Jacksonville Injury Lawyer Blog

Jacksonville has the 4th highest death rate for pedestrian accidents. Walking in Jacksonville is dangerous everywhere, according to a national study released Monday. It found that Jacksonville is the fourth most dangerous metropolitan area in the country for pedestrians.

The rest of Florida isn’t so safe, either: The three most dangerous areas were Orlando-Kissimmee, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach.

Other cities in the top 10 most dangerous include Memphis, Tenn; Louisville, Ky.; Houston; Birmingham, Ala.; and Atlanta.

This study demonstrates the need for more spending on pedestrian safety, said Geoff Anderson, co-chairman of Transportation for America , the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group that conducted the study.

Its review was based on what it called a “pedestrian danger index,” which uses the average pedestrian fatality rate per 100,000 population and the percentage of people who walk to work.

Only metropolitan areas with a population of more than one million were counted.

Jacksonville had an average of 2.61 deaths per 100,000 population, the fifth-highest death rate in the country behind the other Florida areas and New Orleans . Jacksonville rated worse than New Orleans overall because fewer residents here walk to work. If you have been injured in a Jacksonville accident please call the Law Offices of Henry Gare at (904) 387-6101.

In the desire to go “Green,” the steady increase in hybrid cars on the road are causing a drastic increase in the number of Jacksonville car accidents with pedestrians and bicycle riders. According to a recently released report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, due to the lack of noise generated from hybrid engines, pedestrians and cyclists are less likely to hear such vehicles that were turning, slowing or backing up.
Thankfully, in light of this unintended side-effect, vehicle manufacturers are apparently proposing to include a device in their vehicles which would generate noise under certain circumstances, such as the back-up warnings used on commercial trucks.
The study reviewed over 8,000 hybrid and 550,000 non-hybrid car accidents in 12 states, including Florida, and determined the collisions usually took place at low speeds, when the sound difference between a hybrid and traditional car engine is the most pronounced. If you or a loved one have been involved in a Jacksonville car accident be sure to call the Law Offices of Henry Gare at (904) 387-6101.

Jacksonville car accidents involving Toyota: If you are a Toyota driver or know someone that is, please read and share this important information. It could help save your life or the life of a loved one.

The Toyota Motor Corp. has announced that it will recall 3.8 million vehicles in the United States, to address problems with a removable floor mat that could cause accelerators to get stuck and lead to a crash. The recall affects Toyota models from 2004 – 2010. Specific models affected include 2007-2010 Toyota Camry, 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon, 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, 2005-2010 Tacoma, 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra, 2007-2010 Lexus ES350 and 2006-2010 Lexus IS250 and IS350.

Toyota is working with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to find a solution to the problem. In the meantime, drivers of the named vehicles should immediately remove the mat from the driver’ side and not replace it, until further notified.

According to a Toyota spokesperson in published reports “A stuck open accelerator pedal may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop a vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.

There have been reportedly 102 incidents where the accelerator may have become stuck on the Toyota vehicles involved, according to the NHTS. If you have injured in a Jacksonville car accident be sure to call an experienced Jacksonville auto accident lawyer.

The following are Jacksonville bicycle accident answers. If a loved one or you have been injured in a bicycle or pedestrian accident, you may be entitled to Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits up to $10,000 from the vehicle that injured them or from any vehicle owned in their household. In order to get the full Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits you may be entitled to, it is important to speak to an experienced Jacksonville bike accident attorney who has experience dealing with bicycle and pedestrian injury cases.

If you have been injured in a bicycle or pedestrian accident, you may be entitled to the following benefits:

• Medical bills
• Wage loss
• Loss of earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress and disfigurement

If you or a loved one has been injured in a Jacksonville bicycle accident or pedestrian accident, your first step should be to contact the Law Offices of Henry E. Gare at  904-387-6101 for a free case evaluation. Whether you have broken bones, scratches & scrapes or you have been seriously injured or worse, you should know your rights.

Jacksonville car accidents caused by road rage are all too common. As a Jacksonville car accident attorney I have represented too many people who have been hurt by aggressive drivers. I was listening to the radio the other day when I heard a local Jacksonville business, Landstar, suggest a very smart thing to remember if you are confronted by an angry driver: FIDO. FORGET IT AND DRIVE ON. I thought this was simple and easy to remember. If more drivers did this there would be a lot less Jacksonville car accidents caused by road rage. If you have been the victim of a Jacksonville car crash be sure to call an experienced Jacksonville accident attorney.