Getting injured in a motorcycle accident can be a devastating, life-altering event. In many cases, when a motorcyclist is hit by a car, truck, or SUV, the person on the motorcycle takes the brunt of the damage. This often results in serious injuries like broken bones, lost limbs, spinal cord injuries, and/or brain trauma. In fact, a motorcyclist was 37 times more likely to die in a wreck than someone riding in a passenger car, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. In Florida, motor bike operators and their passengers accounted for over 14 percent of all deaths on Florida’s roadways despite being only 7 percent of the motorists on the road in the state, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Read MoreHow Florida’s Minimum Insurance Coverage Limits Can Come Back to Haunt You
You have probably seen the commercials – “We have the cheapest auto insurance around!” and “Don’t let your insurance costs break the bank!” Many auto insurance companies advertise their lowest rate insurance in the hopes of expanding their customer base, but the lowest price policy usually means you are getting the least amount of insurance coverage. And in Florida, the minimum amount of coverage is shockingly low.
Minimum Insurance Coverage in Florida
Florida law only requires Florida residents to have $10,000 in personal injury protection and $10,000 in property damage liability. You are required, by law, to purchase this minimum coverage, though you have the option to purchase better coverage.
Florida is a no-fault insurance state, which means that if you are seriously hurt in an auto accident, your car insurance should pay your medical costs up to your policy’s limits, regardless of who caused the accident. Your personal injury protection insurance should also cover:
- Your child and other members of your household
- Passengers in your car who do not have their own personal injury protection insurance and do not own a vehicle
- You while you are a passenger in another person’s vehicle
But here is the issue – if you purchase only the minimum amount of insurance coverage mandated by law, you’re exposing yourself to significant liability if you or a loved one is involved in a serious automobile accident.
Cruise Ship Injuries – Know Your Rights
The cruise ship industry is active and vibrant in the state of Florida. Thousands of people board cruise ships, either as passengers or crew members, with the expectation of having a safe and enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. In fact, many people wind up suffering serious, debilitating injuries aboard cruise ships. If this has happened to you or a loved one, keep reading.
Steps That Must Be Taken if You Are Hurt on a Cruise Ship
First, get immediate medical attention at the ship infirmary and get off the ship as soon as you can so you can properly assess the damage. Second, report the incident to the ship safety and security officer or other crew members. Third, get the names of any crew personnel and/or passengers who helped you and get a copy of any incident forms and/or reports that may need to be filled out. Fourth, take photos or record the scene of where your injury occurred. Why? Many cruise ships do not keep video recordings for very long, and this can significantly help your claim. Fifth, when you get back home, provide written notice that you intend to file a claim against the cruise ship, or its controlling entity, pursuant to the express time limitations provided on the back of your cruise ticket. Finally, contact a Florida cruise ship accident lawyer to set up a time to meet for a free case analysis.
Nursing Home Abuse – Understanding Your Rights
Florida is home to thousands of senior citizens. In fact, Florida has the largest percentage of residents over the age of 65, according to U.S. News & World Report. This means that nursing homes and long-term care facilities are often inundated with requests for service in the state. Unfortunately, many nursing homes wind up understaffed or staffed by employees who are not qualified and fail to take reasonable care of patients. Such negligent care, among other infractions, qualifies as nursing home abuse.
When You May Have the Basis for Filing a Nursing Home Abuse Claim:
The Staff Violated a State Statute or Regulation
Residents in Florida nursing homes have the right to privacy, personal dignity, and a level of personal autonomy. The Florida Department of State has codified minimum standards that must be met by all nursing homes doing business in the state. If an employee of the nursing home violates one or more of these standards, there may be grounds to take legal action.
Pitfalls in Florida Medical Malpractice Laws
If you or a loved one suffers an injury due to a doctor’s negligence in a Florida hospital or any other medical facility, you will need to navigate a complicated set of rules and regulations to have a medical malpractice claim filed. While the below is a high level summary of some of the things you need to consider, it is by no means an exhaustive list. This is the case not just with medical malpractice, but with any legal matter, things are frequently more complicated than they seem to the lay person.
Limited Time to Take Legal Action
For most negligence-based tort claims, the statute of limitations in Florida is four years from the date of the harm. Unfortunately, the statute of limitations for medical malpractice is much shorter. You only have two years from when you either knew, or should have known, that the injury occurred. That’s right – for a medical malpractice claim, you get half the time to take legal action.
Understanding Comparative Negligence and How It May Affect Your Florida Personal Injury Case
Whether you get hurt in a car accident, a truck accident, a slip and fall, or any other incident, an analysis will need to be done to determine comparative fault. Why? Because Florida allows juries to apportion fault to multiple parties, including the injured party. This determination could alter the amount of money you receive from a personal injury verdict.
Injured in an Auto Accident – Do You Need a Lawyer?
You’re driving down North Miami Beach Boulevard when a distracted driver slams into the back of your vehicle. Your neck whips back and you immediately feel a sharp pain. You’ve been involved in an auto accident and may have suffered a serious injury. In this moment, an important question to ask is: do I need to hire a Florida personal injury lawyer?
Think Fast
You may have to make a determination about legal representation rather quickly. It is quite common for the other driver’s insurance company to contact you the same day the accident occurred or within 48 hours. They will ask to take a recorded statement, ask you how you’re feeling, ask about the damage to your vehicle, etc. Why all the questions? Because insurance adjusters are tasked with tracking you down and trying to get your claim resolved quickly and for as little money as possible.
Motorcycle Use And Accidents In Florida
With Florida’s amazing weather, it should come as no surprise that the state ranks second in the nation for motorcycle ownership. In 2012, Florida had 619,150 registered motorcycles, with only California having more on the roads. The most commonly driven motorcycles include Harley Davidson, Honda, Yamaha, and Polaris, but other types can also be seen on Florida highways and roadways.
Booster Seats Can Reduce Dangers of Seatbelt Injuries for Older Children
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
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.