Florida lawmakers are taking their fight against distracted driving to new levels. The state recently passed a law that makes driving in an active construction zone or in a school zone while using a hand-held phone a primary offense. This means enforcement officers can pull drivers over and issue a ticket for violating this law.
The law went into effect October 1, 2019.
Despite rain not being in the forecast, diners in a Florida restaurant thought they heard a clap of thunder during their dinner on September 6. What they actually heard was something far more tragic: the sound of a train colliding with a motor vehicle. Unfortunately, the driver had attempted to go around the railroad crossing gate, even though the crossing gate's arm was down blocking the roadway. The driver did not beat the train, and they lost their life.
Motor vehicle accidents are commonplace throughout the entire United States, and Florida actually has more than most states. The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department reported 686,590 drivers were involved in traffic accidents statewide in 2017.
Frightening for all involved parties, car accidents pose a serious risk to your physical health and well-being. Substantial injuries sustained from motor vehicle accidents could unexpectedly change your lifestyle. For example, nerve damage resulting from a crash can complicate daily tasks you once found easy.
Although you are an experienced driver and may even consider the activity relatively mundane, any change in your regular commute to work or unexpected occurrence on another outing could easily take this mundane activity to a more dangerous one. In fact, driving is a dangerous activity under any circumstances, even if you have forgotten that it is.
At any moment, road conditions could change, or you could come across an unexpected incident. As a result, it is important that you do not have a nonchalant attitude towards driving and remaining safe during your travels.
A motor vehicle accident only takes seconds to happen. Even so, many people say it happened in slow motion and faster than their brains could process what was happening all at the same time. The lucky ones don't remember every detail such as the sound of crunching metal, the smell of antifreeze, gas or some other chemical, and the feeling of utter loss of control. Others are lucky enough to fully recover and have little physical traces of what happened.
Not everyone walks away without a glaring reminder. Some suffer the mental and physical repercussions for life. If you lost a limb as the result of a car crash, then you are already all too familiar with this. You must deal with all of the health consequences that come with that reminder. One of them is residual limb pain.
The spine is one of the most complex, remarkable and significant systems of our body and is critical to the body's ability to function. When the spine suffers trauma, the affect can be devastating. While there are different types and degrees of spinal cord injuries, it is one of the most serious injuries a person can suffer. If you have experienced a spinal cord injury, it is likely that the rest of your life will be impacted.
As a spinal cord injury victim, you may need support and medical care for an extended period of time, if not permanently. If you suffered this type of injury in an accident that was the result of the negligent or reckless actions of another Florida driver, you may be able to fight for financial compensation and damages that will allow you to get the help you need now and in the future. These injuries are complex, and you do not have to navigate the aftermath of your accident alone.
Soon, new distracted driving laws will go into effect in Florida. If you drive on Tampa-area roads, you may have noticed distracted driving for yourself, as it is quite common. People engage in all kinds of distracting behaviors while driving, including putting on makeup, adjusting the radio or even talking to a passenger.
You are probably aware that phones are the leading source of distracted driving, and actions such as texting, scrolling social media or even watching videos are some of the most common reasons for distraction-related accidents. With the number of fatal accidents in Florida continuing to rise, lawmakers hope that changes in the law will help reduce the rate of accidents. Starting in July, texting while driving will now be a primary offense.
Hitting the open road on a motorcycle can be an exciting and freeing feeling, and as an avid rider, you may consider your bike a primary means of transportation. With Florida's year-round warm climate, you may never need to park your bike in favor of a more enclosed and shielded form of travel.
Although falling in a busy supermarket is an embarrassing experience, the real consequences can be life-changing. Millions of people nationwide, including Florida, live with chronic back pain after slip-and-fall accidents. Slips and trips can cause torn rotator cuffs, fractured wrists or hips, traumatic brain injuries and back injuries, all of which could lead to chronic pain or permanent disabilities. Property owners are responsible for keeping premises free of hazards that could cause falls.
Sinkholes occur across the country, but the prevalence is significantly higher in the state of Florida than in other states. Sinkholes are geological formations of limestone, and when acidic rain penetrates the soil and continues through the soil layers and reaches limestone bedrock, the resulting reaction can cause sinkholes. The consequences for homeowners could be devastating.
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