South Florida Injury Attorney Blog

This one is one for the records, on the WSVN 7 morning news last Wednesday there was a report of a concrete dump truck colliding into several parked police vehicles and a palm tree just outside the American Airlines Arena where there was a Heat Game about to start.

No one was injured after the driver of a dump truck lost control of his vehicle and crashed into several police vehicles, then hit a palm tree. The crash happened just a few feet away from the American Airlines Arena, just as hundreds of Miami Heat fans were walking into the arena for Tuesday night's game.

The driver was brought to tears from the nearly catastrophic crash. "Thank the Lord there was no injuries to report, no occupants in any of the vehicles, and the driver of the dump truck is safe," said Cruz. No one was injured.

The Department of Transportation is investigating the accident and are looking into whether the truck was overloaded.

Luckily for this driver of the truck there were no injuries except for the damages to the parked vehicles but had the driver not been able to control the truck the outcome of this situation would have been worst. As stated in the report above Heat fans were on their way to the game.

As an attorney practicing Personal Injury in Miami- Dade and Broward should you ever find yourself a victim of an automobile injury, you should always seek legal counsel to ensure you are compensated for your injury and damages. Feel free to contact us for your FREE consultation or visit us online.

Continue reading "Dump Truck accident at Miami Heat game" »

As usual catching up with the morning news saw this report on the WSVN 7 channel, that I had to write about. This accident occurred in Miami yesterday, a FedEx delivery truck collided with a Miami-Dade Transit bus.

Multiple people suffered injuries after a Miami-Dade Transit bus and FedEx truck collided, Tuesday.

The injured were transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital, University of Miami's Doctors Hospital, South Miami Hospital and Mount Sinai Medical Center.

As the article above stated all the injured were transported to the local hospitals for additional care and observation, also there was a passenger on the bus that was already in a wheel chair and I also saw a man on a stretcher with crutches which can only mean he was already injured before this accident. As an experienced Attorney in automobile accidents I would advise these passengers to seek legal counsel, provide them with all the information relevant to their injuries and as much information on the accident. Passengers on the bus should get a copy of the accident report from the police, and lastly and most important copies of all medical bills and pictures of injuries that they sustained should be submitted to their legal counsel.

Should you or a loved one find yourself a victim of this type of automobile accident injury please contact and experienced automobile accident injury attorney who will ensure that you receive the proper compensation that you deserve. Contact us online or via telephone 954 431 8100 or 305 624 9186 for your FREE consultation.

Continue reading "Bus collision in the news" »

Monday morning there it was on the news... NY Attorney to represent victims of the Costa Concordia Cruise ship accident. It was inevitable I was just waiting to see who would be the representing attorney and hear his views. Listening to him I decided to also do some research as he made valid comments in his interview, and I also found this article out of Milan..... I'm posting part of the article and will add the link for you to read more......

MILAN - Passengers of the doomed Costa Concordia launched a legal battle for compensation Tuesday, but experts expect the cruise operator to offer a settlement to stave off a court case.

In Italy, consumer rights' association Codacons said 70 passengers have joined a class action suit against the shipowner Costa Crociere.

"Over 70 passengers who were on board the ship have joined the class action suit initiated by our association," Codacons head Carlo Rienzi said in a statement.

"Our objective is to get each passenger at least 10,000 euros compensation for material damage and also for ... the fear suffered, the holidays ruined and the serious risks endured," he said.

The legal action will have to be judged admissible by a magistrate in a procedure that could take "some months," according to the co-head of the consumer rights association, Marco Ramadori.

Ramadori said he was "fairly confident" that the action would be allowed.

The Costa Concordia was carrying more than 4,200 people when it ran aground on Friday shortly after starting a seven-day Mediterranean cruise, leaving at least 11 dead and about two dozen still missing. Read more

So from all that I have read it looks like the surviving passengers of the Costa Concordia will have an uphill court battle against Costa Crociere who owns the "Costa Concordia". Some articles have stated that the victims will be barred from filing suit in the United States against Costa Crociere who owns the vessel, even though Carnival Corp who is Miami-based is the actual owner of Costa Crociere. Reason for this being the incident took place in Italian waters. They also go on to say there is a clause written into the Concordia's ticket that basically states all cruise ship lawsuits must be brought in the courts of Genoa, Italy. I am sure that is not the last of the case of the Costa Concordia that I will be writing about as this is pretty interesting and extremely knowledgeable. Also I read that even if the injured passengers pursue the lawsuit, compensation may be limited as apparently there is an International Agreement called the Athens Convention that caps the cruise ship operator liability to about $80,000 per person.

Contact us online or via 954 431 8100 or 305 624 9186 for your FREE consultation, should you find yourself a victim of a cruise ship accident to ensure you receive proper compensation.

Continue reading "Do you have any Rights as a Cruiser" »

In the local Weston newspapers I found an article about a student of a Weston Elementary school that received serious injuries from a hit and run accident. The article stated that the student apparently ran out of the school yard through a gate that was open an unattended before his morning line up.

The report stated that the student ran into the street and was hit by a car. The driver of the vehicle that hit the kid did not stop but witnesses were able to provide the police the tag # of the car that was involved. Paramedics and police were called out to the scene of the accident, he sustained injuries serious enough to be hospitalized. He suffered a broken leg and internal injuries he was hospitalized for a week.

His parents sought legal counsel from a Fort Lauderdale attorney who is experienced in this type of accident injury, but then again who would be the responsible party. They provided their attorney records of the injury and all medical bills that their son sustained along with pictures of his injury and the immediate area at the school where the gate is located. As I stated earlier there are schools and neighborhoods being built all over Broward County and drivers have to practice their due diligence when driving on the streets and highways, especially through school zones.

Whether you have personally been injured or harmed in a pedestrian accident or whether you are the relative of someone killed as the result of a pedestrian accident caused by a negligent driver, you should seek legal assistance as soon as possible. A qualified and experienced lawyer in this field can work to get compensation for harm, injuries, distress, medical costs, loss of earnings, and any other damages or expenses that result from the pedestrian accident. Contact us online or at 954 431 8100 or 305 624 9186 for your FREE consultation.

Another article that made the news was story on personal injury due to road debris; the news report stated that a couple travelling on the Florida interstate was seriously injured by a piece of debris.

“According to the report on the couple was travelling southbound on the Interstate 95 when the accident occurred. Ms. Jones who was driving at the time recalls that by the time she realized that they were going to be hit it was too late to swerve to avoid the flying debris and Raymond was struck in the face. She stated that she never thought it would have been such a huge piece of metal. Raymond was struck in the face damaging his throat and mouth causing him to bleed and drift in and out of consciousness. Mr. Sewell was treated at the hospital and later released; he received stitches to the mouth and will also require dental work as the impact of the metal object caused several of his front teeth to get knocked out.”

Question anyone in this situation would ask is “Can I seek compensation for the injuries and medical bills that I have incurred? And if the answer to that first question was YES then who do I file the claim against and how do I proceed?” As an attorney practicing personal injury law in Fort Lauderdale, we have represented victims of these types of injury and been successful.

One can only assume that this couple sought legal counsel and filed claim against city or state that would have been responsible for maintenance of the Interstate where they were injured. Proper record of all his injuries would be most beneficial when filing the claim, a copy of the accident report from the police, and seeing that he would have required dental work, all his dental bills would also be necessary to file claim and be properly compensated for all his damages etc.

Everyday we are on the roads of South Florida and this type of accident can happen at any time, should you or a loved one find yourself in a similar situation always seek legal counsel to ensure you are properly compensated. Contact us online or at 954 431 8100 or 305 624 9186 for your FREE consultation.

I always try to keep my blogs current so I’m always looking for events that I can write about, so between the daily newspaper reports, the television news, the local newspapers and just being on the road I find events and near mishaps that I can write about. Daily South Floridians are on the road dealing with others users of the roadways from automobile drivers to motor cyclist, bicyclist, pedestrians, and even those golf carts can be seen on the road daily.

I wrote in one of my previous blogs about a motor cyclist being run off the road avoiding a car that veered into his lane. My response was to seek legal counsel as only an experienced Motor Cycle accident injury attorney would be able inform you as to whether you are able to file claim.

The scenario was an inattentive driver veering into your lane and forcing you off the road, causing the rider and his passenger minor injury but serious damages to his motor cycle. I listed practices for him to follow to present to his Attorney should he have sought legal counsel to file claim. Retrieve as much information as possible from a description of the vehicle and driver to the license tag if you are able to, always remember to call 911 and make sure you get a copy of the accident report. Last but not least report the accident to your Insurance Company, remember not to give any statements to the Insurance Company’s investigators as they will be conducting their investigations seeing that the other vehicle involved in the accident fled the scene.

Any experienced attorney practicing motor cycle injury in Fort Lauderdale; Sunrise; Miramar; Davie; Cooper City; Plantation; Margate and Pembroke Pines, will advise you to seek legal counsel should you receive motor cycle injuries from the carelessness of drivers on the roadways of South Florida. Contact us online or at 954 431 8100 or 305 624 9186 for your FREE consultation.

On one my regular trips to the mall to drop off/ pick up my daughter, I’ve realized the dangers that can come to you before you have even entered the mall. Sometimes whilst I sit and wait for her to come out I see things that can happen, drivers not paying proper attention to their surroundings and pedestrians doing the same.

These mishaps I am sure are numerous and as an experienced attorney practicing personal injury law in Fort Lauderdale and its environs I have represented victims of these types of personal injury, but I can also see that some of these victims may not think that they can file a claim for the injuries that they may have sustained from inattentive drivers.

I have made a short list of my observations whilst at the mall:

* Do not walk closely behind parked cars as you never when the car may have a driver ready to reverse an may have not seen you walking behind the car;

* Pay close attention when you are crossing the car park, I have seen people just cross the car park drive ways without even looking;

* Families please watch your children. I have seen on numerous occasions where they take the child out of the car and maybe getting something else out of the car and the child decides to walk out from the safety of the parked vehicle.

Should you ever find yourself in any type of accident no matter how minor it is you should always seek legal counsel. Our office is experienced in handling minor injury claims; we will ensure you get the compensation that you deserve. Please contact us for your free consultation, either online or at 954 431 8100 or 305 624 9186.

Recently in the news we saw the sinking of the cruise liner off the coast of Italy. Eleven lives lost but the majority of the passengers and crew were saved. Then in the news the sister ship set sail from Miami and reporters interviewed some the passengers that were boarding for their cruise, all comments from the passengers were that they were excited for their trip. Honestly who would not cruising the blue Caribbean Sea, wish it was me, anyways back to the blog.

As a Fort Lauderdale attorney who has represented victims of cruise ship injuries over the past couple year’s injuries on board a cruise ship no matter how minor or serious they may be should not be taken lightly. This is the reason why my staff and I sat down and put together a list of procedures to follow should you find yourself a victim of personal injury whilst cruising.

1. Go to the ship's doctor to get treatment for your injury, should you require medical attention;
2. Write up an accident report with as much photographs of your injuries and submit to the Security department on board; keep a copy of the report for your record and any other medical bills that you may have incurred due to the injury;
3. Also get the ship’s Security Department report and keep for your records;
4. Your photographs should be of the immediate place where the incident occurred;
5. Should there be Witnesses make sure and get all their information;
6. You should visit the shore side doctor to check on your injury at the next port of call; keep your medical bills etc;
7. Should you decide to file suit or a claim, please see the Cruise Line ticket as that may specify where the suit/claim has to be filed. Miami is the headquarters of many of the large cruise lines so the ticket may specify Miami, Dade County, Florida. If suit is filed in the wrong location and one year has gone by, you could be thrown out of court and it will be too late to file in the correct location.

Should you be injured whilst cruising and you remember to follow maybe not all but at least some the steps we have prepared for you, seek immediate legal counsel once you are back from your trip to ensure you are compensated for your damages and medical bills incurred.

Hopefully, you will not have to worry about any of these things and you will have a safe and enjoyable vacation, however, it is better to be aware of your rights. Contact us online or at 954 431 8100 or 305 624 9186 for your FREE consultation.

Another blog that was an interesting read was on an accident that involved a bus and a distracted driver of a delivery truck which took place in Sunrise.

The police report stated that the driver of the delivery truck was not paying attention and hit the Broward Transit bus from behind when it stopped to pickup/ drop off passengers. This accident occurred at the corner of Sunrise Blvd and NW 56th Avenue, in Lauderhill.

After investigations by the Police/ the Broward Transit authorities and the company that owns the delivery truck it was evident that the driver of the deliver truck was at fault. Although as I stated in the blog that this could have gone against the driver of the bus which would have then made Broward Transit Authority liable for all the damages of the passengers that received injury.

