Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

Many of Florida’s minor injuries never lead to a hospital visit. However, at this time of year, minor injuries can still hurt and ruin a holiday. Here are some tips for dealing with the most common minor injuries this summer:

1) Treat minor Florida burns without the butter. Although butter is sometimes touted as a home remedy for burns, butter can add bacteria to the affected area. Most doctors agree that if it is a minor burn, run cold water over the affected area for at least ten minutes, then use an antibiotic ointment from your pharmacy. If the burn hurts, use a cloth bandage and a dry, cold compress, like a bag of frozen vegetables. If you cannot feel the area at all or if the burn seems severe or covers a large area, visit an emergency room. You may have a more serious burn injury.

2) For nosebleeds, pinch your nose just below where your glasses sit. Hold the pinch for ten minutes and then check to see if the nosebleed has stopped. Frequent nosebleeds could be a symptom of something more serious and warrant a visit to your family doctor.

3) For cuts and scrapes, wash the area well using simple soap and water and wrap lightly with a bandage. You can also use an antibiotic cream. If the wound will not stop bleeding, you need medical attention.

4) If you have something embedded in your skin or flesh, consider before you pull it out. Something like a splinter can be safely pulled out. Larger objects such as barbs, fish hooks, nails, thorns, and anything larger needs a visit to the emergency room. As well, any metal object requires an ER visit, since you may need a tetanus shot.

5) If you sprain or twist something, check for swelling. If there is swelling, apply an ice pack or cold compress. Visit a doctor if the swelling lasts a few days or if you cannot walk. Many Florida slip and fall accidents occur during the summer months, so it makes sense to keep an ice pack or a bag of veggies in the freezer for just these sorts of emergencies.

6) If you get a bee sting, use a credit card to scrape out the stinger. Avoid squeezing the area, as this may just push more venom into the system. If you are bit by a tick, use tweezers to remove the tick from the skin. With all bug bites, watch for breathing troubles. These indicate a serious and potentially fatal allergic reaction and require a quick 911 call.

Florida has many waterways and this means many opportunities for boating. While boating enthusiasts love this time of year for the recreational opportunities it offers, Florida authorities as well as the United States Coast Guard (USCG) like to remind boaters at this time of year that most boating accidents are preventable. Nevertheless, each year Florida boating accidents cause serious personal injuries, fatalities, and property damage.

According to authorities, most Florida boating accidents are caused by operator distraction, negligence, passenger behavior, speeding, and DUI. Just as in Florida drunk driving car accidents, alcohol contributes to far too many boating accidents in the area. Some experts believe that as many as 21% of all fatal boating accidents are caused at least in part by alcohol consumption.

Boaters may also want to brush up on their skills and boat operation training. According to experts, about three quarters of all fatal boating accidents are caused by operators who lack any formal boating training. Classes are widely available and many are quite affordable, so there is no excuse for ignorance. Life jacket use is also always essential when boating. Statistics show that in most boating accidents, drowning causes the most fatalities. In 90% of these fatalities, life jackets were not worn, making these fatalities very preventable. Life jackets should always be correctly worn whenever near the water.

A good pre-boating check can help prevent many Florida boating accidents. Before getting in a boat, ensure that you have enough life jackets for everyone and insist that everyone wear a life jacket at all times. Check weather and marine temperatures before leaving and avoid boating in poor weather. Just as with Florida car accidents, weather plays a key role in many local boating accidents. Rough weather can cause huge waves, rough seas, and poor visibility.

Before heading out in the water, check all equipment to make sure it is in good shape. Have your boat checked and maintained regularly by a qualified professional. The better your boat operates, the better it will respond in bad conditions. A well-tuned boat can mean the difference between surviving an emergency situation and not. Also, before heading out in the water, make sure that all passengers have good swimming ability. Since drowning is the leading cause of fatalities in boating accidents, strong swimming skills can help prevent tragedy.

According to organizations such as World Against Toys Causing Harm’s (W.A.T.C.H.) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), summertime is a peak time for injuries to minors and children. As more kids and teens enjoy their summer vacation, they spend more time unsupervised and this can lead to accidents. In addition, many Florida injuries to teens and minors occur due to toys and recreation items. According to WATCH and the CPSC, there are several things that parents can do to help prevent these types of injuries:

1) Do not assume a product is safe. Parents should check for recalled items regularly. Some very popular and widely available toys are recalled each year, and this always tends to catch parents and kids off-guard. Register toys and electronic gadgets when you buy them – to be altered about warnings and recalls – and check the CPSC site regularly for recalls. Even if a product is not recalled, check its condition and use your common sense. A product may not be recalled but may still have unsafe sharp edges. A small child chewing on a toy may make that toy unsafe.

