Car Accidents

Summer Travel Safety in Focus

June 6, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

With Memorial Day in the rearview mirror and Fourth of July a month away, there is every evidence that Southwest Floridians are hitting the roads in record numbers.

Despite high gas prices that are on average $1 gallon higher than a year ago, AAA is reporting travel is reaching pre-pandemic highs even as airlines are reporting a sharp rebound in travel bookings. Here in Southwest Florida, that means busy roads despite the departure of seasonal traffic, and greater risks as we head into the summer rainy season.

Our injury lawyers recently reported our streets have not become statistically safer during COVID, with more than 100 traffic deaths reported in Lee County in 2020. As the economy continues to improve and the world recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, there is every evidence that record summer tourists and guests will continue to visit, even as local residents hit the road for some much needed time away from home.

Traffic Safety Focus on Dangerous Intersections in SWFL

April 28, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Safety advocates are warning motorists of the dangers of intersection traffic collisions.

Our car accident attorneys in Cape Coral and Fort Myers opened the year with our Safe Driving series, which looked at the heightened risks of a collision at intersections. These natural points of traffic conflict are especially dangerous for walkers and cyclists. But motorists also have a high risk of colliding with another motor vehicle.

WINK News is among the organizations reporting the rise in traffic collisions since the start of the pandemic. As we reported here on our injury blog, more than 100 traffic deaths were reported in 2020 despite the drastic reduction in traffic congestion that resulted from pandemic restrictions. In September, as season opened, there were close to 1,000 crashes in Lee County.

Graduation Safety a Focus in SWFL

April 26, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Graduation season is upon us. Congratulations to each of the high school and college graduates in Southwest Florida.

Our injury lawyers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral know this is a joyous season full of pride, recognition and personal growth. But it is also a time of needless heartache and tragedy for families forced each year to deal with the serious or fatal injury of a loved one so full of life and promise.

The inherent risks of the season usually involve either graduation celebrations or road accidents involving teenagers. However, there is much parents and teens can do to help reduce the risks of being involved in a life-altering “accident.”

SWFL Streets No Safer Despite COVID

April 25, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

It’s official. COVID has not made the streets of Southwest Florida any safer.

The News-Press reported there were more than 100 traffic fatalities last year in Lee County, despite the drastic traffic reductions that resulted from COVID restrictions through high season and the summer months.

It was the 10th time since 2000 that Lee County recorded more than 100 traffic deaths in a year, but the first time since 2017. So, statistically, road risks actually increased during the pandemic, despite the travel restrictions and business closures.

As our injury lawyers in Fort Myers have pointed out here on our blog, vulnerable road users continue to be at highest risk and are overrepresented in the statistics. There were 22 Lee County pedestrians killed in crashes in 2020, 18 motorcyclists and eight bicyclists. That accounts for nearly half of the total number of fatalities. All totaled, there were 107 Lee County drivers killed in 94 fatal crashes in 2020.

Eleven of the 98 fatal crashes were hit-and-runs and a high number of fatal crashes were blamed on speeding.

Graduation a High-Risk Time for Teen Drivers

April 2, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Graduation season is upon us, followed by summer. Hopefully, we are putting the worst of the coronavirus pandemic behind us, and millions of Americans are itching to travel. Among those at highest risk are teenagers and young drivers.

We continue our safe-driving series by reminding Southwest Florida parents about talking to their kids about the risks and ensuring your teen is properly insured and is driving a suitable vehicle.

Much has been made about the extra risks teens face: Driver inexperience, uncertainty in unusual conditions like rain or heavy traffic, riding with other teen passengers, distraction, driving at night, and driving while intoxicated.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports teenagers drive less than all but the elderly, yet are three times more likely to be involved in fatal crashes than drivers over the age of 20. Those ages 16 and 17 are at highest risk.

But the truth is many risks are preventable.

Aggressive Driving a Seasonal Risk in Southwest Florida

February 25, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Seasonal traffic has hit the streets of Southwest Florida in force, despite COVID-19 and the ongoing pandemic restrictions.

Since the holidays, there has been a noticeable increase in traffic and congestion. This alone, is enough to make the streets more dangerous. But when combined with visitors in rental cars, lost tourists, and other motorists who are unfamiliar with the roads, the risks increase exponentially.

Our Fort Myers car accident attorneys begun the year with a look at the most common dangers on the road, including distracted driving. But perhaps the most under-appreciated risks include many common driving behaviors of which we are all guilty from time to time.

Your Passengers are a Deadly Distraction

January 24, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

As part of our New Year’s look, Staying Safe on Florida Roads,we’ve taken a look at many types of distracted driving, including cell phones and other electronic devices.

But when it comes to driver distraction, the most overlooked risk is sitting beside you.

By some estimates, driver distraction is involved in at least one-third of the nation’s fatal traffic collisions, resulting in more than 10,000 deaths each year. Even in cases where speeding, alcohol, or other factors contributed, it is often momentary distraction that provides the catalyst for a tragedy.

On some level, all drivers with passengers – whether friends, family or passengers for hire – understand they are accepting the added responsibility for everyone’s safety. However, far few consider the risk those passengers pose to safety when it comes to distraction.

Proving Causation in Distracted Driving Collisions

January 24, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

We’ve been blogging a lot about distracted driving as part of our New Year’s look: Staying Safe on Florida Roads.

While we all know about the risks of using cell phones, less publicized risks like having children or pets in the vehicle, eating and drinking, and using onboard electronics, are no less dangerous.

Still, our experienced car accident attorneys in Fort Myers know few risks compare to the modern-day cell phone. Gone are the days when the biggest worry was driving and talking. Text messaging began a larger threat because it requires a driver to engage in all three types of distraction – eyes off the road, mind off the task of driving, hand off the wheel.

Phones Just Part of Distracted Driving Epidemic

January 11, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

As we enter our 50th year of representing injury victims in Southwest Florida, we recently blogged about the dangers of in-car technology and cell phones when it comes to the risks of being involved in a serious or fatal traffic collision.

But distracted driving is about much more than the electronic gadgetry that has become central to our daily lives. Nationwide, safety advocates report at least 3,000 people are killed and 400,000 injured each year in collisions involving distracted driving. However, the increasingly ubiquitous nature of this technology in our lives means the true risks are actually much higher – by some estimates involved in one-third of the nation’s traffic collisions, resulting in more than 10,000 road deaths each year.

Many of these victims were not in another vehicle at the time of the collision. About 1 in 5 of the people who died in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2018 were not in vehicles―they were walking, riding their bikes, or otherwise outside a vehicle, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Happy New Year – Staying Safe in Southwest Florida

January 10, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Happy New Year!

All of us at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, wish you a safe and peaceful start to 2021. Most of us were not sorry to see the end of 2020, and have hopes that 2021 will bring a new beginning as much of the world seeks vaccination from the coronavirus and a return to normalcy.

Speaking of normal, perhaps you have noticed a significant increase in traffic on the roads of Southwest Florida. While the holiday shopping season seemed unusually tame, heavy traffic has signaled the start of the new year and the height of tourism season in Southwest Florida. Schools are back in session, winter residents have arrived and an increasing number of tourists continue to arrive at destination locations throughout Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties.