South Florida Injury Attorney Blog

Another interesting story was the workplace injury to a man who fell at his jobsite in Davie Florida.

As I recall the worker received his injuries when he was repairing a hole in the roof of a building that was recently damaged by fire. Paramedics was called to the scene as the worker was unconscious briefly, he was transported to Broward General where he was kept for observation.

Once he was released he was advised to seek legal counsel to ensure his rights were recognized and he received proper compensation for his medical bills and lass of wages due to his injury. Apparently he was entitled to workers compensation benefits from his employer. There was an accident report filed by his supervisor as there would have been investigations to ensure that it was not negligence or failure to adhere to the safety standards as mandated by both OSHA and the federal Occupational Safety and health Administration for the city of Davie.

The worker’s attorney was experienced in this type of accident and filed a claim on his behalf, to which he was successful. Always contact an experienced South Florida Personal Injury Attorney who will look into a third party claim, which is usually filed against an entity or a person other than the victim’s employer, whose negligence may have caused the workplace accident, your personal injury attorney should have a strong and successful track record in handling these third party claims, as he will be able to help this worker in securing the compensation they deserve.

Should you or a loved one be injured at the workplace you should consult an experienced attorney in workplace injury and premises liability 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.

As the year comes to an end and we look forward to great things for 2012, I want to recap some of my injury blogs that I have written over the past year. One in particular was the injury of a spectator at a local park whilst he was waiting on his son to complete his practice.

The accident occurred whilst Mr. Sanchez was waiting on his son to complete his batting practice session. He was standing at the fence when he was hit in the eye by a ball, paramedics were called to the park, his injuries were minor, but he was still taken to the hospital for observation, he was eventually released.

Mr. Sanchez sought legal counsel for an experienced attorney in premises liability and decided to file a claim against the City for damages, medical bills and loss of wages that he incurred from his injury. In the State of Florida if you are injured at any of these recreational parks in the various cities, to be able to file any claim against local authorities, paramedics have to be called out and the injured has to be taken by ambulance to the local hospital. Mr. Sanchez provided his attorney with all the relevant information pertinent to his case, information such as the accident report from the police; pictures of his injury and pictures of the area where he was injured; he also provided his attorney with his medical bills as he planned on also filing for loss of wages as his injury required him to be away from work.

As an experienced attorney practicing in Broward and Miami-Dade County I have represented victims of this type of injury both in and out of the courtroom for years. We have offices located Fort Lauderdale, Miami-Dade and West Palm Beach and has successfully represented seriously injured individuals throughout the cities of Broward County such as Sunrise, Plantation, Davie, Cooper City, Miramar, Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs, Weston, Tamarac and Margate.

Always contact an experienced attorney that practices in premises liability and personal injury to ensure that you receive proper compensation for your damages. Feel free to contact us at 954 431 8100 or 305 624 9186 or visit us online.

As I mentioned in my previous blog I will continue with the remaining 4 tips that you should follow should you be a victim of personal injury from a slip and fall accident. See below:

1. Medical reports and bills: Should your slip and fall be serious for you to be hospitalized you should have the attending doctor note how you received your injuries.

2. Follow the advice of your medical providers and keep all appointments with your physicians, physical therapists, etc. If you skip appointments, or don't follow the advice of your medical providers, the supermarket, or its insurance company, will use this against you during your case and will claim that if you would have followed the advice, or kept your appointments, your injury would healed or improved.

3. Should you be injured at a supermarket their representative (usually a risk manager) or an insurance company representative will contact you for a statement. It is advised that you consult with legal counsel before you speak with any representative.

4. Photograph evidence try to take as much photographs of the scene.

Once you have followed these 8 tips and you have retained your legal counsel to represent you should you decide to file claim, submit all the information you have to your attorney. This information will assist your experienced attorney in slip and fall injury in filing your claim.

Should you or a loved one find yourself a victim of personal injury contact us for your FREE consultation via 954 431 8100 or 305 624 9186 or you can visit us online.

In the United States, slip and fall accidents are the second leading cause of injuries and are the cause of over 15,000 deaths each year. An injury or death from a slip and fall, or a trip and fall, are oftentimes caused by a dangerous condition left to remain on a floor of a business open to the public, such as water on the aisles of neighborhood supermarkets, for an unreasonable period of time.

