Tampa Bay Personal Injury knowledgebase

My Child Was in a Car Accident – What Should I do? According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are approximately 150,000 children that are injured each year in traffic accidents.[1] Unfortunately, that estimate is probably understated. What is the reason for the understatement? According to recent studies, small children are more susceptible to […]

Does My Child Need to be in a Car Seat or a Booster Seat? Florida recently passed a more stringent child restraint law. As of January 1, 2015, all children under the age of 6 must ride in a federally approved car seat or booster seat.[1] It is a one size fits all law and, […]

When Should I Hire an Attorney After an Accident? It is perfectly within your rights not to hire a lawyer after a car accident. In many cases, I would even argue that you do not need one. However, there are situations in which the hiring of an attorney is a wise decision. It is important […]

What is a Drowsy Driver? There are no reliable statistics concerning drowsy driving. There is no test that can be administered to determine whether a driver is too drowsy to drive. No consistent data is kept from jurisdiction to jurisdiction regarding drowsy driving. Estimates from Europe where there are more uniform procedures at accident scenes […]

What is an Accident Reconstruction Expert? Anyone who has been involved in an accident knows that the police come out, take statements, examine the scene and the cars involved. They may or may not measure skid marks and other physical evidence. At the conclusion of their investigation, they might cite one or more drivers for […]

Gabby’s Law If Gabby’s Law passes the Florida Legislature, drivers that illegally pass a stopped school bus could wind up in jail. The bill is named for Gabby Mair who was hit and killed shortly after exiting a school bus in 2010. The bill proposes to raise the fines for illegally passing a stopped school […]

Some Police Departments Have Blamed Increased Speed on Waze Several police departments and national police associations have recently blamed the popular Google App Waze for encouraging drivers to speed and making the roads more dangerous for all.[1] First, Waze is a GPS Mapping/Social Media application that will allow those that are using the application to […]

What is Aggressive Driving? Did you know Florida has an aggressive driving statute?[1] Aggressive driving is defined as driving while committing any two of the following offenses: 1. Exceeding the posted speed limit;2. Improperly or unsafely changing lanes;3. Tailgating;4. Failure to yield the right of way;5. Improper or dangerous passing; or6. Failure to obey traffic […]

This is not my first blog about teenaged drivers, nor will it be my last. You may be the parent of the most well meaning, responsible teen alive. That teenager still has fairly high odds of being involved in a car accident before they turn 20. [1] Unfortunately, for the parents, the fault in such […]

So you have been involved in an accident. You were not in perfect condition before the accident. Perhaps you had an old injury to your back. Perhaps your prior back injury had not flared up in years or perhaps you noticed minor pain only when performing certain activities. After the accident, you notice that the […]

Many people are involved in car, motorcycle, bicycle or pedestrian accidents from which they walk away without broken bones or major lacerations. They might get treated and quickly released from the emergency room with standard orders of rest and over the counter pain medications or they might not seek medical assistance at all. They will […]

It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle in Florida with a blood alcohol content of .08 or more. The penalties for the driver who is caught driving while intoxicated can be severe. The first offense carries a possible fine of $1,000.00 and up to six months in jail. Though it sounds severe, it does […]