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Broward Injury Lawyer Blog

March 15, 2012

Risks of Bicycle Accidents in Broward County Increased with Bike-Sharing Program?

By Ansara Law Personal Injury Attorneys

If you haven’t already heard, Fort Lauderdale recent launched a new bike-sharing program. Bike riding is a popular trend, an excellent way to get some exercise and an eco-friendly way to get around. According to the Green Fort Lauderdale, Broward Commissioners recently approved a contract with B-cycle to launch these bikes and their kiosks here in the city. You can visit Broward B-cycle for location information. The next step for many is figuring out how to keep all of these cyclists safe and how to avoid potentially fatal bicycle accidents in Fort Lauderdale.

Here’s how it works: Residents and visitors in the city are able to access a public bike by swiping a credit card or swiping their membership card. That’s all you have to do to get a bike. You can ride it around and drop it off to any of the company’s kiosks around town. They’re located throughout Broward County. As of now, there are about 200 blue bikes available for users. Within the first five years of the program, officials expect that to expand to 500 bikes. They can be rented by the day or by the week.

Our Fort Lauderdale bicycle accident lawyers understand that the move to bicycles as a top form of transportation is an excellent way to stay healthy and to reduce the traffic congestion in the area. With the bike-sharing program active on our streets, it’s important for travelers to take note. Motorists are asked to be cautious around areas that are heavily populated with our two-wheeled travelers. Safe roadways start with your defensive driving habits.

“B-cycles are magic bikes that are there when you want one and gone when you don’t. Just swipe your card, grab a bike, and get to where you’re going,” says the company’s website.

The bikes are all cruiser-style bikes that were created by Trek Bicycle Corp. They accommodate riders of all shapes and sizes. Each bike comes with carbon offsets, a device to track calories burned and a device to calculate miles traveled. Talk about handy!

With all of this gear for riders, we need to take the time to equip motorists with the tools to help them to avoid accidents involving these vulnerable travelers. Drivers are asked to keep an eye out for cyclists. Look for them in your mirrors and in your blind spots before moving in traffic. Don’t pass a cyclist before making a right turn! Bicycles move faster than you think. Be extra careful when traveling on driveways and in parking lots. Never open your car door without looking for passing traffic. Make sure that when you pass a cyclist, you have no less than 3 feet of clearance. It’s the law. All of these tips will help motorists and bicyclists to travel in safe unison with one another.
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March 8, 2012

Bicycle Accident in Fort Lauderdale Turns Deadly When a Tri-Rail Train’s Involved

By Ansara Law Personal Injury Attorneys

According to police, a bicycle accident in Fort Lauderdale left a local man dead. This bicycle accident was different than so many others. This bike accident didn’t involve a motor vehicle or another bicyclist, it involved a Tri-Rail train.

The accident happened as a northbound train crossed 62nd Street at roughly 7:00 a.m. At the time, the bicyclist crossed the railroad tracks and got to the median section of the roadway. That’s when a southbound train passed by and hit him. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the traffic control arms at that intersection were down and stopping vehicles from crossing the tracks when the accident happened. Detective Travis Mandell, a spokesman for the Fort Lauderdale police, says that the man was transported to North Broward Medical Center and was later pronounced dead. Officials are still investigating the accident.

Our Fort Lauderdale bicycle accident lawyers understand how dangerous these areas can be. Most times, accidents that involve trains produce deadly results. Sometimes, these accidents can be blamed on faulty railroad crossing equipment. When this equipment is working properly, it’s important for nearby travelers to be cautious and careful in these areas to reduce their risks of a potentially fatal train accident.

Railroad-Related Accident Statistics (2009), from the Federal Railroad Administration:

-There are more than 136,000 public railroad crossings in the U.S.

-At these crossings, about 42,300 have gates, more than 22,000 have flashing lights and more than 1,195 have wigwags, traffic signals and bells.

-At these crossings, there were nearly 2,000 accidents, resulting in more than 245 fatalities and more than 700 injuries.

To help to avoid a pedestrian or a bicycling accident at one of these crossings, the Federal Railroad Administration offers the following tips. Don’t take these tips lightly. They just may be able to save your life. Listen up!

Railroad Crossing Safety Tips:

-Always approach a track like there’s a train coming. Always stop and look both ways before attempting to cross.

-Never rely on a train’s whistle. These devices can be broken or may not be heard by the pedestrian, bicyclist or motorist. Always look with your eyes to see if a train is coming.

-Never cross the tracks if you’re not sure that you’ll have enough time to make it all the way across. Just wait until the train has gone by before attempting to cross.

