Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

Teen safe driving awareness seeks to prevent Florida car accidents, serious injury, wrongful death during prom and graduation season

April 21, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

This week is Teenage Safe Driving Awareness Week as officials work to prevent Florida car accidents involving teenagers during prom and graduation season.

Florida injury lawyers encourage parents to talk to their teenagers about safe driving. Personal injury lawyers handle hundreds of car accidents each year involving teenagers in Southwest Florida.

Young drivers are four times more likely to get into a car accident — and traffic crashes are the leading cause of death nationwide for people 15 to 24 years of age. A recent report found the Fort Myers/Cape Coral area to be one of the deadliest in the nation for young drivers.

Teenage Safe Driving Awareness Week, which Gov. Charlie Crist proclaimed as the week of April 20 to 25, is a great time to speak to your teen driver about the importance of safe driving habits.

“We want teens to enjoy this special time in their lives, but we know they are the most high-risk drivers on our roads,” said Electra Theodorides-Bustles, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. “It is important that we work together in the community, in schools and at home to provide our teens with the right kind of education and tools to protect themselves and others on the road.”

Locally, Lee Memorial Health Systems routinely offers a free young-driver’s seminar to teenagers and/or their parents. The next course is available on April 28 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Lee Memorial Hospital on Cleveland Avenue in Fort Myers. Enter through the emergency room and follow the signs to the auditorium. Those wanting more information can call Syndi Bultman (239) 336-6797.

Some things parents and teachers should discuss with teens:

Don’t drink and never drink and drive
Don’t get into a vehicle with a driver who has been drinking.
Make sure everyone in the vehicle is buckled up – it’s the law.
Keep a cell phone on and easily accessible, so parents and guardians can reach you.
If you do get into a situation where you need assistance, call your parents or another trusted adult.
Limit the number of passengers in the vehicle to eliminate distractions.
Do not text or talk on a cell phone while driving — pull over and park if you have to text or call someone.
Driving is a privilege — don’t lose it.

“Florida law enforcement will maintain the zero tolerance stance for drunk drivers no matter the time of year of the persons’ age,” said Col. John Czernis, director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “Drivers under the age of 21 with a blood alcohol level of .02 percent or more will have their license suspended for six months. No exceptions.”
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Fort Myers personal injury lawyers test case before mock jury to better prepare client’s case for trial

April 20, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Finding a personal injury or wrongful death attorney that goes the extra mile for clients can make a big difference if your or a loved one are seeking compensation as a result of a car accident, motorcycle accident, trucking accident or other Florida personal injury case.

Trial attorneys at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers, spent the weekend working with a focus group to fine tune strategy for an upcoming trial.

“We do it to try to forecast and predict the feelings of the potential jury. It helps us to understand how to better present our case so that we can cover the issues that are important to the jury,” said Bruce L. Scheiner, founder and senior attorney at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers. “It gives you excellent insight into the issues that are in people’s minds that you might not otherwise consider.”

Attorney Preston Scheiner said convening such groups during trial preparation is another way the firm ensures clients are getting the best representation the firm’s four decades of experience can provide.

Fourteen Southwest Florida residents recruited at random, through churches and other organizations, were brought together at an off-site location in Fort Myers to hear the case.

Lunch was provided to the participants, who received a small stipend, but the names of the firm, the attorneys and the client were withheld so that verdicts and opinions could be formed free from any associated bias or influence.

The event was filmed and each of the 14 mock jurors was asked to complete a form and offer input at various stages of the proceedings. They were then split into two groups for deliberations and separate verdicts.

“You learn an incredible amount because you step outside the looking glass and you see the facts from a different perspective,” Attorney Preston Scheiner said. “You also come to understand how opinions in the community can come to bear on a particular case.”

The event also provided an opportunity to help educate the public about the trial process, the challenges of helping someone through a personal injury claim and the benefits of finding a qualified firm to protect their rights.

“Thanks so much for the opportunity — it was awesome,” one participant wrote to an event organizer. “Never had I experienced anything like that before. Please consider me again next time — I would love to be a part of it.”
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Florida drunk driver accused of causing two fatal drunk driving crashes

April 17, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

In Tampa this week, a drunk driver is accused of causing five drunk driving crashes within 30 minutes — killing two women in a spree of crashes that only stopped after he flipped his gold Chevy Yukon.

Florida injury lawyers sue drunk drivers. This Florida drunk driving incident is another example of the reckless and tragic consequences caused by someone who climbs behind the wheel after drinking.

National and state statistics claim as many as one in three road fatalities involve alcohol.

The suspect was being held in jail without bond after being charged with two counts of DUI manslaughter, one count of vehicular homicide and one count of vehicular homicide leaving the scene.

Police claim the driver rear ended a semi in the middle of the afternoon on Monday and then got into four other crashes a few miles away — plowing into two cars that left two women dead.
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Cape Coral Bike Night a huge success with title sponsorship provided by Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers

April 14, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

More than 10,000 motorcycle enthusiasts came out to support the final Cape Coral Bike Night of the 2008-2009 season, with title sponsorship provided by Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers.

Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers, has spent four decades sponsoring bike events and fighting for the rights of bikers injured in motorcycle accidents throughout Southwest Florida, including Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Port Charlotte, Arcadia, Sebring and Venice.

“It was the biggest and best bike night season we have had and we look forward to even better things in 2009-2010,” said Todd King, special events coordinator for the City of Cape Coral. “It is through our partnership with Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers and our other sponsors that we are able to stage such a great series of events.”

Cape Coral Bike Night season may be over until fall, but you can find Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers, sponsoring two exciting upcoming events.

Support Our Troops Day is Saturday April 25 from 1 to 7 p.m. at Fort Myers Harley-Davidson on Colonial Boulevard. Anyone wanting additional information can contact Kay Caple at 239-671-8456.

MASH BASH is being held in Naples on May 1 and 2 at the KOA campground on Barefoot Williams Road. Anyone wanting additional information can contact Jim Kalvin at 239-280-6054.
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“Let’s Support our Troops Day” is Saturday April 25 in Fort Myers, proudly sponsored by Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers

April 9, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The public is invited to “Let’s Support our Troops Day,” Saturday April 25 from 1 to 7 p.m. at Harley-Davidson of Fort Myers, 2160 Colonial Boulevard in Fort Myers.

Sponsored by Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers, Harley-Davidson and the American Heroes Foundation, the event will honor troops fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The event is the result of nearly two years of effort by Kaye Caple, a Southwest Florida resident who first started in her quest to support the troops by making holiday ornaments and selling them to raise money to mail needed items to our troops.

To date, the Adopt-A-Troop Foundation has shipped over 625 packages to our service men and women overseas.

The event will include Opening Ceremonies provided by the United States Naval Base at Key West. The United States Army, Marines and Coast Guard will be at the event and will showcase some of their military equipment including a Rockwell and Humvee demonstration.

The Ryan Rust Racing Team will sign autographs and their race car will be on display.

There will also be an on-site walking Poker Run, scavenger hunt and 50/50 raffle.

Participants are invited to come enjoy the vendors, food and music and support a worthwhile cause. All proceeds will go to our service men and women who are currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In addition to financial donations, the organization also will accept specific items to help fill the packages. For a list of items, visit www.adoptatroop.net and click on packages.

For more information, please visit www.adoptatroop.net or call Kaye at 239-671-8456.
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Florida injury lawyers urge frequent review of safe-driving habits to help prevent car accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents in Southwest Florida

April 6, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

In the wake of last week’s series on https://www.injury-lawyer-florida.com about the hazards of aggressive driving, speeding and distracted and drowsy driving, Florida Injury Lawyers has found a comprehensive Internet resource to provide drivers with a refresher course of safe driving tips.

For most of us, driving has become a commonplace activity. Yet it is the only potentially deadly activity most of us engage in on a daily basis. Having written about what not to do, here is a look at 70 safe driving tips we could all benefit from reviewing.

As RoadTrip America put it in debuting its 70 Rules of Defensive Driving: “It’s not something we … like to dwell upon but about 50,000 people die each year in collisions on the roadways of the United States.”

Please click here to visit the entire list, courtesy of RoadTrip America, which provides additional information on each safety tip.
1) Pay Attention 2) Don’t Trust Nobody!
3) Yield Anyway 4) Don’t Speed 5) Don’t Drive Impaired 6) Wear Your Seat Belt 7) Buy and Use Other Safety Devices 8) Motorcyclist Protect Thyself!
9) Don’t Run Red 10) Drive Precisely 11) Chill Out 12) Look Down the Road 13) Create Space & Use the two-seconds-plus rule 14) Drive to Communicate 15) Drive Predictably 16) Always Signal Your Intentions 17) Know Your Blind Spots 18) Avoid Distractions 19) Avoid Backing Up 20) Beware of Intersections 21) Be a Freeway Pro 22) Know How to Stop 23) Know When to Use Headlights 24) Slow Down in Rain or Snow 25) Maintain Your Vehicle’s Tires
Click here for all 70 rules from RoadTrip America, complete with descriptions and other advice for each rule.
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Cape Coral Bike Night season finale to draw motorcycle enthusiasts from throughout Southwest Florida with title sponsorship provided by Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers

April 5, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The grand finale of the 2008-2009 Cape Coral Bike Night season will be Saturday April 11 from 5 to 10 p.m., with title sponsorship once again provided by Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers.

“Cape Coral Bike Night has become one of the area’s premiere family-oriented events geared toward motorcycle riders,” said Bruce L. Scheiner, founder and senior attorney at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Personal Injury Lawyers, which has been fighting for the rights of motorcycle accident victims in Southwest Florida for four decades. “It is our pleasure to continue this partnership with the City of Cape Coral and the Southwest Florida motorcycle community as we continue a long tradition of promoting motorcycle safety and awareness.”

The firm also operates a website dedicated to motorcycle riding and motorcycle safety in Southwest Florida, www.flbikers.com. Cape Coral operates a website for bike night at www.ccbikenight.com.

April’s grand finale, often the year’s biggest, is expected to draw more than 10,000 motorcycle riders from throughout Southwest Florida, including Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples, Bonita Springs, Lehigh Acres, Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte.

“This is the final event for the season,” said Todd King, special events coordinator for the City of Cape Coral. “Our February and December bike night attendance figures have never been larger.

“We think it’s going to be a great evening to celebrate rock and roll, motorcycles and a grand old time here in Cape Coral,” King said.

Thousands of motorcycles will descend on SE 47th Terrace in Cape Coral, which will be closed to motorists. The event will feature food and clothing vendors, live bands, raffles, prizes and a slow bike race.
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Florida Injury Lawyers urge motorists to avoid distracted and drowsy driving to prevent Southwest Florida car accidents

April 3, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

In Part 3 of its three-part series on preventable traffic crashes, https://www.injury-lawyer-florida.com looks at the dangers of sleepy and distracted driving.

Florida injury lawyers handle hundreds of car accidents, motorcycle accidents and trucking accidents each year. In many instances, distracted driving is a cause of the traffic crash.

Evidence that distracted driving in all its forms is a leading cause of as many as 4 out of every 5 crashes has Florida considering banning cell phones behind the wheel.

A landmark study by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near crashes involved some form of driver inattention in the three seconds leading to the crash. Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use and drowsiness.

“This important research illustrates the potentially dire consequences that can occur while driving distracted or drowsy,” said Jacqueline Glassman, of the NHTSA. “It’s crucial that drivers always be alert while on the road.”

Florida lawmakers are considering several legal changes banning cell phone use and/or text messaging by drivers. One version, known as Heather’s Law, is named for a young north Florida woman who was killed on her way to the wedding planner in a crash with a semi driver who was allegedly text messaging.

While 1 in 7 drivers admitted to text messaging while driving, nearly half of teen drivers admitted sending text messages or e-mail while behind the wheel of a car.

If adopted, Florida would join five other states that ban cell phone use by drivers, including Washington, California, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C.

Key findings of the national study include:
* Drowsiness is a significant problem that quadrupules a driver’s risk of a crash or near-crash. Drowsy driving may be significantly under-reported in police crash investigations.
* The most common distraction for drivers is the use of cell phones. However, the number of crashes and near-crashes attributable to dialing is nearly identical to the number associated with talking or listening. Dialing is more dangerous but occurs less often than talking or listening.
* Reaching for a moving object increases the risk of a crash or near-crash by 9 times; looking at an external object by 3.7 times; reading by 3 times; applying makeup by 3 times; dialing a hand held device by 3 times and talking or listening on a hand-held device by 1.3 times.
* Drivers are often unable to predict when it is safe to look away from the road to multi-task because the situation can change abruptly, leaving the driver no time to react.

According to www.drowsydriving.org, at least 100,000 police-reported crashes a year are the direct result of driver fatigue. Each year, drowsy-driving crashes result in at least 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in losses.

Studies show that drowsiness can cause:
* Slower reaction time.
* Impaired judgment and vision.
* Decline in attention to important signs, road changes and the actions of other vehicles.
* Decreased alertness, preventing you from seeing an obstacle and avoiding a crash.
* Increased moodiness and aggressive behavior.
* Problems with processing information and short-term memory.
* Microsleeps — brief 2/3 second sleep episodes.

Countermeasures to prevent a fall-asleep crash while driving:
* Watch for the warning signs of fatigue.
* Stop driving — pull off at the next exit or rest area, or find a place to sleep for the night.
* Take a nap — find a safe place to take a 15-20 minute nap (more than 20 minutes can make you groggy for 15 minutes or more after waking).
* Consume caffeine — the equivalent of two cups of coffee can increase alertness for several hours, and usually takes about 30 minutes to enter the bloodstream.
* Try consuming caffeine before taking a short nap to get the benefits of both.
* Let a passenger take over the driving.

Safety is not an accident — you can take specific actions to be a safe driver and passenger.
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Florida Injury Lawyers urge motorists to obey speed limit, reduce car accidents, serious injury, wrongful death

April 2, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Speeding and traveling at speeds unsafe for road, traffic and weather conditions is the focus of Part 2 of Florida Injury Lawyer’s three-part series on the high number of traffic accidents caused by aggressive drivers, unsafe speed and distracted and sleepy drivers.

