Another drunk driving car accident death leads to conviction of a Central Florida man who was sentenced to a lengthy prison term. The alcohol-related car accident involved the deaths of two nuns and the injury of a third. As Orlando car accident lawyers, we find the sentencing to be just, and the tragedy to be one more stark reminder of the dangers of drinking and driving.
The offending driver pled guilty and received the maximum sentence which includes a mandatory 15 year probationary period after his prison release as part of his plea deal on the two DUI manslaughter counts. The two nuns died in the two-car crash nearly two years ago. The sisters were returning from a local conference.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol report, the offending driver turned into the path of the nuns’ motor vehicle at an intersection along U.S. 41. As part of the plea arrangement, the offending driver must also give one speech per year at a church or school about alcohol abuse. The intention and hopes are to educate others about the dangers of drinking and driving. Certainly, as Orlando injury lawyers, we recognize education as a key ingredient to reducing these tragedies.
A car accident tragedy involving star high school athletes provides another wake-up call for parents of teenagers. In a two-car accident, a senior basketball star died at the scene and a recent graduate and promising football player was pronounced dead at the emergency department. As Orlando car accident lawyers, we find these cases so disturbing.
Both young men were 17, according to the coroner. The accident occurred about 9:40 p.m. The boys’ vehicle was stopped at a stop sign. At the same time, another vehicle was approaching the intersection. Apparent distraction caused the boys’ vehicle to pull out into the path of the approaching vehicle. The impact on the driver’s side of the boys’ car knocked it into a shallow canal near the intersection.
This is definitely a tragic loss for the families of the two students, the students and staff of the local high school and the entire community. As Orlando injury lawyers, we find that each year it seems that a school and its community are affected by a car accident tragedy. Sadly, parents, students and faculty never think it will happen to them or their community. Yet, car accidents and such tragedies will only be reduced with better communication and education. Drive distraction must be avoided at all costs.
Orlando visitors look forward to the many theme parks and enjoying the magic of Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and Sea World Orlando. Instead of making wonderful memories, one North Carolina family have only memories filled with horror after spending a fun-filled day. According to Orlando prosecutors, a man driving after drinking collided into with the family’s rental car, killing their 2-year-old daughter and severely injuring her brother.
As Orlando car accident lawyers, we work with families impacted by car accident cases, including drunk driving, to ensure they are well-informed throughout the litigation process. It is too easy for innocent victims to feel lost in the system. Therefore, we spend all the time necessary to ensure our clients know what is happening in their cases.
In this case, these parents returned to Orlando seeking justice for their little girl’s death. They attended the criminal proceedings against the drunk driver. Amazingly, they learned that the drunk driver involved had previously been arrested on charges of disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer. As a result, this family is determined to make the judge understand the magnitude of the loss and follow this case through to the end.
While it will not bring back a loved one, many families impacted by drunk driving will want the courts to impose stiff sentences to deter others from such dangerous conduct. Indeed, we have represented families that sought to have drunk drivers also perform community service and to be required to speak to others about the tragedy of drinking and driving. Hearing from a drunk driver can be a powerful tool to prevent others from taking a drink and getting behind the wheel.
As Orlando car accident lawyers, we are saddened by the tragic car accident that claimed the lives of four high school students. Last June 5, nine students from a Florida high school were driving to the beach in a 1997 Ford Explorer, when the vehicle overturned, killing four. In the aftermath, it became clear that several companies connected with the truck may be responsible.
Cooper Tire and Rubber Company and Ford Motor Company are two defendants named in the lawsuit. In addition, an auto repair company had recently serviced the SUV and may have responsibility; as well as, the company that sold the vehicle. Certainly, there have been many cases involving roll-over accidents which directly result from the design defect of the SUV.
As a father of four, the loss of any children really hits home. What is especially troubling about this situation is that it appears to continue to repeat itself. These types of rollover accidents can be addressed with proper design and safety engineering. Our children and families deserve such safety engineering. Profits should not be put above consumer safety.
For more information, you can read the Florida car accident book, Seeking Justice: An Insider’s Guide for the Injured. When I wrote this book, I hoped it would help people involved in a car accident protect themselves from insurance company adjusters and understand the important issues before it is too late. I also wanted to provide a solid method for injured people to find the right lawyer. From the reviews we have received, it has done just that. For anyone injured in a Florida car accident, a Free copy of this book can be a great place to start.
Choosing well-qualified, caring doctors quickly is important for your health and for your car accident claims. As Orlando car accident lawyers, many of our clients have no health insurance; many have no doctor; and, they do not know where they should go for medical care following a car accident. We interact with the best medical doctors in the Orlando area; and, we can provide critical guidance when it counts.
The sad truth is many doctors refuse to see car accident victims, especially those without insurance. Many doctors also work for auto insurance companies, making thousands of dollars examining car accident victims and “discounting” the injuries suffered. If you innocently choose one of these “insurance or defense” doctors, you will have little opportunity to receive full and fair compensation for your injury. As a medical doctor and lawyer, Dr. Walter Ward knows which doctors genuinely care to help car accident victims. Do not run the risk of going to the wrong place for your medical care.