But, as I stated earlier the driver of the delivery truck was found to be negligent therefore making him and his employer liable for the injuries and damages of the passengers who was on board the bus at the time of the accident.

Injured victims in such cases can seek compensation for all medical expenses, loss of wages, and cost of hospitalization, rehabilitation and other related damages. The best personal injury law firms will always offer a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation to injured victims and their families.

Should you or a loved one be a victim of accident injury you should consult an experienced attorney. Contact us online or at 954 431 8100 or 305 624 9186 for your FREE consultation.

Driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs is illegal in South Florida a driver whose act of driving under the influence results in the death of another will likely face vehicular manslaughter charges. Drivers determined to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol may also be held civilly liable for the accidents and damages they cause.

In one of my older blogs I wrote about a couple that was seriously injured in Fort Lauderdale whilst driving on the I-95. Reports stated that the couple was heading south on the Interstate 95 when they collided with a driver heading north in the southbound lane. Police stated that the accident took place just south of the Sunrise Boulevard ramp. Investigations revealed that the driver of the Honda Civic was driving under the influence of alcohol and apparently got disorientated and somehow entered the I-95 heading in the wrong direction and collided with the oncoming SUV the couple was driving. Charges were made against the driver of the Civic.

The occupants of the SUV sought legal counsel from an experienced Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorney and were able to file suit against the drunk driver and received compensation for the damages and medical expenses they incurred.

Should you or a loved one be a victim of accident injury you should consult an experienced attorney to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve. Contact us online or at 954 431 8100 or 305 624 9186 for your FREE consultation.

In recent news, a woman woke up to a crashing sound in her living room. What should you do when you find a automobile has invaded your home? Call the police, news or call a tow truck? These are reasonable thoughts that can run through your mind. Fortunately, for the homeowner, the car owner was still there with a passenger inadvertently pinned in the car and could not flee the scene, so she called the police. Although the home owner was unharmed, the couple inside the vehicle quickly claimed the driver lost control of the car due to bad weather.

The police report stated that they were going too fast for conditions and the driver was intoxicated. The driver is liable for the damages and responsible for his actions. Now the home owner has to deal with repairs to her home and deal with going to court to testify about the events she did not even expect. The process can be a long one and as such, the home owner has a right to sue the driver for causing personal injury, the damages to her home, furnishings and for any complications stemming from this incident. If she works, this also means she may have to take time off of work, being that courts are usually open for daytime operations. She may also need to get therapeutic help for the mental and/or the emotional affect of this stressful traumatic experience, incurring excessive medical bills that can add up to hundreds. The fact is that the culprit of the harm caused should be held liable for their negligence. Whether you live in Pompano, Miami Beach or Pembroke Pines, you should know your rights to pursue recovery.

In a situation like this one you should consult an attorney that can help determine your rights to file a claim and what are the typical items that can be recovered. Call our office and consult an experienced injury attorney.

You may have read in the news or seen on TV that many homes in Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Hialeah, West Palm Beach, Pompano Beach, and all over South Florida have been found to contain toxic particles such as asbestos, and hydrogen-sulfide gas that can lead to very serious diseases such as Asbestosis, Mesothelioma, or chest diseases such as Emphysema, Bronchitis, or Asthma. These are very serious conditions that can cause many medical problems, serious injury, and expensive hospital and medical treatment bills. If you live in South Florida and think you are currently being exposed or previously have been exposed to such particles, you should contact a South Florida personal injury attorney immediately.

Your home in Margate, Miami Beach, Key Biscayne, Redlands, or Belle Glade may contain such dangerous particles and you should not have to suffer through any medical condition and/or expenses caused by chemicals placed in your home by someone else.

Asbestos is a naturally produced mineral that is harmful when its fibers enter the air and are either ingested or inhaled. Therefore, you may not even know you are inhaling such dangerous chemicals into your body causing personal injury. Because it takes so long to develop symptoms, asbestos cases may be filed years after the asbestos exposure took place.

However, you should not wait. If you think you have been exposed to asbestos, your South Florida personal injury lawyer has experience in the Courts in Broward, Miami and West Palm Beach and can advise you of your rights related to the exposure of this substance. While this is not meant to scare anyone, it is a very real and very prevalent problem in South Florida and one is always better safe than sorry. We can help you if you call 954-431-8100