Car Accidents

Rollover Accident Risks in Southwest Florida

April 28, 2019 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

A 36-year-old North Port man was killed this week in a rollover crash in North Fort Myers.

The Florida Highway Patrol reports the incident happened about 10:15 p.m. Saturday on U.S.-41 near the intersection of Avenue A. The victim was traveling southbound with a female passenger and three children in a 2000 Jeep Wrangler when he veered into the median, causing the vehicle to overturn and flip several times, according to NBC News.

The driver was ejected from the vehicle and was killed. FHP reports he was not wearing a seat belt. The female passenger and a 5-year-old child were both critically injured. The other two children were treated for injuries described as minor. Both were wearing seat belts.

Distraction a Primary Car Accident Threat in SWFL

April 25, 2019 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

As we end Distracted Driving Awareness Month we wanted to take a look at the most common causes of driver distraction besides cell phones.

Without question, introduction of the smartphone in the last decade has been the biggest factor when it comes to the increased risk of distracted drivers on the road. Today’s drivers not only use their phones to talk and text, but also for navigation, music, and social media. Each of these activities involves all three types of distraction – visual, cognitive and manual – making them among the most dangerous distractive behaviors engaged in by drivers.

But similar concerns met introduction of the AM radio into automobiles, as well as introduction of the 8-track tape deck as a standard option in the 1960s. When it comes to driver distraction, our car accident lawyers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral know it’s a safety mindset that will best protect you from being involved in a collision.

Road Construction Accidents a SWFL Risk

April 11, 2019 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is reminding motorists to use extra caution in construction zones as the summer road construction season gets underway.

The week of April 8th is National Work Zone Awareness Week, as safety advocates work to raise awareness about the increased risks of driving through construction zones in Southwest Florida. The awareness campaign has been conducted at the start of road construction season each year since 2000. More than 100 construction workers are killed each year in road construction transportation accidents, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Risks of road construction zones include changing traffic patterns, narrowed rights-of-way, uneven roadways, lack of breakdown lanes, and other hazards that increase the risk of motor-vehicle collisions. Federal statistics show drivers and passengers are most likely to be seriously injured or killed in road construction zones. Each year more than 600 motorists and passengers are killed, as well as more than 100 bicyclists and pedestrians. About 200 fatal work zone collisions each year involve a large commercial truck or bus.

Know your Policy! Rising Auto Insurance Rates in Southwest Florida

March 30, 2019 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Auto insurance rates continue to rise in Southwest Florida. Auto insurance companies in Florida enjoy some of the highest insurance rates in the nation, while offering very little coverage to those opting for minimum required protection. Our Fort Myers car accident attorneys urge you to carefully review your policy and make sure that you properly understand what protections it affords you and your family. Otherwise, you likely are not getting what you thought you were paying for in the event of a collision.

WINK News reports auto insurance rates are rising, with increases of 5-15 percent in the Fort Myers-Naples market. Local agents point to Southwest Florida’s explosive growth and instances of insurance fraud as reasons for the increase. Florida auto insurers have long used insurance fraud as a reason to continue to increase rates while lobbying for reduced coverage.

Storefront Injuries an Overlooked Risk in SWFL

March 29, 2019 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Disturbing video footage of an SUV smashing through a convenience store in the heart of Fort Myers offers a sobering reminder of the risk of these storefront collisions.

WINK News reports the truck slammed through the storefront in south Fort Myers in an incident that was captured on the store’s security cameras. The video dramatically depicts how dangerous these crashes can be, as a storefront parking stop and curb were no match for the large SUV that barreled through the glass storefront, where a customer was standing at the checkout.

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The incident occurred at the 7-Eleven located at College Parkway and U.S. 41. The Florida Highway Patrol reports a 36-year-old Lehigh Acres woman was charged with driving with a suspended license. A store employee and a customer were transported to the hospital, though miraculously, it appears nobody was critically injured. Media reports indicate the driver has a lengthy record of driving violations.

