The Miami-Dade Fire Department has responded to 199 drownings since January 2007. Most of those involved children under 16 years old and 32% involved children under 5 years old. In Miami, most drowning incidents occur between 11:00am and 6:00pm peaking between 3:00pm and 4:00pm. The majority of Miami drownings and near drownings occur in the Summer months from May through August. MDFR has already responded to 11 drowning incidents just since January of 2009.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue has prepared the following list of Summer Safety Tips to help keep our children safe:
• Always think of the ocean, lakes and your pool as dangerous places.
• Always directly supervise children when they are in a pool or around any body of water. Young children can drown in just a few inches of standing water. Bathtubs and large buckets also pose a threat. Most childhood drownings occur without an adult immediately present.
• Keep a phone at poolside so you don’t have to leave the kids to answer the phone and so you can call 9-1-1 immediately in case of an emergency.
• Never assume that swimming lessons or flotation devices can completely protect a child from drowning. Don’t have a false sense of security!
• Install alarms on all doors that lead into a pool area so you will know if a door to the pool has been opened.
• Secure long hair to the head, braid it, or cover it with a cap. Long hair can get suctioned into defective pool drains and vacuum lines.
• Make sure that all family members learn how to swim and what to do if they see someone in trouble in the water.
• Have your family members learn CPR. Drowning victims have a better chance of surviving if they get assistance right away.
• Know and comply with the Florida and Miami-Dade County statutes for pool fencing and pool safety. Pool fencing has been proven to save the lives of many children.
Too frequently, these catastrophic incidents occur because someone was negligent as when apartment buildings, home owner's associations and condo associations neglect to maintain pool fences, gates or locks. Hotels, apartments and condominimums on the beach also must take precautions to secure beach access and warn of hazardous water conditions like rip currents and under-tows.
Our experienced Miami injury lawyers work tirelessly to hold negligent individulas and corporations accountable for the harm they cause when someone dies or suffers brain damage as a result of negligence. If you or someone you know has suffered harm as a result of an accidental drowning, contact one of our Florida personal injury lawyers today for a free consultation.
Statistics provided by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, 2009.
]]>Fermin Leguen, the medical executive director of the Health Department acknowledged that it is very unusual for two infants to die on consecutive days in the same hospital because of an infection.
Vincent Conte, a senior physician from the epidemiology and disease control unit said he was contacted by the hospital on Monday morning and notified that "two babies had died from what they assumed was some sort of infection and that another infant was ill." Conte said the third baby who was infected with the bacteria is improving but is still facing a number of other medical problems.
The hospital released the following statement on Wednesday:
``The hospital extends deepest sympathy to the families of the babies. We have taken all appropriate precautions to protect the health and safety of our patients and families. We continue to examine this matter in detail. At this time, the results of our examination are inconclusive. Due to privacy laws we are unable to give specific patient information.''
We trust our hospitals to care for the most vulnerable in our population and there is no more vulnerable segment of our population than premature infants in a hospital's neonatal intensive care unit. When hospitals fail to take reasonable precautions to protect these fragile patients, they are negligent and the harm which results can be devastating to families.
If you have suffered harm as a result of medical negligence, contact an experienced Florida malpractice lawyer today for a free consultation or call (305) 358-3109 to speak with one of our lawyers about your potential case.
]]>Initial reports indicate that Stallworth may have been driving while under the influence of alcohol at the time although blood alcohol test results have not yet been released.
Reyes was described by his brother-in-law, Francisco Fajardo as a family man who spent all of his free time with his wife of almost twenty years, Catalina and their fifteen year old daughter, Daniela.
Renier Calana, who worked with Reyes unloading cargo containers at the Port of Miami for Bernuth Agencies, a shipping company, told reporters that Reyes was going to the bus stop.
Stallworth signed a $35 million contract with the Cleveland Browns before last season and was scheduled to receive a $4,750,000 signing bonus on Friday.
While no amount of money can ever replace a husband or father, Florida's wrongful death statute provides an avenue for Mr. Reyes' family to recover monetary compensation which can help family members pay for the funereal and cope with the lost household income.
If you have lost a loved one as a result of a drunk driver, contact a Miami personal injury lawyer today for a free consultation or call at (305) 358-3109.
]]>Earlier this week Kellogg asked retailers to remove some of its Keebler crackers from store shelves as a precaution. However, in a statement released late Friday, the company announced that it was voluntarily recalling the crackers and other products in light of the problems in Georgia.
The salmonella outbreak has made hundreds of people in 43 states sick and killed at least six.
Kellogg's president and CEO, David Mackay said "the actions we are taking today are in keeping with our more than 100-year commitment to providing consumers with safe, high-quality products. We apologize for this unfortunate situation.''
Included in the recall are Austin and Keebler branded Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers, as well as some snack-size packs of Famous Amos Peanut Butter Cookies and Keebler Soft Batch Homestyle Peanut Butter Cookies.
Consumers are advised not to eat any of the products in question and to contact a doctor if they have any symptoms. The tainted products should be carefully disposed of to avoid the risk of homeless people finding and eating them.
According to the FDA, new cases are still being reported.
Although some brands have been linked to the outbreak, the FDA says the investigation is ongoing and more products may yet be recalled.
The investigation includes baked goods and other products that contain peanuts and are sold directly to consumers in addition to peanut butter. According to health officials, approximately one-third of the people who got sick had no recollection of eating peanut butter.
''The focus is on peanut butter and a wide array of products that might have peanut butter in them,'' said Dr. Robert Tauxe, director of the foodborne illness division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Officials said they are focusing not only on peanut butter, but also on peanut paste produced at a Peanut Corp. of America facility in Blakely, Ga. The inclusion of peanut paste is significant as it can be used in numerous products.
Six deaths have been linked to the outbreak by health officials in Minnesota, Virginia, Idaho and North Carolina. The exact cause of death in each case had not been determined, however, each person had salmonella when they died.
According to the CDC, typhimurium , the bacteria involved in the outbreak, is fairly common and not an unusually dangerous strain. The elderly and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk though.
Common symptoms of salmonella include diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps.
Chalk's Ocean Airways, the former seaplane airline, and its insurance company, AIG have both sued the manufacturer of the aircraft, alleging that it's design was dangerous and defective, causing the airplane crash that killed 20 people including the crew.
The federal court lawsuits in Miami and New York, claim that the 58-year-old seaplane manufactured by Grumman -- now Northrop Grumman -- was ``not adequately designed for its intended purpose.''
Chalk's attorneys claim that the airline was forced to go out of business by the defective nature of this airplane.
A spokesperson for Northrop Grumman, the Los Angeles based manufacturer, refused to comment on the lawsuits.
The Chalk's seaplane caught fire and crashed into the water off Miami Beach on Dec. 19, 2005. The flight was bound for Bimini, a small island in the Bahamas.
In May 2007, the National Transportation Safety Board investigation determined that the plane crash was caused by the separation of the plane's right wing. It also found that Chalk's deficient maintenance program was also a contributing cause of the crash.
Chalk's owner claims that the the cracks were caused by the plane's defective design and had nothing to do with it's maintenance program. The suit papers allege a manufacturing defect with the rivets where the wing separated from the fuselage and that they were in an area that is enclosed and cannot be inspected.
AIG paid $50 million in damages to the survivors of the crash victims. It filed a separate lawsuit against Northrop Grumman for subrogation essentially seeking reimbursement of the money it had to pay out.
In December 2005, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all Grumman G-73 aircraft still registered in the United States until a determination could be made that the airframes were structurally sound.
No other commercial operators were still using these seaplanes. The last Mallard seaplanes were manufactured in 1951.
Chalk's never had a fatal accident before the crash in 2005.
If you have been injured or know someone who has been injured or killed due to a dangerous or defective product, contact a Florida product liability lawyer today for a free consultation.
If you have been injured or know someone who was injured or killed in an aviation accident involving a flight school airplane, a commercial airplane, a charter plane, a helicopter or even a private air plane, contact a Florida aviation accident lawyer today for a free consultation.
Forty-three year old Tony Falzarano of Plantation was killed when his 2008 Mini Cooper collided with a tractor-trailer on the Sawgrass Expressway according to FHP.
Falzarano was a rescue lieutenant with Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue.
The fatal truck accident occurred just after 7 p.m. Saturday in the northbound lanes of the Sawgrass Expressway just south of Atlantic Boulevard.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the truck, had pulled over onto the shoulder because of a blown tire. The truck driver, 38 year old Ricardo A. Duran Parra, of Loxahatchee called his supervisor and was told to drive the truck to the Atlantic Boulevard exit and wait there.
Duran Parra told investigators that he checked for traffic and pulled back into the right lane. He said he didn't see the Mini Cooper, and ''all he felt was the impact upon traveling in the right lane,'' FHP said.
The front of the Mini Cooper collided with the left rear of the tractor-trailer. Falzarano's injuries proved to be fatal.
Falzarano had worked for fire-rescue for approximately 9 years, most recently as a rescue truck supervisor, according to Palm Beach County fire-rescue Captain Don DeLucia.
There were no witnesses to the crash.
]]> While truck accidents are particularly devastating compared to accidents involving only passenger cars, the results are almost always catastrophic when the other vehicle involved in the crash is one of the smallest passenger cars on the road. A fully loaded semi tractor-trailer can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds making a collision with a passenger car a mismatch.Most large trucks are governed by federal regulations and many large truck accidents occur when those regulations are violated. The experienced Florida truck accident lawyers at my firm know the state and federal regulations governing trucks and are familiar with trucking industry standards. We have successfully sued trucking companies on behalf of people who were seriously injured or killed in truck accidents all over the state of Florida and throughout the United States.
If you have been injured or someone you know has been injured or killed in a truck accident in Florida or anywhere is the U.S., contact a Miami personal injury lawyer today for a free consultation.
]]>Investigators resumed their search for the bodies of the four people who were killed when the two aircraft collided over the Everglades in West Broward.
The aircraft, a single-engine Cessna and a twin-engine Piper, slammed into each other Saturday afternoon in an area where South Florida flight instructors regularly take students to practice.
Among those killed in the aviation accident were Stuart Brown, a flight instructor, Bryan Sax, of Colorado, and Edson Jefferson, a pilot from Miramar.
The fourth victim has not yet been identified.
The Cessna took off from North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines and the Piper took off from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
''From what I understand, radar shows the two air-crafts merging,'' Eric Alleyne, an aviation safety inspector with the National Transportation Safety Board, said of the midair collision. ``Right now we need to get the aircraft out and see what we are actually dealing with.''
The radar data will be important in figuring out what caused the plane crash.
Police used air-boats to reach the crash site.
Police had not released the identity of the victims, but three were identified by friends and relatives.
25 year old Brown, a flight instructor from Pembroke Pines and his student, 30 year old Jefferson from Miramar were on board the Cessna.
37 year old Sax of Aspen Colorado, the student and one unidentified person believed to be a flight instructor with Airline Transport Professionals Corp. of Wilmington, Del. were on board the Piper.
One relative was understandably upset.
''We just want rescuers to get the bodies out of that swamp as soon as possible; that's our main concern now,'' said Brown's aunt Sharon Burton-Lofton of New York.
Meg Fensome, vice president of the Pelican Flight Training Center at North Perry Airport, confirmed that Brown was the instructor killed along with a student aboard the school's Cessna.
She declined to release any more information for now.
]]> The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the federal agency charged with investigating air plane crashes, estimates that nearly 83% of all general aviation accidents are the result of pilot error. However, that is not always the case.Often, aviation accidents are the result of poor aircraft maintenance or air-traffic controller error.
If you have been injured or a loved one has been injured or killed in a Florida aviation accident involving a flight school airplane, a commercial airplane, a charter plane, a helicopter or a private air plane, contact a Florida aviation accident lawyer today.
