Personal Injury Archives | Page 2 of 4 | Hoffman, Larin and Agnetti, P.A.

Booster Seats Can Reduce Dangers of Seatbelt Injuries for Older Children

December 22, 2014 By Martin Hoffman

Florida Child Seat Restraint Requirements Changing As Of January 1st

Protecting our children as they travel in the car from place to place is extremely important. That’s why there is so much attention being paid to properly restraining children in an appropriately sized car seat or booster seat.

Florida specifically requires that all drivers on Florida roads make sure that any child traveling in their vehicles use a crash-tested, federally approved car seat. For children up to three years old, this means that the child must be restrained in an infant carrier, a separate car seat, or an integrated child seat.

However, a recent amendment to Florida Statutes section 316.613 takes effect on January 1, 2015, requiring children who are 4 and 5 years old to be restrained in a separate carrier, an integrated child seat, or with a new option–a booster seat.

Dump Truck and Truckload Accidents

December 15, 2014 By Martin Hoffman

Trucking accidents are not uncommon on Florida highways. Often these accidents can cause serious injuries and property damage due to the size of the vehicles involved, as well as the nature of the loads the trucks are carrying.

For example, earlier this week a dump truck overturned on the ramp connecting southbound Interstate 95 to westbound Interstate 595 in Fort Lauderdale. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in the accident. However, the dump truck driver was cited for careless driving and the ramp was closed for hours while cleanup crews removed a large load of rocks and dirt from the scene.

Truck Collision Image — Image Source (CC BY 2.0) by born1945 ff via flickr

Dangerous Products – Apology for Malfunctioning Airbags

December 8, 2014 By Martin Hoffman

Over the past several months, airbag manufacturer Takata Corp. has been recalling millions of malfunctioning airbags that have been installed in almost a dozen models of U.S. vehicles. Specifically, the air bag malfunction issue involves defective inflators and propellant devices, which are parts of the airbag that cause the airbag to inflate. Several air bag injuries and deaths have occurred in Florida, and consumers who require legal help to pursue injury claims should contact experienced civil and trial attorneys in the area. Under product liability rules, many different parties involved in the design, manufacture, marketing, and sale of dangerous products may be held liable for the harms resulting from these defects.

How Airbag Deployment Works

Airbag Deployed Image — Image Source (CC BY 2.0) by benmcleod ff via flickr

Establishing a Medical Malpractice Case

November 17, 2014 By Martin Hoffman

Medical patients naturally rely on trained physicians and nurses for answers and explanations related to their health. It is entirely reasonable to assume that medical professionals will use their expertise to take reasonable steps for treatment no matter what the medical condition. This condition can range from the flu to life-threatening cancers and anything in between. As far too many patients have learned, however, preventable mistakes are sometimes made by professionals, and these mistakes can cause serious harm to patients. In certain cases, these mistakes constitute legal liability.

The legal aspects of medical malpractice cases are familiar to many local residents. High-profile or unique cases frequently make the news,from bizarre stories about medical instruments left in the body to instances where the wrong body part is operated upon. These types of obvious errors occur more often than most would assume. However, the majority of medical malpractice matters are more nuanced, sometimes with patients never even becoming aware that their medical professionals made mistakes which caused them harm.

Important Considerations When Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney

September 8, 2014 By Martin Hoffman

Someone injured due to another’s actions often go through a difficult ordeal. Such incidents can include anything from serious and significant injury to property damage. Individuals in these stressful situations frequently feel overwhelmed, upset, and even confused. Of course, their primary focus is on their immediate health and well-being. Once these pressing matters are sufficiently addressed, it is important to consult with a knowledgeable personal injury attorney about the specifics of your case in order to determine your legal rights, and decide on what steps to take next.

Gavel Image — Image Source (CC BY 2.0) by Chris Potter via flickr

Staying Safe During Summer Vacation

July 22, 2014 By Martin Hoffman

Summertime equals vacations for countless families across the United States, and the state of Florida is certainly no exception. Some Florida residents may be planning trips to visit friends and family, heading to a beach, or even traveling out of state. Vacationers from other states may be making Florida their destination. One thing is for sure: summer months are seeing a significant increase in traffic on the roadways. The risk of being injured in an accident is present any time one travels, but that risk increases with more vehicles on the road. Read on for important steps drivers can take to ensure their careful attention to the road while driving leads to safer travels for everyone.

Car Image — Image Source (CC BY 2.0) Steve Arnold via flickr

Teen Driving Accidents and the Summer

July 15, 2014 By Martin Hoffman

Summer is a dangerous time for anyone to be on the roadway. Increased traffic from summer travelers, summer parties and celebrations perhaps involving alcohol, and other factors all contribute to this fact. With these increased risks and additional distractions, it is not surprising that the summer months are the most dangerous for less experienced teen drivers, as well. Teen driver safety should be of the utmost concern for parents. A recent article discussed the dangers posed to teens driving on roadways across Florida in the summer.

Traffic Accident Cleanup — A state trooper supervising the cleanup of a traffic accident in Troop C. (Public Domain)

Florida Supreme Court: Civil Rights Act Protects Pregnant Women

April 23, 2014 By admin

Between the state of the current economy and the ever-shifting gender roles within family, it seems that more families than ever are doing what they have to do to meet their financial and other requirements. Unfortunately for some women, their careers and, correspondingly, their finances may suffer unnecessarily when they decide to expand their family and become pregnant. Now, according to a recent article, the Supreme Court of Florida is saying that women who are discriminated against for pregnancy will be protected under state law.

The Case

The Court’s decision comes in light of a case in which a woman was working for a real estate developing company when she became pregnant and later went on maternity leave. Upon her return to work, she was denied requests for extra shifts and was not scheduled to work. As a result, she sued the company in 2011 in Miami-Dade County Court.

Comparative Negligence: Why Florida Personal Injury Law is Different

April 10, 2014 By admin

If you or someone you know has been injured as the result of an accident in Florida, you may have important legal rights that can serve to compensate you for damages, particularly if another person’s negligence caused the injury. Any number of incidents can give rise to this type of claim at law: car accidents are common sources of personal injury cases, but other situations such as a motorcycle accident, a slip and fall accident, worker injuries and medical malpractice can also support personal injury cases.

Car accidents, among other incidents, fuel many Florida personal injury cases. — Two drivers await the police at the scene of a fender-bender car accident (image CC-BY-SA 2.0 user Torsodog via Wikimedia Commons).

Effects of the New PIP Law in Florida

February 24, 2014 By admin

Last year, changes to the personal injury protection (PIP) coverage contained within auto insurance policies went into effect in the state of Florida. The purpose of the changes is to curb fraudulent insurance claims, which cost the state almost $1 billion per year in increased premium rates. The revised legislation limits PIP policy claims that were not brought within 14 days of the accident. Now that one year has passed with the new law in effect, it is expected that auto insurance premiums in Florida should drop about 13 percent as a result of the decrease in fraudulent claims, as reported by the Digital Journal.Read More