Car Accidents

March 21, 2013

St. Petersburg Car Accident Leaves Woman Injured After Colliding with Tour Bus

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A St. Petersburg car accident has left a Clearwater woman critically injured after her car collided with a tour bus carrying a college baseball team travelling from Minnesota for a baseball tournament.

According to news reports, the crash occurred during Wednesday rush hour near the corner of 34th Street and 22nd Avenue S in St. Petersburg. The driver and her male passenger were taken to Bayfront Medical Center for trauma treatment. Both are expected to survive.

In an apparent rush to beat a red light, video evidence showed law enforcement that the woman driver made a left hand turn in front of the bus, and that the bus ran a red light, contributing to the crash and extensive property damage to her car. Investigators are still waiting for video from a different red light camera to determine where the woman’s Buick was when the light turned red.

Collisions involving cars, truck, motorcycles and SUVs can happen in the blink of an eye. While many different factors can lead to a crash, most result in significant property damage, serious personal injury or even wrongful death.

Many of our clients wonder if you can you recover a portion of your damages even if you may have contributed to the collision. Fortunately, Florida recognizes a “comparative negligence” theory of negligence, which allows both parties to monetarily recover– even when more than one party is responsible for the accident. But, in comparative negligence cases, there tends to be a lot of blame passed back and forth between sides for who contributed the most to the accident. This is why it is so important to have an experienced Tampa Bay Car Accident Attorney from Whittel & Melton by your side. We work with a team of experts who can recreate your accident and collect all necessary evidence to help you recover the largest award possible.

February 15, 2013

Tampa Bay Injury Lawyer :: New York Mother Files Injury Lawsuit Against Wendy’s for Negligence with Safety Measures

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A New York mother and daughter team has filed a personal injury lawsuit against Wendy’s International Inc. and Westbury Properties, LLC, after sustaining serious injuries at their local fast-food restaurant.

The mother and her 11-year-old daughter were exiting the restaurant on Dec. 4 when they were struck by the vehicle of an elderly driver. The pair was pinned to the wall of the restaurant, crushing their legs and resulting in multiple fractures, excruciating pain and costly medical treatment.

Two months later, the mother is still confined to a wheelchair while the daughter is able to walk again.

Now, the mother has filed a multimillion dollar personal injury lawsuit against Wendy’s and the driver of the car with the hopes of recovering just financial compensation for the damages suffered from this life changing accident.

The woman’s claim not only names the cause of the accident as the driver’s negligence, but also claims that the restaurant was careless with their safety precautions. The fast-food location only installed curb stops and signs after the accident occurred.

While Wendy’s did issue a statement of regret following the accident, they did not address any specifics associated with the pending lawsuit.

Personal injury lawsuits can be filed by victims who were injured as a direct result of another person or entity’s negligence. The mother and daughter team in this case are seeking full and fair compensation for their pain and suffering, which is entitled to them by law. When filing a personal injury claim, victims may recover for various damages including lost wages, costs associated with all medical treatments and physical and emotional pain and suffering. If you or a loved one has suffered personal injuries due to someone else’s reckless actions or negligent behavior, a personal injury attorney can help you understand your rights.

February 14, 2013

Clearwater Pedestrian Killed in Auto Accident last night

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

According to new reports, the Clearwater man walking across Missouri Avenue near Turner Street who was struck by a car Wednesday night, is dead.

As part of a traffic homicide investigation, Clearwater Police shut down all southbound lanes of Missouri Avenue at Druid Road, Wednesday evening to preserve evidence at the scene. A Clearwater Public Safety spokesperson says the man was crossing Missouri from the east to the west side and south of the intersection at Turner Street when he was hit.

The driver told traffic homicide detectives that he did not see the pedestrian until just before impact.