Florida Injury Attorneys Blog

Carolyn Ramos of Port St. Lucie, Florida, is reportedly recovering after she allegedly struck a pickup truck after driving the wrong way on Interstate 95 on Sunday, according to reports. Ramos, 41, has not been charged as authorities continue to investigate the crash, which, sources indicate, may have involved the influence of drugs or alcohol. It is not clear whether Ramos has retained a private criminal defense lawyer to help her with any forthcoming charges. Likewise, it is not yet known whether family member of the victims plan on filing wrongful death suits.

According to news reports, the car accident occurred on northbound Interstate 95 near Martin Highway at approximately 2:19 a.m. on Sunday. Ramos allegedly drove her Jeep SUV onto the wrong side of the highway, running south in a northbound lane, until she collided head-on with a 1982 Chevrolet pickup truck. Police are not yet sure what caused Ramos to go the wrong way on the highway. "The events that led up to the crash are still under investigation, but the vehicles collided head-on and stopped within the inside lane of I-95," a report by the Florida Highway Patrol reportedly details.

Because the investigation is still proceeding, it is not clear where Ramos entered the highway or how fast either vehicle was going when they collided. What is known is that both vehicles ended up bursting into flames upon impact. The truck reportedly contained a man, a woman, and two children. None survived the collision, as they were trapped inside of their burning vehicle. They were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

The names and ages of the victims have not yet been released as police work to identify them and inform relatives of the loss. It is possible that identification will take some time due to the damage from the fire. "[The vehicle is] crushed and [the victims] are totally burned up, so we're waiting for the Tri-County people to come out and take it apart and determine exactly who is in the vehicle," one Florida highway patrol trooper was quoted as telling the press at the scene.

Continue reading "Carolyn Ramos of Port St. Lucie, Florida Only Survivor of Fiery Wrong-Way Crash" »

Jason Santamaria, 5, died in a Homestead car accident that also injured Florencia Tarrau and Nicolas Ramirez, according to the Homestead police department. Gregoria Saucedo, 63, was uninjured in the accident and was charged with failing to failing to yield during a left hand turn resulting in a fatality and driving with an invalid drivers license in connection to the crash.

Saucedo was arrested and booked at Miami-Dade County Jail. It is not clear whether she has been granted bail bond or has retained a private criminal defense attorney. It is similarly unclear whether Jason Santamaria's family or the injured parties are seeking the services of a personal injury lawyer.

According to the accident report, the collision occurred on Monday a few minutes before 8:00 a.m. at the intersection of Campbell Drive and Kingman Road. Florencia Tarrau, 76, was reportedly driving a red Toyota sedan with Jason Santamaria buckled into the passenger seat. Tarrau, 76, is the boy's great aunt and was babysitting him at the time of the accident.

The accident report indicates that as Tarrau headed east on Campbell Drive, Gregoria attempted to turn her pickup truck onto Kingman road and clipped the Toyota in the process. The Toyota was shoved into the westbound lane of Campbell Drive, where Nicolas Ramirez, who was driving west in his Kia, struck the vehicle head-on.

Jason Santamaria is believed to have been declared dead at the scene of the accident. Tarrau and Ramierz were transported to Kendall Regional Medical Center for treatment, where Tarrau remains in critical condition. Ramirez is in fair condition, according to hospital records, though it is not clear when he will be released.

Police have indicated that Santamaria should have been in a booster seat because the seat belt was resting across his neck rather than his chest. However, child seats are not obligatory by Florida law for children over three years of age, and Santamaria was bucked in as required by law. Tarrau, therefore, will not be facing charges for not placing Santamaria in a booster seat.

Continue reading "Jason Santamaria, 5, Dies in Homestead, Florida Car Accident; Gregoria Saucedo Arrested" »

Sandor Guillen of Miami, Florida allegedly killed Kaely Camacho, 13, in a deadly hit-and-run accident last Friday. Guillen, 38, was booked at Miami-Dade County Jail on one count each of DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, and leaving the scene of a crash involving a death as well as two counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving great bodily injuries. It is not clear whether Guillen has qualified for bail bond or has retained a private criminal defense attorney.

The accident reportedly occurred on Southwest 184th Street and the U.S. 1 Busway at approximately 5:00 a.m. on Friday. Guillen was allegedly speeding down the busway in an illegal southbound direction in his 2010 Range Rover when he hit a 2002 Chrysler Town and Country minivan driven by Kirk Camacho, 47, and containing passengers Breean Camacho, 16, and Kaely Camacho, 13. While it is still not clear what caused the accident, police say that Guillen was at fault. "You can see from the damage of the actual mini-van, it's missing the second half; the impact was very severe," said a Miami-Dade Police spokesperson.

Following the crash, Guillen allegedly fled the scene of the accident on foot. He was apprehended soon after and hospitalized before being taken to prison. The arrest report indicates that he smelled strongly of alcohol and was behaving inebriated at the time of his arrest. He also reportedly told officials that he had been at a gathering, where he was drinking with friends shortly before the accident.

A service station manager who was working nearby reportedly heard the crash and ran over to help. "All of a sudden, we hear 'bang' and a woman screaming. We helped take her out of the van. Her father grabbed her in her arms. He laid down next to the tree in the grass and kept saying, 'don't leave me, don't leave," the witness told the press. All of the minivan's occupants were transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital following the car accident.

Kaely died in Jackon Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center a short time after the collision. It is not clear whether she or the other occupants of the van were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash, though it appears as though no one was ejected from the vehicle. At Southwood Middle School, where Kaely was attending eighth grade, classmates wore blue, her favorite color, in her honor yesterday. A group of four of Kaely's best friends showed the press bracelets that Kaely had made for them. "It's not fair, we were inseparable with her for the past four years, it shouldn't happen to her," one of them told a reporter.

Guillen is a physical therapist who lives in Coral Gables, Florida. He has been arrested twice before in the area, although in both cases charges were later dropped. In 2009, Guillen was arrested for battery; a year later, he was arrested again for battery and disorderly conduct. A sample of Guillen's blood from the time of the collision is being tested at a lab to determine whether alcohol was a factor in the crash. A blood alcohol content percentage has not been released.

Four people died on the Gratigny Expressway, located in Miami-Dade, Florida on March 18, according to reports. The names of the deceased have not yet been discovered; investigators are working to try to identify the victims, whose remains are in such poor condition that conventional identification methods are not possible. No charges have yet been filed in regards to the car accident.

According to a spokesperson from the Florida Highway Patrol, the car accident occurred in the westbound lanes of Gratigny Expressway near Northwest 57th Avenue at approximately 5:00 in the morning. A car and an SUV collided head-on; investigators believe that one of the drivers had entered an exit ramp and was going the wrong way on the expressway. It is not yet clear whether drugs or alcohol were a factor in the cash.

Both vehicles burst into flames on impact. One vehicle contained three people, while the other housed just the driver. All of those involved were trapped in the vehicles when the fires started. It is not clear whether the occupants of the vehicles were killed by the initial crash or the subsequent flames.

In yet another crash involving fire that occurred in the area this week, Gilda Ramos crashed into a gas pump on Tuesday, causing an immediate gas fire. Luckily, no one was seriously injured, and as of now no one has been charged in connection to the car accident.

According to news reports, the incident occurred on Tuesday at a Chevron station located at the intersection of 71st Street and Abbott Avenue in Miami Beach, FL. Ramos was apparently pulling into the gas station in her Jeep when she cut off a yellow Hummer that had been waiting for the pump. The hummer reportedly honked at Ramos, who accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the break and crashed head-on into the gas pump, which burst into flames.

Ramos later told the press that she hadn't seen the Hummer waiting for the pump and had been startled when the driver honked at her. "He started honking at me and I got nervous. Instead of hitting the brakes, I hit the accelerator. That is when the accident occurred," Ramos told the press following the accident. "In my mind I thought, 'I can't die this way.'"

A gas station attendant immediately pushed the stop pump button, ensuring that the flames would not continue to be fed, while Ramos' sister, who was a passenger in the Jeep, jumped out the passenger side of the vehicle and went around to the other side of the Jeep to help Ramos, who was unable to exit immediately. "I tried to get out of the car but the door wouldn't open. I kicked the door and I was able to get out of the car," Ramos explained.

It is not known how much damage the car crash did to the pump, or whether Ramos and her sister required a hospital visit after the car accident. The Chevron has not released a comment at this time. It is unclear whether they intend to pursue damages against Ramos.

