Motor Vehicle Accident Category Archives — Page 24 of 28 — South Florida Injury Attorneys Blog Published by South Florida Injury Lawyers

January 20, 2021

Court Addresses Florida’s Evolving Summary Judgment Standard in Car Accident Lawsuit

Summary judgment is a crucial procedural tool that has many implications for Florida car accident plaintiffs. The summary judgment stage occurs before trial, during which time either party can ask the court to rule in their favor. Either party can use all of the evidence they obtained during the discovery phase to support their motion. A ruling is only appropriate if the moving party shows there is no genuine issue of material fact.

At the end of 2020, The Florida Supreme Court decided to modify its Civil Procedure Rules. The ruling will go into effect on May 1st, 2021, and will amend Florida’s rules to comport with the federal summary judgment standard. The changes are critically important in Florida accident cases, and plaintiffs must understand how the rules will impact their lawsuits. The Court reasoned that the change would “improve the fairness and efficiency” of the state’s civil justice system.

The court’s opinion arose from a fatal rear-end Florida car accident. The decedent filed a lawsuit against the front-truck driver and his employer. During the trial, the defendant-company, presented video evidence from a dashcam, establishing that its driver did not cause the accident. The defendant moved for summary judgment based on the video, arguing that the video served as undeniable evidence that the driver was not negligent. The trial court granted the defendant’s motion, but the appellate court reversed the trial court’s ruling, based on Florida’s prevailing summary judgment standards.

December 23, 2020

Personal Injury Claims Arising from Florida Head-on Collisions

by Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers

Head-on collisions are one of the most frightening and dangerous types of Florida traffic accidents. Although any accident can lead to severe injuries, head-on collisions often have catastrophic consequences. These accidents are inherently more dangerous because of the direct impact involved when the cars collide, as well as the fact that head-on collisions often involve vehicles traveling at high speeds.

According to statistics released by the Florida government, the state sees almost 400,000 traffic accidents every year. Although head-on collisions make up a small portion of these accidents, nearly 10% of head-on collisions result in a fatality. Many different situations lead to these devastating accidents. The most common causes of Florida head-on collisions include situations in which:

The driver is impaired because of illegal or legal drugs or alcohol;

November 25, 2020

Speeding and Aggressive Driving Are Major Causes of Florida Car Accidents

by Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers

After a car accident, injury victims and their family members who wish to recover compensation for their damages must understand their rights and potential remedies. Establishing fault after a Florida car accident is the most critical aspect of a personal injury claim. Typically if the other motorist’s negligence, carelessness, or recklessness caused the accident, the victim may be entitled to compensation. However, if the other party establishes that the victim was also responsible for the accident, their compensation may be reduced by their fault level. Proving fault and refuting comparative negligence claims are a crucial part of the process.

Florida is a no-fault insurance state, which means that victims must file a claim with their insurance company after an accident, regardless of which party was at fault. The only exception to this rule is if the victim suffered permanent injuries or injuries involving scarring and disfigurement. In Florida, fault is a critical part of this process because the state follows the comparative negligence model of liability. Juries generally calculate two things, the total amount of the plaintiff’s damages and the percentage of fault that belongs to each party. Then a plaintiff’s recovery is reduced by the level of fault the jury attributes to them.

Florida victims must establish fault and refute comparative negligence claims if they wish to recover the maximum amount of compensation for their damages. Establishing fault requires the plaintiff to prove that the other party failed to act reasonably and breached their duty of care. One of the many ways a plaintiff can establish this is by gathering witness statements. Witness statements can provide juries with valuable insight into the events leading up to the accident. Next, digital evidence in the form of photos or videos can provide the jury with vital information. Moreover, if a victim can prove that the other driver was violating a Florida traffic law, the court may impute liability based on negligence per se. This often occurs if the at-fault party received a traffic citation or is arrested after an accident for a traffic crime such as impaired driving or speeding.

October 28, 2020

Important Requirements in Florida Punitive Damages Claims

by Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers

Recently, a Florida appellate court issued an opinion in response to a defendant’s motion for certiorari review. The record indicates that the defendant drove under the influence of alcohol and marijuana and ran his car into the plaintiff and seven other pedestrians. The plaintiff filed a lawsuit against the defendant, and while the civil case was pending, the defendant pleaded guilty in a related criminal case. After the defendant pled guilty, the plaintiff moved to amend his complaint to add a claim for punitive damages.

