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18
Jan

Florida man guilty of DUI sues victim

January 18, 2012

A man who had pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter stemming from a crash near Tampa, Florida, on Christmas Day 2007 now denies causing the crash, reports ABC News. The accident killed three of the four people in the vehicle that was hit.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the man has now sued the estate of the now-deceased driver of the other vehicle, saying it was actually the other driver who caused the crash by abruptly changing lanes.

The man’s attorney, who is also his sister, said that the government’s prosecution amounted to a character assassination, and that he had accepted a plea deal only to avoid risking getting a life sentence.

“It’s hard to wrap your head around. There aren’t any facts that support the allegation [the accused man] is making,” the lawyer for the victim’s family said. “That’s why the family is breathless” at this law suit.

Six eyewitnesses said that the now deceased driver was stopped at a red light when, at 70 to 90 mph, and never veering or braking, the accused man rear-ended him.

The event data recorder in the deceased man’s vehicle showed that it was not moving at the time of impact, she said.

The man was sentenced to 12 years in prison, where he remains.

Read more.

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

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

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16
Jan

Gene Hackman hit by motor vehicle while cycling in Florida Keys

January 16, 2012

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman suffered injuries after being hit by a pickup truck on Saturday afternoon in the Florida Keys, according to the Daily Mail.

The 81-year-old legendary star was struck while riding his bicycle on Islamorada Street, called the Old Highway, in Tavernier, Florida, around 3 p.m.

The truck came up from behind, and the impact knocked Hackman off his bike. He was thrown onto a grassy shoulder, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

Because he was on an island, he was airlifted to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital on the mainland.

Early reports that Hackman had suffered serious head injuries were dismissed by his spokeswoman.

She said, “Gene Hackman was taken to a hospital for routine tests after being bumped from behind while riding his bike today in the Keys.

“He’s suffered minor bumps and bruises and is already on his way home.”

Hackman was not wearing a helmet.

According to USA Today, the accident was far more startling than life threatening.

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating. No charges have yet been filed.

During a career that has spanned five decades, Hackman has won two Academy Awards and been nominated for three others.

Read more.

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

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13
Jan

Clown injured in police car accident

January 13, 2012

A St. Petersburg police officer rushing to an accident scene sped through a red light and smashed into a man’s car, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Before the accident, the injured man had earned his living in part by being a clown. His father was a clown, and his father before that.

The man’s doctor told a jury that the force of the collision gave him arm, neck, and spine injuries that sidelined him, making him unable to work either as a clown or a cabdriver.

The man blames his injuries on an early morning crash on May 10, 2005. Driving a taxicab to help pay bills clowning could not cover, the 61-year-old man was struck by a police cruiser rushing to a scene.

The clown sued for $100,000 in medical expenses. The city offered a $20,000 settlement. The clown refused.

A jury awarded him $5,000 last summer, and on Wednesday, it got worse for the clown.

A Pinellas County circuit court judge decided the clown should have to pay St. Petersburg $23,162 in legal fees and court costs.

When he found out, the clown cried, “I didn’t do anything wrong. I was the person injured, and now I’m the one told, ‘You have to pay.’ ”

In Florida, if plaintiffs aren’t awarded 75 percent of what was offered in an earlier settlement, they are responsible for fees and costs.

Read more.

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

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

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11
Jan

Florida dog rescued after owner killed in accident

January 11, 2012

On Saturday a man kayaking in the Gulf of Mexico off Siesta Key, a community about 40 miles south of St. Petersburg, rescued a dog swimming about a half mile offshore, reports The News Tribute. The dog was fleeing after he and his owner had been struck by a car. His owner was killed.

The 53-year-old woman was jogging with her dog Barney, a Hungarian Vizsla, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

As the pair jogged down the sidewalk, a 22-year-old man drove away from the nearby beach while drunk, got into one crash, and then drove away. That is when he struck the woman and her dog, officers said.

She died at the scene, but the dog ran away.

A tourist from Bellingham, Washington, was kayaking and fishing when he spotted the dog swimming in the blue water about a half mile from shore.

“I pulled him into the kayak, and he was really scared,” the man said. “He was shaking a lot. Had a bunch of wounds on his leg and was bleeding.”

The dog had a microchip, so a veterinarian’s office was able to contact the woman’s family and learned about the accident.

It is still a mystery as to how or why the dog ended up a mile from where the crash happened and in the water.

Read more.

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

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

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9
Jan

Criminal charges considered in car crash fraud

January 9, 2012

During a recent three-day sweep of Miami-Dade County clinics, irregularities were discovered among pain clinics that treat auto accident victims, according to Ocala.com.

After finding regulatory violations in almost 90 percent of the pain clinics that treat automobile accident victims, state investigators are considering criminal charges.

Investigators found that many clinic owners had no prior healthcare experience, and that they opened auto crash clinics after learning the clinics could be lucrative.

The report will prompt the state to take action to revoke the licenses of several entities.

PIP, or personal injury protection, was adopted in 1972 by state legislature to make sure anyone injured in an auto accident would quickly get money to treat their injuries.

Schemers have turned Florida into the number one state for staged accidents, especially in Miami and Tampa.

The Insurance Information Institute predicts that such fraud could approach $1 billion in the state this year.  These costs are passed on to customers.

Florida lawmakers have struggled unsuccessfully for years in their attempts to fix PIP. They are now being challenged to find a solution in the state legislative session that begins Tuesday.

Some of the ideas that have been discussed range from providing emergency care only within three days of an accident to doing away with the program entirely.

Read more.

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