-Always wait for a train to cross while standing at least 10 feet away from the tracks. Train cars are wider than the tracks themselves, meaning they overlap the tracks and will be closer than you may think. Stand back.

-Bicyclists should always get off of their bike and walk it across tracks. Avoid riding across.

-Try to avoid routes with railroad crossings. Plan your trip before. It’s best just to avoid crossings altogether.

-Look up and down the tracks, all of the tracks, before attempting to cross.
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March 1, 2012

Six-Year-Old on Scooter Critically Injured in Two-Car Accident in Pompano Beach

By Ansara Law Personal Injury Attorneys

A recent two-car accident in Pompano Beach ended up seriously injuring a 6-year-old who was riding a scooter. According to the Sun Sentinel, five other people were injured in this accident. A spokesman for the Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue says that the accident happened just after 1:00 p.m. after a driver failed to acknowledge a traffic device on Northwest 5th Avenue.

Reportedly, the car crash happened as a 28-year-old driver was heading north on Northwest 5h Avenue when he ran a stop sign and slammed into another passenger vehicle that was heading westbound on Northwest 8th Street. After striking the vehicle, the 23-year-old’s vehicle hit a nearby fence and slammed into the six-year-old on the scooter, ran into a parked van, slammed into a tree and then crashed into a pickup truck. Officers with the Broward Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit are interviewing witnesses and continue to investigate the accident.

Our Broward County car accident attorneys understand that our roadways can be very dangerous at times, especially for small children. For this reason, it is important for parents to talk with young ones about the dangers on the roadways and passing traffic. According to Safe Kids USA, the number of overall motor-vehicle fatalities that occurred to children under the age of 15 during 2008 was 1,350. About 70 percent of pedestrian deaths are motor vehicle-related. Of these fatalities, nearly 300 were pedestrian fatalities and about 100 were bicycle fatalities. Many of these fatalities and hundreds of thousands of injuries could have been prevented if parents would have stepped in and discussed the dangers of traffic with children. Start now! It’s a great time to pull your child aside and talk about safe pedestrian habits with them.

Your child faces some of the most dangerous risks in the country for a pedestrian or bicycle-related traffic accident. In recent years, Florida was ranked as the most dangerous state in the country for these types of accidents.

The City of Fort Lauderdale is here to help South Florida kids to stay safe when playing near moving traffic. The City has provided a few recommendations to help make our roadways safer for everyone, especially young children.

State and Local Laws to Help Protect Child Pedestrians and Bicyclists:

-Lower the speed limit is all residential areas.

-Offer protections, like crosswalks and sidewalks, to on-foot and bicycle travelers.

-Prohibit vehicle from passing school buses while boarding on letting off passengers.

-Provide crossing guards for popular crosswalks, especially crosswalks near schools and popular neighborhoods.

-Require all pedestrians and bicyclists to cross the roadway at a crosswalk.

Talk with your child about the dangers and risks that are associated with vehicular traffic. Urge then to look left, right and back left again before crossing any street. Make sure that your child is geared up in bright-colored clothing, reflective tape and a flashlight when outside near nighttime. Reiterate the importance of traveling on a sidewalk and away from the roadway. Always supervise your child. Your concern and supervision can help to keep your kid on the right path to safe biking, scooting and pedestrian travel.
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February 26, 2012

Road Design Causing Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents in Broward and Miami-Dade

By Ansara Law Personal Injury Attorneys

Attention has been shifted to bicycle and pedestrian accidents in Miami and the surrounding areas once again. After a number of recent accidents, like the death of the bicyclist on the Rickenbacker Causeway, officials are looking again at what may be done to help make our roadways safer for all travelers.

Within the 2012 Benchmarking Report on bicycling and walking in the United States, Florida was ranked as the most dangerous state in the country for bicycling and pedestrian accidents. We’ve previously reported about just how dangerous our roadways are for all travelers, but especially for bicyclists and pedestrians. How many catastrophic accidents do we need to experience before something is done?

Our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident attorneys know that bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents are reported regularly through reports from the Florida Department of Transportation. In the 2010 statistics, Miami-Dade was ranked number one with nearly 43,300 traffic-related accidents. Coming in second was Broward County with more than 26,230. Both areas were about even with their number of bicycle accidents. When we’re talking pedestrian accidents, Miami-Dade ranked higher than Broward. Miami-Dade is more populous than Broward, so it’s to be expected that the number of accidents is higher.

What’s apparent in these statistics is that cars are going too fast and drivers aren’t paying attention. As a result, bicyclists and pedestrians are paying the price. There’s hope though, if city officials take precautionary steps that can help knock a little sense into drivers.

