Florida Child Injury Lawyer Blog

In Jacksonville, Florida and other cities, there are defiant children. While it can be quite difficult and trying for parents, restraint and good judgment must be used when dealing with defiant children. Of course, a parent or adult can use or resort to self defense when dealing with a child who is attacking you; however, force should not be used in anger or to "teach a child a lesson". Derrick Richards faced a defiant child recently when he was asked for ice cream money from a child. Mr. Richards told the boy that he was not going to give the boy ice cream money. The boy got upset and started tugging on Mr. Richards' pockets. Then the child kicked Mr. Richards and even threw a rock at Mr. Richards that hit Mr. Richards in the back of the head. Mr. Richards threatened to "whoop the butt" of the defiant child and Mr. Richards carried through on such a threat by pulling off his belt and hitting the boy several times. While I agree that the child was quite defiant and assaulted Mr. Richards with a rock, it appears that Mr. Richards committed a crime by belting the child. Mr. Richards argued to police that Mr. Richards had to defend himself. There were no marks left on the child's body. There were two witnesses to the incident. Based on these facts, Mr. Richards was arrested. While it does appear that the child started the problems, Mr. Richards should have shown greater restraint by keeping his belt on him. Mr. Richards may have been able to just simply walk away. He could have called the police for assistance. Of course, Mr. Richards will be entitled to the services of a criminal defense attorney and / or the public defender. While the actions of the child should not ignored, neither should the bad acts of Mr. Richards.

You can read more about this story at Man Arrested for Belting Defiant Child in Jacksonville, Florida.

In Deerfield Beach (Broward County), Florida, two school children and a deputy from the Broward County Sheriff's Office were injured when a police vehicle and school bus collided. The school bus was from Westglades Middle School and was carrying nine children at the time of the automobile / school bus crash. The injured children and officer were taken to North Broward Medical Center.

You can read more about this story at Police Vehicle and Broward County School District Bus Collide - Children and Officer Injured.

As we count down the days to summer, more and more children are spending more time outdoors playing in neighborhoods and local parks. The Florida Department of Health and Safe Kids Florida, a non profit organization, are advising parents and caregivers to be on the look out for safety hazards to children. Tragically, over 400 children under the age of 14 died from unintentional injuries in 2007. Another 6000 children were hospitalized due to unintentional injuries.

Some of the most serious injuries to children include spinal cord injuries. Many, but not all, of these injuries could have been prevented with safety precautions by parents, caregivers, as well as children.

Some basic measure that parents and caregivers can and should implement are the following:

Parents and caregivers should never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even with windows open or for short periods of time.

Parents and caregivers should lock vehicle doors and trunks. Keys and remote controls should be kept out of the reach of children.

Parents and caregivers should ensure that playground equipment is frequently inspected and kept in good maintenance and repair.

Parents and caregivers should be diligent in supervising children in and near water. Even momentary breaks of supervision can lead to tragic injuries and even wrongful death.

Parents and caregivers should keep poisons including household cleaning products, medications, pesticides, and alcoholic beverages out of the reach of children.

You can read more about safety tips for Florida children at Protect Florida Kids From Unintentional Injuries.

The battle over the separation of church and State is alive and well in St. Johns County, Florida. Attorneys in North Florida are seeking to halt or stop the teaching of a song that they argue is sectarian and proselytizing religion to 3rd grade students at the Webster School. This is the second time in less than one month that a song has been challenged that was being taught to St. Johns County School District students. The song at issue is Chatter with Angels. Public schools are prohibited from promoting religion or religious teachings to students. Many believe that the teaching of a historical song is harmless and just a matter of history and tradition. Others believe that it is the shameless promotion of one religion over another. These matters really are not subject to a vote of parents or a matter of taste. It is a legal issue - Is the teaching of a particular song the promotion or proselytizing of religious views or beliefs? Ultimately, this matter will be resolved by a judge or jury. You can read more about this story at Song at Webster (St. Johns County School) Results in an Injunction.

St. Johns County Sheriff's Office arrested and booked Phillip Sprengeler, age 24. He was charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a victim under the age of 16. The father of the minor came home to find Mr. Sprengeler in bed with the man's daughter. According to the Special Victims Office, Mr. Sprengeler later admitted the allegations / accusations and then arrested. The victim was transported to the Child Protection Team in Jacksonville, Florida for a forensic examination and an interview. The father was helping out Mr. Sprengeler by giving him a place to stay. Unfortunately, Mr. Sprengeler took advantage of this helping hand by molesting the teenage daughter. Mr. Sprengeler, while entitled to a legal defense on this matter, will face an uphill battle to avoid prison time on this type of crime.

