Law Firm Blog

When you have a car accident, anything can happen. Broken bones, lacerations, and bruises are just a few of the obvious injuries that can be seen after the dust settles. There are other injuries that can be just as severe, sometimes more severe, but hardly show any signs at all.

A Concussive Brain Injury

A concussion is a type of brain injury that is caused by a blow, jolt, or bump to the head. The jarring motion of the incident causes the brain to hit the hard inner shell of the skull, leading to tearing, bruising, and bleeding. Though many people think of sports injuries as the main cause of a concussion, car accidents actually cause them more often. Many times, heads can hit the windshield, steering wheel, or another object, due to the force of the collision.

5 Signs That You Have Suffered A Concussion

Depending on the severity of the injury, you might not even know that you suffered a concussion. Though some people might lose consciousness at the time of the accident, you do not have to experience this to... ...read full post

Qualifying for Social Security Disability is challenging to say the very least. The United States program is run by the Social Security Administration, and it provides cash support to people with physical or mental disorders. It eases the burden on folks that can't work because of the conditions, and while the amount is typically smaller than the money received from working a full-time job, it helps the individual to pay bills and buy food. One of the most prominent reasons for failing to qualify is mistakes made on the application. Legal jargon, fine printing, and required supporting documents make the process seem incredibly complex. Forgetting to fill in blanks and putting down wrong information are common issues that bring the process to a screeching halt.

The Social Security Disability application method is lengthy, challenging, and it can seem nearly impossible to complete. Our attorney has been practicing law since 1983, which has given him necessary knowledge to effectively help clients. Don't put your approval in the hands of fate. Instead, give the office a... ...read full post

Motorcycle operators face various obstacles while riding the two-wheeler. Some models have windshields installed, but others don't, and a bug can come flying towards a driver at what seems like the speed of light. Helmets are essential pieces of safety equipment, but many units do not come equipped with visors. Taking a flying insect to the eye can cause drivers to lose control and crash. Debris or obstacles on the road are also hazardous. However, due to the sense of freedom that bikes provide, most riders are more than happy to take on these risks. Florida offers pristine conditions for riding and letting the wind whip through your hair. Many other drivers are on the roadways too though, and a leisurely ride could turn into a nightmare quickly.

Motorcycles don't provide users with the protection that most cars do. There are no airbags, seatbelts, or even doors and walls for protection. Therefore, when a motorcycle accident occurs, the consequences are often drastic. Damages include things like...

• Road Rash
• Broken Bones Or Loss Of Limbs
• Partial Or Full Paralysis
• Death
•... ...read full post

When someone you love has been taken away as a result of an unexpected accident, you’ll likely experience a flurry of emotions. The deepest levels of hurt can only be matched by the deepest levels of anger toward the negligence of the party that caused the death. Recovery from such a loss might be difficult and take time, but if you believe that another party is at fault in the death of your loved one, you might be able to file a wrongful death claim against them.

Who Can Bring About A Wrongful Death Suit

Under Florida law, when a person’s death is caused by the wrongful act, negligence, default, or breach of contract of another person, the deceased person’s estate can bring about a civil lawsuit to seek losses. The individuals who can bring about a wrongful death claim include those who are related to the deceased as a:

• Spouse
• Child
• Parent
• Dependent blood relative
• Child born out of wedlock of the mother; also of the father if it is established that the father assumed responsibility and support for the child.

The claim must be filed by a personal representative of the estate, typically named in the estate plan or... ...read full post

Anyone that has ever been involved in an automotive accident knows that the experience is quite overwhelming. Shattered windshields can leave lacerations on the face, arms, or on other areas of the body. Broken bones are painful results from the twisted metal caused by the impact, which might lead to partial or full paralysis. Vehicles without airbags, cars with faulty seatbelts, and automobiles with safety devices that do not operate properly allow drivers and passengers to hit their heads. These types of actions tend to produce traumatic brain injuries. The jolting back and forth motions generate spinal injuries and whiplash. Not everyone has an electric car, and most motors utilize gasoline, oil, or other flammable substances. Whenever these items enter the equation, there is always an increased risk of sustaining burns. On other occasions, the consequences of an accident are deadly, and wrongful deaths become a reality. As you can see, the possibilities are endless as to the types of injuries that a person can obtain when they are involved in a collision. Keep your head on a swivel and remain... ...read full post

Cars, motorcycles, boats, and the majority of machinery in this world require gas to operate. They are necessary pieces of equipment for helping us get from here to there, deliver goods, or provide services. Operators expect these vehicles to be safe, and most of the time they are, but in the blink of an eye these transportation methods can become dangerous. Tires can blowout causing the driver to swerve, and the action often results in a crash. Transmissions and engines that fail leave people stranded in middle lanes of the freeway, which might lead to the disabled car getting rear-ended. A windshield wiper motor can malfunction causing the essential components not to work correctly. The possibilities of things that can go wrong are endless, but just because they can happen does not mean they will. Don't be afraid of using your automobile, and instead, keep it well-maintained to help our Florida roads stay a little safer.

