Florida is No. 3 in Costliest Fatal Car Crashes

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A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts at Florida at No. 3 on their list of states that suffer the costliest fatal car accidents.

The CDC said that Florida incurs $3.2 billion in costs each year related to fatal crashes—these expenses include emergency medical care costs as well as the estimated lifetime income and benefits lost when someone dies. The CDC looked at its most recent data—from 2005, when 3,533 people died in Florida car accidents—to generate this figure.

A new article from The Sun Sentinel says that Florida traffic safety advocates fear that the state won’t heed the CDC’s recommendations for improvement.

“It’s like I’m involved in ground warfare,” State Representative Irv Slosberg told the Sentinel. “Things take three, four, five years to get done.” Slosberg worked for eight years to create a law in his daughter’s name which says police can pull over a driver solely for not wearing a seatbelt.

In addition to that seatbelt law, the CDC also suggests that Florida update its child safety seat policies so that children are in “age- and size-appropriate child safety and booster seats.” As it stands now, Florida is only one of three states that doesn’t require a child over the age of three to ride in a booster seat.

The CDC also recommends easing teenage drivers into the new responsibility of driving by giving them privileges in stages, and it wants the state to mandate that all motorcyclists wear a helmet.

Read more.

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

If you or someone you know has been injured in a Florida auto accident, the Florida auto accident lawyers at Steinger, Iscoe & Greene may be able to help.

Citizens Chase Down Hit-and-Run Offender in Ft. Lauderdale

A 30-year-old Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, man who tried to flee after critically injuring a motorcyclist on Interstate 95 early Sunday was chased down by two citizens who witnessed the crash.

The crash occurred when a Kia Sorrento hit a motorcyclist, tossing him into the air and onto the highway.

Two witnesses immediately began a pursuit of the Kia, which escaped the crash site with its airbags deployed and a bumper hanging from the front of the car.

The two vehicles followed the SUV for five miles before boxing it in.

“I yanked him out of the car and I put a headlock on him and held him on the concrete,” said one of the men. “His partner came around to try to help him, and I kicked him and he ran away. I just held the guy until the cops came … The adrenaline just rushed in. My wife always says to watch out. I just yanked him out, he wasn’t getting away.”

Sgt. Mark Wysocky of the Florida Highway Patrol said the Kia’s driver was arrested and charged with careless driving, driving under the influence with serious bodily injury and property damage, and leaving the scene of a crash with injuries.

Wysocky told The Sun Sentinel he doesn’t recommend that other people try to apprehend criminals themselves.

The 42-year-old driver of the motorcycle is in critical but stable condition.

Read more.

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

If you or someone you know has been injured in a Florida auto accident, the Florida auto accident lawyers at Steinger, Iscoe & Greene Injury Lawyers may be able to help.

Woman Dies as a Result of Injuries in 6-Car Pileup

Last month a 27-year-old Indialantic, Florida, man who was texting and impaired by prescription drugs slammed his Ford F-150 into the back of a Chrysler PT Cruiser that was stopped at a red light. The 53-year-old driver of the Chrysler died last week as a result of her injuries from the crash, and investigators are now pursuing a traffic homicide investigation.

At the time of the April accident on U.S. 192, blood was not drawn from the driver for a toxicology test because none of the injured parties were believed to be seriously injured.

“We were told all the injuries were not serious, so we went forward with a routine investigation,” said Florida Highway Patrol Seargant Kim Montes to FloridaToday.com. “It’s difficult, but there are other ways of proving intoxication.”

After the crash the driver of the Ford was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, DUI with injury or damage, and careless driving. The crash report says that the man told troopers he was taking medication that he’d been prescribed and that he was texting at the time of the accident. Lieutenant Channing Taylor, who was at the crash site, said that the man was “messed up” and “nodding off” while he sat on his tailgate after the crash.

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

If you or someone you know has been injured in a Florida auto accident, the Florida auto accident lawyers at Steinger, Iscoe & Greene Injury Lawyers may be able to help.

6 Precautions Every Motorcyclist Should Take

More than one million Floridians are licensed to drive motorcycles, and countless others flock to The Sunshine State every year to soak up its temperate weather and cruise its scenic drives. To heighten awareness of the many motorcycles on Florida’s roadways, Governor Rick Scott has named the month of May, “Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month” in an effort to remind everyone to “give others a brake and share the road.”

Motorcycle fatalities in Florida have dropped by 35 percent in the last five years, says Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Julie L. Jones. But there’s still plenty to be done to prevent motorcycle accidents and fatalities. The department recommends that drivers be vigilant in checking mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles.

