Fort Lauderdale Injury Lawyer Blog

Another dangerous intersection in Broward County was the scene of a car accident on August 12, 2009, injuring eight people. One infant was thrown from a car, while seven others were injured in a collision between a car and a pickup truck at the Oakland Park intersection of North Andrews Avenue and 56th Street, which is known for an overabundance of accidents.

Two women and four children were riding in a car when it collided with a large sized pickup at North Andrews Avenue and 56th Street in Fort Lauderdale. The impact was so bad that it was necessary for the Oakland Park Fire Rescue to use the Jaws of Life to remove the car's driver and one of the children. The man driving the pickup and his passenger were treated for minor injuries.

All eight people involved were taken to Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, where the car's driver, an infant and a small child were listed in serious to critical condition. The other passengers in the car, an adult female and two other children received minor injuries and were treated at a local hospital.

The intersection was closed for two hours after the crash as investigators processed the scene. ``It would be speculative to say what vehicle was going which way or who might be at fault,'' a BSO spokesmen said. ``That will be determined after a thorough investigation.''

A man living in the neighborhood who heard the collision from his house on 56th Street just east of Andrews Avenue, stated: ``It's a very dangerous intersection. . . . I've lived in that neighborhood my whole life, and it's just consistently gotten worse. People just come flying over that bridge and they run through the light.'' The man states that he has heard at least five serious accidents at that intersection just this year. ``I hear squealing tire brakes from my house all the time."

Unfortunately, South Florida is chock full of dangerous intersections, with the intersection at Pines Boulevard and Flamingo Road in Pembroke Pines being one of the most dangerous. The Florida Department of Transportation is the government agency responsible for monitoring these intersections and implementing safety precautions. Given the current financial condition of Florida's state government and the ever increasing number of motorists, it appears that the number of dangerous intersections in South Florida will continue to rise.

Continue reading "Fort Lauderdale, Florida -- another dangerous intersectional crash injures 8" »

A man from Dania Beach, Florida was killed on December 25, 2009, when the powered paralgide he was piloting with his wife on board, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near the Dania Beach pier.

The paraglide pilot, 52, died on Christmas when he was unable to to get out from his safety harness after the paraglider hit the water. His wife, who also strapped in, was able to get out safely.

Lifeguards were able to pull the pilot and his wife from the ocean, but paramedics were unable to revive him. He was pronounced dead at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, Florida.

Powered paraglides do not require a pilot's license, but are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration under the "ultra-light aircraft category," but these aircraft need permission from the nearest airport to take off.

According to Wikipedia, research done by the United States Powered Paragliding Association "USPPA" estimates that the activity is statistically safer than riding motorcycles and more dangerous than riding in cars. The greatest cause of serious injury is body contact with a spinning propeller. The next most likely cause is pilot error result from flying a working paraglide into something other than the landing zone. Pilots sometimes pack a reserve parachute designed to open in as little as 50 ft (15 m) of altitude.

Continue reading "Dania, Florida man killed in powered paraglide crash" »

You may recall the horrific car accident on I-95 in Hollywood, Florida, during November of last year. The accident which shut down I-95 involved a rear-end collision between two SUVs, both of which caught fire. One of the vehicle's occupants was trapped inside and burned to death.

Jacob P. Payne, the driver of the 2000 Cadillac Escalade, which appears to be at least partially responsible, had a long history of traffic infractions. From 2006 to the present, Payne of Hallandale Beach, Florida, was convicted of careless driving, reckless driving and even had his license suspended several times, according to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles. That accident on Interstate 95 near the Hollywood-Hallandale city line resulted in a death, multiple injuries, and closed down I-95.

Payne, according to FHP investigators, was the driver of the 2000 Cadillac Escalade that appears to have started the crash. The Escalade initially struck the back of a 2005 Ford Taurus which was stopped in traffic. The Escalade then kept going and turned into the emergency lane where it slammed into the rear of the 1998 Ford Expedition which was stopped.

Within minutes, both SUVs were engulfed in flames.The Expedition's driver was trapped inside and died at the scene. Her remains were so severely burned, FHP investigators required her dental records to confirm her identity.

Previously, according to prior Hollywood accident reports, Payne drove a black Dodge truck that struck two cars, then fled. He was charged with fleeing the scene of an accident, careless driving and driving on a suspended license. Somehow his license was reinstated by the end of June.

This tragic case calls into question how easy it is for dangerous drivers to keep their license despite a history of reckless driving. As most of you know, when you receive a ticket, if you are not offered traffic school or elect not to go, you are required to appear in traffic court before a magistrate or a judge. The court file for the hearing contains the individual's driving record. One cannot help but wonder whether the magistrate or judge who adjudicated this driver's prior tickets actually paid attention to his record and the nature of the violations for which he was cited. That Payne was able to keep his license, despite his history, reveals a problem with our traffic court system which allows dangerous drivers to continue to slip through the cracks and keep on driving.

Continue reading "Hallandale man in firery car accident had history of bad driving" »