Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

December 30, 2024

Stay Safe on New Year’s Eve

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate the end of the year and all your accomplishments as well as any hardships you have endured. It is a time to reflect on past experiences and plans for the new year. Resolutions aside, New Year’s Eve is one of the busiest nights for emergency responders as there is an uptick in accidents, DUIs, and other safety issues. With that said, there are a few safety precautions you and your loved ones can follow to stay safe.

Plan Your Night Ahead of Time

By planning your night out in advance, you can make sure you have a safe evening.

December 30, 2024

News: Citrus County man dies in motorcycle accident in SW Ocala

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

OCALA, FL – A car and a motorcycle were involved in a fatal collision in southwest Ocala early Thursday morning, reports the Ocala Star-Banner.

The incident occurred at Southwest 80th Avenue and Southwest 80th Street at about 4:10 a.m. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the driver of a Hyundai was going south on SW 80th Avenue and attempted to make a left turn onto SW 80th Street. The driver apparently did not see a motorcycle rider going north and pulled out into his path, resulting in the crash.

The motorcyclist, a 37-year-old man from Citrus County, was thrown onto the grass shoulder and was pronounced dead after being taken to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital. The driver of the Hyundai, an 87-year-old woman, suffered minor injuries and was treated at the same hospital.

December 27, 2024

How to Safely Dispose of Your Christmas Tree

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Now that Christmas is over, it is time to get a fresh start on the new year, and that means starting to think about taking down your holiday décor.

If you have a real Christmas tree, it is best not to wait until it dries out before removing it because dry trees are fire hazards. You want to remove all ornaments and lights as well as your tree stand and skirt before you dispose of the tree. It is a good idea to have a bucket handy to collect any water that may have dripped into your tree stand. You can then use a large plastic garbage bag or blanket or sheet to wrap around your tree to prevent any sap or needles from making a mess on your floors. You can then carry your tree to the curb for yard waste pickup. If you do not have that service, you can contact your local yard waste management to arrange a pickup date. Just make sure the tree is not obstructing any sidewalks or roads.

December 27, 2024

News: Spring Hill man killed in car accident in New Port Richey

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

NEW PORT RICHEY, FL – A single-vehicle wreck in New Port Richey on Christmas morning left a driver dead, WTVT reports.

The Florida Highway Patrol said a man was driving a Ford Explorer east on Banbury Avenue near Gatun Street in Moon Lake when he failed to negotiate a curve and veered off the roadway.

The Ford went onto the shoulder and crashed into several trees. The driver, a 39-year-old man from Spring Hill, died after being transported to an area hospital.

December 26, 2024

News: Man from The Villages struck, killed by vehicle on U.S. 301

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SUMMERFIELD, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal pedestrian collision that occurred in Marion County last Friday night.

According to the Ocala StarBanner, the incident occurred at about 10:41 p.m. along U.S. 301 near County Road 42 in Summerfield. The FHP said a man was walking eastbound across U.S. 301 after leaving a local bar. The driver of an SUV was heading north in the outside lane, did not see the pedestrian, and struck him.

The victim, a 59-year-old man from The Villages, died at the scene. State troopers said he was wearing dark clothing and the area where he was struck was dark.

December 25, 2024

News: Driver killed when pickup truck crashes into tree in Hernando County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – A driver died after his pickup truck was involved a wreck in Hernando County early Saturday morning, according to the Tampa Free Press.

The accident occurred along northbound US-301 near Ranchette Boulevard. A man was driving a Ford Ranger at a high rate of speed at about 5:10 a.m. when he lost control of the vehicle and veered off the roadway. The Ford collided with a tree on the west shoulder of the road.

The driver, a 23-year-old man from Webster, Sumter County, died at the scene. No other vehicles were involved.

December 24, 2024

News: Archer man, 2 Gainesville women dead after collision on Newberry Road

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

GAINESVILLE, FL – A crash west of Gainesville between a motorcycle and a car Monday morning left three people dead, the Gainesville Sun reported.

The Florida Highway Patrol’s investigation indicated that the driver of a sedan was entering Newberry Road from Northwest 109th Drive at about 11:30 a.m. when the vehicle was struck by a motorcycle. The impact caused the car to overturn.

The motorcyclist, a 31-year-old Archer man, the driver of the sedan, a 59-year-old Gainesville woman, and her passenger, a 90-year-old Gainesville woman, all were killed.

December 23, 2024

News: Brooksville man seriously injured in 5-vehicle crash in Pasco County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

PASCO COUNTY, FL – A multi-vehicle collision in Pasco County Wednesday morning left one of the drivers seriously injured, WTSP reports.

The accident happened in the southbound lanes of Interstate 75 at about 7:45 a.m. The Florida Highway Patrol said it began when the driver of a car changed lanes into the path of a semi-truck and was hit by the semi. The car then hit a vehicle that was stopped in traffic.

The semi-truck continued forward and hit a pickup truck and another semi that were also stopped in the traffic. The driver of the pickup truck, a 50-year-old Brooksville man, was taken to an area hospital with serious injuries.

December 20, 2024

News: Insurance claims from Hurricane Milton rise another $100 million

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

TALLAHASSEE, FL – The state of Florida has issued an update regarding the number of insurance claims filed as the result of the damage caused by Hurricane Milton.

According to Florida Politics, more than 313,000 insurance claims have now been filed in Florida due to Milton, resulting in a total of $3.448 billion in Florida claims.

That is an increase of $100 million from the previous figure posted last month by the state’s Office of Insurance Regulation. The office has been keeping track of claims made since Hurricane Milton hit the Gulf Coast in October. The number of claims was up nearly 11,000 from the last report. The new total includes 248,812 residential property claims and 14,805 commercial property claims.

December 19, 2024

News: Crash on County Road 33 in Groveland leaves 1 driver dead, 1 injured

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAKE COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol released details of a fatal collision that occurred in Lake County on Monday afternoon.

According to WESH, the wreck happened in the area of County Road 33 and Soto Road in Groveland. The FHP said the driver of a 2008 Chevrolet HHR was headed south on County Road 33 at about 12:13 p.m. when the vehicle went out of its lane. The Chevrolet entered the path of a 2015 Ford Fusion going north.

The vehicles collided near Soto Road. The Chevrolet driver was transported to the Orlando Regional Medical Center and was pronounced dead. The Ford driver was taken to the same hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.