skip to content

Fighting for Florida Car Accident Victims Since 1977

Twitter Facebook LinkedIn
Home Blog Auto Accident, Car Accident, Drunk Driving Accident

December 5, 2012

Palm Bay police officers believe that the man who drove his car into two patrol cars on Nov. 26 was intoxicated at the time of the accident. The 61-year-old man suffered minor injuries in the accident, which occurred around 10 p.m. that evening. Police say he was traveling southbound on Babcock Street when he drove his pickup truck into the rear of one police car and pushed it into another, totaling one car and extensively damaging the other. Officers were assisting a driver with a disabled car when the accident occurred and were not injured in the collisions. The suspect was taken to a Palm Bay hospital for treatment, and police say that they expect to file charges against the driver, pending their investigation.

It has been estimated that a drunk driver operates a vehicle while legally impaired an average of 80 times before they are arrested for driving under the influence. That’s an astonishing number and illustrates the scope of the drunk driving problem in this country even after decades of public awareness campaigns about the dangers of driving while impaired and significantly tougher criminal penalties to discourage people from drinking and driving. Unfortunately, it appears that tougher penalties and public safety messages have had only modest success in combating drunk driving in Florida as well.

In 2011, there were 33,625 DUI convictions in Florida from a total of 55,722 DUI tickets issued by law enforcement personnel. Although data for a county-by-county breakdown of 2011 DUI convictions in Florida counties is not yet available, the following counties led the state in DUI convictions in 2010:

  • Hillsborough County (Tampa) – 3,256
  • Miami-Dade (Miami) – 2,274
  • Duval County (Jacksonvile area) – 2,222
  • Pinellas County (St. Petersburg) – 1,824
  • Palm Beach County (West Palm Beach) – 1,561
  • Orange County (Orlando) – 1,383
  • Brevard County (Melbourne) – 1,072
  • Broward County (Fort Lauderdale) – 985

When you imagine that for each one of those DUI convictions, a convicted drunk driver operated a vehicle while drunk an average of 80 times, you can see that we have a very serious problem indeed.

Drunk drivers kill and seriously injure thousands of Floridians every year. Those victims and their families have a right to seek damages against these negligent individuals, and many seek the legal counsel of experienced Orlando drunk driving accident lawyers such as James O. Cunningham. Mr. Cunningham has been helping injured people receive the fair and just compensation they deserve since 1977 and is a fierce advocate for victims’ rights. If you would like to speak with Mr. Cunningham and have an aggressive Orlando personal injury lawyer represent you, call him today at 888-FLA-AUTO (888-352-2886).

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.

Related Articles:

Free Consultation

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

Previous Next
  • 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