Jacksonville Personal Injury Blog

Married for 33 years, a couple, both 67-years-old, were looking forward to spending their retirement in the Palm Coast area of Florida between Daytona and Jacksonville. But that was not to be. On November 13, 2009, a Circuit Court jury in Flagler County granted the husband $5.1 million in the wrongful death of his wife. Back in 2006, she was killed instantly in a wreck between her Honda minivan and a fully loaded tractor-trailer. Her husband suffered a pelvic fracture.

The lawyer for the husband presented evidence that the tired trucker ran a stop sign at a well-known, isolated intersection in the southwest part of the county known as Cody’s Corner. The driver of Palatka was driving for McMaster Sod LLC of Bunnell, Florida.

An attorney argued that the county shared part of the fault for the accident because there was poor signage at the intersection, and there were worn rumble strips just before the stop sign. But the jury didn’t agree, placing 60 percent of the blame on the trucker, and 40 percent on McMaster and no blame on the county.

Some of the most compelling evidence included a Valentine’s card from the first year of the the couple’s marriage that said, “Our happiness is our wealth.”

Our hearts go out to the widower for his loss. No amount of money will replace his wife, whom he obviously adored.

Unfortunately, we are hearing more often about tired truck drivers. With the cost of fuel going up, and jobs scarce, many drivers are pushing beyond the legal limits on time behind the wheel and hiding those hours by keeping a second set of books so they are not fined. Then there are the added distractions on the road today. To stay in touch with their dispatchers and family, the cab of a truck is often filled with electronics so the driver doesn’t have to stop.

Continue reading " Widower Awarded $5 Million for Trucking Accident " »

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Law & Information , Personal Injury , Truck Accident , Wrongful Death

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Police said a work truck struck a private ambulance on the exit ramp of Interstate 95 to the Main Street Bridge on Tuesday morning, snarling traffic to downtown for more than four hours and starting a chain-reaction involving five vehicles that resulted in five injuries.

Initially, a three-car crash in Florida happened around 10:20 a.m. Then, according to police, a paint company truck exiting I-95 struck an ambulance at the site.

"That caused the Century Ambulance to go out of control," Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Lt. R.A. Hartville said. "The pickup truck and the ambulance then, both out of control, struck the rear of the police car as well as one of the occupants of the prior crash."

It was bad news for the patient inside the ambulance when it turned over onto its side. The driver, patient, and two paramedics had to be transported to the hospital with injuries. The driver of the ambulance had to be cut from the cab by Jacksonville Fire-Rescue.

Continue reading " Five Vehicle Wreck " »

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Personal Injury

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A 42-year-old St. Augustine, Florida woman was killed Friday night after authorities say she walked in front of a moving car. She was crossing Florida 207 when she was hit by a Honda sedan about 6:20 p.m. The driver was identified as a 55-year-old female from St. Augustine by the Florida Highway Patrol.

In a separate pedestrian accident in Florida about an hour later, a man was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries Friday night after he was hit by a car in Northwest Jacksonville. The unidentified man was standing near the center of West Moncrief Road near Raines Avenue waiting for the traffic to clear, said the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Then the driver said the man just darted into traffic about 7:30 p.m. where he was hit. The man was taken to Shands Jacksonville hospital. Charges will not be filed against the driver.

On Tuesday, a pedestrian was struck and killed by an SUV at the rain-drenched intersection of North Main Street near 53rd Street. Police say the man was trying to cross the street when he walked in front of the vehicle.

The Times-Union reports the man’s relative identified him and that he didn’t have a car and walked everywhere he went. He later died at the hospital. No charges have been filed in that case.

Our condolences go out to the family members of these pedestrians, who have every right to cross a street as a car does to drive down one. We are sorry for your loss.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, in 2005 there were 576 pedestrians killed in the state, nearly 8,000 crashes that injured pedestrians and 8,626 pedestrian crashes.

Continue reading " Three Pedestrians Hit in Separate Accidents " »

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Law & Information , Pedestrian Accidents , Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

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A Waycross Georgia mother thought a pellet gun was just a toy until her son was killed. An 11-year-old boy was at a sleep-over Friday night with two other boys at the football coach’s home when he was shot in the chest with a .177-caliber pellet gun. He was transported to Satilla Regional Medical Center where he died about an hour later. Our deepest condolences go out to the young boy’s family at this time. So many think that what is essentially a toy can do no harm. So unfortunately we have all found out otherwise.

The boys were reportedly playing PlayStation 3 video game when one of the boys picked up the loaded pellet gun and pretended to shoot it. Then the next boy, a12-year-old, took over the rifle and pointed it at the 11-year-old, shooting him point blank range in the chest.

As of Tuesday, District Attorney Rick Currie says no criminal charges will be filed in the death of the boy. That’s because no child under the age of 13 can be charged with a crime in Georgia, they can only be charged with committing a delinquent act.

Police report that the boys first tried to stop the bleeding themselves before calling the two adults watching television in the next room. They then called 911 while the adult tried to stop the bleeding and performed CPR. The paramedics had no idea the boy was shot. All they had been told was, “He can’t breathe,” and took that to mean that the boy was having an asthma attack.

In fact, the paramedics didn’t know that the boy was bleeding and had been shot until they got him to the hospital, which is incredible considering the amount of blood that must have been present.

The young boy’s mother says she can’t believe her son is gone and that she had so looked forward to him growing into a man: “I worked really hard on him.”

The boy’s father said he's dealing with pain and frustration, still trying to come to grips with what happened to his son, an honor roll student at Ware Magnet School where he played on the youth football team.

Continue reading " Georgia Youth Dies from Pellet Gun Blast to Chest " »

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Posted In: Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

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The number of lawsuits by employees in Florida is on the rise, hitting record levels in Jacksonville. That’s because the recession, although supposedly over, continues to be seen in continuing layoffs and high unemployment numbers.

The Jacksonville numbers mirror a growing trend nationwide of employers that want to hang onto every cent in these trying times.

Unfortunately for them, there are laws protecting the employee. The New Deal legislation drafted during the Great Depression outlaws child labor and sets a minimum wage that is guaranteed. Amendments guaranteed employees a right to overtime pay.

Many disputes involve overtime.

When a man was hired at a 185-bed Youth Academy in Hastings, Florida, as a therapist, he was told he was a salaried employee. When he worked fewer than 40 hours a week, his pay was docked. But when he worked overtime hours, more than 40 hours a week, as he often did, he was not paid overtime.

The man complained, as did other case managers, and when that didn’t work, he sued. He says the company owes him tens of thousands of dollars. His law firm believes that he is not alone and is exploring whether the employer violated the law with other employees.

Starbucks has also been sued by Florida employees for failing to pay overtime in violation of federal law. The case has been granted a conditional class-action status because there are so many Florida Starbucks managers with the same claim. Starbucks has already had to pay $100 million in unpaid tips and interest to workers in California last year.

Working “off-the-clock” is a common scam that employers use to avoid paying overtime. If you are ordered to perform work-related tasks either before clocking in or after clocking out, you also may be eligible to file a lawsuit, as the employer is violating the law.

For the hourly worker, the standard is 40 hours a week. The minimum wage set by the state January 1, 2009 was $7.21 an hour. On July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage rose to $7.25 an hour. That means Florida employers must compensate their workers at a minimum wage of $7.25 an hour as well. Paying them less is illegal.

Continue reading " Overtime Lawsuits Thrive in Jacksonville " »

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Posted In: Law & Information , Workers' Compensation

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Orange Park, Florida is a prominent suburb of Jacksonville situated in Northeast Clay County. Located south of Jacksonville, Orange Park possesses a dynamic community full of culture and history. Orange Park’s population exceeds 180,000 and has a high population density. In addition to those who call Orange Park home, several visitors and passerby traverse along the local streets and highways in Orange Park.

Within its vast region, residents of Orange Park greatly depend on privately owned autos to get around. With its large population taking to the road, it is an ill-fated reality that accidents, injuries, and even death occur in Orange Park as a consequence of defective vehicles. Some of these catastrophic accidents are brought on by the negligence of a specific auto maker or are caused by disjointed auto manufacturing standards. No matter what the cause, the failure of auto parts can impose life-altering repercussions on drivers and passengers.

One of the most questionable modes of transportation when it comes to auto product liability is the 15-passenger van. Despite continuous words of caution from the U.S. Department of Transportation warning about the inefficiently and danger of 15-passenger vans, consumers continue to purchase and travel in these vehicles. One of the problems associated with the vans relates to tire inflation which can lead to a rollover accident. Also, these vans are defectively designed with a high center of gravity that can lead to the van “fishtailing” and/or overturning.

Those who have suffered from a defective vehicle or poorly designed auto part have legal rights and may be able to acquire compensation from negligent groups. The skilled Orange Park auto product liability lawyers at Farah and Farah have many years of experience helping defective vehicle injury victims. Whether you believe your auto accident and consequent injuries were brought on by a defect in a small passenger vehicle, truck, or 15-passenger van, our personal injury lawyers can assist you. Contact Farah and Farah today at our Orange Park office for a free consultation of your case:

(904) 264-0700
1534 Kingsley Avenue
Orange Park, Florida 32073


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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Auto Product Liability , Personal Injury , Product Liability , Rollover Accident

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There is a very bad proposal coming from Georgia’s Republican U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss as a way to keep health care costs down. Chambliss is known to be a friend to big business and his proposal shows it.

Chambliss is co-sponsoring legislation he says would cut down on so-called “frivolous” malpractice lawsuits.

Instead of capping the jury awards to the injured, cruel in itself if a truly injured person wins their case before a jury and is then told, “Sorry, state law caps what the jury wanted you to have.” Equally cruel, Chambliss has been joined by Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, in supporting a so-called “loser pays” legislation that would require those involved in a medical malpractice claim to enter nonbinding arbitration to try and resolve their differences.

Only if that did not resolve the dispute could they go to court, but if the injured loses, he or she would be on the hook to pay the opponents’ legal fees which easily could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Chambliss defends the proposal, called the Fair Resolution of Medical Liability Disputes Act of 2009.

Now remember this would apply, even if the person is successful before a jury but has their case turned over on appeal. That means all a deep-pocketed corporation has to do is keep filing appeals to higher courts and eventually the injured will run out of funds or their lawyer will. That’s how corporations use the courts to stomp on people and make them go away.

So ultimately the physically injured can become fiscally injured. The end effect will be no lawsuits are filed because no one wants to take the chance on what an unpredictable jury will do. And that’s the point.

In a statement Chambliss said, "While no one with a valid claim for medical malpractice should be denied his day in court, those who bring frivolous lawsuits raise the cost of health care for everyone, ‘Loser pays' should go a long way toward discouraging such junk lawsuits and lowering the cost of practicing medicine."

