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Dade and Broward County Injury News

• Florida Teen Driver Faces Hit-And-Run Charges

  A Florida teen faces hit-and-run charges after fleeing the scene of an accident that caused a death.

• Florida Man Found Guilty of DUI Manslaughter

  A Florida man was found guilty of DUI Manslaughter after he hit and killed a bicyclist in Boca Rotan.

• Florida Pedestrian Hit by Train

  A Florida pedestrian was struck by a Tri-Rail passenger train while he was walking on the train tracks.

• Sports Liability Waivers Challenged in the Florida Supreme Court

  Liability release forms are currently being challenged in the Florida Supreme Court.

• “Move Over” Campaign Designed to Prevent Florida Auto Accidents

  The weeklong campaign, starting June 23rd and ending June 29th, is designed to create awareness about Florida's Move Over Law and reduce the number of auto accidents.

• ‘Staying Alive on 95’ – Dinner for Family Members of Florida DUI Victims

  A dinner was held for people whose lives were altered by Florida drunk and irresponsible drivers. It was scheduled the night before the "Stay Alive on 95" campain began.

• Miami Crane Accident Injuries a Worker

  A recent Miami crane accident is the second one to occur this year. An injured worker was hospitalized after the arm of the construction crane came loose.

• Ft. Lauderdale Driver Arrested for DUI Manslaughter

  A Ft. Lauderdale man, who drove the wrong way on I-95, killing three people, was arrested on Thursday, June 12, 2008 on charges of drunken driving and DUI manslaughter.

• Amtrak Train Slams Car, Kills Man

• Broward County to Update Technology at 700 Intersections

• Broward Deputy Involved in Three Car Crash

• Florida Window Washer Injured in Fall From Roof

• North Lauderdale Motorcycle Accident Causes Pile-Up

• Ft. Lauderdale Settles $97K Slip & Fall Case

• Crane Collapses at Ft. Lauderdale Construction Site

• Ft. Lauderdale Man Dies in Rollover

• Ft. Lauderdale Police Charge Man in Fatal Hit & Run

• Two Die in Fiery I-95 Crash

• Jim Leyritz Sued for Wrongful Death

• Two Broward Children Injured When Car Hits Stroller

• Officer Charged in Fatal 2006 Hit & Run

• Police Still Searching for Driver

• Three Dead After I-95 Crash in Ft. Lauderdale

• Study: SUV Safety Improving

• 4 Year Old Dies in Car Crash

• Ft. Lauderdale Woman Killed in I-595 Crash

• Evenflo Recalls 1 Million Car Seats

• Florida Accuses Allstate of "Ongong Crime"

  Florida has accused Allstate Insurance Co. and all its state branches of "ongoing crime" for their failure to submit documents the state has demanded regarding homeowner insurance prices. Gov. Charlie Crist says that Allstate has "snubbed their noses at the people of the state of Floria by gouging them . . . they snubbed their noses at the administration trying to enforce the new law."
  
  Florida is waiting to hear from the State Court of Appeals regarding the Office of Insurance Regulation's ban on the sale of insurance by Allstate affiliates. The ban would affect Allstate Floridian, Allstate Indemnity, Allstate Property & Casualty Insurance Co., Allstate Insurance Co., Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Co., Encompass Insurance Co. of America, Encompass Indemnity Co., Encompass Floridian Insurance Co. and Encompass Floridian Indemnity Co.

• Police Identify Two Men in I-95 Crash

  Police have identified the two men who died in an early Wednesday morning crash on southbound I-95. The crash closed all lanes of the highway for almost five hours, backing traffic up for miles.
  
  The men were driving a small pickup truck when a big rig veered into them from the right, slamming them into the left concrete barrier wall.

• Leyritz BAC Nearly Twice the Legal Limit

  Former MLB player Jim Leyritz will be facing additional charges now that it is come to light that his blood alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit. Leyritz, who initially faced DUI manslaughter and DUI property damage charges, is now being charged with additional manslaughter charges, the Associated Press reports.

• Brush Fire Causes 50 Car Pile-Up

  Smoke and fog from a central Florida brush fire caused a 50 car pile-up in which at least three people were killed. The car crash closed nearly 15 miles of Interstate 4 between Tampa, Florida, and Orlando, Florida.

