Car Accidents

Intersection Safety in Focus as Area Expects Record Visitors

November 20, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Neighbors are calling for change at a North Fort Myers intersection after separate collisions killed a child and injured a teenager.

NBC-2 reports a 5-year-old girl was killed when she rode her scooter into the road near Castleview Drive at Bayshore Road, where she was struck and killed by an SUV driven by a 91-year-old, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. Days later, a 16-year-old girl was seriously injured after she was hit by a pickup truck. Neighbors in the area complained of speeders and unsafe drivers.

The two tragedies have the patrol reminding motorists of a message often delivered here on our blog: Always be extra cautious around bicyclists and pedestrians, who continue to be disproportionately victimized in Southwest Florida traffic collisions.

“Anytime a pedestrian is near a roadway or bicyclist, you have to be 100% cautious behind the wheel, focus on your actions because we want to do everything in our power to prevent those tragedies from occurring. This season, we noticed the difference already, traffic in our roadways, the volume of cars, and unfortunately the tragedy that is occurring in our roadways. We want to do everything in our power to prevent these tragedies from occurring,” said Lt. Greg Bueno with Florida Highway Patrol.

Stay Safe This Holiday Shopping Season

November 19, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Most of us start with the best of intentions each holiday shopping season. We set a budget. We make a plan. We resolve to slow down and enjoy ourselves.

There is every evidence the holiday season is in full season as early as ever in Southwest Florida this year, to the joy of most as we continue the fight to emerge from the coronavirus pandemic that has cast a shadow over the world for nearly two years. More events are planned. More family gatherings are happening. Legions of people have made positive changes to their work-life balance that are likely to endure well after we put the pandemic behind us.

At Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, we wish each of you a peaceful and joyful holiday season full of family, friends, good times and lasting memories. Understanding the risks, talking with friends and loved one, visiting elderly relatives, teaching your children, and resolving to stay safe will all help ensure a great end to 2021 and a hopeful start to 2022.

Here is our best advice when it comes to staying safe.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage Best Defense Against Hit and Run

October 6, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Fort Myers police have made an arrest in a deadly hit-and-run crash on State Road 82, NBC-2 reports.

The arrest comes several months after a 30-year-old man was killed in the June 1 collision in the 11900 block of State Route 82. Authorities say the defendant caused the collision through “reckless driving and actions.”

Our car accident attorneys in Cape Coral and Fort Myers note it’s a tragic reminder of the risks responsible drivers face in Florida. Several years ago, lawmakers updated F.S. 316.027 to make it a third-degree felony to leave the scene of an accident involving injury and a first-degree felony for leaving the scene of a crash involving death. Previous to that legal change, drivers faced less severe consequences for being caught leaving the scene than for staying and being charged in the wake of a crash that caused serious or fatal injuries.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports the number of hit-and-run collisions has increased steadily in the state, with such crashes now accounting for one-fourth of all traffic crashes. The new law allows for license revocation for at least three years and up to 5 years in prison. for injury crashes. Leaving the scene of a crash involving death is now punishable by a prison sentence of 4 to 30 years.

Southwest Florida Roads Growing Deadlier

July 25, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

There is growing evidence that Southwest Florida’s roads are more dangerous than at any time in recent memory, as the nation struggles to emerge from pandemic isolation.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports 55 traffic deaths through the first six months of this year in Lee County, putting the area on track to surpass 100 road deaths in 2021. That’s 11 more than during the same period last year. In 2020, Lee County reported 101 fatal crashes, which claimed 109 lives. Despite the pandemic, last year’s fatalities were up 11 percent compared to 2019.

Lee County has surpassed 100 road deaths in 9 years since 2000. However, prior to the pandemic there was evidence that South Florida roads were getting safer. By comparison, Collier County has only reported more than 50 road deaths on one occasion since a record of 79 deaths in 2003.

In-Car Technology Impacting Personal Injury Claims

July 12, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

While there is no question that advanced safety features on new vehicles have the potential to save lives, there is increasing reports of confusion surrounding such technology leading to serious and fatal traffic collisions.

