Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

Senior driving safety an important issue in reducing risk of Fort Myers car accidents

August 23, 2010 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

South Florida is likely to be on the front lines in dealing with the huge increase in the number of senior drivers as the Baby Boomers hit the road to retirement.

Our Fort Myers accident attorneys frequently report on the dangers faced by teenage drivers. But the Washington Post reports that drivers over the age of 75 are the most at-risk drivers on the road. And those same drivers are twice as likely to say they plan to drive into their 90s than drivers ages 65 to 74.

Meanwhile, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports the percentage of those over the age of 70 who remain licensed to drive has increased from 73 percent to 78 percent in the last decade. Today’s 30 million senior drivers are expected to be joined by 78 million Baby Boomers who will begin hitting their 70s over the course of the next decade.

Cape Coral school crossing debate is senseless; improved safety reduces risk of pedestrian and bicycle accidents

August 21, 2010 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

As the school year begins, we encourage Cape Coral and county officials to act quickly in installing school zone lights at Trafalgar Parkway and Skyline Boulevard.

The Lee County School District reports that about 2,000 students attend Trafalgar elementary and Trafalgar middle school. Skyline Boulevard is one of the city’s busiest. The News-Press reports local officials have given installation of school zone lights the go-ahead now that the price has dropped from $270,000 to $45,000.

We think it’s unfortunate that they were not installed long ago. Thousands of young children flood this area everyday and their safety should never be compromised by an attempt to keep costs down.

School year begins; use caution in avoiding school bus accidents in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Port Charlotte

August 20, 2010 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced this week that all new motor coaches will be required to have seat belts to prevent ejection in the event of a rollover accident. That’s good news unless your child rides a school bus — existing buses and new school buses are exempt from the requirement.

The new school year brings increased risk of a school bus accident in Cape Coral, Fort Myers and Punta Gorda/Port Charlotte. Student fatalities are thankfully rare, though they do happen. Just this month in St. Louis a horrific accident involving two school buses and a semi killed two students and sent 50 to the hospital. An average of 19 students die in school bus accidents each year in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Injury accidents are much more common. At risk groups include student passengers and other motorists who are involved in an accident with a school bus, which carry the increased risks often associated with being in an accident with a semi or other large commercial vehicle.

Elderly residents are at high risk of fall injuries in South Florida nursing homes

August 14, 2010 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The family of a woman who was killed in a Florida nursing home fall has been awarded $114 million — a record verdict in Polk County, the Ledger reported.

The verdict has put the focus on the epidemic of nursing home falls in this country. The suit claims the home knew of the 76-year-old woman’s risk of falling and failed to take preventive measures. The patient fell within two weeks of being admitted to the home. She never recovered from a traumatic head injury, broken arm and other injuries. She was malnourished, dehydrated and suffering from bed sores when family pulled her out of the home in May 2003. She died several months later.

We make the often difficult decision to place our loved ones in a nursing home because we do not feel qualified to provide the kind of professional care necessary to keep them safe from harm. The average annual cost of nursing home care is $50,000 and we expect professional care and the protection of whatever quality-of-life is left to an aging family member.

Yet the prevalence of nursing home falls shows that far too many homes are failing in the basic task of ensuring a resident’s physical safety. The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control reports as many as 200 falls a year occur in the average 100-bed nursing home.

Facts about nursing home falls:

-About 1,800 nursing home residents die from falls each year.

-As many as three-quarters of nursing home residents fall each year.

-The average patients falls more than once. In fact, he or she falls 2.6 times per year.

Falls frequently lead to a decline in quality of life. Fear of falling, loss of function, depression, social isolation and increasing helplessness are common consequences of fall injuries.

Some argue that nursing home falls are common because of the failing health of residents. However, a closer look at the statistics reveals that only about one-fourth of falls are caused by a resident’s diminished physical ability.

Common causes of nursing home falls:
-24 percent of falls are attributed to muscle weakness, walking or gait problems of the resident.

-Up to 27 percent are caused by avoidable environmental hazards, including wet floors, poor lighting, incorrect bed height and poorly fitted wheelchairs.