Folks - there are no frivolous lawsuits that I’m aware of filed by most big law firms. No one wants to put out the couple of hundred of thousands in lawyer time and hiring expert witnesses unless there is a case. Period. It just doesn’t make financial sense.

Continue reading " Loser Pays is a Bad Idea " »

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Posted In: Health & Information , Law & Information , Medical Malpractice , Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

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If you are driving a Toyota, I hope you are aware of what is going on.

Last month, Toyota announced it was planning its largest recall ever of nearly four million vehicles over the issue of loose floor mats that may be interfering with the accelerator pedal, causing the car to speed out of control.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has conducted an investigation into a high profile crash in California and is raising questions as to whether the floor mats are the only culprit in Toyota and Lexus models.

Last August, a Lexus ES 350, speeding out of control, killed an off-duty California Highway Patrol Officer, his wife, their daughter, and brother-in-law. All four died when the 2009 Lexus in which they were riding, a loaner car from the dealer, plummeted over an embankment in suburban San Diego at more than 100 mph before it burst into flames. The family was able to contact a 9-1-1- operator to say they couldn’t stop the ES 350. The brother-in-law, said the Lexus had no brakes.

Bob Carter, Toyota’s U.S. brand chief told the annual Reuters Summit recently said that speculation about a troubled fuel delivery system, braking, or runaway accelerator system is inaccurate.

"There's no evidence to support any of that," Carter said, adding that the automaker was working closely with the U.S. government to address the planned recall of up to 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles reports Reuters.

Since then, Toyota has warned consumers to remove the driver-side floor mats from eight Toyota models as a safety precaution, including the Prius.

These models are affected by this consumer alert:

• 2007-2010 Camry


• 2005-2010 Avalon


• 2004-2009 Prius


• 2005-2010 Tacoma


• 2007-2010 Tundra


• 2007-2010 ES 350


• 2006-2010 IS 250 and IS350

Continue reading " Toyota's Ongoing Problems " »

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Auto Product Liability , Law & Information , Personal Injury , Product Liability , Wrongful Death

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Home to the longest-standing port in the continental U.S., the city of St. Augustine is often called “the nation’s oldest city.” Surrounded by beautiful beaches and museums, St. Augustine is home to approximately 12,157 residents and caters to many visitors passing through Northern Florida. As a well traversed area, St. Augustine is situated 60 miles north of Daytona Beach just 5 miles east of Interstate 95, and 40 miles south of Jacksonville.

With the immense population of St. Augustine taking to the road and local highways, it is an unfortunate reality that accidents, injuries, and even death take place due to defective vehicles. Whether these catastrophic incidents are brought on by incompetent auto manufacturing standards or the negligence of a particular auto maker, the failure of auto components can impose many negative consequences on drivers and passengers.

15-passenger vans are one of the most controversial vehicles when it comes to auto product liability issues. The U.S. Department of Transportation has repeatedly warned consumers about potential dangers associated with the inefficiency of 15-passenger vans. These vehicles are improperly designed in that they have a particularly high center of gravity which creates a propensity to “fishtail” and overturn. Problems with tire inflation are also an issue of concern with 15-passenger vans because this can contribute to a rollover accident.

Anyone who has endured injury due to a defective vehicle or poorly designed auto part has legal rights and may be able to obtain recompense from negligent parties based on auto product obligations under the law. The experienced St. Augustine auto product liability attorneys at Farah and Farah have devoted many years to helping defective vehicle injury victims receive the restitution that they deserve. Whether you believe your auto accident and subsequent injuries were caused by a defect in a small passenger vehicle, truck, or 15-passenger van, our personal injury attorneys can help. Contact Farah and Farah today at our St. Augustine office for a free and confidential consultation of your case:

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


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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Auto Product Liability , Law & Information , Personal Injury , Product Liability , Rollover Accident

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In 2007, a 39-year old woman from San Francisco was the happy mother of 3-year-old twins.
Doctors put her on the Yaz birth control pill. Four weeks and one day later, she suffered a stroke.

Today it’s obvious to see part of her skull has been removed. Doctors had to operate to accommodate the brain swelling following her stroke. Her IQ is 77. She has chronic pain and has no short-term memory. She can no longer drive.

The injured woman was in the hospital for six months and returned to her twins a different person. They are getting help coping with the condition of their new mother, who walks, talks and looks different, with the help of a counselor.

Her doctors told her it was Yaz that caused her stroke and she has filed suit against drug maker Bayer HealthCare.

In addition, a 34-year-old history teacher and mother of two is also suing. She developed blood clots in both lungs in 2007 after starting Yaz. That resulted in partial loss of her right lung.
Yaz and Yasmin are made by Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals. Yaz is the newest sister to drug Yasmin and Yaz contains less estrogen. Ocella birth control is the generic version that is sold by Teva Pharmaceuticals.

All three oral contraceptives are among the most widely used and involve a combination of ethinyl estradiol with a new type of progestin, drospirenone. It has been linked to health problems including strokes, heart attacks, deep vein thrombosis, gallbladder disease, pulmonary embolisms, and death. The drug label says that the presence of drospirenone can increase potassium levels and may present a risk for heart problems for women who have liver or kidney problems.

Courthouse News Service reports that Bayer is facing more than 125 lawsuits over Yaz, and up to six new cases a day are being filed around the country, claiming that Bayer didn’t thoroughly research the new progesterone ingredient, drospirenone before marketing it.
Class actions are forming in New Jersey, where Bayer is headquartered, in East St. Louis, and in Pennsylvania state court.

