Car Accidents

Distracted Driving Awareness Month in Florida

April 18, 2019 | Wolfson & Leon

TextingDriver-1024x682 April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month in Florida, and the Sunshine State badly needs it. In a 2017 study, Florida ranks second in the country for distracted driving, only coming in behind Louisiana. This is from the online insurance firm EverQuote. The study analyzed approximately 2.7 million vehicle trips, which accounted for over 230 million miles driven.

In the study, drivers were given a device called the EverDrive, which is a type of motion-sensing app. This device measures a person’s speed, acceleration, and turning while the driver’s phone is being used. It can tell whether a person speeds, turns aggressively, or banks hard.

The device, however, does not measure movements while the phone is in sleep mode or while it is being used with a hands-free device.

Miami Ultra Music Festival Accidents

March 28, 2019 | Wolfson & Leon

On March 29^th, the Ultra Music Festival returns for its 20^th year but with a new location at Virginia Key on Key Biscayne a barrier island in Miami. A new location brings with it new challenges—especially regarding getting to and from Ultra.

This year parking will not be available at Ultra and patrons are being provided the options to use ride share applications (Uber/Lyft) or free shuttles provided by Ultra. With only one roadway on and off Key Biscayne, known as the Rickenbacker Causeway, it is going to be crucial for Ultra-festival goers to 1) download Uber or Lyft apps or 2) be aware of Ultra’s free shuttle service and its locations.

Uber and Lyft will only be available to get you and your friends to Ultra, and you can simply enter “Ultra Music Festival” into your Uber and Lyft app to get to Ultra or a transit hub which has been set up by Ultra. Uber and Lyft can get you to Ultra but are not going to be available once you are at Ultra. For this reason, Ultra is providing free shuttle service to one of three locations.

The Horror of Florida Storefront Crashes

March 27, 2019 | Wolfson & Leon

Roads-Traffic It can happen anywhere, at anytime. You and your family could be having a wonderful time out at a store, then tragedy happens. A car spins out of control and crashes into a storefront. The unfortunate truth is that this happens more than you would think.

According to a study conducted by the Storefront Safety Council, an automobile crashes into a building at least 60 times each day. These crashes cause almost 500 deaths and over 3,600 injuries each year.

The Storefront Safety Council is a non-profit organization that is made up of volunteers from differing backgrounds who wish to find a way to lower the high number of cars crashing into storefronts. The Council particularly favors putting barriers in front of stores to prevent the crashes.

Automated Cars May Soon Be Coming to Florida. Are We Ready?

March 7, 2019 | Wolfson & Leon

accident-miami-300x225 For years now various car companies have been developing the technology for automated cars. What was once a long-away dream, may soon be reality.

In an article, the South Florida Sun Sentinel explored just how drivers in Southern Florida would be affected by the new technologies. Driverless cars will affect everything from the width of the driving lanes to speed limits. Due to the driverless cars’ technology, driving lanes will become narrower, there will be fewer public parking lots, speed limits will increase, there will be flyover ramps at intersections, and there may even be more shortcuts through neighborhoods.

The reason for this is that all of the automated cars will be able to not just communicate with each other, but also with the traffic signals and roads. All of this technology will be used to prevent accidents with other vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, and anything else (like deer or fallen tree branches).

Diverging Diamond Interchange Accidents in Miami

August 15, 2018 | Wolfson & Leon

In August 2018, Miami drivers were introduced to Diverging Diamond Interchanges. It began on NW 27^th Avenue and State Road 836 (Dolphin Expressway). The second area for implementation is NW 57^th Avenue and the Dolphin Expressway (SR 836) which will come in the next few months. At the present time, DDI’s are also planned for five locations in Broward County. All of the Broward Diverging Diamond Interchanges will be installed at the intersections of the Sawgrass Expressway and:

Sunrise Boulevard
Oakland Park Boulevard

More Car Accidents and Fewer Tickets in Florida – Who Would Have Guessed?

August 1, 2018 | Wolfson & Leon

In South Florida, the number of crashes in Florida increased by more than 33,000 from 2012 to 2017. Yet in that same period in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties law enforcement officials issued 500,000 fewer tickets. If you received a ticket recently, then this means little to you. If you were in a crash, then it makes you wonder. If the person who hit me had received a ticket before, would they have been more careful? Maybe that driver who injured you shouldn’t have been on the road at all? Eventually you will want to know why have the number of citations issued gone down while traffic accidents have increased in South Florida? South Florida personal injury attorneys know that the answers from authorities are vague but hardly conclusive.

Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Statistics

A statistical study from 2012 to 2017 reveals:

Florida has the Worst Drivers in the USA

August 31, 2017 | Wolfson & Leon

rear_end_collision Maybe this isn’t news to you, but for the second year in a row Florida was ranked first in having the worst drivers in the country.

Miami car accident lawyers deal with the effects caused by bad drivers every day. Clients are faced with the ripple effect of an automobile crash – the property damage; the insurance companies; medical bills; and loss of income. Car crashes impact more than the driver and passengers. A car accident will likely affect families, friends and coworkers. That is why anyone involved in a car wreck should consult with the best Miami car accident attorney that they can find.

Florida – Home of the Second Lowest Number of Insured Drivers

Miami Lyft Driver Killed in DUI Accident

August 24, 2017 | Wolfson & Leon

Car_crash_2 In March of 2017, a Lyft driver in Miami was killed in a Little Havana accident. The other driver was charged with DUI (Driving Under the Influence) for being high on crystal meth and cocaine. There were four passengers in the Lyft driver’s vehicle who were taken to the hospital. The family and survivors of the deceased driver and the passengers would benefit from the advice of a Lyft car accident attorney in Miami. These victims all face a potentially complex situation of insurance coverage.

Nicholas Castelao was ultimately charged with DUI manslaughter for driving while high on crystal meth. The Lyft driver he killed was Robert Torra. The accident happened in the residential area at the intersection of SW 25^th Avenue and SW 17^th Street. Castelao told a nurse at Jackson Memorial that he was high on meth. In addition, the investigating officers found a drug pipe near the vehicle after the accident. At the hospital, a nurse’s aide found 3 bags of drugs in the pockets of Castelao.

It is so sad that the selfish decision to drive while under the influence tragically impacted the Lyft driver and his four passengers. Not only were those folks affected, their families and friends also felt the impact. The unintended consequences of a tragic car accident extend far and wide.

UBER and Your Kids

August 21, 2017 | Wolfson & Leon

rear_end_collision-150x150 If you use UBER or LYFT to pick up and deliver your minor children, then you should know it is a violation of company policy for both of these corporations. Realistically, you should also know that these companies do very little to enforce this policy. To most drivers, a ride is a ride whether it is a child or an adult.

UBER and LYFT always say to right thing. But the proof is in their actions. Consider UBER’s firearm policy. No guns for anyone at any time. Sounds great – but no real effort put into actual enforcement.

Same thing for UBER’s discrimination policy. No one is allowed to discriminate – ever. Sounds wonderful, but is UBER doing anything proactively? No, they are not. Therefore, there is no reason to assume that UBER or LYFT is going to actively prevent drivers from picking up riders under the age of majority. If something goes wrong, UBER or LYFT will simply point to their policy and claim innocence – just like they do with guns and discrimination.

Why People Hire Lawyers After Car Accidents

March 29, 2017 | Wolfson & Leon

While you enjoy the insurance company commercials on television, you should also keep in mind that insurance companies do more than just advertise. They invest significant amounts of money in studying you and your behavior, actions and tendencies. One area that the insurance industry is most curious about is why people hire personal injury lawyers after car accidents.

The standard belief within insurance companies is that personal injury lawyers increase the cost of claims. Insurance companies measure the average cost per paid claim. This category is referred to as claim severity. Other measurements that every insurance company relies on include frequency and loss costs. Insurance industry executives are convinced that car accident attorneys negatively and significantly impact all claims costs and that results in higher premiums.

So, it is natural that insurance companies would spend some of their research and development money on trying to figure out why so many people hire lawyers after a car crash. Veterans in the industry believed for years that delays in processing claims often led people to hire attorneys. But a recent study brings that belief into question.