You can read more about this story at St. Johns Man Arrested After Being Found in Bed with a Teenage Girl.

A middle school teacher with the Duval County School System has been accused of having sex with a 14 year old student. Jennifer Marie Collier taught science at the James Weldon Middle School. After a recent school field trip, Ms. Collier agreed to take one of the students home. Instead of taking the student directly home, the teacher allegedly took the student to a Wal Mart shopping center parking lot for sex. The student later told police that he had several sexual encounters with the teacher and showed investigators e mails as proof of the relationship. When approached by police on this matter, the teacher only confirmed that she knew the student. The teacher was arrested and denied bond. She faces charges that include felonies.

You can read more about this story at Middle School Teacher Arrested for Allegations of Sex with a Student.

Mark Stockdale, age 43, resigned from his position with the Alachua County School District in Gainesville, Florida. Mr. Stockdale was on leave since February 2009 for bringing a loaded .22 caliber pistol / gun with him the classroom. The State Attorney reduced the charges from a third degree felony (possession of a firearm on school property) to a misdemeanor (carrying a concealed weapon).

There is a debate between gun rights supporters and child safety / educators as to the propriety and legality of teachers bringing guns to school. Some say that incidents like Columbine and Virginia Tech would not have occurred had teachers and students for that matter been armed themselves to take down the crazed and murderous gunmen. Others believe that guns should have no place on school grounds at all with the exception of allowing trained police officers have guns on school grounds.

You can read more about this story at Gainesville, Florida Teacher Who Brought Gun to School Resigns.

The State of Florida Board of Medicine is the agency that licenses and oversees medical doctors licensed to practice medicine. The Public Citizen is a consumer group that monitors disciplinary actions and filings against doctors. The State Board of Medicine according to a recent news story ranks 44th of the 50 states in disciplinary actions. Dr. Sidney Wolfe, president of Public Citizen, commented that Florida is "failing to protect the people of Florida against these relative few doctors who are not practicing as they should be."

"Florida has never been that great but they've really tanked in the past year," said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, acting president of Public Citizen. "They are failing to protect the people of Florida against these relative few doctors who are not practicing as they should be."

You can read more about Florida's ranking, the Board of Medicine and the Department of Health at Florida Is Lenient in Disciplining Doctors.

The Child Protection Team (CPT) and the Florida Department of Children and Families investigate abuse cases in Jacksonville (Duval County), Florida and the surrounding North Florida area. Randall Alexander, a pediatrician in Jacksonville, Florida and the statewide director of the Child Protection Team, states that unemployment causes more adults to be at home which in turn increases the chances of abuse. Of course, this is a broad simplistic statement and theory that would be difficult to prove. Statistics are statistics though. The number of cases investigated by CPT increased 30 % from 2007 to 2008. CPT is mandated by Florida law to evaluate children who has suffered a head or neck injury, burns / fractures, and unexplained or suspicious bruises to children under the age of 5. CPT also is involved with matters involving sexual abuse, malnutrition / dehydration, medical neglect, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) found in prepubescent children.

The economy can be blamed for many of the woes in our State and nation for that matter. Yes, financial stresses and job loss can lead to violence to children and neglect of children. However, it should be noted that wealthy and affluent parents and caregivers also abuse and neglect children.

You can read more about the statistics and incidents of child abuse and neglect in the Florida Times Union newspaper article - Florida Child Deaths Rise in Poor Economy.

Ottie Steve Harrelson devoted his life to public service. He worked for the Orlando Police Department and the Seminole County Sheriff's Department. Even though he retired, he still was active in public service. Just recently, Harrelson was among several other officers who took disabled children on a boating trip. When one of the disabled children fell off the boat, Harrelson jumped in the water to save the teenager. Once Harrelson jumped in, the teenager swam back to the boat. Unfortunately and tragically, Harrelson could not get back to the boat. He was later pulled from the water but could not be revived. After being on life support for a weekend, he was taken off the life support.

The story was reported in the Orlando Sentinel, Miami Herald and other newspapers at Retired Officer Drowns Trying to Save Disabled Boy.

The news reports did leave out some details as to the incident including the type of boat used, type of life jackets used for the disabled teens and adult chaperones / officers, the owner /operator of the boat, and the type of safety measures used for the protection of both of the teenagers / children as well as the adults.

What is clear is that Ottie Steve Harrelson did what he though was right and necessary at the time. He bravely risked his life to save the life of a disabled teenager. Harrelson was 65 years old.

Inflatable bounce houses are common sites in cities and towns big and small throughout Florida and the rest of the United States. Children love to play in them and jump around. Unfortunately, bounce houses are the site of serious personal injuries for children as well. Personal injuries and even wrongful deaths can occur especially when safety rules are not followed. In Washington State, a three year old boy died (Jacob Pierce) when an adult jumper fell on the little boy and crushed his skull. It is always important to separate children from adults. Furthermore, it is important to separate children by size and age. In Pop Warner Football, 110 pound boys do not play in the same games as 70 pound boys. This should work the same for bounce houses.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported that almost 5000 injuries resulted during the use of bounce houses between 1997 and 2004. Between 2002 and 2005, 4 people were reported to lose their lives during bounce house use / play. The ages of the victims were between 14 and 24. As you can see, young children, teenagers, and, yes, adults are all at risk for injury with bounce house use / play.

You can read more about this bounce houses - dangers and safety tips at Fatal Fun - Inflatable Bounce Houses.

You certainly cannot judge a book by its cover. Those who promote, sell, distribute, buy, or even look at child pornography come from all walks of life. Even retired businessmen partake in these type of crimes. In Kissimmee, Osceola County, Florida, a retired businessmen (Robert Zuelsdorf) was sentenced to two years in prison and was judged guilty of 205 counts of possession of child pornography. Mr. Zuelsdorf must also serve a 5 year term of probation with a monitoring device. The illegal activities of Mr. Zuelsdorf came to light when he brought a computer to a business for service. The computer technician contacted the police who found stories and photographs of girls ages 1 to 12 years old on his computer.

You can read more about this story at Central Florida Retired Businessman Sentenced for Child Pornography.

Sarah Ludemann, age 18, was the tragic and unfortunate victim of a fatal stabbling in Pinellas Park, Florida. Sarah went to confront Rachel Wade about a boyfriend issue. The two started fighting. The fight ended with Rachel stabbing Sarah with a kitchen knife. Sarah died 1 hour later after the stabbing. Rachel Wade was arrested on charges of second degree murder.

A wrongful death case can be pursued by the family of Sarah Ludemann against Rachel Wade. The civil case may be covered by a homeowner's insurance policy. In Florida, most homeowner's insurance policies do not cover intentional violent acts of this nature. It could be argued that Rachel Wade did not mean to fatally stab Sarah Ludemann but only wanted to scare her or try to defend herself with the knife. Yes, it may be a difficult argument to make; nevertheless, there may be an element of negligence to this matter as to how the stabbing took place.

You can read more about this story at Florida Teenage Girl Stabbed to Death n Fight Over Boyfriend.

Florida teens often times believe that crimes can be committed without being caught or punished. Some teens in the Florida Keys recently found out the hard way that if you do the crime - you will do the time. Monroe County (Florida) Sheriff's Office (Florida Keys) charged 10 teens with making child pornography. The 10 teens ranged in age from 13 through 19. They were charged with a second degree felony - sexual performance by a child. Some of the acts were recorded on videotape. First off, teens should obey the law. Second, putting illegal acts or improper acts on video will get a person caught one day. In some cases, videotapes are the most powerful evidence in the case.

You can read more about this case at Florida Teens Charged with Crime for Making Pornography Video.

Family of girl who died on field trip sued Orange County, School Board. Rametria Evelena Gilbert, age 13, was on a walking field trip to go to a local park. During the walk, she got tired and sat down to rest. The field trip involved kite flying at the local park.

The girl /student was left on a curb on the walk back to the school when she got tired and short of breath. The case will undoubtedly involve various medical and legal issues including the following:

What was the girl's prior medical history?

Did the parents approve the field trip?

Did the girl have any problems walking?

Did the girl have any physical restrictions while at school? Physical education?

What was the medical cause of death?

What amount of time elapsed between the girl sitting down and the call to 911?

What medical care could have or should have been provided to the girl in a more timely manner?

Even if the family proves that there was negligence, the family must also prove that the delay did indeed make a difference. In other words, the family must prove that more timely medical care would have within a reasonable degree of medical probability saved the girl's life.

You can read more about this story at Family of Middle School Student Who Died on the Field Trip Sues Orange County Florida School District.

Florida counties, cities, and municipalities establish bicycle lanes for the use and safety of bicyclists. Drivers have a duty to yield to bicyclists utilizing these specially designated bicycle lanes. Unfortunately, some drivers fail to observe or visualize bicyclists in the these lanes and drive into the lanes while they are occupied by bicyclists. On Old St. Augustine Road, Chastity Rettinger, age 36, and another bicyclists were in the designated bicycle lane when they were hit by a driver who switched lanes. Tragically, Chastity Rettinger died at the scene. A homicide investigation will be completed by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and / or the Florida Highway Patrol to determine the cause of the accident. An autopsy may be performed to determine the cause of death which would appear to be the trauma from the incident.

All drivers are encouraged to yield to bicyclists especially children. Saving a life and avoiding serious personal injuries are much more important than saving time by getting somewhere quicker. Be on the lookout for all pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers. Their lives depend on your attention and safe driving habits.

You can read more about this story at Bicyclists Injured in Jacksonville, Florida.

In Jacksonville, Florida and other cities in Florida, multiple vehicle accidents can lead to numerous injuries and death. Recently, an automobile accident in Jacksonville, Florida led to the deaths of two drivers and the injury of another in a three vehicle crash on State Road 9A in the Arlington area of Jacksonville. According to reports from the Florida Highway Patrol, a 60 year old driver was Lake Wells switched lanes and crashed into another vehicle. This caused one of the vehicles to cross over a median and crash into a Toyota SUV heading in the opposite direction. The victim in the Toyota SUV was identified as 21 year old - Jimmy Paul Le. Ali Reza Navazesh suffered minor injuries in the accident.

Some accidents are unavoidable. Other Jacksonville, Florida automobile accidents result from inattention and negligence. Some drivers are in such a hurry to get to his or her destination. Time or saving time is then given a greater priority than safety. In some automobile accidents, a driver's attempt to save a few minutes or save a few seconds can result in wrongful death and serious personal injuries.

Children are at high risk for head trauma as compared to other age groups. The two children groups identified to be at the highest risk for head trauma are 4 year olds and the age range between 15 and 19 years of age. Head injury symptoms include headaches or neck pain, confusion or mood change, light headedness, loss of balance, nausea, ringing in the ears, memory problems, concentration problems, decision making problems. and sensitivity to light. If any of these symptoms are present and last longer than 15 minutes, medical experts recommend that the child be examined by fire rescue and / or a local emergency room department. Time is of the essence in diagnosing and treating a head injury.

Dr. Duane E. Dede, a co-director of the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic based at the University of Florida Health Center, advises that any brain injury should be treated seriously and necessary medical precautions should be taken.

It is estimated that 1.4 million suffer traumatic brain injury by a bump, jolt, or blow to the head every year. The primary causes of TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) are automobile accidents and falls.

You can read more about brain injuries, risks, and tips at A Head's Up on Trauma - Even a Simple Bump Should be Treated as a Serious Injury.

A bizarre and tragic incident recently took place at the Shooters Straight gun range in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Casselberry Police reported that Marie Moore, age 44, and her son, Mitchell Moore, were at the gun range. A video from the gun range showed that Ms. Moore walked up behind her son and shot him in the back of the head. She later put the gun in her mouth and pulled the trigger. According to family members, Ms. Moore had a history of mental illness.

You can read more about this story at Women Kills Herself and Her Son at Central Florida Gun Range.

In Orange Park (Clay County), Florida, a senior from Bartram Trail High School in St. Augustine (St. Johns County), Florida (Anthony Tyrone Lewis) was shot and killed with a handgun. His 15 year old stepbrother was found with the handgun. Anthony Tyrone Lewis was only 19 at the time of the incident. The State Attorney and the Orange Park (Florida) Police Department will conduct an investigation into the death of Anthony Tyrone Lewis. The story was reported in the Jacksonville Times Union at Bartram Trail High School Senior Shot in Orange Park.

It is tragic that a high school student died as a result of either gun violence or an accidental shooting. It is unclear from the news report as to how the shooting took place. This tragedy and others show the importance of gun safety especially when there are teenagers or children in the house. The State Attorney and Police will investigate the incident to determine the following:

Was the gun a legal firearm?

Who was the registered owner of the gun?

Was the gun properly secured prior to the incident?

How did the stepbrother gain access to the gun?

Did the owner of the gun know that teenagers could or would access the gun?

Was there negligence on the part of the gun owner or homeowner where the shooting took place?

The St. Petersburg (Florida) Police Department has reported that an arrest has been made in the shooting death of Paris Whitehead-Hamilton. Paris, who was 8 years old at the time of her death, was the unfortunate victim of a shooting. At the time of the shooting, Paris was sleeping in her home. Stephan Harper has been charged with first degree murder for firing a semi automatic weapon into Paris' home. News reports indicate that there may also have been others involved in this crime. The shooting resulting from an ongoing disagreement or feud with one of the adult occupants of the home. Further investigation through detectives discovered three assault weapons and two shotguns believed to be used to commit this crime.

You can read more about this article at Man Charged in Death of Girl Gunned Down in Her Home in St. Petersburg, Florida. <

In Kissimmee, Florida, Osceola County Sheriff deputies and Osceola Fire Rescue responded to a mobile home where a 4 month old infant (Jeremiah Shaneyfelt) was found to be unresponsive. The child later died a local hospital. Deputies arrested Michael Joseph Reid, Jr. (age 27) for child abuse. Apparently, Mr. Reid had been out on bond from a previous child abuse charge / arrest.

You can read more about this story at Man Charged with Infant's Murder in Kissimmee Florida.

The Florida Times Union (Jacksonville, Florida) newspaper recently published an article titled Are Autistic Children at Greater Risk for Child Abuse? Autistic children frequently have problems communicating. This, in turn, makes it difficult at times to identify abuse that is inflicted by teachers, caregivers, other children, relatives, and, yes, at times parents. A study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania showed that approximately 1 in 5 autistic children were abused from the sample population studied of 156 autistic children.

Recently, a Jacksonville, Florida teacher (Rhona Milton) was arrested for trying to toilet train an autistic student in the classroom. Ms. Milton's methods included tying the student to a chair for several hours at at time at Kernan Trail Elementary School which is in the Duval County School District.

As a Florida child injury attorney, I know that it is often challenging to prove that an autistic child or a special needs child has, in fact, been abused. Without a child to tell the story, there are challenges to proving up the facts on cases of this nature. Nonetheless, investigations by an attorney, private investigator, and / or the Department of Children and Families and other agencies can often times yield valuable information and proof to bring a case forward for personal injuries and related damages to the autistic / special needs child.

In St. Petersburg, Florida, 8 year old - Paris Whitehead-Hamilton - was sleeping in her home when she was hit by bullets that were sprayed into the home. Paris was sleeping in the front end of the home at the time of the shooting. She was taken to the hospital and pronounced dead by doctors at the hospital a short time later. Police investigators believe that the shooting was one of retaliation and an investigation will be conducted into this matter.

Paris' life was certainly cut short by a senseless act of violence. Hopefully, the police will catch the shooters and anybody else associated with the shooting. Parents should be taking their 8 year olds to the park, school, birthday parties, and other places. . . parents should not have to bury their 8 year olds who are the unfortunate victims of a shooting.

You can read more about this story at 8 Year Old St. Petersburg Girl - Wrongful Death of Shooting While Sleeping in her Home.

Florida day care and child care programs have a duty to report incidents / accidents resulting in injury that required medical attention on Incident / Accident Form. The Florida Department of Children and Families has a Sample Incident / Accident Report posted to its official website. I have reviewed numerous Incident / Accident Reports involving personal injuries sustained by children in a day care / child care center in Florida. Some facilities are more detailed and accurate in completing these forms than other facilities. Some day care / child care providers even have gone as far as falsifying information and "facts" in these reports to intentionally mislead parents and the Department of Children and Families. Some facilities ask that a parent sign off on the Accident / Incident Report. A parent can sign off on the form as an acknowledge of receipt of the document rather than an acknowledgement or agreement with the facts as presented. Parents should ask for a copy of the Accident / Incident Report and any other information / documentation regarding the child's personal injuries.

