Monthly Archives: February 2021
Can I File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit If the Killer Was Already Charged with a Crime?
In the United States, our legal system draws a clear distinction between civil and criminal cases. In a criminal case, the state prosecutes a person accused of breaking the law. With a civil case, by contrast, the victim sues someone who has allegedly wronged them. Of course, certain events may give rise to both… Read More »
5 Common Mistakes South Florida Drivers Make Following a Car Accident
A car accident is a sudden occurrence that often leaves the participants unsure what to do next. Unfortunately, such hesitation and uncertainty often leads to easily avoidable mistakes that can later jeopardize their ability to receive compensation from a negligent driver. Here are just a few of the mistakes we have seen clients make… Read More »
How Auto Accident Negligence Laws Differ Between Florida and Its Neighboring States
In some cases, it is easy to find one driver solely responsible for causing an auto accident. Consider a drunk driver who runs a red light and plows into a minivan that is lawfully in the intersection. But other accidents are not so easy to place blame. Maybe both drivers entered the intersection illegally,… Read More »
How Signing a Liability Release Can Affect Your Right to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit
When participating in sports or other organized recreational activities, you are often asked to sign a release form. This is basically a legal document that waives your right to sue the organizer if you are injured during the activity in question. In some cases, however, a liability release may be unenforceable. For instance, if… Read More »
Understanding Third-Party Liability in a Personal Injury Case
A personal injury case may involve more than one responsible party. For example, if someone was injured or killed due to medical malpractice, the potential defendants may include the doctor, the hospital, and even other corporate entities affiliated with those health care providers. At the same time, there may be certain contractual agreements in… Read More »
How Do You Collect a Personal Injury Judgment in Florida?
So let’s say you are injured in a car accident. The other driver was at-fault. You proceed to sue the negligent driver in Florida circuit court. After going through the process of discovery and trial, a jury rules in your favor and awards you monetary damages. So what next? Does the defendant just hand… Read More »
What Is the “Open and Obvious” Defense to a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
In accidents involving a property owner’s potential liability, you will often hear about the “open and obvious” defense. Basically, a property owner is legally required to keep their premises reasonably safe for invited guests. If there is a hazard that injures a guest, the premises owner can be sued for damages in a personal… Read More »
What Happens if the Defendant in My Personal Injury Lawsuit Is Dead?
We often talk about “wrongful death” lawsuits where the estate of a deceased individual may sue the persons legally responsible for that death. But what about the opposite scenario? In other words, what happens if you want to file a personal injury lawsuit against a defendant who has died? Can you even bring such… Read More »
Can I Seek Punitive Damages in a Florida Personal Injury Case?
Whenever you hear about an exceptionally large jury verdict in a personal injury case–think tens of millions of dollars or more–it is usually due to a decision to award punitive damages. This is an exceptional category of damages that does not apply to every case. Indeed, the overwhelming majority of successful personal injury lawsuits… Read More »