| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Distracted Driving in Florida |

Florida Cracks Down – New Texting and Driving Law Begins October 1st

States across the country have been enacting new laws to deter drivers from using their hand-held devices but Florida lagged behind until this year. Beginning Tuesday, October 1st, law enforcement will start enforcing the new law with warnings…for now.

Beginning January 1st, 2020 drivers who are caught with any hand-held device in their hands while driving will face a ticket, fine, and points on their license.

For those who think a texting and driving law isn’t really necessary, we would like to remind you of a few facts:

1- Distracted driving accounts for approximately 25% of all motor vehicle crash fatalities.
2- At the time of fatal crashes, teens have been the largest age group that reported being distracted while driving.Florida Distracted Driving
3- Driver distraction is reported to be responsible for more than 58% of teen crashes.
4- In 2015, 391,000 injuries were caused in distracted driving related accidents.
5- In that same year, distracted driving was cited as a major factor in 3,477 traffic deaths.
6- 9 people in the U.S. are killed each day as a result of crashes involving a distracted driver, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
7- Distracted driving has been called an American epidemic and is completely preventable.
8- Since there is no way to test for distracted driving after an accident occurs, it’s widely believed that the number of crashes, injuries, and fatalities caused by distracted driving are vastly under reported.
9- It takes only 3 seconds after a driver’s attention has been diverted from the road for a crash to occur.
10- Car crashes are the number one killer of teens in the U.S.

We will tell you that from our professional experience, texting and driving causes horrible crashes, injuries, and death to people of all ages. We have represented many victims who have life-changing permanent disabilities and pain because of distracted drivers.

Hands-free use of cell-phones will be permitted but it’s important to note this from livescience.com:

Talking on your phone while driving — even if you use a hands-free connection — is still dangerous, a new study from England finds.

Conversations of any kind can be distracting if they require a driver to use mental imagery, according to the study.

We have always urged people to turn their phones off while driving and pay attention to the road.

If you have been injured in an accident, we’re here to help. Call us at (954) 356-0006

Florida Truck Accident Attorney
| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Truck Accident Attorney |

Truck Accidents in South Florida – Getting Help for Your Injuries

Improvements in vehicle safety technology are helping lower the numbers of fatal accidents on roads but people are still being seriously injured in Broward County at an alarming rate.

The 2018 traffic accident statistics for Broward County, Florida, include:

  • Total Crashes: 40,560
  • Injury Crashes: 16,482
  • Total Individuals Injured: 24,329

That works out to 45 people every day being injured in a crash in Broward County, and many of these victims have insurance that won’t take care of their hospital bills and no health insurance.

While every injury from an accident can be serious, injuries from crashes involving large trucks are generally more severe simply because of the nature of the size of 18-wheelers and other commercial vehicles. When they make contact with a passenger vehicle they often do devastating damage to the car and the occupants.

There were over 44,000 commercial vehicle accidents in Florida, with about 10% of them occurring in Broward County.

What Makes Truck Accidents Unique for a Personal Injury Attorney?

With most private passenger vehicle crashes, there is one owner of the vehicle and often it is the driver. With large trucks and other commercial vehicles there may be one company that owns theSouth Florida Truck Accident Attorneys truck, another company that operates the truck, and then you have the driver, who may be from out-of-state. When a serious accident happens there may be more than one insurance company involved, and insurance companies are not known for their willingness to cooperate and help victims.

An attorney who has experience dealing with truck accidents understands how to get to the facts fast and investigate who is responsible and who should pay for the damages and injuries. In many cases we are able to negotiate with the parties at fault and the insurance companies to get justice but we are always prepared to go the distance and fight for our clients in court if necessary.

The Law Firm of Lazarus & Lazarus has developed a reputation for fighting hard and getting results for our clients. We would be happy to discuss your situation if you’ve been involved in a crash and you have questions about how to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses. We can be reached at (954) 356-0006 for a free and confidential consultation.

Next: Tips to Avoid a Crash with a Large Truck

Fort Lauderdale Motorcycle Accident Attorney
| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Motorcycle Accident Attorney |

Motorcycle Safety Tips from Peter Fonda and Evel Knievel – Fort Lauderdale Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

Fort Lauderdale Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

People who have lived in the Fort Lauderdale area for many years may remember that Evel Knievel, possibly the most famous daredevil in history, once owned a home in the northeast part of the city and was often seen out and about at area restaurants. Evel performed over 75 dangerous jumps on his motorcycle over the course of his career and somehow survived them all.

Many people may also remember an iconic movie released in 1969 about two hippies who traveled across the country on their motorcycles starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper titled Easy Rider. Mr. Fonda passed away last month.

Mr. Knievel and Mr. Fonda were both well-known for their connections to motorcycles but many people don’t know they collaborated on a film about motorcycle safety in the 1970s that we found on YouTube recently. It’s very good!

Evel Knievel makes several very good points in the film that we have stressed for years because we seen the serious injuries sustained by motorcyclists who come to us for help. Mr. Knievel was a bold and truly unique individual and we strongly recommend no one attempt his stunts as he was seriously injured many times. We are strong advocates for riding safely and with the proper equipment.

Regarding recreational riding, Mr. Knievel says in the video:

  • He never rides without leather (clothing) boots, and gloves.
  • Always wear glasses or a face shield because debris can fly in your face and you could be blinded.
  • Head injuries are involved with 3 out of 4 motorcycle accident deaths, so always wear a helmet.
  • If you’re riding an unfamiliar motorcycle for the first time, take time to “know” the bike before you take it out on the road. Not all motorcycles have their controls set up the same way.

Mr. Fonda offer some excellent advice about how to approach an intersection and how to ride when you’re on a highway. He reminds us all that people driving automobiles don’t usually see motorcyclists and the most common accident is when they turn in front of an oncoming rider. The only thing both Mr. Knievel and Mr. Fonda don’t mention is distracted driving by people with cell phones, because they didn’t exist at the time the film was made!

The film even has a true-false quiz at the end to test if you were paying attention.

Fort Lauderdale Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

The Law Firm of Lazarus and Lazarus has been representing victims of motorcycle accidents for 27 years and we understand how to approach and handle each case. We fight hard to get the maximum compensation allowed by law for injuries, damages, and lost time from work. Call us at (954) 356-0006 if you have any questions.

The information in this video is not intended to be a replacement for training from a professional, certified motorcycle safety instructor. We recommend all riders participate in ongoing training at a certified training center.