LAKE COUNTY, FL – A man driving a septic truck was killed when the vehicle overturned in Lake County Wednesday morning, reports News6.
The crash happened on County Road 48 near Ranch Road around 10:20 a.m. No other vehicles were involved.
The driver, a 58-year-old man from Groveland was pronounced dead at the scene.
PASCO COUNTY, FL – A man was fatally struck by a pickup truck while he was crossing an intersection south of Spring Hill on his moped Tuesday.
The incident happened at the intersection of Colony Road and Fairwinds Road as the moped rider made a left turn from Lake Karl Drive, reports WFLA. Police say the man came to a complete stop before attempting the turn.
The driver of a Ford F-150 failed to stop at a stop sign on Fairwinds Road, proceeded into the intersection, and collided with the moped.
BUSHNELL, FL – An elderly motorcyclist was fatally struck by a pickup truck on a county road west of Bushnell last Wednesday, The Villages News reports.
The fatal collision happened on County Road 48 just west of County Road 616 at about 3 p.m. on December 29, when a 1999 Ford F-350 turned left in front of a motorcycle being operated by a 73-year-old Webster man.
Emergency responders took the victim to an area hospital, where he died. Authorities say he was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
The driver of a girls home van involved in an Alabama interstate crash that killed eight children has filed a lawsuit against trucking companies in California and Georgia as well as another driver, according to reports.
The federal lawsuit is seeking an unspecified amount of money and involves the director of the Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch who was trying to help free the victims involved in the fiery crash. Two of the women’s children and two of her nephews were killed in the collision.
The woman was pulled from the van by others nearby and rushed around trying to free anyone else she could, but was unable to because of the flames and damage.
The suit said that all of the children were killed by the fiery crash. In total, eight children ranging in age from 3 to 17 died in the van.
The woman driver of the van that was rescued from the crash suffered bruises, burns, and severe emotional and mental distress.
In a separate crash, a Tennessee man and his daughter also died on Interstate 65.
The lawsuit names the California-based Hansen & Adkins Auto Transport and Asmat Express of Clarkston, Ga., which both were identified by the National Transportation Safety Board as being involved in the crash. The suit also named an Asmat driver.
None of the companies involved have made a comment.
The woman was driving the van on the left lane of Interstate 65 heading north when the Hansen & Adkins truck failed to stop in traffic, struck an SUV and swerved into her lane. The van was then struck from behind by the Asmat Express truck, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that the crash should not have ever happened. The trucks were not equipped with anti-crash safety technology and the drivers were going too fast, distracted or following too closely.
A preliminary report by the NTSB recounted the crash similarly to the lawsuit, but did not place blame on a certain party or say what exactly caused the wreck.
You can be the safest driver on the road, but when another driver on the road acts carelessly or negligently, then all bets are off. While any car accident can result in severe injuries, semi truck collisions can result in even more severe injuries or as this case shows, wrongful death. If you have had a loved one pass away as a result of a tragic accident with a semi truck driver, then our Florida Truck Accident Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can help you take the appropriate steps to help you recover compensation for your suffering. While nothing we do can bring your loved one(s) back, it can hold the at-fault party responsible for their recklessness and prevent them from ever repeating their actions. It can also reward you with the financial compensation you need to move forward with your life as best as you can.
The sad truth is that when a truck accident happens, the truck driver usually walks away unscathed while the other parties involved are not so lucky. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has studies that show 87% of all trucking accidents are caused by driver negligence. Negligence can include the following behaviors:
As legal experts in the field of commercial truck accidents, our Florida Truck Accident Lawyers at Whittel & Melton will thoroughly investigate every truck accident that is brought to us in order to determine exactly what caused the collision. We will start by investigating whether the truck companies involved in the crash and the driver violated any state and federal regulations. We will do this by using the following tools:
The CEO of UF Health Jacksonville, 56, was pronounced dead Saturday following an accident on a personal watercraft. Reports indicate that the man was flung from the jet ski he was riding in Palm Beach Inlet.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the man was found in the water wearing a life jacket and was immediately taken to a hospital, where he passed away from his injuries.
This is all that is known at the time regarding the man’s death.
Boating, especially in Florida, is a widely popular activity. While there are inherent risks involved when operating a motorized vessel, no one expects to suffer harm when having fun out on the water. Sadly, the U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that in 2019 there were 4,168 boating accidents that resulted in 613 deaths, 2,559 injuries and $55 million worth of property damage.
Sales of personal watercraft, also known as Jet Skis, WaveRunners, or Sea-Doos, have really surged within the last decade. The leading manufacturers of PWCs are Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Bombardier. Despite the growing sales of these vessels, any design changes or engineering modifications have been minimal despite the upward tick of accidents involving their products.
Jet skis are very popular throughout the state of Florida, but also much more dangerous than traditional boats. In 2019, jet skis accounted for 20% of the total number of recreational boating accidents that year, ranking second to motorboat incidents.
Why Are Jet Skis so Dangerous?
An 11-year-old boy was killed Sunday and three others suffered injuries on a water ride while visiting Adventureland Park in Altoona, Iowa.
According to reports, one child remains in critical condition and two others suffered minor injuries at the water park.
Here is a breakdown of what police believe happened: six riders boarded the Raging River raft ride when it overturned around 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Four of the riders were taken to the hospital. On Sunday, the park announced that they were “saddened” to find out that one of the riders (the 11-year-old boy) had died.
