Florida Personal Injury Attorneys Blog

Florida Insurance Companies Refuse to Insure Dogs

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 10:12:25 -0500

According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, many insurance companies will not provide homeowner insurance coverage for dog bites. Due to the high cost of dog bite claims, even companies who do still provide coverage may exclude certain breeds from coverage.

This has become a troubling trend in recent years. We often get calls from parents of young children who were attacked by a friend's dog or a neighbor's dog. One of the most important questions is whether their insurance company provides dog bite coverage.

When a young child or adult is attacked by a dog, there may be significant medical bills and injuries. Often we see dog bite victims with disfiguring scars on their body or face.

Cape Coral Motorcyclist Killed When Driver Pulls Out In Front

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:28:29 -0500

On September 15, 2009, a biker died in Cape Coral, Florida on Pine Island Road after a woman pulled out in front of him and caused a collision. The biker was ejected from the motorcycle and was airlifted to Lee Memorial Hospital where he later died from his injuries.

It is estimated that nearly 7,000 motorcyclists are injured or killed each year in Florida. Drivers need to share the road and be mindful that there are other motor vehicles other than cars on the road. This accident was probably preventable. If the driver of the car was paying attention, they likely would have seen the motorcyclist and could have avoided the collision.

Key Biscayne Florida Pool Drain Accident Could Have Been Prevented

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 11:29:47 -0500

A near drowning of a young girl whose arm got stuck in a pool drain in a Key Biscayne apartment pool could have been prevented, an expert said. Rescue workers had to use jackhammers and respirator equipment to save the three year old child's life.

Some states have passed laws which force certain pool owners to upgrade their pool drains with dome shaped drains or large flat drains. The purpose of the new drains is to minimize the suction effect of the older type of drains.

Drownings are one of the leading cause of death among young people. In 2005, there were a reported 3,582 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States, averaging ten deaths per day.

Polk County crash kills man and pregnant woman

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:13:38 -0500

Polk County Sheriff responded to a crash yesterday evening involving a car and a mini van on Highway 27 and Citrus Ridge Drive in Davenport, Florida. They confirmed a pregnant woman and another man died in the crash, and an infant was airlifted from the scene and was taken to Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital in Orlando.

This is such a tragedy, both for the families of the victims and for the injured child. As the families struggle to deal with their losses, the sad truth is that insurance companies begin working on defending cases after they are reported. An accident like this can also have a tremendous financial impact. For those who died, there may be funeral expenses, loss of income for the family, loss of services and support for their spouses if they were married, or loss of parental support if they had any children.

The injured infant may have years of medical expenses, pain and suffering, and psychiatric problems, as well as having to deal with the unimaginable loss of a parent.

Florida Crime Victim Rate One of Highest in Country

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:47:07 -0500

According to the latest statistics published by the FBI, Florida, Maryland and Texas have some of the country's highest violent crime rates. As a Victim's Rights Attorney in Florida, we have also seen an increase in civil claims brought by crime victims in our office.

One statistic stands out: There were an estimated 14,180 Americans murdered in the United States in 2008. When someone is killed, there is a tremendous financial and emotional impact on society and on the families of those killed.

The Financial Impact
Imagine the heartache of a family whose breadwinner is shot and killed on his or her way home from work. Who will pay for the funeral? Who will pay the mortgage? Who will pay for the children to go to college?