One woman was killed yesterday when a dump truck plowed into an oncoming vehicle after crashing through a median guard rail on Interstate 4 in Volusia County, Florida. State troopers say the woman was in the car that was struck by the dump truck.
News & Articles
Man Killed in MacArthur Causeway Crash
Author: Cynthia Diaz Shephard/Fri, Apr 25, 2014/Categories: Accidents
One man was killed and two others were injured in a violent crash on the MacArthur Causeway in Miami Beach Thursday morning.
Car Crashes into Florida Church During Easter Service
Author: Cynthia Diaz Shephard/Tue, Apr 22, 2014/Categories: Accidents
A car crashed through the wall of a church in Fort Myers, Florida, during Easter Sunday services, injuring about two dozen people, police said.
Nearly 200 people were attending the service at the Second Haitian Baptist Church when, at about 8 p.m., a Lexus sedan plowed into the building, CNN reports. The driver of the car told police her brakes failed as she entered the church parking lot.
Miami Woman Catches Fire when Cell Phone Battery Explodes
Author: Lillian Chiu/Sat, Apr 19, 2014/Categories: Accidents
A Florida woman was set on fire when a cell phone battery exploded at a Hialeah gym, CBS Miami reports. Jackie Marinas says she was working out at Planet Fitness when she became the victim of a “freak accident”. “I was going to get some water, I heard the boom,” Marinas told CBS Miami. “I thought it was a firecracker. It sounded kind of loud but then I felt the heat in my arm. Somebody yelled your hair is on fire.”
Baseball Hall of Famer to Sue Seminole Tribe $10 Million Over Casino Fall
Author: Cynthia Diaz Shephard/Wed, Apr 16, 2014/Categories: Accidents
Brooks Robinson, a former Major League Baseball (MLB) star and baseball Hall of Famer, is planning to bring a lawsuit against the Seminole Tribe of Florida over injuries he alleges to have suffered after falling at the tribe’s casino.
Miami Driver Kills Two Girls and Good Samaritan in Weekend Crash
Author: Cynthia Diaz Shephard/Tue, Apr 15, 2014/Categories: Accidents
Two young girls and a Good Samaritan were killed after being struck by a car in Miami, Florida, this weekend. The driver of the car may have operating under the influence of alcohol.
Florida Contractors Found to Blame in Deadly Blast that Killed a Man, Disfigured a Woman, and Traumatized Their Young Son
Author: Cynthia Diaz Shephard/Thu, Mar 27, 2014/Categories: Accidents
An Okaloosa County, Florida, jury just returned a $14.8 million verdict over the death of one man and a woman’s severe injuries that have been blamed on a gas explosion in their home.
Cruise-Ship Pool Safety in Question
Author: Cynthia Diaz Shephard/Fri, Mar 21, 2014/Categories: Accidents
Deaths and serious injuries associated with cruise line swimming pools have brought attention to cruise ship swimming safety.
Duke Student Killed in Florida Crash
Author: Lillian Chiu/Wed, Mar 19, 2014/Categories: Accidents
A tragic crash in Florida killed a Duke University student and seriously injured another. The group of students was on their way back from a spring break trip, where they spent five days canoeing and camping on the Blackwater River in Florida, when their van was hit by a pickup truck on Friday. In a news release, Duke said that 21-year old Rebecca DeNardis was taken to a hospital in Creview, Florida and pronounced dead. Another student, 21-year old Joao Correia Marques, had to be airlifted to Pensacola hospital, according to Northwest Florida Daily News. Another student remained in a hospital as of Saturday, although Duke did not released information about the student’s identity or their condition.
Carnival Triumph Passengers Suing for PTSD, Hemorrhoids and More
Author: Lillian Chiu/Fri, Mar 07, 2014/Categories: Accidents
Passengers who sailed on the cruise ship that lost power and drifted at sea for days are looking to get compensation for their traumatic experience and residual medical problems, Detroit Press reports. About three dozen people are suing Miami-based Carnival Corp. for alleged problems such as kidney stones, post-traumatic stress disorder and respiratory problems.
On February 7, 2013 the Triumph left Galveston, Texas for a four-day cruise, with a stop in Cozumel, Mexico. On February 10, a fire broke out at 5 a.m., causing the engine to lose power and leaving the shop without most of its electricity. Passengers were forced to drift at sea for five days, surrounded by sewage in the hallways, limited water, noxious odors and extreme heat.
The lawsuit has gone to trial and passengers have been testifying before Senior U.S. District Judge Donald Graham without a jury. Testimony finished on Wednesday after the three-week trial, and Graham said he would make a decision later.
Many of the 33 passengers said that the traumatic experience caused them to have emotional issues, such as PTSD, anxiety and depression. Some passengers allege that they suffered physical problems because of the foul conditions, including leg pain, diarrhea, upper respiratory issues and even aggravated hemorrhoids. Dr. Ernest Schiodo, an expert witness for the passengers, said that the health problems were “caused by the exposure or aggravated by the exposure” due to conditions on the ship, including exposure to human waste.
Larry Poret of Lufkin, Texas brought his then-12-year old daughter Rebecca on the cruise. He says he remains scarred by how frightened she was, especially when trying to sleep in the deck in the pitch black nights. “Something that was supposed to be so much fun turned out to be a nightmare. I felt like I let my daughter down…You just can’t get it out of your mind.”
Carnival says that at least nine other Triumph lawsuits are pending in South Florida federal court. One proposed class action lawsuit is looking to represent all of the passengers, roughly 3,000 people. Carnival is the world’s largest cruise line; tickets require lawsuits to only be filed in South Florida federal court.
