Personal Injury

Last Monday, the Injury Prevention Journal published a study titled Headphone Use and Pedestrian Injury and Death in the United States: 2004\2011. According to this new research from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Medical Center, serious injuries to headphone wearing pedestrians have more than tripled in the last six years. The researchers reviewed 116 pedestrian injury cases from 2004 to 2011 where it was documented that the injured pedestrian was wearing headphones at the time of the accident. Based on those cases, researchers determined that: Seventy percent of the accidents resulted in death […]

New Local Traffic Studies Show Intersections on U.S.1 to be Most Dangerous Does your morning or afternoon commute involve driving along U.S.1. through Martin County? If so, be careful! Recent county traffic studies show that Martin County’s most accident-prone intersections are along U.S.1. According to these traffic studies, Jensen Beach Blvd. and U.S.1. was the most dangerous intersection in Martin County. Between 2006 and 2010, there were 311 crashes at this intersection, averaging out to about 62 a year. Cove Road and U.S.1. was ranked second; Britt Road and U.S.1. was ranked third; and Monterey Road and U.S.1. was ranked […]

On January 13, 2012, the Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia hit a reef and sank in the shallow waters off the coast of Italy. At the end of February, the Costa Allegra went adrift after a fire in its engine room knocked out power. Since then, the dangers of cruising have been brought back into the media’s spotlight. Although cruise ship accidents are rare, when one does happen, it can result in serious trauma and serious injuries. One of the most common cruise ship accidents is slipping or tripping on wet or uneven surfaces, or injuries due to the ship […]

Any time there is an accident involving a bus, it is always tragic because of the number of people that are normally involved. What makes a bus accident even worse is when the accident involves a school bus loaded with children, like what happened at Okeechobee Road and Midway Road in Port St. Lucie on March 26th where a 9-year-old boy was killed and 15 of his peers were injured. Because of their size, buses are naturally harder to control and maneuver, and due to the higher center of gravity, they often times flip when involved in an accident which […]

With Memorial Day and warm summer days fast approaching, the attorneys and staff at Zweben Law Group would like to remind you to practice safety on Florida’s beautiful navigable waterways. Florida is the number 1 state for boating accidents. With approximately 982,470 registered vessels, Florida’s waterways can be dangerous. In 2009, there were 620 total reportable boating accidents resulting in 65 deaths, countless injuries, and millions of dollars in property damage. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s Boating Accident Statistical Report for 2009, the top five primary types of accidents were: (1) Collision with another vessel(2) Collision with […]

Hurricane Season 2012 started five days ago and 2012 is shaping up to be an active season with two named storms before the season officially began. Hurricane season normally runs between June 1st and November 30th with the peak of the season during the months of August and September. Below are some safety tips about driving during or after a hurricane or tropical storm: Stay in your home or in your safe place. Do not venture out during a hurricane. During the aftermath of the storm, if you must leave your home or safe place, exercise extreme caution while doing […]

Summer is a time for camping trips, picnics, summer parties, and, of course, fireworks. Professional firework displays often are breathtaking and entertaining events. However, amateur firework use and displays can be dangerous and even deadly events. In 2010, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, during the 30 days surrounding the Fourth of July, approximately 1,900 people were injured by fireworks and wound up in the emergency room. The most common injuries caused by fireworks include blindness, third degree burns, loss of limbs, hand and finger injuries, and permanent scarring. Sparklers can be especially harmful to adults and children. […]

In the first three months of 2012, highway traffic fatalities increased 13.5%. According to an analysis conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 7,500 people were killed in traffic accidents, up from 6,720 in the same time period in 2011. Experts blame this steep rise in highway fatalities on two things: (1) warmer weather and (2) distracted drivers. Normally, the winter months see a decrease in the number of vehicles on the roadways due to unfavorable, and at times, extremely dangerous driving conditions; however, due to the unseasonably warm winter, more vehicles were on the road in early […]