Hardee County teenager was killed in a Polk County crash over the weekend

On behalf of Medina Law Firm posted in Mulberry

According to Deputies, Monica Gonzalez of Bowling Green died in a single car accident late on Sunday in Mulberry. The report states that Lezer Mendoza was headed eastbound on State Road 60 just West of County Line Road in a white 1997 Ford Explorer. Mendoza said she saw a dark shadow in the roadway and swerved to avoid it when her SUV slid and rolled over. Monica Gonzalez and another passenger were ejected. Investigators say neither passenger was wearing a seatbelt. The driver was wearing a seatbelt and only suffered minor injuries. The investigation is ongoing but neither speed or impairment appeared to be a factor in the crash.

Florida Statute (Ch. 316-614) requires drivers and their passengers to fasten their safety belts.

You must buckle up every time you get in your vehicle.

• Do it to protect yourself and others.
• Do it to avoid a serious dent in your wallet- a ticket could be costly.

While a majority of Floridians wear safety belts, those who don’t cost the state thousands of dollars in medical costs. Of course, you can’t put a price tag on the valuable lives lost.
Florida has had a safety belt law since 1986, but officers could only ticket unbuckled drivers when they stopped them for other violations. The new law allows officers to stop motorists for not wearing safety belts.

Florida law requires the use of safety belts for all drivers and passengers in all motorized vehicles, except:

• Persons who have a doctor-certified medical condition for which the use of the safety belt may be inappropriate or dangerous.
• Employees of a newspaper home delivery service or solid waste/recyclable collection service working designated routes.
• Persons traveling in the living quarters of a recreational vehicle or a space within a truck body primarily intended for merchandise or property.
• Persons traveling in vehicles that are not required to be equipped with safety belts under federal law.

The Law Office of Omar Medina is located in Tampa and serves clients in Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Polk, Manatee, and Tampa for Personal Injury clients.

We specialize in roll over cases, tire blow out accidents, and product liability cases. Please contact Omar Medina one of the best Personal Injury Lawyer in the Tampa Bay Area for a free consultation.