Jacksonville Personal Injury Blog

Today is day one of Operation C.A.R.E. that stands for Combined Accident Reduction Effort and is being conducted by the Florida Highway Patrol. Those of you on the roads for the next 72-hours will be watched very carefully for speeding, not wearing your seat belt, and DUI. The CARE program and increased traffic patrols runs through Sunday.

FHP is very serious and plans to conduct DUI checkpoints and have DUI teams driving through areas looking for those of you driving under the influence.

Additional radar, laser, motorcycles, and marked and unmarked patrol vehicles will be on the road as well as aircraft to spot violators from the air, then direct troopers to pull them over. All of this is intended to reduce the number of crashes expected.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that the Independence Day weekend is the deadliest for motor vehicle accidents in Florida and across the country – with 161 deaths on that day alone in 2004. This year, if you are on the road and see someone behind the wheel who should not be, FHP has set up a number – dial *FHP (*347) from your cell phone and you can report an aggressive driver and also request roadside assistance as well.

Enjoy the fireworks, our great country, stay well and don't become another statistic. #

If you’ve got the boat ready for a weekend on the water, the Coast Guard has a warning for you- Wear a Life Jacket!

The Coast Guard says the July 4th holiday is the deadliest holiday for boaters, so they and Florida Fish and Wildlife units will be out patrolling the waterways this Independence Day holiday in 12-hour shifts, according to a report.

For the same reason you wear a seat belt in a car, a life jacket is a must when there are more people boating, especially at night when it’s difficult to see. Not everyone is likely to be paying attention with the fireworks going off, so it’s always a good idea to have a second observer paying attention to where you are going and looking for any hazards in the water.

Another thing to remember- just like driving a car, don’t drive a boat drunk. Alcohol is a known factor in about 20 percent of fatal boating accidents, so if you plan on drinking, name a designated driver.

Our waters can be very shallow and unpredictable, especially in Intracoastal waters, and tides and currents can make boating a challenge on the St. Johns River.

When out in deep water, running out of gas is a problem for some who are not paying attention. The Coast Guard will be bringing extra fuel containers onboard for those boaters this weekend. And after ten hours on the water – don’t forget about the drained batteries you will need to get back home.

Continue reading "Buckle Up Onboard for 4th of July Weekend" »

Two years ago, one 10 year old girl, was doing well in school and at home, but she had one reoccurring problem. She kept having strep throat. Her mother and doctor couldn’t figure out what was going on until the girl had to give up her bedroom to guests for a week. Her strep throat went away.

According to an article, turns out she didn’t use her dental rinse during that time. Agent Cool Blue Listerine is geared toward children and shows up a blue color when plaque is left behind. It’s supposed to encourage brushing. Instead it is encouraging a lawsuit.

This girl is now at the head of what may turn out to be a class action product liability lawsuit. Listerine, made by a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, admitted to consumers that four different types of bacteria were found in the formulation two years ago. The four contaminants were: pseudomonas flurorescens; klebsiella oxytoca; serratia marcescens; enterobactar cloacae; all bacteria that grew in the absence of any preservative.

About 200 potential plaintiffs have joined the product liability lawsuit complaining of the same symptoms, repeated strep throat, high temperature, extremely large sores in their mouths, and cracking of permanent molars.

The company immediately reformulated the product and added a preservative.

But that may not have done the trick.

Continue reading "West Palm Listerine Product Liability" »

St. Augustine is home to the oldest port in the continental United States – in fact, St. Augustine is commonly referred to as “the nation’s oldest city.” In 2004, the population was estimated to be 12,157. Home to beautiful beaches and museums, St. Augustine continues to be a popular tourist destination in Northern Florida. Located about 40 miles south of Jacksonville and 60 miles north of Daytona Beach just 5 miles east of Interstate 95, St. Augustine is also a well traversed location.

