Wrongful Death | Orlando Accident & Injury Blog - Part 15
One Person Killed, Another Injured in Fatal S.R. 528 Accident in Florida
One man was killed and other seriously injured when the truck they were driving collided with the back of another truck on State Road 528 in Orange County. Florida Highway Patrol accident investigators are still conducting their investigation into the accident but report that the accident involved a U-Haul truck pulling a trailer and a pickup truck that was also hauling a trailer. Officers say that a 22-year-old passenger was killed and the 58-year-old driver of the U-Haul truck was seriously injured because they were following the pickup truck and trailer too closely when the accident occurred.
FWC Claims Excessive Speed and Inexperience Led to Recent Fatal Florida Boating Accident
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officials recently closed their investigation into one of two fatal boating accidents and found that excessive speed and a boater’s inexperience were contributing factors. The 53-year-old victim of one of the accidents died from injuries after being ejected from his watercraft and struck by another during a boating exhibition on Lake Dora. The fatal accident occurred on March 17 during the Classic Raceboat Association’s annual Spring Thunder Regatta. The victim was operating his speedboat when it struck the water at a dangerous angle, throwing him from his vessel. He was struck a few seconds later by a nearby boat and died instantly from his injuries.
Report Criticizes FHP Troopers’ Actions in Tragic I-75 Accident That Killed Eleven
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) recently issued a report that was sharply critical of Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers’ actions in the aftermath of a deadly chain reaction accident on Interstate 75 in January. Shortly after the accident, troopers were the targets of much criticism for reopening I-75 even though large portions were blanketed with fog and smoke from a nearby wildfire. In the April report, the FDLE criticized troopers directly for how they handled the situation and their judgment for reopening the interstate.
Law Could Limit Damages in Florida A&M Hazing Lawsuit
Floridians are very familiar with the sad story of Robert Champion, the Florida A&M drum major who died from injuries he received in a well-publicized hazing incident in Orlando. What they may not know, however, is a Florida legal concept called “sovereign immunity,” which could limit the amount of money his parents could receive in a lawsuit. Champion was fatally injured on a charter bus in Orlando while he was being hazed by fellow members in the school’s marching band, and his parents are seeking damages in a wrongful death lawsuit. For a full explanation of sovereign immunity, parents and close family members of wrongful death victims should speak to an experienced Orlando personal injury attorney. A simple explanation of sovereign immunity is that it limits the ability for people to collect wrongful death damages from several public agencies.
Florida Hazing Incident Leads to Serious Injuries and Three Arrests
A hazing incident at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University has led to serious injuries for one freshman and the arrests of three people who broke the victim’s leg and caused other injuries. Tallahassee Police arrested three young men aged 19, 22 and 23 for felony battery for injuring the 18-year-old member of the school’s “Marching 100” band. In addition to a broken femur, the victim suffered blood clots and bruised bones in her legs. The victim said she suffered the beatings on October 31 and November 1 while the Marching 100 band was in Orlando to perform at halftime of the Florida Classic football game. Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham is closely following developments in this case, as it is distressingly similar to a similar hazing incident that claimed the life of a 26-year-old FAMU drum major who collapsed and died in October. Police suspect that hazing led to this victim’s death.
Orlando Wrongful Death: Boy Dies of Methadone Overdose
A 32-year-old Holly Hill man is facing murder charges after a 14-year-old boy died from a methadone overdose after finding the drug in the trash. The Volusia County State Attorney’s Office recently issued an indictment for the man for first-degree murder and a felony charge of delivering a controlled substance to a minor in connection with the boy’s death. The man is accused of driving the victim and another 17-year-old minor to Whitney Labs near Ormond Beach on Highway 1 early on the morning of May 24 and showing the boys how to find methadone the company has discarded in a dumpster.
Doctors Will Not Face Wrongful Death Charges in Michael Jackson Case
Officials investigating circumstances surrounding Michael Jackson’s death have decided not to pursue charges against seven physicians who treated him before his death. There was a referral of the case of one doctor under investigation for prescribing medication to a Jackson alias to the California Medical Board. While there won’t be any filing of criminal charges against the doctors, their legal troubles may not be over. The Jackson estate can still pursue wrongful death claims against them for a variety of different circumstances that may have led to the entertainer’s death.
James O. Cunningham
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.