Statistics from the Florida Highway Patrol indicate the number of drowsy driving deaths are up in the Sunshine State. There were 14 recorded in both 2013 and 2014. Then in 2015, there were 23. Final figures for 2016 aren’t yet available, but we do know overall crashes were up significantly last year, so it’s likely tired driver wrecks were up too.

Now, a recent study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety indicates sleep-deprived drivers are just as dangerous as those who take to the road drunk on alcohol. Perhaps especially surprising was just how much even a little sleep loss can impact a driver.

We all know the less sleep you get, the higher your risk of being involved in a car accident. But study authors found that even skimping on as little as one or two hours on any given night increased the crash risk by 1.3 times. That’s if you got six hours of sleep compared to the recommended minimum of seven hours. Meanwhile, drivers who slept between five and seven hours had an increased crash risk of 1.9 times. Drivers who slept between four and five hours upped their crash risk by 4.3 times. And drivers who slept fewer than four hours in the previous 24 were 11.5 times more likely to crash their vehicle than someone who had received the daily minimum level.

Someone who scraped by with just 4 to 5 hours of sleep had a comparable crash risk to someone with a blood-alcohol concentration of at or above the legal limit of 0.08. The risk of someone who drive with less than four hours of sleep was deemed “much greater” by researchers – in the neighborhood of a .12 to .15 blood-alcohol concentration.

The interesting thing is that while there is a well-deserved stigma when it comes to drunk driving – because we all know the severe impact impaired motorists have on our roads – yet functioning with as little sleep as possible is somehow seen as a badge of honor.

The report also identified certain groups that may be more at risk for these kinds of crashes, and they include those with fractured schedules. These are people whose jobs may require that they work some shifts at night and some in the day time. Some of the most common include:

• Long-haul truckers
• Nurses
• Police officers
• Physicians

While nearly all drivers responding to the AAA survey indicated they felt it was unacceptable – and further a threat to their safety – for other drivers to take to the roads while they were sleepy. Yet almost a third admitted that at least once over the last 30 days, they had personally driven when they were so tired they had a difficult time keeping their eyes open.

If you have been injured in a Miami auto accident caused by a drowsy driver, we will fight to help you recover damages.

Call Chalik & Chalik at (954) 476-1000 or 1 (800) 873-9040.

Additional Resources:

Sleep-deprived drivers have plenty in common with drunk drivers, Dec. 6, 2016, By Ashley Halsey III, The Washington Post

More Blog Entries:

Third-Party Liability for Distracted Driving Accidents? Dec. 10, 2016, Miami Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Eight gay couples who were married in states that recognize same-sex marriages joined with the American Civil Liberties Union in filing suit against Florida. Their lawsuit argues that the state unfairly discriminates against them by not recognizing their marriage, violating the Florida and U.S. Constitutions.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi filed a response asking the federal judge in charge of the case to throw it out. This is no surprise. Arguably, it is required of her office. But it is her choice of words that has some gay marriage advocates expressing indignation.

Bondi’s legal brief included the following: “The Court should also deny the preliminary injunction motions because there is no likelihood of success on the merits, there is no immediacy requiring a preliminary injunction and disrupting Florida’s existing marriage laws would impose significant public harm.”

On May 30, the attention of gay rights activists and the news media turned to that last word: “harm.” Some took it as evidence of the attorney general’s malice, bigotry or outdated prejudice.

In response, Allen Winsor released a statement from the attorney general’s office. It clarified that, “Florida is harmed whenever a federal court enjoins” – that is, prevents – “enforcement of its laws … Florida’s voters approved a constitutional amendment which is being challenged, and it is the attorney general’s duty to defend Florida law.”

Perhaps Bondi should have chosen her words more carefully. But what is truly important and interesting about this case is not the attorney general’s position on it, but the stakes for Florida family law and for Florida same-sex couples. In states where gay marriage is not recognized, the issues couples face are diverse.

First, of course, is the fact that many Florida same-sex couples wish to marry but cannot. Then, like the plaintiffs in this case, some are married under the laws of recognizing states, but live in a non-recognizing state. Still other couples – at least one of whom has filed a separate lawsuit against Florida – were legally married in another state but wish to divorce. The spouses are unable to do so because their marriage is not legally recognized in the Sunshine State.

In June 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down both a federal law preventing the recognition of same-sex marriages for federal benefits and a California law banning same-sex marriage. Since then, efforts to fight such bans have gained momentum state by state. 

Many Floridians are anxious to see the outcome.

Contact a Tampa divorce lawyer and Brandon child custody attorney with the Osenton Law Offices, P.A. To learn more, visit http://www.brandonlawoffice.com/

Florida is taking a tougher approach to juvenile crime by fostering a bill that would make it mandatory for children and their parents or guardians to pay out for damages caused by juveniles who committed a crime. The major thrust of the bill is to make parents in the Sunshine State sit up and take notice and shoulder more of the responsibility for their children’s actions.

