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

How Lost Cargo from Trucks Can Cause Multiple Crashes

Published on: June 9, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

You’ve probably seen them on Hollywood and Florida highways: large commercial trucks and semi-trailers carrying large amounts of cargo. You may have even seen some of this cargo spilling on the side of the road because it was improperly secured.

Under federal laws, truck drivers and trucking companies are expected to take the proper steps to secure their cargo to keep you and other users of the roads safe. In addition, drivers are expected to periodically stop to make sure that their cargo is still secured to their truck or trailer.

Continue reading →

When Emergency Trucks are Involved in Accidents in Miami and Florida

Published on: April 28, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Emergency vehicles, including trucks, race to the scene of car accidents, fires, and other emergencies. The brave men and women in these trucks work hard to save lives and often put their lives at risk in order to do so.

If you are in a truck or car collision, first responders in Hollywood or local emergency vehicles could save your life. Unfortunately, because these large vehicles are traveling so quickly, in some cases they can cause accidents and damages as well.

Continue reading →

Many Truckers Do Not Qualify for Workers’ Compensation in Hollywood and Florida After a Crash

Published on: March 3, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Workers in Florida who are injured on the job are protected by workers’ compensation in Hollywood or their communities. Employers are required by law to pay premiums on this type of insurance. After a job-related injury, this coverage is meant to ensure that workers are able to get benefits and compensation quickly while employers are protected against lawsuits.

One problem is that not all workers are protected by the insurance. Self-employed, freelance, temp, and contract workers are not covered by workers’ compensation coverage. Unfortunately, some workers with the most dangerous jobs fall into this category. Truck drivers, for example, who are at risk of traffic accidents, back injuries, and other job-related injuries, are often independent contractors and therefore not qualified to get workers’ compensation benefits if they are injured. Truckers who work as independent contractors also do not get other employee benefits and protections that full-time, traditional workers enjoy.

Continue reading →

Emergency Trucks in Miami Beach and Florida

Published on: February 19, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars save lives. When they are rushing by to get to an emergency, other motorists are required to get out of the way. When emergency vehicles with lights flashing are parked on the side of the road to assist others, drivers are expected to leave plenty of room and to slow down to prevent hitting emergency crews or their vehicles.

Despite these rules, many truck accidents and broadside crashes in Miami Beach and surrounding areas each year involve emergency vehicles. Some motorists refuse to yield to emergency trucks while in other instances the speed traveled by emergency vehicles causes a collision. There are ways to prevent these roadway collisions, fortunately:

Continue reading →

Studies about Distracted Driving Suggest We Need to Look Beyond Cell Phones When Driving Safer

Published on: December 11, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Two new studies from Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) suggest that we need to reconsider how we look at distracted driving in Hollywood and other communities. According to the studies, people who use cell phones while driving do have more crashes and close calls when compared with other motorists, but cell phones do not seem to have an impact on overall collision risks.

The problem, according to researchers, is distracted driving itself and not cell phone use in particular. This is because drivers who are texting or using a cell phone may slow down or engage in other activities to reduce the risk of crashing. Drivers who are not on cell phones, however, are not necessarily safer because they are more likely to take part in other distractions – such as eating, talking with passengers, or smoking – when compared with drivers who use mobile devices.

Continue reading →

NTSB Report Recommends Changes to Prevent Truck Collisions at Railway Crossings

Published on: November 19, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Train accidents in Miami and Florida involving trucks are a serious cause for concern. Both trains and trucks are larger vehicles. When they collide at train crossings, the results can be devastating. These types of collisions can lead to explosions, fatalities, and environmental disaster.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a new report about an accident that occurred in May in Maryland. In the report, the NTSB notes concerns about Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) oversight and truck safety. In the May accident, a truck driver using a mobile device did not stop to check train tracks, causing an accident that lead to a derailment and explosion.

Continue reading →

Study Hopes to Find Solutions for Emergency Vehicle Collisions

Published on: September 26, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program is sponsoring a $1.4 million study being conducted at the University of Arizona to find ways to reduce emergency responder injuries and fatalities. It is hoped that the findings will help find ways to reduce traffic accident collisions involving emergency vehicles.

These types of accidents are far too common. In fact, the second leading cause of death among fire fighters across the country is emergency vehicle accidents. Since 1994, emergency vehicle collisions have resulted in over 1000 injuries annually and more than 390 fatalities. While passenger car fatalities have dropped in the past ten years, fatalities in emergency vehicle crashes have not.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →