car accident lawyer Fort Lauderdale

Published on: December 29, 2016

Poor Road Design Alleged in Car Accident Lawsuit

A car accident can have a number of different causal factors. Almost always, there is some degree of driver error by at least one motorist. In some cases, these crashes might also be the result of poor road design.

Poor road design and poor road maintenance are two different things, but they can sometimes overlap in litigation.

Government agencies that own the streets, roads and highways have a responsibility to make sure they are reasonably safe for motorists. That means using the appropriate care in the design of the roads, and also in road maintenance. Continue reading →

Published on: March 2, 2016

Legal Questions Stall Roll-Out of Driverless Cars

By Dean Freeman

If you are involved in an auto accident with another driver who is reckless or careless, establishing liability for injuries is fairly simple.

Minor damages are paid through one’s own insurer, per Florida’s no-fault rules. More substantial accidents may require claims or lawsuits against the other driver; their insurer should cover those damages. Where that driver lacks auto insurance or doesn’t have adequate coverage, drivers can file a claim for uninsured/ underinsured motorist benefits through their own carrier.

But what happens if the car that hits you doesn’t have a driver? The liability question is a legal snag regulators say must be resolved before these cars hit the market en masse. Continue reading →

Published on: February 4, 2016

Wuthrich v. King County – When Vegetation Blocks a Driver’s View

By Dean Freeman

The Federal Highway Administration encourages roadway agencies to adopt roadside vegetation management programs that identify the best maintenance practices for each location. An integrated approach includes:

Mowing
Cutting (mechanical and hand)
Use of herbicides
Grazing of livestock
Cultivating desirable vegetation
Re-vegetation

Essentially, drivers have to be able to see and navigate the road clearly. If overgrowth of vegetation blocks a driver’s view of roadway signs or oncoming traffic, the municipality in charge of maintenance could find itself facing a car accident lawsuit.

That’s the situation in Wuthrich v. King County, a lawsuit recently revived by the Washington Supreme Court. Continue reading →