The Villages

April 26, 2022

News: 2 teens killed, 2 injured in single-vehicle crash in Lady Lake

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LADY LAKE, FL – Two teens were killed and two others were sent to the hospital following single-vehicle crash in the Lady Lake area on Sunday afternoon.

According to WESH, the 18-year-old driver lost control of his vehicle near the intersection of Water Oak Boulevard and Teague Trail at about 3:15 a.m. The vehicle then struck a curb, ejecting the driver and one back seat passenger.

The driver and one of the back seat passengers were pronounced dead at the scene. They were not wearing their seatbelts when the incident occurred

September 2, 2015

Florida’s Bicycle Death Rate Highest in Nation

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A new report on bicyclist deaths by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that Florida has the highest rate of bicycling deaths of any state in the nation — 0.57 per 100,000 people, more than double the nationwide rate of 0.23 per 100,000.

While other states have found ways to cut bicycle deaths during two periods measured over the last three decades, Florida has only reduced the number less than 10 percent.

Nationwide, safety seems to be improving for bicyclists, with the number of deaths per 100,000 people declining 44 percent from 0.41 to 0.23 during the periods measured — the five years from 1975 to 1979 and the five years from 2008 to 2012, according to the new CDC report titled “Bicyclist Deaths Associated with Motor Vehicle Traffic — United States, 1975–2012.”

The steepest decline measured was among children younger than 15.

According to the report, bicyclists are killed on U.S. roads at a rate double that of vehicle occupants, even though bicycle travel accounts for only about 1 percent of trips across all modes of transportation.

Because of the year-round warm climate in Florida, cycling is a popular mode of transportation and exercise activity during most months of the year. However, Florida roadways also pose serious risks to bicyclists, from distracted automobile drivers to improper bike lanes. If you or someone you love has suffered a serious injury or was killed in a bike accident, it is very important to discuss your case with a Florida Injury Lawyer at Whittel & Melton.

Unfortunately, what could start out as a leisurely bike ride can quickly turn into a fatal accident. At Whittel & Melton, we believe that the responsible party should be held responsible for damages. Filing a personal injury or wrongful death claim for a bike accident can be complex, but we can provide you with the experienced representation you need.

March 19, 2015

New Tween Seat-Belt Usage Campaign

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a press release last week about the U.S. Department of Transportation’s first-ever National Tween Seat Belt Safety Advertising campaign. The campaign urges parents to “Never Give Up Until They Buckle Up.”

The NHTSA is utilizing this campaign to show the importance of targeting this age group and their parents about seat belt safety. It is absolutely vital for tweens to use their seatbelts any time they are riding in cars because these are formative years that immediately precede driving privileges for teenagers.

Unrestrained Tween Facts: Did You Know?

Within the past five years, 1,552 children between the ages of 8 and 14 died in car, SUV or Van collisions.
Around half of those children killed were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.
The percentage of child passengers who die while riding unbelted tends to increase with age. This more pronounced among 13 and 14-year-olds, regardless of seating position.

The campaign targets the parents of children between the ages of 8 and 14 years old. Why? This is a very important time to instill the habit in children of always buckling up, for every trip. Tweens are just a few short years away from being in the driver’s seat, which makes this campaign all the more important.

Parents are encouraged to lead by example. No matter how short the trip, any time you get behind the wheel you should fasten your seatbelt before heading anywhere.

Tweens are constantly learning how to be responsible and make good decisions. It is up to the adult or adults in the car to make sure they are always buckled up. Again, it doesn’t matter if you are driving 2 miles or 2,000, tweens, children and adults need to be buckled up for every ride.

December 11, 2014

Leesburg City Commissioner Jay Hurley Loses License Over Motorcycle Crash

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Leesburg City Commissioner Jay Hurley failed to convince a Lake County judge Wednesday morning that he made a wide turn and not an improper lane change that caused a crash that resulted in a biker’s death earlier this year, which lead to his driver’s license being suspended for six months and a $1,000 fine.

The one-hour hearing took place Wednesday morning and included testimony from Hurley, Leesburg police and witnesses as friends and family members of the victim.

The crash happened April 27 in front of Gator Harley-Davidson on U.S. Highway 441 during the last day of Leesburg Bikefest. According to police statements, Hurley was driving his Ford F-150 east on U.S. Highway 441 in the center lane and was preparing to turn into the motorcycle shop, which is on the south side of the highway.

