Tampa Personal Injury Law Blog

Student crossing street struck by teacher

On behalf of Culpepper Kurland posted in auto-pedestrian accidents on Saturday, January 12, 2019.

Especially since they are places known to experience lots of foot traffic and bicycle traffic, pedestrian accidents are fairly common in and around the schools of the greater Tampa area.

In one coastal suburb north of the city, a high school freshman got hit by a car while she was walking to classes. According to initial reports, the student was not within a crosswalk when the driver, who is a teacher at the school, collided with her. The student was unconscious after the accident and had to be flown via helicopter to the closest hospital. She was listed in critical condition following the accident.

There are significant differences between truck and car accidents

On behalf of Culpepper Kurland on Thursday, January 10, 2019.

If you are a victim of a truck accident, you understand how complex and overwhelming the aftermath of this type of accident can be. Truck accidents can be quite severe, and you may find yourself dealing with the effects of both physical injuries and property damage. The expense and emotional trauma can be significant.

Truck accidents are quite different from other types of vehicle accidents. Due to the larger size and heavier weight of semitrailers and other commercial trucks, even a low-speed accident can have catastrophic consequences. The risk for injury is great. It may be beneficial for you to learn more about what makes this type of accident more complicated than other motor vehicle collisions.

Getting justice after an accident with a drunk driver

On behalf of Culpepper Kurland posted in drunk driving accidents on Sunday, January 6, 2019.

A previous post on this blog talked about how many people, including the lawmakers in one state, are realizing just how much of a line in the sand the common .08 blood alcohol content limit, or BAC, really is. Nevertheless, Florida uses .08 as its legal limit with respect to criminal DUI charges.

As that post discussed, the reality is that, depending on the circumstances, even a small amount of alcohol can profoundly affect one's driving, even to the point of causing a serious accident.

Should Florida pass tougher laws on distracted driving?

On behalf of Culpepper Kurland on Friday, January 4, 2019.

Distracted driving continues to be one of the most pressing safety concerns for motorists, both in Florida and across the country. Many states have tough laws in place to combat distracted driving, and many believe Florida should follow suit. One step in the fight against distracted driving is to implement laws that prohibit phone use while driving.

There are a few Florida lawmakers who are currently working to make that happen. They are pushing for tougher laws that will increase penalties for those who user their phones while operating a vehicle. One reason for this push is because Florida's distracted driving deaths are increasing while the national average is decreasing. This may be indicative of the need for tougher laws.

Reminder: below .08 does not a sober driver make

On behalf of Culpepper Kurland posted in drunk driving accidents on Friday, December 28, 2018.

With New Year's Eve on the horizon, it is an opportune time to remind Tampa residents and other Floridians that driving below .08 blood alcohol content may help a person avoid a criminal charge, but it does not make a person a safe and sober driver.

It seems indeed that since the time we discussed this in a previous post from several months ago, others have picked up on the notion that perhaps even .08 is a little too much alcohol for a person to be a reliably safe driver. One state will be lowering its legal limit to .05 by the time people ring in the new year, while several states, but not Florida, are considering or have considered similar measures.

Drunk driving suspected in critical injury accident

On behalf of Culpepper Kurland posted in drunk driving accidents on Friday, December 14, 2018.

Two motorists in two separate vehicles had to be taken to hospitals in the Tampa area after a very serious recent accident.

According to police, one driver was traveling in his Jeep the wrong way on a state highway in Hillsborough County when he slammed head on in to a Corvette. Rescuers transported the driver of the Corvette to a nearby hospital in what authorities described as a critical condition. The driver who was traveling the wrong way also suffered serious injuries and was taken to the same hospital.

Taxis, buses and limos are held to a high standard

On behalf of Culpepper Kurland posted in commercial vehicle accidents on Saturday, December 8, 2018.

Residents of Tampa put a lot of trust in the drivers of limos, buses, taxis and other forms of commercial mass transit, This even includes the relatively new ride-share companies that are now common in Florida, like Uber and Lyft.

Sadly, it sometimes turns out that this trust is misplaced, and the driver of one of these vehicles gets involved in a serious accident. A passenger can get severely and permanently injured as a result of these types of commercial vehicle accidents.

Could an app on the phone help reduce distracted driving?

On behalf of Culpepper Kurland on Friday, December 7, 2018.

As Florida readers know, distracted driving is one of the most critical issues threatening the health and safety of motorists. Distraction is now one of the leading causes of accidents, and authorities have tried many things to make drivers more aware and reduce accidents. Despite safety awareness campaigns and other measures, it remains a problem.

One professor from MIT noted that distracted drivers are rarely able to quit using their phones while driving "cold turkey." He and another professor considered the problem and developed an app that could help motivate drivers to make better decisions. The experiment with this app has been largely successful, and it could point to meaningful ways to combat distracted driving.

Do Florida laws really protect you against drunk drivers?

On behalf of Culpepper Kurland on Wednesday, December 5, 2018.

When a Florida driver faces arrest for drunk driving or causes an accident because he or she is drunk, you might assume that he or she will lose the right to drive. In many states, a person arrested for suspected DUI immediately loses driving privileges, but that is not the case in Florida. There is concern over how much the law actually protects law-abiding citizens and keeps drunk drivers off the road.

Because of fine print in Florida laws, drunk drivers may be back on the road much sooner than you would expect or assume to be appropriate. You may not know that every DUI citation contains wording that allows a driver to use the citation as a temporary driver's license for 10 days. This technically allows individuals with a history of drunk driving back on the road over and over again.

St. Petersburg man hit by car, seriously hurt

On behalf of Culpepper Kurland posted in auto-pedestrian accidents on Friday, November 30, 2018.

A man in St. Petersburg suffered what police called life-threatening injuries as we crossing the street in the city, which most readers recognize as part of the greater Tampa Bay area.

According to police, the man was crossing the street but was in the middle of a city block when doing so. The driver of the vehicle that hit the man, who apparently stopped and cooperated with the police, claimed he simply had not seen the man. The accident happened in the early morning hours of Thanksgiving Day.