With hundreds of residents and visitors relying on a plethora of medication to maintain healthy living or treat an illness, many people don’t want to believe or admit that pharmaceutical litigation in St. Augustine occurs. As patients and consumers who often rely on the aid of pharmaceutical products, we expect that the products we are prescribed or buy over-the-counter are safe and don’t pose a risk to our lives. When a manufacturing company distributes medication that causes dangerous side effects to its users, those who are injured may receive compensation; however, this is no easy task. Pharmaceutical litigation is a complex process that requires an experienced St. Augustine pharmaceutical litigation attorney to help evaluate your case and the evidence involved so that justice can be attained.

While encountering a variety of life’s obstacles, many people require medical attention for different conditions and emergencies of all kinds. Unfortunately, cases of medical malpractice in St. Augustine happen from time to time, as it does across the nation, resulting from failure to diagnose, birth injuries, hospital negligence, and surgical injuries, just to name a few. The knowledge and skills of a medical malpractice attorney is needed when taking on insurance companies, big hospitals, and/or doctors who will do anything like cover up mistakes so that they aren’t held responsible for their negligent actions that put innocent people at risk for suffering life-changing injury or wrongful death. If you have been injured from a defective drug or have suffered medical malpractice, contact the personal injury law firm of Farah and Farah today for a confidential consultation:

1301 Plantation Island Drive
Suite 206A
St. Augustine, Florida 32080
Phone: (904) 797-7977

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Two people died and two others were injured in a one-vehicle car accident in Northeast Florida that injured a four-year-old. The crash happened just northeast of Macclenny at about 6 p.m., according to a report.

The Florida Highway Patrol reports that the car was traveling north on County Road 125 and for unknown reasons veered off the road onto the shoulder. The driver just kept going and apparently did not apply his brakes or try to correct the path. After about 175 feet, the car, a Lincoln Continental, hit a large oak tree.

The driver from Pensacola and a front seat passenger were trapped in the vehicle for more than an hour while rescue workers tried to extricate them. The FHP says two passengers died from their injuries.

The little 4-year-old received serious injuries. The driver was in serious condition, but survived.

What we know so far from FHP is that everyone was wearing their seat belts and that alcohol was a factor in the wreck.

It is state law that every child be placed in a federally approved child restraint device or in the case of a 4 or 5-year-old, they must be in a separate carrier or an integrated child seat or seat belt. We are thankful that someone thought to strap this child in as it likely saved his life.

Continue reading "Baker County Crash" »

You may have heard the news reports about the popular cold remedy, Zicam.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is ordering the maker of Zicam to cease marketing the little bottle with the big nasal spray after continuing reports that some users have lost their sense of smell.

Here are the three over-the-counter Zicam products affected:

• Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel


• Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs


• Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size (a discontinued product)

The FDA has reportedly received more than 130 reports of the loss of smell, also known as anosmia, which can be a big problem if you cannot smell spoiled food or a fire.

Perhaps most serious is that the FDA believes that Zicam maker, Matrixx, may have received more than 800 complaints directly to the company regarding product liability injury, which by a 2007 FDA regulation are supposed to be turned over to the FDA.

Matrixx Initiatives stand behind the science of its products and its belief that there is no causal link between its intranasal gel products and anosmia. The company says the FDA action is unwarranted. They plan to cooperate with the FDA to review safety data.

But for fans of Zicam, don’t worry. The cold tablets made by Zicam also deliver the homeopathic ingredient, zinc gluconate, a naturally occurring mineral. The only difference is in the delivery. Directly into the nasal passages causes the working ingredients to be absorbed immediately.

Continue reading "Zicam Warning for Consumer Safety" »

Brunswick is a city in southeastern Georgia located about 30 miles north of Florida. Home to the fourth-largest automobile port in the eastern United States, the city's economy encompasses manufacturing, agricultural processing, and bulk cargoes. Nicknamed “the shrimp capital of the world” the region is also famous because it is the center of Georgia’s shrimp and crab industries. In 2007, the city proper had an estimated population of 16,235 and an estimated metropolitan population of 101,792.

