Naples Legal Blog

5 vehicles involved in 2 separate Florida crashes, minutes apart

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Tuesday, February 19, 2019.

Sometimes, in the immediate aftermath of a roadway collision, it can initially be difficult to determine what exactly happened. Authorities in Marion County, Florida, came upon a scene last Friday that they thought was one giant car accident involving 5 vehicles. However, further investigation showed that one accident involving three vehicles and a second two-vehicle accident occurred within minutes of each other around mile marker 366 of Interstate 75. Altogether, the five vehicles involved in the crashes contained seven people, two of whom went to the hospital for injuries sustained in the crash.

The accidents occurred last Friday evening, and each involved a semi-truck. The cause of the first accident is unclear, nor is it clear whether the second accident happened as a result of the first. The trouble began when a northbound car hit the guardrail after veering off the road. The force of the impact caused the vehicle to careen into the center lane of traffic. The two occupants exited the vehicle and ran to the shoulder, escaping serious injury in the process.

Detailing Collier County's Drug Court

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. posted in Drug Charges on Sunday, February 17, 2019.

A conviction for a drug offense can seriously hinder your future, limiting your opportunities to secure housing or even work in certain fields in Naples. Thus, if the opportunity exists for you to mitigate the impact of such a conviction, you may want to seriously consider it. Many come to us here at here at The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. asking if such opportunities do indeed exist, and are often pleased to learn that Collier County offers its own equivalent of a drug diversion program. To complete such a program may require a strict commitment on your part, but the benefits it offers may ultimately be worth it.

Per the website for Florida's 20th Judicial Circuit Court District, Collier County's Drug Court program is a 12-month session consisting of:

Individual treatment sessions
Support meetings
Routine drug tests
Court appearances
Service projects

What is an ignition interlock device?

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. posted in Drunk Driving on Sunday, February 10, 2019.

Oftentimes, the return of your driving privileges after having been convicted of driving under the influence in Naples comes with certain conditions. One of those may be to have your vehicle outfitted with an ignition interlock device. The court may often view such a device as an added measure to ensure that you do no find yourself in the position where you may drive while drunk again.

An ignition interlock device is a tool incorporated into your vehicle that utilizes a hand-held breath tester to determine your blood alcohol content. It will disable your vehicle's starting mechanism if alcohol is detected on your breath. Typically, you will only have to wait a few minutes before retesting after an initial measurement. However, every subsequent reading that continues to detect alcohol will disable the vehicle for longer periods of time.

How serious are theft charges in Florida?

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. on Wednesday, February 6, 2019.

Facing criminal charges of any kind is a threat to your future. No matter what you are up against, a conviction can leave a mark on your criminal record that can affect the rest of your life. You would be wise to take any type of criminal allegation seriously and work to build a strong defense.

This is true when the charges against you involve either petty theft or grand theft. You may think that your charges are not that serious or that you can easily fight back, but Florida laws take a strong stance against property crimes. Your future interests are worth protecting, which you can do by getting help and starting on your defense strategy as soon as possible.

Understanding Florida's right-of-way laws

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Sunday, February 3, 2019.

Nearly every driver in Naples has likely encountered a situation where confusion existed over who had the right-of-way. It is a question that has been asked to us here at The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. many times. If you were in an accident where such confusion was present, then understanding how state law determines who has the right of way is vital in determining who is liable in your case.

Right-of-way is dependent on the scenario. Fortunately, Florida's state statutes detail who has it in different situations. At an intersection, you must yield the right-of-way to a vehicle that is entering it from a different highway. If you both arrive at the intersection at the same time, you must allow the other vehicle to proceed first if it is to your left. If the other vehicle is entering into the intersection from a road not controlled by a traffic control device (e.g., a traffic light), you have the right-of-way. When attempting a left turn at an intersection, you must also yield the right-of-way to any vehicles approaching from the opposite direction.

Was your doctor authorized to prescribe your medications?

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. posted in Drug Charges on Sunday, January 27, 2019.

The rise of prescription drug abuse in Naples (and throughout the rest of the U.S.) also introduced a new term to criminal justice lexicon: "pill mills." Pill mills are clinics where practitioners prescribe higher numbers of narcotic medications than those would expect from a standard practice of the same medical specialty. You trust your doctors implicitly, and thus likely assume that they have the authority to prescribe you the medications they suggest. Knowing for sure may help you know whether or not the prescriptions you have were prescribed lawfully.

According to Section 456.44 of the Florida state statutes, doctors, physicians assistants or advanced nurse practitioners who prescribe medications that contain substances found on the state's drug schedules for the treatment of acute pain must be registered with the state. For the purposes of this law, "acute pain" is determined to be any not associated with the following conditions:

Cancer
Terminal illnesses
Palliative care
Traumatic injuries with a documented Injury Severity Score of at least nine

Rest for truckers may create more danger for you

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. on Tuesday, January 22, 2019.

Sharing the road with big rigs is becoming more dangerous, according to the latest report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The number of fatal accidents involving large commercial vehicles rose by nine percent over the previous year. This despite the fact that traffic fatalities overall declined by two percent.

Many in the trucking industry have their varying theories for why the number of fatalities is on the rise. However, what it often boils down to is speed and fatigue. If your family has suffered a loss because of a truck accident, you may be struggling to understand the reasons why.

Alcohol's impact on the brain

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. posted in Drunk Driving on Friday, January 18, 2019.

Most in Naples would claim to know the limitations of their own bodies better than anyone. Thus, they may believe that they are the ones who should be trusted as to their fitness to perform tasks (such as driving). This may lead to assumptions by some that they are able to "hold" alcohol better than others, or that alcohol effects them differently. Unfortunately, research has shown that alcohol tends to be no respecter of persons (or their assumed physical abilities).

Consider specifically how alcohol impacts brain function. Alcohol is carried to the brain via the bloodstream, where it reaches all areas of it. Each area controls the operation of specific body systems. According to The Alcohol Pharmacology Education Partnership, the breakdown of each area (and the associated system it is responsible for) is as follows:

Frontal cortex: Judgment
Motor cortex: Movement
Sensory cortex: Sensations
Visual cortex: Vision
Hippocampus: Memory
Cerebellum: Coordination

Your day of shopping could end in injury

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. on Thursday, January 10, 2019.

Going shopping is a pastime that many Florida residents and people visiting the state on vacation enjoy. Whether shopping for yourself, a friend or family member, you may like to go out to various shops when you can and possibly even make a day of your outing. While your main goals may relate to finding the right items, relaxing and generally having a good time, you may not think about the risks of injuries you may face while shopping.

Any type of retail establishment could present serious risks to your safety, and if you do not know how to recognize those risks, you could suffer serious injuries. Of course, the owners and operators of the establishment have a responsibility to keep you and other patrons safe.

What should new drivers know?

On behalf of The Caldarone Law Group, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, January 9, 2019.

If you have a teen driver in the family, it’s important that he or she is prepared before setting out on the road. That’s why many Florida parents take the time to teach their kids safe driving tips, which can prevent accidents and injury from occurring. Nationwide offers the following advice, so your teen and other drivers will remain protected.

Use defensive driving habits