| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Uncategorized

Can Self-Driving Cars See You on Your Motorcycle? Florida Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Who is Liable for Damages When There is no Human Driver?

Self driving cars are being developed, tested, and put on the road right now and many wonder if they are safe. Can they adequately “see” other cars? And what about bicycles, motorcycles, and pedestrians? A near-miss between a self-driving Tesla and a Phoenix motorcycle police officer last year raised eyebrows in the motorcycle community even Florida Motorcycle Accident Lawyersthough there were no serious injuries.

According to USA Today: The officer, who was in front of the Tesla, stopped for a traffic signal, police said. After also stopping briefly, the Tesla began creeping forward, prompting the officer to jump off his motorcycle and move away. The officer later estimated the car was moving at about three miles per hour, police said. There were no injuries or damage.

Recently The Mercury News reported: General Motors is in a race to be the first company to mass produce self-driving cars, but a recent crash with a San Francisco motorcyclist has illustrated the tricky challenge of assigning blame when an autonomous vehicle gets in an accident.

Self-driving cars operate using sensors and those sensors are calibrated to “see” cars, trucks, and trees. Obviously they should not tell the car to slam on the brakes if a pigeon crosses the road, but somewhere between a car or truck and a bird are motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Are these cars going to be able to detect a motorcycle when one is riding alongside on the highway? Will the sensors detect a child stepping into the street? These are very serious questions and people need to know the answers.

Floridians have a right to know what their rights are if they are involved in an accident with one of these self-driving vehicle.

The Law Firm of Lazarus and Lazarus has been working with automobile drivers, truck drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians who are seriously injured on Florida roads for 25 years. We will do everything possible to make sure you are compensated for injuries and damages when we are on your side. Please call us at 954-356-0006 if you have any questions.

 

| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Florida PIP Insurance

Auto PIP Insurance Rates are Skyrocketing. Why? Fort Lauderdale Auto Accident Attorney

You don’t speed, run red lights, or drive recklessly and you don’t get traffic tickets at all. You never text and drive and you don’t drink and drive. You’re a great driver! But your auto insurance bill keeps going up.

What’s going on?

A lot of Florida drivers are asking the same question because although they pay rates that average $1,250 per year, the rates keep rising. Florida remains one of only a few states that still requires PIP and many drivers feel that it is not necessary if they have health insurance that would cover injuries from an auto accident. What’s the solution?

Before we address the solution we have to know what is causing the problem, and in this case a good part of it is fraud. Staged car accidents, treating non-existent injuries, and other dishonest practices cause higher rates and cost everyone money. Some hospitals also charge higher for tests and injuries when PIP insurance is involved and victims run out of money before they can receive effective treatment.

You can look north to Tallahassee and try to figure out what’s happening because it is there that politicians are considering changes or even a total repeal of PIP. A House plan that passed 88-15 to repeal PIP will die in less than a month unless the Senate acts. Similar legislation expired in the Senate a year ago.

We believe every accident victim is entitled to compensation for all their injuries and losses, and that fraud and waste should be eliminated with common-sense legislation and enforcement.

If you click here  you will be directed to a website where you may enter your address and then be provided the names and addresses of your state representative, state senator, U.S. congressional representative, and U.S. senators. Reach out to them and tell them how you feel.

If you’re involved in an accident and you’re confused about what to do about your damage and injuries, we will be happy to help. Getting you the benefits you deserve is our primary goal, and we treat every client with respect. Call us at 954-356-0006 for a free consultation.

 

Prescription Errors
| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Prescription Errors, Prescription Medications

Don’t Rush Taking Prescription Meds and Avoid Dangerous Mistakes

We’ve all seen those daily pill organizers used to keep track of prescription pills. Most people think “those are for old people, not for me” but the truth is we all should slow down and take time to sort out our medications. Here’s why:

According to a recent study, “every minute of every day, three Americans call a poison control center because they’ve made a major mistake

Prescription Overdoses
It’s always good to have this number nearby: 800-222-1222

with their medication.” You’re probably wondering how many people is that exactly, and so we’ll do the math for you. 24 hours X 60 minutes per hour = 1440 minutes and three per minute adds up to 4,320 people per day which is 1,576,800 people per year.

Why does this happen?

Because people don’t take the time to focus on taking the right pill at the proper time and they don’t follow directions. Often it is a case of interaction between the drug they were prescribed and some other pill or liquid they didn’t bother to tell their doctor about. Sometimes people are just in a hurry and they think “I forgot to take my pill yesterday and the day before, so I better take three today.” Often that is very unwise to do.

If you look at the directions that accompany your prescriptions you will see somewhere it says “what to do if you miss a dose” and you should read that. With some medications 3 times the normal dose may seriously hurt you. It may put you to sleep while you’re driving.

The same study found that the rate of serious medication errors rose from 1.09 for every 100,000 Americans in 2000 to 2.28 per 100,000 by 2012. One-third of the cases resulted in a hospital stay, the researchers said.

We also have to consider the possibility that a mistake was made in the chain of events from your physician writing your prescription to the point where you pay for it at the pharmacy. Despite computers and robot pill dispensers, there are still many “medical errors” made every day.

So, what is the solution? Set aside some time at the beginning of each week and sort out your pills. The organizers seem like a good tool to use. Each time you visit the pharmacy, pay more attention to the medicine you’re picking up and stop to ask the pharmacist questions. Always tell your doctor and pharmacist if you’re taking any over-the-counter supplements or pain-killers, and in general slow down. This is your health we’re talking about so don’t grab a handful of pills and toss them back with a swig of coffee.

If you feel that your doctor or pharmacist made a mistake with your prescription medication or if you think one of your medications has harmed you, please call us at 954-356-0006. Prescription errors have been a special area of our law practice for over 20 years and we know what to do.