South Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg

Bike Lane Accidents in South Florida

Published on: September 20, 2017 | by Law Offices of Robert Dixon

Riding a bicycle is a great way to stay active and healthy. It is also an environmentally friendly form of transportation. Unfortunately, even when there are designated bike lanes, a number of people are injured in bicycle accidents in Florida and throughout the United States each year. If you or someone close to you has been injured while riding a bike in a bike lane, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, our skilled Miami bicycle accident attorneys are committed to holding negligent parties accountable for the harm that they cause.

Sadly, Florida leads the country in bicycle deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida ranks first in the top 10 states for bicycle fatalities with 0.57 deaths per 100,000 people. In 2015, there were 120 people killed on bicycles in Florida, accounting for 16.5 percent of all bike deaths in the nation.

A bike lane is a lane on the road that is specifically marked for bicycle use. Under Florida Statute 316.2065, when there is a designated bike lane, cyclists must ride in that lane except for certain reasons. If there is no bike lane, a bike rider does not necessarily have to use the sidewalk even if there is one present. In Florida, a bicyclist has every right to use the street in Florida. If a bicyclist does decide to use the road, however, he or she must ride as close to the right hand curb or edge of the roadway as possible.

Medication Errors in Florida

Published on: March 27, 2017 | by Law Offices of Robert Dixon

Medication errors injure a number of people in Florida and across the United States each year. In the most serious cases, medication errors can lead to death. If you or someone close to you has been harmed by a medication error, it is important to reach out to a skilled Miami medical malpractice attorney who can assess the merits of your case.

Last year, a Johns Hopkins study revealed that medical malpractice was the third-leading cause of death in the United States. The second-most common type of medical malpractice involved medication errors, including dispensing medication incorrectly, mismanaging medication, and improperly prescribing medication. According to a report by the Institute of Medicine, at least 1.5 million people across the United States suffer harm from medication mistakes each year.

When a patient goes to a medical professional for care, that patient trusts that he or she will be treated with a certain level of care. When a medical professional makes a medication error, it can be grounds for medical malpractice. A medical malpractice claim is a civil claim that is designed to hold negligent medical professionals accountable for the harm that they cause. This type of claim is appropriate when a medical professional fails to adhere to the acceptable standard of care. In Florida, the acceptable standard of care is defined as “the level of care, skill and treatment which is recognized as acceptable and appropriate by reasonably prudent, similar health care providers under similar circumstances.” Put another way, the medical professional’s conduct must be consistent with what a competent medical professional in the same specialty would have done under the same or similar circumstances.

Chair Accidents and Injuries in Florida

Published on: March 27, 2017 | by Law Offices of Robert Dixon

Most of us use chairs on a daily basis without incident. The reality, however, is that a number of people in Florida and throughout the United States are injured each year in chair accidents. If you or someone close to you was injured due to a chair accident, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, our skilled Miami injury attorneys can scrutinize the circumstances of your accident and determine whether or not you may have grounds for a lawsuit.

Common ways that people are injured include falling when a chair collapses, fingers being severed by chairs with jagged edges, chair wheels getting jammed and causing a tip-over, or leaning to the side to reach something while seated in a chair, which causes a tip-over. Injuries that could result from chair accidents include lacerations, fractures, broken bones, neck injuries, spinal cord injuries, and back injuries. In the most severe cases, chair accidents can cause permanent disabilities and render individuals unable to work.

Shopping Cart Injuries to Children in Florida

Published on: March 27, 2017 | by Law Offices of Robert Dixon

Every day, parents in Florida and across the United States put their children in shopping carts when they visit a store. If your child has been injured in a shopping cart accident, it is important to reach out to a seasoned Miami injury attorney who can analyze the facts of your case and determine whether or not you may be able to seek compensation for your harm. Having an experienced attorney on your side can make a difference in your case.

Shopping cart accidents involving children are more common than you may think. According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 24,000 children under the age of 15 are injured each year in shopping cart accidents. Of those injuries, almost 20,000 occur to children younger than five. A report from the Nationwide Children’s Hospital revealed that about 66 children are victims of shopping cart injuries each day.

Falls from shopping carts accounted for over two-thirds of shopping cart accidents. Other common causes of shopping cart injuries include broken or insufficient restraints allowing a child to slip out or unbuckle the safety belt, side or rear tip-overs due to faulty construction, falling over the cart, entrapment of limbs in the cart, and scratching or cutting due to sharp or rusty edges. The most common types of injuries that are reportedly sustained in shopping cart accidents are head injuries such as concussions or traumatic brain injuries. Other injuries may include broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and contusions or lacerations.

Falls from Balcony in Florida Due to Defective Railings

Published on: March 27, 2017 | by Law Offices of Robert Dixon

Florida has countless high-rise apartment buildings, hotels, and condos, which means that people often enjoy outdoor time on their balconies. While most people do this without incident, the reality is that balcony accidents do happen in Florida and across the United States. Serious accidents can happen when the balcony or balcony railing is not built to code or properly maintained. If you have fallen from a balcony or been hurt in a balcony accident that could have been prevented, you may be entitled to compensation.

According to The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, there were an estimated 86,500 balcony fall injuries treated in hospital emergency departments between 1990 and 2006. Most of these falls ranged from five feet to 87.5 feet. In approximately 6.5 percent of these cases, injuries were caused by structural deficiencies. Children under the age of 18 were more likely than adults to suffer closed head injuries or skull fractures.

Balcony falls can have a number of causes, including loose railings or rusted bolts, railings that are not high enough, gaps in railings that leave a dangerous space through which people can fall, unsafe design or construction of the balcony, structural weakness, a failure to place proper warning signs, and improper maintenance.

Falls in Florida Caused by Loose, Uneven, or Torn Carpets or Rugs

Published on: March 20, 2017 | by Law Offices of Robert Dixon

Carpets, rugs, and floor mats can cause individuals to fall and sustain serious injuries. Many times, this happens because the carpet, rug, or floor mat was not properly secured to the ground or has uneven edges that pose a risk to those walking on them. If you have been injured in a slip and fall on someone else’s property, you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries and hardship.

A slip or trip and fall occurs when your foot strikes something that causes you to lose your balance. Floor mats and rugs can be dangerous when they are not slip resistant on the top and bottom sides. Sometimes, an individual will step on a floor mat or rug, and the entire thing will slide forward, causing the individual to fall. Edges of carpets that get twisted and bunched up also pose a hazard to people who may be susceptible to tripping over them.

Slip and falls involving carpets and rugs can lead to serious injuries, such as broken bones, broken wrists, fractures, cuts and scrapes, torn ligaments, sprains, concussions, and even death.

Propane Tank Explosions in Florida

Published on: March 20, 2017 | by Law Offices of Robert Dixon

Propane is an extremely flammable gas that is used for various things (such as outdoor grills) by millions of Americans every day. Propane is colorless and odorless. If it is not handled properly, propane can cause dangerous, even deadly explosions. If you have been injured or your loved one has died due to a propane tank explosion, it is important to contact a seasoned Miami injury attorney as soon as possible. These types of accidents can leave victims with severe and long-term burn injuries.

Every year, a number of people in Florida and throughout the United States suffer from burn injuries. The most common type of burn injury occurs from contact with fire or flames, or contact with hot objects. The American Burn Association states that approximately 450,000 patients receive hospital and emergency room treatment for burns every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, burns and fires are the third leading cause of death in the home. The National Fire Protection Association found that between 2006 and 2010, there were an average of 8,600 home fires involving grills that required a fire department response.

Broken Glass Injuries in Automobile Accidents

Published on: March 20, 2017 | by Law Offices of Robert Dixon

Broken glass injuries can be some of the most serious injuries suffered in a car wreck. When broken glass flies through the air, it poses a serious threat to everyone in the vehicle. If you have been injured by broken glass in an accident that was not your fault, you need to seek the help of a Miami car accident attorney who can determine whether or not you may be entitled to compensation.

A broken windshield and broken windows can cause pieces of glass to dangerously fly in every direction in the car. Newer vehicles are equipped with windshields that are designed not to shatter on impact. However, these designs are not always effective in high-velocity wrecks. Broken glass can cause a variety of injuries, including surface level cuts, deep level lacerations, severed limbs, and shock. In the most serious cases, a person could bleed to death due to a broken shard of glass striking a main artery.

Tanning Bed Injuries in Florida

Published on: March 2, 2017 | by Law Offices of Robert Dixon

Tanning beds are quite a common way of getting a tan in Florida and throughout the United States. While most people get a tan without incident, the reality is that tanning devices can pose serious hazards. If you or someone close to you has suffered tanning bed injuries, it is important to reach out to a seasoned Miami injury lawyer who can assess the facts of your case and determine whether or not you have a viable legal claim.

Indoor tanning takes place when an individual uses a tanning bed, booth, or sunlamp to get tan. According to the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, many teenagers tan indoors, including seven percent of all high school students, 11 percent of high school girls, and 16 percent of girls in 12^th grade. In Florida, there are currently more than 900 tanning facilities with over 4,000 tanning devices that are licensed by Florida country health departments.

Hot Tub-Related Injuries in Florida

Published on: March 2, 2017 | by Law Offices of Robert Dixon

Hot tubs can be a great source of enjoyment, but the reality is that they can also be dangerous. If you or someone close to you was hurt in a hot tub drowning accident, we can help. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, we proudly represent South Florida clients in seeking the compensation they deserve for their harm.

The Center for Injury Research and Policy of the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital did a study that found that the number of unintentional hot tub-related injuries increased 160 percent between 1990 and 2007. In 1990, there were 2,500 injuries, whereas in 2007, there were more than 6,600. Part of this can probably be explained by the fact that more people own hot tubs now. Still, it also highlights how dangerous hot tubs can be and how important it is to take the necessary safety measures to prevent injuries.

The main risk posed by hot tubs is the same one that is posed by pools: drowning. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that since 1980, more than 700 deaths have occurred in hot tubs. Another potential hazard is people’s hair being sucked into the suction fitting of the hot tub, causing the person to be held under water and potentially drown.