Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City & Inverness, Florida Accident Attorney and Alachua County DUI Lawyer Blogs

Vehicle vs. wildlife - reminders for all of us.

A woman and her son were lucky when they encountered a 130 pound deer on the road near Panama City yesterday and they escaped with only minor injuries; however, unfortunately for the deer the accident was fatal as it crashed into the vehicle's windshield.

What can all of us in Alachua and Marion Counties and the surrounding rural areas learn from this encounter?  As a personal injury lawyer, I can say that there are a few important things for all of us to be reminded of by this accident.

First, you never know what is up ahead of you on the road, so it is very important to always be prepared; both hands on the wheel, both eyes on the road, your mind on your driving, and follow the speed limits.  One can only imagine that there may have been a quite different outcome to the story had the driver been driving distracted by texting, celling, or some other form of multitasking at the time the deer presented itself in their path.

Another important point, and one that I have written on before is that deer do not carry insurance to cover your injuries if you are in hurt in an accident with one, which as we all know is common place in these parts of Florida.  Hopefully, the driver of the vehicle that hit the deer had at least the minimum insurance required in Florida ($10,000 of PIP and $10,000 of property damage to cover damage to the other person's vehicle if you are at fault in an accident), if so, then her PIP coverage would allow them to recover 80% of their medical expenses from the crash (up to $10,000), but they would not have any insurance to cover any damages to their car - this is where collision insurance comes into play.  So, make sure to protect yourself with adequate insurance, here are my recommendations.

Lastly, this is a good time for us to be reminded to always buckle up, and make sure all your passengers do as well.  This couple was extremely lucky; often encounters with wildlife can result in loss of control of the vehicle, resulting in major injuries and even death to the humans as well as the unlucky wildlife.

In summary. always buckle up, follow the speed limit and pay attention with both hands on the wheel, both eyes on the road and your mind on the task at hand - driving! And make sure you protect yourself, family and your passengers by carrying adequate insurance. 

Know the Law About Pick-up Trucks and Buckle Up!

Nationwide, pick-up truck drivers in rural areas are among those least likely to comply with safety belt laws.     

As an experienced car accident lawyer, also know as a personal injury attorney, I agree that pick-up drivers in North Central Florida are no exception to the national trend. Florida's unrestrained pick-up occupants, especially children, are at risk for serious injury and even death, as exemplified in the recent Green Cove Springs pick-up truck rollover accident.

Approximately 22 percent of persons killed in motor vehicle accidents in rural areas were pick-up truck occupants, accounting for 77 percent of all pick-up fatalities.  Tragically, 67 percent of those killed in rural pick-up wrecks were unrestrained, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).         

The first step toward saving lives is knowing Florida law for pick-up drivers.

Additionally, riding unrestrained in a pick-up truck cargo area is dangerous for everyone, since truck beds were designed for freight, not people.

Kids are especially vulnerable when riding in a truck bed and can be injured and ejected when the vehicle swerves or stops quickly. When riding in the cargo area, children are 8 times more likely to be killed than when riding properly restrained in the truck's cab.  Save children's lives, know Florida's law for riding in the bed of a Truck.   

The most simple and cost effective safety measure to protect pick-up drivers is to wear a seatbelt.  NHTSA data shows that the use of a seatbelt by front seat passengers in pick-up trucks reduced the risk of death by 60 percent and the chances of critical injury by 65 percent.  Safety belts saves lives-especially in pick up trucks. 

For more information please see:
Deadly Rural Driving: Safety Belts Save Lives
Rural Teen Drivers Are at Higher Risk

Florida Safety Laws for Pick-up Trucks