Brunswick’s metropolitan area is the twelfth-largest in the state of Georgia and includes the counties of Glynn, Brantley, and McIntosh. With a region that encompasses such a large, varied area and a population that is on the rise, residents and visitors alike require medical attention for a variety of reasons. A lot of people don’t want to believe or admit that medical malpractice in Brunswick, Georgia occurs, as it does across the nation, resulting from failure to diagnose, birth injuries, hospital negligence, and surgical injuries, just to name a few. The knowledge and skills of a medical malpractice attorney is needed when taking on insurance companies, big hospitals, and/or doctors who will do anything like cover up mistakes so that they aren’t held responsible for their negligent actions that put innocent people at risk for suffering life-changing injury or wrongful death.

As patients and consumers who often rely on the aid of pharmaceutical products to help recover from or treat an illness, we expect that the products we are prescribed or buy over-the-counter are safe and don’t pose a risk to our lives. When a manufacturing company distributes medication that causes dangerous side effects to its users, those who are injured may receive compensation; however, this is no easy task. Pharmaceutical litigation is a complex process that requires an experienced Brunswick, Georgia pharmaceutical litigation attorney to help evaluate your case and the evidence involved so that justice can be attained. Contact the personal injury law firm of Farah and Farah today for a confidential consultation:

4216 Coral Park Drive,
Suite 107
Brunswick, GA 31520
Phone: (912) 466-8896

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Last week, we remembered nine teenagers who decided to cut the last day of school, pile into a 1997 Ford Explorer and go to the beach. On the way there, the 15-year-old driver lost control of the vehicle, which rolled, tossing everyone out, except the driver who was the only one wearing a seat belt. Three teens died that day; now a recent report states that a fourth, a teenage girl, has died as a result of the Florida rollover accident.

The 15 year old girl died Monday morning, June 15, at Shands Hospital. All but one of the teens attended Ed White High School in Jacksonville. Other students are still listed in critical condition.

Our condolences go out to the parents, friends, and teachers of these young people.

The Florida Highway Patrol reports that the tire in the overloaded vehicle either lost its tread or blew out. Someone reconstructing the accident would want to know what type of tire this was.

Tires on the vehicle could have been recalled, had no tread, or been improperly inflated. More than 200 deaths and 700 injuries have been blamed on the Explorer rolling after the tread separated from Firestone tires, which were standard equipment on the Explorer.

The Explorer is notorious for rollovers, especially the older models. A 1997 model did not have the stability control that is added today after thousands of passengers lost their lives in the unstable vehicles. An Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report in 2005 found that Explorers made between 1999 and 2002 had the fourth highest rate of driver wrongful death of all of the 47 SUVs in the study.

Continue reading "Fourth Student from Ed White Dies Following Explorer Rollover" »

The St. Johns County Sheriff’s department is releasing details about what happened to a one-year-old who was left inside a car to die.

According to a report, on Sunday, June 14, a young one-year-old was left in the automobile after her father dropped her mother off at work. She was in her car seat in the back and her father assumed she was with relatives. Long remained for several hours inside the car, parked outside her St. Augustine home. When she was finally found, she was blue and not breathing. The little girl later died at Flagler Hospital.

Our hearts go out to the family and to the little girl who suffered so.

Already this year there have been 12 wrongful deaths of children left inside a hot vehicle, reports Jan Null, a professor of Meteorology at San Francisco State University.

Add this to 35 and 42 child deaths, in 2007 and 2006, due to hyperthermia or heat stroke. Hundreds have died over the last ten years and children can die in a hot car even when the weather is relatively mild.

Under Florida law, it is illegal to leave a child unattended or unsupervised in a motor vehicle for any longer than 15 minutes, but even that is too long for the Florida heat. Under Florida sun, even a temperature of 70 degrees can rise twenty degrees in ten minutes. The state can take custody of any child if you are found to be in violation of this law and you can be charged with a crime for inflicting the risk of death or personal injury on a child.