While Tesla’s auto-pilot technology is most often in the news, the reality is that new vehicles continue to hit the road with a startling array of technological features that are being promoted as safety improvements. Our car accident lawyers know these are some of the most complex cases a personal injury or wrongful death law firm can handle, pitting motorists against some of the largest auto manufacturers in the world and, increasingly, some of the world’s most profitable tech companies, including Apple and Google.

Walkers Face Highest Collision Risks in SWFL

July 10, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

There is new evidence that traffic deaths among pedestrians have reached epidemic proportions.

Our injury lawyers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral have continued to highlight the risks in Florida, which is the deadliest state in the nation for these preventable tragedies. While the overall number of road fatalities was declining steadily before the pandemic, many areas, including Southwest Florida, have continued to see an increase in fatalities among walkers and riders.

Now a new report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows the number of pedestrians killed increased 53 percent from 2009-2018, after steadily declining for three decades. Today, 1 in 6 fatal accidents involves a walker.

Florida Lawmakers Pushed to Pass Seat-Belt Law for All Passengers

July 9, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

It’s no secret that seat belts save lives. But new research highlights the real-world impact for front- and rear-seat passengers, prompting safety advocates to encourage states to adopt laws that address backseat seat-belt use.

Florida is among the states that only require seat belt use of front-seat passengers.

Our car accident attorneys on Fort Myers and Cape Coral have frequently noted Florida’s lax safety standards – from lack of adequate distracted driving laws to the state’s rock-bottom minimum insurance requirements of just $10,000, Florida is among the worst states in the nation when it comes to mandating good traffic-safety habits.

Road Construction a Summer Threat in SWFL

June 21, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Summer is road construction season in Southwest Florida. That is true every year as crews race to complete major projects during off-season, and before tourists and snowbirds start flocking to the area for high season.

But it’s particularly true this year as Florida and the rest of the nation emerges from the pandemic. Federal investment meant to stimulate economic recovery, and the yet-to-pass infrastructure package being debated in Congress, both mean road construction will be even more commonplace in the coming months.

Our car accident attorneys in Fort Myers and Cape Coral know construction zones are high risk when it comes to serious and fatal accidents. Please do your part to keep work crews and fellow motorists safe on the road this summer.

Wet Weather Driving Safety in SWFL

June 10, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

With the welcome return of rain in the last week, Southwest Florida is entering rainy season.

Hurricane forecasters expect it to be a busy year, on the heals of a 2020 season that saw the most named storms in recent history. This year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts an above-normal storm season with 13 to 20 named storms, 6 to 10 hurricanes and 3 to 5 major hurricanes in 2021.

Lee County offers a hurricane preparedness guide. While we encourage you to be prepared, our car accident attorneys in Fort Myers and Cape Coral know most of the weather risks in Southwest Florida come from blinding afternoon storms, flooding, and the risks associated with driving into a canal, retention pond, or other water hazard.

Beware: “100 Deadliest Days” for Teen Drivers

June 8, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Summer is the deadliest time of the year for young motorists, particularly the stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day, which safety advocates call the “100 Deadliest Days” of the year on the roads.

Nationwide, more than 7,000 people died in teen driving-related summertime crashes from 2010 to 2019. According to previous research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, new teen drivers ages 16-17 are three times as likely as adults to be involved in a deadly crash.

“There are more daily deaths in crashes involving teen drivers during the summer months than the rest of the year because teens tend to have more unstructured time behind the wheel,” said Jake Nelson, AAA’s director of traffic safety advocacy and research.

Our car accident attorneys in Fort Myers and Cape Coral know these can be tragic cases, with victims often being friends or relatives of the at-fault driver. Serious injuries, multiple parties, and numerous factors of causation can make these cases among the most complex handled by an experienced law firm. Such tragedies forever mark lives. We encourage you to take the risks seriously, lay ground rules, and talk frequently with the young drivers in your household.