OCALA, FL – An elderly man was killed and two others were hospitalized following a three-vehicle crash southwest of Ocala this morning.
According to Ocala-News, the collision occurred at about 7:10 a.m. when the driver of a northbound sedan ran the red light at SW 80th Avenue and State Road 200 and was hit by the front end of an SUV as it entered the intersection.
The force of the impact rotated the SUV before it was hit by a nearby pickup truck.
Amusement parks provide visitors with thrilling rides, breathtaking scenery, and much more. There should be no element of surprise about the dangers that could result from carelessness or negligence when you set foot on a famous national theme park in Florida or a smaller-scale operation, like state fair or carnivals. Unfortunately, when negligence and excitement mix, the result can be anything but happy, leading to severe physical harm and even wrongful death. Our Florida Amusement Park Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton are committed to helping you if you or a loved one has suffered harm at a fair, carnival, theme park, or other location as a result of carelessness on the part of the owner or operator.
In February of this year (2023), the Ferris wheel at the Florida State Fair in Tampa shut down as riders were suspended upside down, with some being flipped back and forth by the wind.
We wanted to provide a few tips when approaching any type of ride, whether you are at a larger theme park or even smaller carnivals, too.
@jasonmeltonesquire Problems recently at the #floridastatefair in #Tampa at the #ferriswheel – State Fairs, #Carnival #ThemePark #AmusementPark no matter the venue, please keep an eye out for safety issues before getting on any #ride #SafetyTips #safetytiktok #ridesafety #floridainjurylawyer #floridalawyer #floridapersonalinjurylawyer #tampalawyer #orlandolawyer
Trust your instincts when you are approaching these rides. Regardless of the venue, keep your eyes and ears open for any safety issues before you get on a ride. Continue reading
PASCO CO., FL – A Port Richey man was killed last night when he was hit by a vehicle while riding his bicycle in Zephyrhills, according to Fox 13.
Police say the victim was northbound on Eiland Boulevard near Gold Links Boulevard at about 10:49 a.m. when he was hit by a Toyota Camry.
The rider, an unidentified 50-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators say he was riding without any lights when the incident occurred.
NEW PORT RICHEY, FL – A motorcycle and an SUV were involved in a deadly collision at an intersection in Pasco County Tuesday morning, reports WTVT.
The Florida Highway Patrol responded to the crash scene at Trouble Creek Road and Whitetail Lane in New Port Richey.
According to the FHP, the driver of an SUV going eastbound on Whitetail Lane stopped at the intersection. The vehicle then turned into the path of a motorcycle that was speeding in the eastbound lanes of Trouble Creek Road, and the vehicles collided.
DADE CITY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said a rollover accident in Pasco County last week left a driver dead.
According to the Suncoast News, the accident happened May 31 on Darby Road near Old Darby Road in Dade City. The FHP said a man was driving eastbound in an SUV at about 3:48 p.m. when he lost control of the vehicle while approaching a curve.
The SUV went off the roadway and onto the north shoulder. When the driver over-corrected, the SUV went back onto the road, onto the south shoulder and overturned multiple times.
LARGO, FL – A rear-end collision in Pinellas County on Friday night left a motorcyclist with life-threatening injuries, Largo Patch reports.
Police responded to the scene on Indian Rocks Road near Bluffs Drive in Largo after the accident was reported just after 9:30 p.m.
Officers determined that the operator of a 2022 Indian Scout motorcycle crashed into the back of a Lexus Rx350 going north on Indian Rocks Road. The motorcycle rider was taken to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg with severe injuries. Police said he was not wearing a helmet at the time.
LARGO, FL – A car and a pickup truck were involved in a fatal collision at an intersection in Pinellas County, police said.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the incident happened in the area of Keene Road and Belleair Road in Largo on May 28.
Largo police said the driver of a 2010 Volkswagen Jetta drove through a red light at about 8:40 p.m. and collided with a GMC Sierra pickup truck making a left turn.
Hiring the right lawyer for your case does not just mean getting the best results. It also means getting the right treatment.
