Articles Posted in Car Accidents

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Highway accidents can be particularly devastating as all vehicles are traveling at high speeds. If you have been harmed in a highway accident, you must contact a Miami personal injury attorney immediately. We will get to the bottom of what happened in your case and help you understand your legal rights and options. Accident victims only have a limited time to file claims in Florida courts so it is imperative to get legal help as quickly as possible after the wreck.

A 58-year-old man recently died after being struck by a car on the Florida Turnpike. C.F. had pulled over to the side of the road when his 2010 Ford Escape began to overheat, according to an accident report from the Florida Highway Patrol. As C.F. exited his car, he was hit by a 2017 Jeep Renegade that had drifted into the emergency lane and died on the spot. The accident took place around 8:30 a.m. in Summerfield. The Ford’s passenger and the Jeep’s driver were not injured. Law enforcement said that charges are pending against the driver of the Jeep. So far, there is no known reason for why her car drifted but authorities have confirmed that alcohol did not play a part in the accident.

Common Causes of Highway Accidents in Florida

The highway is usually a quick and convenient way for a person to get from one place to another but it can also be a dangerous place if drivers do not exercise caution behind the wheel. Highway accidents can have a variety of causes, including but not limited to:

  • Drunk driving;
  • Excessive speeding;
  • Adverse weather conditions;
  • Unsafe lane changes;
  • Distracted driving; and/or
  • Poorly marked construction zones.

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Limousines are often used to transport a large group of people to and from special occasions such as proms, weddings and birthday parties. Limo accidents can change a person’s life in an instant. In many cases, limo accidents lead to death. If you or someone close to you has been injured in a limo accident cause by a limo driver’s negligence, our Miami injury attorneys can help you build a solid case so you can recover the compensation you are rightfully owed for your harm.

Earlier this month, 20 people died in a limousine crash as they headed to a birthday celebration in New York. Among the deceased were four sisters, other relatives and friends. The accident occurred when the limo ran a stop sign and crashed into the parked SUV outside a store, killing all 18 people inside the vehicle, including the driver and two pedestrians on the road. It was later discovered that the limousine operating company had been cited with a variety of safety violations, and had failed an inspection. In fact, the vehicle had been declared “unserviceable” last month. In addition, the limo driver did not have the commercial license the law requires.

Liability in Florida Limo Accidents

While the incident took place in New York, limousine accidents also lead to devastating injuries in Florida. As a limousine passenger, you may have special legal protections. There are complex rules and regulations that pertain to the operation of limousines, which are considered “common carriers” under Florida law. A common carrier is defined as an individual or company that offers transportation of people or goods for money. A common carrier is held to an extremely high standard and is required to provide safe means of transportation passengers.

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Bus accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries. If you have been injured in a bus accident, you need to contact a Miami bus accident lawyer as soon as possible. With years of experience, we know how to uncover the cause of the accident and help you pursue compensation in your case. We know that it is very stressful to deal with a bus accident, which is why we will make every attempt to resolve your case with compassion.

Last week, a school bus wound up partly inside a backyard swimming pool after a separate accident involving a Jeep. The wreck took place in in the Pine Hills area where the driver of the Jeep veered to stop from hitting a lifeless cat on the road and collided into the bus, causing the bus to crash into the fence and ultimately careening into a backyard pool. The bus was carrying nine children, but fortunately no one was hurt in the wreck. The owner of the house was able to help everyone inside the bus exit the vehicle through its rear door, which stayed elevated above the edge of the pool.

Liability in Florida School Bus Accidents

Due to the sheer size and weight of buses, the injuries caused by a collision are often severe and debilitating. This is especially true on school buses where children are often young and more susceptible to harm.  In the vast majority of cases, a bus accident is caused by negligence either on the part of the bus driver or another driver on the road. Negligence is the failure of one person to take reasonable care to avoid causing injury or loss to another person. The behavior typically consists of actions but can also consist of omissions when there is some duty to act. Essentially, negligence consists of any error or inattentiveness behind the wheel that leads to a preventable accident. For instance, if a truck rear ends a bus because the truck driver was texting and driving, the truck driver will likely be liable for the resulting harm.

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If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident involving a keyless ignition, you need to contact an experienced Miami car accident attorney who can assist you in securing the compensation you need to deal with your injuries. Whether you were injured due to carbon monoxide poisoning or a rollaway accident, we will evaluate the circumstances of your case and help protect your rights every step of the way.

Keyless Ignitions and Potential Problems

Keyless ignition systems in automobiles have been increasing in popularity over the last decade, presumably due to their convenience and ease of use. A keyless ignition allows a car to be started without a physical key being placed in the ignition. Rather, a key fob is a small device with built in authentication protocol that allows whoever possesses it to start the car.

While key fobs are undoubtedly very convenient, they can also pose safety concerns. The two biggest problems reported by drivers with a keyless entry relate to carbon monoxide poisoning and rollaway accidents. If a car is not turned off, it will continue to run even if the key fob is far away from it. This can lead to a deadly build of toxic fumes in an enclosed space, such as a garage, and may ultimately lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Keyless ignition cars can also cause serious rollaway accidents when they are turned off but not put in park. In other words, if drivers forget to turn off their car and simply exit the vehicle, the car can roll away and cause serious injury and even death to other people.

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Rear end collisions may not immediately result in catastrophic injuries the way some other types of accidents do. However, the injuries can manifest later, after some time has passed. If you or someone you know has been injured in a rear end accident, you should consult a Miami rear end accident attorney who can help protect your rights. We will help you seek the maximum possible amount of compensation in your case.

34-year-old Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte informed the police that he had been involved in a car accident last week in Florida, according to a 911 call. In the call, Lochte can be heard telling the 911 operator that he caused a rear-end accident, striking the vehicle in front of him. Lochte was driving a Porsche at the time of the incident and the car he hit was a Nissan. Apparently, the driver in front of Lochte slammed on his breaks and while Lochte tried to veer right, he still ended up striking the vehicle. The Nissan driver was rushed to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Lochte was cited for careless driving but there is no mention of alcohol in the police report.

Fault in Rear End Accidents

All drivers in Florida have a responsibility to behave in a careful and reasonable manner while they are operating a motor vehicle. Overall, this is achieved when the driver obeys traffic laws and drives in a safe way. This includes changing lanes appropriate, abiding by the speed limit and giving other drivers the right-of-way then it is appropriate. When motorists fail to obey the rules, dangerous accidents can take place, including rear end accidents.

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If you have been injured or your loved one has been killed in a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence, we can help. The skilled Miami injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon have the experience to protect your rights, the compassion to serve you and your family, and the ability to recover compensation for your harm.

A new platform from “Agero,” a self described “transportation solutions” company, recently launched a holistic crash detection response system. The platform is called Driver360 and comes in the form of a software development kit, which can detect car crashes within 30 seconds and alert first responders, insurance carriers and tow services. Basically, it taps into an artificial intelligence and smartphone sensors to detect the crash automatically after it has occurred. The company claims that the technology correctly identified 95 percent of crashes in which an airbag deployed and 88 percent of wrecks requiring a tow.

The initial report to the insurance company provides speed, location and other relevant information. It can also record other trip level information for driver scoring and coaching. While this may seem efficient, it can also lead to insurance companies denying claims over information they receive from the platform. Technology can sometimes malfunction so if the information is in some way inaccurate or downright incorrect, the insurance company could use it to deny claims or increase premiums.

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Auto accidents can range in severity and, thus, the injuries that a person can sustain in such an accident can vary from minor to severe as well. If you or someone you know has sustained a serious injury in an accident cause by another person’s negligence, you need to help of a trusted Miami auto accident injury. The attorneys at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon understand that dealing with an accident is traumatic enough and you just want to put the whole thing behind you. We want to help you do just that. You can rest assured that we will analyze the merits of your case and provide you with an honest assessment of your claim.

Allstate has released its annual Best Drivers Report, which examines the safest cities for drivers. The 2018 study examined claims information from the company’s policyholders and reveals that the typical American driver will be involved in an accident once every ten years. Apparently, where you live impacts your chances of being involved in a wreck. The report found that Brownsville, Texas was the safest city in the U.S. since residents there typically file a claim once every 13.6 years, which is 26.3 percent below the national average.

Florida has 13 of the top 200 safest driving cities in the country. The safest city in Florida, according to the report, is Cape Coral, where the average years between auto accident claims is 11.6 years. The second safest city is Port St. Lucie, followed by St. Petersburg, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Miami, Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Tampa, Hollywood and Hialeah.

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Single vehicle accidents can be just as devastating as accidents involving more than one vehicle. If you or someone close to you has been hurt in a single vehicle accident, it is imperative to reach out to a seasoned Miami injury attorney who can help. At The Law Offices of Robert Dixon, we are here to provide legal insights so you can make informed decisions about your case. You can rest assured that we will work as hard as we can to get you the compensation you rightfully deserve.

Last month, a single car accident in Quincy killed one and injured four people, including two children. R.W., 50, of Greenacres was one of four passengers in the car who died from his injuries. According to Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the vehicle was traveling north on a state road when the driver lost control of the car and travelled across southbound lanes – spinning and then overturning before crashing into a tree. FHP noted that R.W. was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident and neither were the children. It is unknown whether alcohol played a role in the crash.

A single vehicle accident is a type of motor vehicle accident in which only one vehicle in involved. Single car accidents can have a variety of causes including, but not limited to: drunk driving, speeding, reckless driving, adverse weather conditions, design defects and/or distracted driving.

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As self-driving cars become more popular, you may assume that faulty technology is the cause of a lot of Florida car accidents. However, this is simply not the case. Human error is still the leading cause of car accidents even when it comes to self-driving cars. If you or someone close to you has been injured in an auto accident that was not your fault, you need to reach out to a seasoned Miami injury attorney who can assess the merits of your case. At The Law Offices of Robert Dixon, we are committed to getting you the compensation you deserve for your harm.

Computers may be better drivers than humans after all. In a study of automobile incident reports in California, Axios discovered that humans were to blame for the vast majority of collisions on the road. The study, which examined cases from 2014 through 2018, determined that when self-driving cars were in autonomous mode and driving on their own, 38 incidents took place. In each of these accidents except for one, the accidents were the result of human error.

The study also revealed that there were 24 incidents when autonomous mode was on and the vehicle was stopped, none of which were caused by the self-driving technology. Even when the vehicles were in conventional mode (i.e., permitting human interaction), only six of the 19 accidents when the cars were moving were the result of self-driving technology.

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If you have been injured in a car accident that was not your fault, you may be able to recover compensation for your losses. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, our seasoned Miami car accident attorneys understand the nuances of Florida personal injury law and can help you navigate the case in an effective and efficient manner.Being forthright and truthful when providing testimony is critical to every personal injury case. When a person fails to provide honest testimony, there can be serious consequences for the case. In a recent Florida case, the state appeals court dismissed a personal injury lawsuit after the plaintiff concealed a history of lower back injuries.

In this case, the plaintiff was riding in a car owned by his girlfriend when the vehicle was hit by a white pickup truck. After the accident, the truck fled the scene. The plaintiff filed a lawsuit after the crash, claiming that the girlfriend’s conduct behind the wheel was negligent and caused him to suffer permanent neck and lower back injuries.

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