Jack Stevens Hayden and Steven Cohen collided in Boynton Beach, Florida on March 12 when Hayden allegedly crossed a median, resulting in 69-year-old Steven Cohen's death. Hayden, 80, is in critical condition. The car accident took place at around 12:00 p.m. on Hagen Ranch Road near Boynton Beach Boulevard. No charges have yet been filed, and an investigation into the crash is underway. It is not clear whether Hayden has retained a private criminal defense attorney to aid him with any incoming charges.

According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, Hayden was headed south on Hagen Ranch Road in his Lincoln SUV when he crossed the median and his vehicle collided with Cohen, who was headed northbound in his Nissan sedan. It is not clear what caused Hayden to cross the median. Some reports indicate that authorities believe that Hayden was suffering some kind of medical problem at the time that his vehicle strayed to the other side of the road.

There were two passengers involved in the accident as well, but it is not clear which vehicle they were in. Hayden and one other person were flown to Delray Medical Center following the accident; both were in critical condition. A third passenger was taken to Delray Medical Center via ambulance. Their condition after the crash is not publicly known.

Cohen was reportedly pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. He left behind a wife, his mother, two sons and two granddaughters. One of his sons, Doug Cohen, told reporters that the late patriarch had loved golf and crossword puzzles. "He was a true intellectual... he had a very good sense of humor," said Doug of the retired dentist.

The crash came just as a study showed that Florida has the worst rates of senior citizen driver accidents and fatalities of any state, including California, who has about half a million more senior citizen drivers than Florida. The study suggested making driving easier for the elderly by providing clear lighting, signage and road markings. Others have suggested that senior citizens (aged 65 and older) should be given road tests at certain intervals in order to decide whether or not they are fit to keep driving.

The month of March has seen quite a few car accidents in the South Florida area thus far, involving both young and old. Two young victims of a car crash that just happened on March in Fort Lauderdale were just identified as 18-year-old Brian Boyd and 28-year-old Jesse Dixon. The accident reportedly occurred at approximately 7:40 p.m. The accident report indicates that Jesse Dixon drove through a stop sign and his car was hit by another vehicle. Dixon then reportedly lost control of his vehicle, which spun out and crashed into a parked vehicle.

It is believed that Boyd was the only passenger in the car, though it is unclear what kind of relationship he had with Dixon. Both men were taken to Memorial Regional Hospital and pronounced dead by emergency medical staff following the accident. No tickets were issued in the accident, and charges are not expected to follow against anyone. It does not appear as though the driver of any passengers of the other car were hurt.

John Sutherland Abbott of Eustis, FL collided with Taira and Gabriel Jones in a car accident on March 13, sources indicate. The car accident, during which Abbott's Audi struck Jones' PT cruiser, reportedly killed Gabriel Jones, 3. Authorities suspect that medication may have played a part in the accident. Abbott has not been charged as investigators await the results of a toxicology report. It is not yet clear whether he has retained a private criminal defense attorney.

Florida Highway Patrol reports indicate that the car accident occurred at the intersection of County Road 437 and State Road 44, at approximately 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Abbott, 39, was reportedly going northbound down Country Road 47 in his Audi when he crossed the median for unknown reasons and collided with a Jeep. The jeep, driven by 60-year-old Charles Pastore and contained passenger Chewy, Pastore's dog, flipped over on impact. Abbott, still on the wrong side of the road, struck Jones' PT Cruiser next. The head-on collision completely crushed the front of the cruiser.

Taira Jones was reportedly wearing her seatbelt, but Gabriel was not restrained at the time of the accident. Authorities found a booster seat in the back of the car, and it is believed that Taira Jones buckled the girl in but that Gabriel had unbuckled her seat belt while the vehicle was in motion. "She started buckled up, but the girl may have unbuckled herself," said a Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson.

Gabriel Jones was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Taira Jones, who sustained serious injuries, was transported to Orlando Regional Medical center for treatment. Charles Pastore sustained only minor injuries, despite the fact that his vehicle flipped over, and was taken to Florida Hospital Waterman for treatment. His dog was uninjured. Abbott was also treated for minor injuries following the crash.

A Florida Highway Patrol trooper explained that the FHP believes "that the driver of the Audi may have been under the influence of some type of medication or prescription. We did draw blood and that blood will be evaluated for any type of substance that was inside. That typically takes 10 to 12 weeks." She did not specify what kind of medication Abbott had supposedly taken. The trooper also said that there was a large amount of alcohol in unopened packages in Abbott's car, and that it appeared that he was delivering it to a business.

A background check on Abbott revealed that he has been issued driving citations nearly a dozen times, including 8 speeding tickets, an open container citation and a careless driving citation. He was also reportedly blamed for causing a car accident on I-4 last year.

Jack Rackley, who works nearby, told the press that he heard the accident and came out to see what was going on. "Two fellows were pulling the back car open where the little girl was in the back seat obviously in the back compartment," he told a reporter. Gabriel Jones was the daughter of Gavin Jones, who used to coach football at Tavares High School.

Raeann Trapp of Orlando, FL reportedly collided with Dannis Bish and Robert Martinausky in a car and motorcycle accident involving a Mustang and two Harley Davidsons on Saturday, March 10. The accident ended in Dannis Bish dead Martinausky and Bish's wife Jane wounded. Charges are pending in the case, which the Orlando police department and the Florida Highway Patrol are investigating. it is not clear at this time whether Trapp has retained a private criminal defense attorney.

The crash reportedly took place when Trapp, 16, turned left in front of the motorcycles. Several eyewitnesses to the accident say that Trapp turned directly in front of the motorcyclists, giving them no time to stop. One store worker who witnessed the crash says that she is surprised that Jane Bish and Robert Martinausky survived the wreck.

Trapp was reportedly wearing her seat belt at the time of the accident and was licensed to drive. She walked away unharmed, but authorities are expecting to file charges against her shortly regarding the fatal crash. It is not clear how charges would proceed since she is a minor.

The car accident reportedly took place at the intersections of Chuluota Road and Colonial Road at around 9:00 p.m. Trapp was trying to turn left from Colonial Road onto Chuluota Road in a Ford Mustang. She turned directly in front of Bish, who was riding his Harley Davidson with his wife, 53-year-old Jayne Bish, seated on the back. 52-year-old Robert Martinausky, another oncoming motorcyclist and a friend of the Bish's, managed to avoid hitting Trapp by dropping his motorcycle and sliding at an angle. Authorities believe that his evasive actions saved his life.

Dannis Bish was pronounced dead at Florida Hospital East immediately following the collision. The two surviving motorcyclists were taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center for treatment. Jayne Bish was listed as in critical condition. Martinausky also suffered serious injuries. Their current states are not known. None of the three motorcyclists were wearing helmets at the time of the collision.

The motorcyclists were reportedly heading home from Bike Week activities in Daytona Beach with the "Nam Knights," the American Military Veteran and Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club. Bike week is an annual gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts including raffles and activities. Bish's Facebook page indicates he attended Bike Week events on Friday as well.

Bish was a father and an Orlando Firefighter who worked at Station 11 in the city. His co-workers describe him as reliable and fun, and say he will be missed. "We [called him] by his last name... [or] sometimes "Grumpy!" He was a great character! He was a lot of fun to work with, but when it came time to do the job -- he was there; and he was somebody we could count on," said Fire District Chief Mark Austin of his fallen comrade. "When it's our family that's involved-- then it hits home a little harder."

Florida only requires motorcyclists 20 years of age and younger to wear helmets when they ride. Many states require that all riders wear helmets, regardless of age, while some have lower restrictions, such as helmets for riders 18 or 17 years of age and younger. New Hampshire is the only state with no helmet laws at all for motorcycles. Florida repealed a stricter law requiring that all motorcyclists wear helmets in 2000, after which motorcycle deaths increased by almost 50%.

Brian G. Serger was seriously injured in a Titusville, Florida crash this past Sunday morning. According to news reports, Lori Cay Cromwell was driving the wrong way on State Road 528 when she collided, head-on, into Brian Serger's BMW.

Sadly, Lori Cromwell was killed.

Brian Serger was taken to Cape Canaveral Hospital where he is being treated for serious injuries.

Given my perspective as a Florida injury attorney, I can tell you that this is a black and white case of clear negligence.

While it is very sad that Lori Cromwell lost her life in this case, she is nonetheless the singular reason why Brian Serger is sitting in a hospital with serious bodily injuries.

When a car accident of this type is litigated in court, injury attorneys need to establish three important things in order to successfully collect compensation for their injured clients.

First, injury attorneys must prove that the offending party acted with negligence. This means that the victim party must be able to prove that the offending party did something wrong to cause the accident.

Continue reading "Brian G. Serger Seriously Injured in Titusville, Florida Crash" »