As college students, families with young children, and snow birds from the north flock to Florida, Tampa Bay area roadways such as US 19, Gulf Boulevard and Bayshore Boulevard become particularly susceptible to accidents involving motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
Florida lawmakers were busy in 2012, passing a number of controversial and widely-criticized bills. The most notorious of these among Florida personal injury attorneys was HB 119, also known as the PIP Reform Act.
A group of chiropractors, massage therapists, and acupuncturists have filed the first of numerous anticipated lawsuits over Florida’s recently overhauled personal injury protection (PIP) law. Nearly eight months after the PIP law passed, auto insurers have not yet reduced any premiums. In fact, State Farm recently proposed increasing the PIP portion of its insurance by 22 percent, but it is willing to settle for a mere 7.9 percent increase.
The recent death of a 70-year-old man at The Villages community in Lady Lake, Florida has raised new concerns about golf cart safety. According to the St. Petersburg Times, David Tillman was a passenger in a golf cart when he was ejected as the driver made a left-hand turn. He later died at the hospital from his injuries. According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), “there are approximately 15,000 golf car related injuries requiring emergency room treatment in the US each year.”
A recent article by Car and Driver magazine examines a disturbing yet growing trend that is one of the leading causes of car accidents, injuries, and automobile deaths in Florida and throughout the country. Until Florida’s lawmakers and leaders come to appreciate the immense risk of injury and death to thousands of Floridians caused by texting and driving, all drivers should remain ever vigilant and cautious on the roads.
In light of the statistics and inordinately high numbers of auto accidents and pedestrian deaths caused by reckless drivers throughout the Tampa Bay area, the public is well served by the recent efforts by Tampa and St. Petersburg to make major intersections safer by installing cameras. Another way to dramatically reduce traffic congestion as well as improve the safety of Tampa Bay area roads and highways is through public transit, particularly in the form of light rail.
As the 4th of July approaches, most families are busy preparing plans for Independence Day weekend. Unfortunately, so too are car crashes and other highway vehicle accidents.
On average, nearly 250,000 traffic accidents occur in Florida every year, resulting in nearly 3,000 fatalities, according to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles. Each of these tragic motor vehicle crashes is terrible in its own respect, but the case of David Belniak sent ripples of shock throughout the Tampa Bay, Florida area and surrounding counties. On June 12, 2012, the jury determined that Mr. McWilliams was not at fault in the crash and awarded a total of $14 million to the relatives of the victims Belniak in compensatory damages. The parties later reached a settlement of $1 million in punitive damages.
The new PIP Reform Bill of 2012 will usher in a swath of questionable requirements and limitations on personal injury protection (PIP) auto insurance coverage that may ultimately do more harm than good to Florida drivers. The following are a few recommended steps to take following an auto accident to maximize your PIP benefits.
Tyler Morr died this past Wednesday afternoon, May 23, 2012, at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida after sustaining grievous injuries following a youth race car crash on the preceding Saturday. Tyler was only 12 years old and a racing competitor within the cockpit of a high performance race car at the time of his fatal crash. Needless to say, the standards for ensuring safety of the competitors are not always clear when it comes to a stock car race involving children.
