Jacksonville Injury Attorney

Improvements to JTB - I-95 Intersection Planned on Jacksonville’s Southside

The intersection between J. Turner Butler Boulevard and Interstate 95 on Jacksonville’s Southside may get some much needed improvements.

Currently, the intersection is congested and includes some awkward traffic patterns. For example, drivers turning on to Northbound I-95 from Westbound JTB must switch lanes and merge with traffic coming from Salisbury Road just a few hundred feet prior to the exit to get onto I-95.

Daily, there are backups in the mornings getting on to I-95 and in the evenings getting on to JTB from I-95. Some help has already taken place as evening congestion on Eastbound JTB has been alleviated by the opening of additional lanes in the section of JTB near Kernan Boulevard.

It is also the site of many car accidents. At or near this intersection there were 448 car crashes from 2004 through 2008. Funding for the much needed changes has not been established; however it is a top priority according to state officials.

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Motorcyclist Killed in Accident in Green Cove Springs

A Clay County motorcyclist died last night after an accident with a car. The motorcylce accident occured on U.S. Highway 17 in Green Cove Springs, which is about thirty minutes south of Jacksonville, Florida.

The motorcyclist was traveling northbound on U.S. 17 near the intersection with Heath Road. The vehicle was crossing U.S. 17 on Heath Road when the collision occured. The motorcycle struck the right front of the vehicle and the motorcyclist was thrown off the motorcycle. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the car stated that he did not see anyone approaching as he crossed U.S. 17.

As Jacksonville motorcycle accident laywers, we frequently handle cases involving serious personal injury or wrongful death where the driver of a vehicle failed to see a motorcycle approaching. Motorcyle drivers must remember to employ defensive driving tactics, maintain a heightened alert, and always wear a helmet.

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Florida Slip and Fall Legislation Makes it Harder to Recover for Injuries

Earlier this year, the Florida Legislature enacted a law that will make it harder for people suffering personal injuries as a result of slip and falls to make a recovery. Slip and fall accidents often involve the presence of a liquid on the floor of a store or other premises open to the public. A customer that slips as a result of a substance on the floor often has no way of knowing how long the substance was on the floor or whether the store employees were aware of its presence.

Traditionally, Florida law required a plaintiff prove that a business either knew of the dangerous condition that caused the fall or prove that it existed for a long enough time that the business should have found it and eliminated it. However, in 2001, the Florida Supreme Court removed that burden from plaintiffs in the case of Owens v. Publix Supermarkets when it ruled that the existence of a hazardous substance on a floor meant the owner failed to maintain the premises in a safe condition.

The legislation essentially reverses the Supreme Court decision. Now, plaintiffs will again have to prove that a substance that caused a fall was either known to the store employees or that it was present for a sufficient length of time that it should have been discovered and removed prior to the fall.

As Jacksonville injury lawyers, we have handled numerous personal injury cases resulting from falls, including falls resulting from substances on floors, stairways that have no handrails, staircases without uniform riser or step sizes, and the presence of items on a floor which cause a person to trip.

Often fall cases result in surprisingly serious personal injuries. We have handled fall cases causing injuries including: a broken femur; a broken fibula; a froken maxilla (jaw); broken elbow or radial head; herniated vertebral discs; shoulder injuries requiring surgery; and ligament injuries to the knee.

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Driver in Ponte Vedra Strikes Three Vehicles, a Scooter and a Bicycle

A woman driving on State Road A1A and Palm Valley Road Friday morning hit a bicycle, a scooter and three other vehicles including a St. John’s County Sheriff’s cruiser. The series of car accidents occurred in Ponte Vedra, which is just south of Jacksonville, Florida. Five people, including the driver, were hospitalized with personal injuries.

The bicyclist and driver of one vehicle were airlifted to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center with serious personal injuries. It is unknown at this time whether alcohol played a factor.

Situations such as this remind one of the importance of uninsured motorist insurance coverage. Often irresponsible drivers are irresponsible in other areas of their life, having little or no insurance. Even if the driver at fault had insurance covering personal injuries she might cause in a car accident, her policy limits will, in all likelihood not be enough to cover everyones’ medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.

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Car Hits Scooter on Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville

A man operating a scooter was seriously injured this morning when he was struck from behind by a woman driving a car. The man was westbound on Beach Boulevard near Forest Boulevard in Jacksonville, Florida, when he slowed down or stopped. The car then struck the scooter and dragged it some distance before stopping. The woman driving the car got out, checked on the victim, then left the scene. She later returned to the scene voluntarily.

The driver of the scooter was not wearing a helmet. Although he remained conscious, he suffered serious personal injuries and was taken to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center. It is currently unknown why the scooter slowed or came to a stop in the roadway or whether its lights were operational.