The DHSMV has also laid out these recommendations for protective gear that every motorcyclist should wear on every ride:

Wear a helmet. Florida law mandates that riders under the age of 20 wear a helmet, as well as riders not covered by an insurance policy providing for at least $10,000 in medical benefits for injuries incurred as a result of a crash while operating or riding on a motorcycle.
Wear eye protection.
Provide foot pegs for your passengers.
Wear proper footwear that protects your feet and ankles and allows you a solid grip on the road.
Wear gloves.
Wear a jacket and pants to protect against sunburn, windburn, dehydration, and abrasions.

Have you or someone you know been involved in a Florida motorcycle accident?

If you or someone you know has been injured in a Florida motorcycle accident, the Florida motorcycle accident lawyers at Steinger, Iscoe & Greene Injury Lawyers may be able to help.

Many injured in Florida auto accident

West Palm Beach County paramedics responded to a Florida auto accident that hurt five people.

According to WPBF, three of them were teenagers in the Florida auto accident. Four of the passengers were ejected from the vehicle.

Law enforcement shut down both directions of Florida’s Turnpike following the Florida auto accident.

Do you think teens are more likely to be involved in Florida auto accidents? What can law enforcement officials do to help keep teens safer on the roads?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Florida auto accident, the Florida auto accident lawyers at Steinger, Iscoe & Greene Injury Lawyers can help.

Speed to blame for West Palm Beach auto accident death

A man was injured and a woman was killed in a West Palm Beach auto accident, according to palmbeachpost.com.

A 21-year-old was ejected from a vehicle in a West Palm Beach auto accident, fracturing his neck, hip and pelvis. His friend, a 16-year-old girl, wasn’t so lucky. She died in the West Palm Beach auto accident.

A 19-year-old driving was driving a 2004 Mustang GT at least 97 mph in a 30 mph zone before he lost control and crashed into a utility pole that injured the 21-year-old and killed the 16-year-old in the West Palm Beach auto accident.

Do you think teens are more at risk for fatal West Palm Beach accidents? What do you think distracts teens while they’re driving?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a West Palm Beach auto accident, the West Palm Beach auto accident lawyers at Steinger, Iscoe & Greene Injury Lawyers can help.

Man dead in West Palm Beach auto accident when Jeep was rear-ended

A 2002 West Palm Beach auto accident is part of the reason the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a safety investigation into 3 million older model Jeep Grand Cherokees, according to dailyfinance.com.

From 2002-2008, Jeep Grand Cherokees were involved in 254 deaths in 172 fatal fire crashes, with one involving a West Palm Beach auto accident.

A man was driving a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee when it was rear-ended in a West Palm Beach auto accident. The man died in the West Palm Beach auto accident after the Jeep immediately caught fire.

Woman on scooter hit during Palm Beach auto accident

A woman driving a van was involved in a Palm Beach auto accident when she failed to yield to the right of way and hit a woman on a motorized scooter, according to PalmBeachPost.com.

The woman driving the van said she didn’t see the woman on the scooter before the Palm Beach auto accident occurred. The woman on the scooter was sent to a local hospital following the Palm Beach auto accident.

Do you think those on scooters are at a high risk of being in Palm Beach auto accidents? Do you think new laws should be made or altered to keep those on scooters safer?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Palm Beach auto accident, the Palm Beach auto accident Lawyers at Steinger, Iscoe & Greene Injury Lawyers can help.

Rodman safe after Fort Lauderdale auto accident

Dennis Rodman is safe after being involved in a Fort Lauderdale auto accident, according to KeenObservers.com.

The Fort Lauderdale auto accident occurred on Interstate 95. A tire problem caused the Fort Lauderdale auto accident, police said.

What steps can you take to ensure your car is in good condition before making a trip to prevent Fort Lauderdale auto accidents? Do you think more Fort Lauderdale auto accidents could be avoided if motorists maintain their vehicles properly?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Fort Lauderdale auto accident, the Fort Lauderdale auto accident lawyers at Steinger, Iscoe & Greene Injury Lawyers can help.

Man rescued after West Palm Beach auto accident

A grey Ford Focus struck a champagne-colored Acura Legend in a West Palm Beach auto accident, according to The Palm Beach Post.

Rescuers used the Jaws of Life to free a driver after the West Palm Beach auto accident.

Do you think there is a certain time of day or certain time of year when more West Palm Beach auto accidents occur? What safety concerns do you have about other drivers causing West Palm Beach auto accidents?

If you or someone you know has been involved in a West Palm Beach auto accident, the West Palm Beach auto accident lawyers at Steinger, Iscoe & Greene Injury Lawyers can help.