The deceased was riding his 1987 Yamaha behind Hurley, but was in the right lane.

According to police evidence, Hurley made a right turn from the center lane into the dealership and drove into the path of the Yamaha, causing the deceased to crash head first into the truck.

After two weeks in a coma, the deceased passed away at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

After the accident, Hurley received citations for improper window tint and improper lane change resulting in death. The State Attorney’s Office recently cleared Hurley of any criminal charges from the accident.

At the hearing Wednesday morning, Hurley pleaded not guilty and stated that he was in the right lane but, due to the size of his four-door truck, he had to make a wide turn into the center lane in order to turn right into the business.

Leesburg police showed video and pictures of the crash site that displayed the truck at an 80-degree angle at the turn, with the bike pinned underneath. Police argued that it would have been impossible for the truck to have crashed at that angle if it had been turning from the right lane, even if a wide turn was the problem. Police even reconstructed the accident with similar vehicles to prove their case.

The judge found Hurley guilty, despite the fact that Hurley’s defense lawyer pointed out that police found no evidence of the bike braking and asked the judge to ignore the reconstruction video as well as a taped police interview of Hurley.

While no criminal charges will be filed against Hurley, the family of the deceased can still file a civil suit against the man, contending negligence. In these types of cases, financial compensation may be awarded for lost wages and benefits, loss of companionship and any emotional pain and suffering that is caused by the death. In order to recover these damages, it must be shown that specific actions were responsible for the death, and that the death would not have occurred without those actions.

October 30, 2014

Florida Ranks Second for Highest Number of Bicycle Fatalities

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A new report on bicycle fatalities due to car accidents on U.S. roads shows that the bulk of these fatal accidents occur in just a handful of states.

The report, released Monday by the nonprofit Governors Highway Safety Association, concluded that biking accident deaths rose 16 percent nationwide between 2010 and 2012, while motor vehicle accident fatalities increased by just 1 percent.

According to 2012 figures, the top 10 states that saw the highest number of bicyclists killed in motor vehicle accidents are listed below:

California – 123 bicyclist fatalities in motor vehicle accidents in 2012
Florida – 120 bicyclist fatalities in 2012
Texas – 56
New York – 45
Illinois – 29
North Carolina – 27
Michigan – 19
Ohio AND Arizona – 18
Georgia – 17

Moreover, the report also noted that more than half, or 54 percent, of U.S. bicycle fatalities over the period of 2010 to 2012 happened in just six states: California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Michigan and Texas.

October 23, 2014

National Teen Driver Safety Week 2014

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has declared this week, October 19-25, as National Teen Driver Safety Week. Due to the sad reality that motor vehicle crashes are still the leading cause of death for teens ages 14 to 18, the NHTSA has made this issue a top priority. The NHTSA’s “5 to Drive” rules are designed to raise awareness about the five biggest issues teen drivers face today.

Safety Issues Facing Teen Drivers

The NHTSA has listed out the top five safety concerns for teen drivers by analyzing data and statistics from auto accidents involving teen drivers across the United States. From driving impaired to having too many passengers in the car, there are numerous issues that can greatly increase a teen driver’s risk for being involved in an accident that could result in serious injuries or death.

Top Five Safety Concerns for Teens

Alcohol
Seat belts
Texting
Speeding
Passengers

Five to Drive

By addressing these safety concerns with teen drivers, parents can make a huge impact on the safety of their teen when behind the wheel. Even though teens are not legally allowed to consume alcohol, they are at a greater risk than drivers in any other age group of being involved in an alcohol-related crash. It should also be noted that extra passengers can increase a teen drivers risk of being involved in a collision, so it is best to limited teens to no more than one passenger in their car at any time.

Even what can seem like minor details can have a great impact on inexperienced drivers. As a parent, it is smart to have regular conversations with your teen driver about these five key issues and lead by example. When you are driving, make sure to follow all safety rules, including wearing your seatbelt, and limit the distractions around you. Teens are quite perceptive, and if you are a safe driver, then the odds are your teen will pick up on your safe practices and put them into action when they are behind the wheel.

What to do After a Crash

October 22, 2014

NHTSA Issues Consumer Advisory: Florida Vehicle Owners with Defective Airbags Urged to Take Immediate Action

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released a press release Monday urging owners of certain Toyota, Honda, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, and General Motors vehicles to act immediately on recall notices to replace defective Takata airbags. The message expresses the need for urgency when responding to this issue, especially for owners of vehicles affected by the regional recalls in the following areas: Florida, Puerto Rico, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Virgin Islands and Hawaii.

