Ocala Injury Lawyers Blog

Tampa Bay Attorney Dies in Boating Accident

Published on: August 20, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

Earlier this month, a prominent Tampa Bay attorney was killed in a boating accident while in Key West on a lobstering trip with a friend. According to a report by TampaBay.com, the woman and her friend were aboard a 44-foot catamaran when they saw another large boat heading straight for them.

In an attempt to get off the boat before the collision, both women jumped into the water hoping to swim away from what seemed like a certain crash. However, the driver of the other boat finally noticed that he was on a collision course with the catamaran and made a last-minute change of direction. In so doing he hit both women in the water.

Both women were flown to a nearby hospital for treatment of the injuries they sustained in the accident. One of the women was later pronounced dead by hospital personnel. The other woman was last reported to be in stable condition.

Police Identify Hit-and-Run Driver Responsible for the Deaths of Three Single Mothers

Published on: July 31, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

Earlier this month in St. Petersburg, a tragic accident took the lives of three women, all related and all single mothers with children at home. According to a report by the New York Daily News, the women were all in a car together, driving around 3 a.m. in a Saturn passenger vehicle when they were involved in an accident with a Chrysler. The woman who was driving the Saturn was the aunt of the two passengers.

The aunt was flown to a nearby hospital, where she was later pronounced dead after her family decided not to continue life support; her nieces were pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the Chrysler did not stop after causing the accident and fled the scene. Police immediately began an investigation into the accident, hoping to identify the hit-and-run driver. Recently, the police issued a warrant for the driver and are hoping to apprehend him shortly. Once arrested, the driver will face charges of vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, and driving on a suspended license.

Two Killed in Rear-End Florida Semi-Truck Accident

Published on: July 30, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

Earlier this month in Winter Garden, Florida, a semi-truck driver and his passenger were both killed when the driver of that truck rear ended another semi-truck as it was pulling onto the highway. According to a report by a local news source, a semi-truck carrying recyclable materials was traveling north on the Florida Turnpike near mile marker 271 when the driver pulled the truck off the road to check the tires.

As the driver pulled back onto the highway and was getting up to speed, he was rear ended by another refrigerated semi-truck carrying flowers. Evidently, the first semi-truck was traveling at about 40-45 miles per hour when the two trucks collided.

Troopers that responded to the accident claimed that it was one of the worst semi-truck accidents they have ever seen. The impact from the crash killed both the driver of the refrigerated semi-truck and his passenger. It is unclear why the second truck did not change lanes to avoid the slower semi-truck, or why the second truck didn’t just slow down. Police have initiated an investigation into how the accident occurred, and have not yet cited the surviving truck driver.

Florida Court Upholds $2.26 Million Wrongful Death Verdict

Published on: July 30, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

About a week ago, a Florida district court upheld a jury verdict awarding the family of a man killed by police $2.26 million. According to a report by CBS 12 News, the man was killed after he was involved in an altercation with police that he may have started. Evidently, the man was shouting at traffic and acting “strangely” when police approached him.

One thing led to another, and the encounter escalated. Police eventually shot the man, mortally wounding him. As he was dying, one or more police officers repeatedly shocked the man using their stun guns. The man soon died from his injuries.

At trial, the man’s family claimed that the actions of the police were excessive and filed a wrongful death suit against the government. After hearing the evidence, the jury determined that the use of the stun gun constituted “excessive and objectively unreasonable force,” awarding them $2.26 million. The district court judge upheld the jury’s verdict. A spokesperson for the police force indicated that it plans to appeal the decision.

Fifteen Tons of Energy Drinks Spill onto Highway After Semi-Truck Accident

Published on: July 29, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

After an accident out of Rockledge, over 30,000 pounds of Red Bull energy drink spilled onto the road. According to a report by a local news source, the accident occurred late on a Monday night, when a semi-truck carrying thousands of pounds of Red Bull crashed into a disabled semi-truck parked on the side of the road. The accident occurred on Interstate 95.

Evidently, the disabled truck had pulled completely off the roadway and the truck carrying the Red Bull did not get over far enough to avoid a collision. Although the driver swerved at the last minute in an attempt to avoid the collision, his efforts were futile. As the trucks collided, the trailer of the truck carrying the Red Bull ripped open, spilling the energy drink all over the highway.

The driver of the semi-truck carrying the Red Bull was cited for failing to maintain a single lane of travel. The other truck driver, as far as we know, has not been cited. It seems that the other truck was completely off the side of the road at the time of the accident. If so, the driver is not likely to be found at fault for the accident.

