Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

November 27, 2024

6 Mechanical Failures that Cause Car Accidents

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Most of us use our cars daily to commute to work and back home, take the kids to school, run errands, take road trips, and shuttle the family around town for whatever activities or excursions are going on that day. While we know that car accidents can happen at any time to even the most vigilant drivers, what may be surprising is that some of these accidents are not the fault of another driver, but mechanical failures. A mechanical failure occurs when a component of the vehicle malfunctions and falls short of the manufacturer’s specifications.

Here are the top 6 mechanical failures that cause car accidents:

Tire Blowouts

November 26, 2024

News: Head-on collision on County Road 314 leaves 1 dead, 3 injured

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – A two-vehicle crash in Marion County on Saturday evening left one person dead and three others seriously injured, WESH reports.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the wreck happened on County Road 314 near NE 170th Avenue shortly after 7 p.m.

A witness reported seeing the driver of a westbound sedan try to overtake another vehicle and then cross the double yellow lines into the eastbound lanes. The sedan collided head-on with another vehicle before flipping onto its side and ending up in a grassy area.

November 25, 2024

News: Ocala man, 82, dies following car wreck in Marion County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

OCALA, FL – State troopers said an elderly man died after his vehicle was involved in a crash in Marion County early Friday morning.

WKMG reports the accident happened in the vicinity of SW 87th Avenue and SW 90th Place. The Florida Highway Patrol believes that the victim was driving north on SW 87th Avenue when he lost control of his vehicle at about 5:40 a.m. after suffering a medical event.

The vehicle went off the roadway and crashed into a boulder. The driver, an 82-year-old man from Ocala, died after being taken to an area hospital. He was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, according to the FHP.

November 22, 2024

News: Driver flees after SUV crashes into Land O’Lakes home, leaving 1 man dead

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAND O’LAKES, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal hit-and-run accident that occurred Tuesday morning in Land O’Lakes, according to Pasco News Online.

State troopers said the driver of a Chevy Tahoe veered off the road while heading south on US-41 near Bell Lake Road at about 12:30 a.m. The SUV went across a sidewalk and collided with a Honda Fit that was parked in a driveway. The impact caused the Honda to go through an interior wall and hit a 37-year-old Tampa man, who was airlifted to an area hospital with serious injuries. He was pronounced dead the following day.

The FHP is now searching for the driver of the Tahoe, described as a woman in her mid 30s. She fled the scene on foot after the crash.

November 21, 2024

News: Bicyclist dies following hit-and-run incident on State Road 200

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

OCALA, FL – A bicyclist was found dead Wednesday morning after what Ocala police said was a hit-and-run incident.

The Ocala StarBanner reports the victim, a 28-year-old man, was discovered at about 7 a.m. in bushes in the 4400 block of State Road 200, west of Interstate 75.

Police said their initial investigation indicated that the man was on an e-bike and crossing State Road 200 northbound when he was hit by a westbound vehicle. The bike rider’s name was not released.

November 20, 2024

News: Ocala woman killed when car crashes into retention pond on County Road 452

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAKE COUNTY, FL – A car accident along County Road 452 in Lake County on Sunday left a driver dead, WKMG reported.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the victim was a 25-year-old woman from Ocala. She was driving north in a Dodge Challenger when she drove off the road while approaching Martin Drive.

The Challenge hit a pole and a chain-link fence, then kept going northeast until crashing into a retention pond on the shoulder of the roadway. The car ended up being totally submerged in the water.

November 19, 2024

News: Driver dies after car collides with utility pole in Alachua County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol has released its report on a fatal car wreck that occurred Saturday morning in southeast Alachua County.

According to the Gainesville Sun, the crash took place on U.S. 441 at County Road 234 West near Micanopy at about 6 a.m. The FHP’s investigation indicated that the driver of a Kia went off the roadway and crashed into a utility pole.

The driver was thrown from the vehicle, and was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders. He was a 21-year-old man from Lithia, in Hillsborough County.

November 18, 2024

News: 1 dead, 4 hurt when van returning from hurricane cleanup work crashes on I-75

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

OCALA, FL – A minivan returning from post-hurricane cleanup work was involved in a fatal accident in Marion County on Wednesday, according to the Ocala StarBanner.

Five men who were coming back from Georgia and heading toward Naples were in a Honda Odyssey van that was traveling south on Interstate 75.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the driver of the Honda lost control of the vehicle at the top of a hill near the exit for State Road 326, after one of the tires apparently blew out.

November 15, 2024

News: Woman, 77, dies following two-car wreck at intersection in Hudson

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HUDSON, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said a two-car crash in Pasco County claimed the life of one of the drivers, a 77-year-old woman from Hudson.

Pasco News Online reports the woman was behind the wheel of an eastbound Hyundai Elantra when the accident happened Thursday morning at 6:47 a.m.

The FHP said the Hyundai driver was trying to make a left turn at the intersection with Little Road and entered the path of a Honda CRV that was going south on Little Road.

November 14, 2024

News: 1 dead in collision involving van and semi-truck on Interstate 75

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – A collision in Marion County on Tuesday afternoon left one person dead and four others injured.

A report by WESH states that a Honda van and a semi-truck were involved in the crash on Interstate 75 south near mile marker 358. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the driver of the van was heading south at about 3:20 p.m. and veered off the roadway toward the center median.

When the driver tried to overcorrect, the van crossed every lane to enter the exit lane toward State Road 326. The driver of the semi tried veering right to avoid the van, but the front of the truck collided with the van’s right side.