Leesburg, FL Personal Injury Law Blog

A recent examination of motorist behavior reveals that the possibility of a car accident is greatly heightened by improper use of turn signals. In promoting safe driving, many focus their attention on such things as cell phone use or texting while driving, but a surprising number of car accidents in Florida and across the nation are caused by misuse of turn signals.

About two million car crashes a year are related to misuse of the turn signal. Drivers fail to activate a turn signal when doing such things as changing lanes. It is also confusing to other motorists when a driver neglects to switch off a turn signal when it is no longer needed. A research study reveals that motorists engage in such improper use of turn signals about 48 percent of the time, an astonishingly high figure. Even when making a full turn onto another street, motorists make such errors approximately one in every four instances.

Florida animal lovers may have been pleased by a recent case in which a woman was awarded over $65,000 for the wrongful death of her dog. While animal legal issues are separate from personal injury issues, this case may have set a precedent because it regarded the pet more like a family member than property. In all states, including Florida, pets are legally considered to be property. Even in the event that a pet dies, owners are typically only awarded their replacement amount.

This lawsuit was filed in Colorado and sought damages for both emotional distress and negligence from a cleaning company. According to reports, the dog died after being struck by a car during the time that employees from a cleaning service were performing work at a woman's house.

A man that some Florida residents would argue should not have been behind the wheel of a vehicle to begin with was recently involved in a serious accident. The 100-year-old man has not yet been cited for his role in the motorcycle accident that left an individual in critical condition.

The accident took place when a Buick Century went to turn left and collided with a motorcycle, driven by a 22-year-old man from Apollo Beach. The man behind the wheel of the Buick was 100 years old, adding to the already raging debate whether elderly drivers should be subject to increased testing prior to having driving privileges renewed.

A recent string of structural failures on Boeing 737 planes has left transportation experts skeptical about the safety and quality measures used by the company. New findings, along with conflicting information released by Boeing leaders, has bolstered this sentiment. Travelers throughout the nation, including Florida, may be at an increased risk of a plane crash due to defective plane parts.

The Boeing 737 is the most popular plane for inter-city flights. In fact, one of these planes takes off or lands every 2.5 seconds. Boeing had cornered the market with the 737's advantageous combination of durability and speed. The plane quickly became the worldwide "workhorse" model.