In any Florida wrongful death lawsuit, we’ll need to decide which claims are viable – and who the claimants should be, as only certain individuals and entities have a legal right to pursue damages after someone’s death. With some exceptions, these include the decedent’s: Surviving spouse; Children in being at…
Articles Posted in Wrongful Death
Blood-Alcohol of Pedestrian in Accident Allowable as Evidence in Wrongful Death Lawsuit
It’s estimated that nearly 50 percent of all pedestrian accidents involve some type of alcohol use – either by the motorist or the pedestrian. This can become a point of contention in an injury lawsuit because evidence of impairment – even if it’s not an illegal, given the circumstances –…
Homeowner Had No Duty to Protect Child From Drowning Where Relative Assumed Supervision
Florida has the highest child drowning rate in the country, with the Florida Department of Health reporting enough children under 5 die this way every year to fill three preschool classrooms. Not only is it devastating, it’s infuriating because virtually every one of these instances is preventable. This is not…
Fair Injury Risk Underscored by Fatal Accident During Peak Fair Season
The state fair – and many of the other local fairs held throughout Florida and the country – are heavily anticipated and fondly remembered. However, the risk of potential injury and death cannot be overlooked, particularly when it comes to the safety of the amusement rides. From the Ferris wheel…
4th DCA Reverses $3.6M Liability Award in Death of Pregnant Woman, Unborn Child
The Fourth District Court of Appeals has reversed a $3.6 million damage award in the case of a pregnant woman killed while lounging poolside by a hotel, where she was struck by a drunk driver. Plaintiff, decedent’s husband and father of their unborn child, who also died, alleged the hotel…
GOP Tort Reform Bills Targets Medical Malpractice Lawsuits, Injury Claims
Proponents of tort reform are seizing on their opportunity with a GOP-controlled Congress to push forward with a series of measures that would make it harder to win medical malpractice and personal injury lawsuits, as well as to obtain just compensation. As The New York Times reported, one of those…
Unproven Stem Cell “Treatment” Blinds Women at South Florida Clinic
Stem cell research holds a great deal of promise in addressing some of the most problematic conditions and ailments of humans. That said, it’s still a relatively new science, and treatments haven’t been thoroughly vetted. Initially, this spurred wild growth of stem cell “treatment” clinics in countries like Mexico and…
FHP Launches Program to Help Solve Hit-and-Run Crash Cases
The Florida Highway Patrol is starting a new effort to solve hit-and-run crash cases and compel drivers involved in collisions to remain on scene. It’s a major problem in the Sunshine State, where more than 99,000 hit-and-run accidents were reported just last year. That is fully one quarter of the…
Poor Road Design, Inadequate Signage Blamed in Car Accident
Plaintiffs in a recent wrongful death lawsuit before the Kansas Supreme Court argued that the township, the county and the state department of wildlife and parks were liable for the fatal car accident. Claimants attributed the crash to the failure to provide adequate barriers, signs or other warnings along sections…
Wrongful Death Lawsuit Alleges Restaurant Negligent in Triple Murder
Good Samaritans are often lauded when they intervene in potentially perilous situations to help others. But are there grounds to assert negligence for those who fail to intervene in such circumstances? This is what is being alleged in a wrongful death lawsuit in Ohio, where a woman and her two…