2) Ensure that children have correct safety gear for in-line skate shoes, scooters, skateboards, and in-line skates. Helmets, elbow pads and knee pads can help prevent many of the injuries emergency rooms see each summer. The CPSC notes that up to 90% of bicycle accident fatalities can be prevented with proper use of a helmet. Each year, thousands of Florida brain injuries are caused by bicyclists not wearing helmets correctly. Do not let this happen to your child.

3) Use trampolines with caution. Each year, trampoline-related injuries cause broken bones, paralysis, and neck and head injuries. Make sure that you get an approved trampoline and use it according to the directions. Never allow small children or unsupervised children to play on a trampoline.

4) Check playground equipment carefully before allowing children to play on it. Poor ground cover can cause broken bones in a playground while loose clothing can pose a choking hazard on slides and monkey bars. Some playgrounds have toxic surfaces. As well, some unanchored playground equipment, such as soccer goals, can tip and injure children. Less serious injuries can also happen on playgrounds. Each year, thousands of minor Florida burn injuries are caused when children touch or come into contact with hot metal surfaces on the playground.

5) Secure windows with window guards. Children playing in a separate room can easily fall through a window without this precaution.

6) If you purchase small mini-hammocks for your children, make sure that they have a spreader bar. Models without this bar can entrap children and cause suffocation.

Florida sees a number of thunderstorms and serious weather disturbances each summer. Thunderstorms, tornadoes, and other forms of extreme weather can be deadly. Each year, across the country, over two hundred people are killed by thunderstorms alone. In many cases, these fatalities are caused by flash flooding or lightning. In addition to the fatalities, some serious Florida head injuries and other types of injuries are caused by severe storms each year.

Florida thunderstorms can cause many types of injuries. Hail can cause head injuries as well as bruising during a thunderstorm. Driving through a serious storm can also easily lead to car accidents, due to the poor visibility that blinding rain can cause. Many Florida car accidents each year are caused by bad weather and by storms.

In addition to these risks, Florida thunderstorms can also lead to lightning strikes. Lightning can strike up to 10 miles away from a rainfall area, so even if you do not think that you are close to a storm, lightning can still affect you. Fast-moving thunderstorms, especially, tend to create surprising lightning strikes. Slow-moving Florida thunderstorms, on the other hand, have a different risk: flash flooding. Flash flooding occurs when dry creek beds or slow streams suddenly become filled with rushing water from a thunderstorm. Flash floods can cause a danger on roadways and can even carry people away. In addition, severe thunderstorms may also bring tornadoes as well as strong straight line winds. Both can damage buildings and trees, potentially causing injuries to those indoors.

If there is a thunderstorm in your area, it is a good idea to seek out shelter at once. Listen to updates about the storms on your local radio or television station. A battery-operated or hand-crank weather radio is a good investment, as it will allow you to get emergency information and updates even if a storm knocks out your power. Follow directions you hear about seeking shelter.

If you hear thunder during a thunderstorm, you are likely close enough for lightning to reach you. In general, the smaller the waiting time between a strike of lightning and the sound of thunder, the closer the storm is to you. If you can count to at least thirty between lightning and thunder, you are roughly 15 miles away from the storm and should be relatively safe. If the storm is any closer, remain indoors and do not allow children to play outside.

During a thunderstorm, it is important to avoid taking a bath or shower. It is also important to not talk on corded phones. This is because electricity can work its way to you through telephone lines and metal plumbing pipes if your home is struck by lightning. If you are outdoors during a thunderstorm and need to seek shelter, avoid low-lying areas and any areas close to metal poles or trees. Squat low to the ground to avoid getting struck. Get away from any metal objects, such as golf carts or bicycles.

Florida’s children are out of school and eager to take advantage of the summer. However, the summer – and hot Florida temperatures – can pose a number of risks to children:

1) Heat-related illness. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are a common problem in children, who tend to play outside in hot weather and may not take breaks for water. It is important to supervise children and take frequent rests for water or fruit juice drinks. Playing in a shaded area can also help.

2) Burn injuries. Many summertime Florida burn injuries involving children are caused by children touching hot playground equipment (such as slides) or other hot surfaces. Many sunburn injuries involving children are also reported each year. It is a good idea to apply sunscreen liberally and frequently and to test playground surfaces before letting children play on them.

3) Pool related injuries. Florida pool injuries are quite common, no doubt because many families have pools and many children head to public pools to cool down on hot summer days. If you have your own pool, it is important to keep it enclosed with a fence and self-closing, self-latching gate. Teach your children to swim at age four, so that they have the swimming skills to prevent drowning. Do not allow your children to swim in unsupervised swimming holes.

4) Insect bites. Small children can easily suffer from serious bites, which can quickly get infected. It is important to check daily for bites and ticks if your children play outdoors. Insect repellant can also be a useful way to help prevent bug bites.