You should also know that those “car accident & injury clinics” like the TV lawyer advertisers need lots of “clients” to pay for all that advertising. Do you want to go where the focus is on profit or patient care? You should NOT be treated like a number by your doctor or your lawyer. You deserve the best medical care and the best legal representation. While we can not represent everyone that asks us, our goal is to make a huge difference for those who we do represent. Our results, including a $30 million verdict here in Orlando, demonstrate that hiring the right lawyer, right from the start, may help you reach your goal to win the highest award you deserve.
Orlando car accident cases involving rear end collisions involve unique claims. Rear-end impacts are the most common type of car accident, making up millions of insurance claims every year – most for property damage. Rear-end accidents that involve low-impact collisions, often do not result in immediate, severe pain. However, rear-end car accidents occurring at low speeds can often lead to serious injuries that affect individual’s ability to work and live normally. Many of our clients do NOT seek medical help right away. These rear end car accident clients assume their back and neck pain will go away. Sadly, the delay in seeking treatment may make their injury more difficult to treat. In addition, the insurance company for the driver who caused the rear end accident will claim the injury must not have been severe if our client did get immediate medical treatment or evaluation.
As Orlando car accident lawyers handling rear-end car accidents, we understand how the initial shock of the rear end accident generally prevents clients from immediately appreciating the extent of injury. We have successfully recovered settlements and awards for rear end auto accident clients who did not immediately seek medical help, but who did suffer injury in the car accident. In those cases, it is important for our clients to understand and relive the time of the rear end impact. We consult with jury consultants and help our clients understand the psychology involved when a driver or passenger is sitting at a red light, completely unaware of careless driver approaching from the rear. When the explosive impact occurs, clients often feel stunned, confused and dazed. Psychologically, most hardworking folks believe they “will get better,” so they delay going to the hospital, medical clinic or doctor’s office. As we have shared with insurance claims representatives, jurors and our clients, this is NORMAL.
As my partner, a medical doctor and attorney, Walter Ward, MD/JD, has taught our clients, it is important to fully understand the anatomy and medicine involved in rear end collisions. Obviously, an innocent driver or passenger suffering real injury deserves an Orlando auto accident attorney who understands how to deal with the medicine and bring the truth to light.
Too many innocent, honest people suffer an injury in Orlando and unknowingly settle for so much less. Yet, our clients have explained that people who are injured are not aware that there are law firms with an attorney who is also a medical doctor, a registered nurse on staff and a board certified civil trial lawyer. It is for that reason I wrote the book, Seeking Justice: An Insider’s Guide for the Injured. It helps protect decent, honest people from falling into the hands of lawyers who have no business handling an important injury case. We continue to make a Free copy of this book available to anyone injured in Florida.
As Orlando car accident lawyers we are seeing an increasing amount of video surveillance in Orlando car accident cases. Why is the use of video surveillance in car accident cases on the rise? We believe the car insurance companies recognize the cheap availability of video surveillance and the fact that decent, hardworking people must get on with their lives as best they can. Therefore, most honest car accident victims continue to work and live in pain. As a result, it is easy for car insurance investigators to follow injured people and video them walking down the street, driving to work and going to the grocery store.
While a car accident victim may have suffered a serious back or neck injury, they will conscientiously try to live as normally as possible despite the pain. If a busy mother has to pick up her children from school and has no help, what must she do? Obviously, she must deal with her pain, drive to school and get her children. While doing so, would a good mother allow her young children to see her in pain or would she try her best to “smile” through it? All the while the car insurance company spies are videotaping this hard working, dedicated mother trying who is trying to keep things in order for her family after a serious car crash.
It is obviously important for Orlando car accident lawyers and clients to recognize these increasing car insurance company tactics. It is critically important so that car accident clients can be prepared to truthfully and accurately answer all questions asked by the car insurance lawyer assigned to defend the at-fault driver. Being truthful requires an accurate understanding of what is being asked and a proper description of what limitations exist. Any exaggeration or lack of memory on these key points may be twisted or used by the insurance company lawyer at trial to attack an otherwise truthful, legitimately injured car accident victim.
Jack Hall owned a company with his two sons. They hired Russell Scudder as a chief operating officer, but when his performance became a danger to the company, Hall sought legal help from a defendant Wayne Judge so he could terminate Scudder. Wayne, declaring the employee contract with Scudder to be ambiguous, drafted a letter for Hall to send to Scudder that outlined his reasons. Hall and his sons unanimously voted to terminate Scudder without notice, only after which was Scudder was given the letter. Scudder was blindsided by the termination. Wayne said, based on his reading of the contract and plaintiff’s bylaws, the contract was ambiguous and Hall had the right to terminate Scudder. Hall prevailed, though they quickly reversed and discovered the contract entirely unambiguous, and that Hall did not cooperate with the contract’s terms.
