GOLDLAW – West Palm Beach Personal Injury Lawyers, Car Accident, Slip & Fall – Law Offices of Craig Goldenfarb

Author: Ryan O’Connor

  • Was French Villas Condominium in Pembroke Pines Negligent in the Shooting Death of a 23-year-old Resident?

    A 23-year-old woman was shot and killed at the French Villas Condominum in Pembroke Pines early on Thursday morning, March 5.

    French Villas is located on the 600 block of Northwest 79th Avenue. Pembroke Pines police report receiving several calls from neighbors who heard multiple gunshots there around 6:15 on Thursday morning.

    “I received numerous calls, and we were able to determine that several shots had been fired,” said Pembroke Pines Police Capt. Al Xiques.

    They later determined the victim was walking to her car when a person in another car approached her. The assailant then shot her more than a dozen times. When police arrived, they found the victim’s body in her car.

    Xiques said that based on their preliminary investigation, they believe the victim was targeted, and the violent attack was not random. They received many copies of Ring doorbells in the area capturing the sound of the gunshots, but are still looking for any surveillance video that shows the parking lot.

    While the police look for the shooter, French Villas resident are worried for their safety.

    “Now, I’m afraid that he would even get up in the morning and leave, going to my car and go into work because of this, so I think this community needs a little bit more security,” resident Evelyn Arguello said.

    Negligent security law requires that owners of property like apartment or condominium complexes maintain safe premises, and that includes appropriate security standards. Having good video surveillance of parking lots is usually a helpful security measure.

    Police are asking for the public’s help. If you have any information on this homicide, call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS. It’s possible to remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a $3,000 reward.

  • Dr. Jovan Rembert, Founder and Principal of West Park School, Struck and Killed by Car While Checking on Students in Bus Crash

    Dr. Jovan Rembert, founder and principal of West Park Preparatory School in West Park, died on Thursday, March 5, after being struck by a car following a bus crash.

    Authorities say the accident happened around 2:30 PM along West Hallandale Beach Boulevard and Southwest 40th Avenue. When Rembert heard one of his school buses had been involved in a fender-bender, he rushed to the scene to make sure his students were okay. While crossing a street, he was struck by a Dodge Charger which kept going around the block, before circling back. At that point, the driver remained on the scene.

    Rembert founded the West Park Preparatory School, and was remembered by students and community members as a caring person who would give the shirt off his back to someone in need.

    “This is a tremendous loss for West Park Preparatory School and our community,” West Park Preparatory School staff members said in a statement. “Dr. Rembert was an amazing family man, father, minister, principal, and friend. He treated all those who he met with compassion and love. As our hearts grieve his loss, we will pull together in prayer while comforting and supporting one another. We are sure his legacy of being a servant leader will live on in the lives of those he touched. #EMBRACEEQUIPEMPOWER.”

    By Friday morning, a memorial had appeared outside the school.

    Sadly, Florida leads the nation in pedestrian deaths. Two separate safety studies have found that nine of the top twenty unsafe areas for pedestrians are in the Sunshine State. Distracted drivers are a major cause of pedestrian-involved accidents. Drivers are encouraged to keep their eyes on the road and slow down when they see pedestrians.

  • Cocoa Motorcyclist Joshua Carver Killed After SUV Cuts In Front of Motorcycle

    On Friday, March 6, Joshua Carver, 20, died in a motorcycle accident after an SUV cut in front of his bike.

    Officials say the accident happened at Cox Road and Fisherman’s Place in Cocoa. Carver was riding northbound on Cox Rd. when a southbound Chevrolet SUV driven by 74-year-old Robert Jones tried to make a left turn across Cox Rd. and go east on Fisherman’s Place. Carver’s motorcycle crashed into the SUV, and he was later pronounced dead at the scene.

    Jones was not injured in the accident. Authorities say charges are pending.

    Unfortunately, motorcycle deaths are common across the US, and in Florida. In 2015 alone, there were 606 fatalities of motorcycle riders in the state. Motorcycles are involved in about 20 percent of auto accident deaths, even though there are far more larger vehicles on the road. The causes of these accidents range from distracted driving to speeding to impaired driving. It’s very common for motorists who pull out in front of a motorcycle to say they just didn’t see it. For this reason, drivers are encouraged to “look twice and save a life.”

  • LOCG To Remain Open as “Essential Service”

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]On Thursday 3/26/2020, the Governor declared that all non-essential businesses be physically closed, with exceptions outlined for what the state considers to be “essential services”. Along with grocers, hospitals, and gas stations, law firms are also considered to be among these essential services. Therefore, our law firm offices will remain physically open, with about 80% of our staff now working from home, – but they are able to come in if they need to.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • LOCG staff will be working remotely beginning on 3/23/2020

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The LOCG staff will begin working remotely from home starting on Monday, March 23rd 2020 for at least 14 days, and possibly until further notice. For our clients, that means that the best way to get a hold of your case manager/paralegal is by email. If you have a general question or concern, using our chat messenger on our website is a great tool for that.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Three People Killed, Two Injured in 7-Vehicle Pileup After One Driver Strikes a Parked Vehicle

    Three People Killed, Two Injured in 7-Vehicle Pileup After One Driver Strikes a Parked Vehicle

    Three people were killed and two more were injured in a 7-vehicle pileup on I-75 in Sarasota on Monday, March 9.

    Authorities say the massive accident happened near Exit 210 at Fruitville Road on Monday morning. Seven vehicles were involved, including a cement mixer.

    Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) are still working to determine exactly what happened, but this is what they know so far: Joseph Pontillo, 24, of Sarasota, was lawfully stopped within the paved shoulder of the road in his Dodge Dakota. Jose Leal, 56, and Mario Mendoza, 53, both of Cape Coral. were also on the side of the road, changing the tire on a vehicle. At some point, Pontillo’s vehicle was struck by another vehicle, killing him and sending the Dodge Dakota into Leal and Mendoza. Leal was pronounced dead, and Mendoza was taken to a local hospital, where he was listed in critical condition.

    Joseph Lydic, 50, of Sarasota, who was driving the cement truck, was also killed. Angela Blase, 55, of Venice, was also injured and taken to a hospital for treatment.

    According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I-95 is the second deadliest highway in the state of Florida, after I-10, with 204 deaths.

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  • Mellisa Hicks Nault of Callahan Killed After Being Struck by Car While Trying to Help Two Injured Horses

    Mellisa Hicks Nault of Callahan Killed After Being Struck by Car While Trying to Help Two Injured Horses

    Melissa Hicks Nault, 38, of Callahan, died on Thursday night, February 27, after being struck by a car on US 301.

    Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) officials say the accident happened near Janes Lane. Nault was driving behind a Toyota 4Runner that came upon two horses standing in the southbound lane. The 4Runner’s driver was unable to stop in time and hit the horses. Nault stopped her car and got out in an effort to help. She was then hit by a Kia Forte that was driving by, which then overturned, striking one of the horses and Nault’s car.

    Nault was later pronounced dead. Her 15-year-old daughter, a passenger in the car, was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital, and then released.

    Friends remember Nault as a kind person who would drop everything to help others.

    “When I read the story I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s Mellisa.’ It was just tragic that she’s helping somebody, and then an accident,” said Theresa Blair, a longtime friend.

    Accidents caused by wildlife, like deer or alligators, are estimated to cause between 725,000 and 1.5 million car accidents each year in the US. However, the situation is more complicated when large farm animals like horses and cows get loose and wander into a road. These animals don’t typically roam around in the wild, and when they cause an accident, it may be due to the negligence of a farm owner or worker. People who own or work with horses should be careful to keep them secured in a properly fenced area.

    Drivers also need to be careful when they see an accident scene of any kind, or simply a car stopped on the side of the road. Often motorists get out of their cars after an accident or breakdown, and it’s important for other drivers to proceed slowly to avoid accidentally hitting someone.

    Nault left behind a husband and two children. Her family has set up a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses.

     

  • 17-Year-Old Bicyclist Dies After Being Struck by DUI BMW Driver

    [vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]A DUI manslaughter charge has been filed after 17-year-old Sophie Delott was killed while riding her bicycle Friday night, June 29.

    The tragic accident happened on the Indian Rocks Causeway Bridge, around 10:30 PM. According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, 69-year-old Neil Singhal was headed west on the bridge when he suddenly veered into the bicycle lane, striking Delott. She was thrown from her bicycle and suffered life-threatening injuries. Emergency services personnel rushed her to a local hospital, where she later died.

    Singhal was uninjured, and troopers arrested him on DUI manslaughter charges.

    Delott was the only female football player at her high school, Seminole High School, and had recently enlisted in the Marine Corps.

    “Everything she did had nothing to do with wanting to be rewarded,” her football coach Chris Miller said. “It was always about everybody else with her.”

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  • Robert Strickler Killed in Boat Crash Caused by Boat on Autopilot in Florida Keys

    Robert Strickler Killed in Boat Crash Caused by Boat on Autopilot in Florida Keys

    On Friday, February 21, Robert M. Strickler, 83, who was visiting from York, Pennsylvania, died in a boat crash in the Florida Keys.

    Authorities say Strickler’s boat was anchored while he fished, and was struck by another boat running on autopilot. The operator of that boat and a passenger, as well as the operator of Strickland’s anchored boat, suffered minor injuries.

    Strickler was an attorney who belonged to the York County Bar Association for more than fifty years, and is remembered by friends for mentoring others and fighting for his clients.

    “It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Attorney Robert M. Strickler,” the YBCA tweeted Saturday. “Gone from our sight but never from our hearts, he will be truly missed. Our condolences are with his family, friends, and colleagues. Details on services are pending.”

    Sadly, boating accidents are not uncommon in Florida. Just the week before Strickler’s accident, a teenager died when the boat he was riding on hit a channel marker off Islamorada and he was ejected from the craft. In 2015, Florida led the nation in boating deaths with 52 fatalities. There are many causes of boating accidents, including distracted pilots, boating under the influence, and mechanical failures.

    Crashes like Strickler’s, involving an autopilot, have become more common due to increased use of the technology. According to the BoatUS Marine Insurance Program, Electronically Aided Collisions (EACs) are increasingly problematic. They note that boaters should always have a lookout keeping an eye on things when using the autopilot feature. However, autopilots can be risky even with an experienced lookout at the helm. BoatUS cited one claim where a 37-foot powerboat ran over a 19-foot fishing boat on Lake Michigan, even though the boat operator had left an experienced boater as lookout while he went downstairs to check a map. The lookout simply failed to see the smaller boat—until the powerboat ran into it, throwing three riders into the air and killing one of them.

    Last year in San Diego, two boaters had to be rescued after they set the autopilot on their boat and went to sleep. The boat proceeded to crash into a cave off Point Loma, leaving them stranded until rescue crews could arrive.

  • Alina Palla Acosta Killed by Speeding Nissan While Rollerblading in Pompano Beach

    Alina Palla Acosta Killed by Speeding Nissan While Rollerblading in Pompano Beach

    Alina Palla Acosta, 27, died in a bizarre accident on Wednesday, February 19, while rollerblading in Pompano Beach.

    According to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Acosta was rollerblading down a multipurpose path along the 600 block of Northeast 10th Street. The driver of a speeding silver Nissan lost control of the vehicle and hit a tree nearby a little after 5 PM. Detectives who worked the scene said the car was going so fast, it split in two, sending flying debris everywhere. Sadly, a piece of debris hit Acosta, pinning her to a pole. She was later pronounced dead.

    The driver, 25-year-old Endail Thomas, and a passenger of the Nissan were taken to a local hospital, where they remain in critical condition.

    Residents of the area say speeding is a major problem and they wish more could be done to address it. Some even say they’re reconsidering their use of the trail.

    “I rollerblade here all the time. That’s really scary, especially with my dog,” said area resident Brooke Kosher. “I would say I wouldn’t be as fast to react.”

    “She was such a great person. She didn’t deserve this,” said Acosta’s longtime friend Daniela Del Ciampo.

    Acosta’s friends and family have set up a GoFundMe to raise money to send her body home to Brazil.