Miami Personal Injury Lawyer - Automobile Accidents - Most Popular

Florida teen dies because he was not wearing seatbelt

Gabrielle D'Alemberte — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:46:03 GMT

Matthew Kornya's Nov. 7 car accident didn’t have to be tragic. He was not supposed to be driving a car because, as a minor, he only held a learner’s permit. He may have also been speeding, reports have said. By all accounts, “Matthew was a good kid, an honor student at Wellington High School, who loved to fish and hang out with friends.”

But Kornya’s life was jeopardized. Purposefully. Intentionally. And not because he was only 15 and should not have been behind the wheel. While the 15-year-old Kornya died from injuries sustained when he was tossed from the Nissan 350Z after it rolled off the road, his passenger, Michael McMahon, walked away from the accident. The difference? McMahon was wearing his seatbelt. Kornya was not.

Florida law requires drivers with learners’ permits to be accompanied at all times by someone 21 or older and prohibits them from driving later than 10 p.m., the Palm Beach Post reports. But a basic facet of driving or riding in a car, buckling up, that ultimately could have saved Kornya’s life.

None of that matters now, as Kornya’s classmates, friends and family must deal with the aftermath of a life taken too soon and for no good purpose. So the Kornya family members are sending the message out, hoping to make a difference once and for all. "Please wear your seatbelts, just drive carefully, there is no need to rush for anything," said Paul Kornya, Matthew's young cousin.

"Classmates planned on wearing red nail polish and beads to school on Monday, while the boys were to don red shirts in honor of their fallen peer and his favorite color. The Post also reported that students were also planning to wear T-shirts made by Guy Harvey, a popular fishing and sportswear line that Kornya loved, to school Monday. A local store confirmed that the shirts have been flying off the shelves since the accident."

Kornya was affectionately known as “Korndog,” according to one of the many comments on the “We Love Matthew Kornya” Facebook group page, which had more than 900 members as of Monday evening.

Other classmates and friends recalled school projects, giving Kornya workout tips to get girls while others lamented an opportunity missed to get to know a teenager taken too young.

Hopefully by buckling up when they get in the car, many of these same classmates and friends can take something from Kornya in death in addition to the joy he brought them in life.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Gabrielle D'Alemberte

Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Staff Writer — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 13:29:51 GMT

I've been reading our colleague John Inserra's blog in Omaha, Nebraska, and there's a bunch of great information for those involved in motorcycle accidents. I especially appreciate John's link to Mark Lawrence's list of state motorcycle laws.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Minibike Crash Kills Teenage Boy

Staff Writer — Mon, 26 Dec 2005 12:09:13 GMT

The growing popularity of "minibikes" or "pocket bikes" is leading to a rise in minibike related accidents. Minibikes are mistakenly seen as a "safer" alternative to full-size motorcycles or ATVs, but a Christmas Day accident resulting in the death of a Kendale Lakes teenager highlights the potential danger of these miniature motorcycles. Reaching speeds of up to 45 mph, these miniature motorcycles can pose serious accident threats similar to their full-size counterparts. However, mini-bikes like the one driven by 15-year old Antonio Pereira on Sunday are often driven by young, inexperienced drivers who don't have the same training, respect for traffic laws or judgment as the adult drivers of motorcycles. Minibikes are also harder to by seen by drivers of automobiles, another factor which contributes to their risk of deadly accidents.

Antonio and a younger passenger were both airlifted to Miami Children's Hospital, where the younger boy remains in critical condition. Neither boy was wearing a helmet when they ran into a parked pick-up truck which was parked on the path surrounding the Miami National Golf Club.

In Florida, minibikes are prohibited everywhere but on private property, but a drive through any middle-class suburban neighborhood on Christmas morning would likely reveal a few minibikes and mini-ATVs zipping around on subdivision streets. Although these bikes can be purchased for a few hundred dollars at the local Pep Boy's, these miniature motorcycles are not toys and do not make good Christmas gifts when they are not accompanied by formal training, parental oversight, and appropriate safety precautions. Says Florida Highway Patrol Spokesman Pat Santangelo:

You have to understand that these are very dangerous vehicles and it doesn't matter how old you are, even if you have a driver's license and are on one of these vehicles . . . the vehicles are not allowed on the highway.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Insurance Company Denies Claims "Until Pigs Fly"

Staff Writer — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 08:38:19 GMT

A Denver jury awarded a University of Colorado professor $3 million against American Insurance Co. Professor Nick Peressini was severely injured in an auto accident in 2002. The insurance company refused payment. Peressini's lawyer uncovered the unethical practices and company culture promoted by supervisors which included reference to a small toy pink pig with wings, that the company would approve claims "when pink pigs fly." See the following excerpt:

A former American Family Insurance employee described the company culture promoted by a supervisor.
"It was pink pig ... She said it was meant to be that she would approve something when pink pigs fly," said the former employee...."They were happy about and would celebrate, in effect, when they would deny claims," said Livingston. "They'd push the button and make it flap its wings."

