Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

February 12, 2025

News: Man fatally struck in pedestrian collision on Interstate 75 in Ocala

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

OCALA, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol and Ocala police were called to a fatal pedestrian collision on Interstate 75 Saturday night, the Ocala StarBanner reports.

The incident occurred on northbound I-75 at mile marker 355 near U.S. 27. The FHP’s investigation determined that the driver of a Nissan Sentra was parked on the shoulder of the interstate sometime before 9:30 p.m., got out of the car and walked into traffic.

The driver of a semitractor-trailer swerved to avoid the man, then got out to check on him. The pedestrian said he was OK, but returned to darting in and out of traffic on I-75. The man was eventually struck by a Toyota Corolla whose driver was unable to avoid him.

February 11, 2025

News: 2 killed, 2 injured when vehicles collide at Pasco County intersection

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – Two vehicles were involved in a deadly collision in Pasco County last week, Fox13News reports.

The incident occurred Feb. 5 at the intersection of Little Road and San Miguel Drive in New Port Richey. The Florida Highway Patrol stated that the driver of a Dodge Ram pickup truck was going south at a high rate of speed at about 7 p.m. when a Toyota 4Runner heading north on Little Road turned into the path of the Dodge.

The vehicles collided, causing the Dodge to catch fire. The Toyota driver and a passenger were killed while another passenger in the Toyota was seriously injured. The Dodge driver, a 27-year-old man from Port Richey, was also seriously hurt.

February 10, 2025

News: Fleeing driver collides with tractor-trailer after Alachua County pursuit

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL – A vehicle pursuit by law enforcement authorities ended in a crash in Alachua County last Tuesday, Feb. 4.

According to a release from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office at 1:52 p.m., deputies from the sheriff’s office and Gainesville Police officers were dispatched to the scene at SW Williston Road and the on-ramp to Interstate 75.

That is where a suspect who was being pursued crashed into a FedEx tractor-trailer. The suspect was injured and taken to a hospital pending multiple felony charges.

February 7, 2025

News: Driver dies after vehicle crashes into utility pole on State Road 50

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – A single-vehicle accident in Hernando County killed the driver of a pickup truck, according to WFTS.

The crash took place early Sunday morning along State Road 50 near U.S. Highway 19 at about 12:42 a.m. The Florida Highway Patrol’s investigation found that a man driving a Toyota Tundra westbound was not able to negotiate a curve in the roadway. The vehicle entered the road’s north shoulder, where it collided with a utility pole, then came back across to the south shoulder and flipped.

The driver was ejected and died after being transported to a local hospital. The FHP said the victim was a 23-year man from Weeki-Wachee.

February 6, 2025

News: Webster man, 45, dead after collision with dump truck in Sumter County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SUMTER COUNTY, FL – A van and a dump truck were involved in a deadly collision in Sumter County early Tuesday morning, according to WFLA.

The Florida Highway Patrol’s investigation found that the driver of the dump truck was going east on County Road 476 at about 5:40 a.m. when he went through a stop sign at the intersection with State Road 471. The dump truck collided with a Chevy van that had been heading north on SR-471.

The Chevy driver, a 45-year-old man from Webster, was pronounced dead after being taken to an area hospital. The driver of the dump truck, a 63-year-old Florida City man, was not injured in the wreck.

February 5, 2025

News: Emergency crews respond to multi-vehicle accident and fuel spill on Interstate 75

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

OCALA, FL – Ocala Fire Rescue was among numerous agencies responding to a multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 75 on Tuesday night.

The rescue squad’s Facebook post stated the incident occurred on I-75 south at about 10:34 p.m., and involved three semi-trucks and a passenger vehicle.

The crash resulted in varying degrees of fuel and cargo spills and an engine compartment fire in one of the trucks. The three truck drivers were taken to the hospital, two as trauma alerts while the other was transported for evaluation. No one was injured in the passenger vehicle.

February 4, 2025

News: 1 driver dead, 1 injured after head-on crash on County Road 484

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – A fatal collision in southwest Marion County Saturday morning is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol, reports the Ocala StarBanner.

Two vehicles were involved in the wreck that occurred shortly before 7 a.m. in the area of County Road 484 and San Pedro Boulevard in Dunnellon.

According to the FHP, a Kia Sorento was going eastbound while a Kia Forte was traveling west, and one of the drivers crossed over the double yellow line, resulting in a head-on collision.

February 3, 2025

News: 3-vehicle collision on State Road 54 in New Port Richey kills motorcyclist

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – A collision at an intersection in New Port Richey Wednesday night killed a motorcycle rider, Pasco News Online reported.

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the multi-vehicle accident, which happened shortly before 7 p.m. in the area of State Road 54 and Riverrun Road.

The FHP said the driver of a Nissan SUV was trying to turn from SR-54 onto Riverrun Road when the vehicle entered the path of a westbound Yamaha motorcycle, resulting in a collision.

January 31, 2025

News: Alachua man dies following collision with tractor-trailer

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ALACHUA, FL – A tractor-trailer and a pickup truck were involved in a fatal collision in Alachua on Wednesday morning, reports the Gainesville Sun.

The vehicles crashed at about 5:55 a.m. on County Road 235A near County Road 2o54. The Florida Highway Patrol’s investigation found that the driver of the tractor-trailer was leaving the Dollar General Distribution Center and turning left onto County Road 235A.

The truck was then struck on its side by a pickup truck going south on CR 235A. The pickup truck driver, a 55-year-old man from Alachua, died at the scene. The tractor-trailer driver, a 34-year-old Ocala man, was not injured in the wreck.

January 30, 2025

Feeling Stuck with Your Current Law Firm? You Have Options

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Your choice of attorneys is one of the most significant decisions you will make when dealing with a personal injury or criminal law case. You want someone who argue effectively on your behalf, listen to your issues, and collaborate with you to address them, and of course, achieve a positive outcome. You also want someone who will handle your case with care and compassion for you and your family. Choosing the best attorney and firm for your case requires striking the right balance between these concerns.

If your attorney is unable or unwilling to address your issues, you should consider hiring different legal counsel for your case. This may feel like a huge decision as you do not know if hiring a new lawyer will yield better results and/or cost you more money. Nevertheless, having an advocate who collaborates well with you is essential. A successful solution for your case depends on trust, communication, and diligence, therefore choosing the appropriate lawyer is crucial. When discussing your case with a new lawyer or firm, find out how they would handle it differently or how their communication style might differ from that of your previous firm. Wait for a response that addresses your specific problems.

What Happens to My File if I Switch Lawyers?