Personal Injury

Watercraft Accident Spotlights Tourist Injury Risks

September 3, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The death of an Ohio woman in a personal watercraft accident on Fort Myers Beach highlights the risk of injury to tourists both in and out of the water.

With all of us facing the stress of the coronavirus pandemic, it is particularly disheartening to hear of serious or fatal injury occurring to those who have sought a brief escape along Southwest Florida’s coastline. Many businesses are suffering from pandemic-related economic losses and the lack of tourism traffic. It’s important that we all do our part to make the area a welcoming safe-haven from the stresses of everyday life.

The Fort Myers Beach Observer reports the fatal watercraft accident occurred while the woman was on a rented craft near the Fort Myers Beach Pier. The Fort Myers Beach Fire Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard all responded to the scene. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports the woman was a passenger on a rented watercraft when she was thrown during an attempted turn. Staff from the rental company arrived on scene and attempted life-saving efforts, according to FWC.

COVID Impacting Dangerous and Defective Product Risks

September 1, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The holiday season is typically the most dangerous time of the year when it comes to bringing dangerous or defective products into the home. But, like most aspects of life, COVID has also changed the risk of product injury. Pandemic quarantines have found all of us spending much more time at home. Online shopping has further complicated the picture when it comes to holding companies accountable for endangering consumers.

The Government Accountability Office reported last fall that the government’s watchdog for dangerous and defective products, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, needs to do a better job of protecting consumers and addressing the risks of today’s diversified online marketplace. Our defective product lawyers want consumers to know that anyone involved in marketing, supplying, manufacturing or delivering a dangerous or defective product can be held responsible for resulting damages under federal law.

Specifically, the agency found:

Older Americans Month Highlights Risks to Elderly

May 17, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The White House has proclaimed May to be Older Americans Month.

As we emerge from pandemic restrictions, we at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, encourage you to take some time to check on an older adult friend or loved one. There can be a tendency to think older adults are used to the isolation but that is often not the case. We are all dealing with the impact of COVID-19.

The fact is older adults are among our most vulnerable citizens for a host of reasons, from fall injuries to nursing home neglect and abuse, to financial exploitation. Retirement communities, in particular, may be home to many senior residents with few (if any) family members in the area. Our seniors deserve to live out their days in peace and dignity. Whatever your role in the community, your interaction with an elderly resident may be their only human interaction of the day, or week.

COVID Restrictions Cited for Fewer DUI Deaths

March 18, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

COVID-19 may be at least partially responsible for reducing drunk driving deaths in Florida by one-third.

In 2020, there were 746 fatalities from crashes involving alcohol, drugs, or a combination of both in Florida – a decrease of more than 33% from 2019.

However, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is not letting up on efforts to further reduce the risks of these senseless tragedies, which continue to be the cause of about one-third of fatal injuries on the road. This month, law enforcement across Florida are launching the “Never Drive Impaired” campaign in partnership with state agencies and safety organizations across Florida to remind motorists that there is never an excuse to drive impaired.

Pedestrian Safety in Focus for Daylight Savings Time

March 16, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

With the time change, comes later light. While this is a welcome change for many, including tourist destinations, restaurants and other local businesses trying to recover from COVID-19 restrictions, it also makes for dark mornings, especially over the next month as Southwest Florida days lengthen toward summer.

Numerous studies have been done on many aspects of Daylight Savings Time, with mixed results. Until the 1800s, cities set their clocks by the sun. While this could result in minor differences, it worked for everyone until the trains needed to run on time. By the start of the 1900s, time zones had been established but it was not until World War 1 that Daylight Savings Time became standard in the United States.

Moving the clocks ahead an hour in the spring and back in the fall was believed to save energy consumption by providing more evening light. Several studies have found that is not the case, largely because people remain active later into the evening, visiting shops, restaurants and other destination locations.

COVID Complicates Holiday Gatherings Risks this Season

November 16, 2020 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Our injury lawyers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral wish each of you a wonderful Thanksgiving and a joyous start to the year-end holidays.

We recently wrote about parking lot injury risks as holiday shoppers return to local malls and box stores. But the reality is the holiday travel season is full of year-end risks that can often be mitigated with planning, some forethought, and a focus on safety.

COVID Collisions a Consequence of Quarantine

October 19, 2020 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

More than six months into the coronavirus pandemic, the impact of COVID-19 on road safety is still being studied. Certainly there was a marked drop in traffic collisions through the spring and early summer, as lockdown orders shuttered bars, restaurants and all but essential businesses and most of Southwest Florida sheltered in place.

But with Gov. Ron DeSantis lifting remaining restrictions at the start of October, and the height of tourism season right around the corner, there is growing evidence that the roads of Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties are once again getting more dangerous.

And perhaps in new ways.

COVID Liability: Lawmakers Look To Limit Consumer Rights

August 11, 2020 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Lawmakers from Tallahassee to Washington are taking up the issue of COVID liability, in large part to protect schools and businesses while limiting the rights of victims to recover amid the worldwide pandemic.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has been largely mute on the subject of COVID liability. Channel 4 News in Jacksonville reports DeSantis was not among the 21 Republican governors who signed a letter to Congress asking for COVID liability protections for schools, businesses and healthcare workers.

COVID School Liability

Legal Changes Impact Fireworks Safety in Southwest Florida

July 1, 2020 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

New fireworks laws, combined with COVID restrictions, are expected to increase the risks of fireworks injuries in Southwest Florida as we head into the Fourth of July weekend.

Florida Senate Bill 140 was among the 100 new laws that hit the books on July 1, according to the Miami Herald. The bill permits private citizens to set off fireworks in Florida on July 4, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

The Palm Beach Posts reports record fireworks sales as many municipalities cancel or curtail fireworks celebrations in response to the COVID pandemic. Channel 10 News in Tampa reports authorities are bracing for an increasing number of injuries.

Summer Storms Create Driving Risks in SWFL

June 24, 2020 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

While the COVID pandemic has had a calming effect on Southwest Florida traffic, relaxing restrictions combined with summer rains will serve to increase the risks of the road.

The Fort Myers News-Press reported a death this week after the driver of a Corvette lost control in the rain and slammed into a truck. Police said the 53-year-old Cape Coral man lost control of his Corvette on State Road 82 near Lightard Knott Lane about 7:10 p.m. The vehicle went over the median, west of Buckingham Road, into eastbound traffic, where it hit a Ford F-350 King Cab.

Our experienced Fort Myers injury attorneys urge motorists to take the risks of driving in the rain seriously as we head into the height of storm season.