Amazingly the drug is still on the market. Bayer may have failed to warn about side effects, but it does know how to market.

Yaz is the top-selling birth control pill in the U.S. partially due to the multimillion- dollar ad campaign by Bayer that promotes the pill as a quality-of-life treatment that improves acne and severe premenstrual depression.

The go-to drugs for women under the age of 35 generated sales of about $1.8 billion for Bayer last year.

Continue reading " Yaz Yasmin Oral Contraceptives Lawsuits Growing " »

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Posted In: Defective Drug , Health & Information , Law & Information , Personal Injury , Pharmaceutical Litigation , Product Liability

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One important element of health care reform that’s often not mentioned is the cost of medical errors and specifically errors involving prescriptions.

Medication interactions, a pharmacy mix-up, or the inability to read the doctor’s handwriting, can all lead to drug dosage errors which cost us all about $4 billion a year, not to mention lives and injuries.

Now the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it is trying to identify how 1.5 million prescription errors happen every year, according to the Institute of Medicine.

It is astonishing and even FDA commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, who is a doctor was stunned by the numbers. She announced a new plan called “Safe Use Initiative” by saying it “doesn’t require a new scientific discovery or a budget appropriation.”

The FDA will be holding public hearings and gathering information from the public.

Every week we hear of the adverse events from prescription medications, even when they are used as directed or prescribed. Consider Tylenol that can cause liver damage when taken in excess, and the current controversy about oral contraceptives Yaz and Yasmin, still on the market, but likely to eventually be pulled off because of the links to heart attack, strokes and blood clots.

Public Citizen’s Dr. Sidney Wolfe says part of the problem is that information is missing from warning labels about 99.5 percent of the time.

Continue reading " FDA Will Probe Medication Errors " »

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Posted In: Defective Drug , Health & Information , Law & Information , Personal Injury , Pharmaceutical Litigation , Product Liability

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A 25-year-old Orange park woman lost her life on I-95 Saturday and it was a scene we’ve seen all too often.

The Florida Highway Patrol reports that the woman was heading south on Interstate 95 in Flagler County when she lost control of her 1999 Ford Explorer SUV and crashed Saturday afternoon around 3:15 p.m. The FHP report says that the woman changed lanes to pass slow traffic and that’s when she moved to the shoulder of the road and lost control of the vehicle rolling it several times. The woman was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the Explorer and taken to Halifax Hospital where she was pronounced dead. No one else was reported to be in the SUV and no other vehicles were involved in the auto accident in Florida.

Our hearts go out to the family of this young woman whose life was cut short too soon. This accident never should have happened and I wish we could turn back time for the woman who lost her life.

When I read about this accident I was reminded of the Ford Explorer SUV that was overloaded with young people on the last day of school in June 2009. When a tire blew as the kids from Ed White High School were on their way to the beach, the driver lost control of the Explorer and with none of his passengers wearing their seat belts; all were ejected. Four teens lost their lives that day. That horrific accident is being blamed, at least partially, on the tire which blew out.

An accident investigator is going to want to check the tires on the vehicle involved in the Flagler County accident. There may be a cause of legal action if indeed the tire is determined to be the reason the woman lost control of her vehicle.

The second problem is the earlier model of Ford Explorer.

Continue reading " I-95 Accident Kills Young Woman " »

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Auto Product Liability , Law & Information , Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

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The city of Brunswick is situated in southeastern Georgia approximately 30 miles north of Florida. Brunswick is well-known for a variety of reasons, a few of which include being home to the fourth-largest automobile port in the eastern United States and being the center of Georgia’s shrimp and crab industries. Brunswick’s estimated population was 16,235 in 2007 and it had a metropolitan population of 101,792.

In encompassing the twelfth-largest metropolitan area in the state of Georgia, Brunswick residents rely heavily on personally owned automobiles as transport throughout the vast counties of Glynn, Brantley, and McIntosh. With its immense population taking to the road and local highways, it is an unfortunate actuality that accidents, injuries, and even death take place in Brunswick due to defective vehicles. Whether these tragic incidents are caused by incoherent auto manufacturing standards or the negligence of a specific auto maker, the failure of auto components can have detrimental consequences on drivers and passengers.

At the forefront of auto product liability problems, the U.S. Department of Transportation has continually warned consumers about the danger and inefficiency of 15-passenger vans. These vehicles are defectively designed in that they have a high center of gravity which provides a propensity to “fishtail” and overturn. 15-passenger vans also have shown issues with tire inflation which can lead to a rollover accident.

Individuals who have suffered injury due to a defective vehicle or poorly designed auto part have rights and may be able to seek compensation from negligent parties based on auto product obligations under the law. The skilled Brunswick Georgia auto product liability lawyers at Farah and Farah have acquired many years of experience assisting defective vehicle injury victims in obtaining the restitution that they deserve. Whether you believe your auto accident and subsequent injuries were caused by a defect in a small passenger vehicle, truck, or 15-passenger van, our personal injury attorneys can help. Contact Farah and Farah today at our Brunswick, Georgia office for a free consultation of your case:

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

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Auto Product Liability , Law & Information , Personal Injury , Product Liability , Rollover Accident

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A 17-year-old lost his life early Sunday morning in a three-car accident involving two other teen drivers.

The teen was traveling eastbound on Butler Boulevard at San Pablo Road near the beaches when his car swiped the side of another car that had hit a concrete barrier and was stopped on the side of the road. The driver’s passenger suffered serious injuries and the condition of another passenger was not reported.

Our condolences go out to the teen’s family. Motor vehicle accidents continue to be the leading cause of death among the young. We wish the surviving passengers a speedy recovery.

The Florida Highway Patrol reports that the teen was not wearing a seat belt, while his other passenger was. The third it is uncertain.

All of this happened after an 18-year-old of Jacksonville lost control of her eastbound car and struck the concrete barrier. She and her passenger luckily got out of the car and ran to the side of the road before the car was hit by the oncoming car. They were wearing seat belts and were not injured. A third car, also driven by a teen a 19-year-old of Jacksonville, struck the 18-year-old’s car. It was the two car pile-up into which the 17-year-old drove into at 1:30 Sunday morning.

Young and inexperienced drivers, out late, not wearing seat belts, and likely traveling at excessive speed. Is it any wonder that automobile accidents in Jacksonville and throughout the State of Florida are the leading cause of death for young drivers?

Continue reading " 17-Year-Old Dies in Sunday Morning Crash " »

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

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Nine deaths are now blamed on highly flammable women’s robe sold by Blair LLC and the company is expanding its recall. Made by a Pakistani manufacturer, Blair LLC of Warren, Pennsylvania has been working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to widen the recall.

So far about 300,000 chenille robes have been recalled including a full-length robe, a chenille jacket, lounge jackets, and chenille tops. Earlier this year there were five reports of death linked to the robes.

What generally happens is that women wear the chenille robe in the kitchen near the stove where they catch fire. The garment has failed to meet federal flammability standards so are particularly dangerous if near an open flame.

Most of the victims have been in the 70s and 80s, according to the CPSC.

This robe from Pakistan is the not the only product under a federal probe. Other chenille robes and chenille products also made by A-One Textile & Towel of Karachi, Pakistan are being looked at.

"This robe is highly flammable, flames travel quickly up the robe," said Scott Wolfson of the CPSC. "It's a deadly risk to women."

The recalled products were sold in Blair catalogs, online and at Blair stores in Warren, Pa.; Grove City, Pa.; and Wilmington, Del., from July 2000 through April 2007.

Continue reading " Recall of Flammable Robes " »

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With a population of about 10,800 as of July 2007 estimates, Palatka, Florida has a population density of about 1,553 people located within its 6.96 square mile, city limits. Located in Putnam County, Palatka is a city of commuter residents, with only about 20% of its residents both living and working within the city limits. As such, traffic in Palatka is an issue that all residents have to deal with. Unfortunately, with such an influx of traffic entering and exiting Palatka, vehicular accidents are bound to occur. Motorcycle accidents are one type of accident in particular that afflicts a large number of motorists each year. Fortunately though, a skilled Palatka motorcycle accident attorney can assist an injured individual with all aspects of their personal injury case.

More often than they do in passenger car accidents, catastrophic injuries can render motorcycle accident victims forever impaired. When catastrophic accidents result in brain injury, injured motorists can experience significant setbacks. Hospital fees, physical therapy costs, and even wages lost, both past and future, may be sought from negligent parties that caused the accident. In such instances, it is critical that experienced Palatka brain injury attorneys are consulted so as to protect the rights of injured motorists in a court of law.

If you have been injured in a Palatka motorcycle accident, legal help is available. Don’t hesitate to contact the personal injury law firm of Farah and Farah. Our skilled motorcycle accident attorneys will examine the circumstances of your accident, and will see to it that your rights are not trampled upon in a court of law. If your injuries are catastrophic, our Palatka brain injury lawyers will seek compensatory damages on your behalf to help assist with the costs associated with your accident. If you are injured in Palatka, please contact Farah and Farah for a free consultation of your injury case:

(386) 328-2889
417 St. Johns Avenue
Palatka, Florida 32177


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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Brain Injury , Law & Information , Motorcycle Accident , Personal Injury

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A 12-year-old boy lost his life last Saturday afternoon in Palm Bay, Florida in a tragic accident.
The boy was riding as a passenger in a go-kart that was traveling about 30 miles per hour down a dirt road when he was ejected. The go-kart was being driven by a 16-year-old who apparently lost control after avoiding a hole in the road. Another passenger was injured when the go-kart flipped.

A witness called 911 but on the way to the hospital the 12-year-old boy went into cardiac arrest and could not be revived, according to an investigator who arrived at the scene.

Our prayers go out to the family of this young boy who lost his life in a senseless accident. His classmates report that he was in fourth grade and will be greatly missed.

We so often see young people who lose their lives when involved in accidents involving wheels. Scooters, ATVs, and mini-bikes all have the power to go at a high rate of speed and cause permanent traumatic brain injury to a child when he falls off. There is little training to drive a go-kart and helmets are rarely used.

Just this month, a 9-year-old suffered severe burns and lost all ten fingers in a go-kart accident at Palm Beach International Raceway in Jupiter, Florida. His go-kart flipped over and burst into flames after it allegedly hit some uneven pavement. In that case, the boy’s family has filed a negligence suit against the track for failing to maintain its surface and have fire extinguishers or emergency phones on hand. The boy is lucky to be alive as he was pulled from the burning wreckage.

In August, a 13-year-old also lost his life in a Miami accident when his go-kart was hit by an SUV on a public roadway.

Motorized go-karts are not licensed or equipped to be used on public roadways in Florida. The driver was not cited.

Continue reading " Florida Go-Cart Accident Kills Fourth Grader " »

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Posted In: ATV Accidents , Auto Accidents , Personal Injury , Product Liability , Wrongful Death

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The push is on to ban texting while driving in Florida, one of 32 states where it is still legal to do so. AAA Auto Club is calling for a nationwide ban so that Florida can join 18 states where the practice is illegal.

Expect the 2010 legislative session to have at least two bills introduced by Florida lawmakers. Once again for the third year, Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton plans to push for a prohibition on texting while driving when the legislature convenes in March. And Rep. Doug Holder, R-Sarasota has filed HB 41 for the 2010 session to address the practice.

So far a ban has been unsuccessful and it’s beginning to be not only embarrassing for Florida, but more important, deadly. Five bills to ban the practice were filed in 2007 and in 2009, 11 bills were sponsored by both Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate, but thanks to some pretty heavy lobbying, none passed. The Miami Herald calls the Florida Legislature the handmaiden to the telecommunications industry.

You would think after what happened to Heather Hurd, Florida would wake up. Heather’s Law, as it’s been proposed, is named after one of two Polk County women who was killed in an eight-car pileup caused by a tractor-trailer driver who was texting.

While the Florida Highway Patrol does not have a way to tally up those who die in the state from texting thought the state is beginning to reformat its crash reports to include that information. The best estimate was that in 2008, 15 people were killed in Florida and 1,400 were injured by distracted drivers.

Continue reading " Texting Ban in Florida Finally Considered " »

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A crash Tuesday night has left one 20-year-old dead and hospitalized two others in the San Jose area of Jacksonville. A man was riding in a sedan when his vehicle was T-boned by a van about 8:30 p.m. near the intersection of Old Kings Road and St. Augustine Road.

The man died at Shands-Jacksonville. Our condolences and prayers go out to his family.

T-bone crashes occur fairly often. In this case, the vehicle had turned left and into the path of the van. The van’s driver had minor injuries as did the vehicle driver.

Generally in a t-bone accident someone has run a light or stop sign at a fairy good speed. These can be the most devastating accidents. More often than not there are fatalities involved because the side of the vehicle has less protection than the front or rear.

The moving violation brings a $204 fine.

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles says of the 13 crash types identified, running traffic control accounts for 22 percent of all crashes that led to occupant injuries in 45 percent of red-light running crashes, compared to 30 percent in other types of crashes.

Continue reading " San Jose Fatal Crash " »

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The “Isle of Eight Flags” is home to Amelia City and Fernandina Beach, and is more commonly known as Amelia Island. Housing a population of a little more than 68,000 people, Amelia Island, Florida is part of the Sea Islands and is 18.2 square miles in land size. With tourism as the island’s main economic source, a large number of tourists and beach-goers visit Amelia Island each year.

Those unfamiliar with Amelia Island’s roads may not exercise the most cautious driving practices while visiting. While all vehicular accidents are dangerous, those involving motorcycles pose an even greater chance of injury occurring, particularly to a motorcyclist that does not have the luxury of being confined within the framework of a car to protect against impact. When such accidents occur, it is essential that an Amelia Island motorcycle accident lawyer is promptly consulted in order to ensure that the rights of the motorcyclist are not infringed upon as an accident victim.

Injuries resulting from vehicular accidents can range from minor bruises to catastrophic brain injury. While it is the hope that no one is injured during an accident, catastrophic injury afflicts motorists all too often, particularly motorcyclists. Such injuries can be life altering, especially brain injuries, and can seriously impair an individual’s ability to lead the life he or she had become accustomed to prior to the incident. When brain injury or any other catastrophic injury does occur, it is critical that an Amelia Island brain injury attorney is consulted to ensure that the negligent party responsible for the accident is held accountable for playing a detrimental role in causing injury.

If you have been injured in an Amelia Island accident while riding your motorcycle, don’t hesitate to contact the motorcycle accident attorneys at the personal injury law firm of Farah and Farah. Our skilled attorneys will examine the circumstances of your accident, and will see to it that your rights are not trampled upon in a court of law. If your injuries are catastrophic, our Amelia Island brain injury lawyers will seek compensatory damages on your behalf to help assist with the costs associated with your accident. If injured, please contact Farah and Farah at our Amelia Island office today for a free consultation of your injury case:

(904) 261-4440
501 Centre St.
Fernandina Beach, Florida 32034


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He was wearing a headset and was walking on the railroad tracks. That is a very bad combination. An 18-year-old high school student was walking along Amtrak train tracks in Auburndale, Florida and apparently didn’t hear an approaching Amtrak train. He was hit and killed immediately.

The conductor says he tried to alert the teen with no response, until the train got within 20 feet of him. That’s when the teen finally heard or saw the train and tried to jump off the tracks, but it was too late.

The 18-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene. Our condolences go out to his family for this very tragic accident.

This is not an isolated incident.

A man was struck and killed by a train last Monday at Winona State University in Minnesota. It was the third train-pedestrian fatality in the area since August. He was wearing headphones.
The train operator says he sounded his whistle for more than a mile.

In February, a 17-year-old teen was hit and killed by an Amtrak train near his Comstock Township home in Michigan. He was crossing the tracks diagonally with his back to the eastbound train and was also wearing headphones.

Nationwide it is the 18-34 age group and overwhelmingly male that is walking on the railroad right-of-way tracks illegally.

Continue reading " Teen Wearing Headphones Killed By Train " »

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The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has a new Web site to focus on the state’s most at-risk drivers – teenagers.

Gov. Crist attended a Teen Driver Safety Summit this week where teen drivers and law enforcement exchanged ideas on how to create the safest possible driving environment for your young drivers.

Motor vehicle crashes continue to be the number one killer of teens. While teens make up six percent of drivers, they are involved in 14 percent of fatal crashes.

The Department has development a driving guide and Web site for parents and teens to use as a resource. The new web site is www.flhsmv.gov/teens.

It describes the state’s graduated license law and offers a log where drivers can add up their minimum of 50 hours of supervised driving before they get their license. TakeTheWheel.net is a Web site by teens that talks to teenagers in an interactive forum for teens to share their driving experiences.

Inexperience behind the wheel, a feeling of invincibility, alcohol, not wearing seat belts – all contribute to the high teen death rate behind the wheel.

The Department reports that the crash rate for teenagers 15 to 19 is 399 per 10,000 drivers, twice as high as their parents, and three to four times higher than their grandparents.That may surprise some.

Continue reading " Teen Driver Safety Week " »

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Like most coastal locales, Jacksonville Beach, Florida is a popular tourist location that attracts a large number of visitors each year. With a year-round population just shy of 22,000 as of July 2007, Jax Beach has seen a steady increase in its number of residents each year. Only 7.7 miles in land size, Jax Beach can quickly become congested with residents and visitors, particularly its roadways.

With so many people visiting Jacksonville Beach each year, multiple modes of transportation are often incorporated by motorists. Motorcycle travel is especially popular, especially while traveling along a picturesque coast. However, many motorists may not grant some motorcyclists the roadway respect that they rightfully deserve. Furthermore, with dangerous driving practices, such as illegal lane sharing, motorists absolutely have to be vigilant while operating their larger motor vehicles. When motorcycle accidents take place as a result of another driver’s negligence, a skilled Jacksonville Beach motorcycle accident lawyer can help injured victims seek compensation for property damage, medical bills, treatment, and many other expenses brought on by a serious injury.

When motorcycle accidents occur, the potential for catastrophic injury is generally much greater for the motorcyclist than it is for the driver of a passenger car or other larger vehicle. Accidents can be devastating to a motorcyclist, resulting in severe consequences such as a brain injury. With nothing more than a helmet protecting a motorcyclist, the likelihood of such an injury occurring is significant, and the probability that a motorcyclist’s life will be forever altered is likely.

Personal injury sustained during vehicular accidents can be overwhelming, regardless of the type of vehicles involved. Luckily, the motorcycle accident attorneys at the personal injury law firm of Farah and Farah will examine the circumstances of your accident, and will hold negligent parties responsible for your accident accountable for their actions. If you have sustained catastrophic injuries, our brain injury lawyers will see to it that your rights are not infringed upon in a court of law. If you have been injured, please contact Farah and Farah at our Jacksonville Beach office for a free evaluation of your injury case:

(904) 249 2585
472 Osceola Avenue
Jacksonville Beach, Florida 32250


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You’re driving down the road and suddenly something flies off the truck giving you a split second to avoid hitting it.That’s what happened Monday afternoon in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 295.

One vehicle was heading north when it failed to avoid hitting a ladder in the roadway. It then veered toward and across the median near Duval Road, striking two cars, one of them head-on. The driver, a 30-year-old man, was taken to Shands Hospital and is in critical condition. Our thoughts and prayers are with this injured man and his family.

It takes less than five minutes to strap down and double check a ladder, but for this man, it may take a lifetime for him to recover from his injuries. As is the case for any auto accident victim, this man and his family may want to consult with an auto accident lawyer in Jacksonville to see if they qualify to obtain the compensation they may need to help pay for expenses brought on by the accident.

A very similar incident occurred on the Buckman Bridge several years ago when a ladder fell from a truck causing a collision that left one person dead. In that case, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed against the owner of the vehicle that failed to secure the ladder properly.

It is not uncommon to see debris on our roadways – everything from furniture to construction to garbage. This is almost always due to a failure to properly secure loads on flat-bed or pickup trucks. It can cause you to take evasive action or even smash through a windshield or flatten tires.

Nationally, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety has found that there were 25,217 crashes in the United States directly related to road debris. Of those crashes, 8,012 involved injury to the occupants and 76 were fatal.

Continue reading " Debris Causes Multi-Car Collision on I-295 " »

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Even tobacco executives acknowledge these days that smoking is an environmental risk for cancer. According to the American Lung Association, more than 400,000 American lives are lost each year due to smoking or from secondhand smoke shared with babies and spouses.
Chantix sounded like a lifesaver when it was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in May 2006.

Also known as Varenicline Tartrate, Chantix is made by Pfizer and given to end smoking addiction. The FDA reportedly reduced its usual review time from 10 to six months.

Here’s how it works. Instead of using nicotine, which many smoking cessation therapies include, Chantix reduces cravings and decreases the pleasurable effects of smoking. But side effects reported include nausea, headaches, abnormal sleep, and Chantix dreams, vivid wild dreams.

It’s estimated about 5 million prescription have been written.

In November 2007, the FDA began investigating reports of suicidal behavior among users. 37 reports had come in of suicides and hundreds with suicidal behavior. Pfizer was forced to add a stronger warning on the drug’s label.

Pfizer has suggested that Chantix-induced psychotic episodes are actually due to nicotine withdrawal, but the FDA notes that even people who keep smoking and are taking Chantix have the same episodes.

After ABC News published the story of Carter Albrecht, who, after taking his first 1 milligram Chantix tablet, assaulted his girlfriend, and was shot and killed by a neighbor who thought he was a burglar. ABC received over 200 comments from people describing similar erratic behavior.

By November 2007, the FDA issued a release about Chantix confirming there were an increasing number of reports about radical changes in behavior and suicidal thoughts among users of Chantix. As a result the FDA recommended that healthcare workers monitor Chantix users for behavior and mood changes. Pfizer continues to say that Chantix is a real breakthrough medicine even though by February, 2008, the FDA was saying that after a continuous review of adverse event reports there was likely an association between Chantix and serious neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Continue reading " Chantix Reports of Suicide Keep Coming In " »

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We put computer chips on dogs to find them when they are lost. Your new Blackberry may have a Global Positioning Satellite or GPS. Why do we not have some tracking devices attached to our most precious gift – our children?

The need was made painfully clear in Orange Park near Jacksonville this week when the body of a little 7-year-old was found discarded in a Georgia landfill. The girl had disappeared while walking home from her Orange Park, Florida elementary school.

The young child and her family are in our prayers. No one can rest until this monster is found.
There are about 115 children kidnapped by strangers every year in the U.S. and entrepreneurs have been frantically working to come up with devices that allow us to track our children.

Many people think that microchips, put under the skin, help you find a child. But when put into our pets, they allow shelters to run a scanner and obtain information on the owner. They are not tracking devices.

The VeriChip Company makes a version called VeriKid, which is used in Mexico. VeriKid can only find children when scanners are put in public places kidnapped children may travel.

Wherify GPS Personal Locator combines GPS and digital wireless technologies to pinpoint a wearers position within a few feet. Parents can view satellite or street map or call an 800 number. Cost is $800 and more each month for monitoring. Parents lock the bracelet onto the child’s wrist.

Amber/AlertGPS is a small gadget that tells parents where their child is at all times. It features a button your child can push when they are in trouble sending out an SOS signal to five preselected people on their mobile phones and email addresses and can be placed in their pocket or backpack. You can set areas like a quarter mile around home or school you automatically gets an alarm, can also be used for speeding teenagers. At a cost of $379 with tracking plans ranging from $10 to $60 a month, it’s a little too costly for most parents.

Continue reading " Abducted Child's Body Found - What Can Parents Do? " »

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Jacksonville, Florida is the 12th most populated city in the United States. Housing a little more than 800,000 people at the time of the 2007 U.S. Census, Jacksonville is one of the more popular points of interest in Florida. With a total area of 874.3 square miles, Jacksonville hosts a nice mix of residents, vacationers, and passers-through each and every year.

Commuting in Jacksonville is essential for a variety of reasons. Residents may find themselves commuting to work, vacationers may find themselves commuting to a tourist spot, and passers-through may simply travel over Jacksonville roads while on the way to another location. Regardless, Jacksonville’s roads and highways can be congested places, and alternative methods to traditional automobile travel are often adopted by numerous individuals. Motorcycle travel is one such method of alternative transportation in Jacksonville, and when motorcyclists are injured due to another motorist’s negligence, the cyclist may need the legal advice and assistance of a skilled Jacksonville motorcycle accident lawyer.

At Farah and Farah, we understand that the results of a vehicular accident involving a motorcycle can be catastrophic. Motorcyclists do not have the luxury of being surrounded by the reinforced confines of a car, and their direct exposure to impact can lead to grave injury, such as a brain injury, that may leave the individual forever impaired. This is why our experienced Jacksonville brain injury attorneys are also available to assist any brain injury victim who was injured by another person’s negligence, whether in a motorcycle accident or in another type of accident.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident in Jacksonville or have suffered a brain injury, don’t hesitate to contact the personal injury law firm of Farah and Farah. If your injuries are catastrophic, our brain injury lawyers will examine the circumstances surrounding your accident to determine where negligent action played a contributing role towards your injury. Please contact Farah and Farah at our Jacksonville office for a free consultation of your motorcycle accident or brain injury case:

(904) 396-5555
10 West Adams Street
Jacksonville, Florida 32202


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The Ford Motor Company is issuing a recall for 4.5 million vehicles because of a faulty switch that can overheat and catch fire.

The action comes after an 18-month federal investigation that has Ford recalling more than 14 million vehicles in eight recalls over a decade over the faulty switch and the potential for fires.

The problem switch is made by Texas Instruments and sold for about $21. The cruise control deactivation switch can leak hydraulic fluid, overheat and then burn risking fire, even when the car is parked in your garage. The Windstar vans have an elevated risk, said a Ford spokesman.
The Detroit News, reports that Ford stopped using the switches in early 2003, but not before they were linked to at least 1,500 complaints and 550 vehicle fires.

At least one person died when the vehicle caught fire in their garage.

A 76-year-old man died August 14, 2007 when a fire started in his 1994 Mercury Grand Marquis parked in an attached garage in San Antonio, the Detroit News reports. Police reported it as an electrical malfunction in the engine compartment of the car.

You are advised to park your vehicle outside until it can be serviced.

Ford drivers should look for anything that appears to signal a fire danger such as malfunctioning cruise control and brake lights, antilock braking systems and brake light warnings on the dash. Another warning sign is difficulty in getting the vehicle out of the park mode.

Continue reading " Ford Recall Involving Faulty Switch and Fire Danger " »

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