Last year, Florida governor Rick Scott announced with great bravado his plans to implement strict measures to prevent the rampant neglect and abuse of disabled and elderly residents at assisted living facilities (ALFs). A year and a half later, Scott has receded dramatically from his previously valiant stance on ALF reform.
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.
As you and your family set out to enjoy Florida’s many theme parks and other attractions this summer, you will likely encounter one or two releases or waivers of liability and wonder whether they are legally enforceable in the event of a personal injury. Florida law generally disfavors waivers and construes them strictly against the defense.
While many people work hard to maintain their property and keep it presentable, they may not realize that they are under a legal duty to make sure their property is safe, particularly for workers who must enter their property for business purposes as well as social visitors.
The effects of long-term concussions have appeared recently in national headlines as more former players are taking legal action against the NFL, claiming that the league did not take appropriate measures to protect its players against head injuries.
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.
