Catastrophic injuries often lead to personal injury claims. Sadly, many such injuries tend to be permanent, resulting in long-term consequences that negatively affect an individual’s quality of life and ability to work. Examples of catastrophic injuries may include brain injuries, spine and back injuries, and burn injuries. In addition, motor vehicle accidents, defective products, medical malpractice, and slip & fall accidents can cause catastrophic injuries. 

In personal injury law, catastrophic injuries often result in the potential to recover larger settlement payouts. These injuries usually require long-term medical and rehabilitation, not to mention lost wages from a decreased or non-existent ability to work. In addition, the range of costs with catastrophic injuries can be significant, making the potential for higher settlements a reasonable outcome. Therefore, if you have suffered a catastrophic injury, contact a personal injury lawyer immediately to pursue the financial compensation you could be entitled to. 

Here is What You Need to Know 

Medical expenses are frequently the most significant portion of costs incurred in catastrophic injury claims. In addition to these medical expenditures, future expenses can include continued medical care, future expenses to provide for continued medical care, physical therapy, rehab, and assistive devices. With so much at stake in these cases, insurance companies and their lawyers may try to minimize settlement payouts or refuse to pay anything. Ensure the attorney you hire is an excellent negotiator, which will be helpful when handling the insurance company.

South Florida is known for its picturesque coastline and abundance of waterways, making boating a popular activity for residents and visitors alike. However, the increased boating traffic increases the risk of accidents and injuries. Today, we will discuss what the most common injuries are in South Florida and take an in-depth look at why these accidents occur in the first place. If you were injured in a boating accident, consider contacting an experienced personal injury attorney as you look to obtain the financial compensation you may be entitled to.

Common Boating Injuries

The most common types of injuries sustained in boating accidents in Florida include:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) – These injuries can occur when the head is struck by a hard surface, such as a boat or other objects on the boat or in the water, like rocks. 

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Getting in a car accident can be a traumatic and challenging experience for anyone to have to go through, especially if you suffer an injury in the process. However, what you do in the immediate aftermath of an accident can significantly impact your physical recovery and your chances of receiving compensation through a personal injury claim. Therefore, consider contacting a personal injury attorney as soon as you are able, as doing so will ensure your rights are protected and respected throughout the claims process.

Steps to Take After a Car Accident

Here is what to do after an accident, including:

• Remain calm – This is easier said than done, but it is so important. Take a deep breath and remain composed. An accident can be disorienting and terrifying, but it is important to maintain a level head as much as possible. You should check yourself and anyone else in the car for injuries. Regardless of whether anyone is hurt, you should still call 911 to ensure emergency responders are able to arrive at the scene.

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Anyone who has dealt with bed bugs can tell you how horrific the situation can be. Bedbugs are not simply annoying, they can lead to significant injuries – both physical and psychological. If you live in a rental property and you have had a bed bug infestation, you should know your legal options. You may be able to bring a personal injury claim against your landlord and recover financial compensation for your damages.

Consequences of Bed Bugs

Bed bugs are parasitic insects that bite people and feed on their blood. They typically live in and around mattresses and bite unsuspecting victims while they are asleep. Bite marks from a bed bug often appear swollen and red and may be itchy and uncomfortable. Sometimes, the bites can become infected. It is also possible to have an allergic reaction to a bed bug bite which can be severe.

Knowing that there are parasitic creatures living in your bed would prevent anybody from getting a good night's rest. It is disturbing, to say the least. Unsurprisingly, many people going through a bedbug infestation experience psychological symptoms, including anxiety, insomnia, and nightmares. They may spend a significant amount of time and money trying to eradicate the bedbugs and clean their homes to no avail. This can be a very distressing, and often depressing, experience to go through.

With the spring break season in full swing, many people are traveling to Florida to enjoy the sun and surf. This means that there are even more people out on the water than normal. Many vacationers will rent jet skis and other recreational watercraft for their own enjoyment, often without any prior experience or knowledge of how to safely operate these vehicles. Unfortunately, this can lead to serious boat accidents and injuries. If you were injured while riding a jet ski, or if a jet ski rider collided with you while you were swimming, it is important to know your legal options.

Who is Liable for a Jet Ski Collision?

Jet skis come with inherent risks. However, responsible boating can prevent the majority of jet ski accidents. Alcohol use is extremely common among boaters, despite being against Florida law. Consequently, intoxicated drivers is a common cause of boat accidents - especially during spring break. Traveling too fast for the conditions, failure to pay attention, and inexperience can also cause jet ski crashes.

If you were injured due to another person’s negligence while operating a jet ski, the responsible party might be liable for your damages. To prove that an individual is liable for a jet ski accident, you will need to show that they acted recklessly or carelessly and that this recklessness caused your accident.

For motorcyclists, a motorcycle is much more than a mode of transportation. It is a source of enjoyment, freedom, and independence. Unfortunately, motorcyclists are at a much greater risk of death in motor vehicle accidents than individuals in passenger vehicles. Sometimes, it is the very activity motorcyclists love the most that kills them.

If your spouse, sibling, parent, child, or other relative died in a motorcycle wreck, you may be grief-stricken and shocked. You may want to take legal action against the responsible party but are unsure of where to start. In this blog, we will discuss the basics of filing a wrongful death claim in Florida as well as the financial and non-financial benefits associated with this type of legal action.

What is a Wrongful Death?

A wrongful death is a death that is caused by another party's wrongful, careless, or negligent actions. In motorcycle accident cases, the other party is often a negligent driver. Distracted driving, intoxicated driving, speeding, failure to yield, and inattention can all lead to a deadly motorcycle crash.

Distracted driving comes in countless forms. Often, it involves the use of a smartphone or other electronic device behind the wheel. However, distractions may also come in the form of passengers in the vehicle, eating or drinking, or even daydreaming.

No matter the type of distraction that contributed to a crash, victims of distracted driving accidents should understand their rights and options for filing a claim for damages. It may be possible to recover compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company for vehicle repairs, medical bills resulting from crash-related injuries, and other losses.

Holding a Distracted Driver Accountable

Looking down at a phone while driving is extremely dangerous. It takes the driver's mind off of driving, eyes off of the road, and hands off of the wheel. Florida law prohibits drivers from typing on their phones while operating a motor vehicle. However, texting and driving laws are difficult to enforce, and data shows that citations for texting and driving are issued infrequently.

Federal law requires all trucks transporting consumer goods, supplies, garbage, packages, dirt, and hazardous material, to ensure that cargo is safely secured. Unfortunately, those responsible for transporting goods are sometimes in a rush or are not sufficiently cautious. This leads to incidents of unsecured cargo falling from trucks and landing on the road, endangering drivers who may be hit by the cargo or who may have to suddenly swerve to avoid it. 

Catastrophic injuries happen, and lives are lost every year because of falling cargo on the road. If you were injured or lost a loved one in an accident like this, it is important to explore your legal options. Truck accident victims may be entitled to financial compensation for their vehicle damage, past and future medical expenses resulting from the collision, lost earnings from missed work, and more.

Who is Responsible for Fallen Objects in the Road? 

The truck owner, truck driver, trucking company, or the party that loaded truck cargo may be held responsible for crashes caused by improper loading and securement of cargo. The exact person or organization responsible in a particular case will depend on the details of the case, and an investigation may be necessary to determine who is liable. This is why taking legal action as quickly as possible is so important. As time goes on, it can be more difficult to determine liability because evidence can be lost and witnesses’ memories can be imperfect. 

Navigating Your Mandatory and Recommended Coverage

Choosing to purchase a car, home, or business in Florida may require varying levels of insurance coverage to be obtained. Furthermore, you may feel more comfortable purchasing additional forms of coverage to protect yourself in the event of natural disasters, injury, and significant property damage. If you're a new Florida resident or are looking to obtain a new property, read on to learn more about what insurance may be required in your circumstances.

Florida Insurance Requirements

Car Insurance

Florida drivers are required to register all four-wheel vehicles. In doing so, they must obtain minimum insurance coverage for personal injury and property damage liability and show proof of coverage when registering.

Your End-of-Season Questions Answered

Hurricane season is anticipated to end in late November, and this year has already caused a significant amount of displacement and damage across many regions of the country. In fact, 2021 is already considered one of the top five costliest Atlantic hurricane seasons of all time.

Homeowners understandably have many questions about the damages caused and what, if anything, can be covered by their insurance. Here are the top three things to know for the end of the season and looking forward to the next.

When you purchase an insurance policy in the state of Florida, you expect that the insurance company will pay out damages should you incur losses when disaster strikes. You expect peace of mind. That’s the whole point of insurance, right?

Sadly, not all insurance companies fairly pay out claimants according to the terms of their policies. When insurance companies negligently deny valid claims, unreasonably undervalue claims, or fail to properly investigate claims, this is known as bad faith. The good news is that you have legal rights to fight back against insurance bad faith if you know what to look for.

As a parent, it’s natural to worry about your children, no matter how old they get. At some point, they will want more independence and you will have to trust they will make the right decisions.

While your newly-licensed teen driver may be hoping for more freedoms during the upcoming summer months, it’s important for all parents to be aware of the “100 Deadliest Days of Summer” and why this time of year is more dangerous for teens on the road.