Sarasota Personal Injury Lawyer - Automobile Accidents - Most Popular

Allstate Can't Sell New Auto Insurance Policies in Florida

Joe Saunders — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:20:04 GMT

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation has suspended the license of Allstate Insurance Company from selling new auto insurance policies in the state of Florida because of their relationship with rating organizations such as AM Best and Hurricane modeling companies and industry trade groups. This is an unprecedented move in Florida and sends a clear warning to other auto insurance companies that the State is willing to act if companies fail to comply with the Office's investigation. The investigation began after the Florida Legislature passed legislation last year directing insurance companies to lower homeowners' policy premiums. The Office asked for documents from Allstate and the large insurance company refused to supply them. The suspension applies to Allstate Insurance Co., Allstate Indemnity Co. and Allstate Property and Casualty Co., all of which sell auto insurance policies.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

I-75 Crash Claims Two Lives

Joe Saunders — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 10:10:14 GMT

An overnight crash in Sarasota near the Bee Ridge Road exit on Interstate 75 has claimed the lives of two adults. I-75 northbound was closed for hours as a result of the 12 car accident which included a tractor trailer truck. The truck was driving northbound at approximately 12:30am and had its cruise control on and set at 70 m.p.h. when the crash occurred. According to the tractor trailer driver, he was not able to disengage the cruise control device as he attempted to avoid the multi-car crash.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Man Killed after Being Thrown from Truck in Accident

Joe Saunders — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:29:48 GMT

A 52 year old man has died as a result of his injuries stemming from a weekend auto accident in Sarasota. The driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash, Francis P. Corkin, 80 ran a red light at the intersection of Fruitville Road and US 301 in Sarasota. Charges may be pending in the case.

While the newspaper article did not mention whether Daniel Hueston, the decedent, had been wearing a safety belt. However, in all likelihood he was not since such safety device would have prevented him from being thrown from the vehicle and may have saved his life. It's tough to tell but it's a good reminder that safety belts do save lives and prevent vehicle occupants from becoming human projectiles in accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Florida No Fault Auto Insurance Law Expires

Joe Saunders — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 17:27:46 GMT

The Florida no fault auto insurance law expired yesterday after the Florida Legislature did not renew the law this year. As of yesterday, Florida no fault personal injury protection insurance is not required anymore. This insurance required that persons injured in auto accidents make a claim against their own auto insurance for the first $10,000 of medical bills or wages even if a careless driver, negligent driver, or drunk driver caused the auto crash. Furthermore, the old no fault auto insurance law did not allow an auto accident victim to recover money damages for pain and suffering from a careless or drunk driver unless the injury was permanent.

Now a negligent or drunk driver can be legally required to pay the full damages caused in an auto accident.

The Florida Legislature will discuss some new proposals for a different no fault auto insurance system when it meets later this month. However, it they cannot agree on a new system Florida auto drivers and passengers will return to a fault based auto liability system that has not been in effect for over thirty years.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Texting While Driving Still Legal in Florida

Joe Saunders — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:00:47 GMT

While driving to work this morning I noticed a middle-aged man next to me in an SUV, smoking a cigarette in one hand, shaving with the other hand and still driving. By the way, he had a cell phone propped up between his shoulder and left ear to boot. All this behavior is still legal in Florida.

In spite of the rising number of Florida auto accidents caused by drivers engaged in texting or using cell phones, the Florida Legislature has done nothing to stop the dangerous behavior. Several bills were introduced in Florida this year but never made it out of committee. It seems there's just no political will to pass much needed legislation. There are advocacy groups behind such measures but they never receive the kind of political support necessary to usher a bill through committee and eventual passage.

In the meantime, we're all at risk and exposed to these dangerous drivers. Until it becomes illegal, Floridians will continue to be injured and killed as a result. You'd think they'd be a law against it. . .

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Cooper Tire Under Fire

Joe Saunders — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 07:33:22 GMT

It's bad enough the company has been accused of manufacturing defective tires that have led to serious injury and fatalities. It's quite another when that same company uses deceptive practices to hide such information to protect itself from a lawsuit. According to an article published in the St. Petersburg Times
At least 21 lawsuits involving 12 deaths have been filed against Cooper Tire in Florida since 2000. They are among dozens nationwide that claim Cooper tires separated at high speeds.

Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration initiated a defect investigation into one line of Cooper tires - the Dominator Sport A/T. (The Florida lawsuits involve other models.)

But it's Cooper Tire's tactics to win lawsuits that have drawn attention: hiring private investigators to pick up tire tread evidence at accident scenes; aggressively pursuing gag orders and sanctions against attorneys; and sealing documents, claiming they contain trade secrets.

A South Carolina judge wrote in one case that Cooper had engaged in "misrepresentations, concealment, and disobedience" in the discovery process.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Hulk Hogan's Son Charged in Auto Accident

Joe Saunders — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 06:40:55 GMT

It took a few months but Nick Bollea, 17 year old son of former wrestler Hulk Hogan, has been charged with felony reckless driving causing serious bodily injury. Toxicology reports show that Bollea was drinking during the day of the accident. However, tests showed that the level of alcohol in his blood was half that in which he'd be considered impaired. He will face a charge of underage drinking though.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Automobile Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Lakeland Wildfire on I-4 Causes 50 Car Crash

Joe Saunders — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:16:57 GMT

A combination of dense fog and a wildfire from a controlled burn led to a 50 car crash on I-4 near Lakeland, Florida early this morning. There have been 3 reported deaths and a slew of injuries. As I mentioned in my tampabay.injuryboard.com blog, I wonder why the highway was not closed if the weather was so inclement that visibility was zero.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

ESC Key to Avoiding Auto Accident Fatalities

Joe Saunders — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 08:24:10 GMT

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1/3 of all fatal car crashes could be avoided and rollovers could be reduced by 80% if more cars were equipped with electric stability control. ESC brakes individual wheels automatically to keep the vehicle under control.

When a driver makes a sudden emergency maneuver or, for example, enters a curve too fast, the vehicle may spin out of control. Then ESC's automatic braking is applied and in some cases throttle reduced to help keep the vehicle under control. ESC is relatively new. Only in the last few years have researchers had sufficient data to analyze its effects on real-world crashes. The new Institute study is based on data from the federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System and police reports of crashes in 10 states during 2001-04. Researchers compared crash rates for cars and SUVs without ESC and the same models in subsequent years when ESC was standard (note: some vehicles with optional ESC were included in the no-ESC group because so few buyers choose this option).

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders

Manatee Car Accident Claims Two Lives

Joe Saunders — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 14:39:36 GMT

Halloween proved fatal for two Manatee residents who crashed through a fence and into a shallow pond during the evening. Witnesses spotted two teenaged girls fleeing the scene. Police are looking for them as this blog post is being written.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Joe Saunders