Below are 8 tips which I will divide into two blogs. These tips should be followed after a slip and fall at a workplace/ supermarket/ shopping mall or any other venue where an injury is sustained:

1. Seek medical attention right away. Call 911 and wait for the paramedics to arrive.

2. Determine what caused you to fall. Look around the area where you landed for water or other substances on the floor. Look at your clothing for water or stains. If you have a camera phone, take a couple photographs. Retain all physical evidence for example clothing etc that can be used as physical evidence to be used at trial.

3. Witnesses; should there be witnesses get all contact information from them as they will be extremely important to your case if your case goes to litigation.

4. Premises liability; building management; manager on duty. Report your fall right away. If you suffer an injury due to a fall at a supermarket, report the fall to the manager before you leave. Ask for a copy of the incident report while you are still at the scene of the accident.

As an experienced Slip and fall injury attorney practicing in Fort Lauderdale we advise that you seek legal counsel to ensure you are properly compensated should you decide to file claim. contact us for your free consultation via 954 431 8100 or 305 624 9186 or online.

Whilst surfing the web looking for topics to write about I read an article where the rider of a motor scooter was knocked of his bike by a distracted driver in Fort Lauderdale. Reports claim that the driver of the car was distracted and swerved into the path of the scooter. Luckily for the rider of the scooter he had enough space where he was able to swerve away but hit the curb of the pavement and was thrown from his scooter. The driver of the car stopped to make sure that the rider was not seriously injured, paramedics was still called to the scene for the rider of the scooter, he was eventually released but was told to follow up with his Doctor.

Riders should practice always be aware of their surroundings at all times, keep an eye out for distracted drivers; drivers who may be texting whilst driving or talking on their cell phones and generally not paying attention. Daily on the road we have drivers who do not respect other users of the road whether it’s a cyclist, a pedestrian or another driver which sometimes can lead to unnecessary personal injury to an innocent traveler. Cyclists whether they are riding a bicycle or a motor cycle should always wear protective gear to protect themselves on the road.

Being an experienced Accident Injury Attorney in Fort Lauderdale I have represented numerous victims of accident injury stemming from a distracted drivers. Always practice safe riding and due diligence to avoid any unnecessary injury to yourself and or your passenger.

Should you or a loved one find yourself being a victim of personal injury caused by the carelessness of other drivers on the road, you should seek legal counsel from an experienced personal injury attorney in Fort Lauderdale who will ensure that you are properly compensated for your damages. Feel free to contact us online or at 954 431 8100 or 305 624 9186 for a FREE consultation.

As it gets closer to the holiday season we can all be seen heading malls to do our shopping. I wrote in one of my earlier blogs about an employee that was involved in a slip and fall at one our local shopping malls. He retained a personal injury attorney in Fort Lauderdale and was able to file a claim for his injury.

Apparently Alex was injured when he slipped and fell just outside his office on the 3rd floor of the mall, as the mall maintenance had recently cleaned up a spill but refrained to display signage warning of the wet spot. Obviously Alex not knowing and there being no proper signage notifying Alex and mall patrons of the wet spot, he slipped and fell fracturing his patella in four places, he had to be hospitalized.

Alex’s sought legal counsel from an Attorney experienced in these types of slip and fall injury and was able to file claim against the mall’s managing office for compensation for his medicals covering his rehab and he was also able to seek future loss of wages as he was no longer able to continue pursuing his career in law enforcement as the injury limited his mobility. He was successful as he had all the proper documentation that assisted him in filing his claim.