A Recall With A Potential 10,073 Affected Units

As most of society knows, anything human-made can break in the blink of an eye, even... ...read full post

Getting hurt at work is more common than you might think. Though some workplace environments are more conducive to obtaining an injury than others, even an office building can hold hidden dangers. When walking through the door in the morning, no one expects that they might go out on a stretcher or in a wheelchair by the afternoon.

Worker’s Compensation Coverage

Worker’s compensation is paid out by employers at no cost to employees. It’s there to cover employees who become hurt or sick at work as the result of an injury while preforming their job duties. Worker’s compensation will pay out a certain amount of money to the employee based on the injury, and is mainly used to cover the bills that accrue as a result of necessary medical treatment and care. Some of these common necessary treatments may include:

• Doctor visits
• Surgery
• In-home care
• Hospital stays
• Dental care
• Prescriptions
• Braces or crutches
• Medical supplies ordered by your physician

Worker’s compensation coverage might also replace part of your lost wages should the doctor determine that you will need to be out of work for more than 7... ...read full post

When you or someone you love is injured in an auto accident, a slip and fall incident, or any event that was the result of someone else’s negligence, it seems personal. Though all injuries are unfortunate, those that could have easily been avoided seem to hurt the worst.

A Long Way From Normal

Many of those involved in an accident of any type just want to get everything taken care of so they can go back to “normal.” Some motor vehicle accidents, however, take away everything that once was normal and leave you with a new way of life. From the destruction of a vehicle to the destruction of a body, life after an accident is rife with changes.

After an auto accident, there are many questions that people ask themselves: Why did this happen? What went wrong? How will I continue? And though questions of that magnitude might be difficult to answer individually, there are a host of other important questions that might be easier to explain.

Q: Can I hold the other party responsible for injuries I sustained in the accident?

A: Florida is a... ...read full post

Airbags are safety devices that inflate upon impact to prevent a person's head from hitting the steering wheel or dash. Nobody ever really thinks about the equipment until it is needed, but when a failure occurs the consequences can be drastic. Substantial amounts of vehicles have been recalled over the past decade or so due to the canisters exploding and causing injuries. The fragmented pieces leave behind punctures, lacerations, and sometimes they even result in loss of life. Seatbelts, anti-lock brakes, and countless other items are supposed to keep vehicle operators and passengers safe. However, when a malfunction or defect is present, these devices tend to cause more harm than good.

Pay Particular Attention To This Recall Notice If You Are A Volkswagen Owner

Volkswagen Group of America began issuing recalls in February on a potential 97,440 affected units. This number is massive, so the probability of one or more of them being located in Florida is high. The excessive internal pressure in the driver's frontal airbag may cause the inflator to explode upon impact.... ...read full post

The entire United States relies on tractor-trailers to transport goods to stores and keep the economy flourishing. They are essential for putting items on the shelves and making them readily available for consumers to purchase. These vehicles are so important that many companies are even trying out self-driving trucks. The verdict is still out on these devices because it is too early in the testing phase to determine if they are 100-percent safe. However, until we get to the point where everyone is getting chauffeured around, humans remain in control. Distracted driving should never occur, regardless of what a person is operating, whether that is a car, truck, SUV, motorcycle, or eighteen wheeler. Unfortunately, distractions do happen, and they are often the cause of wrecks.

Talking on the phone, receiving and sending texts, eating, or even playing around with passengers can result in the car barreling out of control due to human error. Drowsiness leads to folks falling asleep or just not paying as much attention as they should to the task at hand. Trucking companies transport heavy loads, and if the... ...read full post

No one wants to receive that dreaded letter in the mail telling them that their car or truck is being recalled for a safety-related defect. From the Ford F-150 to the Honda Accord, vehicles of any make and model can be subject to a recall at some point during ownership. Most people are alarmed when they receive the recall letter, but keeping cool and following the proper steps is essential to getting a vehicle repaired and back on the road safely.

Read Through The Recall Letter

Recall letters are sent out to vehicle owners when a manufacturer, or the NHTSA, finds that a vehicle does not comply with a federal safety standard. They can also be sent out when a safety-related defect is found on a specific make and model. Receiving a recall letter is no cause to panic; simply read through and follow the instructions.

