There are of course those who completely throw caution to the wind and make a habit of drinking and getting behind the wheel. These people are inevitably going to get caught at least once, and repeat offenses are not uncommon, especially among those who hardly give driving while drinking a second thought. And unfortunately, a significant number of them will lose their lives.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in 2009 there were 45,230 drivers involved in fatal motor vehicle accidents. A rather amazing fact is that 22.3% of these individuals were driving with a blood-alcohol content that was at least .08.

Now, in addition to those that are just purely and totally irresponsible there are people who have their cars with them when they are out having a drink who sincerely do not intend to drive under the influence. It is easy to say that you should never have even a single drink and this would certainly be one way to be sure that you are one hundred percent safe.

However, it is not illegal to drive after drinking as long as your blood alcohol content does not exceed the legal limit. But how do you detect where this thin line lies?

There are charts available that will give you a general idea. But in addition to this, you can purchase a portable breathalyzer quite inexpensively these days. You could simply test yourself, and if you are in the danger zone put your keys in your pocket, take out your phone, and call yourself a cab.

It is better to be safe than sorry and we are not suggesting that anyone should drive after drinking. But if you do decide that you are going to do so you can be sure that you are within the legal limit by purchasing one of these simple devices and putting it to use.

If you have been injured due to the negligence of another driver or a possible vehicle or product defect, please contact us at 727-848-8892 to schedule a free consultation.

With the above having been stated, we must report on a school bus accident that has taken place in Pasco County. It occurred in New Port Richey during the early morning commute at the intersection of Plathe and Rowan Roads.

The school bus was struck on the left side as it was turning. Maria Giordano was the driver of the vehicle that collided with the bus. According to a preliminary news piece that is appearing at TampaBay.com Giordano, 84, is a resident of New Port Richey. Fortunately she escaped serious injury and was not taken to the hospital though she did suffer injuries that are being described as minor.

Alred Masse, 64, was driving the school bus and there were nine passengers on board at the time of the accident. Neither Masse nor any other students were injured according to reports.

Both of the drivers involved had different stories regarding the circumstances and since nobody else saw what happened the Florida Highway Patrol was unable to issue any citations.

If you have been injured due to the negligence of another driver or a possible vehicle or product defect, please contact us at 727-848-8892 to schedule a free consultation.

Yes, Super Bowl Sunday is just a couple of days away and the New York Giants will be squaring off against the New England Patriots. The game figures to be an outstanding contest between two relatively evenly matched teams. The Patriots have had a better season all in all, but the New York football Giants are red-hot at precisely the right time and anything can happen on Sunday.

Part of the Super Bowl tradition is to get together with your family and friends and party hearty while you watch the big game. There’s certainly nothing wrong with this as long as you are an adult. However, the high expectations for the big event can lead to some excesses that can have negative results.

First off, you should make plans beforehand to have a designated driver in place if you’re going to party while watching the Super Bowl. If this is not possible simply resolve to take a cab home.

But secondly, even if you are normally a responsible person who doesn’t take risks unnecessarily you can sometimes act out of character if you drink too much. Keep this in mind on Sunday and drink responsibly if you are in fact going to have some cocktails as you watch the championship game. And, be proactive about looking out for others who may be on the verge of making bad decisions.

If you have been injured due to the negligence of another driver or a possible vehicle or product defect, please contact us at 727-848-8892 to schedule a free consultation.

You must also be aware of your surroundings and ready to react to the mistakes that other people make, and you may be surprised to find out just how many of those people are driving without a valid license.

The AAA Foundation For Traffic Safety is an entity that is always going the extra mile to do everything possible to raise public awareness about relevant issues, and they have recently released a study that is raising eyebrows. They examined all the fatal accidents that took place between 2007 and 2009 and they found that over 18% of the accidents involved a driver without a license or with an invalid license.

So, when you are out and about on the roadways here in Pasco County statistics would indicate that a significant number of people that you are sharing the streets with are driving without a license.

You don’t lose your license for no good reason, and if you never had one in the first place you are probably not qualified to drive. This should add to your list of reasons why you should drive defensively and be ready to react to any novel circumstances that may come your way.

In addition, if someone is driving without a license this individual is probably driving without insurance. The results of this AAA study also underscore why it is so important to carry significant uninsured motorist insurance coverage. If you’re not sure about your level of coverage the wise course of action would be to review your policy with your insurance agent sooner rather than later.

If you have been injured due to the negligence of another driver or a possible vehicle or product defect, please contact us at 727-848-8892 to schedule a free consultation.

Things can happen very quickly as an accident is unfolding and you may not fully remember every last detail. It is possible to walk away thinking that you are in fact at fault when the true cause of the accident was a malfunction of some kind.

This is why it is a good idea to arrange for a consultation with a good New Port Richey personal injury attorney anytime you are injured in an accident and you are uncertain about the cause.

The above having been stated, we would like to share some information about a Toyo tire recall that has been announced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The specific tires that are being recalled are size P225/60R16 97T and there are some 68,700 units affected. The problem with the tires can result in a crack in the bead area, and this could result in the failure of the tire which could lead to a loss of control of the vehicle.