• Garbage Truck Kills Man

  A 45-year old worker died early Thursday morning when he was pinned the truck's hydraulic arm pinned him between the cab and a waste container. OSHA is investigating his death.

• Disney Ride Death Due to Lack of Defibrillator

  A 44 year old man from Navarre, Florida, died of dilated cardiomyopathy on Walt Disney World's Expedition Everest ride. He was given CPR by a Disney employee on the scene, but died before the EMTs could arrive. Disney had no portable defibrillator near the ride.

• Study: Green Tea May Cut Prostate Cancer Risk

  A study at Japan's National Cancer Center reports that drinking green tea may reduce the risk of advanced prostate cancer. In men who drank five or more cups a day were 50% as likely to develop advanced prostate cancer than those who drank less than one cup a day.

• Federal Highway Accident Kills 84 Year Old Man

  An accident Sunday on North Federal Highway killed an 84 year old man and left two other men in the hospital.

• Soldier on Leave from Iraq Killed in Cape Coral Hit and Run

  Sergeant Daniel Lee Beougher of Fayetteville, NC, was home on leave from Iraq when he was killed in an hit and run. The driver who crashed into Beougher's SUV left the scene and remains unknown.

• Two Killed in Broward County Motor Scooter Accident

  Two motor scooter drivers died on Federal Highway Tuesday. The drivers were headingriving south on Federal Highway when they were hit by a car and thrown onto the roadway and run over by several vehicles

• Nick Hogan a reckless lawsuit magnet

• Airport Shuttle Bus Company Suspends 19 Drivers

• Pedestrian dies on Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport shuttle bus road

• Bicyclists Mowed Down By Driver

• NCCI Proposes Reduction for Workers Compensation Rates in Florida

• CBS4 Investigation: Lexus Airbag Safety Concerns

• Car Collides With Van, Crashes Into ER

• Jury awards $21.6 million in suit over deadly Sawgrass crash

• 3 killed, 2 hurt in crash on one-way street

• Motorcycle slams Mercedes

• Bus Crash caught on video

• 5 Charged in Alleged $100 Million Workers' Comp Scam

• Sick Inmate Died Due to Negligence

• 2 Tourists Killed, 3 Others Injured In Powerline Crash

• Pedestrian killed by cop car is identified

• Car Pinned Underneath Big Rig, Turnpike Reopens

• Broward Construction Co. Named In Alleged Fraud Scheme

• New Difficulties for Injured Workers

• Bush Fails to Mention New Orleans in State of the Union

• Slain teen's parents may seek as much as $25 million from shooter

• Three dead, 8 others hurt in 3-car accident at Broward, I-95 ramp

• Workers' Comp Settlements Don't Predict Disabilities Accurately

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Florida Teen Driver Faces Hit-And-Run Charges

A teen driver is being charged in connection with a fatal Florida hit-and-run crash.  The teen has had seven traffic citations since 2005 and also faces a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge that was issued only 11 days before the fatal Florida car crash that killed a 45 year old woman.

The teen has been released from jail after he turned himself in to the Florida Highway Patrol troopers and posted a $15,000 bond.  He is being charged with a felony for leaving the scene of an auto accident involving a death.  The fatal traffic collision occurred after the teen was driving home from his girlfriend’s house when he hit the pedestrian who was walking along the road.

The teen’s attorney has not seen a certified copy of the boy’s record and needs to review it to determine what impact it may have on the hit-and-run case.

Court records also show that the teen was cited in June 2006 for violating his restricted driver’s license.  This charge was dropped after prosecutors decided not to pursue the case.  Adjudication was withheld for the teen driver in three of his traffic cases after he took defensive driving classes. Two of those citations were for speeding and one was for an improper right turn.

Three other traffic citations were resolved after the teen paid his fines.  Two of those traffic tickets were for speeding and one was for an improper U-turn.

 

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Florida Man Found Guilty of DUI Manslaughter

A man was on trial recently for drinking and driving and killing a Florida bicyclist.  Last week, the defendant took the witness stand asking the jurors to believe an outrageous story of what happened the night of the fatal auto accident.