-Failure to properly administer medicine, especially sedatives and anti-anxiety drugs, are commonly blamed for nursing home falls.

-Other common causes are poorly fitted clothing and failure to provide proper walking aids and supervision.
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Back to school puts emphasis on teen driving safety in South Florida

August 13, 2010 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The Fort Myers injury attorneys and staff at Associates & Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, urge parents to speak with their children about the dangers of distracted driving as teenagers begin returning to school this week.

Car accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers ages 15 to 20, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And Florida ranked just “fair” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety when it comes to the training young drivers receive. Only 13 states did not earn the agency’s top rating.

Regardless of the training a teen receives in the classroom, it is the involvement of parents who are willing to set clear rules that frequently makes the difference when it comes to keeping teens safe behind the wheel.

Medical bills often a huge headache after a South Florida injury accident

August 12, 2010 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The New York Times recently reported the case of a mother who was shocked to learn her son racked up a $5,398 emergency room bill for a cut chin after slipping and falling in the bathroom.

Medical bills in the wake of a serious injury accident can be astronomical. Errors are quite common and the added stress placed on a family can be almost too much to bear. Our Cape Coral injury lawyers and Fort Myers accident attorneys understand what it takes to cut through the red-tape. And to help ensure that you are receiving the care you need and deserve.

At Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers, we have a department dedicated to assisting clients with medical bills and insurance paperwork. We also work with clients to assist them in getting the necessary follow-up medical care.

Florida permits faster heavier trucks – more semi accidents a certainty

August 7, 2010 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Lawmakers ignored the wishes of motorists and safety advocates this summer in passing a law that permits some of the heaviest semis in the nation to roll down Florida highways.

Only Idaho, Maine, Washington and North Dakota permit heavier trucks. Nationwide, nearly every state limits the weight of a semi to 80,000 pounds. When Gov. Charlie Crist signed House Bill 1271 into law, he permitted Florida semis to add an additional 8,000 pounds to the maximum load.

Beginning July 1 semis are permitted to add the weight of two additional passenger cars to the average load, which already weighs as much as 20 passenger cars. And Florida’s 70 mph speed limit for semis is already one of the highest in the nation. Is it any wonder that Florida is among the deadliest states in the nation for trucking accidents? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 269 semis were involved in fatal Florida trucking accidents in 2008. Only California and Texas recorded a worse safety record.

Fewer Lee County motorcycle accidents welcome news after decade of rising crash rates

August 6, 2010 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Our Fort Myers motorcycle accident lawyers welcome the news that the number of Florida motorcycle accidents decreased last year, after increasing each year for more than a decade.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports the number of fatal accidents plunged 25 percent, from 532 in 2008 to 402 last year. The total number of crashes and the number of riders injured also decreased.

That’s welcome news after a decade in which the number of riders killed on Florida roads each year nearly doubled, from 5,075 in 2000 to 9,618 in 2008. Still, motorcycle accidents accounted for 1 in every 6 fatal accidents on Florida roads during 2009. And thousands of riders were seriously injured in Florida motorcycle accidents.

Cape Coral among the most dangerous areas in Florida for drunk driving accidents

August 5, 2010 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

A recent report in the Fort Myers News-Press revealed that Cape Coral has the third-highest rate of drunk driving accidents of any major city in Florida.

The news comes as the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles releases accident data for 2009. The statistics show a record drop in the number of fatal car accidents, from 2,983 in 2008 to 2,563 in 2009. However, our Cape Coral car accident attorneys expect Florida to rank as one of the most dangerous states in the nation for all types of traffic accidents when the federal government releases statistics in the coming weeks.

Historically, Florida has joined California and Texas in reporting the highest number of car accidents, drunk driving accidents, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, trucking accidents and boating accidents.

Poetic Justice – What Do Motorcycle Safety, The New York Times and Vehicle Accident Research Geeks Have in Common?

June 14, 2010 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Well as it turns out, plenty.

Curbing a Trend
Here at the