Clearwater Auto Accident Attorneys

November 22, 2013

Tampa Bay Injury Lawyer :: Florida Lawmakers Want Tampa Teen Drivers to Put Their Cellphones Away

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Florida lawmakers have recently proposed a new bill that would ban anyone under the age of 18 from using electronic devices while driving in Florida.

This means teens would not be allowed to make calls, use Facebook or any other website while driving.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teens. In fact, on average, seven teens between the ages of 16 and 19 die every day from car crashes, and drivers in that same age group are three times more likely to get into a deadly crash.

Despite these statistics, many drivers oppose the proposed law claiming it is unfair to single out a particular age group.

Florida lawmakers are currently talking about proposed changes to current laws.

If the proposed law is passed, it would take effect Jan. 1, 2015.

According to the CDC, in 2010, nearly 2,700 teens across the nation between the ages of 16 and 19 were killed and another 282,000 were treated and released from emergency departments for injuries suffered in motor vehicle accidents. While young people ages 15-24 account for only 14 percent of the U.S. population, this age group represents 30 percent, or $19 billion, of the total costs of auto accident injuries among males and 28 percent, or $7 billion, of the total costs of car accident injuries among females.

November 11, 2013

Tampa Bay Wrongful Death Lawyer :: Clearwater Man Killed in Oldsmar Collision

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A three-vehicle collision in Oldsmar Wednesday afternoon took the life of an 81-year-old man.

The accident occurred around 2:47 p.m. at the intersection of Tampa Road and St. Petersburg Drive.

According to Pinellas County sheriff’s deputies, the Clearwater man’s wife, 65, was driving a 2005 Cadillac DeVille west on Tampa Road and went to make a left turn onto St. Petersburg Drive when her car was struck on the passenger side by two vehicles — a Jeep Liberty driven by a 32-year-old woman and a Ford Fusion driven by a 31-year-old man.

The deceased was trapped in the debris for about a half-hour before firefighters from Oldsmar Fire Rescue extracted him from the wreckage, according to reports. He was flown by helicopter to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:17 p.m.

The man’s wife was taken to St. Joseph’s with injuries that were not considered life threatening.

The other drivers involved in the pileup were not harmed.

The crash remains under investigation.

Any type of motor vehicle accident can lead to serious injuries to all parties involved. However, when multiple vehicles are involved in a crash, injuries are often compounded. Multi-vehicle accidents can result in catastrophic injuries including head, brain, neck and spinal cord trauma. Sadly, these types of collisions often end in fatality.

September 5, 2013

Tampa Bay Injury Attorney :: Driver responsible for Clearwater Hit-and-Run Crash Turns Himself In

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 29-year-old man responsible for a hit-and-run collision in Clearwater that killed a man and severely injured a woman has turned himself in, according to Clearwater Police.

The man apparently told police he blacked out and cannot remember hitting the man and woman on Monday morning on the Memorial Causeway. However, he noticed his car was damaged and saw a news report on the accident, which triggered him to go to police.

Police claim that a camera on Clearwater Beach captured the man’s green Nissan pick-up truck leaving the area Monday morning. Minutes before the camera photographed the man’s truck, the camera picked up the man and woman in the same area on their tandem bike.

The pair on the bike suffered severe injuries. The man eventually died from his injuries and the woman remains in critical condition.

The responsible driver, who works at a Clearwater Beach hotel, told officials that he was at work and then got off and that is all he remembers. He claims he woke up later, took a shower and then saw the incident on the news.

According to police, a tipster called Crime Stoppers with information about the driver. Additionally, an unnamed individual apparently pointed the man out to a police officer at the beach.

Police found the man’s truck behind his mother’s Dunedin mobile home Tuesday afternoon. Police claim there was damage to the truck’s front end and the windshield was missing.

It is not clear at this time whether alcohol played a role in the collision.

The man is now facing one count of leaving the scene of an accident involving death and one count of leaving the scene of an accident involving severe injury.

Records show that he has previously been arrested for disorderly intoxication and racing on a highway.

In addition to the criminal penalties this man is now facing, the surviving victim and the other victim’s family could potentially seek civil damages against the at-fault driver. Civil penalties can be sought through what is known as a personal injury or wrongful death claim. A personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit allows individuals and/or their families to recover financial compensation and an overall sense of closure following an unexpected and traumatic accident.

July 1, 2013

Tampa Bay Auto Accident Attorney :: Road-Rage Confrontation Leads to Criminal Charges for Tampa Man

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Road rage is a term that is commonly used to describe an aggressive or very angry driver. An excessively aggressive driver is much more likely to be involved in a car accident than a driver that remains calm and collected. Aggressive driving is considered negligent driving because drivers showing signs of road rage are not focusing on driving safely and place themselves and others around them at a serious risk. On Sunday afternoon, a Tampa man was slapped with criminal charges after he allegedly flashed a handgun during a road rage incident. According to Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputies, a woman honked her horn at the 34-year-old man which made him so angry he pulled out a black handgun and pointed it at the woman and another driver around 4:30 p.m. at Fletcher and Armenia avenues before driving off. The two drivers and another witness identified the man after seeing a lineup of driver’s license photos, according to authorities. The accused, a self-employed photographer, now faces two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His bail was set at $4,000. The man has since been released from jail. Like most major cities, Tampa has jam-packed traffic during peak hours of the day. When traffic is overcrowded on highways and streets, this can lead to drivers becoming overly aggressive behind the wheel. Sitting in congested traffic can be quite frustrating, and when a driver’s patience wears off, they may exhibit signs of road rage. Signs of road rage can include: • Abrupt unsafe lane changes • Sudden braking or acceleration • Yelling at other drivers • Swearing and other signs of aggressive behavior • Following too closely • Swerving and cutting off other drivers Continue reading

June 10, 2013

Tampa Bay Wrongful Death Attorney :: One Killed, Two Injured in U.S. 19 Collision

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A Tarpon Springs man died Sunday in Clearwater after he lost control of his car, injuring two other drivers.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the 20-year-old was travelling southbound at a high rate of speed in his 2003 Honda Accord in the outside lane of U.S. Highway 19 when he lost control. The Honda flipped and crossed over the grass median, where it smashed into a van heading northbound, driven by a 36-year-old St. Petersburg man.

The Honda overturned and landed on top of a 1996 Mazda Miata driven by a 50-year-old Brandon man.

The deceased was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the Honda Accord and struck by the van.

Troopers said each of the vehicles involved in the crash came to a stop in the northbound lanes of U.S. 19, just north of Hammock Pine Blvd.

The 20-year-old driver of the Honda Accord was pronounced dead at the scene. The 36-year-old driver of the van was taken to Largo Medical Center and the 50-year-old driver of the Mazda Miata was taken to Mease Countryside Hospital, both with minor injuries.

The accident is still being investigated by the FHP.

It can be devastating to lose someone close to you unexpectedly due to another person’s negligence or wrongdoing. This experience can be made even more difficult when having to figure out how to pay for expensive medical bills or funeral costs. Depending on the circumstances surrounding a loved one’s death, family members may be able to recover compensation to ease financial strain by filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the negligent or reckless party. While no amount of money will be able to bring back your loved one, it can provide you with a sense of closure so that you can focus on healing and moving on from this tragedy.

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.

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.