Pinellas County Injury Attorneys

October 18, 2024

News: Hurricane debris fire reported in St. Pete Beach

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ST. PETE BEACH, FL – A mounting pile of hurricane debris caught on fire at a debris loading site in the area of Egan Park Tuesday night, WFLA reports.

It is unclear what exactly caused the fire, but a nearby resident, identified as Joan Welden, looked out the window and dialed 911 as fast as she could. Fire crews rushed to the scene and immediately extinguished the flames.

While no individuals were harmed in this incident, the growing pile of leftover debris from Hurricane and Milton does pose environmental concerns since pollutants are permitting, and thus also causing risk to residents’ homes and bodies, especially since many of the occupants are older and struggle with respiratory and cardiac disease.

October 9, 2024

News: Plane lands in Tampa Bay, sending 3 men to hospital

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Three men, between the ages of 25 to 40, had to go to the hospital after their plane crashed and submerged into Tampa Bay waters Tuesday.

St. Petersburg Fire Rescue told Tampa Bay Times that the four passengers were coming from Albert Whitted Airport, located in downtown St. Petersburg, when their Cherokee private plane, experienced a mechanical failure, causing the plane to descend from the sky.

Immediately after the plane submerged, a good samaritan operating a boat saw what unfolded and rushed to the aid of the four passengers and their small dog, rescuing them all from the area.

September 30, 2024

News: 146 St. Pete homes destroyed in Hurricane Helene

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – As of Monday, 146 homes in St. Petersburg has been destroyed since Hurricane Helene passed throughout the state of Florida Thursday.

Pinellas County’s residential damage assessment report included this information.

Authorities have not stated whether any residents have suffered any injuries at this time.

April 26, 2024

News: 1 seriously hurt in water-related accident in Clearwater Beach

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

CLEARWATER BEACH, FL – One person sustained serious wounds in a water-related accident along Opal Sands Resort Friday, WFLA.

First responders rescued the person from the water around 7 p.m. and then took them to a hospital, where they are recovering.

Clearwater Police did not specify if this was a boat collision, a drowning-related incident, or some other accident. Any new developments that are confirmed will be included in an updated news article.

October 24, 2023

News: Boy, 16, hospitalized after Clearwater car-scooter crash

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

CLEARWATER, FL – A 16-year-old boy riding a scooter was sent to the hospital for treatment of serious injuries after getting hit by a Chevrolet Equinox Monday.

According to ABC Action News, this collision took place after 5:30 p.m. at Seminole Street & Pennsylvania Avenue, adjacent to the Jack Russell Stadium.

First responders took the teenager to Bayfront Health Street for treatment. The Chevrolet driver was unharmed.

July 7, 2023

News: Troopers investigate I-275 injury crash in St. Petersburg

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Florida Highway Patrol was summoned to a crash with injuries on southbound I-275 at approximately 5:21 p.m. Friday.

Troopers arrived at the scene at 5:41 p.m. Initially at least one lane was blocked. However, all travel lanes have reopened since.

Officials have not specified the exact cause of this collision, said how many vehicles and people were involved, or if anyone was hurt.

May 13, 2019

Motorcyclist Killed in US 19 Crash

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A motorcyclist has been pronounced dead after apparently losing control of his bike on U.S. 19 and then being struck by a car.

The crash shut down northbound U.S. 19 just south of 126th Avenue for hours Sunday morning.

Pinellas Park Police believe the 22-year-old motorcyclist was speeding when he lost control and was thrown off the bike.

Police say the driver of a passing vehicle tried to stop traffic, but another vehicle drove through and struck the biker. Another vehicle struck the bike debris.

Police say everyone is cooperating with the investigation. No one else was hurt.

The aftermath of motorcycle accidents can be devastating. While some bike riders can escape a crash with just minor injuries, in many speed-related accidents, the rider can suffer life changing injuries, that may include:

traumatic brain injury
spinal cord damage
paralysis
nerve damage
facial injuries
road rash
broken bones
internal injuries
death

If you’ve been injured or lost someone you love in a motorcycle accident, our Pinellas County Motorcycle Accident Attorneys at Whittel & Melton can help level the playing field against insurance companies and fight for what you deserve. We handle all motorcycle accident cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you pay no legal fee unless we obtain financial compensation for you through an insurance settlement or jury verdict.

