Trump’s shifting legal defense reminds me of one of our firm’s more interesting past cases. We represented a lady who fell and suffered a badly broken bone in her leg because of a dangerous condition on her employer’s property. At the time of the accident she had multiple sclerosis, but…
Florida Injury Attorney Blawg
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Don’t Be a JUUL Fool!
First, harsh reality: Like traditional cigarettes, JUUL contains nicotine. Nicotine causes addiction by stimulating the release of neurotransmitter chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin which activate pleasure hormones in the brain. The addictive cycle results from the compulsion of users to chase the pleasure high. Combined with a smooth vapor,…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Uninsured Motorist (UM)/Underinsured Motorist (UIM) Insurance — Don’t Leave Home Without It
We have represented many people who have benefited from having UM/UIM insurance. We have represented many more people who have lost out by not maintaining the coverage. UM covers losses sustained by the insured, passengers, and family members through the fault of a party who fails to maintain Bodily Injury…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Liability of Bailor for Personal Injury Damages
We are representing a gentleman who was struck by a pickup truck just before sunrise while walking to a bus stop on his way to work. The driver turned quickly without warning from a main road onto a small side street while our client was halfway across after looking both…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Florida School Board’s Do Not Have A Non-Delegable Duty for Safe Transportation of Public School Students
Florida courts have determined that some responsibilities are so important to the community that the principal entity should not be allowed to transfer it to a third party. This defining characteristic of whether a nondelegable duty exists has been described as “rather ambiguous.” Dixon v. Whitfield, 654 So. 2d 1230,…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Contrary to Popular Belief, Florida Traffic Crash Reports are not Privileged
Every driver of an automobile in Florida who is involved in a motor vehicle accident is required to report the event to law enforcement. See § 316.062, Fla. Stat. (2019). From 1971 to 1982, the version of the statute designed to promote this public policy, § 316.066(4), Fla. Stat. (1971), provided…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Workers’ Compensation Employers/Carriers May Sue to Recover Personal Injury Damages
Most workers’ compensation and personal injury lawyers have had the occasion to deal with workers’ compensation liens. The lien, which is established by section 440.39, Florida Statutes, becomes an issue when the injured employee who has received workers’ compensation benefits also receives compensation from a third party tortfeasor in connection…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Procedure for Resolving Medicaid Liens in Florida Personal Injury Cases
In the context of personal injury cases, a lien is the right of a non-party to be reimbursed from the proceeds of a case for payments made on behalf of the individual for whom the proceeds are intended. Such liens include for expenditures related to property damage, workers’ compensation benefits,…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Obtaining Permanent Total Disability Benefits Under the Longshore & Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA)
“Disability” under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) means “incapacity because of injury to earn the wages which the employee was receiving at the time of injury in the same or any other employment * * *.” § 902(10). The big disability compensation prize under the The Act…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Family Immunity in Florida Personal Injury Negligence Cases
Limiting situations that could give rise to (1) disruption of family harmony and (2) fraud or collusion between family members is a legitimate public policy. In this vein, Florida once barred all personal injury negligence actions by one family member against another. In Orefice v. Albert, 237 So.2d 142 (Fla.…