Florida Child Injury Lawyer Blog

In Palm Coast, Florida, residents and visitors are subject to the Code of Ordinances for the City of Palm Coast, Florida. Pursuant to Chapter 8, Animals, Article III, Confinement of Dogs, Section 8-63, a dog owner has a duty to have a dog on a leash in residential and public places when the dog is off of the owner's property. The leash shall not be longer than 5 feet in length.

You can read more about the City of Palm Coast, Florida dog leash provisions and other sections pertaining to Dogs at the City of Palm Coast, Florida Ordinances.

If a child is bitten by a dog (on or off a leash), the dog owner, under Florida Law, is responsible for the damages caused by the dog bite including but not limited to medical bills (past and future), pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. If you have a question about a Florida dog bite and the related personal injuries to a child, it is important to have the advice, counsel, and legal representation of a Florida Child Injury Lawyer.

Orlando, Florida is a tourist destination for many people throughout the United States and internationally. People visit Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World, and many other attractions in the Orlando area. Unfortunately, many visitors are injured at the theme parks. The Orlando Sentinel is the leading daily newspaper in Orlando, Florida. The Orlando Sentinel gathered data and information from reported injuries at theme parks between 2004 and 2008. You can research and obtain information on various injuries by performing searches by theme park or injured person's name. There are very few theme park cases that go to trial. As such, it is difficult to determine which incidents / injuries that the theme parks took financial responsibility for and which the theme parks did not.

You can access the database at Orlando Sentinel Theme Park Injuries and Claims.

Whenever a person (especially a child) is injured at an Orlando, Florida theme park or other locations, it is important to get the advice, counsel, and representation from a Florida personal injury attorney or a Florida child injury lawyer on the issues of liability (who is at fault for the injuries?), medical bills, medical treatment, and compensation for the personal injuries.

A Jacksonville (Duval County), Florida school employee has been arrested for possession of child pornography. Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and the Duval County School Board reported that John Watson, age 61, was arrested as part of an investigation called "Operation Fairplay". Watson was a ROTC Instructor at Ribbault High School in Jacksonville, Florida. The investigation was conducted through a coordinated effort by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Florida Attorney General's Cybercrime Unit. Watson's computer was seized as part of the arrest and investigation. It was reported that Watson had photographs / images of 12 to 14 year old girls on his computer.

You can read more about this story at Jacksonville Florida ROTC Instructor Arrested for Child Pornography.

In Sumter County, Florida, residents and visitors are subject to the Code of Ordinances for Sumter County , Florida. Pursuant to Chapter 4, Animal Control, Section 4 - 10 - Dogs and Cats Running at Large - a dog owner has a duty to keep dogs from "running at large" when in or upon any public street, sidewalk, or other public property of another. A dog owner must keep his or her dog pursuant to Section 4 - 4 - Definitions under Direct Control which means restraint or control by a fence, leash, cord, or chain sufficiently to restrain the dog.

You can read more about the Sumter County, Florida dog leash provisions and other sections pertaining to Dogs at the Code of Ordinances for Sumter County.

If a child is bitten by a dog (on or off a leash), the dog owner, under Florida Law, is responsible for the damages caused by the dog bite including but not limited to medical bills (past and future), pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. If you have a question about a Florida dog bite and the related personal injuries to a child, it is important to have the advice, counsel, and legal representation of a Florida Child Injury Lawyer.

A rear end accident caused the death of a Melbourne Beach, Florida man (Edward Kronemeyer) in St. Johns County, Florida. The crash took place on Interstate 95 Southbound near Florida State Road 16. Mr. Kronemeyer's 1966 Triumph convertible was rearended by a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) driven by Vonnier Queen of Jacksonville. The rear end crash pushed Mr. Kronemeyer's vehicle off the East shoulder of I 95 and went into the woods striking several trees. As a result of the crash, the Triumph was set on fire. Tragically, Mr. Kronemeyer lost his life in this accident. The Florida Highway Patrol will investigate the accident. You can read more about the accident at Melbourne Beach, Florida Man Dies in Crash in St. Johns Florida.

