Injured Parties Bring Suits Against Florida for Smoke and Fog Crashes

Thirteen lawsuits have been brought against the state of Florida for the Highway Patrol's decision to reopen I-75 despite poor road conditions.

2012-09-20

September 20, 2012 (Press-News.org) At least 13 lawsuits have been filed against the state of Florida for injuries and wrongful deaths caused by Florida Highway Patrol's (FHP) decision to reopen the Gainesville stretch of I-75 this January, despite severe smoke and fog conditions. These motor vehicle accident lawsuits illustrate how injured parties may hold state and municipalities responsible for their poor decisions or road maintenance.

FHP Kept Road Open, Despite Smoke and Fog

This past January, the Gainesville area experienced a tragedy on its stretch of I-75. A nearby brush fire had made visibility on the highway poor, and FHP decided to close the Gainesville stretch of I-75 to keep drivers safe. However, despite urging by local officials to keep the highway closed due to persistent smoke and fog conditions, FHP decided to reopen the highway.

Within a half-hour of the highway reopening, the multi-car accidents began. Drivers could not see far enough ahead to react to the slowing of the vehicles in front of them. In total, 11 people were killed and over 40 were injured by the FHP's decision to reopen the highway.

Since January, the FHP has completed an investigation of its own actions and found that the drivers were at fault for their own accidents, since they decided to continue to drive through the smoke and fog, despite signage warning them of potential road conditions. However, this position does not take into account the FHP's responsibility to keep the state's roads safe and act in the best interest of motorists' safety.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has also investigated the FHP's decision. It determined that though the FHP did not act criminally, the department should take action to revise its policies and procedures so it can react better and more safely to problems with road and driving conditions.

Lawsuits Against FHP Have Teeth

Now, at least 13 lawsuits have been brought against FHP by injured parties or the families of those who died in the January accidents. In these personal injury lawsuits, plaintiffs will try to prove that the FHP's decision to reopen the highway caused their injuries or deaths.

In these types of accidents, it is possible for injured parties to hold the municipality or government agency responsible for road conditions accountable for the injuries or wrongful deaths. Poorly maintained roads, improper lighting, failure to effectively warn the public, poor signage or a bad call on part of the government may all cause motor vehicle accidents.

State and local governments have a responsibility to keep roads and highways safe for drivers and take appropriate action when driving conditions deteriorate. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident caused by poor road conditions, please contact an experienced personal injury attorney to explore your options.

Article provided by Fiol Law Group
Visit us at www.advocatesforyou.com

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Foreclosure After Bankruptcy

2012-09-20

It is well known that a bankruptcy filing will stop a foreclosure, as long as a foreclosure sale has not taken place. However, many debtors wonder if their lender can come back after the bankruptcy case is closed and initiate foreclosure proceedings once again. This article will explain the answer to this question. Indeed, the automatic stay imposed through a bankruptcy filing buys a debtor time in which to review and reorganize all of their debts. No collection efforts may take place while the stay is in effect, and that includes foreclosure proceedings. However, a ...

Steps to Take Following a South Florida Car Accident

2012-09-20

A car accident is never a pleasant experience. Once the initial shock subsides, it can become a stressful process to get a vehicle repaired. Recovery from an injury also adds another layer of difficulty. Taking correct measures following the accident, however, may smooth the claims process and speed recovery. Immediately following an accident, there are several tips that will aid a personal injury attorney in seeking just compensation for injuries sustained in an accident. Breathe Deep, Report the Accident and Exchange Details First, try to remain as calm as possible. ...

How Expiration of the Bush Tax Cuts Will Affect Individuals and Businesses

2012-09-20

As the election season kicks into full gear, it will be impossible to avoid discussing the state of the nation's economy. One of the major changes America may face is the expiration of tax cuts that started during George W. Bush's years in office and the implications their expiration will have on small businesses and those with a high net worth. Countdown to January First The tax law changes -- commonly referred to as the "Bush tax cuts" -- are scheduled to expire on January 1, 2013. If Congress fails to extend them, many Americans will experience a tax ...

