Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Two Dead After Runaway Tesla Strikes Home
Investigators believe that speed was the primary factor in a deadly crash which killed a 69-year-old Pinellas County woman. Few details about the wreck were available, except that it happened on Manning Road and involved a Tesla which failed to stop at a stop sign at a T intersection. The vehicle barreled into a… Read More »
Legal Issues In “Drugged Driving” Wrecks
These incidents increased significantly during the coronavirus pandemic, as drivers increasingly self-medicated with prescription pain pills and antidepressants. A staggering 65 percent of tortfeasors (negligent drivers) had drugs in their system during 2020. Marijuana, which is semi-legal in Florida, is by far the leading substance that impairs motorists. Prescription medications, which are also legal… Read More »
Crossing The Street In Tampa Bay Is Extremely Dangerous
The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area is the eighth-worst area in the country for pedestrians, according to a recent report. Overall, the pedestrian death rate recently hit a 30-year high. The death rate has increased 45 percent since 2010, according to Smart Growth America. Structural changes, like lower speed limits, longer red lights, and wider… Read More »
COVID Business Interruption Insurance Claims: A Closer Look
Although Florida had one of the shortest coronavirus lockdowns in the country, the effects of this lockdown devastated many restaurants and other small businesses. To try and recoup these losses, many of these business owners filed business interruption insurance claims. Overall, about 80 percent of the resulting court decisions favored insurance companies. However, the… Read More »
Deadly Fireball Wreck On Veterans Expressway
A man is dead after he lost control of his pickup truck on the Veterans Expressway in Tampa and collided with a semi-truck. This wreck happened near the Hillsborough Avenue exit. According to investigators, the man, whose name was not released, tumbled across several lanes of traffic, hit a retaining wall, bounced back into… Read More »
Are You Safe When You Go Out?
Many Floridians are still reeling from the 2016 Pulse Nightclub mass shooting. A man killed forty-nine people, and wounded fifty-three more, in what authorities described as a terrorist act which specifically targeted LGBTQ individuals. Indeed, the shooter had sworn allegiance to ISIS and nearly all Pulse patrons were LGBTQ. But unfortunately, there is more… Read More »
Investigators Follow The Trail In A Tampa Hit-And-Run
Authorities located the car which they believe was involved in a deadly pedestrian hit-and-run accident, but the trail appears to end there. Florida Highway Patrol troopers investigating the accident, which took place on the Memorial Highway near Hillsborough Avenue, found the damaged car parked nearby. Earlier, according to surveillance video at the scene, an… Read More »
Truck Crash Claims: A Closer Look
Mostly because there are more large trucks, and heavier large trucks, on the road than ever before, the number of truck accidents has increased 48 percent since 2009. There are more trucks because more people are buying more things. Pretty much every item for sale in the Tampa Bay area, from a new car… Read More »
Possible Alcohol-Related Fatal Wreck In Halltown
Investigators believe that a motorist who ran a stop sign and smacked into a pickup truck may have been driving under the influence. The wreck happened at the intersection of Highway 266 and Farm Road 35. The deceased person, a 29-year-old Tampa man, was a passenger in one of the vehicles involved in the… Read More »
FAQs About Ridesharing Accidents
According to a recent study, Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing companies are directly responsible for a significant uptick in traffic accident deaths. Because these accidents are so common, we get lots of questions about them. Although these wrecks are complex, maximum compensation is usually available. This compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such… Read More »