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Victims of negligent drivers may not have the protection they think. While a negligent driver will likely have sufficient insurance coverage to pay for whatever property damage they cause, with limited exception, Florida has no legal requirement that they carry Bodily Injury Liability Coverage (BI). BI is insurance that will compensate victims for injuries caused by a negligent driver. In essence, Florida’s insurance laws currently place more value on the automobile than the person operating it.

In Florida, automobile operators must carry only two types of insurance coverage. First, they must carry a minimum of $10,000 of Property Damage Liability Coverage (PDL). PDL affords protection to victims of negligent drivers for any damages caused to their automobiles or other personal property. Secondly, all automobiles registered and licensed in the State of Florida, must carry a minimum of $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection

According to Bradenton.com, a Ryder truck slammed into the rear of a stopped school bus this morning, February 16, 2010, on State Road 64 East. The bus had stopped to pick up a Haile Middle School student and had its lights flashing and stop sign extended, when a Ryder truck crashed into the rear of it. The student was taken by ambulance to Lakewood Ranch Medical Center. The truck driver is claiming that his brakes failed.

A spokesperson for the school district advised that the children on the bus were wearing their seat belts, possibly preventing more injuries.

This horrible crash brings to light several issues. First, the school district advises that the students on the bus were all wearing their seat belts. Seat belts are not required on buses and the fact that the students on this bus were wearing seat belts, possibly prevented more serious injuries. The second issue is that the driver of the truck claims that his brakes failed. The Florida Highway Patrol will certai

On February 4, 2010, CNN.com reported that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is launching an investigation into braking problems on the 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid. Apparently there is a 1 second lag time from the time the brake pedal is pressed to the time that the ABS brakes engage. This means that the driver would not feel the brakes engage when the brake pedal was pressed. This amounts to approximately 90 additional feet traveled prior to braking when the car is moving at highway speed.

According to February 5, 2010 articles in the Bradenton Herald and on CNN.com, braking problems also may exist in hybrid vehicles made by Ford, Mercury & Lexus. All of these vehicles may utilize the same type of braking system and software which is a potential cause of these problems.

If you have purchased a 2009 or 2010 hybrid vehicle made by one of these manufacturers, you will want to check with the dealers about recalls or c

One would think that the above statement is so obvious that it need not be stated. However, the opposite seems to be true to many people. At any given moment, over 800,000 people are driving while using their cell phones in some form or fashion. Think about it. The odds of you being on the road at the same time as someone using their phone is great.

This is scary, as the odds that someone will be involved in a motor vehicle accident due to the use of a cell phone are increasing. According to a recent National Safety Council study, cell phones are involved in approximately 28% of all crashes. Add in reading e-mail and texting while driving and the percentages may increase even more. This is due to the fact that the reaction time of someone texting is much slower than that of a person drinking and driving. This is becoming a dangerous habit that needs to be broken…..and broken fast.

Currently, 37 states plus the Distr

According to Bradenton.com, the website of the Bradenton Herald, A 19 year old woman from St. Petersburg was killed Tuesday morning, February 2, 2010 on I-75. Corinna Lyon was traveling south on I-75 when she swerved to miss a ladder. She drove onto the shoulder of the road, causing her vehicle to overturn several times. The Florida Highway Patrol is asking anyone who witnessed the accident to call Corporal Darrell Carroll. Hopefully, the Florida Highway Patrol's investigation will determine how the ladder wound up in the road. This may lead to a cause of action against the owner of the ladder or possibly an uninsured/underinsured motorist claim.