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Florida Congressman Hopes to Ban Texting While Driving

May 19, 2015

Florida Congressman Ted Deutch of Boca Raton is pushing for stricter texting while driving laws. He introduced a bill in the United States House of Representatives on Wednesday, which would empower Florida and other states to enforce stricter laws banning distracted driving. Police would have more power to pull over motorists and give them tickets if they are seen texting while driving.

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State Lawmakers Proposes Comprehensive Cell Phone Ban for Youngest Drivers

October 18, 2013

Florida legislators recently proposed a new law that would ban all drivers aged 18 and younger from using cell phones while behind the wheel. Regular readers of this blog know that Florida lawmakers finally passed a law last spring that bans drivers from sending manual texts while driving, but allows them to read and respond to texts while stopped in traffic. If passed into law, the new bill sponsored by State Rep. Irv Slosberg, D- Boca Raton, would ban cell phone use entirely by drivers 18 and younger.

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Florida Texting Bill Filed in the State Senate

December 29, 2012

Will Florida finally pass a substantive ban on texting while driving? James O. Cunningham and other Orlando personal injury lawyers certainly hope so. The most recent attempt to enact a texting ban in Florida was filed in the Senate on Nov. 21. If passed, the bill (SB 52) would ban drivers from sending or reading texts, emails and other electronic messages while driving but would not prevent them from reading weather alerts, maps and other navigational tools and safety information.

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Victim’s Mother Urges Florida Lawmakers to Pass Cell Phone Ban

October 15, 2012

Elissa Schee is motivated to convince Florida legislators to finally pass a ban on cell phone use while driving. Her daughter Margay was killed four years ago when a tractor-trailer collided with the rear of a school bus, killing her and injuring 15 other students. According the Florida Highway Patrol accident investigation, the bus had stopped on U.S. 301 near Citra on Sept. 23, 2008, to drop off students when the truck plowed into the rear. Troopers say the truck did not brake before the collision, and their investigation confirmed that the truck driver had been using his cell phone immediately before the accident.

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Area Florida Students Warned of the Dangers of Texting While Driving

September 24, 2012

This past spring, the Kissimmee Police Department organized and staged an auto accident with the help of four Osceola High School drama students. Like similar staged accidents to warn teens of the dangers of drinking and driving, this accident scene was constructed to discourage teen drivers from texting while behind the wheel. Teens and police officers report that the staged accident was a huge success and that they may stage similar events in other Florida high schools.

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Florida Distracted Driving Report Reveals Disturbing Statistics

August 29, 2012

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FDHSMV) has issued a distracted driving report from data they collected in 2008, and the statistics are equal parts surprising and disturbing. Despite public awareness campaigns and numerous studies linking distracted driving and sharply elevated accident rates, many drivers continue to engage in a variety of risky distracted driving behaviors while behind the wheel.

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Florida Multi-Car Accident Caused By Intoxicated Driver Who Was Texting While Driving

August 6, 2012

Police say that a recent four-vehicle accident in New Port Richey was caused by a "perfect storm" of negligence on the part of a 33-year-old driver. They found that the man had consumed three beers in less than 90 minutes that evening and was texting while driving before his Dodge Ram pickup truck struck a car that had stopped at a red light at the intersection of U.S. Route 19 and Main Street. This collision triggered an accident that involved two other vehicles but, fortunately, resulted in no serious injuries. Orlando auto accident lawyer James O. Cunningham has been a strong advocate for substantive legislation against texting while driving in Florida. He believes that the number of cell phone car accidents in our state could be reduced if lawmakers finally join nearly all other states in banning the use of cell phones while behind the wheel.

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Florida Lawmakers Scheduled to Consider Six Distracted Driving Bills in 2012

February 8, 2012

Florida legislators are scheduled to review at least six bills in the coming year that target distracted driving in general and texting while driving in particular. James O. Cunningham and other Orlando personal injury lawyers are hopeful that Florida will finally pass substantive distracted driving laws, but their optimism is tempered by lawmakers’ repeated failures in recent years to adopt such laws protecting Floridians. Currently, Florida is one of only 15 states that do not have laws that ban drivers from using their cell phones to talk, text and send and receive messages while driving, despite irrefutable evidence that using these devices sharply increases the likelihood of accidents.

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Florida Still Lags Behind Other States on Cell Phone Driving Bans

December 21, 2011

Regular readers of this blog are very familiar with our state’s lack of cell phone legislation for drivers. They are also very familiar with Orlando personal injury attorney James O. Cunningham’s stance on this issue. He prefers a zero tolerance policy on cell phone use of any kind while driving and encourages state lawmakers to take decisive action on this issue to save lives. Currently, there are no state laws against texting, surfing the internet or making calls on cell phones while driving. Further, Florida does not allow communities to enact legislation against distracted cell phone driving.

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Parents of Orlando Distracted Driving Accident Victim Urge Stronger Laws

November 28, 2011

Regular readers of this blog are very familiar with the sad story of Heather Hurd. Heather was an Orlando resident who was killed when the driver of a tractor-trailer who was texting on his cell phone while driving slammed into her car and eight others on a Florida highway four years ago. Since then, her parents, Orlando personal injury lawyers and many thousands of concerned Floridians have asked lawmakers to pass tough laws against cell phone use while driving with little success. Heather’s parents, Kim and Russell Hurd, who live in Maryland, have taken a proactive stance against drivers who talk and text while driving.

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If you or someone you love has been injured in a vehicle accident, call toll-free at 1-888-FLA-Auto (1-888-352-2886).

Verdicts & Settlements

  • Rear End Car Accident:
    $3.75 Million Recovery
  • Semi-Truck Accident:
    $1.5 Million Recovery
  • Van Rollover:
    $1.2 Million Wrongful Death Recovery
  • Rear End Bus Accident:
    $775,000.00 Recovery
  • Truck Collides with Cow:
    $500,000.00 Recovery

Our Florida Offices

We have 15 convenient office locations around Central Florida to better serve our auto accident clients.

15 Florida Locations

Orange County:
Orlando, FL

500 Delaney Avenue #404
Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: 407-425-2000

Seminole County:
Lake Mary, FL

300 International Parkway #100
Lake Mary, FL 32746
Phone: 407-487-4408

Osceola County:
Kissimmee, FL

17 S. Orlando Ave.
Kissimmee, FL 34741
Phone: 407-966-4408

Volusia County:
Daytona Beach, FL

1301 Beville Rd., Suite 8
Daytona Beach, FL 32119
Phone: 386-243-4994

Volusia County:
DeBary, FL

465 Summerhaven Drive, Suite C
DeBary, FL 32713
Phone: 386-320-3911

Volusia County:
Deland, FL

120 South Woodland Blvd.
Deland, FL 32720
Phone: 386-206-1264

Citrus County:
Inverness, FL

110 North Apopka Ave.
Inverness, FL 34453
Phone: 352-205-4341

Polk County:
Lakeland, FL

1102 S. Florida Ave., Suite 104
Lakeland, FL 33803
Phone: 863-968-7551

Polk County:
Winter Haven, FL

325 Avenue A, N.W.
Winter Haven, FL 33881
Phone: 863-968-7173

Hillsborough County:
Tampa, FL

100 S. Edison St. Suite D
Tampa, FL 33606
Phone: 813-355-9772

Marion-Sumter Counties:
The Villages, FL

3420 U.S. Hwy. 27/441
Fruitland Park, FL 34731
Phone: 352-419-0825

Lake County:
Mt. Dora, FL

Mt. Dora, FL
Phone: 352-436-4696

Lake County:
Clermont, FL

3721 S Hwy 27, Suite A
Clermont, FL 34711
Phone: 352-503-4674

Brevard County:
Titusville, FL

506 S. Palm Ave.
Titusville, FL 32780
Phone: 321-222-7300

Brevard County:
Cocoa, FL

96 Willard Street, Suite 206
Cocoa, FL 32922
Phone: 321-757-1373

Client Reviews

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  • I was involved in a motor vehicle accident where the other driver ran a red light and my car was a total loss. I was referred to James Cunningham due to the fact that our attorney’s have been very impressed with James Cunningham’s work. This fact turned out to be very true… A Personal Injury Client
  • My car accident case was handled by Mr Cunningham and I was very pleased with how everything was done. He handles his own cases and his staff is top notch. He got me a very nice settlement without going to court. Derek
  • We contacted Jim Cunningham to help guide us through the "maize" of possible outcomes in settling with insurance companies, medical bills, and even police investigation with the accident. David
  • Cunningham worked hard was professional, supportive, diligent and always maintained contact. I am very satisfied with the service that him and his team provided. Mr Cunningham is a lawyer that will work for you. Dezhaun
  • I consulted with several attorneys, but as soon as I met James Cunningham, I knew he was the right attorney for me. He immediately expressed concern for my well-being, and his compassionate, professional manner put me at ease. Diane