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Camp Lejeune LawsuitsDecember, 2012 | Orlando Accident & Injury Blog Archive
Police Plan Aggressive Holiday Weekend DUI Patrols on Orlando Streets
Anyone thinking of drinking and driving on the weekend before New Year’s Eve as well as the big night better reconsider the potential consequences. A team of specialized police officers will be cruising Orlando streets looking for drunk drivers in the final weekend of 2012. The Orlando Police Department’s DUI unit patrols area roadways every Thursday and Friday night on the lookout for drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and, unfortunately, there is always a steady supply of intoxicated drivers.
Toyota Pays More Than $1 Billion to Settle Lawsuits
Late December brought important news for people who filed claims against Toyota Motor Corp. for accidents, injuries and deaths in connection with sudden, unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles. Earlier this month, we blogged about a $17.35 million fine filed against Toyota by the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration for reacting slowly to floor mat problems in some Lexus vehicles. That fine has now been dwarfed by a record $1 billion payout by Toyota to settle hundreds of lawsuits filed by owners who said that the value of their Toyota vehicles plummeted after the automaker issued recalls to correct unintended acceleration problems. The settlement came as a surprise to James O. Cunningham and other Orlando Toyota recall accident attorneys, as it is unprecedented in its size. It is the largest in U.S. history that involves product liability in automobiles.
Florida Supreme Court Issues Ruling in Medical Malpractice Case
The Florida Supreme Court recently issued a ruling that could affect the ability of James O. Cunningham and other Orlando personal injury attorneys to build medical malpractice cases for their clients. The Court’s 5-2 ruling in a Broward County malpractice case prevented an insurance company’s attorney from speaking privately with a doctor who treated the plaintiff in the case. The ruling cited a Florida law, which the court states, "creates a broad and expansive physician-patient privilege of confidentiality."
Charges Filed in BUI Boating Accident in Indian Harbour Beach
Indian Harbour Beach police report that they have filed charges against a Satellite Beach man who crashed his 19-foot boat into a dock on the west side of Grand Canal recently. After the initial collision with the dock, the man turned his boat, where it crashed through mango trees and into the backyard of a nearby home. The man’s four-year-old daughter was also aboard the boat when the accidents occurred but was uninjured. The 36-year-old man faces a number of charges in connection with the accidents, including felony boating under the influence, probation violations, child abuse and BUI with property damage. The probation violation stemmed from a DUI conviction in 2011.
One Person Dead and Another Injured in Aviation Accident Near Leesburg
An aviation accident near Leesburg has claimed the life of one man and critically injured a woman. The accident occurred around 2:35 p.m. on Christmas Eve. Witnesses told accident investigators that they heard an aircraft’s engine cutting in and out in the moments before the crash but assumed that the airplane making the noise was one of many stunt aircraft that fly out of nearby Leesburg Airport. A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the agency will be investigating the crash as soon as they can get an accident investigation team to the crash site.
Family Files Wrongful Death Suit in Connection With 2010 Florida Hit-and-Run Accident
The family of a Eustis man who was killed in a 2010 hit-and-run pedestrian accident has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver who caused the accident. James O. Cunningham and other Orlando wrongful death attorneys are following developments in this case closely, as this pedestrian accident is one of many that have claimed the lives of Central Florida residents over the last couple of years. The civil lawsuit filed this month against the driver seeks more than $15,000 in damages for the December 2010 accident that killed a man walking his dog.
Toyota Fined Another $17.35 Million for Sudden Acceleration Problems
Toyota Motor Corp., which has already paid record fines in connection with well-documented problems with sudden, unintended acceleration in its vehicles, has been ordered to pay another $17.35 million by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA regulators ordered Toyota to pay the fine for not recalling Lexus RX 350s and RX 450h sport-utility vehicles quickly after learning that floor mats in these vehicles could jam the gas pedal and cause sudden acceleration.
New Florida PIP Law Could Make it Tougher for Injured People to Receive Compensation
Revisions to a current law scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2013, have James O. Cunningham and other Orlando personal injury lawyers very concerned about the impact they could have on injured people getting the fair and just compensation they deserve from negligent drivers. Under the current law, all drivers are required to purchase Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance, which helps ensure that anyone injured in an auto accident will have some coverage for medical bills whether they were at fault for causing the accident or not. Under Florida law (Title XXXVII, 627.736), PIP insurance covers up to 80 percent of medical bills up to a maximum of $10,000, 60 percent of the injured party’s lost wages, as well as a $10,000 death benefit in the case of a fatal accident.
Florida Man at Bus Stop Killed When Driver Loses Control of Car
A man was killed recently when a driver lost control of his car and plowed into the bus stop where the victim was waiting. The Florida Highway Patrol reports that the accident occurred around 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 22 just outside the University of Central Florida campus. Troopers say that the driver is a 26-year-old Chuluota man and are still trying to determine how and why he lost control of his vehicle while driving on State Road 434.
December a Deadly Month for Motorcycle Accidents in Central Florida
A motorcyclist was killed on Saturday, Dec. 22, when a driver turned into his path. Regular readers of this blog will know this is a distressingly common scenario in motorcycle accidents in and around the Orlando metropolitan area. We urge riders and drivers alike to exercise extra care when they are on area roadways, as this rider is the eighth motorcyclist killed in the last few weeks alone. Drivers need to take an extra moment before pulling out into traffic or changing lanes to make extra sure that the path is clear. You should ride defensively and anticipate that drivers may not be able to see them well, especially at night.
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.