The sad truth is that some accident victims do not make it through to see their legal suit finished. This often happens when their injuries were so severe that they could not make it through the legal process to make a recovery. So, what happens if an injury victim passes away from their injuries in an accident before their case is finished? Can a family member take over their case?
Florida law does have rules for what to do in these cases, and having a personal injury and wrongful death lawyer on your side can prove beneficial in these scenarios. If you have questions about the claims process and how to proceed, we strongly urge you to call our Florida Wrongful Death Attorneys at 866-608-5529 or contact us online for a free case review. It will cost you no money to meet with us and discuss your potential case, and if we agree to take on your case, then you will pay zero fees while we work on your case.
File a Wrongful Death Claim
If an injury victim has passed away during the course of their lawsuit, then the case will become a wrongful death suit. In Florida, personal injury claims cannot continue if the victim dies from their accident injuries.
A wrongful death claim will allow surviving family members to pursue financial compensation for the deceased victim. This may include children, parents, spouses, etc. The personal representative for the accident victim’s estate will need to file a wrongful death action on behalf of the surviving family members so that they can collect financial damages.
What Damages Can Be Recovered?
Any costs incurred as a result of the responsible party’s negligence can be a potential source for compensation. Our Florida Wrongful Death Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can help you prove negligence when it comes to taking legal action for wrongful death. If your claim has merit then we will build the strongest possible claim for you and fight to recover all legal damages that you may be entitled to under law.
How to Pursue a Survival Action
Sometimes injury victims can pass for completely unrelated reasons to their previous injury, like another type of accident. Florida law allows for a cause of action to survive the victim’s death, which will continue the injury claim that is unrelated to the death of the deceased. This just means that the initial injury claim will move forward as a survival action which is meant to compensate surviving family members for the damages incurred by the victim prior to their death.
Just like a wrongful death suit, the personal representative of the deceased’s estate can file for a survival action to recover all financial damages the victim would have been eligible for had they lived. These damages may include:
Who Can Sue the At-Fault Party?
In a wrongful death or survival action suit, only the personal representative of the deceased’s estate can exercise legal action. They must prove that a negligent party is responsible for the death and that the at-fault party failed to uphold their duty of care to the victim.
If the victim did not name a personal representative, often called an executor or administrator before their death, then the court will appoint one.
Why You Need Legal Representation
Claims involving the passing of a loved one can be complicated. The insurance companies involved only want to protect their bottom line, which means paying out as little as possible, which is not in the best interest of your family. With proper legal representation on your side, you stand a much better chance of securing full and fair compensation for all of your losses. Your wrongful death lawyer will be there to support you through this trying time.
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On Thursday, a partial collapse of a Champlain Towers South, a condo building in Surfside, Florida, occurred that is currently under investigation. The 12-story building resulted in multiple deaths and at least 150 more people missing.
First responders and firefighters are conducting a search and rescue mission for all survivors and federal agencies are assisting on the state and local level.
Partial Collapse of Champlain Towers South
Kevin Clark, now 32, who played the drummer in the popular Jack Black film “School of Rock” almost 20 years ago was struck and killed while riding his bicycle at a dangerous intersection on Wednesday, May 26.
He was struck by a driver operating a Hyundai Sonata at about 1:20 a.m. and was pronounced dead at 2:04 a.m. after being taken to the hospital for his injuries.
The 20-year-old driver of the Hyundai was issued several citations, according to police reports.
Riding a bicycle is loads of fun and a great way to get some exercise. Florida has a wonderful climate so that residents can ride pretty much year round, making cycling a passion for many Floridians. Sadly, this hobby can end in tragedy when motorists sharing the roadways fail to take care and watch out for cyclists. The number of bicycle fatalities is climbing across the U.S. In 2019, bicycle accidents increased by 6% according to the National Safety Council (NSC). In the last 10 years bicycle fatalities have grown 10% from 793 in 2010 to 1,089 in 2019 (the latest year data is available.)
The NSC also points out that starting in June, bicycle fatalities start to rise and continue to stay high through September. For 2019, the most deaths from bicycle fatalities occurred in August – 125 and the fewest occurred in January – 63.
If you have lost a loved one or have suffered any type of harm in a bicycle accident that was the result of another driver’s negligence, then you may be entitled to recover financial compensation for all of your suffering and related damages.
Bicyclists are quite vulnerable on Florida’s busy roadways and intersections. When you go out for a ride, you share the road with fast moving cars, large trucks, buses, and other vehicles that can cause severe injuries and even death on impact. For the most part, bicyclists have the same right-of-way as any other motorists travelling on the roads. But despite these laws, most motorists fail to offer bikers the same courtesy as they extend to other vehicles on the road, which is why bike accidents happen so frequently.
What Are The Most Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents?
What Should You Do After a Bicycle Accident?
What Can I Do to Protect Myself in a Bicycle Accident?
This week is Child Passenger Safety Week, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has made child deaths from hot cars part of 2020’s campaign. This case reminds us all the importance of the NHTSA’s slogan “Park. Look. Lock.” Always ask yourself “where is the baby?”
An Orlando teacher has been charged with the death of her friend’s 20-month-old son after she left the child inside a hot vehicle for 7.5 hours.
The 34-year-old woman was charged with neglect and aggravated manslaughter.
Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog