Miami injury lawyers

February 20, 2015

Insurance Policy Exclusions May Interfere With A Personal Injury Claim and Why You should Read the Lanugage in Your Insurance Policy.

If you are injured in an accident, and the negligent party was drunk and under the influence of alcohol, it may appear that your case is a slam dunk. Generally speaking from a liability standpoint this may be true. However, collecting from the insurance company for the full amount of your damages may not be as simple as you think. Some insurance policies have exclusions for certain acts. This means the insurance company may not be required to cover an insured’s negligence such as an intentional act, or if there is a claim that arises based on conduct that is excluded or not covered under the insurance plan language. This can include a claim that arises out of a fight in a night club, use of alcohol, or even for punitive damages such as an insured in a drunk driving accident. These exclusions are common in premises liability cases, such as bars, nightclubs, and other commercial property insurance policies. For these reasons, it is always a good idea to ask for a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer in Miami to discuss if any of these potential issues may apply to your case.

Recent Case Enforces Alcohol Exclusion

This does not mean that the tort feasor is entirely off the hook. Injury victims can always pursue legal action regardless of insurance that is available. It just means that the an action to collect some or all of a judgment for claims that are not covered under insurance may have to come directly from the at fault party, as opposed to the insurance company. However, the reality of collecting against an uninsured or under insured defendant directly just may not make sense.

February 18, 2015

What To Expect In, and Why You Shouldn’t Fear, a Deposition

by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

If you file a lawsuit to recover damages for injuries you sustain, in most cases, you can expect to be called to sit for deposition. Movies and TV have ingrained in us that depositions are scary things. But if you’re properly prepared, and understand how the process works, depositions are nothing to be nervous or concerned about.

What to Expect

As an initial warning, this is general advice only. Every case is different, and a good attorney will prepare you for deposition questions that may be specific to your case and your history.

February 4, 2015

Premises Liability or Ordinary Negligence? The Difference Can Make or Break a Case

by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

If you’re injured on someone else’s property, you may not give much thought as to whether your case involves ordinary negligence, or premises liability. In fact, the terms sound practically identical in many ways. But legally, and to injury lawyers that specialize in premises liability cases, the distinction can make a big difference as to whether you’re entitled to recover for damages or not.

Recent Case Involves Negligent Security Claim

A recent case has examined the distinction between the two terms. The case involved a victim who was shot in the leg while attending a party at an apartment complex. The victim did not live at the complex.

January 21, 2015

Crime Within the Family

by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

By now most of our readers should know that where a crime is committed, there may also be an avenue for civil recovery, by suing the wrongdoer for damages. A recent case provides an interesting analysis as to what happens when a family member is killed by another family member, and a surviving spouse attempts to sue for damages as a result of that crime.

A Tragic Familial Murder Case

The case is Cosman v. Rodriguez, and it involved the killing of a wife by her husband after fifty years of marriage. The husband was convicted of murder, but the wife’s surviving adult child tried to sue the husband for damages.

January 7, 2015

If You Win In Court, Can You Collect Your Judgment?

by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

If you are injured because of the negligence of another, you may begin to analyze your case with the more obvious aspects of an injury lawsuit. Was someone negligent? How? Were you injured? How badly?

But often overlooked is the issue of collectability. Collectability is your ability to collect a judgment that is entered in your favor. Being awarded millions of dollars can be an empty victory if the defendant has no funds to pay the verdict entered.

Collectible and Non-Collectible Defendants

December 19, 2014

Upcoming Workers’ Compensation Decision Could Have Effects on Access to Courts for all Injured Victims

by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

If you have been injured as a result of someone else’s negligence, it’s likely that you can find an attorney to take your case, regardless of your financial situation. That’s because unlike many areas, in personal injury, attorneys are often paid on contingency. That means that you don’t pay them until and unless you win or settle your case.

Contingency fee arrangements serve an important role for Florida consumers—they ensure access to courts. Someone who is injured does not have to worry about paying $100-$400 per hour for a qualified attorney, ensuring that even those with limited financial means can still hire the best attorneys in the state to represent them.

But an upcoming Florida Supreme Court case could put this fee system in jeopardy. It’s a case that Florida consumers should take an interest in.

September 18, 2014

Florida Supreme Court Strikes Down Caps on Medical Malpractice Damages

by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

Normally in a jury trial involving personal injuries, a jury is free to award as damages whatever amount they see just and fit, based upon the evidence presented. Traditionally there has been no cap or maximum on an amount that can be awarded, again, so long as the award is supported by the evidence presented.

However, with the push of doctor and insurance lobbyists, a few years ago, Florida passed a cap on certain damages that could be recovered by victims and their families in a medical malpractice claim.

About the Cap

July 31, 2014

Child Injured in Sumo Suit Raises Liability Questions

by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

A Florida charter school is being sued by a student for personal injuries arising from a traumatic brain injury suffered during an organized and sanctioned school function featuring, of all things, Sumo Wrestling. The tragedy brings up questions about who is at fault when events such as these go wrong; our Miami injury attorneys may be able to provide valuable answers.

What Exactly Happened?

The event featured large, inflatable suits, which children (and adults) fit themselves into. The size of the suit is supposed to allow them to smash into each other in the same way that a sumo wrestler might, and also allows the user to tumble, roll around, and bounce off the floor and walls, presumably protected by the large inflatable “body” that they are fitted inside of. The activity is often used at carnivals or festivals, and can even be rented for private functions.

July 24, 2014

Falling in the Wrong Location Can Affect Your Right to Recover Damages

by Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.

If you trip and fall on someone else’s property because a dangerous condition existed, such as, for example, a wet substance, the property owner should be liable for your injuries. At least, that’s the basic idea behind premises liability. But the ability to show a business owner is liable for your injuries may actually hinge on where the dangerous condition was, and whether you had permission to be in the area you fell. Our Miami premises liability attorneys are prepared to help you recover compensation for your injuries.

Premises Liability and Trespassing

We’ve all been in the situation where we are in a store, hospital, or someone’s house, and had full permission to be there. But that doesn’t mean you have permission to be just anywhere on on the premises. What if you are in, for example, a grocery store, and you fall and injure yourself in the stockroom? Were you allowed to be there? What if the door to the stock room is open? What if an employee expressly tells you to go into the stockroom to find an item? What if you go into the stockroom and then venture into the employee lounge and fall there?