Fort Walton Beach Personal Injury Blog

Following up on our June 10 blog post about a Florida family claiming Tiger Woods played a role in their bartender son's death ("Tiger Woods faces wrongful death lawsuit"), the plaintiffs have amended the complaint. They removed the professional golfer from the list of defendants in the wrongful death lawsuit. Wood's girlfriend, Erica Herman, who is the general manager of The Woods Jupiter remains a defendant, along with the restaurant.

The original lawsuit was filed in May, and it arose from the death of an employee of the restaurant in Jupiter. The man died when he wrecked his vehicle last December after leaving the restaurant in an intoxicated condition. The family alleges their son was served alcohol at the restaurant even though he already had too much to drink.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration prescribes strict standards when it comes to excavations and trenches. Regardless, numerous workers' compensation benefits claims are filed in Florida each year for trench and excavation-related injuries. In a recent workplace accident, a worker was trapped when the ground next to an excavation collapsed.

According to an Orange County Fire Rescue spokesperson, the incident occurred in the Disney World parking lot outside Animal Kingdom. Reportedly, an employee of a contracting construction company was standing close to an excavation when the ground under him gave way unexpectedly. The worker landed in the 10-foot hole that formed, where his leg became pinned.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently arranged a media day to promote boating safety. July is known for boating accidents on Florida waters, and many personal injury claims result from boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The FWC reminded boaters that BUI is a serious crime in Florida, and convictions can have severe consequences, not to mention the civil lawsuits that might follow.

Law enforcement officers in specialty marine units said their focus on BUI detection aims to limit the numbers of boating injuries and fatalities that are typical during at this time each year. They urged people not to join boat rides without making sure that the operator is sober and drug-free. There also must be a life jacket for each person on the boat.

The summer weather in Florida invites outdoor enthusiasts to take to the woods to ride their ATVs on the challenging trails. Unfortunately, not all participants recognize the risks of doing this while impaired by alcohol or drugs. Operating such a vehicle while under the influence could lead to wrongful death claims against the driver if passengers are killed in accidents.

One such an accident occurred on a recent Monday morning. According to an accident report prepared by Florida Highway Patrol, an 18-year-old man was the driver of an ATV that could accommodate two passengers. His passengers were two males, ages 20 and 22. FHP says the driver was riding the ATV backward down a slope and smashed it into a tree. The 22-year-old passenger was ejected upon impact, and he landed up underneath the ATV that had rolled over.