Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

September 30, 2024

News: Hernando County dealing with extensive damage in aftermath of Hurricane Helene

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – People in many parts of Florida are now dealing with the damage and flooding left behind by Hurricane Helene, and the Hernando Sun reported on the impact of the storm in that particular region.

The county was hit hard by the hurricane, with the storm surge reaching 8 feet in the coastal areas. Authorities made dozens of water rescues, and Hernando County Fire Rescue responded to several fires in the Hernando Beach area after seawater came in contact with lithium batteries used in toys, power tools, and electric vehicles.

Many residents experienced flooded homes, and damage or total loss of their belongings. Widespread power outages added to the challenges of trying to recover.

September 30, 2024

Former South Florida Physician Found Liable for Medical Malpractice in Baby’s Circumcision Tied to 6 Other Patient Deaths | West Palm Beach Medical Malpractice Attorneys Whittel & Melton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A former Florida physician, who was found liable for $100 million in August in a medical negligence case involving an infant’s mishandled circumcision, has been linked to several mismanaged procedures, including 6 patient fatalities.

On August 27, a Palm Beach County jury awarded the child’s parents $100 million after they accused the former doctor of severing the child’s urethra during a 2021 circumcision. The former physician, who worked as an obstetrician and gynecologist in Palm Beach County for 33 years, conducted the procedure just 10 days after the Florida Board of Medicine voted to suspend his medical license.

Court records indicate that this was not the first time the former doctor had been involved in medical malpractice. According to reports, he was mentioned in nine malpractice proceedings and four disciplinary cases, including ones involving the deaths of two infants, an injury to another, and the 1990s death of an 18-year-old mother.

September 27, 2024

News: Collision in Citrus Park leaves 1 dead, 3 seriously injured

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

CITRUS PARK, NJ – The Florida Highway Patrol said two cars were involved in a deadly collision in Hernando County on Tuesday.

WKMG reported details of the wreck, which occurred on Citrus Way near Kensington Road in Citrus Park. The FHP’s investigation found that the driver of a Hyundai Elantra was headed north at about 5 p.m. and entered the southbound lane. The Elantra collided nearly head-on with a Hyundai Accent.

A 47-year-old Weeki Wachee woman who was a passenger in the Accent died after being taken to an area hospital. The Accent driver, 17-year-old boy from Weeki Wachee, was seriously injured.

September 26, 2024

News: Motorcycle rider dies after hitting curb, pole in Land O’Lakes

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAND O’LAKES, FL – An accident in Pasco County claimed the life of a 22-year-old motorcycle rider on Sunday morning.

According to Pasco News Online, the Florida Highway Patrol responded to the scene on Bell Lake Road near Collier Parkway at about 11:10 a.m.

The FHP said a man lost control of a Kawasaki motorcycle while riding eastbound and collided with a curb, then struck a concrete pole. The rider, a Land O’Lakes resident, was killed in the crash.

September 26, 2024

Hurricane Helene Now Category 3 Storm with 120 mph Winds | Hurricane Storm Damage Lawyers Whittel & Melton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Hurricane Helene strengthened again Thursday morning, and it is now a Category 3 hurricane having maximum sustained winds of 120 mph.

Both the storm’s magnitude and severity are increasing.

With a potentially fatal storm surge, it is predicted to make landfall in the Florida Big Bend tonight as a powerful hurricane in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

September 25, 2024

News: 1 dead, 1 injured when SUV collides with e-bike in Hernando County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – One person was killed and another injured when an SUV collided with an electric bicycle in Hernando County on Saturday night, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

WTVT reports the rider of the e-bike was headed south on the Nature Coast Trail shortly after 8:30 p.m. and did not stop at a stop sign near the intersection with Highfield Road. The bike was then struck at the trail crossing by a westbound Chevrolet Trailblazer.

The bike rider, a 42-year-old Brooksville man, was pronounced dead after being taken to an area hospital. A woman who was on the bike was hospitalized with serious injuries.

September 24, 2024

News: Dunnellon woman killed in 2-vehicle collision on County Road 484

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – A woman was killed when the vehicle she was riding in was involved in a collision in Marion County on Saturday afternoon.

WKMG reported details of the crash that were released by the Florida Highway Patrol. According to the FHP, the driver of a sedan was headed east on County Road 484 when the incident happened at about 12:40 p.m.

As that driver made a left turn onto Southwest 110th Avenue, the vehicle directly entered the path of an oncoming SUV and the vehicles collided, causing the SUV to overturn.

September 23, 2024

News: Head-on crash on State Road 589 in Hernando County leaves both drivers dead

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – A head-on collision between two vehicles in Hernando County on Saturday morning left both drivers dead, WTVT reported.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the incident on State Road 589 involved a wrong-way driver. According to the FHP, a man behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Jetta was heading south in the northbound lanes at about 12:40 a.m. and crashed into a northbound Honda Odyssey minivan near County Line Road. The impact caused both vehicles to rotate and flip, with both ending up in the median and outside shoulder.

The Volkswagen driver, a 45-year-old man, and the Honda driver, a 47-year-old woman, were pronounced dead at the scene, Both were from Homosassa.

September 20, 2024

News: 3 injured, 1 seriously, in head-on crash on County Road 345

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LEVY COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol said three people were injured, one seriously, in a crash along County Road 345 on Thursday afternoon.

According to the Main Street Daily News, the driver of a Chevrolet Trailblazer was going north at 4:12 p.m. and passed another northbound vehicle. As she re-entered the northbound lane she lost control of the vehicle, crossed over the center lane and entered the southbound lane.

The Chevrolet then collided head-on with a southbound Lexus ES300, causing the Chevrolet to overturn while the Lexus ended up on the shoulder of the roadway.

September 19, 2024

Wagon Mishap During School Field Trip to Apple Orchard Results in More Than Two Dozen Injuries | Florida Injury Lawyers Whittel & Melton

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A wagon toppled over during a school field trip at a Wisconsin apple orchard on Wednesday, injuring over 20 individuals, three of whom had critical injuries, according to officials.

The incident happened at Bushel and a Peck Orchard in the town of Lafayette, which is in Chippewa Falls, about 200 miles west of Green Bay.

According to reports, the wagons were being pulled off a public road when the driver lost control, causing them to flip and leaving multiple children and adults with serious injuries.