Articles Posted in St. Petersburg Auto Accident Attorney

by

A St. Petersburg man died Sunday evening after he was struck by three cars while standing in Gandy Boulevard.

According to troopers, the 50-year-old man was standing between the inside and outside lanes of eastbound Gandy Boulevard at Snug Harbor Road Northeast shortly after 7 p.m. when he was hit by a Cadillac driven by a 54-year-old St. Petersburg man. The man told police that he failed to see the pedestrian until moments before the impact, and could not avoid hitting the man despite his attempts to swerve his vehicle away from the man’s body.

The deceased fell into the inside lane and was hit twice more, first by a Volvo and then by a Toyota.

by

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.

texting while driving betch.jpgDespite 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.

Continue reading

by

A 42-year-old St. Petersburg woman was killed Monday after the vehicle she was riding in was broadsided on Fourth Street N. in St. Petersburg.

According to police, the woman was a passenger in a 1992 Buick driven by her 53-year-old roommate. The crash occurred around 7 p.m.

Police claim the woman’s roommate was heading north on Fourth Street when he turned into the path of a 2003 Toyota at 54th Avenue N.

broadsided betch.jpgThe driver of the Toyota, a 42-year-old St. Petersburg woman, struck the Buick between the wheels on the passenger side, critically injuring the woman. She was rescued from the vehicle and taken to Bayfront Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead just a short time later, according to police.

The woman’s roommate was taken to Bayfront with minor injuries. The driver of the
Toyota was treated for minor injuries at the scene of the collision.

Police are currently still investigating the accident.

Some of the most serious and deadly motor vehicle accidents in St. Petersburg and the surrounding area involve broadside crashes. A broadside car accident, also referred to as a side impact or T-bone crash, usually occurs at an intersection. These collisions can happen at a busy St. Pete intersection, in a residential neighborhood or on any of St. Petersburg’s heavily travelled roads.

Next to head-on collisions, broadside collisions are the second most deadly kind of auto accident. Broadside impacts usually lead to severe injuries to the drivers and passengers involved in a crash. Drivers and passengers often suffer from brain injuries, spinal fractures, broken bones and head and neck injuries. These accidents have a high percentage of injuries and fatalities due to the fact that the sides of most vehicles do not offer the same protection as the front and rear do, even though most newer cars are equipped with side impact airbags. T-bone collisions also typically occur at high speeds, usually when someone runs a stop light or a red light at an intersection.

Continue reading

by

A St. Petersburg scooter rider suffered a life-threatening head injury in a crash early Sunday morning that also involved two pedestrians, according to police.

The 32-year-old man was apparently riding east on Central Avenue around 3 a.m. when two pedestrians started to cross in the 600 block. One stopped halfway, however the other, a 22-year-old woman, continued walking.

This ultimately caused the scooter to swerve, and it struck the woman as it went down.

The scooter rider was not wearing a helmet and was ejected from the vehicle and hit his head on the pavement, police said.

The man was taken to Bayfront Medical Center. The female pedestrian suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene of the crash.

scooter betch.jpgIf you were hurt in a scooter or moped accident in St. Petersburg, you may be entitled to recover financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and any other damages you have suffered. A St. Petersburg Motor Vehicle Auto Accident Injury Lawyer at Whittel & Melton can meet with you right away and discuss your potential claim. If your accident was caused by another person’s negligence, we can make sure you receive the full and fair compensation that you deserve.

Other than following Florida scooter laws whenever you operate a scooter or moped, it is very important to focus on other safety practices that can prevent you from being involved in a St. Petersburg scooter accident that results in serious injuries.

The following common scooter safety tips can keep you free from harm:

• Always wear a Department Of Transportation-approved helmet that fits your head correctly
• Purchase a pair of riding goggles if your helmet does not have a face shield
• Keep your headlights on at all times, this even includes when you are riding during the day
• Steer clear of roads with uneven pavement, gravel and potholes
• Do not try to ride over a pothole, as this can lead to tire deflation
• If you are newer to riding a scooter, or just need to brush up on your skills, attend a scooter safety course

Continue reading

by

Last month, two children were rescued from inside a car that had flipped over in a St. Petersburg canal.

St. Petersburg police said a chain reaction collision caused the children to be knocked into the canal and trapped them inside the vehicle.

The accident occurred around 2 p.m. just after the children had been picked up by their father from their elementary school.

