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

Why You Need an Attorney: How Trucking Accidents are Different From Car Accidents

Published on: September 12, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

On the surface, car and truck accidents in Davie and other Florida communities look very much alike. They both involve drivers and insurance companies and both take place on the roadways. In both cases, there are likely to be injuries or even fatalities. Even the laws are similar, in that if a driver was negligent they can be held liable under Florida law.

Despite these similarities, truck and car accidents in Davie differ in a few significant ways:

1) Truck accident injuries are far more likely to be severe.

A broadside collision between two passenger vehicles can be serious, but when one of the vehicles involved is a commercial truck the accident is even more likely to lead to devastating injury or fatalities. More severe injuries can mean more compensation required to pay for medical bills. Unfortunately, it can also mean that some insurance companies are more likely to balk at the cost.

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When a Vacation Turns Sour: What to Do if You Are Injured as a Tourist in Miami or anywhere in Florida

Published on: September 12, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Florida draws many tourists each year, and while most people enjoy their stay in a few instances tourists find that their vacation turns into a nightmare and they return home with serious losses and injuries rather than an album full of fun memories. Personal injuries in Miami and other Florida cities can happen in many ways during a vacation. Cruise ship accidents, for example, are a common cause of injuries for tourists. One of the most common causes of accidents for tourists and residents alike are traffic collisions. Slip and fall accidents, tour boat injuries, and other injuries are all too common.

No one goes on vacation thinking that they will be injured. Even those who research tour companies and check for safety precautions on their trip may find themselves injured on an amusement park ride or injured in some other way. These situations not only cut a vacation short, but they can be deeply intimidating.

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The Link Between Truck Safety and Celebrity

Published on: September 10, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Trucking accidents in Hollywood and other Florida communities are often devastating and will sometimes make the news when the collision is severe enough. When celebrities are involved, however, news agencies become even more involved and this can sometimes mean important safety changes as well as emphasis on safety issues.

For example, in 1967, actress Jayne Mansfield rear-ended a commercial truck. Mansfield and the other adults in the car were killed instantly when the vehicle slid under the truck. The serious accident called attention to the dangers of the underride accidents and in part due to the tragedy underride bars were eventually developed and are now widely used on commercial trucks to prevent similar deaths in rear-end collisions in Hollywood and other communities. The steel bars that are placed across the rear end of commercial trucks are known as underride guards or sometimes as Mansfield bars. At one point, the bars were required on all commercial trucks, although rules have now been changes so that many trucks are exempt from needing the underride bars.

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Boating Accidents in Miami and Florida Getting Worse as Bigger Boats and Crowded Bays Become a Reality

Published on: September 10, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Over the Fourth of July weekend this year, a 32-foot boat and a 36-foot boat collided on Key Biscayne, killing four people and seriously injuring three boaters. While the investigation is still ongoing, there is evidence to suggest that alcohol may have been on board one of the boats. The boating accident, one of the worst to occur in Florida, has once again put the focus on boating safety in Miami and Florida.

The state is already known for its high number of boaters and boating accidents. In 2013 alone, there were 62 boating fatalities in Florida, as well as 420 injuries and 736 boating accidents. Florida authorities say that changing conditions – especially more crowded bays and faster boats – may be contributing to more boating accidents than ever before and say that a serious strategy is needed to curb injuries and deaths.

Drinking and Boating: A Deadly Mix

One of the major contributors to boating accidents in Miami and other Florida communities is alcohol, and several lawmakers are looking for ways to crack down on boating under the influence. Carlos A. Gimenez, the Miami-Dade County mayor, has been looking to create a task force to tackle the issue, for instance. Other lawmakers have been hoping to use some of the same strategies used to curb drunk driving in Miami to curb boating under the influence.

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Hospital and Medical Costs After a Trucking Collision in Homestead

Published on: September 5, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Are medical costs for traffic accident patients too high? After a serious car or truck accident in Homestead or any other community, survivors of the crash typically need emergency medical treatment. Many need long-term care, surgery, and other medical procedures. For some time now, personal injury attorneys in Homestead as well as survivors of motor vehicle crashes have been expressing concerns about the rising costs associated with medical care.

Lawsuit Alleges Higher Costs Under PIP

A recent lawsuit filed in Hillsborough County, Florida highlights the problem. The lawsuit is against the largest hospital chain in the state, HCA, and against West Palm Beach’s JFK Medical Center. Two patients injured in separate car accidents in 2013 allege in the claim that they were treated more for services at the hospital when compared with other patients.

One woman who was rushed to JFK Medical Center after being in a car accident needed four medical services, including two X-rays and two CT scans. According to the lawsuit, she would have been charged $466 for these services if she had been covered by Medicare. Instead, the hospital charged her $17,885.

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Hollywood Health Workers Try New System to Prevent Mistakes and Patient Injury

Published on: September 5, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

In the aviation industry, briefs and checklist are often used to prevent airplane crashes and errors in Hollywood and other communities. The healthcare system in Hollywood is now using a similar method in six area hospitals to improve patient safety and to prevent surgical errors.

As part of a new system introduced in 2008, Hollywood’s Memorial Healthcare System uses what it calls “crew resource management” in operating rooms to prevent surgical errors and improve patient experiences. The management involves using checklists, debriefings, briefings, communication scripts, and structured handoffs as part of surgeries. At first, doctors and surgeons were worried that the “crew resource management” system would make each surgery and procedure longer, but the system has actually been shown to save time. One important way that the system saves time, for example, is ensuring that less equipment is forgotten for surgeries, which means that staff don’t have to leave and reenter the sterile environment of the surgical room to retrieve these times.

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Fuel Spills and Trucking Accidents in Florida: A Deadly Combination

Published on: September 2, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

On August 27, a serious trucking collision on Interstate 75 in Florida’s Sarasota County caused a gasoline spill of 250 and 500 gallons. Both the truck driver and another driver were injured in the crash and the accident caused a secondary four-car collision as well. Firefighters placed foam over the gasoline to keep it from catching fire.

Fuel spill accidents such as these can quickly become deadly and are a serious concern when tankers carrying gasoline and other flammable materials are involved in a crash. The resulting collisions can cause:

1) Environmental and health damage.

Trucking accidents in Miami and other cities can cause serious health and environmental concerns when fuel spills are involved. The fuel can leak into underground water supplies or can cause health damage to nearby residents who may be breathing in the fumes. Those who are already ill may be even more vulnerable to the damage.

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Miami-Dade Judge Takes on Workers’ Compensation Benefits

Published on: September 2, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Florida’s workers’ compensation law is about 80 years old and has garnered controversy for years. The law is meant to help employees who are injured in work-related accidents in Miami and in other cities. The idea behind the law is that in case of a workplace accident or construction site accident in Miami-Dade or another County, employees don’t have to go through the complicated process of filing a legal claim. Instead, workers’ compensation benefits are supposed to provide money for medical care and lost wages while an employee recovers. Unfortunately, employees and employers often disagree about the effectiveness of the law.

Circuit Judge Jorge E. Cueto in Miami-Dade County recently called Florida’s workers’ compensation law unconstitutional, stating that it has been eroded by years of legislation so that it offers few benefits for workers. The comments were made as part of a case involving an injured government office employee.

The comments reflect what employees have been saying for some time. Many employees find that if they are injured in a slip and fall accident or suffer a head injury in their Miami workplace or another type of injury, workers’ compensation benefits only cover a portion of the costs associated with an injury.

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Swimming and Boating Safety Tips for the Long Weekend in Florida

Published on: August 29, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Labor Day weekend is a popular time to head out to Florida’s many waterways. Whether you are heading out to the rivers of Southern Florida or the beaches of Miami, boating accidents and other water-related accidents remain a concern. According to the Coast Guard and other authorities, holiday weekends tend to have higher rates of water-related injury, and Labor Day is a weekend that usually involves many of these types of injuries. The Coast Guard and other authorities have a number of tips to keep you safer around the water:

1) Never head near the water after drinking.

When you’re out on the water, you already have to deal with the sun, the glare off the water, and the Florida heat. When you add alcohol or drugs to the mix, you have the potential for a truly dangerous situation, especially since alcohol and drugs can exacerbate the effects of the sun. Alcohol and drugs can also affect your mobility and your ability to think clearly, which can result in drowning and other water-related tragedies. Boating under the influence is also illegal and can result in criminal charges.

2) Wear a life jacket.

Each person on board a boat should have a Coast Guard approved life vest. In the event of a boating accident, these vests can help keep you above the water, even if you hit your head or lose consciousness. Life jackets also make you more visible if you do go overboard, increasing the chances that emergency responders can find you.

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Health Solutions Can Help Prevent Trucking Collisions

Published on: August 29, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

There are many things that contribute to trucking accidents in Hollywood and other communities. Driver error, mechanical failure, and poor road design, for example, all contribute to their fair share of traffic crashes each year. However, one factor that causes many collisions is often overlooked: driver health.

The reality is that chronic health conditions can have a big impact on how safely truck drivers can handle their jobs. In addition, the very job itself can have a negative impact on health. The sedentary nature of the job, the stress of the job, and the fast food that is often available on the road can put drivers at risk for obesity, diabetes, cardiac issues, and other serious health concerns.

How Serious is the Problem?

Studies point out that truck drivers may have a higher risk for some health conditions. A study published the American Journal of Industrial Medicine concluded that 68.9 percent of truck drivers studies were obese and 17.4 percent were morbidly obese. In comparison, the general population has an obesity rate of 30.5 percent, with 7.3 of the country being morbidly obese. The same study found that truck drivers are twice as likely to be smokers when compared with the rest of the population and are more than twice as likely to suffer from diabetes. According to the study, truck drivers have a higher risk of psychiatric illness, back pain, and musculoskeletal problems. They are also more likely to get delayed treatment or lack access to treatment.

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Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

1) Truck accident injuries are far more likely to be severe.

Drinking and Boating: A Deadly Mix

Lawsuit Alleges Higher Costs Under PIP

1) Environmental and health damage.

1) Never head near the water after drinking.

2) Wear a life jacket.

How Serious is the Problem?