Carman & Bevington, P.A.

Floridians who are seriously injured by the negligence of others often turn to the state court system for redress. While these plaintiffs are not guaranteed favorable results, they nevertheless rely on the even-handed administration of justice, and the ability to obtain full and fair compensation for all that they have endured. Unfortunately, a series of bills introduced in the Florida Legislature may seriously jeopardize this ability and allow otherwise negligent parties to escape liability.

There is another category of driver that most people don't think of when they think about distracted or dangerous drivers - emergency first responders. As technological tools such as GPS devices, cell phones, and laptop computers have become more widely available, they have also found their way into police cars, ambulances and other emergency vehicles.

This June, Florida governor Charlie Crist signed the "Jeffrey Klee Memorial Act" into law. The legislation effectively eliminates the statute of limitations for filing civil suits for wrongful death by homicide in Florida. Crist praised the legislation as expanding the protection of Florida's citizens and ensuring that criminals are held accountable for their actions, "no matter who the criminals or victims are or when the crimes took place."

Ford Motor Co. may be headed toward some of the same problems Toyota has endured recently over questions about floor mats in some of its vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated a federal investigation into the safety of optional floor mats for the 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan vehicles - some 250,000 vehicles in all - following several complaints.

One of the worst places for road rage has been the state of Florida. In fact, Florida drivers (and drivers in Miami in particular) had the dubious "honor" recently bestowed upon them in the Road Rage Survey by AutoVantage, naming south Florida the road rage capital of the United States for three consecutive years.