Police claim a female driver of a gold Chevy Tahoe was heading eastbound on 77th Avenue North when she accelerated and smashed into the cars in front of her, ultimately sending a silver sedan carrying the two children, ages 8 and 9, and their father into the water.

The car hit a pickup, which then hit a bus carrying children to an after-school karate class. No one was harmed from these vehicles.

The father and the 9-year-old boy made it out of the water first. The 8-year-old boy’s seatbelt was stuck inside the vehicle, but with the help of some good Samaritans who heard and saw the crash, he was cut out of the seatbelt and pulled out of the water where he was rushed to the hospital as trauma alert.

canal betch.jpgThe woman, who apparently had four children in her car, also crashed into the canal. Her and her kids made it out safely.

Police said that the woman driving the Tahoe was at fault and that charges are pending.

Determining who is at fault in a multi-vehicle collision can be difficult. If multiple drivers are found to be responsible for the accident, then comparative negligence may apply.
The state of Florida does follow a comparative negligence system, which holds each responsible party liable for his or her percentage of damages. However, based on the facts reported from this accident, it seems that comparative negligence may not apply since the driver of the SUV was found to be solely responsible for the multi-car crash.

Continue reading

by

A St. Petersburg teen was recently arrested on charges of DWI manslaughter in connection to a crash that killed a Winter Haven couple in Parrish last year.

The 18-year-old was arrested in early September after the State Attorney’s Office filed charges against her, according to the arrest report.

She has been charged with two counts of DWI manslaughter and two counts of DWI causing personal injury to passengers in her vehicle.

She was being held at the Manatee County jail with bail set at $16,000.

On Jan. 8, 2012 at 8:25 p.m. the then 17-year-old teen was driving her 2005 Toyota Prius westbound on State Road 62 when she reportedly ran off the road, over-corrected and re-entered the roadway, hitting a motorcycle carrying the Winter Haven couple.

The couple was ejected from the motorcycle onto the shoulder of the road.

The 61-year-old man and 55-year-old woman were pronounced dead at the scene.

The teen suffered serious injuries in the collision. When her Prius came to a stop, the car’s front end caught fire.

She was taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital following the crash. Her blood alcohol level was determined to be .146, according to police.

DUI blurr.jpgThe Florida Highway Patrol performed a homicide traffic investigation and recommended charges to the State Attorney’s Office. Charges were filed against the teen on Aug. 21 and a warrant was issued for her arrest.

More than 43,000 people are killed annually in car accidents across the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nearly 40 percent of these fatal crashes are alcohol-related. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 32 people are killed every day in the U.S. in automobile accidents involving a drunk driver. This translates to one death every 45 minutes.

Continue reading

by

A 24-year-old Maryland man on a cross-country bike trip to raise money for hearing loss was forced to put the last leg of his more than 10,000-mile trek on hold after he was struck by a semi-trailer truck earlier this month.

The man was biking with his cousin on a highway from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg en route to Miami, the final stop on the almost six-month-long journey, when he was clipped by the mirror of a blue freight truck at around 9:40 p.m., according to a Polk County Sheriff spokeswoman.

He fell off his bike and landed on the shoulder of the roadway.

Emergency responders arrived at the accident site, but the man, who is deaf, was unable
to communicate since his hearing apparatus was knocked off.

trucks.jpgHe was taken to Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center in Sebring. He suffered a concussion, a broken nose, a fractured left cheek bone, road rash and bruising from his fall.

The man has since been released. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the accident.

The man was born with normal hearing, but went deaf between the ages of two and 10. He endured cochlear implant surgery and was able to join the hearing world.

Last fall, he decided to combine his love for baseball, bike riding and helping others in hopes of raising money and awareness for cochlear implants.

The baseball fan set out on a bike trip to Major League Baseball stadiums across the country in April.

While the accident set him back a few weeks, he did make it to 30th and final stop on his charity ride Tuesday night to see the Miami Marlins game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Marlins Park.

Before the accident, the man raised more than $140,000.

While the details regarding this accident are sparse, if the truck driver was aware that he hit the bicyclist, he could face criminal charges for failing to stop and wait for authorities. Additionally, the cyclist could seek financial compensation for the damages he suffered.

Continue reading

by

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.

street car race.jpgUnlawful 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.

Continue reading

by

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. 1022488_heavy_traffic (1).jpgHis 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

by

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.

774605_car_accident_2.jpgTroopers 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.

Continue reading

Contact Information