The Miami car accident happened around 2:00 a.m. The two victims were east bound on Southwest 42nd Street near 132nd Avenue when their car was hit by another vehicle and then slammed into a tree.
The passenger was killed instantly. The driver was air-lifted to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.
Police are searching for the driver of the other vehicle which was described as a silver Suzuki sedan or sport utility vehicle. Anyone who has information regarding this crash is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
It began with a robbery attempt at an ATM on a recent Wednesday night. Crime victim, Charles Denton, 21, of Omaha was shot after using an ATM near 50th and Underwood.
ATM’s do have some safety features. Mirrors allow for customers to see behind them, and many have cameras recording the activity at the machine.
Denton’s Mother says the location of the ATM is a problem and thinks it should be removed.
Other who have used that ATM are also uncomfortable because you have to leave your car to get your cash.
Dena Dubas of Omaha said “I kind of look around before I get out and come to it. I prefer drive-up ones so you don’t have to get out of it. I wouldn’t use it at night, though.”
James Walter feels the same way and said, “I have felt uncomfortable the times I have used it, particularly at night.”
Denton is recovering from his wounds. His mom says he should be ok.
A few minutes after Denton called police, another shooting occurred in the area - this one was fatal. Just a few blocks away, 27-year old Tari Glinsmann was shot and killed in the parking lot of the convenience store on 52nd and Leavenworth where she was an employee.
Omaha Police advise everyone to be aware of their surroundings when moving about the city.
These precautions can include things like ensuring adequate lighting, a safe location and maintaining landscaping so that it does not provide a place for a would-be robber to hide. When business owners fail to implement reasonable safety measures, people, families and entire communities are placed at risk.
In Florida, as in most states, compensation is often available to the victims of violent crime when the attack occurs as a result of negligent or inadequate security. In addition, crime victims may access the Florida Victims Compensation Fund.
The Florida crime victim advocates at our law firm represent the victims of violent crime throughout the state. If you have been injured or someone you know has been injured or killed as the result of a criminal attack, contact a Florida negligent security lawyer for a free consultation today.
According to Capt. Jeff Levine, a Miramar police spokesman, the woman, Nayfy Gutierrez, was a Pembroke Pines resident and her husband resides in Peru.
The crash, which involved Gutierrez's Mazda and a Ford truck, occurred after one of the vehicles ran a red light, Levine said. Police are still investigating and have not determined which driver was at fault.
''We have conflicting stories about which person ran the red light,'' Levine said.
Gutierrez was pronounced dead on the scene. The driver of the Ford truck whose identity has not been released and the child, a 1-year-old, were both transported to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, according to Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue officials.
Police said the Mazda was north bound on University Drive and the four-door Ford truck was east bound on Pembroke Road when they collided in the intersection.
Investigators are currently speaking to witnesses.
]]> Automobile accidents have the potential to devestate families and dramatically alter lives forever. Florida law allows for victims to receive monetary compensation when they suffer harm as a result of someone else's negligence. If you have been injured or someone you know has been injured or killed in a Florida car accident, contact a Florida personal injury lawyer today for a free evaluation of your case. Our Miami based law firm handles cases all over the state of Florida.]]>Hallandale Beach Fire Rescue Fire Rescue transported the female resident of the apartment building to Memorial Regional Hospital for emergency medical treatment.
The fire began around 10:30am inside apartment #4. Thirteen residents were displaced and it took at least six fire trucks to put out the inferno, which was extinguished after about an hour.
According to neighbors, the injured woman is a 54 year old waitress at Oceans 11. Her neighbor, Emilio Gomez, was the one who pulled her out of her apartment.
Fire Department officials are investigating the cause of the fire.
Our Florida personal injury lawyers handle all types of serious injury cases throughout the state. If you have been injured or someone you know has been injured or killed in a building fire, contact a Miami injury lawyer today for a free evaluation of your case.