The plaintiff contended that the defendant failed to meet their initial burden of presenting evidence in admissible form, claiming they were well aware of the process in which to follow in order to legally fire the plaintiff. The problem was that Wayne Judge, who drafted the letter, had submitted support for Hall from the perspective of business and not of a lawyer examining realities. Hall claimed that the business was in jeopardy and terminating Scudder needed to happen immediately. Reacting to Hall’s urgency and in fear of the condition of the business, Wayne drafted the letter. Then it was the initial legal action taken against Scudder that was not in compliance with a standard of care. Wayne could not be motivated by Hall’s sense of urgency nor any kind of business interest, however it may be. Wayne failed to present solid reason and standards of care and has, in the false and hurried interpretation of the contract, failed.
Our Orlando car accident clients are empowered to make important decisions about their car accident case. As Orlando car accident lawyers, we teach our clients about all the key facts and law that applies to their car accident case. As Orlando injury lawyers, we encourage all of our clients to ask us any question about their injury and accident case. Here are just a few of the most frequently asked questions by Orlando car accident clients and our responses.
Q: I was in a car accident, do I need to go to a doctor right now?
A: If a car accident causes you pain, especially in your back or neck, you should see a doctor. Often, our clients are such hardworking individuals they want to assume “everything will be fine in a few days.” Of course, only a medical doctor can determine the extent of your injuries. If you have something significant and you bring a car accident claim against the other driver, you will need documentation of your injuries, when they occurred and the necessary treatment. Often, expensive tests, such as MRIs and Ct Scans are required to fully evaluated car accident clients. Only when the extent of the injury and prognosis is determined, will you be in a position to know how the car accident will affect you in the long-term. That is why you must get the necessary medical care and NEVER settle your car accident case too early.
Q: Do I have to go to court (trial) for my car accident case?
A: We prepare every Orlando car accident case for trial. The car insurance company knows by our conversations, letters and our reputation, that we work every case as if it is our only car accident case and we are Going to Trial! It is true that most of our car accident cases settle; however, we insist that our car accident clients are treated FAIRLY. We do NOT just take what the insurance company wants to pay. So, as our car accident client, you will prepare for trial with us, however, you, like most of our clients may receive a money settlement without ever going to trial.
Q. What is this PIP car insurance?
A. Florida Car accidents are controlled by Florida’s “No-Fault” law which is found in the Florida Statutes, Chapter 627. “No-Fault” means that if you are injured in an automobile accident, 80% of your medical bills and up to 60% of your lost wages will be paid by your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance, regardless of fault. To cover the additional 20% of the medical bills not paid by one’s PIP, a car insurance policy may have applicable medical payments coverage. When we get a phone call from car accident clients we ask them to send along their car insurance policy and declarations page so we can review all the available benefits. We want to obtain every dollar of insurance benefits to which you are entitled.
We feel fortunate to have helped so many car accident clients and we continue to make available the Florida car accident book, Seeking Justice: An Insider’s Guide for the Injured. When I wrote this book, I hoped it would help people involved in a car accident protect themselves from insurance company adjusters. I also wanted to provide a solid method for injured people to find the right lawyer. From the reviews we have received, it has done just that. For anyone injured in a Florida car accident, a Free copy of this book can be a great place to start.
Car accidents result in most of the injury claims in the U.S. This is not surprising since every 10 seconds someone in the United States is involved in a car accident, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Sadly, car accident injury and brain damage results in million dollar damages to those injured. As Orlando car accident lawyers, we see too many preventable car accident cases with tragic results.
All of us have an obligation to drive safely, not drink and drive and to put down those cell phones. Legal claims following a car accident occur when people fail to pay attention or act unreasonably. How may times have we seen a driver “fly past” to get through the yellow light. We have represented families who were heading to school when a careless driver tried to “save a few seconds” only to change lives forever. There is nothing sadder than to speak with the parent of a child who was needlessly killed or seriously injured. As a parent of four, I know I would do anything to protect my children and these parents deeply regret they could not have done anything to stop the car accident from occurring.
Recently, I read a tragic story of an Orlando boy who was killed in a scooter accident. The boy, only 7 years old, ran out in front of another vehicle. It was a familiar Orlando neighborhood where this car accident fatality happened. From the story it does not appear to be a car accident caused by any driver carelessness. However, it is hoped that people driving in neighborhoods where children frequent would always remain alert.
Many people involved in Orlando car accidents need a lawyer to obtain the millions of dollars of damages caused by careless or drunk drivers. That is why I wrote the book, Seeking Justice: An Insider’s Guide for the Injured. While we limit the number of cases we accept, we can provide a free copy of this valuable book to anyone injured in car accidents. It provides a solid method for choosing the right lawyer; and, includes the questions everyone should ask before hiring a lawyer.
