New technologies are now available to aid Florida’s Silver Alert program to help track seniors who may have wandered away from home. At least 44 senior drivers have been located through the program, which helps track seniors confused or suffering from dementia who decide to get behind the wheel. The program was first used in Oklahoma in 2005 but came to Florida to help track the large number of seniors here.
At last count in Florida, there are about 4.45 million people over the age of 60, and 1.7 million over the age of 75, according to the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. The primary way of alerting the public to a missing senior citizen is through overhead signs on highways and toll roads, but some counties don’t have that technology.
The new technologies include an OnStar that can be added to non-General Motors vehicle to help locate a wandering senior driver. The Alzheimer’s Association is marketing devices that can be installed in a car permanently and after subscribing to a monthly fee, can track a car in two minutes. Another version of the tracker is portable and can be put in a car or carried by the senior person.
Silver Alert was signed into law in Florida in October, 2008 and began in Pinellas County. The law was renewed last month by Gov. Rick Scott. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 60 percent of Alzheimer’s patients will become lost and wander away at least once. Some decide to wander behind the wheel of a car, such as a man from Lake County who was found 375 miles away from his home.
Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/os-auto-scscolumn-072411-20110722,0,7645710.column
During the four-day holiday enforcement period around Independence Day, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) reports it issued 8,541 citations and made 90 arrests for DUI. An increased number of troopers also wrote tickets to more than 3,200 speeding drivers and nearly 1,100 drivers for failing to follow the seat belt laws. Florida now has a primary seat belt law so officers can pull a driver over for no other reason than not wearing a seat belt.
Troopers responded to more than 900 crashes that resulted in 13 fatalities.
FHP reminds motorists it is the law when an emergency vehicle or wrecker has flashing lights on and is stopped on the side of the roadway that a motorist must move over one lane if that lane is clear. Also motorists have a way to call in aggressive drivers or drivers who need roadside assistance. Just call *FHP (*347) to report a reckless driver or someone pulled over on the side of the road.
Although FHP statistics are not yet out for 2010, fatalities on Florida roadways decreased by 14 percent in 2009, dropping to 2,563, the fourth consecutive year traffic fatalities have decreased. Let’s hope when the 2010 statistics are released they reflect a continuing trend.
If you are involved in a car crash in Florida, remember that every claim the insurance adjuster saves goes right back to the profits of the company. It may seem like your accident is a minor fender-bender and not worth the time of hiring a car accident lawyer, but at the very least consider a consultation with an attorney who will advise you whether or not you need to hire legal representation. The Farah & Farah law firm has been representing people involved in car accidents since we opened our doors in Jacksonville in 1979.
Sources: http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2011-07-12/fhp-issue-8600-citations-over-fourth and http://www.flhsmv.gov/news/pdfs/PR071211results.pdf
The Miami Herald reports that Miami and Orlando lead the state in the number of new jobs. Orlando has about 14 percent of workers in Florida yet leads with 46 percent of the new jobs created – the largest percentage in the state. South Florida has more workers at 30 percent but has 44 percent of the state’s new jobs.
What this article doesn’t mention is that many of these newly created jobs are minimum wage jobs in the theme parks. Still, the polling firm of Policom, ranks Orlando the 27th strongest metropolitan economy in the U.S. What kinds of jobs are being created? Beside tourism a new Medical City Park tied to the University of Central Florida’s medical school is expected to boost research, and Orlando has a strong video-game industry.
South Florida has the new Scripps Research Center in Palm Beach County and there is a medical complex developing around Jackson Memorial Hospital. Also South Florida has trade from foreign countries, particularly Latin America. South Florida also recently added 1,100 financial jobs according to the Beacon Council, the Miami-Dade economic development agency. No data is yet available for 2010 but the trends are expected to continue, with Orlando’s economy growing the fastest in the state.
Fortunately as the economy continues to recover, Florida employers are still required to provide workers with a safe workplace and workers’ compensation insurance to coverage injuries on the job. All employees should know that unless their business is extremely small, they should have this coverage and know their rights if they are injured. Their employer or their insurance company may not always have the best interest of the employee in mind, so if you are injured and you feel the compensation offered is not adequate, the Florida workers’ compensation lawyers at Farah & Farah have an open door policy to discuss the specifics of your injury and your options. Call us anywhere in Florida and South Georgia at 1-800-533-3555.
Victims of a motorcycle crash in Florida may be able to hold the at-fault party criminally responsible for the resulting injuries or death under a bill introduced into the Florida Legislature. Under Senate Bill 608, passed by a Florida Senate committee on Wednesday, March 9, the person who causes a motorcycle accident could face criminal charges in additional to civil charges, reports WCTV.
