths each year from trucking accidents in the U.S. is the equivalent of 25 major airplane crashes annually.

There are approximately 5,000 deaths annually in truck related accidents on America's highways. Last year, there were approximately 114,000 injuries sustained in truck accidents.

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Rollover/Roof Crush Accidents - Wednesday, November 29, 2006

An all too common occurence is the rollover accident resulting in disabling and often paralyzing, if not fatal, injuries. Typically, sport utility vehicles (SUV's) that are already top heavy are the culprits for these injuries.
There are over 10,000 rollover deaths annually in the U.S. There are about 273,000 such accidents each year. Certain poorly designed vehicles are much more likely to cause these injuries than others. For example, the Ford Explorer is 53% more likely to roll over than other SUV's when faced with equipment failure.
Currently, the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration is reviewing public comments concerning a new proposed "roof crush" rule. The new rule would increase the current roof rush standard only slightly. In fact, the NHTSA did not even follow Congress' instructions to test both driver and passenger sides of the vehicle for structural integrity. The new rule would do nothing, as a practical matter, to increase consumer safety.
The NHTSA should promulgate a new rule that truly improves roof crush standards, follows Congress' mandate and improves public safety.
If you or a family member have been involved in a rollover accident, you should consult with an attorney experienced in handling these cases. Colling Gilbert Wright & Carter has handled these complex cases and has the experience to evaluate your case and determine if poor automotive design contributed in causing the accident or injuries.

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New Study Released On Preventing Backover Accidents - Sunday, November 26, 2006

Accidentally backing over pedestrians in parking lots or children in private driveways cause more deaths and injuries than you might expect. The number of backover accidents can be only roughly estimated since many occur on private property and are not recorded in State or Federal traffic crash databases. A combination of death certificate data and traffic crash data indicate that backover accidents involving all types of vehicles are estimated to cause at least 183 deaths each year. In addition, an additional 6,700 to 7,419 injuries result form backover accidents each year.
The National Highway and Traffice Safety Administration was required by Congress recently to conduct studies on potential electronic safety systems, such as back-up cameras and motion sensor systems, that might be used by manufacturers to help prevent these tragedies. The most promising of these are back-up camera devices. These devices are currently available for after market installation for only a few hundred dollars. If your vehicle has a blind spot that causes you concern when backing up, you may want to consider installing an after market backup camera, especially if you have small children. Blind spots are largest and most concerning in sport utility vehicles (SUV's) and other long wheel based vehicles.
Colling Gilbert Wright & Carter recently represented a victim of a backover accident, a young college student who was killed when she was backed over by a stretch limousine in a parking lot. A settlement of over 1 million dollars was secured for the parents of this promising young University of Central Florida student.
Until Congress requires SUV's, limousines, and other vehicles to have back-up cameras, motion sensors, or other safety devices to prevent backover accidents, please consider after market devices for your family's safety.

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Florida 2nd In Nation in Motor Vehicle Fatalities - Wednesday, November 08, 2006

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety statistics from 2005, Florida was second only to California in total motor vehicle crash deaths in 2005. There were about 40,000 fatal automobile accidents in the U.S.A. in 2005. In those accidents, about 43,000 deaths occurred. This means the national death rate in automobile accidents was 15 deaths per 100,000 people. Motor vehicle death rates varied from a low of 7 deaths per 100,000 people in Massachusetts and New York to a high of 33 deaths per 100,000 people in Wyoming. Florida was second in the nation in total deaths in motor vehicle crashes.

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Auto Accidents Are Nation's Leading Cause of Deaths and Injuries - Wednesday, October 18, 2006

According to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, there were over 6 Million police-reported automobile accidents in 2005. Almost 2.7 Million people were injured in these accidents. Well over 43,000 people lost their lives in these accidents.
On average, 119 persons died each day in motor vehicle accidents in 2005. That's about one every 12 minutes! Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 3 and 33.

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Speed Kills - Friday, October 13, 2006

On average, 1,000 Americans are killed every month in speed-related car accidents according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The young are particularly vulnerable. Of all drivers between the ages of 15 and 24 involved in fatal automobile accidents, 32% were speeding. Of drivers under the age of 21 involved in fatal accidents, 38% of the male and 24 % of the female drivers were speeding.
Exceeding the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions is one of the most prevalent factors contributing to traffic accidents. Speed is a factor in almost 1/3 of all fatal traffic accidents, and the probability of death, disfigurement, or debilitating injury grows with higher speed at impact. The likelihood of such consequences double for every 10 mph over 50 mph that a motor vehicle travels.
To most drivers, who slow down in residential areas or when the weather is bad, a few miles over the speed limit is an acceptable risk. They believe the worst thing that will happen is that they might get a speeding citation. But those drivers are wrong. And they may be dead wrong. Driving too fast for conditions or exceeding the posted speed limit can kill you. So SLOW DOWN!

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New Pick-up Truck Law - Monday, October 09, 2006

The State of Florida enacted a new law effective October 1, 2006 making it illegal to have children ride in the beds of pickup trucks on highspeed roads including Interstate 4, the Florida Turnpike, and Florida's toll roads, such as 408, also known as the East West Expressway. The new law applies to children between the ages of 6 and 18. Children under 6 must be restrained on all roads under Florida law.

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New Florida Trucking Regulation - Saturday, October 07, 2006

A new trucking regulation in Florida requires truck drivers traveling through Florida to spend fewer hours behind the wheel. Before the change, Florida allowed driving for 15 hours after 8 hours of rest. The new rule prohibits truckers from driving more than 12 hours following 10 consecutive hours of rest.
According to the state Motor Carrier Compliance Office, the rule change is intended to reduce the number of traffic accidents involving truck drivers. According to the National Highway Trafffice Safety Administration (NHTSA), Florida had the second highest number of fatal large-vehicle traffic crashes.
While most truckers are conscientious and safe drivers, tired truckers contribute to causing severe automobile accidents all too often. Hopefully, this new rule will reduce the number of accidents caused by tired truckers. But don't count on "bad apple" truckers to follow the new rules, anymore than they followed the old ones.
Many truck drivers are required by their employers or by federal regulations to keep logs to prove compliance with company policy or federal regulations. At Colling Gilbert Wright & Carter, we have experience proving that tractor-trailor accidents were caused by exhausted truck drivers who have spent too many hours on the road in violation of either company policy or federal regulations.
If you are involved in a traffic accident, the attorneys at Colling Gilbert Wright & Carter are skilled at evaluating and investigating your accident, particularly when it involves long haul or short haul truckers subject to these new regulations.

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Record Traffic Deaths in 2005 - Tuesday, August 29, 2006

According to the Orlando Sentinel there were approximately 200 traffic accident related fatalities in Orange County in 2005. This death rate broke all previous records in Orange County, Florida. In fact, almost 3,500 people died on Florida highways in 2005, setting a new state record for auto accident related deaths in Florida. In all of Central Florida, about 750 people died in auto accidents in Florida.
Few areas of the state escaped this trend, according to the Sentinel. Lake County had approximately 75 highway fatalities, and Polk County had about 150 highway deaths by the end of 2005.
Why? For one thing, more people are dying on Florida roads because more people are driving. Central Florida's booming economy leads to population growth and crowded, and sometimes dangerous, streets, roads and highways. So drive defensively and drive safely.

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