House Bill 0785 would wipe out provisions excusing parents from their children’s offense, in some situations, and remove duplicate language relating to a parent/guardian being responsible for any court order to pay restitution. Aside from those housekeeping items, the Bill also comes down hard in terms of penalties for parents who do not pay up —- by possibly having a lien placed on their home or having their driver’s license taken away —- pretty serious stuff compared to the way things were.

The one thing many people seem to be missing is that a juvenile is still entitled to a well thought out and solid criminal defense. There are many reasons why a juvenile may have become caught up doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. They may have been led into committing a crime by someone else. The crime may have happened on the spur of the moment, without much thought. The accused may not be the true perpetrator. In short, juveniles are as much entitled the services of a criminal defense lawyer as is an adult in a similar situation.

They have rights, and those rights need to be upheld in the most vigorous manner, by a skilled criminal defense attorney who understands the juvenile system and what is and what is not possible in terms of defending their client. Evidently that is not the only thing the Bill has overlooked.

It appears that parents are going to be made responsible for children they had no success or luck in controlling or getting them to change. For those who have raised teens, they understand without being told, that a teen is a law unto themselves and listening to their parents is not on their dance card. It is peer pressure that drives a teen’s formative years. Nonetheless, no matter what the fallout from the Bill may be, it is vitally imperative that people remember every juvenile accused of committing a crime is entitled to a defense, without question.

Thomas C .Grajek is a criminal defense lawyer in Tampa, Lakeland, and Polk County Florida. To contact a Lakeland criminal defense attorney or to learn more, visit http://www.flcrimedefense.com/ or call 863-688-4606.

Florida is taking a tougher approach to juvenile crime by fostering a bill that would make it mandatory for children and their parents or guardians to pay out for damages caused by juveniles who committed a crime. The major thrust of the bill is to make parents in the Sunshine State shoulder more of the responsibility for their children’s actions.

The House Bill, Bill 0785, would wipe out provisions excusing parents from their children’s offense, in some situations, and remove duplicate language relating to a parent/guardian being responsible for any court order to pay restitution. Aside from those housekeeping items, the Bill also comes down hard in terms of penalties for parents who do not pay up —- by possibly having a lien placed on their home or having their driver’s license taken away —- pretty serious stuff compared to the way things were.

The one thing many people seem to be missing is that a juvenile is still entitled to a well thought-out and solid criminal defense. There are many reasons why a juvenile may have become caught up doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. They may have been led into committing a crime by someone else. The crime may have happened on the spur of the moment, without much thought. The accused may not be the true perpetrator. In short, juveniles are as much entitled the services of a criminal defense lawyer as is an adult in a similar situation.

They have rights, and those rights need to be upheld in the most vigorous manner, by a skilled criminal defense attorney who understands the juvenile system and what is and what is not possible in terms of defending their client. Evidently that is not the only thing the Bill has overlooked.

It appears that parents are going to be made responsible for children they had no success or luck in controlling or getting them to change. For those who have raised teens, they understand without being told, that a teen is a law unto themselves and listening to their parents is not on their dance card. It is peer pressure that drives a teen’s formative years. Nonetheless, no matter what the fallout from the Bill may be, it is vitally imperative that people remember every juvenile accused of committing a crime is entitled to a defense, without question.

Thomas C .Grajek is a criminal defense lawyer in Tampa, Lakeland, and Polk County Florida. To contact a Lakeland criminal defense attorney or to learn more, visit http://www.flcrimedefense.com/ or call 863-688-4606.

An article by Shan Li says that nearly 44 percent of American households would find themselves in financial ruin if they fell victim to one emergency. That is according to a study by the nonprofit Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED). Those families could not pay for their basic living expenses for three months if they lost their jobs or became too sick to work. Furthermore, nearly one third of Americans do not have a savings account at all.

In Florida, the rate is even worse than the nationwide average. The CFED measures the “liquid asset poverty rate,” defined as the percentage of households without enough cash or other liquid assets to live at the poverty level for three months if their income stopped. Florida’s rate is 51.9 percent, meaning more than half of Florida families fit this profile. That puts the Sunshine State 35th out of the 50 states.

Experts say stagnating wages, rising prices, and high-interest debt may be to blame for the discouraging figures.

The second article, by Alejandro Lazo, explains one widely-held form of high-interest loan called a payday loan. A payday loan is a small, short-term, unsecured loan that depends on the borrower’s ability to demonstrate that they are employed.

Although the loans are marketed as short-term, a study by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) shows “high sustained use.” The CFPB found that the average payday loan customer took out 11 loans during a year-long period and paid a total of $574 in interest and fees. And the median number of days that borrowers remained indebted was 155.

The CFPB reports also found no real difference between payday loans and so-called “deposit advances” offered by some large banks.

High-interest debt creates a cycle of poverty that is very difficult to escape. It is important to make every effort to build a cushion of cash reserves so that you can weather a storm without resorting to burdensome debt. If you feel like your debt is keeping you from getting your head above water, it may be time to speak with an experienced bankruptcy attorney.

O. Reginald (“Reggie”) Osenton is the Owner and President of Osenton Law Offices, P.A. If you need a Brandon bankruptcy lawyer, attorney, call 813.654.5777 or visit http://www.brandonlawoffice.com.