Consumers who are unaware whether or not their vehicle is impacted by the Takata recalls, or any other recall, can check on www.safercar.gov/vinlookup. Once on the site, you can search by your vehicle identification number in order to confirm whether your vehicle has an open recall that needs to be addressed. Additionally, consumers can sign-up for NHTSA recall alerts, which go out before recall letters are mailed by the manufacturers to the affected owners.

Affected Vehicles Involving Takata Airbags:

Toyota: 778,177 total number of potentially affected vehicles

2002 – 2004 Lexus SC

2003 – 2004 Toyota Corolla

2003 – 2004 Toyota Corolla Matrix

2002 – 2004 Toyota Sequoia

2003 – 2004 Toyota Tundra

2003 – 2004 Pontiac Vibe

Honda: 2,803,214 total number of potentially affected vehicles

2001 – 2007 Honda Accord (4 cyl)

2001 – 2002 Honda Accord (6 cyl)

2001 – 2005 Honda Civic

2002 – 2006 Honda CR-V

2003 – 2011 Honda Element

2002 – 2004 Honda Odyssey

2003 – 2007 Honda Pilot

2006 – Honda Ridgeline

2003 – 2006 Acura MDX

2002 – 2003 Acura TL/CL

Nissan: 437,712 total number of potentially affected vehicles

2001 – 2003 Nissan Maxima

2001 – 2003 Nissan Pathfinder

2002 – 2003 Nissan Sentra

2001 – 2003 Infiniti I30/I35

2002 – 2003 Infiniti QX4

2003 – Infiniti FX

Mazda: 18,050 total number of potentially affected vehicles

2003 – 2004 Mazda6

2004 – Mazda RX-8

BMW: 573,935 total number of potentially affected vehicles

2000 – 2005 3 Series Sedan

2000 – 2006 3 Series Coupe

2000 – 2005 3 Series Sports Wagon

2000 – 2006 3 Series Convertible

2001 – 2006 M3 Coupe

2001 – 2006 M3 Convertible

General Motors: 133,221 total number potentially affected vehicles

2002 – 2003 Buick LeSabre

2002 – 2003 Buick Rendezvous

2002 – 2003 Cadillac DeVille

2002 – 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer

2002 – 2003 Chevrolet Impala

2002 – 2003 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

2002 – 2003 Chevrolet Venture

2002 – 2003 GMC Envoy

2002 – 2003 GMC Envoy XL

2002 – 2003 Oldsmobile Aurora

2002 – 2003 Oldsmobile Bravada

2002 – 2003 Oldsmobile Silhouette

2002 – 2003 Pontiac Bonneville

2002 – 2003 Pontiac Montana

As of now, four deaths have been attributed to defective components found in Takata airbags, which were predominantly used in vehicles from every major automaker from 2000 through 2007. The deaths have occurred in Virginia, Oklahoma, California and Florida. Additionally, 139 injuries have also been reported that were caused by the Takata airbags.

October 9, 2014

International Walk to School Day: Watch Out for Pedestrians and Bicyclists!

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

October 8 is International Walk to School Day, a day when thousands of schools in the U.S. and in 40 countries strive to raise awareness about walking and bicycling to school. This day expresses the need for walkable communities throughout the world and encourages more children to walk to school.

This day urges the need to educate the public about pedestrian safety. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2012, car accidents resulted in the death of a pedestrian every two hours and an injury every seven minutes. In this same year, 4,743 pedestrians were killed and approximately 76,000 were injured in car accidents.

The NHTSA defines a pedestrian as “a person on foot, walking, running, jogging, hiking, sitting or lying down who is involved in a motor vehicle traffic crash.” With that said, every single person is a pedestrian on a regular basis, whether it is a young child walking to school or an adult walking across a shopping mall parking lot. Our Florida Car Accident Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton work with families every day who have had their lives turned upside down because of a negligent driver who failed to pay attention to a biker or pedestrian sharing the roadway. Injuries to pedestrians struck by cars can vary from cuts, bruises and scrapes to broken bones, spinal cord trauma and death.

Children under the age of 16 accounted for 6 percent of pedestrian deaths and 18 percent of pedestrian injuries caused by car accidents in 2012. In that same time period, pedestrians age 65 and older made up 20 percent of pedestrian deaths and 9 percent of pedestrian injuries as a result of auto accidents.