The jury in this case called the insurance company's practice of insurance claims denials regardless of merits of the insured's case "willful and wanton," prompting the state's insurance regulator to accuse the company of inappropriate and unprofessional conduct.

Don't think that American Family Insurance is the only one doing this - it happens at other insurance companies every day:

A business plan from 2003 and videotaped depositions raise other questions. They show that American Family Insurance intended to reduce payouts on claims based on competition and not the facts -- all in the name of running a tighter ship.
"Running a tighter ship means you will achieve a goal based on what the competition is achieving, versus what the needs of your clients are?" Livingston asked an American Family claims representative, Phil Scott, during a taped deposition.
"Well, yeah. You gotta be profitable. You gotta try to make money," Scott said in the videotaped deposition.
Making money is not the issue. However, the company's blueprint for reducing cost became a lightning rod in the case. The business plan urged employees to reduce payouts by 28 percent over four years.

If you think you have been a victim of insurance bad faith in an auto accident or any other denied insurance claim, contact an attorney at left and get some professional advice on hanndling these companies.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Truck Accident Kills Miramar Firefighter

Staff Writer — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 17:23:14 GMT

In a horrible accident this morning, a firefighter was struck and killed by a tractor-trailor when he was struck after stopping on 1-95 to fix a problem with his truck. The Miami Herald has more: Truck Accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

15 year old Driver Drowns in Auto Accident

Staff Writer — Fri, 20 Jan 2006 14:43:25 GMT

What was he thinking?

An 18 year old Guatemalan citizen who let his 15 year old friend drive his brother-in-law's Honda demonstrated a serious lack of judgment and maturity which resulted in the death of the young female driver, who drowned when the car crashed into a canal near Biscayne National Park. Ever Lisner Vasquez escaped

the sunken car, waved to passersby for help, and fled the scene. Not only is he irresponsible, he abandoned his friend Ana Martinez, whom Miami-Dade fire rescue divers pronounced dead at the scene.

Vasquez, who didn't have a license either, was arrested Wednesday night for permitting an unauthorized person to operate a motor vehicle.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Man Killed in Multiple Tractor Trailer Accident

Staff Writer — Fri, 23 Dec 2005 16:00:36 GMT

Police released the name of a man who was killed in an accident involving two tractor trailers on the Palmetto Expressway earlier this month. Carlos Perez was driving northbound on the Palmetto Expressway when he came upon an accident involving a tractor trailor and a Toyota truck, the driver of which was also injured.

Perez crashed into the stopped truck and was hit from behind by a second tractor-trailer, causing his car to buirst into flames. There was little left of his crashed vehicle after it was sandwiched between the trucks, as shown in this picture provided by Miami Local News 10. Perez was pronounced dead at the scene. It is not clear if excessive speed under the conditions was a factor in the pile-up, but no charges were reported in the original story.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

School Bus Crash Kills Seven Children and Injures Several More

Staff Writer — Wed, 25 Jan 2006 21:58:06 GMT

Tonight, a dreadful truck and school bus accident that highlights the need for safer driving and safer school buses. Seven children were killed and several more injured in a multi-vehicle accident that killed or seriously injured more than a dozen people. The accident occurred in Union County outside of Jacksonville on State Road 121 about four miles south of Lake Butler. According to police reports, a water truck hit a van carrying 9 children from behind, ramming it into the school bus and causing it to burst into flames. It appears that the water truck never braked, according to police.

The children in the car were unattended at the time and police are still investigating the matter. The NTSB is sending a team of investigators as well. Read the full story from Yahoo News below:

This unfortunate tragedy is compounded when the individuals or entities responsible are not held responsible for their negligence. A representative or attorney for the family with extensive experience in these types of accidents must be retained immediately and conduct a complete and thorough investigation. This will be the only way to ensure appropriate responsibility and compensation is received for the survivors. InjuryBoard's Florida Law Firms extend their deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those affected by this tragedy.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Miami Auto Accident Kills Three in Late Night Crash

Staff Writer — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 10:38:39 GMT

A young man from Miami-Dade was among three killed in a fiery head on collision early Sunday morning. 26 year old Martin Gaitan was travelling home on lane of the Florida Turnpike when he collided head on with a card driven by two occupants travelling in the other direction. At the moment, it is not clear from the Miami Herald story Fiery Head-on Crash Kills Three which of the drivers were at fault - the Florida Highway Patrol is still investigating.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Family Searching For Elderly Woman Who Disappeared After Accident

Chrissie Cole — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:44:00 GMT

Relatives are desperately seeking the whereabouts of Ethel Hill, 80, of Pompano Beach, who went missing Wednesday evening moments after she was involved in a minor car accident in downtown Miami.

According to officers, she was last seen getting on the northbound ramp to 1-95 at northwest 62 Street and hasn’t been seen since.

At the time of the accident, Hill was driving her tan and brown Lincoln town car, with a disabled license plate that reads: Y6MW.

If anyone has information regarding Mrs. Hill’s location, or the accident they are asked to please call Miami Police with information.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole