Florida’s Dangerous Instrumentality Doctrine, a part of Florida jurisprudence since 1920 (Southern Cotton Oil Co. v. Anderson, 80 Fla. 441, 86 So. 629 (1920)), holds a motor vehicle owner vicariously liable for damages caused by the negligent operation of his or her vehicle by a permissive user. The damage caps…
We are frequently asked if workers’ compensation benefits are exempt from the claims of creditors? The answer is Yes and No. The No first. WC benefits are not exempt from claims based on an award of child support or alimony. While it is up to the creditor to initiate the…
On July 11, 2012, a former client walked into our office and described a February, 2008 work related accident. After being pushed to the ground while trying to break up a hallway fight in a South Florida High School, he was sent by his employer to a workers’ compensation clinic…
Every case is different. From accident to injuries, no two cases are ever exactly alike. That said, certain common elements do run through every case. From time to time I will be posting about some of the cases our firm has resolved. The common elements should become apparent in these…
A few months ago our law firm, working with the Domnick & Shevin, PL law firm, settled a difficult liability case against an insurance agency arising out of a catastrophic motorcycle crash. Our client had been hospitalized for two months. Medicaid paid his substantial hospital bill. After the case settled,…
In Umile v. Volpe, So.3d , 38 FLW D410, Florida’s 4th District Court of Appeals held that a homeowner may be liable for injuries suffered by an independent contractor hired to perform work in his home. The holding might appear to clash with this statement of Florida law: “As a…
This past week our firm settled a workers’ compensation case for $892,000. Included in the settlement package was a Medicare Set Aside. Importantly, while the workers’ compensation carrier had not obtained CMS approval prior to the settlement, the carrier guaranteed that it would cover any CMS required payments above those…
Experienced personal injury attorneys consider many factors in judging how to manage their cases. While common elements are present from case to case, no two cases are ever completely alike. Both subjective and objective considerations must be taken into account to reach decisions most beneficial to client and attorney alike.…
Not willing to accept the voice of the people as expressed through jury verdicts, the Florida Legislature has imposed arbitrary limits on how much individuals harmed by medical negligence/malpractice can be compensated for their losses. Florida law recognizes two types of recoveries for people harmed by negligence, economic and non-economic.…
Florida drivers are surprised to learn that their license privileges can be suspended following a crash determined to be their fault which results in death or bodily injury. They mistakenly believe that being in compliance with the state’s minimum insurance requirements protects them against this and other negative consequences of…