Always hire an experienced Personal Injury Attorney should you feel that you are the victim of a slip and fall injury accident. Feel free to contact us at 954 431 8100 or 305 614 9186 to set up a FREE consultation to discuss your legal options or visit our website at www.florida-attorney.org

Following up on my previous blog Personal Injury Attorney’s will always advise to follow the following steps should you be involved in an accident causing personal injury:

1. Proper Medical Treatment & Documentation - Documentation of all injuries is very important; take photographs and videos of all injuries sustained and medical care received including therapy of as you will need to provide all your medical records to your personal injury attorney to support your personal injury claim.
2. Witnesses - Personal injury attorneys advise that it is important to obtain the names and contact information for all witnesses and potential witnesses. Record all physical evidence including all vehicles involved in the accident with your camera in your phone, or ask witnesses if they have a camera if you are unable.
3. Photographs of Scene and Vehicles - Photographs and videos of the physical evidence and all motor vehicles involved should be taken immediately in their after-impact position. Photograph the scene of the accident and the surrounding area, specifically where the accident occurred.
4. Diagram Accident Scene - The investigating police officer will prepare a diagram as part of the report that will include the location of all motor vehicles involved and their final positions after the accident. Request a copy of the police report including the accident scene diagram and submit to your personal injury attorney.

Whether you have been injured in Plantation; Sunrise; Pembroke Pines, Davie; Ft. Lauderdale or Miramar hiring of an experienced Personal Injury Attorney is advised to ensure you receive proper compensation for damages.

Should you or a loved one find yourself a victim of personal injury you should contact an experienced personal injury attorney. Feel free to contact us at 954 431 8100 or 305 614 9186 to set up a FREE consultation to discuss your legal options or visit our website at www.florida-attorney.org

I cannot emphasize how important it is to follow the steps that I have listed below and throughout my previous blogs. Once you have followed these steps you should always seek legal counsel from an experienced Personal Injury Attorney to represent you and file your claim. Although some victims will tell you that at the time of the accident they were nervous and upset and being an experienced Fort Lauderdale attorney we have noticed that is when victims make costly mistakes.

With the holiday season already started and the roadways being extremely busy with partygoers and shoppers, distractions for these roadway users are abundant. Here are some steps that you should follow which will assist you, should you find yourself a victim of personal injury:

1. Call 911 immediately;
2. Keep calm;
3. Report accident to your insurance broker or agent immediately.
4. Note the date and time of the accident. Write down the location. Draw a diagram, if possible.
5. Write down the name, address and the insurance company of the owner of the other vehicle involved, whether or not the driver is the owner of the vehicle;
6. Give only your name, address, license number, license plate number, name of registered owner of the car and your insurance company.
7. Be sure to write down the names, addresses, and phone numbers eyewitnesses who saw the accident, but were not involved in it.
8. Take photographs of the scene of the accident and damages to all vehicles involved in the accident;
9. Don’t discuss the accident with anyone or blame anyone, including you; only give the particulars pertaining to the accident to the attending Officer, DO NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY.
10. Obtain a copy of the Police Report for your record and future use should the need arise; and keep records of all your injuries including rehab and medical bills.

Feel free to contact us at 954 431 8100 or 305 614 9186 to set up a FREE consultation to discuss your legal options.

Just being on the road can be considered hazardous to your health, as daily we see in the news and on the television reports involving pedestrians, motorcyclist and motor vehicle drivers involved in different types of accidents.

In one of my earlier blogs I wrote about a cyclist who received serious injuries when he was thrown from his bike as he rode into a “pothole” that was in the bicycle lane and was thrown from his bike. He received serious injury and had to be hospitalized. Mr. Schwatts’s family followed all the steps necessary to follow when you are involved in an accident from first calling 911, to proper recording of his injuries with photographs of his injury and the scene of the accident. He also kept record of all his medical bills and made a timeline from the beginning when he was injured and all of his recovery stages. He also took pictures and kept dates as to how long the city took to repair the “potholes” in the lane.

With the information that Mr. Schwatts had kept, by the time he contacted our office he was already ahead of the game, as he presented us with all the information pertinent to his case. Our office also did our own investigation and added more information to assist in preparing a solid claim against the city. Some cities have had claims filed against them where the Plaintiffs have been successful, making it easier for injured victims to be compensated for personal injuries caused by various types of road hazards.

Should you or a loved one find yourself in a situation similar to this always seek legal counsel from an experienced Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury attorney. Your attorney will use all the information that you would have provided their office to file your claim, against an office of the state, or a municipality office. These claims sometimes are complex, therefore to ensure that you receive proper compensation, victims of road hazards should consult with an attorney who has had experience filing these types of personal injury claims. Feel free to contact us at 954 431 8100 or 305 614 9186 to set up a FREE consultation to discuss your legal options.