Rear-End Accident On Buckman Bridge Kills One

Published on: July 25, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

In a tragic accident near Jacksonville last week, one man lost his life when he was rear-ended and pushed off of the Buckman Bridge. According to a report by the Florida Times-Union, a tractor-trailer jack-knifed on the southbound lanes of the bridge, causing traffic to back up quickly. In addition, the accident caused rubbernecking in the northbound lanes, as drivers slowed down to see what was going on. One northbound driver, perhaps not seeing the slowing traffic ahead of him, slammed into the back of a pick-up truck, pushing the truck over the edge of the bridge.

Witnesses say they saw a man in the water moments after the accident, but that he quickly submerged and was not seen again. A few hours later, emergency crews extricated the deceased driver from the waters of St. John’s River.

The driver of the car that rear-ended the truck, the article points out, had been cited for various violations six times in the past. He had taken a traffic safety course and paid several fines related to the citations. As of the time of publication, there have been no charges filed against the driver of the car, but an investigation is underway.

New York Man Killed in Florida Fourth of July Boating Accident

Published on: July 24, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

In a tragic accident that occurred earlier this month near Dinner Cay in Coconut Grove, four people lost their lives when three boats collided after a Fourth of July fireworks display. According to a report by the New York Daily News, one man from Long Island was killed while he was aboard a boat owned by his girlfriend’s family celebrating the Fourth of July.

Evidently, the family had taken the boat out to watch the fireworks and were heading back in to the marina when one of the family members noticed that another boat was heading straight toward them. The driver of the boat attempted to quickly turn out of the oncoming boat’s path, but he was unable to do so, and the boat was struck right where the Long Island man was sitting.

The New Yorker was killed in the accident, as were three people aboard the other boat. Although the details are still unclear, it appears that there was another boat involved in the accident as well. In total, 20 people were injured in the three-boat accident.

Two Dead in Fatal Flagler County Accident

Published on: July 18, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

A few weeks ago, a teen and a 56-year-old woman lost their lives in a three-vehicle accident in Flagler County, Florida. According to a report by Click Orlando, the accident occurred on Interstate 95 near mile marker 288 at approximately 5:30 in the afternoon.

Evidently, a 2001 Chevy Silverado was traveling northbound on I-95 when it began to veer off the shoulder of the road. In an attempt to correct the drifting and get back into his lane, the driver overcorrected and sent the vehicle into the barrier on the other side of the highway. The truck became airborne and ended up in the southbound lanes.

As the truck was airborne, it crashed into the roof of a car traveling in the inside lane of traffic and then with another pick-up truck. The 17-year-old passenger in the Chevy Silverado was thrown from the truck. He was taken to the hospital, where he died of his injuries. The driver of the car was also fatally injured in the tragic accident. The other drivers all suffered minor injuries but are expected to recover.

Ocala Woman Gets into DUI Accident with Her Autistic Child on Her Lap

Published on: July 17, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

Earlier this year, a 28-year-old woman was charged with DUI and child neglect after she crashed into a tree while her toddler was on her lap, unsecured by any seatbelt or safety device. To make matters worse, the woman’s blood alcohol content was three times the limit at the time of the accident.

According to a report by News 13, the accident occurred late on a Saturday at the intersection of Southwest 10th Street and Southwest 27th Avenue in Ocala. When police arrived on the scene, the woman was outside of the vehicle attempting to get her 6-year-old son out of the back of the car. A witness to the accident, a teenage boy, was holding the woman’s other child, a two-year-old autistic boy. The witness told police that the child was on the woman’s lap at the time of the accident.

Police also noticed that the woman was not stable on her feet and was making strange, inappropriate comments about how she had just washed her car. Upon testing the woman, the police determined that she was legally intoxicated.

Fatal Marion County Accident Claims a Third Life

Published on: July 16, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

May 2014 – Marion County, Florida: A Highway Patrol officer was killed in an accident on Interstate 75 near mile marker 341. According to a report by Click Orlando, the patrol officer was responding to an accident when she was on the side of the road speaking to the tow truck driver. At some point, another accident in the area occurred that resulted in both the tow truck driver and the Highway Patrol officer being killed.

A few days later, a third pedestrian who was injured in the second accident was pronounced dead after getting treatment in the Ocala Regional Medical Center for several days.

The Florida Highway Patrol is conducting an investigation into the accident to better determine what caused the fatal car accident that claimed the lives of three Floridians.