Christopher Cepeda, a 14 year old from Davenport, Florida, was the unfortunate victim of a car accident recently. The accident took place at approximately 8:00 p.m. just South of the intersection of U.S. 17 and Legacy Park Boulevard. Christopher was with three friends at the time. News report indicate that the three friends saw the 1998 Buick Sedan driven by Denise Sottilaro but Christopher did not because Christopher was looking down at his mobile phone at the time. Christopher suffered serious personal injuries and was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando, Florida where he died from his injuries.

This accident shows the importance of safety when using mobile phones. It is clear that the use of mobile phones by pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers is distracting. It should also be noted that Florida is a comparative fault state. In other words, a jury or judge could determine that more than one party was at fault for the accident. Florida is not an all or nothing State as it pertains to negligence matters. You can read more about the accident involving Christopher Cepeda at Polk Teenager Hit By Car While Texting in Street.

In Lake City, Florida, residents and visitors are subject to the Code of Ordinances for Lake City, Florida.

Pursuant to Chapter 14, Animals, Article II Animal Control, Section 14-47 -Dogs, Cats, Potbellied Pigs Constrained by Leash in Public Areas, it is unlawful for the owner or person having custody of any dog, cat, pottbellied in a public park or public property unless the animal is on a leash.

You can read more about the Lake City, Florida dog leash provisions and other sections pertaining to Dogs at the Code of Ordinances for Lake City, Florida.

If a child is bitten by a dog (on or off a leash), the dog owner, under Florida Law, is responsible for the damages caused by the dog bite including but not limited to medical bills (past and future), pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. If you have a question about a Florida dog bite and the related personal injuries to a child, it is important to have the advice, counsel, and legal representation of a Florida Child Injury Lawyer.

In Marion County (Ocala, Silver Springs) Florida, residents and visitors are subject to the Code of Ordinances of Marion County, Florida. Pursuant to Chapter 4, Animal Control and Enforcement, Section 4-4 - Control of Animals, every dog owner has a duty to keep his or her dog under restraint. A dog owner is required to take reasonable precautions to prevent the dog from leaving the owner's property. Reasonable precautions would include humane confinement in a house, building, fence, crate, pen or other enclosure. Reasonable restraint also includes humanely securing the dog by chain, cable, trolley, rope or other device. Reasonable restraint also includes the use of a leash. A dog owner is also required to take similar reasonable precautions as to restraint when the dog if off of the owner's property.

You can read more about the Marion County (Ocala, Silver Springs) Florida dog leash provisions and other sections pertaining to Dogs at the Code of Ordinances for Marion County, Florida.

If a child is bitten by a dog (on or off a leash), the dog owner, under Florida Law, is responsible for the damages caused by the dog bite including but not limited to medical bills (past and future), pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. If you have a question about a Florida dog bite and the related personal injuries to a child, it is important to have the advice, counsel, and legal representation of a Florida Child Injury Lawyer.

The Florida Highway Patrol has reported that a 60 year old woman (Rita Willis) died and a 4 year old child (Chloe Castro) was seriously injured in a Flagler County, Florida crash near Bunnell. The accident took place as Ms. Willis attempted to make a left hand turn from Canal Street to County Road 305. Ms. Willis was not wearing a seat belt. The force of the crash threw Willis into the back seat on top of Chloe. The child was taken to Halifax Hospital in Daytona Beach where she was listed in critical condition.

You can read more about this accident at Woman Dies, Child Suffers Serious Personal Injuries in Flagler County, Florida Crash.

Under Florida law, a person making a left hand turn has a duty to yield the right of way to oncoming traffic. Of course, there are exceptions to this general rule when there is a green arrow or other circumstances in place. Since there was a death involved in this crash, the Florida Highway Patrol will conduct a thorough accident investigation to determine the cause and manner of the crash.

A very serious and tragic dog bite incident took place in Dixie County, Florida. A pack of dogs mauled a 22 year old developmentally delayed woman. Witnesses reported that at least 6 dogs attacked the woman in the roadway in the 100 block of North East 85th Street in Old Town (Dixie County) Florida. The woman survived the attacks but will need a number of surgeries and will certainly have scarring (both physical and psychological) as a result of this dog attack. The Dixie County Sheriff's Office reported that the victim had injuries to her head, face, neck, abdomen, chest, arms, and legs. Apparently, the dogs were not leashed and not under the control of their owners who were reported to be owned by Jacqualine and Elizabeth Edgell.

In Florida, dog owners are held strictly liable dog bites by their dogs under the Florida Dog Bite Statute. There are a few exceptions to this general rule. Unlike some other States like Georgia, there is no requirement that a dog bite victim prove the the owner knew or should have known about the dangerous propensities of the dogs. Furthermore, negligence is not required to pursue a civil claim or case for dog bite personal injuries.

Even though prior notice of an attack or viciousness is not required, prior notice does make a case more compelling. There may have been another incident involving the Edgells's dogs in the past in 2007.

The Dixie County Animal Control confiscated three bulldogs, four mixed breed dogs, and eight puppies in response to this incident. The victim is being treated at Shands Jacksonville - Hospital.

You can read more about this story at 22 Year Old Woman Mauled by Pack of Dogs in Dixie County, Florida.

In Florida, some school districts still allow paddling. Personally, I do not support the use of paddling in the school system as I believe it is a short sighted and often times misused means of discipline. In Wakulla County, Florida, the Wakulla County Sheriff's Office is investigating allegations of child abuse against an employee of the Crawfordville Elementary School. The parent of an 11 year old child reported the abuse to officials. The parent thought that the paddling was excessive. Corporal punishment, while allowed, can also be a crime if it results in physical injuries as defined by Section 39.01, Florida. You can read more about this statute and my commentary at Corporal Punishment In Florida - What Is Considered Excessive? Florida Law.

You can read more about this story at Investigation as to Excessive Paddling to 11 Year Old at Crawfordville Elementary School.

A news story recently reported that a toddler suffered a head injury on a treadmill at a home in Coral Springs (Broward County), Florida. The Coral Springs Fire Department responded to the scene. There were not many details available regarding the incident except that the child was 17 months old and the incident took place at 900 block of Northwest 114th Avenue in Coral Springs.

This story does illustrate the importance of safety in homes, schools, day care centers, playgrounds, and other areas involving children. Parents and caregivers should do their best to safeguard their homes and view common items like furniture, exercise machines (treadmills) and other items as potential areas of danger to children. No all personal injuries to children can be avoided. This treadmill incident may have been just an unfortunate occurrence. Many other incidents, however, can be avoided with safety precautions and diligent supervision by parents, caregivers, teachers, day care workers, and others charged with the responsibility of caring for children.

You can read about the news story at Toddler Injured in Home Treadmill in Coral Springs, Florida (Broward County).

A Jacksonville, Florida developer of software recently launched a nationwide program - One Million Kid's Safe Campaign to help promote internet safety for children. The goal of the internet browser is to reduce online crimes involving children through mentoring, monitoring, education and training. The One Million Kids Safe web site offers advice to parents and caregivers. It also has a web browser that helps keep children safe in their web surfing. Any software or information that can help curb crimes against children are worthwhile. We can lock our doors and windows against criminals who try to get to our children. Unfortunately, the computer and internet have given child predators and sex offenders another entry way into our homes and to our children. I recommend that parents and caregivers go to sites like One Million Kids Safe in order to be proactive as to internet safety for their children.

You can read more about this story at Florida Campaign to Promote Internet Safety.

In Jacksonville, Florida, young children in a day care center at Victoria's Childcare on Victoria Street were at risk according to law enforcement officials. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Drug Abatement Response Team, otherwise known as DART, shut down the day care facility. DART is the team that is used to investigate and shut down areas where there is drug activity. According to the Florid Department of Children and Families (DCF), "child safety" is a priority especially when children are at risk due to drug / criminal activity. Apparently, the facility had repeated problems with deficiencies as to compliance with day care regulations and staff ratios.

You can read more about this story at Florida DCF Moves to Suspend License of Day Care Center at the Focus of Drug Investigation.

Sharon Braun, a fourth grade teacher at Stephen Foster Elementary School, died in a tragic crash that also caused critical injuries to Gail Carter, a physical education teacher. Sharon Braun had a positive influence on her students and the entire school and community will be morning her loss. When a teacher or mentor dies, parents often question if the child should attend the funeral. Child experts have different views on how best to deal with the mourning process for a child. Some encourage children to attend the funeral. Others do not. This is a personal choice for parents to make with input by the child depending on the age of the child.

Sharon Braun taught at the school for over 30 years. She undoubtedly touched the lives of many students and families throughout her career.

You can read more about this story at School, Community, and Students Mourn Death of 4th Grade Teacher - Sharon Braun.

In Jacksonville, Florida, a 2 year old girl was tragically killed when she was accidentally run over by the family SUV according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Apparently, the two year old ran away from her mother's side as the father was backing up the SUV. The mother attempted to reach over for the child but could not reach her in time. The child was taken to Shands Hospital Jacksonville where was pronounced dead. Unfortunately, this death is not an isolated event since back over deaths take place every year throughout the United States.

You can read more about this story at Two Year Old Girl Dies in Backover Accident Involving Dad's SUV in Jacksonville, Florida.

Reverend Darrell Gilyard was employed by the Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church. This church is being sued by a woman who said that Reverend Gilyard used his position of trust to have sex with her. Safeco Insurance provided a liability insurance policy for the church for negligent acts of the church administration and its employees. A lawsuit was filed for negligent hiring and supervision of Reverend Gilyard by church officials. Safeco is attempting to limit the amount it will be responsible to pay under the policy. Safeco is claiming that the church failed to disclose prior issues and misconduct of Revered Gilyard when the church completed its insurance application and disclosure.

You can read more about this story at Liability Insurance Company Claims that Insurance Coverage Is Limited for Lack of Disclosure of Jacksonville, Florida Pastor's Prior Claims and Sexual Misconduct.

A toddler is in critical condition after falling off a train ride at the Southland Mall in Dade County, Florida. The toddler was on an electric train at the Southland Mall and for some reason fell off of the ride and suffered a head injury and trauma. Paramedics from Dade County or Miami Fire Rescue arrived on the scene to find a mother who was very upset and stressed over the injuries to her young son. The Southland Mall management shut down the ride for inspection by the Department of Insurance. The toddler was rushed to Miami Children's Hospital for admission. The incident was reported in the news but there are several questions or issues that come to mind on a serious personal injury matter like this.

What kind of train was it?

What the the speed of the train at the time of the incident?

What safety measures were taken by the mall and / or ride operator to insure the safety of young children while on the train ride?

What seat belts or safety harnesses were in place at the time of the incident?

Was the toddler riding alone, with his mother, and / or with others?

Have there been any other incidents with this train in this mall or other malls?

Miami Dade Police and the Department of Agriculture will investigate this matter to determine if there were any defects in the train, tracks, or operation of the same. You can read more about this tragic injury at Toddler Injured on Train Ride at South Florida Mall.

Technology and pranks can lead to serious criminal charges that can follow a person for many years or even a life time. Phillip Albert learned this lesson well when he was 18 years old. Phillip got in an argument with a former girlfriend who supposedly taunted Phillip. As revenge, Phillip sent an e mail with nude photographs of the 16 year old former girlfriend to 70 people including the girl's parents, grandparents, and teachers. Because of these crimes, Phillip had to register as a sex offender and is serving a 5 year term of probation. The sex offender label will apply to Phillip until at least the age of of 43. As such, Phillip will be tagged as a sex offender for the next 20 years or so. The ramifications of this label and these crimes are quite widespread for Phillip. He will be prevented from getting certain jobs especially those involving the supervision or teaching of children in many institutions. It probably will affect his personal life as well. He has been given a label that he will have to deal with and explain to others well into the future.

A lesson or two can be learned from the Phillip Albert incident:

1. Avoid getting any of nude or compromising photos taken by boyfriends, girlfriends or anyone else. Someone you love and trust today can easy turn into someone you hate and distrust in the future.

2. If you cannot get along with a former girlfriend or boyfriend, try to avoid them.

3. Don't use the Internet or anything else for revenge. This especially rings true when the revenge is a crime and involves pornography of any nature.

4. Stupid acts when you are young can affect you when you are older. Don't do them. If you think or suspect that an act if wrong, just don't do it.

You can read more about the story involving Phillip Albert and other young adults who have gotten in trouble for sexting or sending out inappropriate e mails at> Sexting Teen Faces Child Porn Charges.

A Flagler County man (Desmond Raenell Grimes) died Monday when he was pinned in a ditch by an overturned Ford Bronco. There were also two teens (Brad English and Corey Lalomia) in the vehicle who suffered minor injuries as a result of the roll over crash. News reports indicate that none of the occupants had a seat belt on at the time of the crash.

Florida law does require occupants to wear a seat belt. In a personal injury case, the use or non use of a seat belt is only relevant if it can be proven that the use of the seat belt would have likely prevented injuries or would have resulted in less serious injuries than sustained.

You can read more about this tragic accident at Flagler County, Florida Automobile Accident Kills Palm Coast Man.

In Flagler County (Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell) Florida, residents and visitors are subject to the Code of Ordinances of Flagler County, Florida. Pursuant to Chapter 5 Animals, Article III - Confinement of Dogs - Section 5-63 Leashes Required in Public or Residential Areas - a dog owner is required to have his or her dog on leashes when the dog if off the owner's property and in a public or residential area.

Flagler County has a very good dog leash law in that it is very specific. There should be no question as to the requirements of a dog leash in Flagler County, Florida.

You can read more about the Flagler County (Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Bunnell) Florida dog leash provisions and other sections pertaining to Dogs at the Code of Ordinances for Flagler County, Florida.

If a child is bitten by a dog (on or off a leash), the dog owner, under Florida Law, is responsible for the damages caused by the dog bite including but not limited to medical bills (past and future), pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. If you have a question about a Florida dog bite and the related personal injuries to a child, it is important to have the advice, counsel, and legal representation of a Florida Child Injury Lawyer.

In Leon County (Tallahassee) Florida, residents and visitors are subject to the Code of Ordinances of Leon County, Florida.

Pursuant to Chapter 4 - Animals - Article II - Animal Control - Section 4-35 - Running At Large, a dog owner has a duty to maintain direct control and possession of the dog while the dog is off of the property of the dog owner. Direct control is defined as immediate continuous physical control of the dog by a leash, cord, or chain. Direct Control requires that the dog be controlled by a person capable of restraining the dog or that the dog is controlled by a safe and secure restraint within a vehicle. Sporting and police dogs are not subject to these regulations.

You can read more about the Leon County (Tallahassee) Florida dog leash provisions and other sections pertaining Animals At Large at the Code of Ordinances for Leon County, Florida.

If a child is bitten by a dog (on or off a leash), the dog owner, under Florida Law, is responsible for the damages caused by the dog bite including but not limited to medical bills (past and future), pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. If you have a question about a Florida dog bite and the related personal injuries to a child, it is important to have the advice, counsel, and legal representation of a Florida Child Injury Lawyer.

In Bradford County (Starke) Florida, residents and visitors are subject to the Code of Ordinances of Bradford County, Florida. Pursuant to Chapter 10 - Animals - Article II - Animal Control - Section 10-38 - Animals At Large - Owners' Responsibilities, a dog owner has a duty to keep his or her dog from being an animal at large while the animal is off the dog owner's property. Pursuant to Section 10-31 - Definitions, an animal at large includes a dog that is not under the control, custody, charge or possession of the dog owner by leash, chain, effective voice control, secure fence, or other means of confinement or restraint.

Based on the language of the Ordinance, it does not appear that there is a strict dog leash policy if the dog is obedient to the owner's commands. Other County ordinances are more clear as to the necessity and requirement for dog leashes when the dog of off the owner's property.

You can read more about the Bradford County (Starke) Florida dog leash provisions and other sections pertaining the Animals at the Code of Ordinances for Bradford County, Florida.

If a child is bitten by a dog (on or off a leash), the dog owner, under Florida Law, is responsible for the damages caused by the dog bite including but not limited to medical bills (past and future), pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. If you have a question about a Florida dog bite and the related personal injuries to a child, it is important to have the advice, counsel, and legal representation of a Florida Child Injury Lawyer.

In Columbia County (Lake City) Florida, residents and visitors are subject to the Code of Ordinances of Columbia County, Florida. Pursuant to Chapter 18 - Animals - Article III - Animal Control - Section 18-784 - Animal Restraint, a dog owner has a duty to confine the dog to the property owned by the dog owner. When the dog is outside of the property owned by the owner, the dog owner had a duty to keep the dog under proper restraint and control. Under the Ordinance, restraint is defined as
controlled by a leash OR under the control of a competent person and obedient to the person's commands. Based on the language of the Ordinance, it does not appear that there is a strict dog leash policy if the dog is obedient to the owner's commands. Other County ordinances are more clear as to the necessity and requirement for dog leashes when the dog of off the owner's property.

You can read more about the Columbia County (Lake City) Florida dog leash provisions and other sections pertaining the Animals at the Code of Ordinances for Columbia County, Florida.

If a child is bitten by a dog (on or off a leash), the dog owner, under Florida Law, is responsible for the damages caused by the dog bite including but not limited to medical bills (past and future), pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. If you have a question about a Florida dog bite and the related personal injuries to a child, it is important to have the advice, counsel, and legal representation of a Florida Child Injury Lawyer.

In Alachua County (Gainesville, Archer, Alachua, and Waldo) Florida, a dog owner can be criminal prosecuted for a dog bite for violations of Section 72.18 - Alachua County Florida Animal Services Ordinance.

If a dog had not been previously determined to be a dangerous dog but the owner knew about the dangerous propensities of the dog and was reckless in its supervision and control of the dog, then the dog owner may be prosecuted for a second degree misdemeanor. A dog owner can even be prosecuted as a felony when the injuries are serious and the dog had been previously designated as a dangerous dog.

You can read about the consequences to a dog owner after a dog attack and other provisions and other provisions of the Ordinance at Alachua County, Florida Animal Services Ordinance.

Parking lots in Florida shopping centers and other areas can be dangerous for children and adults alike. People are in a mad hurry to find the best parking spot. Some people would rather drive around in circles and look for a parking spot rather than just take parking spots a little further away. Some shoppers even go to the extreme of having a friend or family member stand in an open parking spot to save the parking spot. This can be a dangerous thing to do. People can be quite mad and possessive over parking spots that they think belong to them or that they find first. In Lee County, Florida, Miguel Angel Neira was charged with misdemeanor battery. Mr. Neira was accused of hitting a man in the knees with his vehicle over a dispute involving - yes you guessed it - a parking spot. Unfortunately for Mr. Neira, there were also independent witnesses to the incident.

You can read more about this story at Man Hit by Car While Trying to Save a Parking Spot in Lehigh Acres (Lee County) Florida.

Be a role model for your children and park in available parking spots. Walk the extra distance rather than get in an argument over a parking space.

Children in Florida drown every year both inside the home and outside the home in swimming pools, lakes, canals, community pools, rivers, oceans and other waterways. Water safety is important for all children especially infants, toddlers, and young children. Many people do not realize that a child can drown in as little of an inch or less of water. As such, anything that hold water of any amount including buckets, bathtubs, pools, and puddles can present a real drowning risk for a child. Children are at risk for drowning in pools. In addition, the bathroom and kitchen can be dangerous areas as well for the child. Any place where there is water or a water source can be a danger for a child. Close supervision and protective barriers like baby gates and fences are vital for the safety of children.

You can read more safety tips to prevent serious personal injuries as well as deaths from drownings at Drowning Prevention in the Household.

In Jacksonville, Florida, a federal criminal trial began recently against a man accused of bringing teen girls across State lines (Virginia to Florida) for acts of prostitution.

Marvin Leigh Madkins, age 29, is accused of transporting the teens to Jacksonville, Florida hotels for purposes of prostituting the teens to men who answered ads on the Internet. Mr. Madkins actually used the popular web site Craigs List to commit these crimes. During the time that Madkins was exploiting the teens, their parents in Virginia were searching for their children and begging for clues as to the whereabouts of the children.

Apparently, Madkins lured the teens to take a trip to Florida with him for a supposed drug deal and fancy vacation. Madkins concocted this business deal with only one thought in mind - his best interests and the exploitation and prostitution of these young girls.

While this is a very troubling story, it is yet another reason why parents should take every opportunity that they can to educate their children and warn their children about people like Madkins who are only out for themselves no matter who is harmed in the process.

You can read more about this story at Teens to Testify Against Suspected Pimp in Jacksonville, Florida.

In Florida, our warm weather allows swimming and boating activities to run virtually year round. We have some cold days here and there but we are called the "Sunshine State" because of our warm and sometimes very hot weather. Children are at risk in states like Florida for drowning because of the number of pools and waterways located through the State. Reported government studies indicate that swimming lessons can help reduce the number / incidents of drownings in Florida and other States. However, experts do warn that many children, who suffer injuries and death from drownings, had swimming lessons. As such, while swimming lessons are recommended, swimming lessons do not prevent all drownings and should not be relied upon by parents to completely protect their children or children under their care. Close, consistent, and continuous supervision of children while in or near a pool is recommended. In addition, private, commercial, and pubic property owners in Florida should take all reasonable measures to enclose and fence waterways as precautions to prevent child drownings. The study was published in the March issue of Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. You can read more about this story at Swimming Lessons Do Not Increase Risk of Drowning.

Search crews have located the bodies of a 8 year old girl and a man who drowned after falling into Lake Okeechobee on February 28, 2009. The details of the boating accident were not reported. As part of the investigation, it would be helpful to know the following details:

How many boats were involved in the boating accident?

What kind of boats were involved?

Were the passengers wearing life jackets?

What time did the boating accident take place?

What was the experience of the boat captains?

Was weather a factor in the accident?

What was the visibility?

Which boat had the right of way at the time of the crash?

What measures were taken to avoid the Florida boating accident?

Bodies of girl, man found in Lake Okeechobee

The story was reported by the Associated Press and the Florida Times Union Newspaper at Bodies of Girl, Man Found in Lake Okeechobee, Florida.

The Associated Press
OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — Crews have located the bodies of a girl and a man who fell into Lake Okeechobee when their boat tipped over.

Three people went into the lake during Friday night's boating accident. A Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputy pulled an eight-year-old girl from the water. She was taken to a local hospital and is expected to survive.

A sheriff's office spokeswoman says the body of a 7-year-old girl was found early Saturday morning. On Saturday afternoon, crews located the man's body.