The lower court held a hearing to determine whether the plaintiff met the evidentiary burden necessary for punitive damages claims. The defendant’s attorney contended that the law requires the court to find clear, convincing evidence that the plaintiff is entitled to punitive damages. The defendant’s attorney conceded that the relevant statute does not discuss the burden, but rather the court’s gatekeeping function. Moreover, they argued that the plaintiff must make a “reasonable showing” that there is a “reasonable basis” for the damages.

Under Florida Statutes Section 768.72(1), punitive damages will not be permitted unless the claimant proffers a reasonable showing for a basis for the claim. The issue is whether the statute requires the trial court to make an “express or affirmative” finding of a basis for punitive damages.

September 15, 2020

Florida Court Finds Hotel Did Not Owe Guest a Duty of Care in Recent Wrongful Death Case

by Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers

Property owners owe guests a duty to ensure that their property is reasonably safe. The extent of the duty a landowner owes to a guest, however, will depend on the reason for the guest’s visit. Under Florida slip and fall law, invitees are owed the greatest duty, while trespassers are owed the lowest duty. Licensees occupy a middle ground.

Florida law distinguishes between public invitees and business invitees. A public invitee is a guest who is present on property that is generally open to the public for non-business reasons. A visitor at a public park is an example of a public invitee. A business invitee, on the other hand, is someone who is present on another’s property for some business purpose. A common example of a business invitee is a customer at a grocery store. Business invitees and public invitees are both owed the same duty by landowners. However, a public invitee may need to deal with sovereign immunity issues when pursuing a claim for compensation. Of course, to successfully bring a Florida premises liability lawsuit, the injured party must be able to show that the landowner owed them a duty, and that the landowner violated that duty.

In a recent Florida court of appeals decision, a plaintiff filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the deceased against a Florida hotel and resort following a golf cart accident that resulted in the individual’s death. The defendant hotel provided a complimentary golf cart service to transport guests around its property and on its grounds. The golf cart was not allowed to travel on roads beyond the hotel grounds, but it could drop passengers off who could then cross a highway on foot.

August 12, 2020

Pursuing Full and Fair Compensation After a Florida Personal Injury Accident

by Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers

In the aftermath of a Florida personal injury related accident, filing a claim for compensation is crucial, especially if you have been severely injured. However, the evidence of injury must be clear, as well as the full extent of the damage suffered by the accident victim. For example, if a plaintiff in a case is unable to prove the extent of their injuries and convince the jury of the damage, they may be prevented from receiving full compensation for their damages related to the pain and suffering they experienced.

In a recent Florida appellate court opinion, the plaintiff’s car was struck by the defendant at a low speed while the two vehicles were exiting the highway. The plaintiff subsequently sued the defendant, claiming that the accident caused her to suffer a permanent back injury. The jury found that the defendant had indeed caused the plaintiff’s injury, but that the plaintiff did not suffer a permanent injury and thus should not receive pain and suffering damages. The plaintiff moved for a new trial, claiming that there were several instances of trial court error during the proceedings.

On appeal, the plaintiff argued that the trial court erred in allowing the defendant to introduce evidence of a referral relationship between the plaintiff’s former attorney and her chiropractor as a violation of attorney-client privilege. During opening statements, the defendant’s counsel suggested that the plaintiff’s former attorney referred her to her chiropractor, which contradicted the plaintiff’s previous assertion that she had been referred by an emergency room doctor.

April 15, 2020

Appellate Court Finds in Favor of Plaintiff in Lawsuit Against Florida County

by Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers

Recently, a Florida appeals court issued an opinion in a lawsuit brought by an injured cyclist against Pinellas County. Historically, sovereign immunity protects governmental entities and officials from lawsuits stemming from the performance of their official government duties. However, in the interest of fairness, the federal government (as well as most states) provides waivers to this immunity. Florida permits individuals to sue the government in certain situations, but does not allow plaintiffs to recover punitive damages or compensation over $200,000.

In the case above, the plaintiff filed a lawsuit against the county for injuries he suffered when he lost control of his bike and fell into a ditch in an intersection maintained by the county. The plaintiff testified that he was heading west, approaching the intersection when he noticed a car stopped in the northbound lane. He wanted to proceed south but was not sure what the driver was going to do, so he remained on the shoulder of the road. However, the car struck him, and he blacked out.

The plaintiff claimed that the county was responsible for his damages because they negligently maintained the roadway and failed to warn motorists, pedestrians, and bikers of the road’s dangerous condition. The plaintiff contended that the intersection’s shoulder lacked clear zones and slopes for bikers. The lower court let the case against the government proceed, but in response, the county claimed that they were not responsible because the plaintiff could not prove that they were the cause of the accident or his injuries. The court granted the county’s motion for summary judgment, but the plaintiff appealed, arguing that there were genuine issues of material fact that remain unresolved.