Injuries on business property continue to be a serious issue in Southwest Florida. However, the risks of storefront crashes are often overlooked. Our Fort Myers injury lawyers wrote recently about tourist injuries in Southwest Florida. And about parking lot injuries and storefront crashes in a blog post last September after a car rammed into a seafood restaurant in Cape Coral.

Uber Injury Claims in Southwest Florida

March 7, 2019 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The New York Times reports Uber lawyers are racing to clean up the company before it goes public amid anticipation of the release of an audit containing past complaints from passengers of sexual assault by ride-sharing drivers.

More than 200 sexual misconduct cases were reported to the company in 2017. Uber is just 10 years old this year and yet is expected to go public with a valuation of more than $120 billion. Such growth has come with many, many growing pains, some of which have been self inflicted as the company has aggressively marketed its services, moved against taxi companies in many of the nation’s largest metro markets, and reduced liability by categorizing drivers as independent contractors.

As our Uber injury lawyers in Southwest Florida reported last year, more than 100 Uber drivers have been accused of sexually assaulting or abusing passengers. More than 30 drivers have been criminally convicted and dozens of others are facing criminal or civil charges. In fact, we have been writing about the company since 2015, when we reported Uber was being sued for misrepresenting driver safety to the public.

The ride-sharing giant has since raised more than $22 billion in private funding and is operating in more than 600 U.S. cities as it prepares to become a public company.

DUI Injury in SWFL: Marijuana, Opioids, Increase Road Risks

February 8, 2019 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

While the Super Bowl is behind us, we have entered the height of tourist season. Winter residents and visitors will be followed by spring breakers and the start of spring training for the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins. Southwest Florida’s role as a vacation destination substantially increases the risk posed by drunk drivers.

The National Safety Council is pushing a clear message: “Impairment Begins with the First Drink.”

Only it’s not just alcohol impacting the judgment of drivers in Southwest Florida. The opioid epidemic and increasingly permissive views on marijuana use also add substantially to the road risks.

Distracted Driving Poses Primary Threat to SWFL Motorists

February 6, 2019 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a report last week that found observable cellphone use has increased more than 50 percent in recent years. While the study linked at least 800 deaths to distraction caused by cellphone use in 2017, advocates believe distraction is responsible for about one-third of road deaths each year, killing some 10,000 motorists. Cellphone use is by far the leading cause of driver distraction.

Observational studies are a better indicator of road risks.

Our injury lawyers in Cape Coral and Fort Myers wrote last month about the growing risks of traffic accidents in Southwest Florida and so far 2019 has gotten off to a dangerous start. The Fort Myers News-Press reports 10 people were killed on Lee County roads in January. Last year, 84 people were killed in traffic accidents in Lee County after back-to-back years of more than 100 deaths.

SWFL Traffic Safety in Focus

January 24, 2019 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The news is both good and bad when it comes to road safety in Southwest Florida.

Lee County ended 2018 with fewer than 100 traffic fatalities (84) for the first time in three years. However, Florida continues to be among the deadliest states in the nation for all types of traffic collisions, including car accidents, drunk driving collisions, motorcycle accidents, trucking accidents, bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents.

Our injury lawyers in Fort Myers and Naples continue to see far too many clients injured or killed by reckless, careless, or negligent drivers. Yes the risks are significant in Southwest Florida, but so too is the impact safe driving habits can have on our roads.

Uber Accidents, Ride-Sharing and Lyft Claims

January 23, 2019 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Uber is in the news again this week, as CNN reports investigators inside the ride-sharing company’s special investigations unit are overworked, underpaid and at times emotionally traumatized by the 1,200 cases a week pouring into the company’s Phoenix headquarters.

A memo by an outside risk-management consultant depicts a 75-employee department tasked with investigating nearly 1,200 cases a week, including allegations of sexual and physical assault, as well as serious and fatal traffic collisions.

Our Uber accident attorneys in Southwest Florida have written before about the meteoric rise of these ride-sharing services, and some of the unique aspects of establishing liability and making an Uber claim after injury.