There are many reasons that South Florida is a desirable place to live and visit. For cities located on the coasts, beaches are one of those reasons. People of all ages and backgrounds enjoy going to the beach to play and in some cases relax in the sun. Unfortunately, these outings are not always as relaxing as some would like. This may be due to what seems to be a recent uptick in the number of car accidents taking place on these beaches.
Last year, a police officer on an ATV ran over two beachgoers in Miami Beach. Last month, another south Florida community, Fort Lauderdale, was the scene of an accident involving a pickup owned by the city. A 49-year-old visitor to the state was run over by the city vehicle, driven by a veteran Ocean Rescue lieutenant, as she lay on the beach. The woman was injured in the incident. In addition to cuts, she also received burns in the incident.
Pickups and other motor vehicles are routinely used by lifeguards in Florida. They make it possible for lifeguards to more quickly get to injured people. The vehicles also carry items that may be needed in an emergency.
The woman who was injured in the incident has hired a lawyer and is reportedly seeking to make it illegal for large vehicles to be driven on Fort Lauderdale area beaches. In doing this, she has alleged that the city of Fort Lauderdale was negligent.
The allegation of negligence is also a part of personal injury lawsuits where an injured person seeks financial compensation. Successful cases potentially provide money to cover things such as medical bills and lost wages. Whether the attorney the injured woman in this case hired will pursue this as well is unknown.
Source: Sun Sentinel, “Fort Lauderdale sunbather accident to prompt review of beach-driving policy,” Juan Ortega, April 16, 2012