Car Accidents

Police Arrest Truck Driver After Crash, and Other Accident-Lawyer News

June 12, 2014 | Wolfson & Leon

In the world of car accidents, tractor-trailer accidents are the most destructive. These large trucks can legally weigh up to 80,000 pounds. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average weight of a car is 4,079 pounds.

The disparity between these two numbers should give you some idea of the destruction that occurs in a tractor-trailer collision. In many cases, these accidents resemble crashes between cars and trains more than the typical traffic accident.

Oftentimes, the accidents occur because of negligent driving. Tractor-trailer drivers are usually on very tight schedules, requiring them to drive for long hours at a time. It’s not unusual for drivers to exceed the federal rest guidelines in order to make a delivery on time.

Accident-Lawyer News: Hit-and-Run Roundup

May 29, 2014 | Wolfson & Leon

CBS News reports that South Florida pedestrians are more likely to be involved in hit-and-run accidents than pedestrians anywhere else in the nation. According to a recent report, part of the blame rests on dangerous road design that makes it more difficult for pedestrians to safely cross the streets.

The problem is only growing worse, and many Floridians are calling on city officials to redesign roads. According to Smart Growth America, 5,189 pedestrians died in car accidents during the nine years between 2003 and 2012.

Pedestrians in Florida also account for more of the overall traffic deaths than the national average. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that pedestrians make up 14 percent of traffic deaths in the country, whereas Florida’s pedestrians represent 17.7 percent of fatalities.

Car-Accident Lawyer News: Hit-and-Run Roundup

May 5, 2014 | Wolfson & Leon

Florida has received a great deal of criticism for its hit-and-run laws. Specifically, many complain that the laws are too lenient, giving negligent drivers incentive to take their chances and flee the scene of the accident. Drunk drivers are especially likely to leave the scene because they can sober up and face little repercussions for fleeing.

The issue has become so widespread that many Floridians are so fed-up that they have been taking matters into their own hands and preventing would be hit-and-run drivers from leaving. Most of these good Samaritans follow the driver while calling the police, but bystanders of a recent accident in Fort Lauderdale took it one step further.

WSVN News reports that Ricardo Nord was speeding when he struck another car on the interstate. The crash forced the other car off the road and onto nearby railroad tracks. Fortunately, the engineer of an oncoming train managed to stop before striking the car.

Accident-Lawyer News Roundup: Malfunctioning Cars

March 28, 2014 | Wolfson & Leon

The media is abuzz with a new theory concerning movie star Paul Walker’s death. Professional drivers claimed that he original drag-racing story didn’t quite add up. Auto Blog relates that Roger Rodas’ peers described him as a “world class driver,” and many people couldn’t believe he would be that reckless.

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The new theory shifts the blame from Rodas to the Porsche Carrera GT that he was driving, citing the fact that the car has a sordid safety record and was the subject of a multi-million dollar lawsuit. Specifically, some speculate that a steering fluid leak caused the accident, citing a trail of fluid that began before the skid marks at the scene of the accident as evidence.

If You Dismiss The Theory As Unreasonable, Just Take A Look At The News

Florida Man Sues Police Officer For Distracted Driving Accident

March 19, 2014 | Wolfson & Leon

No one is immune from distracted driving these days. Even if you aren’t texting or calling while driving, it would be hard not to be distracted by the features that newer cars come with. For instance, changing the radio station, fiddling with climate control or using anything but voice controlled GPS systems can each be considered distracted driving.

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A recent article in the Tampa Tribune reinforces the idea that any driver can be guilty of distracted driving, and it only takes a moment for these habits to cause an accident. Ryan Leiker was driving down the road, slowing down to make a left turn. He had his blinker on, but the driver behind him wasn’t paying attention and hit the rear of Leiker’s vehicle hard enough to cause an estimated $20,000 in damage.

Hit-And-Run News Roundup From Your Car-Accident Lawyer

February 6, 2014 | Wolfson & Leon

Hit-and-run accidents are a growing danger on U.S. roadways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), at-fault drivers flee the scene in about 11 percent of accidents. In Florida, news about hit-and-runs was all over the media in January. Below, you’ll find a summary of three of those stories.

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If you have been in an accident and the driver who caused the wreck fled the scene, we can help. At Wolfson & Leon, we’ve represented car accident victims since 1963. If you are looking for a car-accident lawyer in Miami, give us a call. We offer a free consultation so that you can decide if we are a good fit. To schedule your consultation, Call Us At 305-285-1115 Today!

State Senate Supports Bill That Increases Penalties For Hit-And-Run Drivers

Texting-And-Driving Accident Reignites

January 22, 2014 | Wolfson & Leon

A video broadcasted on ABC News has gone viral. It depicts a driver in Florida losing control of his vehicle, swerving onto a sidewalk and hitting a tree before his car flips onto its roof.

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The video was captured by a police cruiser’s dash-cam. The police officer just happened to be following Michael James Woody’s vehicle when the accident occurred. Woody, who was uninjured, told the officer that he was texting behind the wheel.

Fortunately, the accident happened at night when the sidewalks were not in regular use, but the video comes at a time when Floridians are debating whether or not the recent texting-and-driving ban, implemented last year, has been effective in curbing the number of car accidents related to texting.

Miami Woman Arrested After Hit-And-Run

January 8, 2014 | Wolfson & Leon

Ismael Martinez and his son, Fidel Durante, were working on a concrete project on the side of the road when the accident happened. CBS Miami reports that it was early in the morning, and they were walking from their work truck to the project site when the driver of an SUV lost control of her vehicle and hit the two pedestrians. Durante was clipped and only received minor injuries, but his father was not so lucky.

The SUV ran over Martinez, throwing him to the ground and nearly severing his leg. The driver quickly drove away and was nowhere to be found when the police and paramedics arrived. Martinez was taken to Ryder Trauma Center for treatment. His surgeons performed four surgeries in an attempt to save his leg, but a series of serious infections forced them to amputate below the knee.

Two weeks later, Martinez says that he is starting to feel better. Until the past few days, he wasn’t able to sleep for more than a handful of minutes because of the excruciating pain that the surgeries caused him. He says that he can’t remember much of the accident; the only thing that he can remember clearly is the moment that impact occurred.

Personal-Injury Suits And Criminal Charges

January 2, 2014 | Wolfson & Leon

More than a year ago, a Jehovah’s Witness congregation’s bus trip turned tragic when their bus driver became lost and crashed into an overpass. The bus was carrying 32 church members on their way to a gathering in West Palm Beach. Their driver, Ramon Ferreiro, took a wrong turn and ended up at Miami International Airport.

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In the confusion, he began to travel the wrong way down a road near the airport and tried to drive the 12-foot-high bus under an 8-foot-6-inch-high overpass. Additionally, Ferreiro was driving at twice the speed limit. The impact tore open the roof of the bus and instantly killed one of the passengers. Two other passengers died at the hospital.

2 Florida Car Accidents

December 23, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

Car accidents are a regular fixture in the news, especially in Florida, which has one of the highest numbers of car accidents in the nation. Even though these accidents are seen almost every day, accidents that involve and injure children are still particularly shocking and saddening to read about. Unfortunately, we have seen two such accidents recently in Florida.

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The first accident occurred last week, when a red 2013 Dodge Dart hit 12-year-old Shania Jackson. The Sun Sentinel says witnesses told police that the driver didn’t break and hit the girl hard enough that she was thrown down the street. The car’s headlight was broken in the collision, but the driver didn’t stop.