Numerous different types of vehicles share our roadways including cars, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, mopeds and bicycles. Often there are accidents with scooters, mopeds, bicycles and motorcycles because they are much smaller and harder to see. Of course, with the great size and weight disparity, vehicle collisions with such smaller conveyances commonly result in serious personal injuries.

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Hosptial Infections On the Rise

The United States’ Federal Health and Human Services Department issued a troubling 2009 quality report on the rates of hospital-acquired infections. The report requested “urgent attention” to address the problem.

It is estimated that approximately 98,000 people a year die from medical errors or malpractice, including preventable infections.

The report outlines that rates of bloodstream infections following surgery increased 8%, urinary infections from the use of a catheter following surgery increased 3.6%, and the incidence for a series of other common infections increased 1.6%.

As Jacksonville nursing home negligence and medical malpractice attorneys, we review cases involving many such infections, particularly clostridium difficile infections (C. diff.), staph infections, and sepsis. Many of these infections can be prevented. According Dr. Carolyn Clancy, head of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, “We know that focused attention to eliminating health care acquired infections can reduce them dramatically.”

The result of such infections, especially if sepsis sets in, can be death or serious permanent injuries. Perhaps the cry to reduce patients’ ability to bring medical malpractice claims is misplaced. Would our roadways be safer if car manufacturers were protected from being sued for defects?

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Putnam County Girl Dies in ATV Accident

A seven year old girl was killed in an ATV accident that happened last night in Putnam County, Florida. Putnam County is approximately one hour south of Jacksonville.

The all terrain vehicle was being driven by a man who braked suddenly to avoid hitting two dogs. The sudden braking caused the ATV to overturn. The girl was wearing a helmet; however, she died from her injuries after being airlifted to Shands Medical in Center in Gainesville.

ATVs are commonly involved in accidents with very serious injuries. ATVs have a high center of gravity, a sharp turning radius, quick speeds, and sudden stops making them very susceptible to rolling over. Couple these factors with an uneven off road terrain and accidents are all too common. In an ATV rollover, the presence of a helmet may do little good if the ATV lands on a person.

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Six People Die in an Automobile Accident in Nassau County Florida

On Friday, April 2, six people died in a three car accident on U.S. Highway 1, north of Callahan, Florida. Callahan is approximately 20 miles north of Jacksonville, Florida. Another person suffered personal injuries.

One of the victims was taken to Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, where she died. All of the victims were traveling in the same vehicle.

Witnesses said a Chevrolet Camaro was traveling southbound at a high rate of speed and attempted to pass the vehicle the victims were riding in. Apparently, the Camaro sideswiped the victims’ car, causing the car to lose control. Both vehicles then crossed the median into oncoming traffic where the victims’ car was struck by a pickup truck.

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Hit and Run Car Accident at I-10 and I-95 Intersection in Jacksonville Claims Motorcyclist’s Life

The driver of a pickup truck struck and killed a motorcylcist this morning. The motorcyclist had just rear-ended another vehicle prior to be struck by the pickup truck. The series of auto accidents was caused by yet another car accident on I-95 northbound.

When the motorcyclist rear-ended the vehicle in front of him, he was thrown from his bike and was hit by the pickup driver. The pickup driver continued driving. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center.

Many times hit and run drivers are never caught. Other times a driver can cause an auto accident without striking another car, making leaving the scene all that much easier. For a person suffering personal injury in such a scenario, uninsured motorist coverage may provide his or her only means of replacing lost wages or paying medical bills.

Uninsured motorist coverage is one of the most important and cost-effective types of insurance to buy. As Jacksonville car accident attorneys, we notice that often the worst drivers, especially drunk drivers, are the ones with little or no insurance.

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Jacksonville’s Most Dangerous Intersections

The Jacksonville, Florida, Sheriff’s Office maintains statistics on the number of car crashes at the various roadway intersections in the city.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the ten intersections with the most auto accidents in 2009 were: Atlantic Boulevard and Kernan Boulevard; Argyle Forest Boulevard and Blanding Boulevard; Southside Boulevard and Atlantic Boulevard; Monument Boulevard and Atlantic Boulevard; University Boulevard and Atlantic Boulevard; Blanding Boulevard and Youngerman Circle; Beach Boulevard and Hodges Boulevard; and Beach Boulevard and San Pablo Road.

Jacksonville’s Sheriff, John Rutherford, intends to install cameras to catch drivers running red lights at these intersections. Although Florida state law does not currently allow such cameras, there is legislation pending that would make the cameras legal.

As Jacksonville car accident attorneys, we applaud the Sheriff’s efforts in this regard. We routinely consult with car accident victims who have suffered serious personal injuries due to another driver running a red light. Every day in traffic we are amazed at how late some drivers continue through an intersection after their light has turned red.

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