Car Accidents

August 12, 2013

Tampa Bay Auto Accident Lawyer :: Street Car Race Leads to Crash with Police Cruiser on Courtney Campbell Causeway

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A street race across the Courtney Campbell Causeway resulted in a smashup with a Tampa police cruiser late Sunday night, ultimately closing the westbound side of the bridge until the early hours of the morning.

According to reports, a black two-door car was travelling west across the Causeway at a high rate of speed just before midnight. As the car rode over the westbound hump, the driver, a 34-year-old man, lost control of the vehicle and struck a guardrail. The car’s front end then slammed into the left rear side of the police cruiser.

Police said the man refused medical care. He was later arrested on charges of unlawful racing on a highway and reckless driving. As of Monday morning he remained in the Hillsborough County Jail with bail set at $750.

An officer who was in the cruiser during the accident was taken to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.

The Causeway was reopened around 4:30 a.m.

Unlawful street racing on city streets and highways is a very dangerous activity that can lead to many accidents, injuries and even fatalities on the road. Innocent drivers, passengers and pedestrians are at a heightened risk of being harmed by individuals who participate in illegal racing. In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 100 people die every year from street racing incidents in the United States and thousands more are injured.

Some of the many dangers of illegal street racing include:

• Property Damage
• High Speed Collisions
• Traumatic Brain Injury
• Paralysis
• Lacerations
• Disfigurement
• Neck and Back Injury
• Wrongful Death
When vehicles travel at high speeds, drivers have limited control of them, which is why it is extremely dangerous to other vehicles or pedestrians that may cross a fast moving car’s path. The racing driver is often not able to turn or avoid a collision should something get close to the racing location.

August 5, 2013

Manatee County Auto Accident Injury Lawyer :: 8-Year-Old Child Killed in Collision on State Road 70

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

An 8-year-old Bradenton girl was killed in a gruesome crash in Manatee County on Sunday.

Officials believe the crash occurred east of I-75 on State Road 70, just west of Curtis Road around 4 p.m.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a SUV lost control and drove over a median, striking another car head on.

The 8-year-old Bradenton girl was killed instantly in the accident. Four other adults were flown to Blake Medical Center in serious condition.

Five helicopters were needed to transport all injured parties to the hospital.

The road was temporarily shut down in both directions so rescuers could tend to the injured while aircraft landed and departed.

Troopers are still investigating the cause of the accident, but speed is believed to have been a factor.

Speed limits are enforced to keep traffic moving at a steady enough rate so that motorists and pedestrians alike can avoid any unnecessary dangers. However, when drivers violate these limits by speeding, this recklessness places everyone sharing the roadway at risk for danger. Sadly, when motorists make unsafe driving decisions, the result are often catastrophic. Should a collision occur, the negligent driver should be held responsible for any injuries and deaths their poor judgment caused.

Many people fail to realize just how hazardous speeding is. Driving faster than the law allows poses a risk to other drivers, passengers and pedestrians. Speeding creates reduced reaction times, which can lead to catastrophic car accidents that result in serious injuries or death.

July 29, 2013

Pinellas County Auto Accident Attorney :: Two Seriously Injured in Crash Caused by Wrong-Way Driver on I-275 in Pinellas County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A wrong-way driving accident seriously injured two people and closed the southbound lanes of the Howard Frankland Bridge earlier this month.

The crash happened just after 6 a.m. on July 14. According to the Florida Highway patrol, a 21-year-old Plant City woman entered I-275 driving a 2012 Scion north in the southbound inside lane just north of Fourth Street N.

A 29-year-old man from Morton, Ill. was driving south in the same lane in a 2013 Nissan.
Troopers reported that the man saw the woman’s car traveling towards him and steered his car to the right to try and avoid a collision. Despite his efforts, both cars still collided.

Both injured drivers were taken to Bayfront Medical Center.

Troopers have yet to figure out what caused the woman to enter the highway going the wrong way.

Both drivers were wearing a seatbelt. Charges are pending.

There are numerous types of car accidents, but some are more damaging than others. If you are involved in a wrong-way driving accident, your injuries could be far more severe than if you were involved in another type of auto accident. Seeking financial compensation for your injuries after a wrong-way driving collision can be tricky, even if evidence clearly points out who the at-fault driver is. You need the help of a Pinellas County Auto Accident Injury Lawyer at Whittel & Melton to make sure your rights are protected and that you recover full and fair compensation for your injuries.

Head-on collisions can be some of the most deadly collisions that occur on Tampa Bay roads. A head-on collision happens when two cars travelling in opposite directions crash into each other. Due to the fact that the vehicles are heading in opposite directions, usually at high speeds, the possibility for severe injuries and even death is very high. Most head-on car accidents completely destroy the vehicles involved and can deliver catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord trauma, to the occupants of the cars.

May 6, 2013

Tampa Bay Auto Accident Attorney :: Tampa Woman Killed in Single-Vehicle Crash on I-75

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 40-year-old Tampa woman died Saturday morning after her car struck a tree on the shoulder of an Interstate 75 off-ramp.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the woman was driving south on an exit ramp from I-75 toward E Martin Luther King Boulevard around 2:43 a.m. when she missed a curve, sending her 2006 Hyundai Sonata crashing into a tree on the shoulder.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The woman was wearing a seatbelt. The crash remains under investigation.

