The next time you are walking down a flight of stairs take a moment to notice what you are walking on.   Most staircases are made of concrete and metal.  If the staircase is exposed to the elements then the stairs are often painted.  Painted stairs are often slicker than their unpainted counterparts.  If there is any liquid on the stairs from rain or otherwise it is a recipe for disaster.   There is a gritty sand-like compound that is supposed to be mixed in with the paint prior to its application to the stairs.  If this is not done or done incorrectly the staircase becomes a hazardous condition that will likely result in serious injury or death depending on the fall. 

 So please buy shoes with soles that have good traction.  Always hold on to the handrails so you can catch yourself in the event of the fall.  But most of all please be aware of your surroundings so you prevent the fall.

Ron Zimmet Jr

Most types of auto insurance covers more than just the person who purchased the coverage.  In Florida, there is a resident relative coverage provision that applies to PIP, Bodily Injury and Uninsured Motorist coverage.  This means that coverage is extended to the insured’s relatives residing in the same residence at the time of the accident.  Relative is defined by most policies as “kinship by blood or marriage but not to relationships terminated by divorce.”  So if you have not purchased your own auto insurance check to see if any of your family members living in the same residence have.   At the same time, it is important to check and see if the person who caused the accident has any resident relatives who have purchased a policy that could cover your injuries.

Another detail for injured clients to look at is whether or not the insurance company can provide a signed uninsured motorist rejection form.  If the insurance company cannot provide documentation of uninsured motorist rejection, then it is obligated to provide uninsured motorist coverage in the same limits as the Bodily Injury coverage on the policy.

There are many other ways to find coverage when you may think that no coverage exists.  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call me.

Ron Zimmet Jr

Florida law does not require motorists to buy insurance to pay for the damage they cause.

There are common exclusions that allow insurance companies to deny coverage if the motor vehicle is being used to carry persons for a charge, if the motor vehicle is being used in the automobile business, is the parties are in a fellow employee status at the time of the accident, if the party filing the claim is an employee of the insured or if the person injured and filing the claim is either a member of the insured’s family.  This is not meant to be an exhaustive list but rather examples of some common exclusions. 

There are many other ways that insurance companies deny coverage.  This Daytona Beach Personal Injury Lawyer believes that if you are involved in an accident it is important to become informed and not trust that your insurance adjuster is acting in your best interest.

If the minor is operating a motor vehicle owned and insured by the parent, liability coverage will extend to both the parent and the minor unless the minor at the time of the accident, the child does not reside with the parent.   Therefore,  if a parent signs the drivers license application on behalf of a minor child who does not live in their household, then the parent can be liable for the negligent acts of the minor and not have any coverage under their automobile insurance policy to pay for it.

Parents should also know that after the child reaches 18 then the parents are no longer responsible for the child’s negligent operation of a motor vehicle unless the parent owns the vehicle or is listed as a co-owner.

So make sure that the parent who lives with the child is the one who signs the application so that if the child causes an accident then at least there will be insurance to cover it.  Also, it is a good practice to make sure that the child owns the vehicle that he or she drives individually and in his or her own name.

As a result of the accident, the reckless driver lost his license.  During the course of my represention, the reckless driver believed that I had the power to help him get his license back by signing a particular document.   He came to my office with a story about how he had a young child and he needed to have a license to get to work.  I could not sign the document because what was stated on the ducument was not true.   Therefore, it is my belief that he was an unlicensed, uninsured motorist when he caused a crash months later in which he killed himself and two passengers.  

He was driving late at night and challenged another vehicle to race.  The vehicles drove in excess of 100 mph and the reckless driver ran into a concrete telephone pole.   This person had no respect for his own life or the lives of anyone else on the road.  He left a young child without a father.   These people are driving right next to you on the road.  Be careful,  pay attention and buy uninsured motorist coverage to protect yourself.

There are tests that show that texting while driving is more dangerous than drinking and driving.  States should enact laws that completely ban this behavior.  The state of Utah is taking a stand.    Utah passed the nations toughest law to crack down on texting and driving.  The new law penalizes a texting driver who causes a fatality as harshly as a drunken driver who kills someone.  The Utah legislators believe that texting and driving is a willful act.    While there are issues concerning how the violators will be prosecuted, this Daytona Beach Accident Attorney believes that Utah is on the right track with this issue and Florida should follow suit.

It seems that everyone in Florida has a cell phone.  A vast majority of those cell phones have built in cameras.  A lot of the phones even have video cameras.  If you are involved in an accident and you are well enough to use these cameras, you should do so.  If you are involved in a car accident and someone in the car is severely injured please use these cameras for them.  

Having photographic evidence of the aftermath of a car accident greatly reduces the chances that the event will later be misconstrued. 

Take photographs of the damage to the vehicles.  This prevents insurance companies from later diminishing the severity of the impact.

Take photographs of the other vehicles license plate and VIN number.  Look for the VIN number on the frame of the driver’s door and on the dash near the windshield.   This information will help locate the driver later if he or she is trying to evade you.   You should also take pictures of the at fault driver’s  drivers license card for identification purposes. 

Take pictures of the skid marks on the road and any parts of the vehicles that became dislodged in the accident. 

Take photographs of the entire scene including things that you think are not important.  You do not know what an accident constructionist may later need to analyze the crash.

Take photographs of the people involved in the accidents and any injuries that they may have sustained.

Take videos of any statements made by the other people involved in the crash. 

The more photographic evidence you can collect at the scene of the accident the better. 

For more information about what to do after a car accident go to zqlawyers.com