The defendant was charged with drinking and driving and killing a 28-year old man as he rode his bike on Federal Highway in Boca Rotan.  During the trial, jurors saw the mangled bike and crime scene photos.  Investigators believe that the defendant left the scene of the crash, while still dragging the bicycle.  The police stopped the driver in Broward County, three and half miles away from the crash site.

According to the defendant’s testimony, he was not the one driving at the time.  He claims that the driver held a gun to his head and forced him to change positions.  However, on the night of the crash, he told police he was driving.  The man said he made the statement because he feared for his family’s safety.

The jurors found the defendant guilty of all counts as charged, which included DUI manslaughter, leaving the scene and giving a false name to police.  He now faces up to 35 years in prison and his sentencing is scheduled for September.

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Florida Pedestrian Hit by Train

A Florida pedestrian accident occurred on Tuesday, July 1, 2008, near Miami Gardens.  According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a pedestrian was struck and fatally injured by a Tri-Rail passenger train that was traveling north from Miami International Airport to a stop in Palm Beach County.

The man was walking on the train tracks, which is illegal, when he was struck by the P628 train.  The identity of the man and the details of the accident have not been released.  Tri-Rail announced delays that evening due to an investigation of the incident that was underway just north of the Golden Glades Station.  A bus bridge was set up to take passengers between the Hollywood and Golden Glades stations on buses.

For updates and additional information, call Tri-Rail at 1-800-TRI-RAIL.

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Sports Liability Waivers Challenged in the Florida Supreme Court

Parents have gotten accustomed to signing Florida liability release forms before their children can even take their first swing at a Little League baseball game or ride in a race car.  Liability release forms are designed to protect the program organizers in case the child is injured, but currently the validity of these forms are being challenged in the Florida Supreme Court.

According to Safe Kids Worldwide, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing unintentional injuries among children, more than 3.5 million children are hurt playing sports each year.  Many different facilities that cater to minors require that liability waivers be signed before a child engages in the provided activities.

There are different opinions regarding these liability waivers.  Some people believe that these liability forms are needed to protect facilities, while other people believe it shows that games are not safe without the threat of litigation.

These waivers have become the central focus of a Florida accident case from 2003.  A Florida teenager, who was only fourteen years old, was killed in an all-terrain vehicle crash at Thunder Cross Motor Sports Park in Okeechobee, Florida.  The son’s father signed a release before the boy got on the race track.  The mother, who was divorced from the father, was unaware that her son was racing.  The mother’s attorneys argue that it was unconstitutional for someone else to sign the boy’s rights away.

There is some fear that costs for activities would increase dramatically if insurance waivers are no longer required.  However, some attorneys feel that higher costs and new restrictions may not be bad for the public.  The waivers already provide little protection if a facility is proven to be truly negligent in an injury.

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“Move Over” Campaign Designed to Prevent Florida Auto Accidents

Law enforcement officers are reminding Florida drivers to “move over” or pay the price.  The weeklong campaign, which started June 23rd and ends June 29th, is designed to let drivers know about Florida’s Move Over law.  The fine for a citation is $122.50 in Broward County.

In 2007, Broward County auto accidents claimed the lives of Broward Sheriff deputy Ryan Seguin and FHP Troopers Donald Jennings and Kimberly Hurd.  Across the state, there were over 200 car crashes involving police vehicles stopped on roadways, which resulted in 60 injuries.

Broward Sheriff Al Lamberti stated, “For the safety of our law enforcement officers, firefighters and all the workers on the interstates and highways, we want to prevent this from happening again.”

Florida’s Move Over law was enacted in 2002 and requires that Florida drivers move one lane away from the lane closest to the stopped emergency vehicle on an interstate or highway with two or more lanes.  A driver who is on a two-lane road, must slow down 20 miles below the posted speed limit when the speed limit is 25 miles per hour or higher.

The weeklong campaign should create awareness about this law and reduce the number of Florida auto accidents involving emergency vehicles.

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‘Staying Alive on 95’ – Dinner for Family Members of Florida DUI Victims

A dinner was held for people whose lives were altered by Florida drunk drivers or irresponsible drivers.  The dinner was scheduled before the launch of “Staying Alive on 95,” which was a 48-hour patrol on the highways stretching from the Florida Keys to Jacksonville.  The patrol started at 7 PM on Thursday, June 19, 2008 and ended Saturday, June 21, 2008 at 7 PM.

The dinner was hosted by the Dori Slosberg Foundation, founded by former State Rep. Irv Slosberg in memory of his daughter who was killed in a 1996 car accident.  During Slosberg’s six years in Tallahassee, he worked to get several laws passed to increase road safety, including the Move Over Law, which makes Florida drivers give emergency vehicles space, and legislation to bolster Florida’s seat belt laws.

One woman spoke during the dinner of her son’s tragic death that was caused by a Florida drunk driver.  Her son was hit in West Palm Beach and eventually died in the hospital after being removed from life-support machines.  The mother spoke about the importance of DUI arrests and how someone’s life can be saved by just one arrest.

A fire-rescue worker also spoke about how he survived a car crash on Interstate 95.  The accident occurred when his crew arrived at a routine accident on the side of the road and a car crashed into the parked truck, which barely missed him and swiped his partner with the driver’s rear-view mirror.  He believes that the accident could have been avoided if that driver had obeyed the Florida Move Over Law.

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Miami Crane Accident Injuries a Worker

On Monday, June 9, 2008, a Miami worker was injured in a crane accident, causing a nearby Marriott Hotel to be partially evacuated.  A father and son were working on the construction crane when the arm of the machine came loose, swinging into the vertical base.  Luckily, the 212- foot construction crane did not collapse, but the worker, who was the father, received severe injuries and was rushed to the hospital.  The son was also taken to the hospital just as a precaution.

Work was being done to complete the Miami crane that was to be used to work on a roof.  When the accident happened, the crane was still being assembled.

The crane accident is the second one that has occurred in Miami, Florida this year.  There was another accident in March at a high-rise condominium, which resulted in two worker fatalities and five injuries.  In New York City, there were two comparable crane accidents that killed nine people this year.

This incident took place north of downtown Miami.  The crane was eventually secured and evacuees were able to return to the hotel.

Work is not being permitted on the crane and officials of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the accident.

Gizelle Davis is the general manager for the crane company, Ray Anthony International LLC, and has stated that an investigation continues.

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Ft. Lauderdale Driver Arrested for DUI Manslaughter

A Fort Lauderdale man was arrested on Thursday, June 12, 2008, on charges of drunken driving and DUI manslaughter.  The man is accused of driving under the influence when he drove his black Pontiac GTO the wrong way on Interstate 95 in March.  The drunk driver went south on northbound I-95, which resulted in numerous car crashes, including one with a Delray Beach police officer who ended up with a broken ankle. 

The driver eventually collided with a white 2000 Mercedes sedan that was heading toward Palm Beach International Airport.  The auto collision instantly killed the driver of the Mercedes and two passengers.  The fourth occupant of the Mercedes was taken to Delray Medical Center where she will undergo a long recovery process.

The drunk driver was also taken to Delray Medical Center where his blood alcohol level was tested.  His blood alcohol content was 0.812 percent, which is more than twice the legal limit.

Investigators spent several weeks after the accident interviewing witnesses and studying the crash scene before they arrested the driver.  The man being accused was being held Friday in the Palm Beach County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bond.  The driver’s attorney stated that his client cooperated fully with the investigation and has been living with his parents for the last three months while he recovered from serious injuries.

The family and friends of the accident victims were happy to hear the news of the arrest, although they are still grieving for the lost.

 

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Amtrak Train Slams Car, Kills Man

On Tuesday, May 20, 2008, an Amtrak train slammed into a car that was on the tracks near West Atlantic Boulevard.  The train, a Silver Meteor headed from New York to Miami, was going about 75 mph when it hit the car at 9:30 in the morning.  A Coral Springs man was killed in the accident and his female passenger was injured.

Traffic was backed up onto the tracks behind a red light at the North Andrews Extension intersection, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office.

The force of the crash sent the man's Ford Escape into the westbound lanes of West Atlantic.  The driver was killed on impact.  Four other vehicles were damaged in the crash, either by the train or by the Ford careening into them.

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Broward County to Update Technology at 700 Intersections

Broward County is undergoing a major upgrade in traffic intersection technology.  According to Henk Koornstra of Broward's Traffic Engineering Division, the Florida county is installing 700 new video detection devices at intersections countywide.  This is in addition to the 300 intersections that currently rely on the technology.