The company is willing to replace these defective tires free of charge. To learn more you can call Toyo directly at 1-800-442-8696.

If you have been injured due to the negligence of another driver or a possible vehicle or product defect, please contact us at 727-848-8892 to schedule a free consultation.

The individual who was operating the motorcycle in question is 62-year-old Gary S. Thomas, and he had a passenger riding behind him named Janet Nash, who is 48 years of age. According to an article that is appearing at TampaBay.com the two were rushed to Bayonet Point Medical Center and they are listed as being in critical condition. The fact that neither of them was wearing a helmet is worth mentioning.

The driver who pulled his vehicle into the pathway of the motorcycle after exiting a gas station is 42-year-old Hudson residence Michael Del-Freo.

To make matters worse, after the collision knocked the two victims off the bike Del-Freo reportedly had no interest in doing what he could to help out the injured pair. He chose to flee the scene instead and he was apprehended at his home and charged with DUI as well as leaving the scene of an accident that caused serious injuries.

We certainly wish Gary Thomas and Janet Nash a full recovery.

If you have been injured due to the negligence of another driver or a possible vehicle or product defect, please contact us at 727-848-8892 to schedule a free consultation.

The driver of the vehicle that struck the girls was Betty-Jo Tagerson, who is a 40-year-old resident of Hudson. She lived on the same street as the victims and she is said to have sped away from her property in her Jeep in anger after arguing with her significant other. Apparently due to the quick acceleration and her mental state she lost control of the vehicle and the unthinkable tragedy was the result.

The Rossman family has been awaiting closure while the matter has played itself out from a legal perspective. The trial of Betty-Jo Tagerson was delayed back in October but the verdict is now in. It took a jury just a few hours to find Tagerson guilty on all counts for which she was being charged and she could spend up to a quarter of a century in prison as a result of her convictions.

This has been a very difficult situation for the family of the victims and though it is a small consolation the trial is now behind them and justice has been served.

If you have been injured due to the negligence of another driver or a possible vehicle or product defect, please contact us at 727-848-8892 to schedule a free consultation.

We are drawing this information from an article that is appearing on the TampaBay.com website and we appreciate all that they do for the community. They are reporting that a motorcycle that was being driven by 62-year-old Holiday resident Ronald Paul Jaszczak collided with a Nissan that turned into his path on Alternate U.S. 19.

Mr. Jaszczak  was thrown from the bike and he suffered extremely serious injuries and though he survived the crash initially the future is very much in question. It should be noted that he was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.

The driver of the vehicle that collided with Jaszczak’s motorcycle was 33-year-old New Port Richey resident Melissa Anne Daugherty. At the present time the authorities are continuing an ongoing investigation.

We will keep you apprised of any changes to the condition of the injured motorcyclist and if any new information becomes available we will pass it along. We would also like to send out our best wishes for a speedy recovery to Ronald Paul Jaszczak.

If you have been injured due to the negligence of another driver or a possible vehicle or product defect, please contact us at 727-848-8892 to schedule a free consultation.

The above having been stated, we have been forced to pass along the news about an alarming number of accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists in recent months. With this in mind we would like to emphasize how important it is to make yourself seen when you are on foot or on a bicycle.

This is important during the day and it can be done with reflective clothing like the vests that you see roadside workers wearing. Sports equipment manufacturers offer a wide array of reflective clothing.

Very clear and present dangers exist during the daylight hours, but it is even more difficult for drivers to see pedestrians and bicyclists at night. If you’re going to be out walking or riding your bike at night you must do everything possible to make yourself visible to drivers. Reflective glow-in-the-dark clothing is recommended, and there are lights that you can affix to your bike and/or your body as well.

Prevention is the key to safety. Don’t let the above go in one ear and out the other. Is easy to assume that that bad things only happen to the “other guy” but many unfortunate victims felt that way too.

If you have been injured due to the negligence of another driver or a possible vehicle or product defect, please contact us at 727-848-8892 to schedule a free consultation.

In addition, there can be visibility problems. There is no getting around the reality that there are moments when a motorcyclist is in the blind spot of a motor vehicle that is in his or her vicinity and this takes some careful defensive of riding to overcome.

The keys to keeping yourself as safe as possible when you are operating a motorcycle are to ride with extreme care while making sure that you take all the safety precautions that you can. Wearing a helmet is going to be foremost among them.

With the above having been stated, we must report on a fatal motorcycle accident that took place in Pasco County on Sunday in the early evening. 57-year-old Brooksville resident David Innes lost control of his bike on Connection Boulevard in Land O’ Lakes and wound up somersaulting after running into the curb. He was rushed to the hospital but he succumbed to the injuries that he suffered during the accident.

It should be noted that according to the Florida Highway Patrol the victim was in fact wearing a helmet when the incident took place.

We would like to pass along our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Innes.

If you have been injured due to the negligence of another driver or a possible vehicle or product defect, please contact us at 727-848-8892 to schedule a free consultation.