Category: General

General, Medical Malpractice

A Law Firm Helps Win An Arkansas Medical Malpractice Suit

An Arkansas family recently was awarded a $46.5 million settlement in a medical malpractice case with the help of a law firm. If you or someone you know has been injured due to the negligence of the medical provider, call a Ft Lauderdale injury lawyer to discuss your possible medical malpractice case.

Law Firm wins Medical Malpractice Case
The Daily Business Review reported the Smalls family sued Dr. Johnathan Lewis and the Ouachita County Medical Center located in Camden, Arkansas for negligence when the baby, Kara, was born. The Smalls stated that due to their daughter’s jaundice not being treated at birth, bilirubin entered her brain which caused permanent damage. Bilirubin is a substance that the body creates when it replaces old red blood cells. When this substance is present at high levels, it causes jaundice. If not treated properly, it can enter other parts of the body causing further damage.

A Piece Of Mind For This Medical Malpractice Victim
On March 9th, a jury in Union County in Arkansas, where the two-week trial was conducted, filed its verdict. “There are several cases where these things are appealed, but the evidence of a ‘live’ toddler makes it very difficult to refute these allegations,” she said. “Florida has several laws as it relates to medical malpractice, but there is no limit on the amount of compensation a medical-malpractice plaintiff can recover for past and future medical care necessitated by the malpractice, lost income, lost future earning capacity, and any other measurable economic losses attributable to the defendant’s malpractice. In the case of someone who is not alive, attorneys usually ask for the judge to lower the amount of the compensation to that of the caps of that state. “There is a joy that the family received justice, but we are hoping that we can stop the harm, and if not, then all can receive justice.”

General

Roofing contractor in Vikings Stadium Death had prior safety issues

According to public records, Berwald Roofing Co., the roofing subcontractor involved in a fatal accident at the Minnesota Vikings stadium construction site has received 9 citations for worksite safety violations in the past 5 years.

A roofer working for the Berwald Roofing Company died after he fell of the Minnesota Vikings Stadium which was undergoing roofing work. Previously, Berwald, had received a number of citations for its safety practices, such as failing to to use safety harnesses for workers roofs according to records.

Eugene Berwald of Berwald Roofing, asserted that his company encouraged safe work practices, but that “People do foolish things. They don’t hook up their lanyards,” Berwald. Mr. Berwald was not aware of whether the employee who fell to his death was wearing a safety lanyard.

Roofing Accidents can be Catastrophic

Roofing accidents frequently involve serious injuries when workers fall. It is imperative for roofing contractors to provide their workers with the best safety equipment available. Unfortunately, this may not always be the case and falls from roof tops can be catastrophic.

With over 50 years of collective service to the South Florida community, the Fort Lauderdale injury lawyers at The Law Firm have helped thousands of clients to obtain money compensation for their personal injury and wrongful death claims.

All of the firm’s partners have received the prestigious “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, which is a recognition by their peers in the legal community that their practice meets the highest professional and ethical standards.

Automobile accidents, General, Wrongful death

Uninsured Motorist Coverage — Supreme Court requires signed rejection from all named insureds

Uninsured/Undersinsured Motorist Coverage, frequently referred to as UM/UIM coverage applies in the event an insured is injured by a motorist who does not have liability coverage, or who who does not have a sufficient amount of liability coverage, to compensate the named insured for the damages sustained. UM/UIM coverage is particularly important in South Florida where a significant portion of the drivers on the road fail to purchase any liability coverage and therefore makes it difficult, if not impossible, to recover from them in the event they are responsible for an accident involving injuries.

Because UM/UIM is considered to be important coverage for Florida drivers, our legislature has mandated that when an insurance carrier initially sells a policy of automobile insurance coverage, it must notify the insured that he has the right to purchase, as an additional option, UM/UIM coverage from the carrier. If the insured elects not to purchase this coverage, a written rejection must be signed. In the event that the carrier fails to obtain this signed rejection, then the carrier will be responsible for UM/UIM coverage even if the insured fails to purchase this coverage.

In this case the insured was not originally named on the policy. Later, the policy was reissued with her as named insured, but a signed rejection was never signed from this person. Following a horrible accident, the insurance company, Horace Mann Ins. Co., denied UM/UIM coverage and a lawsuit ensured. The case was appealed up to the Florida Supreme Court which ruled that because the policy was reissued with an additional named insured, a signed rejection had to be obtained from that person. Since none was obtained, the court found that there was UM/UIM coverage for that person.

One of the lessons to be learned from this case for persons purchasing automobile insurance is that they need to understand what types of insurance coverage they are purchasing from their agent and what they are signing. Florida law only requires that the owner of a car purchase only PIP coverage and property damage. This bare minimum is frequently referred by agents as “full coverage.” In reality this anything but.

Every purchaser of automobile insurance needs to carefully consider purchasing UM/UIM coverage because this may be their only insurance coverage for their injuries in the event that they are involved in an accident. They also should make sure they understand what forms they are signing when an insurance agent hands a paper to them and tells them to sign it — particularly when it is a UM rejection form.

With over 50 years of collective service to the South Florida community, the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, personal injury lawyers at The Law Firm have helped thousands of clients to obtain money compensation for their personal injury and wrongful death claims.

All of the firm’s partners have received the prestigious “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, which is a recognition by their peers in the legal community that their practice meets the highest professional and ethical standards.

General

Is Runner Up For Medicaid Fraud

Does anybody ever check with their insurance company to check what charges were being filed for payment? Many of us don’t ever follow up with this which gives health care providers a bigger opportunity to submit fraudulent charges to your insurance company for payment. Florida is ranking high in the lead for the nation’s top states in recovering money from health care providers suspected of Medicaid fraud.

Insurance Claim
The federal government released data earlier this month that showed Florida’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit recovered more than $165 million during 2016. Florida took place as the runner-up with New York coming in first place of Medicaid fraud. South Florida has received its name of being one of the “hot spots for health care fraud” in the nation.

If you or someone you know needs help with your insurance claim case, call an experienced attorney at The Law Firm to discuss your options. Have the security and comfortability of having a lawyer by your side every step of the way!

General

Drunk driver guilty in killing man on bicycle

Carlos Bertonatti, 32, from Miami, Florida man pled guilty to a drunk driving hit-and-run crash that killed a man on his bicycle in January 2010. He will be sentenced May 2 and is facing between 11 and 35 years.

Bertonatti’s blood-alcohol level was 0.122, well over the legal limit. He pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter, fleeing and eluding and resisting arrest without violence.

Bertonatti struck cyclist from behind on the Bear Cut Bridge after swerving into the eastbound bicycle lane about 8 a.m. He then fled with the victim’s bicycle still wedged under his car, until he reached Key Biscayne, where he was arrested.

This case illustrates the tremendous vulnerability of cyclists in traffic. Even though the cyclist did everything right, the driver who was intoxicated swerved into him. From the cyclists perspective, some times serious accidents are unavoidable.

With over 50 years of collective service to the South Florida community, the Hollywood, Florida, personal injury lawyers at The Law Firm have helped thousands of clients to obtain money compensation for their personal injury and wrongful death claims

All of the firm’s partners have received the prestigious “AV” rating from Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, which is a recognition by their peers in the legal community that their practice meets the highest professional and ethical standards.

Posted on February 21, 2013September 23, 2015Author adminCategories Bicycle Accidents, personal watercraft accidents, Roadside AccidentsLeave a comment on Miami drunk driver guilty in killing man on bicycle

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