Motor vehicle accidents involving pedestrians can be truly devastating. The NHTSA urges everyone to follow the below safety tips when walking or driving.

Pedestrians should always:

Walk on sidewalks when possible.
Make sure that electronic devices do not interfere with sight or sound.
Attempt to make eye contact with drivers as they approach, or make sure they are visible to drivers.
Cross streets at intersections and crosswalks and walk facing traffic as drivers expect pedestrians to do these things.
If there are no crosswalks, cross streets where there is good visibility so that you can be seen clearly by other drivers.
Stay away from places where pedestrians are prohibited, like freeways and restricted-access highways.
Wear bright or reflective clothing at night.
Avoid walking while intoxicated at any time.

Drivers should always:

Keep an eye out for pedestrians, even in unexpected places.
Be extra cautious when visibility is limited by inclement weather.
Be prepared to stop at crosswalks and intersections.
Stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.
Refrain from driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Follow the designated speed limit, especially in areas with pedestrians.
Observe reduced speed limits near schools, playgrounds and all other areas where children are known to gather.

September 5, 2014

Child Passenger Safety Week: September 14-20

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

The leading cause of death in children between the ages of one and 13 is auto accidents. In an effort to raise awareness about these tragedies and further educate people about keeping children safe in motor vehicles, the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration has announced that Child Passenger Safety Week will take place from September 14 until September 20 and National Seat Check Saturday will be on September 20, 2014 to make sure children are in the correct restraints while riding in a motor vehicle.

There are a many options when it comes to restraining a child in an car – rear-facing car seats, forward-facing car seats, boosters and a traditional seat belt. Age can play a big factor in this decision, but size is the priority. There can be numerous risks for children that are placed in too small of safety seats as well as too large of seats. During Child Passenger Safety Week, communities across Florida will have certified technicians available to educate parents and children about car seat safety.

Installing Seats Correctly

First and foremost, before installing a car seat, make sure to always read the instructions. Every seat has slightly different installation directions, however there are some universal key points to keep in mind.

Seat location: Regardless of what kind of restraint you are using, it should always be placed in the back seat of your vehicle. Children should not be allowed to ride in the front seat until they are at least 13 years old.

Securing the seat: When a restraint system is properly installed there should be no side-to-side or front-to-back movement of more than an inch.

Proper Fitting of the Seat: Once the seat is securely installed, it is necessary to make sure you child is fitted into the seat properly. Harness straps should lay flat and never be twisted. In a rear-facing car seat, the straps should loop through the back slot at or below the child’s shoulders. In front-facing seats, the straps should be looped through the slot at or above the shoulders. The harness should be secure enough that excess material cannot be pinched at the shoulder. The chest clip should be at armpit level.

August 29, 2014

Labor Day Weekend Tip: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently issued a press release notifying motorists to drive sober for the upcoming Labor Day weekend and all year long. The 2014 campaign is focused on the societal and economic impact of drunk driving as well as the personal costs and human toll of impaired driving.

Across the United States, drunk driving collisions kill more than 10,000 people each year. Over the course of holiday weekends alcohol-related crashes are known to increase. During Labor Day weekend in 2012, 147 people were killed in auto accidents involving drunk drivers. For every DUI crash, one in three results in a fatality. What this means is that one third of all collisions are entirely preventable.

The economic impacts of driving under the influence cost Americans billions of dollars every single year. Car and motorcycle accidents involving alcohol impaired drivers cost 47 billion in direct economic impacts in 2010. Across the U.S., that averages to about $152 a person. When the overall harm to society due to loss of life and diminished quality of life are tacked on, the numbers skyrocket to $195 billion.

The average cost of a minor injury associated with a DUI-related motor vehicle crash is $22,000, but can total more than $25,000 when losses related to quality of life are added in. Direct economic impacts and additional quality-of-life costs can drastically increase based on the severity of the injury.

Now that we have addressed some of the shocking figures associated with DUIs, our Florida Personal Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton want to make sure you enjoy Labor Day weekend and map out a plan before the party starts. Planning ahead is absolutely necessary to ensure that you have a safe ride home, should you consume any amount of alcohol. Planning ahead can be as simple as programming a taxi cab’s phone number into your phone or downloading a rideshare app onto your smartphone. No matter where you end up or what you are doing, never get behind the wheel of a car while intoxicated. Ask a friend or bartender to help you find a safe ride home.