Florida injury lawyers handle hundreds of car accidents, motorcycle accidents and trucking accidents each year caused by unsafe speed throughout Southwest Florida, including Naples, Bonita Springs, Lehigh Acres, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Venice, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda and Sebring.

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration estimated 15 years ago that speeding cost society $44,193 a minute: That’s $63 million a day!

In 2006, more than 50 people lost their life to traffic crashes in each of Florida’s 67 counties and speed was often a contributing factor.

Federal statistics show speed is a contributing factor in 1 out of every 3 fatal car crashes.

Speed reduces a driver’s ability to steer safely around curves or objects in the roadway and it extends the distance required to stop a vehicle in an emergency.

Crash severity also increases with speed. Inversely, the effectiveness of restraint devices like safety bags and seat belts, and vehicle construction features like crumple zones, decline as impact speed increases.

The probability of death, disfigurement or debilitating injury doubles for every 10 mph over 50 mph, according to government statistics.

Many drivers don’t consider these dangers. They slow their speed in neighborhoods or when the weather turns bad. To them, a few miles an hour over the speed limit is an acceptable risk. They believe that the worst that can happen to them is they’ll get a speeding ticket.

But the facts are clear: Driving too fast for conditions or exceeding the speed limit can kill you.

Speed facts:
* Rural roads account for over 60 percent of all speed-related fatal crashes.
* 2 of every three speed-related crashes involve a single vehicle.
* 60 percent of all speed-related fatal crashes occur at night (6 p.m. to 6 a.m.).
* Drivers involved in speed-related fatal crashes are more likely to have a history of traffic violations.
* On average, 1,000 Americans are killed every month in speed-related crashes.

Youth and Speeding:
* Of all drivers under 24 involved in fatal crashes, 32 percent were speeding.
* Of all drivers under 21 involved in fatal crashes, 38 percent of the male and 24 percent of the female drivers were speeding.

Save gas — slow down:
* Fuel consumption increases steadily above 45 mph. Cars and light trucks use 50 percent more gas traveling at 75 mph than they do at 55 mph.
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Florida Injury Lawyers caution motorists to avoid aggressive driving, prevent car accidents, serious injury, wrongful death

March 31, 2009 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

This week Florida Injury Lawyers is publishing a trio of articles on https://www.injury-lawyer-florida.com focusing on behavior that frequently leads to personal injury and wrongful death in preventable car accidents: Aggressive driving, speeding and distracted and sleepy driving.

Florida accident lawyers handle hundreds of cases each year involving car accidents, trucking accidents and motorcycle accidents caused by the negligence of aggressive drivers.

This is not an abstract threat — you are either at risk or putting people at risk of a car accident or other traffic crash. Consider this: In 2006 alone, an average of more than 700 crashes occurred every day in the State of Florida — claiming 3,365 lives, or more than 50 people killed in a Florida car accident in each and every county in the state.

Aggressive drivers are some of the highest-risk drivers on the road, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They climb into the anonymity of an automobile and take out their frustrations on anybody at anytime. Their concern for fellow motorists is low.

They run stop signs and red lights, speed, tailgate, weave in an out of traffic, pass on the right, make improper and unsafe lane changes, make hand and facial gestures, scream, honk and flash their lights.

Signs you are an aggressive driver:
* You express frustration behind the wheel: Taking out frustrations on other drivers can lead to violence or a crash.
* You fail to pay attention when driving: Talking on the phone, reading, eating, drinking, applying makeup and other distractions are a major cause of traffic crashes.
* You tailgate: This is a major cause of crashes, which too often leads to serious injury or death.
* You run red lights: Do not enter an intersection on a yellow light. The several minutes you might save could cost you your life. Remember that flashing red lights should be treated as a stop sign.
*You speed: Going faster than the posted speed limit, or than road conditions or traffic will safely allow, is a frequent cause of serious car crashes.

Strategies for Safer Driving

*Concentrate: Don’t allow yourself to become distracted by anything but the task of driving.
* Relax: Tune the radio (while stopped) to your favorite station and relax. Music can calm your nerves and help you enjoy your time in the car.
* Don’t speed: Fewer crashes happen when vehicles are traveling at or about the same speed.
* Identify alternative routes: Even if it looks longer on paper, you may find it less congested.
* Use public transportation: It can give you a much-needed break from life behind the wheel.
* Just be late: If all else fails, be late. You will still arrive at your destination sooner than if you cause a serious car accident that injures you or someone else.

When confronted with aggressive drivers:
* Get out of the way.
* Put your pride aside: Do not challenge them by speeding up, becoming aggressive yourself, or trying to hold your own in your lane.
* Avoid eye contact: It sometimes enrages an aggressive driver.
* Report serious aggressive driving: You or a passenger may call police. But if you use a cell phone, pull over to a safe location.
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