Tina McElhenny’s son Kris and Mike Sellers son, Steven were both killed in motorcycle accidents. Both parents tell WCTV that the at-fault drivers were never charged in those fatal accidents and they support Senate Bill 608.
Florida Motorcycle Accident Statistics
Data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle shows that over the past five years, 2,357 motorcyclists have died on Florida roads. A failure to yield and careless driving often cause an auto accident with a motorcycle. And it is frequently the fault of the motorist who simply doesn’t see the motorcycle until it’s too late.
Legislature watchers say that while lawmakers file thousands of bills each year, only about 10 percent make it through committees and are eventually signed into law by the governor. Without a strong lobby, for example, a ban against cell phone use or texting while driving has failed to pass in Florida over the past four years. This will be a bill to watch to see if the emotional pull pushes it to become law.
In the meantime, if the driver of a vehicle or motorcycle is at-fault and causes another person to suffer injuries or death, they could be held civilly liable for the injuries and deaths. That is what the experienced Florida motorcycle accident attorneys of Farah & Farah can do for the accident victim or surviving family members. We can help you seek compensation to cover a wrongful death, or in the case of an injury, the medical expenses, cost of hospitalization, surgeries, and rehabilitation for the accident victim. Contact our offices immediately following the crash so we can help preserve the evidence that will point to the at-fault party.
Georgia motorcycle riders are being asked to respond to a proposal to set up motorcycle-only checkpoints. The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reported in an article in its publication that it wants the checkpoints stopped in advance of Daytona Bike Week that runs March 4 through the 13. The organization is asking bikers to contact Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal until some questions are answered.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the state about $70,000 to conduct the motorcycle-only checkpoints. New York State previously had the same safety checkpoints for motorcyclists. The AMA believes that motorcycle safety is important but that focusing attention on crash prevention is the best way to keep everyone on the road safe. The AMA says it wants some questions answered first such as – where is the probable cause? That is usually required before someone is pulled over and questioned by police. And why do states focus their attention on motorcycles only?
Tens of thousands of bikers are expected to converge on Daytona during Bike Week and apparently Georgia wants to get a handle on the situation with the use of public money.
Florida Motorcycle Accident Statistics
There were 376 motorcyclists killed in Florida in 2009, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, a decline of 24 percent from 2008. The safety campaign was initiated in 2008 after the state realized that motorcycles made up about 6 percent of Florida traffic but 18 percent of deaths on Florida roads.
The campaign continues to be coordinated by motorcycle clubs, dealers, law enforcement, and community safety groups.
If you or a loved one is suffering after a motorcycle accident, let the experienced Florida motorcycle accident attorneys at Farah & Farah help take you through the process of identifying the responsible party and then help you seek the compensation you deserve from that party.
The Ford Motor Company has some friends among Florida lawmakers. House Bill 201 was recently approved by the House Civil Justice Subcommittee and it essentially lets Ford off the hook for millions in liability costs associated with auto accident injuries, reports WCTV. The measure is intended to reverse a 2001 Florida Supreme Court opinion that found a driver’s actions leading up to a car crash were irrelevant when it came time to decide the damages portion of his case. The bill encourages jurors to hear evidence whether the driver should be considered at-fault for causing his own injuries instead of a defective automobile in a product liability lawsuit. The bill has the backing of business groups who want to share the blame with the driver and reduce the costs of expensive defective product litigation.
Some lawmakers expressed concern that the issue of a defective product that explodes on impact could be clouded if information is introduced that the driver was also drunk, for example. Expect the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the auto industry and Ford to encourage putting the burden back on the accident victim. The bill now goes onto the House Judiciary Committee and there is a similar version in the Senate.
Product Liability Law
There are three types of defects that can be the basis of a product liability lawsuit. A product, such as an automobile, can be considered defective if someone is injured due to a defect introduced during the manufacturing process. A design defect can be responsible for injuries and the inherent problem will then be seen in a number of products. Lastly, there is a failure to warn of a potential danger through a complete label or by failing to disclose information that fully informs consumers of the danger.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury or death because of a defective product, the Florida product liability attorneys at Farah & Farah will be glad to sit down and discuss your potential product liability case.
A preliminary report released by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shows there were fewer traffic accident-related deaths in Florida in 2010 than there have been in 32 years, according to The Miami Herald. There were 2,430 traffic accident fatalities in 2010, which is a drop of 133 deaths from 2009. That is the lowest number of traffic deaths since 1978 even though there are twice as many people living in the state now as back then.
Officials point to the state’s new primary enforcement seat belt law that went into effect in June 2009 as the reason for the reduction in fatalities. The seat belt law allows law enforcement to pull over and ticket anyone in a motor vehicle who is not wearing a seat belt. At the time, Florida joined 28 other states and the District of Columbia in passage of a primary seat belt law. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated the primary seat belt law would help save about 125 lives a year and prevent more than 1,700 serious injuries. Also credited with the lower auto accident rate are educational programs that not only encourage seat belt use, but that point out the dangers of using cell phones and driving while distracted.