Single-vehicle collisions often involve vehicle rollovers and collisions between a car and a stationary object, like a tree, guard rail, center divider or any other impediment. Single-vehicle auto accidents can be caused by many things, such as swerving to avoid another vehicle, losing control of the car or even auto defects. Despite the circumstances surrounding the collision, if someone else’s negligence caused or contributed to the accident, you may be able to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit to recover compensation for your suffering.

April 2, 2013

Tampa Bay Wrongful Death Attorney :: Riverview Man Killed in Red Light Running Accident

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 40-year-old Riverview man was pronounced dead at the scene Tuesday morning after another driver apparently ran a red light and crashed into the man’s driver’s side door.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office believes the driver accused of running the red light was travelling at about 60 mph, 15 mph over the speed limit, and failed to stop at a red light at Crescent Park Drive.

As the deceased man was maneuvering a right hand turn while the light was green on Falkenburg Road, the other driver rammed his Dodge pickup into his Pontiac.

The driver accused of causing the crash has not been charged. He was taken to the hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries.

Investigators took a blood sample from the man at the scene of the crash and do not believe at this time that alcohol was a factor in the collision. Deputies are currently investigating the accident further.

Injuries caused by a driver’s failure to stop at a red light are usually quite severe due to the fact that accidents of this kind occur at higher rates of speed because drivers are usually rushing through the intersection. Every year, red light accidents account for nearly 1,000 deaths and another 100,000 injuries. If you have suffered an injury or lost a loved one due to this type of accident, you may be entitled to compensation for damages.

March 21, 2013

St. Petersburg Car Accident Leaves Woman Injured After Colliding with Tour Bus

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A St. Petersburg car accident has left a Clearwater woman critically injured after her car collided with a tour bus carrying a college baseball team travelling from Minnesota for a baseball tournament.

According to news reports, the crash occurred during Wednesday rush hour near the corner of 34th Street and 22nd Avenue S in St. Petersburg. The driver and her male passenger were taken to Bayfront Medical Center for trauma treatment. Both are expected to survive.

In an apparent rush to beat a red light, video evidence showed law enforcement that the woman driver made a left hand turn in front of the bus, and that the bus ran a red light, contributing to the crash and extensive property damage to her car. Investigators are still waiting for video from a different red light camera to determine where the woman’s Buick was when the light turned red.

Collisions involving cars, truck, motorcycles and SUVs can happen in the blink of an eye. While many different factors can lead to a crash, most result in significant property damage, serious personal injury or even wrongful death.

Many of our clients wonder if you can you recover a portion of your damages even if you may have contributed to the collision. Fortunately, Florida recognizes a “comparative negligence” theory of negligence, which allows both parties to monetarily recover– even when more than one party is responsible for the accident. But, in comparative negligence cases, there tends to be a lot of blame passed back and forth between sides for who contributed the most to the accident. This is why it is so important to have an experienced Tampa Bay Car Accident Attorney from Whittel & Melton by your side. We work with a team of experts who can recreate your accident and collect all necessary evidence to help you recover the largest award possible.

February 15, 2013

Tampa Bay Injury Lawyer :: New York Mother Files Injury Lawsuit Against Wendy’s for Negligence with Safety Measures

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A New York mother and daughter team has filed a personal injury lawsuit against Wendy’s International Inc. and Westbury Properties, LLC, after sustaining serious injuries at their local fast-food restaurant.

The mother and her 11-year-old daughter were exiting the restaurant on Dec. 4 when they were struck by the vehicle of an elderly driver. The pair was pinned to the wall of the restaurant, crushing their legs and resulting in multiple fractures, excruciating pain and costly medical treatment.

Two months later, the mother is still confined to a wheelchair while the daughter is able to walk again.

Now, the mother has filed a multimillion dollar personal injury lawsuit against Wendy’s and the driver of the car with the hopes of recovering just financial compensation for the damages suffered from this life changing accident.

The woman’s claim not only names the cause of the accident as the driver’s negligence, but also claims that the restaurant was careless with their safety precautions. The fast-food location only installed curb stops and signs after the accident occurred.

While Wendy’s did issue a statement of regret following the accident, they did not address any specifics associated with the pending lawsuit.

Personal injury lawsuits can be filed by victims who were injured as a direct result of another person or entity’s negligence. The mother and daughter team in this case are seeking full and fair compensation for their pain and suffering, which is entitled to them by law. When filing a personal injury claim, victims may recover for various damages including lost wages, costs associated with all medical treatments and physical and emotional pain and suffering. If you or a loved one has suffered personal injuries due to someone else’s reckless actions or negligent behavior, a personal injury attorney can help you understand your rights.

February 14, 2013

Clearwater Pedestrian Killed in Auto Accident last night

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

According to new reports, the Clearwater man walking across Missouri Avenue near Turner Street who was struck by a car Wednesday night, is dead.

As part of a traffic homicide investigation, Clearwater Police shut down all southbound lanes of Missouri Avenue at Druid Road, Wednesday evening to preserve evidence at the scene. A Clearwater Public Safety spokesperson says the man was crossing Missouri from the east to the west side and south of the intersection at Turner Street when he was hit.

The driver told traffic homicide detectives that he did not see the pedestrian until just before impact.