]]>According to Gainesville police, the pilot, Andrew Ricciuti, 43 was a former Navy pilot who has been flying planes for twenty years.
The two passengers were also identified. Gordon Bennett Taylor, 51, and his wife, Barbara Taylor, 52 were killed in the crash. Their daughter is a student at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
The airplane was a Parntenavia P.68 which was registered to Robert Valle of St. Croix. Valle said Gordon Taylor was a kidney-transplant patient en route to Gainesville. He was scheduled to have surgery on Friday at Shands Hospital.
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials, the aircraft was cleared for approach to the Gainesville airport by air traffic controllers in Jacksonville at around 2:45 am.
Gainesville police received a phone call from officials in Jacksonville at approximately 5:16am on Friday advising them that they had lost contact with a six-passenger airplane in the Gainesville area.
It was not immediately known why there was a 2-1/2 hour delay after the time the plane was cleared for approach before local law enforcement was contacted. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators were in Gainesville investigating the cause of this Florida aviation accident.
This is the first airplane crash at the airport in three years.
The NTSB investigation continues.
]]> The NTSB is an independent Federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant accidents in addition to other transportation accidents and issuing recommendations to help prevent future accidents.The National Transportation Safety Board estimates that approximately eighty-three percent of all general aviation accidents are the result of pilot error. However, that is not always the case.
Often, aviation accidents are the result of poor aircraft maintenance or air-traffic controller error.
If you have been injured or a loved one has been injured or killed in a Florida aviation accident involving a commercial air plane, a charter airplane, a helicopter or a private air plane, contact a Florida aviation accident lawyer today.
The Broward County car accident occurred at about 1:30 a.m. on the Southwest 10th Street exit ramp from Interstate 95.
According to Florida Highway Patrol, neither Jason Osteen, 32, of Pompano Beach, who had been driving the car nor his passenger, Nicole Muto, 26, of Deerfield Beach, were wearing seat belts at the time.
Apparently, Osteen misjudged the curve of the ramp. The car left the roadway, slid sideways, flipped over and slammed into a pole.
Osteen was pronounced dead at the scene. Fire Rescue rushed Muto to the emergency room at North Broward Medical Center. She remains in serious condition.
The wreck is still under investigation.
A Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson said the fiery crash closed the highway for several hours.
Few details have been released at this point but the Coral Springs car accident happened at about 2:30 a.m. in the westbound lanes of the Saw Grass Expressway, near the intersection with University Drive.
Two people died at the scene of the accident. Their names have not been released. The cause of the accident remains a mystery though FHP is still investigating.
Head-on collisions don't generally happen absent some negligence. It is likely that the Highway Patrol's investigation will determine that someone was inattentive, was intoxicated or was distracted as often happens when drivers are using cell phones. In any case, negligence is almost a given.
She was pronounced dead on the scene.
She had been diving with her boyfriend, Eugene Jackson, also from North Carolina on the commercial dive boat, Sea Star.
According to Monroe County Sheriff's Office and Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission officers, the couple completed the first of two dives without incident. The problems began when they tried to swim back to the boat against a strong current after they surfaced from their second dive approximately 100 yards from the dive boat.
After battling the current and waves for about 30 minutes, Jackson looked back and saw that his girl friend had fallen behind and her head was underwater.
Crew members aboard the dive boat told investigators they could not see the two divers struggling in the water. In fact, they didn't even realize that Page and Jackson were missing until all the other divers were safely on board the boat.
The Coast Guard and FWC were called to help search for the missing divers who were eventually found by FWC officers. Jackson was alive but struggling to perform mouth to mouth. Page was taken to shore and pronounced dead.
When reasonable safety measures are not in place on commercial dive boats, divers are placed at increased risk of death or serious injury from accidental drowning .
The Key Largo injury lawyers at our law firm represent the victims of commercial dive boat negligence throughout the state. If you have been injured or someone you know has been injured or killed while diving aboard a commercial charter boat, contact a Miami personal injury lawyer for a free consultation.
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