Tips to Safer Roadways, according to the Miami Herald:

-Reduce current speed limits and enforce these new reductions.

-Create citywide bicycle improvements. Recognize that this form of transportation can be healthy, enjoyable and an economical way to get around town for residents and visitors of all ages.

-Consider widening sidewalks and narrowing traffic lanes to slow vehicular traffic down and encourage more people to bike and walk to their destination. Sidewalks can also provide convenience to public transit.

-Install more traffic signals at busy intersections to help pedestrians and bicyclists to safely cross the road.

-Build more efficient public transportation systems. These systems help to get cars and trucks off of our roadways, help to relieve congestion and help to offer commuters transportation choices.

The current design of our streets is one clue as to why drivers behave the way they do. Our streets are wide, fast and dangerous. This design does exactly what we need to fight against, quick, dangerous travel. Until alternative modes of transportation can be used throughout the city, these kinds of accidents are bound to plague our roadways.
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January 30, 2012

Officials Report Car Accidents in Fort Lauderdale and Elsewhere Down, Travelers in More Danger

By Ansara Law Personal Injury Attorneys

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) reports that the Sunshine State witnessed more than 2,730 fatalities from car accidents in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere in 2011. While this is about 70 fewer fatalities than recorded in 2010 and the lowest number of traffic-related fatalities since 1978, we are still seeing far too many preventable fatalities on our roads. The truth is, Florida is still among the most dangerous places in the nation for bicycle and pedestrian accidents, according to Transportation for America.

“We continue our strategic efforts to drive down the number of crashes in Florida and the number of injuries and fatalities that come as a result,” says FLDHSMV Executive Director Julie Jones.

Our Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys understand that there were nearly a quarter of a million accidents in the state in 2010. While transportation officials boast about the reductions, it’s important to realize that the reduction is less than 0.15 percent and that traffic accidents are still all too common on our roadways. Drivers are urged to keep their guard up and drive defensively to help to reduce potentially fatal traffic accidents in 2012. Safe and responsible driving habits may be one of your best defenses against a potentially fatal accident on our roadways. As we start of the New Year, drivers are asked to be more cautious on our roadways for an even safer 2012.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that car crashes are the top cause of death for residents age 4- to 34-years-old. But this is preventable.

Right now, all we have are the details for 2010 accidents. The Department of Transportation says that it will be publishing detailed accident data for 2011 statistics later in the year.

Florida’s 2010 Traffic Accident Breakdown:

-There were nearly 250,000 reported car accidents.

-There were more than 338,000 drivers involved in accidents.

-Each day, there were more than 640 accidents reported.

-The death rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled is 1.25.

-Car accidents killed 2,444 people.

-More than 195,100 people were injured in car accidents.

-There were more than 108,350 car accidents that resulted in property damage only, illustrating an increase from the previous year.

-There were nearly 795 alcohol-related traffic deaths.

-There were nearly 12,170 alcohol-related accident injuries.

-There were almost 110 drug-related traffic deaths.

-Nearly 1,000 people were injured in drug-related accidents.

-There was nearly a 4 percent increase in the number of pedestrian accidents from the previous year, less than 485 in 2010 and nearly 500 in 2011.

-The number of bicyclists injured in traffic accidents increased from the previous year, from 4,375 in 2010 to 4,600 in 2010.
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January 27, 2012

Nationwide Reports Decreasing, Traffic Accidents in Fort Lauderdale and Elsewhere in the State Increasing

By Ansara Law Personal Injury Attorneys

According to the United States Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, the number of traffic accident-related fatalities across the nation dropped to the lowest numbers on record since 1949. In 2010, officials report that there were more than 32,880 fatalities from car accidents in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere during the year. Officials report this decrease in fatalities is somewhat surprising because Americans traveled nearly 50 billion more miles in 2010 than in 2009.

What Transportation officials fail to tell you in their recent National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) press release is that while the number of car accident fatalities decreased overall, there were multiple accident categories that saw an increase during this time. Motorists are urged to keep safe driving as a top priority. This news is no reason to let down you guard and push safe driving habits to the back seat Stay alert on our roadways, as accidents are still a major risk on our roadways.

Our Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys understand that the number of fatal, alcohol-related accidents involving vans, pick-ups, motorcycles and pedestrians saw an increase in 2010 from 2009. While the USDOT paints a picture of safer roadways across the board, the truth of the matter is that far too many people are still dying in motor vehicle accidents nationwide. Florida is one of the areas in the state where a number of accident categories saw an increase from 2009 to 2010. Drivers beware!