Going through my usual morning regime – coffee and watching the daily news on WSVN Channel 7 news, I saw a story that I decided to blog on. 6yr old Brian Wilson was crossing Lucy Street near Second Avenue in Homestead with his father and 3-year-old brother on Thursday, when he reportedly was struck by Shemira Brown who fled the scene of the accident. Brian recalls his dad picking him up off the street and putting him out of harms way. Shemira Brown turned herself in and was charged in fleeing the scene of the accident.

Reports state that Brian was attempting to cross when he was struck, paramedics were called to scene where Brian was transported to Homestead Hospital then to Miami Children’s Hospital. Luckily for Brian, his injuries were not life threatening but serious for him to be hospitalized. Shemira Brown turned herself in to the police and according to reports she was held accountable for the accident.

As an Attorney practicing in Broward and Miami-Dade we would advise that Brian’s family get the accident report from the paramedics; keep all medical reports as they will require this should the family decide to file claim. Should you or a loved one find yourself in a situation like this please contact an experienced Accident Injury attorney who will advise you of your legal rights. Feel free to contact us at 954 431 8100 or 305 614 9186 to set up a FREE consultation to discuss your legal options.

Recently in the news I have been seeing police car chases, where the end result is the perpetrator is caught and luckily for the drivers on the road no serious accidents involving innocent victims. But what would be the worst case scenario should a driver be injured in one of these police chases.

Recently there was a chase that began in Miami, with the suspect heading north on the I-95, where he exited somewhere in North Miami where the chase ensued through a busy neighborhood he ran traffic lights, four way stops all the time narrowly missing unassuming drivers on the road who was totally unaware of the danger that they may have just narrowly missed. The suspect eventually abandoned his vehicle and continued on foot running into an apartment where he was eventually held by the police.

For arguments sake let’s say that a driver gets caught up in the chase and injured, with injuries serious enough for the driver to be hospitalized. What would be the liability issues, who would be responsible for the driver’s damages etc. As we have seen in some states a “vehicle pursuit policy” has been adopted by Police departments which allows the agency not to be held responsible or liable. The policy covers the following:- any civil damages for personal injury to; death of any person or damage to property resulting from the accident of a vehicle being operated by an actual or suspected violator of the law who is being, has been, or believes he of she is being or has been pursued in a motor vehicle by a peace officer employed by the public entity.

As a Fort Lauderdale Attorney practicing Personal and Accident Injury law in Broward and Miami-Dade County for more than 10 years, we always advise first and foremost after calling 911 and seeking medical attention if required you should seek legal advice or counsel from and experienced attorney should you decide to file claim. Should you or a loved one find yourself in need of an experienced Accident Injury attorney, we have offices located in Fort Lauderdale, and throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and West Palm Beach. Contact us at 954 431 8100 or 305 614 9186 to set up a FREE consultation to discuss your legal options.

Another interesting story I wrote was injury to 13 people on a tour bus in the Florida Keys.

The report stated that the injury collision occurred on US 1 when the tour bus veered off the roadway. There were 50 people on board the bus including the driver, the police accident report stated that 13 people had to be transported to local hospitals for minor injuries. Officials say the bus was exiting the freeway when it went out of control and crashed. Some of the questions asked was what caused the driver to lose control was there a auto defect or a mechanical malfunction in the bus that could have caused this accident. Maybe it was driver error that played a part was he travelling at an unsafe rare of speed, was he tired, impaired or inattentive at the time he was exiting the freeway. Investigations were made and they still are investigating as this case has not been closed.

Some liability issues to be considered are:

Bus companies - whether they are public or private carriers - owe their passengers the utmost duty of care. This means that bus companies are responsible for the safe transit of their passengers. If this accident was caused by driver error or inadequate vehicle maintenance, then, the bus company can be held liable for the resulting injuries and damages. If the accident was caused by an auto defect, the bus manufacturer or the maker of the defective auto part can be held liable. Compensation: 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 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.