The letter is very detailed and will explain:

• The reason for the recall and a description of the defective part
• Hazard risks including the type of injuries the defect can cause
• Warning signs that could indicate a problem
•... ...read full post

Slip and fall cases are very common in commercial buildings, but you might be surprised to learn that they can happen in residential areas quite often. Consider these hazards-waiting-to-happen at any residential property:

• A wobbly step in the stairwell
• A broken railing on a balcony
• A missing chunk of pavement on a sidewalk
• A loose flap of carpeting in the hallway
• A broken window screen
• A hanging dead tree limb

Any of these issues can cause a person to slip, fall, or become injured at any time. Injuries can range from a few bumps and bruises, to several months in a cast--followed by several more in physical therapy.
Landlords are responsible to uphold a standard of property care that ensures safety for everyone, from tenants to visitors. The landlord has an obligation to maintain:

• Roofs
• Doors & Windows
• Floors
• Porches & Railings
• Steps & Walkways
• Foundations
• Exterior Walls
• Plumbing
• Windows & Screens

It the responsibility of the landlord to check in and around properties often to ensure that everything is in the proper working order. Damages must be repaired by competent workmen... ...read full post

The world of catching-a-ride has come a long way since the first yellow taxicab. With the implementation of ride sharing companies like Uber and Lyft, people everywhere are more comfortable letting someone else take over the driving duties.

Anyone Can Drive For A Ride Sharing Company

When anyone gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, there is always a chance that an accident can occur. What keeps these chances low is the ability of the driver to concentrate on the task at hand without distractions, follow the rules of the road, and use safety precautions at all times.

Those who drive for Uber and Lyft are no different than the rest of the vehicle-operating population. They receive no special training or equipment; they use their own vehicles to take people from point A to point B. The problem is, you never know how “good” a driver they are until you get in the car.

What To Know If An Accident Happens

Accidents can happen no matter what kind of a driver is operating the Uber you are riding in. If you are... ...read full post

Injuries can make it difficult to go on with your life as you normally would. Not only can the physical wounds make it harder to recover properly or to conduct daily activities as you once would have, but other aspects of your life could be impacted as well. In particular, the financial burden that an accident can place on an individual can often be very difficult to bear.

Insurance can help, and filing insurance claims is often the first step that one may take when trying to get back on their feet financially after an accident. But what many fail to realize is that initial settlement offers and even some claims may not take all of your losses into account. In particular, one thing that needs close attention is lost wages.


What Are Lost Wages?


Essentially, lost wages are a type of damages that you may be awarded in a personal injury case. They're compensation that is based on the income that you have lost due to your accident. Certain accidents can leave you unable to work... ...read full post

Once you've taken care of emergency related injuries and made sure that your physical health is where it should be, the next step for your recovery after an auto accident will likely be to talk to a skilled auto accident attorney. While medical professionals will help you with your physical recovery, your lawyer will ensure that you are able to make a full financial recovery as well.

There are plenty of reasons for visiting an attorney, but the main one is simple - it's the best way to ensure that your case is resolved as best as it possibly can be and that you receive the maximum amount of compensation for your injuries. Plus, your attorney takes care of the hard work for you so you are able to focus on physically healing without worry about the stresses that can come from a seeking restitution on your own.

However, it's important that you have the right information on hand when you first visit your attorney and receive your initial consultation. They'll take care of the process of seeking compensation for you,... ...read full post

In typical accidents, like collisions between vehicles, or a mishap at a construction site while on the job, the injuries are physical and occur on the spot. But of course, not all injuries that befall a person are strictly of the physical/mechanical nature. Some injuries that can befall a person can come in the form of illness, while other injuries can center around the brain, and appear erratically, or, in some cases, much further down the line.

These injuries however, can still have a profound, negative effect on a person’s life, which is why they are covered as very special cases by personal injury lawyers.


The Traumatic Brain Injury


In addition to the physical injuries sustained in collisions and other physical mishaps, traumatic brain injury is a term that covers a broad umbrella of different, related conditions. The brain is an enormously complex organ, whose exact functions and functional locations are still not completely understood.

This means that any physical injury, such as an impact against the skull, violent shaking, or even an alteration in brain chemistry may be enough to cause changes that are hard to predict. So even... ...read full post

There’s one thing that still plays out a lot in law and courtroom dramas both on television and in cinema. It’s the “surprise turn” that can sometimes occur in a trial, where an attorney suddenly produces a “surprise witness,” or “surprise evidence,” that no one was expecting that can suddenly change the outcome of a court case.

Despite the obvious dramatic appeal of this kind of twist or turn in a story, it does not actually happen in modern trials. At least, not anymore! Today, both sides of a court case know exactly what type of material is going to be submitted thanks to a procedure known as the “discovery process.” But why do we have this now, instead of the much more dramatic surprises?


Everyone Is Treated Fairly


“Trial by ambush” is a term that describes the process by which some attorneys would hide information from the opposition. That way, when the trial date arrived, a key witness or piece of evidence would be submitted for which the other side of the case would have no knowledge, preparation or defense against. By the 1980s, however, this... ...read full post