“We need to maintain our focus on this issue through education, laws, enforcement, and vehicle design to help keep drivers’ attention on the road,” says National Highway Traffic Safety (NHTSA) Administration’s David Strickland
Highlights from the 2010 Motor Vehicle Crashes Overview:

-A new measure, the “distraction-affected crashes” measure was introduced to help record accidents caused by driver inattention. These type of accidents took the lives of approximately 3,100 people. Officials think this number is actually much higher because drivers are hesitant to admit their own inattention behind the wheel caused an accident.

-The number of accidents during the evening hours decreased by nearly 90 percent.

-There was a near 80 percent decrease in the number of car accidents during weekends.

-The number of fatalities of motorcyclists over the age of 50 saw an increase of roughly 120.

-The number of fatalities of motorists under the age of 50 saw a decrease of about 85.

-Car accident-related fatalities of those over the age of 55 saw an increase for nearly 410.

This national report indicated that Florida saw a decrease of about 4.5 percent in the number of overall traffic accident-related fatalities. It’s important to remember, however, that Florida still ranks as the most dangerous state in the country for pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities, which saw an increase from 2009 to 2010.
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January 21, 2012

Pedestrian Accidents in Fort Lauderdale and Elsewhere in the State Rank Florida as #1 Most Dangerous

By Ansara Law Personal Injury Attorneys

From 2000 to 2009, there were nearly 48,000 pedestrians killed along roadways in the United States, according to Transportation For America. What’s important to point out in this article is that the top 4 most dangerous metropolitan areas in the country are in Florida, with Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach ranking in as the 4th deadliest area in the nation for pedestrian accidents.

In addition to these fatalities, our Fort Lauderdale pedestrian accident lawyers understand that there were nearly 689,000 pedestrians across the country who were injured during this same time period. This means that a pedestrian was hit by a truck or a car every 7 minutes. Pedestrian accidents are the third leading cause of death by unintentional injury for those of any age group.

With 12 percent of traffic-related fatalities resulting from pedestrian accidents, a recent Transportation For American report concluded that less than 2 percent of the federal funding that is designated for upgrading dangerous roads is even being used. With pedestrian accidents as the cause of so many U.S. fatalities, it’s shocking that more money isn’t allotted to make our roadways safer for all travelers.

“Some in Congress have questioned the federal interest in keeping pedestrians safe, believing it to be a strictly local issue,” said the director of Transportation for America, James Corless. “But two-thirds of all pedestrian fatalities in the last 10 years occurred on federal-aid roadways.”

The Top Most Dangerous Metro Areas:

1.) Kissimmee/Orlando
2.) Clearwater/St. Petersburg/Tampa
3.) Jacksonville
4.) Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Pompano Beach
Many of the pedestrian fatalities happen on roadways with speedy traffic. Most of these dangerous areas fail to provide crosswalks, sidewalks or crossing signals for pedestrians. A majority of the fast-travel roadways were built with federal funding, but with speedy traffic in mind and not pedestrian traffic.

In the state of Florida, there were more than 5,160 pedestrians killed on our roadways from 2000 to 2009. These accidents cost the state more than $22.2 billion during this time. According to Transportation For American, Florida is the number one deadliest state in the country for pedestrian accidents.

The Miami/Fort Lauderdale/Pompano Beach metro area saw the most pedestrian fatalities in the state from 2000 to 2009, with nearly 1,600 pedestrian deaths. Broward witnessed more than 460 of these fatalities during this time.

To help reduce the risks of pedestrian accidents across the country, Transportation For American has compiled a list of recommendations for government officials to make safer streets for everyone.

Suggestions for Safer Roadways:

-Retain federal funding that is solely dedicated to pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

-Equip all busy travel areas with bicycle paths, sidewalks and trails so that residents and visitors can travel about the area safely.

-All government, including local, state and federal parties, should be required to set safe travel standards for bicyclists, pedestrians, motorists and motorcyclists.

-Each state should be held accountable to creating communities that are safe for pedestrians.
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January 15, 2012

Florida Residents at High Risks for Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents in Broward County and Elsewhere

By Ansara Law Personal Injury Attorneys

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were nearly 650 people killed and another 50,000 injured in bicycle accidents in Fort Lauderdale and elsewhere in 2009. These types of accidents accounted for about 2 percent of all of the people who died in traffic-related accidents during the year.

The NHTSA also reports that there were more than 4,090 pedestrians killed on U.S. roadways in 2009. In addition to these fatalities, another 60,000 pedestrians were injured during this time. This all means that in the U.S., a pedestrian was killed every 2 hours, and one was injured every 9 minutes in 2009.