5) Lawnmower injuries. Each summer, Florida children suffer from injuries caused by lawnmowers. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to now allow children younger than 12 years of age to operate a walk-behind mower and advises parents not to allow children than 16 years of age on a ride-on mower.

6) Head injuries. Many Florida head injuries each summer are caused by children who do not wear correct protective gear when bicycling, skateboarding, riding a scooter, or using heelys. Children should be outfitted with a quality helmet when engaging in any of these activities.

Experts advise families that the summertime poses a special risk for seniors. Since Florida has a large population of seniors in Hollywood, Miami, and surrounding areas, friends and family of elderly persons need to be aware of the risks. One of the major risks is the heat itself. Some seniors take medication that makes it harder for their bodies to deal with the heat. In addition, Florida seniors on fixed incomes often cannot afford to make changes to their homes that would make their homes cooler. Decreased mobility can prevent the elderly from escaping their home to beat the heat. All these problems can lead to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and dehydration.

Florida’s weather does not help. With temperatures that can reach the 90s or even the 100s, the strong Florida summer creates an unusual level of warmth that can mean a real health risk. Emergency rooms in Miami, Hollywood, and other Florida communities prepare themselves each summer for an influx of patients with heat-related health problems. Experts advise that friends and family check on elderly loved ones more often in the summer, to check for signs of heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Ensuring that an elderly loved one stays cool and drinks plenty of water can help prevent some heat-related illnesses.

In addition to heat-related illnesses, there are other risks for seniors in the summer as well. According to experts, incidents of food poisoning increase in the summer, as food takes less time to spoil in the heat. As well, dehydration is also a risk for seniors, who may not drink adequate amounts of water, especially if they have trouble remembering to drink or if they have mobility problems.

Other risks to Florida’s seniors include burn injuries. Many Florida burn injuries each summer are caused by people touching surfaces which have been heated greatly by the sun. Belt buckles in a hot car, metal arm rests on a chair left in the sun – all of these can cause burn injuries. Since the elderly tend to have thinner, more fragile skin, these burns can be more serious. As well, some elderly patients are vulnerable to infection from skin irritation, due to underlying health problems.

Cooling off in a pool can be a great way to cool off in the hot Florida sun. Cool water on the skin, according to experts, is a more effective way to cool down in hot temperatures than an electric fan. However, pool areas can easily pose many hazards for an elderly person. Florida slip and fall accidents are very common near pools, for example, where water from the pool can make the ground surface slippery. Hampered mobility can make seniors more vulnerable to these types of accidents. As well, experts advise that the elderly can be more susceptible to bacteria, parasites, and other dangers which can be caught from a communal swimming pool. Most experts recommend close supervision and a shower after swimming in a public pool.

During Florida summers, emergency room visits tend to increase across the state, and in many cases emergency room doctors in Hollywood, Miami, and other Florida cities are busy with injuries that are preventable. Summertime risks seem to especially affect children. Each year, about half of fatal injuries across the country affecting children 14 and younger take place during the summer months. There are many things that caregivers can do to help reduce the possibility of injury:

1) Install window guards. Each year, Florida head injuries are caused when children fall from windows. Window screens can easily break under the weight of a child, which is why window guards are more effective – they limit the amount of space a window can open.

2) Use extra caution with fire pits and barbeques. These can stay hot for hours after they are no longer lit, and this means that they can cause serious burn injuries. Each year, many Florida injuries are caused by unsupervised grills, barbeques, bon fires, and fire pits. Make sure that children are steered clear of these hazards until the grills or fire pits are completely cooled.

3) Avoid mowing when children are present. Each year, lawn mower accidents in Florida cause childhood amputations. It is important to never allow a child to ride a lawn mower. It is also important to only mow your yard during the daylight hours – at dark, you are less likely to see obstacles in your way.

4) Teach your children about water safety. Florida’s many lakes, rivers, and shorelines provide ample opportunity for recreation, but they also lead to Florida boating accidents and drowning accidents. When swimming, it is best to swim at a supervised, life-guarded guarded area and to swim with a friend. Boaters should get refresher courses and should wear life vests when boating. Young children should wear personal flotation devices on boats.

5) Instruct your children on the rules of the road. Your children should not play on the road or ride scooters, skateboards, in-line skates, or bicycles on busy streets. Each year, serious Florida bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents occur on busy crosswalks. Instead, encourage your children to use well-frequented hike and bike trails near your home. If your children ride in-line skates, bicycles, scooters, or skateboards, make sure they wear a proper helmet each time. Look for a bright helmet that makes your child extra visible. Children younger than 10 years of age should not be bicycling or skateboarding along streets alone. They may be impulsive or have a hard time judging the dangers of different traffic situations.

