Item: Flaxman Law Group
Rating: 5
Author: Clara Barman

Do you Exercise Outdoors in Miami? Here is How to Stay Safe

Published on: October 13, 2011 | By Flaxman Law Group

Miami is filled with green spaces, trails, beaches, and many other outdoor areas that are perfect for recreation. There many joggers and bicyclists in Miami who choose to exercise outdoors. If you are one of them, keep in mind that you need to stay safe. While Miami has lots of pedestrians, it also has a higher than normal level of truck traffic. Since Miami is a port city and a major commercial area, thousands of trucks pour into the city every day. This increases the risk of Miami pedestrian accidents and serious accidents for those who choose to exercise outdoors. In order to stay safe, make sure that you:

1) Avoid exercising or jogging alone. Whether you are taking a bicycle ride or jogging, consider taking friends with you. Friends not only make exercising more fun, but they can also ensure that you are less of a target. If you are in a Miami truck accident or pedestrian accident while jogging or bicycling, your friends can also help you call for emergency medical personnel. If you cannot find friends to work out with, at least have a planned route, a cell phone, and let someone know where and when you will be exercising.

2) Choose your exercise routes carefully. Avoid exercising outside at the same time and location every day. As well, select safe, well lit areas for jogging and bicycling.

3) Make sure that truck drivers and motorists can see you easily. If you are jogging, wear reflective clothing. If you are on a bicycle, make sure that your bicycle has reflective tape and working lights. The more visible you are to drivers, the less likely you are to be in a Miami pedestrian accident. Visibility does not guarantee that you won’t be in an accident, but it does reduce your risk.

4) Carry a cell phone with you. Make sure that your cell phone is turned off, as distracted jogging or bicycling makes you more prone to a Miami bicycle accident or pedestrian accident. However, if you are in an accident, a cell phone can help you call for help quickly.

5) Carry your personal identification, including emergency contact numbers and any allergies you have or medications you are taking, with you when you are exercising. If you are severely injured, this information can help paramedics save your life.

6) Consider jogging or bicycling in areas that do not have truck or car traffic. Miami has a number of parks and beaches where vehicles are not allowed. These can be safer areas for walking, jogging, and bicycling, especially if you stay on them during daylight hours.

7) Avoid bicycling or walking distracted. Avoid listening to music, texting, or otherwise distracting yourself while you work out. Staying alert allows you to notice what is going on around you, and allows you to notice traffic as well as any warning signs that can help you prevent an accident.

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Losing a Loved one in a Florida Truck Accident

Published on: September 27, 2011 | By Flaxman Law Group

There is nothing more devastating about Florida truck accidents than the high fatality rate these accidents cause. Florida truck accidents often make the news because the sheer force and size of commercial truck accidents often cause dramatic, devastating accidents. These types of accidents claim lives every day, devastating families. If your family has suffered this type of loss, the Flaxman Law Group would like to extend our condolences. In our experience with grieving families, we have found that families who have lost a loved one in a traffic accident may wish to:

1) Take care of themselves and their family. If you have lost a loved one, there are likely many people touched by the loss. Working together as a family and grieving together can help everyone heal.

2) Secure their future. If there are children involved, especially, safeguarding their future is often a family’s main concern. Unfortunately, when children lose a parent or family member, they lose support and also financial stability. Seeking a Florida wrongful death suit, if appropriate, after an accident can help children secure the financial resources needed for counseling and for a bright future. Working with a Florida personal injury attorney can be one way to ensure that children’s futures are secured.
3) Get answers. After a truck accident, there are often many questions. A family may wish to know what caused the accident and whether it could have been prevented, for example. Answering these questions is often important in order for a family to get much-needed closure. Answering these questions can also help a family secure a fairer settlement, which can help the family pay for memorial services.

4) Make a difference. Although a truck accident fatality is tragic, many families do want to create some good, in order to commemorate a loved one. There are many ways to do this. Some families contribute to a charitable cause, for example, while other families become tireless advocates of road safety, raising awareness to prevent other tragedies.

5) Focus on healing. All families need to focus on healing and moving forward after a devastating loss. Unfortunately, there is often much to do after a loss. Families may need to settle an estate, plan a memorial service, deal with insurance carriers, and answer police questions about the accident. Working with a good Florida attorney can help. A full service law firm such as the Flaxman Law Group, for example, is dedicated to helping injured victims and families every step of the way.

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A Florida Truck Accident May Cost More Than You Think

Published on: September 22, 2011 | By Flaxman Law Group

Florida truck accidents can be one of the most expensive accidents on the roads. In many cases, insurance carriers cover only the immediate costs of the accident, but victims often face numerous costs and expenses, including:

1) The cost of car repair or replacement. After a Florida car accident or truck accident, you will need to replace or repair your vehicle. Due to the size of a truck, the most likely scenario is that your car will be beyond repair. If you have a car loan or are making car payments, you will also need to cover these costs, even if the vehicle is no longer functional.

2) Lost income. Recovering from a Florida truck accident can take months or years. If you cannot work during this time, you will need to replace lost income. If you have a permanent injury, you may need to replace a lifetime of income or you may need to take on a lower-paying job and make up for the difference in income.

3) Medical costs. The medical costs after a truck accident can be staggering. Since injuries in a truck accident are more likely to be serious, patients can expect long hospital stays and long treatments, which can add up quickly. Someone who has sustained serious injuries in a truck accident can end up paying hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for treatment. Medical costs can include hospital stays, surgery, home care, medication, rehabilitation, doctor visits, and more.
4) Secondary medical costs. In addition to the immediate medical costs, there are often secondary medical costs as well. For example, you may need to pay for a taxi to get to a doctor’s appointment or you may need to buy medical devices and equipment, such as crutches or supports. Over months and years, these costs can really add up.

5) Transportation costs. If you are severely injured, you may not be able to drive for some time after your accident. This will mean that you will need to pay for taxis or other forms of transportation as you heal.

6) Alternative care. Many truck accident victims are in severe pain after their accident, and, unfortunately, medical science cannot always help chronic pain patients. Many patients turn to alternative or holistic treatments to supplement medical care and increase the chances of healing. Unfortunately, these costs are usually not covered by insurance, even if the treatments are truly necessary for a patient to help manage severe pain.

7) Accessibility costs. After an accident, a Florida spinal cord injury patient or brain injury patient may have decreased mobility. He or she may need a wheel chair, a wheel chair ramp at home, an accessible vehicle, and other accessibly features for their home. These can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

8) Property damage considerations. Anything in your car at the time of the accident, including digital cameras, jewelry, cell phones, work laptop, mobile devices, and other items, is likely to be damaged in the accident. You will likely need to replace these items, which can also be a substantial investment.

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Florida Side Impact Truck Accidents

Published on: September 19, 2011 | By Flaxman Law Group

T-bone accidents cause 9,000 deaths annually in the US. In fact, only head-on crashes are more deadly. The only thing more deadly than a Florida side impact car accident is a Florida truck accident in which a truck t-bones a passenger vehicle. A Florida T-bone truck accident almost always leads to fatalities or very serious injuries for the passengers of the car. The sheer size and force of the truck usually not only crushes the side of the vehicle into the passengers, but the impact of the collision will generally push the car some way before the two cars come to a stop. The sheer impact can cause a fire, serious injuries, and complete destruction of the vehicle.

Since passenger vehicles have less padding on the sides than large trucks, any passengers in the vehicle affected by a T-bone crash with a truck are likely to be severely injured. Even with side impact airbags, which are not standard in all passenger vehicles, the impact of the crash is enough to cause fatal injuries or very serious injuries. In these types of accidents, the driver of the truck is unlikely to be injured, as he or she is seated above the point of impact and protected by a cab.

The frustrating thing about side impact truck accidents for victims is that very often they are extremely preventable accidents. A side impact truck accident in Florida is likely caused by a driver who does not stop for a red light or stop sign or fails to yield right-of-way. This can occur because a driver falls asleep at the wheel, is distracted, or is simply driving aggressively and runs a red light. It can be galling for victims to realize that their serious injuries or even the loss of a loved one is caused by someone who has been driving recklessly or negligently.

If you have been injured in a Florida T-bone accident, you will need a qualified Florida truck accident attorney. Truck carriers usually have teams of attorneys as well as powerful insurance companies working on their behalf. You will need a qualified Florida truck accident attorney to negotiate a fair settlement for you – one that covers the costs of your vehicle, medical bills, lost income, and other expenses. Without the help of a qualified attorney, you may end up paying some of these costs or even a substantial portion of these costs out of pocket. If you have sustained a long term or permanent injury, especially, the costs of your injury over a lifetime may be much higher than you think. Working with a qualified Florida personal injury attorney or truck accident attorney is your best chance of ensuring that you are adequately compensated for someone else’s negligence and recklessness. As well, with a fair settlement you may be able to afford high-quality medical care which can help you to heal more fully from your injuries.

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Hit and Run Florida Truck and Car Accidents

Published on: September 8, 2011 | By Flaxman Law Group

Each year in the US, 1500 people are killed in hit and run accidents. According to the Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety, 18% of victims are pedestrians. In some situations, the hit-and-run offenders are especially blatant, sometimes stepping out of the vehicle in order to move aside and injured pedestrian or victim before speeding off away from the scene of the crime.

There are strict laws in place that require anyone who has been in a car accident to assist any injured party and to exchange information with the other driver or drivers involved in the collision. Failure to do this can result in serious charges. In cases where a Florida hit-and-run accident has taken place, police usually earmark considerable resources to find the offender, and in many cases the offender is eventually caught with public assistance. Once caught, the hit-and-run driver faces numerous additional charges in addition to causing the crash.

Hit and run accidents are especially cruel because they often deny the victim of needed assistance. For example, in a Florida pedestrian accident caused by a Florida hit-and-run driver, the victim may not get help in time if the driver simply speeds off instead of staying to offer assistance or staying in order to call emergency personnel. The delay can be fatal if the victim has sustained a serious brain injury or other life-threatening injury. A hit-and-run driver who simply drives away from the scene of a crime also often makes it harder for the victim to get adequate compensation and insurance money in order to pay for medical costs and other expenses related to the accident.

Much has been written about the psychology of hit and run drivers. Some studies have shown that some drivers speed off away from the scene of a crime because they panic or because they’re afraid of facing the consequences of their actions. In other cases, hit and run drivers drive away because they have criminal records, no insurance, or otherwise do not wish to interact with police for some reason. In any event driving away from the scene of an accident is a crime.

If you have been in a hit and run accident, you can pursue criminal charges as well as civil charges. Florida law is very strict about hit and run accidents. If you have been injured by a driver who speeds away, you can seek compensation for your damages. However, you will first need to locate the hit-and-run driver and gather strong evidence against him or her. This is where a Florida truck accident attorney can help. A good Florida accident attorney can investigate your accident, can gather evidence, and can present a case in court so that you get the compensation you may be fully entitled to under the law.

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Child Victims of Florida Truck Accidents

Published on: July 7, 2011 | By Flaxman Law Group

When trucks collide with passenger vehicles, everyone in the passenger vehicle is immediately at high risk of serious injury. In cases where children are in the passenger vehicle, the outcome can be even worse for them. Since trucks are so much larger than cars, the force of the impact is likely to leave passenger car victims with severe injuries. Since children are smaller, their injuries can easily become life-threatening.

As well, while car manufacturers create a number of safety systems for adult drivers and passengers – including safety belts and air bags – these same systems often cannot protect young children. Indeed, for very young children, air bags can pose a danger of head injuries while seat belts can lead to lacerations. Parents are expected to provide safety seats and age-appropriate child safety restraints for their children.

However, laws in Florida re quite lax when it comes to booster seats for children. In fact, only Arizona, Florida, and South Dakota do not have any booster seat requirements for young passengers, even though booster seats and other age-appropriate child safety restraints have been shown to decrease the risk of fatalities and injuries in young passengers in the event of a truck accident or car accident. While parents can – and often do – choose to get age-appropriate child safety restraints for their children, they are not required by law, in many cases, to do so.

Adults in Florida truck accidents often suffer from spinal cord injuries, broken bones, brain injuries, and other serious injuries. Each year, many adults die in truck accidents and traffic accidents. However, there are many things that can be done to help prevent child fatalities in such accidents. One of the most important things drivers can do is to ensure that all child passengers always use an age-appropriate child safety restraint.

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North Miami Hopes to Reduce Florida Truck Accidents with Ordinance

Published on: June 23, 2011 | By Flaxman Law Group

North Miami has proposed an ordinance which would require food trucks, which appear regularly at such events as the Biscayne Triangle Truck Round-Up, to get licenses and permits. The proposal, if successful, would charge food trucks $167 yearly and $50 one-time fee to pay for a background check. Currently, food trucks in the area do not need permits or checks to operate in the area. Although there are no statistics suggesting that food trucks contribute to Florida truck accidents, some have raised concerns:

1) The industry is less regulated than the commercial trucking industry. Commercial trucks are subject to many rules. Drivers are usually trained and must obey rules about hours of service and other laws. Food trucks, however, are less regulated, and the North Miami ordinance would at least require background checks on those operating the trucks.

2) The trucks congregate in parking lots. This has the potential to cause accidents as trucks back up or pull into the lot. There are no reports of such accidents, but some feel that the sheer numbers of food trucks could create such accidents.

3) The trucks usually require some form of fuel for food preparation. While most operators take precautions to ensure a safe work environment, some people point out that parking lots are a bad place to set up food trucks that include additional sources of fuel. Any fire in such a truck has the potential to cause a serious conflagration.

4) The trucks attract pedestrians. Some worry that the trucks could contribute to Florida pedestrian accidents because they attract large numbers of pedestrians. As well, since these trucks often set up shop near parking lots or in parking lots, the trucks can produce more pedestrian traffic in areas with many cars, creating a large risk for Florida car accidents.

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Florida Truck Accidents Involving Homes

Published on: June 21, 2011 | By Flaxman Law Group

Most Florida car accidents and truck accidents involve other vehicles, pedestrians, and inanimate objects such as telephone poles. However, in some cases, trucks and cars in Florida plow into homes. In many cases, these are Florida drunk driving accidents or accidents involving loss of control of the vehicle or a pedal error (such as when the driver mistakes the accelerator for the brake. Such an accident occurred in Cocoa, Florida in January and another took place in Palm Bay in May. Brevard County has in fact seen a few such accidents in 2011.

The results of these accidents can be devastating, especially when the vehicle involved is a truck. Due to the size and force of a truck, the truck can plow right into the house and tear down walls. Both the driver and the occupants of the home are likely to sustain serious injuries. There are many types of damages which typically occur in this type of Florida accident, including severe property damage and serious injuries. There are many reasons why such accidents result in such severe damages:

1) Many accidents involve high rates of speed. While there are no statistics concerning such crashes specifically, authorities have stated that such accidents occur fairly often and often do involve high speeds, since often the drivers are intoxicated or have hit the accelerator by mistake. The high speed causes the impact of the crash to be greater.

2) Walls are often torn down. In this type of accident, the sheer size and force of the vehicle is often enough to push down walls and barriers, crushing anyone behind the walls.

3) In many cases, there is structural damage to the home. This sort of collision can compromise the foundation or walls which are structurally important to the home. In some cases, the home cannot be salvaged or requires very extensive (and expensive) repairs.

4) The vehicle sustains serious damages. In many cases, the vehicle doing the damage is also seriously injured and the driver usually is killed or sustains serious injury.

5) The occupants of the home are typically not prepared. In a Florida car accident, victims may have only seconds to respond but may have at least a few seconds to try defensive driving. In a situation where a vehicle crashes into a home, there is typically no warning and occupants often have no time at all to get to safety.

6) There is a risk of fire. This type of collision can easily lead to a fire since the crash of the truck through walls can harm electrical wiring and gar lines and can also create sparks.

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Losing Someone in a Florida Truck Accident

Published on: June 5, 2011 | By Flaxman Law Group

Truck accidents claim thousands of lives in Florida each year. If you have lost a loved one in a Florida truck accident, the devastation can be very traumatic. The loneliness, hurt, and upset can take many years to heal. When a loss has been caused by a driver’s negligence or recklessness, the loss can sometimes be even harder to accept.

If you have lost a loved one in a traffic accident, your immediate concern will likely be with arranging for memorial or funeral services. You will also need time to grieve and there will likely be estate issues to deal with as well. However, if the accident was caused by negligence or recklessness, you will also want to consult with an experienced Florida wrongful death attorney.

Waiting after an accident to file a claim reduces the chances of success, because important evidence will be lost and because there are statutes of limitations in these cases. Although it can be difficult to think of legal action at a time of grieving, it is important to at least consider all your options. A consultation with the Flaxman Law Group can help you understand your choices and can help you move forward.

Florida law allows you to recover for end-of-life costs, medical costs, and other related costs in cases of a fatal car or truck accident that was caused by negligence or recklessness. Pursuing the claim you may be entitled to under the law can help protect your family and can leave you with some financial security as you work to heal. The Flaxman Law Group is compassionate and has worked with many grieving families in Coral Gables, Miami, and throughout South Florida. We take care of all the details, so that you can focus on healing.

It can be a difficult decision to contact an attorney after a devastating loss, but it can be an important part of the healing process. A Florida personal injury attorney can investigate the accident to provide you with some answers and some peace of mind. A good attorney can also pursue your case and in some cases can even help save other families from such a loss. If the accident which caused your loved one was a Florida drunk driving accident or was caused by dangerous driving, legal action can ensure that those involved are held responsible. In some cases, legal action can bring about changes that can help prevent further tragedies.

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The Emotional and Financial Realities of Florida Truck Accidents

Published on: June 3, 2011 | By Flaxman Law Group

Florida truck accidents have an immediate and physical result. Drivers see the incredible physical devastation these accidents cause every day on the roadways, and emergency rooms and hospitals in Florida are filled with patients experiencing the immediate physical effects of burn injuries, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and other injuries caused by truck accidents. However, there are also emotional and financial outcomes of truck accidents, which, although less immediately obvious, are no less devastating to victims.

Victims of Florida car accidents and truck accidents often find that once they are discharged from the hospital, the financial realities of their situation become very evident. Most victims of truck accidents in Florida are not able to return to work immediately; some have permanent injuries which ensure that they are never able to return to work. Therefore, these patients find that their source of income disappears at about the same time as substantial medical bills start arriving from the hospital and from doctors.

Treatment for Florida brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other common injuries caused by truck accidents, can easily total tens of thousands of dollars a year. Many patients find that their insurance providers are reluctant to pay the substantial bills outright. At the same time, the usual bills, such as the mortgage and the credit card bills, continue to arrive, adding to the financial stress and the upset of the patient who is still trying to recover from the physical trauma of the accident.

The terror caused by the accident and the injuries, coupled with the financial strain of the accident, often causes emotional repercussions. Many individuals who have been in a Florida truck accident report disrupted sleep, mood swings, an altered appetite, depression, anger, and other signs of stress and trauma. However, in some cases insurance companies are reluctant to pay for therapy or counseling.

Luckily, there are provisions in Florida law which can help victims of truck accidents. If you have been in a truck accident in Florida, contact a qualified Florida personal injury attorney. A good attorney can investigate the case for you, negotiate with insurance providers and even pursue the case through the court system to ensure that you get the support you need to focus on healing.

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