The Accident / Incident Report is only one piece of the puzzle or investigation into the cause, reason, and preventability of the personal injuries in the day care setting. Of course, a parent should question whether the Accident / Incident Report is accurate especially since it may have been written by a person who may have negligently or intentionally caused harm to the child.

A concerned parent should act as an advocate of his or her child by finding out as much information as possible, contacting a Florida child injury attorney / lawyer, and, when necessary, contacting law enforcement and / or the Florida Department of Children and Families to further investigate the incident and resulting injuries.

The Sigma Lambda Gamma Sorority chapter at the University of Florida has been suspended for hazing violations. Pledges were required to follow a list of 37 rules imposed by initiated sisters of the sorority. The 37 rules included physical activity requirements like push ups and running. Furthermore, there were rules and restrictions as to eating, make up, and how to get to classes. Pledges were not allowed to use campus elevators. New reports indicate that one pledge got sick in the process. Many may think that this is all part of the initiation process and nobody was seriously injured. This is really short sighted thinking. It is well known that hazing has caused wrongful death and serious personal injuries to college students throughout the nation. Furthermore, there is a psychological toll to pledges or recruits from hazing. The immaturity of some college students is readily apparent when hazing incidents are publicized.

The University of Florida bans physical brutality and any other activity that could adversely affect the mental health or dignity of a student. You can read more about the suspension of the Sigma Lambda Gamma Sorority at University of Florida Sorority Suspended for Hazing Violations.

In Satsuma, Florida, ten people were injured as a result of a two vehicle crash. There were 9 teens and children injured in this unfortunate crash. The automobile accident took place at approximately 8:25 p.m. The crash report indicated that Dustin Harris, a 16 year old from Satsuma ran a stop sign and crashed into a Dodge Van vehicle being driven by Carmen Bass. Several of the injured occupants were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. The passengers in the vehicles were identified as: Dillon Harris (age 16), Kelsey King (age 18), Lisa Huntley (age 18), Beautiful Pemberton (age 11), Cheyenne Phillips (age 13), Alyssa Edwards (age 10), Madison Phillips (age 9), and Hansond Pemberton (age 14). The teens /children were either from Satsuma or Pomona Park.

It is important for teen drivers and all other drivers to obey the basic rules of the road including following street signs and traffic devices. The seat belt is an important safety device that should be worn by all occupants especially children. While the failure to wear a seat belt does not preclude the accident victim from seeking compensation or filing a lawsuit, the failure to the wear a seat belt may end up mitigating or reducing damages by the extent that the seat belt either would have prevented injuries or reduced the seriousness of injuries.

You can read more about this story at Five Teens, 4 Children Injured in One Crash in Putnam County, Florida.

In studying history, we all learn about the "shot heard around the world" which actually is a line from Ralph Waldo Emerson's Concord Hymm written in 1837. The term has been used to describe the start of the American Revolutionary War as well as the beginning of World War I. Recently, there wasn't another shot heard around the world but there was a "fart" heard or written about across the nation. The "fart" at issue involved a 15 year old student in Polk County, Florida who was banned from riding the school bus for a few days due to farting. You can read about the fart heard around the nation and the banning of the student from the bus in my legal brief's newsletter at Florida Teen Banned from School Bus for Farting and Causing Disruption.

If you have a legal question or believe that you have suffered injuries as a result of something more than the smell of passing gas, please contact a Florida Personal Injury Lawyer for advice, consultation, and representation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that approximately 80 % of all accidents involve some sort of driver inattention. A great many of these accidents involve drivers who are fatigued and sleepy. The National Sleep Foundation, a non profit Washington based advocacy organization, estimates that over 50 % of adult drivers have driven while drowsy. As such, there have been millions of drivers out there who get behind the wheel drowsy and tired. This, of course, presents a risks to the drivers, passengers, other drivers, pedestrians, and bicylists.

It is difficult to determine the number of accidents that are caused on a daily, weekly, or annual basis due to sleep deprivation or drowsiness in Jacksonville, Florida since the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office does not maintain this kind of information or database. Nevertheless, sleep deprivation and drowsiness do cause inattention, which in turn, cause accidents and resulting personal injuries.

You can read more about sleep deprivation, drowsiness and driving at Drowsy Drivers - How Many Are Asleep at the Wheel?