Recent Blog Posts
Negligent Driver Hits and Kills Pedestrian in Tampa
A wheelchair-bound man is dead after a speeding car struck him on Dale Mabry Highway near West Waters. Florida Highway Patrol troopers state that a 66-year-old man was crossing Waters Avenue when a 64-year-old woman, who was driving a Prius, struck him in the intersection. The driver had the green light, according to the… Read More »
Defending and Resolving Marijuana Possession Cases in Hillsborough County
The political climate is changing with regard to marijuana. Medical marijuana is legal in Florida, and so is industrial hemp. The industrial hemp law, which took effect in July 2019, has a significant effect on marijuana criminal cases, as explained below. Despite these changing winds, Florida arguably has the harshest marijuana possession law in… Read More »
Wrong-Way Collision Kills Motorcycle Rider
Even though 38-year-old Daniel Morgan was operating on the wrong side of the road without a helmet, his survivors may still have legal options, thanks to the unique makeup of Florida laws. This wreck occurred in Pasco County. According to Florida Highway Patrol troopers, Morgan was riding northbound on the southbound side of Moon… Read More »
Nursing Home Falls: What You Need to Know
Long-term care facilities are supposed to be safe places to convalesce. But in many cases, that’s not true. In fact, three out of four nursing home residents slip and fall every year. That’s twice the overall fall injury rate for people over 65. The nursing home environment causes or contributes to many serious falls…. Read More »
The Five Kinds of Driving Impairment
Most of the vehicle collisions in Tampa are not “accidents.” Instead, driver error causes almost all of these incidents. Many times, the tortfeasor (negligent driver) is impaired in some way. Compensation tends to be rather high in these cases. These tortfeasors generally know they should not get behind the wheel, yet they choose to… Read More »
Issues in Drowsy Driver Truck Crash Claims
Truck driver fatigue has long been an issue in this area. Recent evidence makes these claims easier to establish in court. There is a direct relationship between hours worked and possibility of fatigue. This finding makes it easier to establish liability for damages in these cases, especially in light of the enhanced truck driver… Read More »
Fatal Wrong-Way Crash on Interstate 275
Police do not know how long a southbound motorist operated her vehicle on the northbound side of I-275 before she struck another car head-on. The wreck happened near mile marker 49 at about 4:30 a.m. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 39-year-old Aryail Gomez was travelling on the wrong side of the freeway when… Read More »
If I Took a DUI Chemical Test, Am I Automatically Guilty?
According to the way the law is written, the answer to this question is “yes.” Like most other states, Florida has a per se DUI law. Defendants who have an alcohol concentration above .08 in their blood or breath are “impaired” as a matter of law. But as a practical matter, the answer to… Read More »
Dual Fatal Car Crash in Tampa
Investigators say that alcohol probably caused a rollover collision which killed two people in an accident near Ybor City. The wreck happened near the intersection of North 15th Street and East 21st Avenue. Authorities state that 47-year-old Roberto Diaz was intoxicated when he drove on the wrong side of the road, clipped several parked… Read More »
How Does Florida’s New Cell Phone Law Affect Distracted Driving Claims?
Before July 2019, Florida had one of the weakest cell phone laws in the country. It only applied in limited situations, and officers could not issue citations unless they pulled drivers over for something else. But that was before the new limited hands-free law took effect. In most cases, the law prohibits texting and… Read More »
The Three Types of Distracted Driving in Florida
Most drivers agree that distracted driving is one of the most dangerous driving behaviors. Yet most drivers also admit that they often do not focus on driving. Most people multitask their way through the day. We type on the computer while we talk on the phone and carry on conversations with our spouses as… Read More »
Left-Turn Crash Kills New Port Richey Woman
A driver turned directly into the path of an oncoming motorist, killing one person and sending two others to area hospitals. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 29-year-old Hana Bandealy was northbound on Nebraska near the 121st Avenue intersection when 47-year-old Aracely Garcia made a left turn directly in front of Bandealy. Malek Gajani,… Read More »
If a Rented Boat Hits Me, is the Rental Company Responsible for Damages?
Recreational boating is very popular in the Tampa Bay area. Boaters can go out on the water almost literally twelve months a year. Unfortunately, many people who rent boats have little or no experience operating these watercraft. Florida has no boating license requirement. Operators under 21 must complete a boating safety course, but in… Read More »
Tractor-Trailer Driver Involved in Fatal Crash
A beloved school bus driver was on her way to her last, first day of school, but she never made it there. According to Plant City police, 38-year-old Franciou Romelus parked his semi-truck in a traffic lane of Airport Road, so he could leave the truck and determine if a nearby business was open…. Read More »
Nine Vehicle Pile-Up Crash on Interstate 75
A negligent dump truck driver triggered a chain-reaction crash on I-75 which killed two people and seriously injured several others. 74-year-old Daniel Ragan, of Spring Hill, failed to slow down or stop as he approached stacked-up traffic on Interstate 75 near the Fowler Avenue exit. The dump truck slammed into a van and overturned… Read More »
Top Ten Types of Fraud in Hillsborough County
In a nutshell, fraud is any misstatement of a material fact which is designed to produce illegal monetary gain. Largely because of this broad definition, fraud is one of the most commonly-charged financial crimes under Federal or Florida law. But there is a big difference between a fraud charge and a fraud conviction, and… Read More »
The Three Types of Defective Product Claims in Florida
Manufacturers have a duty to design, make, and sell products which are fit for their intended purposes and safe to use. In fact, if a product causes injury, the manufacturer may be strictly liable for damages. In other words, victims need only prove cause to obtain compensation for their economic losses, such as medical… Read More »
Fireball Crash in St. Petersburg Seriously Injures Five People
A chain reaction crash on the Howard Frankland Bridge involved multiple vehicles, including a tractor trailer. The complex wreck began when one driver stopped to help a Cadillac SUV which had run out of gas. A few moments later, an approaching eighteen-wheeler cut off a passenger car in traffic. That vehicle swerved to avoid… Read More »
Feds Launch Criminal Talc-Asbestos Investigation
A Washington, D.C. grand jury is exploring allegations that Johnson & Johnson knew the talcum powder it sold may have been laced with asbestos. If the grand jury finds these allegations are true, the pharmaceutical giant could face incredibly stiff criminal penalties. The company, which faces about 14,000 talcum powder lawsuits, said it had… Read More »
Officers Capture Fleeing Hit-and-Run Driver
A Florida man is in custody after he jumped into a river to avoid capture in the wake of a car crash. Police say that 43-year-old Jack Knapper rear-ended another vehicle which was stopped at a traffic light. Officers tried to detain Knapper, who immediately fled the scene. A short distance away, he leaped… Read More »