Continue reading "1 Year Old Left Inside Car Dies in St. Augustine" »

We’ve all seen drivers who take chances like running a yellow light and passing through a busy intersection after the light has turned red. Not only do they risk being injured and injuring others in a Florida auto accident, but they put pedestrians in danger as well. This is usually when you with law enforcement officers were around. Well in Orange Park in North Florida, you’ve got your wish.

According to an article, cameras will soon catch red-light runners at busy intersections. That was voted in by the city council.

The camera is triggered when the car enters the intersection after the signal changes and records the time of day, the vehicle speed, and license plate. If you enter within a half second you will probably get a break because of the limits of the technology.

The state legislature would like to mount cameras at busy intersections statewide, but failed to figure out how to divide up the proceeds. Each ticket, which the offender receives in the mail, generates about $125.

Cameras have been shown to substantially reduce red light running, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. When they were installed in Fairfax, Virginia and Oxnard, California, cameras reduced red-light running by about 40 percent, and reduced intersection crashes by up to 30 percent.

Some suggest that they are primarily a revenue generator for a city, but often the ticket revenues don’t even pay for the purchase of the cameras and the billing system that generates the tickets.

Continue reading "Traffic Cameras in Orange Park" »

Lake City is located in Columbia County, Florida and is known as the “Gateway To Florida.” With a population of about 12,000 and in a county whose population is on the rise (Columbia County has close to 68,000 inhabitants as of 2006), Lake City has become a popular tourist destination as well as a stop for those on route to Southern Florida. Lake City got its name as the “Gateway to Florida” because two major highways, Interstate’s 10 and 75, converge within city limits. I-10 is one of the major east-west thoroughfares in the United States running from Santa Monica, CA all the way to Jacksonville, Florida.

With so much tourist and commuter traffic traveling through Lake City, truck accidents and auto accidents are an all too common occurrence. Unfortunately, tractor trailer and commercial truck accidents on I-10 and I-75 happen quite often. When these accidents are fatal due to another driver’s negligence, a Lake City wrongful death lawyer can help a family receive compensation for funeral expenses, loss of companionship, and other expenses.

Truck accidents truly present the largest danger on our highways today. If you are involved in a full speed crash with a semi-truck, it is equivalent to colliding with 20 cars - all at the same time. This is very serious and can have catastrophic consequences. In the aftermath of serious large truck accidents and tractor-trailer accidents, the Lake City tractor trailer accident attorneys of Farah and Farah in Florida are prepared to represent victims and help them receive the compensation they are owed. Due to the deadly nature of truck accidents, the advice of an experienced attorney is invaluable to accident victims or surviving family members. Contact Farah and Farah today to speak with a member of our legal team or contact us at our Lake City offices:

212 N. Marion Ave Suite 208
Lake City, FL 32055
Phone: (386) 754-7534

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A young driver hit a teenage dog walker and left the scene of the pedestrian accident in St. Augustine. According to a report, 16-year-old Allison Almon was walking two dogs when the car hit her from behind Friday evening. One of the dogs was also hit. The other ran home and alerted the owner.

Our prayers for a speedy recovery go out to Almon, who was hospitalized with non life-threatening injuries. Pedestrians often have serious injuries from vehicles, including head and brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and broken bones.

State law says that walkers should stay on the left side of the road and stay out of the area marked for vehicles. When a sidewalk is not available, the pedestrian is to walk as far on the shoulder as is safe. No word here on whether Almon was following the law, but the law is very clear for drivers responsible for a hit-and-run. They are supposed to stay at the scene of the crash until help arrives.

Regardless of any law, there is the rule of human compassion.

Leaving someone on the side of the road during daylight (the accident happened around 5 p.m.), is a lowly act, even though neighbors on Cornell Road say the area is unsafe since it is often a speedway for those who live nearby.

We are grateful that her injuries are not more serious, but being hit by a vehicle can cause serious personal injury in Florida and require expensive long-term medical rehabilitation.

Continue reading "St. Augustine Pedestrian Hit-and-Run Accident Injures Teen" »