The truth of the matter is that our Florida Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton have been practicing personal injury law for a very long time, and we have great relationships with doctors all over the Sunshine State, especially in the communities near our office locations in Spring Hill, New Port Richey, St. Petersburg, Inverness, Beverly Hills, Bushnell, The Villages, Gainesville, Tampa, Boca Raton, and Miami Beach.
What does this mean for injury victims? The benefit of seeking treatment from a medical professional recommended by an attorney is that you will probably be seen immediately away and can choose a location that is convenient for you.
It is acceptable to receive care from your health insurance provider if you have coverage. Your health insurance company will be entitled to compensation for any accident-related medical care it paid for when your injury claim is resolved.
When receiving care through a health insurance provider, there may be protracted wait times and challenges obtaining physical therapy authorization. Additionally, you might need to see a chiropractor but your insurance does not cover that type of care.
If you employ a personal injury attorney, they may recommend a physician who will treat you on a lien, which means you will not have to pay the physician until after you have received the settlement money from the case. Doctors that have an established relationship with your lawyers will prioritize seeing you and will go that extra mile to really do what they can to help you.
At the end of the day, a personal injury case is not only about money – it is about making you feel better, getting you quality medical care, and getting you on the right track for now as well as in the future. This is why it is so important to hire the right lawyer and not just any lawyer. Continue reading
HUDSON, FL – A man is facing charges in connection with a crash that killed a pedestrian in Pasco County last month, state troopers said.
A report by WFLA states that the suspect is identified as 30-year-old Mason Ryan Stevenson of Webster. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Stevenson was driving on Bolton Avenue May 26 when his vehicle fatally struck a 31-year-old Hudson woman who walked into his path. Stevenson allegedly fled the scene of the incident.
His vehicle was later found abandoned near the scene. Acting on a tip received by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, the FHP located Stevenson in Hudson and he was arrested last Wednesday at about 5:30 p.m.
Recent studies suggest that about 20% of motorists in the state of Florida are driving around without any insurance. That breaks down to about 1 in 5 drivers operating a vehicle without any insurance coverage.
If you happen to be involved in a car crash with an uninsured driver, then you are left paying for all the damages and expenses of the accident. While you may assume that your auto policy will cover everything, unless you have uninsured motorist coverage (UM), then you could be out of luck.
Florida auto policyholders have the choice of including UM coverage as an optional extra.
What is UM Coverage?
UM coverage protects a policyholder if they are involved in an automobile collision with a negligent party who has no liability insurance. When the at-fault driver’s liability limits have been reached, but there are still costs to be paid, such as property damage or medical expenditures, then UM coverage can bridge the gap in costs.
All motorists in the Sunshine State are mandated to have at least $10,000 in property damage and personal injury protection (PIP) on their auto policy.
Since Florida is a “no-fault” state as well, there may be instances where an accident results in losses that PIP and property damage liability do not cover; uninsured motorist coverage will step in and provide the necessary funding in these cases.
Do You Want Your Policy Stacked or Non-Stacked?
When it comes to purchasing these extra protections on your auto policy, the question comes up as to whether you want these stacked or non-stacked. Most people have no clue what this really means other than stacked costs more money. Our Florida Auto Accident Lawyers at Whittel & Melton want to help you understand why.
When you have your UM coverage stacked this is to provide you with more uninsured or underinsured coverage in the unfortunate event that someone hits you and they have no insurance or not enough insurance to cover all the damages.
Why do they call it stacked? Insurance can be stacked either horizontally (across numerous policies) or vertically (within a single policy). If you have a policy that is different from your auto policy, such as a motorcycle policy, then you can stack those together. If you have multiple vehicles, it becomes a multiplier to your policy and your financial protection is much better than unstacked coverage.
Likewise, if you have stacked insurance, then your UM coverage follows you everywhere. It follows you when you are in your roommate’s car, it follows you in a rental car, it follows you when you are on a school bus, and more, so you are essentially always protected in a car accident. Sometimes when your UM coverage is non-stacked, coverage can be limited to just the vehicles on that policy, and you do not want that to happen when you are in a bad accident with somebody that has no insurance or not enough insurance. Continue reading
