Archive for October, 2011

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31
Oct

6 tips to follow if you are in a Florida vehicle accident

October 31, 2011

According to Consumer Protection Association of America, if you or someone you know is involved in a traffic collision, remain calm and follow these six simple steps:

1. Keep an emergency kit in your glove compartment. Drivers should carry a cell phone with a camera, pen and paper, flashlight, etc.

2. Keep safety first. If possible, move cars out of the way of oncoming traffic and turn on your hazard lights.

3. Exchange information. Once the police arrive, exchange information such as your name, phone number, and insurance company name. Do not tell the other driver nor the police that the accident was your fault, even if you think it was.

4. Photograph and document the accident. Use your cell phone camera to document the damages to all of the vehicles.

5. File an accident report. A police report often helps speed up the insurance claims process. You may have to file it yourself; forms are available at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website.

6. Know what your insurance covers. It’s good to know ahead of time if your insurance covers such specifics as towing costs and/or replacement car rental.

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Have you or someone you know been injured in a Florida accident or injury?

The Florida auto accident lawyers at Steinger, Iscoe & Greene may be able to help.

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28
Oct

What should you do if you are in a Florida car crash?

Motor vehicle accidents are a part of our American lifestyle. Millions of police-reported automobile accidents occur in the United States every year. According to Edmunds.com, one-third of these accidents usually result in injury.

Accidents take a huge toll on everyone involved, both emotionally and financially. The most pressing question in dealing with an accident is usually who will pay the damages.

Even though the other driver may agree to pay for the damages to you and/or your car on the day of the accident, he may see the bills and decide that the damages are too high.

The Consumer Protection Association of America has developed a list of suggestions to help drivers deal with an accident.

President of the association, Dr. Ray Bruce said, “These tips can make a big difference in everything from protecting yourself and your passengers to ensuring that you won’t be without a car while yours is in the shop.”

In our next blog you’ll find six tips detailing the steps to take after an accident. Check back in on Monday.

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Have you or someone you know been injured in a Florida accident or injury?

The Florida injury lawyers at Steinger, Iscoe & Greene may be able to help.

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26
Oct

Driver in Fatal Clearwater Crash Had History of Blackouts

October 26, 2011

A Tampa couple and their 3-year-old granddaughter were killed in Clearwater, Florida, last Friday afternoon when a truck ran a red light and struck their minivan, and now police are saying that the truck’s driver had a history of blackouts.

According to police, the truck’s driver passed out behind the wheel for unknown reasons. He had also been involved in at least one prior crash due to blacking out. WTSP even interviewed a man whose back he injured in a 2007 crash. That victim asked the news station, “Why does he still have a license? Why is he driving?”

Reflecting on the crash that injured him, the victim from the 2007 accident said, “He pushed me across eight lanes of traffic.”

WTSP reports that the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles did review the man’s medical condition and has revoked his license in the past, but in December 2010 he got his license back and no follow-up reports were required of him.

According to reports, the 54-year-old female victim in Friday’s crash was a teacher at Tampa Plant High School. She had been out to lunch with her husband, aged 63, and her 3-year-old granddaughter just prior to the crash that took each of their lives.

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Have you or someone you know been injured in a Florida accident or injury?

The Florida injury lawyers at Steinger, Iscoe & Greene may be able to help.

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24
Oct

Traffic Crashes No.1 Killer of Teens in Florida

October 24, 2011

On Tuesday the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles joined forces with five Florida schools to heighten awareness about the greatest threat to the lives of Sunshine State teens — car accidents.

WCTV.com reports that the events are being dubbed “White Outs,” wherein teens, parents, school employees and safety officials wear a white shirt to help white out teen crashes. The events were timed with National Teen Driver Safety Week, held from October 16 – 22.

With 737,645 licensed teen drivers in the state, that’s a whole lot of education to spread around.

“Today’s white out is a good reminder that driving is a big responsibility and that parents and guardians play a key role in teaching their children safe driving behaviors that impact how they drive for their entire lives,” said DHSMV Executive Director Julie Jones. “With increased education and parental support, we can work together to save lives by reducing the number of crashes that involve teens.”

The No. 1 killer of Florida residents aged 15 – 19, car crashes took the lives of 144 teens in 2010. In addition, there was a total of 26,848 Florida crashes that involved teens last year.

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Have you or someone you know been injured in a Florida accident or injury?

The Florida injury lawyers at Steinger, Iscoe & Greene may be able to help.

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21
Oct

Police Say Florida Teen Not Involved in Case of Abused Disabled Adults

October 21, 2011

A 15-year-old girl who had been missing from West Palm Beach, Florida, since July turned up last week in the Philadelphia home where four mentally disabled adults were found locked in a squalid basement.

According to The Palm Beach Post, the missing girl had been living near the home in an apartment with the teenage son of two of the alleged abductors. In addition, six more juveniles and four adults — none of them disabled — were found at another location in connection with the abductors.

Police say that neither the Florida girl nor the abductors’ son will be charged with the alleged crimes against the four mentally disabled. Instead three adults are being charged with stealing the Social Security Disability checks of the disabled, among other crimes.

Two of the alleged abductors lived in a home in northern West Palm Beach for most of last year, though they also moved through Texas and Virginia before coming to Pennsylvania.

Each day more details surface about the abductors and the mentally challenged adults who they abused. Most recently, Reuters reports that the 51-year-old female ringleader of the scheme had been diagnosed as retarded and schizophrenic and was once convicted of third-degree murder for starving a man who she held captive in her closet for three months.

Read more.

Have you or someone you know been injured in a Florida accident or injury?

The Florida injury lawyers at Steinger, Iscoe & Greene may be able to help.

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