The camera system will replace the current pressure based pavement system.  Under the current system, coils buried in the pavement relay a signal to the traffic lights to change when cars depress the pavement.  However, because these coils degrade over time, citizens are complaining about lights that do not properly cycle.  The next technology will detect when a car is approachign the intersection and switch the lights from red to green.

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Broward Deputy Involved in Three Car Crash

A deputy with the Broward County Sheriff's department suffered minor injuries on Tuesday, May 6, 2008, after crashing into another vehicle.  The deputy was headed south on South Federal highway when a white van headed north made a quick left turn in front of the police cruiser.  The deputy's car spun across the road and into a bus, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.  No one on the bus was injured.

The driver of the van was hospitalized with a heart condition.  Authorities plan to charge the van's driver with a traffic offense.

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Florida Window Washer Injured in Fall From Roof

A 31 year old window washer was critically injured on Monday, May 12, 2008, when he fell from the rooftop of Florida Hospital in Orlando.  The man, a Kissimmee resident, suffered numerous broken bones and bleeding from his head in a five story fall.

According to police, the fall was accidental.

 

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North Lauderdale Motorcycle Accident Causes Pile-Up

A motorcycle crash on I-95 the morning of Thursday May 1, 2008, left one biker dead and two others injured.  Other drivers report that a pack of about seven bikers were weaving in and out of traffic at 95-100 m.p.h. at 12:20 a.m. Thursday when one of the drivers slammed into the back of a 2007 Toyota.  The impact of the crash sent the Toyota spinning across I-95 and into a concrete barrier.

Two other bikers crashed just south of Commercial Boulevard.  One was in critical condition Friday.  According to the Florida Highway Patrol, all 3 bikers had been wearing motorcycle helmets.

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Ft. Lauderdale Settles $97K Slip & Fall Case

Fort Lauderdale city commissioners have settled with the Canadian woman whose husband died after tripping over an uncovered water meter.  The couple had been walking back to their hotel during a vacation in 2005 when the 65 year old man tripped over the meter in the sidewalk.

The man fractured his right knee and was flown back to Canada for surgery.  A week later, he had died from complications.  The city has agreed to pay the widow $97K in compensation for the loss of her husband.

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Crane Collapses at Ft. Lauderdale Construction Site

The crane being used to construct a building at 500 NE 4 Avenue has collapsed.  The CBS news Chopper 4 was actually responsible for spotting a large bent section fo the crane extending from teh opper floors of the building and informing officials.  All personnel were cleared from the area and no injuries have been reported.

This is the second crane related accident in South Florida this month.  On April 3, two men were injured when a small crane moving an air conditioning unit collapsed onto the roof top of the Turnbery Isles.

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Ft. Lauderdale Man Dies in Rollover

A 2008 Ford pickup truck rolled over in a single-car accident in west Broward County early Monday morning, April 14, 2008, killing a man and injuring a woman.  Both passengers were ejected from the vehicle as it flipped on U.S. 27 near mile marker 42.  Neither was wearing their seatbelt, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

The man, 24, was pronounced dead at the scene while the woman, 22, was flown to Broward General Medical Center where she was in critical condition.

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Ft. Lauderdale Police Charge Man in Fatal Hit & Run

Fort Lauderdale police have charged an 18 year old man in the fatal hit and run of a 4 year old girl.  The girl was crossing the street with her mother last Friday afternoon when she was hit by a silver Dodge Magnum pickup truck.  The girl had just stepped off a bus in front of her home and was running a few steps ahead of her mother.

The arrest came after a tip that a silver Dodge Magnum with front-end damage was being fixed at a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, garage.

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Two Die in Fiery I-95 Crash

The Florida Highway Patrol is reporting two deaths from a fiery crash on I-95 on Sunday, April 6.  A New Jersey couple had their car rear-ended by another vehicle, causing both the cars to catch fire.  The attempt of Broward County Sheriffs to rescue the couple from their cars was hindered by flames and damage to the car.

The couple was pronounced dead at the scene.  Charges are pending against the driver who rear-ended the couple.