Three Steps to Ensure a Woman's Financial Security Post-Divorce

2012-09-20

Divorce can be an especially difficult experience for women. In addition to the feelings of shock, anger and betrayal, there is a huge financial change as well. Before the divorce, most women have the assistance of a husband in meeting financial obligations. However, once the divorce is completed, many women find themselves in control of their own finances and having a difficult time finding ways to pay their bills and save for retirement without a spouse's income. Although the task seems daunting, by taking the following steps, women can ensure that they get back on ...

Nurse Fatigue Can Lead to Infected Patients

2012-09-20

A recent study by the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing proves something that nurse labor advocates and medical watchdog groups have been saying for some time: upping the number of patients each nurse is responsible for each shift has a direct corollary in rates of patient infections, injuries and deaths. That same study revealed that when nurses reported on-the-job "burnout," there were patient consequences in the form of additional urinary catheter and surgical site infections. What Is "Burnout?" The ...

Home Equity and Your Divorce: What You Need to Know

2012-09-20

Marriage is an economic relationship as much as a social one. In a divorce, fairly dividing marital assets is one of the most important concerns. Equity in a home is the difference between the market value of the real estate and the amount still owed against it on a mortgage. Equity in a shared home is a unique asset; it involves shared value, but is also characterized by joint debt. Deciding how to split home equity in your divorce can certainly be a challenge. Even so, with a strong grasp of your options, you'll have a better chance of coming to a resolution that ...

The Basics of Washington's Field Sobriety Tests

2012-09-20

Thanks to television shows and movies, most people have a basic idea of how field sobriety tests (FSTs) work. Just hearing the phrase "field sobriety test" might make you envision a motorist pulled over to the side of the road, trying to walk heel-to-toe along the yellow line while a stern-looking police officer looks on and the patrol car's lights flash in the background. Or, perhaps you picture someone trying to touch their nose with their fingertips, balance on one foot or recite the alphabet backwards. In real life, FSTs work a bit differently. Police officers ...

North Carolina Workers' Compensation: Attendant Care Services

2012-09-20

In North Carolina, as in other states, when an employee gets a work-related injury or occupational illness, the legal remedy is usually a workers' compensation claim. Very basically, the workers' compensation system is almost always the exclusive remedy for work injuries, paying benefits to injured workers no matter who was at fault. In exchange, the worker may normally not sue his or her employer in court for the harm. North Carolina workers' compensation statutes require that the employer provide "medical compensation" to an employee with a covered work injury ...

Personal Injury: A Wide Range Of Cases

2012-09-20

At Adler & Manson, we believe that injured people have a right to seek compensation for wrongs committed against them. Justified legal action not only provides compensation to the injured persons, but also holds others accountable for their wrongful acts. In our 20+ years practicing law, we have seen a wide range of bodily injuries sustained by our clients, ranging from neck sprains to brain damage to loss of limbs. Sadly, our clients' injuries are often such that their medical bills are exorbitant and their physical recovery can take many years, and perhaps never come. When ...

Attend Strider World Cup and Stay at Nearby Holiday Inn Express Simpsonville Hotel

2012-09-20

Holiday Inn Express Simpsonville Hotel offers close lodging to the Strider World Cup. A unique BMX bike event, The Strider World Cup for the USA BMX East Coast Nationals will take place on Saturday, September 22, 2012 at Donnie Ballew's Ultimate Challenge BMX. Not your typical BMX bikes, Striders are a brand of pedal-less bikes designed for toddlers who have not yet mastered standard bicycles. The season-long Strider World Cup series gives toddlers ages two to five the chance for friendly competition at events across the country. Registration is required to participate. ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Shaking it up: An innovative method for culturing microbes in static liquid medium

Greener and cleaner: Yeast-green algae mix improves water treatment

Acquired immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) associated with inactivated COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac

CIDEC as a novel player in abdominal aortic aneurysm formation

Artificial intelligence: a double-edged sword for the environment?

Current test accommodations for students with blindness do not fully address their needs

Wide-incident-angle wideband radio-wave absorbers boost 5G and beyond 5G applications

A graph transformer with boundary-aware attention for semantic segmentation

C-Path announces key leadership appointments in neurodegenerative disease research

First-of-its-kind analysis of U.S. national data reveals significant disparities in individual well-being as measured by lifespan, education, and income