January 29, 2020

Summary Judgment in Florida Personal Injury Claims

by Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers

When people picture filing a lawsuit in court, they often imagine attorneys arguing in front of a judge along with heated debates and objections. While this is sometimes true, what many Florida personal injury plaintiffs do not realize is that many cases are actually decided before they even get to trial, through a process called “summary judgment.”

After a plaintiff files an initial complaint and the evidence has been collected, both parties can file a motion for summary judgment, asking the judge to go ahead and decide that they won the case. Summary judgment is appropriate in cases where there is no dispute of material fact, so both parties agree on what happened and the law entitles one of them to a victory. For instance, if both parties agree that the defendant driver ran a red light and caused an accident, then the suit can be settled before trial.

While the above example sounds relatively simple, typically lawsuits are more complicated. For example, a state court of appeals recently reversed a wrongly decided grant of summary judgment for a defendant in a personal injury claim. According to the court’s written opinion, the plaintiff was driving to Tampa when he got a flat tire and visited a mechanic. At the mechanic’s, he paid an employee $20 to service the tire, although he never got any confirmation paperwork. However, when he was driving back to Miami, his tire blew out, causing him to crash into the median. As a result of this crash, he suffered serious injuries, and, as a result, is now a paraplegic.

December 19, 2019

Florida Court Addresses Liability for Rear-End Accidents

by Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers

Recently, an appellate court addressed an appeal in a Florida car accident case hinging on issues regarding the presumption of negligence in rear-end accidents. The plaintiff appealed a trial court’s ruling in favor of the defendant, who the plaintiff claimed rear-ended her vehicle. The accident allegedly occurred when the plaintiff was approaching an intersection, and the car in front of her suddenly stopped. The plaintiff and the defendant simultaneously applied their brakes; however, the plaintiff was able to avoid hitting the car in front of her, but the defendant slammed into the plaintiff. After the plaintiff’s case was dismissed by the trial court, the plaintiff appealed, arguing that the defendant did not provide enough evidence to rebut the presumption of negligence.

Under Florida law, rear-end accidents create a rebuttable presumption that the rear driver was negligent. Generally, the only way in which a rear driver can rebut this presumption is if they provide evidence that shows that the presumption is “not as presumed” or misplaced. If the rear driver can rebut the presumption, the jury will then make the typical comparative fault determination. Rear drivers will often claim that the lead driver engaged in some behavior that made it impossible for the rear driver to avoid an accident.

Typically, Florida courts permit rear drivers to rebut the presumption under only four circumstances. Defendants can rebut the presumption if 1.) their vehicle suffers a mechanical failure, 2.) the lead driver suddenly stopped, 3.) the lead driver suddenly changed lanes, or 4.) the lead driver made an illegal stop. However, an abrupt or sudden halt by itself is not enough to rebut the presumption. Courts explain that drivers have a duty to remain alert and to keep a safe following distance at all times, especially at common stopping locations, such as intersections.

November 20, 2019

Appellate Court Issues Ruling in Florida Car Insurance Coverage Dispute

by Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers

Recently, an appellate court addressed whether a Florida plaintiff may recover uninsured motorist benefits after she suffered injuries at a mobile gym. According to the court’s opinion, the defendant ran a mobile gym out of his truck and trained the plaintiff for several years. To power the machines and equipment, the defendant plugged the mobile gym’s generator into an outlet at the woman’s home. This arrangement worked well until the woman suffered permanent injuries during one of her sessions. The woman settled negligence claims with the mobile gym owner and her personal trainer. However, she also filed an uninsured/underinsured motorist claim (UIM) with her insurance company. The insurance company claimed that its UIM policy does not apply to motor vehicles such as a mobile gym. Ultimately, the trial court found in the insurance company’s favor, and the woman appealed the ruling.

Car insurance coverage is an integral part of car ownership, and can protect motorists from disastrous financial burdens if they are involved in an accident. However, the Insurance Research Council estimates that over 12% of drivers do not have car insurance coverage. When a driver is involved in a Florida car accident with a UIM driver, they may face challenges in trying to recover for their damages. To address this inherent unfairness, many car insurance companies offer their policyholders UIM coverage. This protects drivers from high out-of-pocket costs if they are a victim of a hit-and-run or an accident with a negligent UIM.

When a Florida driver files a UIM claim with their insurance company, the company effectively steps into the shoes of the negligent driver. In many instances, the policy holder’s relationship with their insurance provider becomes adversarial, and claimants need to fight for their benefits.