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Jim Leyritz Sued for Wrongful Death

A lawsuit has been filed in Broward County Court by the family of Fredia Ann Veitch, against Jim Leyritz. 

Leyritz, a former New York Yankee, has pled not guilty to felony manslaughter charges following the Dec. 28, 2007 crash in Ft. Lauderdale.

The suit does not specify damages, but the family's attorney says, "In these types of cases, we're talking multimillion dollars."
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Two Broward Children Injured When Car Hits Stroller

A 4 month old and a one year old are in the hospital after being hit by a car in Ft. Lauderdale.  A car struck the stroller while their mother was pushing them.  The mother is uninjured.

The Broward Sheriff's Office says that a Parks & Recreation employee ran into the stroller at about 20 miles per hour.  The children are reportedly in stable condition without any life-threatening injuries.

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Officer Charged in Fatal 2006 Hit & Run

A former Miami-Dade police officer has been charged with trying to cover up his role in a fatal hit & run in 2006.  The officer has pled no contest to leaving the scene of an accident that killed a 54 year old Pompano Beach, Florida man.

According to police, the 54 year old was rear-ended by a Lexus as he drove west on I-595.  His vehicle hit a side-rail and flipped over, ejecting the man and killing him instantly.

The Lexus driver fled the scene on foot, but the car was registered to the Miami-Dade police officer.  Police later found the officer at his house with several cuts and bruises consistent with being in a car crash.

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Police Still Searching for Driver

The Florida Highway Patrol is still searching for the driver who caused a fatal accident Sunday night.  The driver was heading southbound on I-95 near the exit ramp to I-595 when she was cut off and fatally crashed into a signpost. 

The accident killed a 19 year old woman who was headed home from her boyfriend's house.  Authorities say she died at the scene.

The other driver did not stop his vehicle.

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Three Dead After I-95 Crash in Ft. Lauderdale

An early morning car crash on I-95 in Fort Lauderdale has left three dead, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.  The vehicle was attempting to exit on a ramp on State Road 84 when it clipped a side wall and fell onto I-95 below.

The vehicle was carrying four passengers, all of whom were ejected from the car.  The sole survivor was taken to the hospital in critical conditoin.

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Study: SUV Safety Improving

A study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that midsize SUVs are becoming less dangerous in front crashes.  However, concerns remain in side and rear impact crashes.

Nearly all of the ten vehicles tested by the IIHS recieved the top rating for front crash protection. The Hummer H3 was the sole exception, earning only an "acceptable" rating.  The H3 also recieved the lowest possible score, "poor," in the rear crash protection test.

While SUV safety has been steadily improving over the years with the addition of safety features like Electronic Stability Control and side airbags, the vehicles are still more prone to roll over in an accident than a compact car is.

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4 Year Old Dies in Car Crash

In a tragic accident Friday night, 4 year old Markel Hannah was killed when his mother lost control of her car and smashed into naother vehicle.  The accident took place on West Atlantic Boulevard at about 9:15 in the evening.  The child's mother lost control of her Ford Contour while heading east and crossed the center median and collided with an Infiniti. 

Paramedics rushed the boy to Broward General Medical Center, but surgery efforts were futile.  All others involved in the collision were treated at the North Broward Medical Center in Deerfield Beach.

Broward County deputies say that the child was riding in a front passenger seat unrestrained, which is illegal under Florida law.  All children under the age of five are required to be properly restrained.  According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the mother has two front seat belt violations in the past two years.

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Ft. Lauderdale Woman Killed in I-595 Crash

A 23 year old woman died in a single-car accident on I-595 West early Tuesday morning.  The driver lost controler of her 1998 Chevy Malibu as the car swung to the left and over the grass median before striking the guardrail and concrete support.

The driver, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene by rescue workers.

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Evenflo Recalls 1 Million Car Seats

Evenflo is recalling about one million child safety seats.  The appeal of these seats was that they had a separate base that could connect to the vehicle's seat, allowing the safety seat to be removed without removing the entire seat.  Unfortunately, testing with the National Highway and Traffic Safety administration indicated that the safety seats have the potential to separate from the base during an accident.

Evenflo is recalling models 390, 391, 534, and 552 of their Discovery child safety seat line.  Each product owner will be given a free dual-hook fastener to secure the seat to its base.