When it comes to bicycle and pedestrian accidents, our Broward County accident lawyers understand that Florida residents and visitors are at high risks for both injury and death along our roadways. In 2009, Florida was the only state to record more than 100 bicycle deaths. California was the only state in the country to witness more than Florida’s 466 pedestrian deaths in 2009.

Bicycle Accident Statistics, 2009:

-Most accident fatalities (70 percent) occurred in urban areas.

-Most bicycle accidents occurred at non-intersection locations.

-More than 70 percent of bicyclist fatalities happen during the day, between 4 a.m. and 8 p.m. This illustrates a near 10 percent increase in the number of fatalities during this time period from the 2009 statistics.

-Bicyclists who are 12-years-old and younger accounted for nearly 15 percent of everyone who was killed and 20 percent of those who were injured in traffic-related accidents.

-Bicyclists who are 16-years-old and younger accounted for nearly 30 percent of all of everyone who was killed and 40 percent of those who were injured in traffic-related accidents.

-Bicyclists age 45- to 54-years-old experienced the most bicycle accident fatalities (20%).

-Male bicyclists were more often killed in accidents than female bicyclists.

Pedestrian Accident Statistics, 2009:

-Most, more than 90 percent, fatal pedestrian accidents happened in urban areas.

-More than 75 percent of pedestrian fatalities happened at non-intersection areas.

-Roughly 90 percent of pedestrian deaths happened during normal weather conditions, instead of in rain, fog or snow.

-About 70 percent of fatal pedestrian accidents happened during the evening hours.

-Pedestrians who were over the age of 70 accounted for nearly 20 percent of all fatalities and nearly 10 percent of pedestrian injuries.

-Elderly pedestrians had a higher pedestrian fatality rate than any other age group of pedestrians.

-Children between the ages of 5- and 9-years-old accounted for nearly 10 percent of the total number of pedestrian fatalities and a quarter of all pedestrian injuries recorded.

The state of Florida saw nearly 100 bicyclist fatalities in 2009, giving the Sunshine State the most fatalities recorded in any state during this time. Our state also saw 466 pedestrian fatalities in 2009, ranking the Sunshine State in second place for the most pedestrian fatalities for the year.
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January 7, 2012

Eleven Killed in Pedestrian Accidents in Broward County Areas Helping Disabled Vehicles

By Ansara Law Personal Injury Attorneys

A recent car accident in Plantation killed three people — two stranded motorists and a good Samaritan — all in their 20s, after they were struck by a passing motorist. Two of the people killed in the accident had been involved in a one-car accident with a tree. They exited their vehicle to assess the damage, while a third person approached the scene to offer help.

According to the Sun Sentinel, the car accident happened near Northwest 69th Avenue on Broward Boulevard in Plantation. All three 20-somethings were killed when they were hit by a passing vehicle. One died at the scene, while the other two victims died later at Broward General Medical Center. The driver of the vehicle who struck the young pedestrians was taken to Westside Regional Medical Center and treated for injuries.

Our Broward County car accident attorneys understand that in just the last year, 11 people have been killed in five separate accidents involving individuals who out of their vehicles along busy South Florida roadways. Some of these victims had exited their vehicle after a minor accident, while some had stopped to offer help. According to state troopers, motorists who break down need to take a good look at their surroundings and find protected ground behind a guardrail.

“You want to get to the safest place possible,” said Sgt. Mark Wysocky of the Florida Highway Patrol.

Back in March of 2011, four people were hit and killed in Miami near 103rd Street on Interstate 95. The fatal accident happened after the group exited their vehicles just before 5 a.m., following a three-car accident. A fifth person from this accident died a few days later while being treated at Jackson Memorial Hospital. According to local police, the driver who hit them was under the influence of alcohol and fled the scene.

Then in April, the driver of a tractor trailer from Fort Lauderdale was killed as he tried to cross I-85 after he was involved in an accident.

Also in April, a passing vehicle struck and killed a 15-year-old from Miami as he helped three others push a disabled vehicle to the side of I-95. This accident happened near Hallandale Beach Boulevard.

Yet another accident happened in Palm Beach County when an 18-year-old female got out of her vehicle on I-95 right by Forest Hill Boulevard and sprinted across the interstate at 3:00 a.m. She was overlooked, hit by a passing motorists and killed.

Wysocky reminds everyone that one of the safest places you can be is behind a guardrail. If there’s no guardrail nearby, he urges people to stay as far away from traffic as possible when dealing with the aftermath of an accident or a vehicle breakdown.
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