Remember air bags will generally not be able to do their job unless a seat belt holds you in place so when an air bag deploys, you are prevented from going through a windshield or into the steering wheel.
The Florida automobile accident lawyers at Farah & Farah are always available for a complimentary and comprehensive consultation on your Florida car crash case.
Are electronic medical records the answer to reducing medical errors and increasing patient safety? Almost two years ago, President Obama promised $19 billion to help the nation’s hospitals change over to a paperless system but it still hasn’t happened, and now there are some doubts whether or not electronic records are really an improvement over paper ones.
The Institute of Medicine created a 16-member panel, the Committee on Patient Safety and Health Information Technology, to conduct a yearlong study following 260 reports from hospitals of misinformation that led to 44 reported injuries and possibly 6 deaths. Since the information is voluntarily reported, no one knows the real magnitude of the problem.
Computer problems, design flaws, human and computer errors plague the electronic system, according to an article in The New York Times. Also, often patient records have gone missing or been misfiled in another patient’s electronic record. These errors can include drug allergy warnings and blood pressure readings, important information for the next health care provider to have.
More than a decade ago, an Institute for Medicine report, “To Err Is Human” estimated there were as many as 98,000 preventable fatal medical errors every year in the U.S.
RAND Corporation, a think tank and research center, found physicians caught about 2 percent of drug prescribing errors, while 98 percent went un-caught. The RAND report concluded that doctors concerned about medical errors should enact a new set of tools to reduce malpractice risk.
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a medical error, a careless doctor or nurse, or a hospital-acquired infection, the Florida medical malpractice attorneys at Farah & Farah will meet to discuss the specifics to determine if there was medical negligence in your case.
Are prescription eyeglasses as important to use while driving as they are to read? Consumer Affairs reports on a recent survey by a manufacturer of optical lenses that discovered 20 percent of people who rely on prescription eyeglasses sometimes drive without their prescription eyewear. Instead, they may rely on sunglasses that are non-prescription to cut down on glare. Consumer Affairs reports that blinding glare comes from sun and snow and that only one-third of eyeglass wearers have prescription sunglasses with polarized lenses to fight the glare. Manufacturer Essilor reports that a driver who wears polarized lenses can improve their reaction time by one-third of a second, which at 50 miles per hour translates to 23 feet. Also, the company states that polarized lenses improve vision clarity by 75 percent.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has recently released statistics about motor vehicle accidents in 2009. The groups finds 33,808 people died in auto accidents in 2009, with 3,981 people age 70 and older counted among the fatalities.
The total number of deaths among those age 70 and older is on a decline and the group’s motor vehicle crashes account for less than 1 percent of fatalities. Fatal crashes begin to increase at age 75 and go up markedly after age 80, reports IIHS.
Night driving can be a particular problem for an older driver who has vision challenges. Night driving is a condition where the older eye does not adjust to conditions at night as well as a younger eye, making it difficult to see objects in the road and signs at night. Florida requires vision screening for older drivers.
The Jacksonville car crash lawyers at Farah & Farah are well-versed in auto accident cases among all ages of drivers in Florida. Call our offices for a complimentary and comprehensive consultation on your case.
In Florida’s upcoming legislative session, state lawmakers will try to prohibit the use of cell phones and texting while behind the wheel, reports The Miami Herald. A proposal has been filed in the state Senate filed by Sen. Evelyn Lynn (SB80) which prohibits e-mails, texting, and reading text messages along with other forms of electronic communication while driving. A violation of the law would result in a $100 fine. Presently, there is no House version of the bill. In 2010, the Florida Senate passed a ban on texting while driving but the House never addressed the proposal. The last stumbling block may be the new incoming governor, Rick Scott, who has in the past failed to commit to a full ban.
National Distracted Driving Accident Statistics
Using national traffic data, a study out of the University of North Texas this fall found texting while driving took more than 15,000 lives in a six-year period and was responsible for more than 15 percent of traffic fatalities. With more than 90 percent of Americans owning cell phones, estimates are about 80% of Americans admit they use their cell phone while driving.
If Florida passes a cell phone ban next year during the session in March, it will join eight states that have some sort of ban on electronic communications while driving. Other states target their cell phone prohibitions on teen and/or school bus drivers.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a car accident in Florida and you suspect the other driver was driving distracted, the Florida car crash lawyers at Farah & Farah have the experience and knowledge that is required to successfully investigate and handle your car accident case. Call us immediately and we can collect evidence and come up with a plan of action to compensate you for your loss.