Florida has a large market for rental summer properties. Each year, tourists arrive here and rent Miami condos as well as cottages and vacation homes outside of the city. In most cases, a great vacation is the result. In rare cases, however, renters and visitors sustain a serious personal injury while staying in their vacation home and this usually generates a number of legal questions.

If you have been injured at your Florida rental property, you should seek medical help at once and then contact a qualified Florida personal injury attorney. While some accidents are simply the result of bad luck, some are caused by poor maintenance of a vacation property. A good attorney can investigate all the causes of an injury and can help you determine whether negligence has played a role.

The property owner of your Florida vacation rental is responsible for maintaining the property and keeping it safe. He or she is expected to take reasonable steps to ensure that the property is safe for visitors. If there is a step that is in poor condition or if lighting is inadequate, for example, this can lead to slip and fall accidents. In this situation, the owner may be held liable if any injury does take place. In addition, the owner of a rental property in Florida may be held liable in a few different situations:

1) If there is not adequate security at the rental property. In some cases, Florida vacation property rentals may result in inadequate security cases. For example, if someone rents out a condo in a Miami neighborhood with a higher crime rate but fails to maintain the doors and windows on the property, so that criminals can easily enter, the owner may be held partly liable if a guest is injured during a break-in while staying at the property.

2) If someone visiting you is injured. If you are staying in a Florida vacation rental, you may invite friends and family over to visit you at your vacation home. If one of your guests is injured because the property owner failed to take steps to keep the property safe, he or she may also be held partly liable.

3) If there is lack of correct safety measures. Property owners are expected to ensure that basic safety measures are in place – such as working fire alarms, for example. Many injuries and accidents occur simply because these measures are not in place. Many Florida pool injuries and drowning accidents, for example, take place because of a lack of safety gates and similar safety precautions. If you suffer an injury because basic safety precautions are not in place, the owner of the property may be held liable.

4) If there are no warnings of hazards. If there are hazards in your Florida rental property which cannot be reasonably fixed, the owner should warn you about these hazards either in writing or verbally.

5) If repairs are not completed in a timely manner. If you notice a safety hazard in your vacation property and report it to the property owner, he or she should investigate and fix the problem in a timely fashion. If this does not take place and you are injured by the problem, you could have grounds for legal action.

If you are injured while staying at a Florida vacation property, determining liability can be complex. For this reason, you will want to contact a good Florida personal injury attorney after your accident.

If you have a Florida vacation home or cottage, you may see it as a haven – a place to let your hair down and get away from it all. Unfortunately, while Florida may be a major vacation destination, Florida injuries and accidents never take a vacation. Your cottage poses some dangers of injury not only to yourself, but also to your visitors. Few property owners want to contemplate the possibility, but if someone is injured at your vacation property or cottage, you could face legal action. Here are some questions to ask yourself when assessing potential premises liability issues with your summer home:

1) How likely are you to have visitors? The more likely you are to have visitors to your property, the more vigilant you will have to be to keep your property safe. Keep in mind, too, that if your property is close to a hiking trail or popular recreational area, people may err onto your property. Post signs clearly indicating where your property begins.

2) What is the condition of the property? Rugged roads in Florida's beautiful climate and a rustic cottage are charming, but they also increase the chances of Florida slip and fall accidents and other problems. Keep your property as rustic as you like, but take care to fix any obvious dangers you notice.

3) Do you have adequate lighting? Good lighting can go a long way towards preventing injuries, falls, and other accidents. Look for night lighting solutions both indoors and out, but especially along paths and walkways. A programmable timer is also a good idea, as it will give you more control over your lighting.

4) Do you have a pool? Pools in Florida vacation homes increase the likelihood of problems, since most property owners are away from the vacation home for an extended period of time every year. At any point during this absence, someone could wander into your pool area and harm themselves. Pools in empty homes do carry a higher risk of pool-related injuries and accidents. If you do opt for a pool at your vacation home, build a very sturdy fence around it and use a gate with a security alarm system so that you will be informed if anyone enters your pool area. You might also want to hire someone to check in on your property and pool periodically.

5) What is your heating system? Using generators or other higher-risk systems can pose a carbon monoxide risk as well as a fire hazard. Make sure that you follow proper procedures for your heating system and fuel storage.

6) Do you have safety rules and a maintenance schedule? You are less likely to face legal problems if you can show that you have used reasonable care in keeping your vacation home or cottage safe. Keep a written maintenance schedule and follow it. Keep notes on the condition of your property and any repair or maintenance work you have done. Have posted safety rules warning visitors about any hazards that you cannot fix (such as a deep lake nearby). Not only will these extra precautions reduce the possibility of an injury on your property, but they will help you in the event that an accident does take place on your property.