April 3, 2019

Man Charged in Deadly Hit-And-Run in St. Pete

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 48-year-old man was arrested on Sunday for a deadly hit-and-run crash that occurred on March 16, in downtown St. Petersburg.

According to police, a Ford F-150 truck was traveling northbound on 28th Street North crossing Central Avenue when it hit a pedestrian.

The pedestrian, identified as a 74-year-old man, suffered serious injuries and died on March 28 at Bayfront Health.

Officials said the driver of the truck failed to return to the scene after a witness told him he struck a pedestrian.

Police were able to catch up with the driver more than 35 blocks away, however, he was not arrested until March 31.

He has been charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving death.

Sadly, many people are injured or killed in hit and run accidents every year throughout the Tampa Bay area. The driver causes a collision, knows they are at fault, and flees the scene in the hopes of avoiding the serious consequences of causing an accident. Our Pinellas County Pedestrian Accident Attorneys at Whittel & Melton can help if you or a loved one has been the victim of a hit and run accident.

After fleeing the scene of an accident, a hit and run driver, when found, is subject to both criminal penalties and civil liability. Even if the at-fault party is never identified, victims of hit and run accidents or their families may be able to recover compensation from their own insurance companies.

Uninsured motorist (UM) insurance covers injuries caused by unidentified hit and run drivers. We can help you use UM insurance to secure financial compensation for medical costs, property damage and other losses.

March 19, 2019

One killed in Another Wrong-Way Crash in Pinellas County

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

One person was killed in a multi-vehicle crash involving a Pinellas County deputy in Pinellas Park.

Officials said a Chevy Equinox and a Pinellas County deputy patrol vehicle were stopped at a red light at the intersection of 126th Avenue North when a Buick LeSabre, traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of 66th Street N., collided head-on with the Chevy.

The collision caused the Chevy to hit the deputy vehicle before rolling onto the driver’s side.

The driver of the Buick, a 28-year-old woman, was transported to the hospital for life-threatening injuries and was later pronounced deceased.

The driver of the Chevy and the Pinellas County deputy were also transported the hospital for minor injuries.

Officials said impairment appears to be a factor in the crash.

No other details have been released. The investigation remains ongoing.

Wrong-way collisions are not an anomaly in the Tampa Bay area. The Tampa Bay area is one of the worst areas for wrong-way collisions. In fact, a study by the Florida Department of Safety and Motor Vehicles found Florida had 1,490 wrong-way crashes and 96 fatalities in 2015. Three Tampa Bay counties made the top 10 list of most wrong-way driving crashes in the state: Hillsborough was fourth, Pinellas was sixth and Pasco was eighth.

Sadly, an overwhelming number of wrong-way collisions are related to the use of alcohol or drugs. Drivers are more likely to disregard traffic control devices or fail to notice signs that mark the entrances to one-way streets when they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

February 24, 2019

Largo Motorcyclist Killed in Hillsborough County Crash

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 51-year-old Largo man was killed in an early Thursday morning motorcycle crash in Hillsborough County.

The crash happened just before 3 a.m. Thursday at southbound Interstate 275 and Lois Avenue.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the man lost control of his motorcycle and collided with a guardrail.

He was ejected from the motorcycle and fell off the overpass to Lois Avenue below.

He died at the scene.

Troopers are still investigating.

Guardrails and other roadside barriers are designed to protect vehicles from running off the road or colliding with trees and other obstacles. The reality is that roadway guardrails can pose more of a threat to motorcycles than help. If a bike hits a guardrail, as this story shows, the likely result is the rider will be thrown from their bike and seriously injured or even killed.

A motorcyclist losing control of their bike is not an uncommon situation. Bikers that find themselves losing control of their bike, should try and straighten up and take as much lean out of the bike as possible to control the bike as smoothly as you can. The best way to avoid this situation entirely is to only ride as fast as you can see the road ahead of you. You have to give yourself adequate time to see and respond to any visual clues on the roadway.