Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

January 21, 2025

Why You Should Hire a Curious Lawyer

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

You should choose your lawyer carefully, just like you would with a contractor or financial advisor. In addition to disclosing private information, you will be putting your trust in their legal counsel and their abilities to help you get through a difficult circumstance that you are unable to manage on your own.

When you are doing your research into finding a lawyer for your case, look for a lawyer who is curious about the law. What do we mean by this? You want your lawyer to be someone that is always engaged with what is going on in their field and constantly evolving with the times. Your dealings with your lawyer should not just be transactional – you are a team working together and collaborating to achieve the best possible outcome. Your lawyer should be someone you like and trust – you should be able to confide in your lawyer and feel comfortable sharing the details of your case. With that said, you want a lawyer who asks probing questions and seems genuinely curious about your case and not just the basic facts.

You want a lawyer that encourages you – the client – to ask questions. There are no dumb questions, and the more informed you are, the better. A lawyer who encourages their clients to seek clarification is one that is fostering a relationship of collaboration and trust. Your lawyer should want you to be curious, too, so that you can actively contribute to the legal process.

January 21, 2025

News: 1 dead, 2 injured in fiery crash at intersection in Sumter County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

SUMTER COUNTY, FL – Two vehicles were involved in a deadly crash at an intersection in Sumter County on Friday night, WESH reported.

The Florida Highway Patrol was called to the area of County Road 475 and State Road 44 after the incident occurred at about 5:30 p.m.

The FHP’s investigation determined that the driver of an unidentified car was heading south on C.R. 474 while approaching a stop sign and did not yield when entering the intersection. The driver of a Nissan Altima going west on S.R. 44 swerved to the left to avoid a collision with that vehicle and entered the eastbound lanes, where the car crashed into an eastbound Chevy pickup truck. The Nissan and the Chevy both caught fire.

January 20, 2025

News: Suspect in custody in connection with Lake County hit-and-run

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAKE COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol has made an arrest in the case of a collision that killed a motorist in Lake County on Jan. 13, according to the Leesburg News.

The crash happened on US-27 at Margaux Drive shortly before 7 p.m. According to the FHP, the vehicle of a 37-year-old Auburndale man had broken down and he was standing behind it, directing traffic to the next lane. A tow truck driver stopped partially in the outside lane and on the shoulder of the road to assist the man.

State troopers said that at that point, the driver of a Kia Soul was heading south on US-27 in the outside lane and failed to move over. The Kia then struck the 37-year-old pedestrian, causing him to hit the driver’s side mirror of the tow truck. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

January 17, 2025

Let’s Lower the Number of Distracted Driving Accidents in 2025

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

In today’s fast-paced world, technology has become an essential component of our daily routine. Although there are many advantages to technology improvements, they have also led to an increase in incidences involving distracted driving. Distracted driving is a critical issue that jeopardizes road safety.

The bottom line is that cars today have more features than cars 20-30 years ago, which makes it much easier to become distracted behind the wheel. We are constantly getting text messages and have large screens in our cars where you can play satellite music or even “car play” where you can play music from your phone, listen to podcasts and audiobooks, the list goes on.

Distracted driving is often attributed to teen drivers, but that is not always the case. Our Florida Car Accident Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton have seen distracted driving accidents involving truck drivers, bus drivers, moms and dads in minivans and SUVs, grandmas/grandpas in sedans, and of course, teen drivers.

January 17, 2025

News: Car slams into back of school bus on SW 27th Avenue in Marion County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

MARION COUNTY, FL – A car and a school bus were involved in a collision in Marion County on Thursday, First Coast News reported.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the bus driver was heading south on SW 27th Avenue and put on the yellow flashing lights while slowing down to pick up a child. The driver of a southbound sedan did not slow down, and struck the rear of the bus.

No children were on board the bus, and no injuries were reported.

January 16, 2025

Driver of disabled vehicle struck and killed in hit-and-run on U.S. 27

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAKE COUNTY, FL – The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a deadly hit-and-run incident that occurred Monday evening in Lake County.

A report by WKMG states that a 37-year-old Auburndale man was killed in the crash on US-27 at Margaux Drive shortly before 7 p.m. According to the FHP, the man’s vehicle had broken down and he was standing behind it, directing traffic to the next lane. A tow truck driver stopped partially in the outside lane and on the shoulder of the road to assist the man.

State troopers said that at that point, the driver of a Kia Soul was heading south on US-27 in the outside lane and failed to move over. The Kia then struck the 37-year-old pedestrian, causing him to hit the driver’s side mirror of the tow truck. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.

January 15, 2025

News: Altoona woman dies in collision with dump truck on County Road 439

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

LAKE COUNTY, FL – Authorities were called to a fatal crash involving a sedan and a dump truck in Lake County on Tuesday morning, WESH reported.

The accident happened at about 8:23 a.m. on County Road 439 near County Road 44A. The Florida Highway Patrol stated that the driver of a 1994 dump truck encountered stopped traffic while heading north. When the driver tried to brake, he veered into the southbound lane of CR-439 and collided head-on with a 2019 Toyota Corolla.

The Toyota driver, a 23-year-old Altoona woman, died after being rushed to AdventHealth Waterman Hospital. The dump truck driver, a 28-year-old Leesburg man, was not injured and stayed at the scene.

January 14, 2025

News: Woman killed, man injured when semi hits their car near U.S. Highway 301

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

HERNANDO COUNTY, FL – A collision between a car and a semi-truck in Hernando County left one person dead and another injured, WTSP reported.

The Florida Highway Patrol was called to the area of U.S. Highway 301 and State Route 50 after the crash occurred Sunday at about 1:49 p.m. The FHP’s investigation found that the driver of the car was heading east on State Route 50 and making a left turn at the intersection. The car entered the path of a westbound semi-truck and was hit by the truck.

An 86-year-old woman who was in the car was killed, while a 72-year-old man with her was hospitalized with serious injuries. The truck driver, a 66-year-old Iowa man, was not injured.

January 14, 2025

FDA Issues 4th Oyster Recall in 18 Days – Norovirus Cases Are On The Rise

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration issued its fourth bad oyster recall in three weeks involving various oysters harvested in Washington that may be contaminated with norovirus.

Here is What You Need to Know

The caution pertains to oysters gathered by Ruco’s Shellfish between December 2 and December 17 from a growing area in Washington’s Hammersley Inlet, approximately 80 miles southwest of Seattle.

January 13, 2025

News: Man dies after car crashes into sign, tree off northbound I-75

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL – A car wreck in Alachua County on Thursday evening claimed the life of a motorist, according to the Gainesville Sun.

The crash occurred on Interstate 75 north at mile marker 399 north of Gainesville. The Florida Highway Patrol’s accident report said a driver headed north at about 5:30 p.m. drove his sedan off the roadway. The vehicle went through the grass shoulder and crashed into an information sign and a tree.

The driver, a 39-year-old man from High Springs, was pronounced dead at the scene. No other vehicles were involved.