Tips for Driving During a Storm

Florida summer’s are known for their afternoon showers, which can be a real pain for drivers. Rain can cause a lot of safety issues like limited visibility, flooding, and hydroplaning. Luckily, there are many tips you can follow that could limit your risk for a rain related accident. 

The first thing you should do if you run into a storm while driving is slow down (but don’t break quickly or suddenly) and turn your headlights on, it’s the law. It’s important to note that it can be illegal to turn on your emergency lights while driving, so make sure your low beams are the only lights that you have on. Leaving extra distance between you and the car in front of you to allow for braking and avoid sudden movements is also important. If you can, try to avoid flooded roads, downed power lines and make sure to approach intersections with extra caution. If you don’t feel safe or confident in your driving during a storm, it’s okay to pull over to the shoulder of the road way and stay in the car until the rain calms down or stops completely. While on the side of the road you should turn on your hazards. 

Of course, it’s always best to be preemptive and check your windshield wipers and tires to make sure they are in proper condition to handle driving through a storm. If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Naples, Ocala, Orlando, Tampa, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Ft. Myers or any other city in Florida –remember after 911, call 411! 1-800-411-PAIN can put you in touch with an experienced, aggressive network attorney who will fight for your rights and get the maximum compensation you deserve. Don’t forget to follow 411 PAIN on Twitter (@411PAIN) and keep up with the conversation at #411PAIN!

NCAA Gold Medalist Torrin Lawrence Died After Highway Collision

Torrin Lawrence is an American sprinter who represented the University of Georgia as a 100-400 meter runner. He also won the gold medal in 2010 for the 400 m NCAA track and field championship. On Monday, July 28^th of this year, Lawrence was driving on I-75 in Cordele, Georgia when a tractor-trailer crashed into his car early in the morning. His car blew a tire after the crash and came to a stop in the middle of the highway. He was thrown out from the vehicle upon the collision, was eventually knocked his car again by another vehicle and eventually died. 

If we’ve learned anything from this tragedy it’s that we need to make sure to be extremely aware of our surroundings after an accident. If you’ve been in a car accident, it’s important to only exit the vehicle if it’s necessary and safe to do so. Things like putting on your hazard lights, raising the hood to alert passing authorities and moving with extra caution can go a long way in keeping you safe after a collision. Be as alert as you can be not only when you’re driving but also after an accident has occurred to prevent a fatal situation that could have possibly been avoided. 

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Naples, Ocala, Orlando, Tampa, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Ft. Myers or any other city in Florida –remember after 911, call 411! 1-800-411-PAIN can put you in touch with an experienced, aggressive network attorney who will fight for your rights and get the maximum compensation you deserve. Don’t forget to follow 411 PAIN on Twitter (@411PAIN) and keep up with the conversation at #411PAIN!

Determining Liability in a Slip and Fall Accident

If you’ve been involved in a slip and fall accident, you might be wondering how exactly to prove fault. Proving fault can be complicated since several factors come into play when determining liability. If the accident occurred on someone else’s property, it’s important that one of the following is true:

1.      The owner of the property or an employee must have caused the spill or whatever led to the slip and fall

2.      The owner of the property or an employee must have known about the dangerous surface and done nothing to fix it

3.      The owner of the property or an employee technically should have been aware of the dangerous surface because a “reasonable” person would have taken care of the premises properly and ensured safety

Determining what makes a property owner “reasonable” can be more difficult. The law states that the owner must check on the property regularly and thoroughly in order to keep the property safe. Of course, the victim must take their own carelessness into consideration in case the property owner tries to fight the case. There are a few questions that can be asked in order to figure out if the property owner is responsible:

1.      Was the dangerous spot that caused the accident there long enough that the owner should have known about it?

2.      Is there a regular procedure the property owner abides by when it comes to checking for damage and repairing it when necessary? If so, is there proof?

3.      If the accident was caused by an object someone placed or left on the floor/ground, was there a legitimate reason for the object to have been left there?

4.      If there was a good reason for the object to be there but the reason no longer exists, could the object have been removed to avoid an accident?

5.      Could the object have been put in another location that could have avoided the accident?

6.      Could a warning (i.e. “Caution: wet floor”) have been put up to prevent a slip and fall accident?

7.      Was the accident due in part to poor or broken lighting?

When asking these questions, if one or more of them come out in the victims favor –they usually have a good case for compensation.

You also want to consider your own carelessness when it comes to slip and fall cases. There are rules that compare negligence and help measure your own reasonableness. The following are questions you should ask yourself before filing your claim:

1.      Was there a reason for you to be in the area where the accident occurred?

2.      If you were more careful could you have avoided the accident?

3.      Were you distracted?

These are all questions that will be asked of you if you decide to file a claim and get compensated for your injuries and damage and it’s good to be prepared and know exactly how to answer these questions.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Naples, Ocala, Orlando, Tampa, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Ft. Myers or any other city in Florida –remember after 911, call 411! 1-800-411-PAIN can put you in touch with an experienced, aggressive network attorney who will fight for your rights and get the maximum compensation you deserve. Don’t forget to follow 411 PAIN on Twitter (@411PAIN) and keep up with the conversation at #411PAIN!