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Florida Accuses Allstate of "Ongong Crime"

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Police Identify Two Men in I-95 Crash

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Leyritz BAC Nearly Twice the Legal Limit

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Brush Fire Causes 50 Car Pile-Up

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Garbage Truck Kills Man

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Disney Ride Death Due to Lack of Defibrillator

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Study: Green Tea May Cut Prostate Cancer Risk

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Federal Highway Accident Kills 84 Year Old Man

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Soldier on Leave from Iraq Killed in Cape Coral Hit and Run

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Two Killed in Broward County Motor Scooter Accident

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Nick Hogan a reckless lawsuit magnet

Lifestyles of the pampered, privileged progeny of famous parents; meet Nick Hogan, the Hulkster's kid.

The shameful and dangerous driving history of Nick Hogan was illuminated in a telling interview a month ago in Rides Magazine.

For more information, follow the link below.
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Airport Shuttle Bus Company Suspends 19 Drivers

(CBS4) FT. LAUDERDALE More than a dozen shuttle bus drivers at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport have been suspended without pay because their driving records do not meet new company requirements.

Greg Meyer, an airport spokesman, told CBS4 "People coming to this airport need to be reassured that drivers driving them around the airport have a good driving record and a good driving history."

For more information, follow the link below.
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Pedestrian dies on Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport shuttle bus road

Traffic homicide investigators on Friday were looking into whether a man killed in a hit-and-run was struck by an airport shuttle bus owned by the same company involved in two deaths earlier this year.

The Broward Sheriff's Office has interviewed the driver of a bus that was found with damage "consistent with having struck a person," said Hugh Graf, spokesman for the Broward Sheriff's Office.


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Bicyclists Mowed Down By Driver

MIAMI (AP) - Charges are pending against the driver of a car that pulled into the path of several bicyclists in Miami-Dade, leaving two riders critically injured and injuring several others.

Police say the driver failed to yield the right of way to the bicyclists. Yesterday's accident forced the riders to slam into the small SUV. The driver's name has not been released.

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NCCI Proposes Reduction for Workers Compensation Rates in Florida

Driven by significant declines in claim frequency and improvement in loss development (i.e., claims are developing to a lower ultimate value) the National Council on Compensation Insurance is proposing that Florida officials drop the workers compensation rate by 16.5 percent, effective Jan. 1, 2008.

Based on its review of the most recent data available the NCCI analysis prompted the organization to propose a fifth consecutive state-wide rate decrease since October 2003 after Florida workers compensation rates hit a high point prior to the 2003 workers compensation reform.

For more information, follow the link below.
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CBS4 Investigation: Lexus Airbag Safety Concerns

(CBS4) FT. LAUDERDALE We've come to rely on airbags to protect us in an accident They are standard equipment on just about every new car on the market,

But CBS4 reporter David Sutta found in one case, drivers of a specific Lexus may not be as safe as they think because of an alleged flaw in the airbag system that sometimes disables it.

A class action suit has been filed in Broward County demanding that the car be recalled.

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Car Collides With Van, Crashes Into ER

Officials said a car and a van collided at the intersection of 62nd Avenue and Southwest 70th Street, sending the car through the wall of the emergency room of Larkin Community Hospital in South Miami.

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Jury awards $21.6 million in suit over deadly Sawgrass crash

WEST PALM BEACH -- A stay-at-home dad from Parkland was awarded $21.6 million Thursday for the violent wreck that killed his wife, after a jury found a driver negligent for either talking on her cell phone or some other distraction.

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3 killed, 2 hurt in crash on one-way street

BRADENTON - Three people died and two more were injured when a speeding car traveled the wrong way down a one-way street and hit another car, authorities said.

Terence Papoutsakis, 34, of Bradenton, was driving the wrong way down the one-way street early Saturday morning when his vehicle crashed into another car that was stopped at a traffic light, Bradenton police Lt. Darrell Akemon said.

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Motorcycle slams Mercedes

A motorcyclist heading east on Coral Way Tuesday morning collided with a late-model Mercedes-Benz near the corner of 97th Avenue.

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Bus Crash caught on video

MIAMI -- Just one day after a bus crashed into a South Florida church, a videotape from inside the bus is offering investigators a closer look at what happened.

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5 Charged in Alleged $100 Million Workers' Comp Scam

5 men indicted in nationwide workers' comp scam
Five people, including a man from Tempe, have been indicted in an alleged $100 million workers' compensation fraud scam that officials say left hundreds of workers across the country without urgent medical care and death benefits, Florida and federal officials said.

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Sick Inmate Died Due to Negligence

MIAMI - A diabetic jail inmate who lost control over his lower body died after being left alone covered in his own feces for a week, and officials failed to get him medical treatment despite knowing of his condition, his attorney said Thursday.

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2 Tourists Killed, 3 Others Injured In Powerline Crash

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- Two women were killed and three others were injured early Thursday morning after a Corvette crashed into a rental car carrying a group of tourists, the Broward Sheriff's Office said.

It happened at about 1:30 a.m. on Powerline Road near the Palm-Aire Country Club.

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Pedestrian killed by cop car is identified

Fort Lauderdale police on Wednesday identified the man who was fatally struck by an unmarked police car last week.

Meanwhile, the department released the personnel file of Officer Christopher Young-Tem, who was driving the car. The file showed positive performance evaluations, seven commendations from the department and two from people who had dealt with him.

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Car Pinned Underneath Big Rig, Turnpike Reopens

FT. LAUDERDALE The Florida Turnpike is reopen near the Commercial Boulevard exit after a horrific accident that left two people trapped, including a baby, underneath a tractor trailer truck.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the female driver of a Toyota Camry heading southbound, lost control of the car, before she veered across several lanes of traffic, hit a retaining wall, careened back across the Turnpike and drove into and under the tractor trailer where the car became pinned underneath the big rig.

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Broward Construction Co. Named In Alleged Fraud Scheme

MIAMI -- An indictment handed down by the United States Attorney's office alleges a scheme by four people who put hundreds of South Florida construction workers at risk.

The 21-count indictment charges that Enrique Guevara, Erick Brandon, and Alexandra Cordero, participated in a mail fraud conspiracy to provide false workers' compensation insurance certificates for workers. A co-conspirator in the case is Marco A. Sandi, the owner of Sandi Construction, located in Coral Springs.
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New Difficulties for Injured Workers

A new report from the Center for Justice and Democracy details how new laws are making it more and more difficult for injured workers to get fair treatment from their workers' compensation insurers.

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Bush Fails to Mention New Orleans in State of the Union

Seventeen months after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, conditions are still dire. Why was this not mentioned during the State of the Union?

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Slain teen's parents may seek as much as $25 million from shooter

Jay Levin was just drifting off to sleep when a chilling sound roused him from his bed.

"It was a noise like I never heard before. It was somebody rattling or jimmying the locks at my front door," he said.

Without taking time to dress, he grabbed his semiautomatic pistol from a closet shelf, loaded it and crept toward the front door of his suburban Boca Raton house.

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Three dead, 8 others hurt in 3-car accident at Broward, I-95 ramp

Traffic homicide investigators late Monday were trying to determine who or what caused a ruinous three-car wreck that left three people dead and eight injured in Fort Lauderdale early New Year's Day.

"We're trying to piece it together," Fort Lauderdale Police Detective Katherine Collins said of the crash at Broward Boulevard and the southbound Interstate 95 exit ramp. "Speed and alcohol are definitely going to be considered, but that's not something we're going to know in the next few days. There was a lot of damage."

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Workers' Comp Settlements Don't Predict Disabilities Accurately

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Just because you get a higher disability rating for a work-related back injury does not mean you are worse off in the long term than someone who gets a lower rating.

A new study of settlement decisions in workers' comp claims reveals almost no relationship between the rating of the disability's severity and reported pain and disability 21 months later. In fact those with higher disability ratings -- which suggest higher severity and less ability to work -- actually fared better than those with lower ratings.

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Firm News:

• Florida Teen Driver Faces Hit-And-Run Charges
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• ‘Staying Alive on 95’ – Dinner for Family Members of Florida DUI Victims
• Miami Crane Accident Injuries a Worker
• Ft. Lauderdale Driver Arrested for DUI Manslaughter
• Amtrak Train Slams Car, Kills Man
• Broward County to Update Technology at 700 Intersections

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