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Disputes with landlords and tenants in Florida may be common, but what is not disputable is that landlords owe a duty of care to residents to maintain a reasonably safe property.oldwindow

Landlords who slip on maintenance and management of properties to save a buck may ultimately find it will cost them. Premises liability claims against landlords can stem from a host of issues that may result in injuries including:

  • Slip-and-falls due to slick floors or broken handrails;
  • Trip-and-falls due to failure to clean debris or properly light the common areas;
  • Water damage can result in mold which may result in respiratory illness;
  • Poorly illuminated, maintained or secured swimming pools can pose slip-and-fall and drowning risks;
  • Failure to update smoke detectors to warn residents of a fire or smoke hazards;
  • Failure to secure and light parking lots, screen doors or other entrances to the property can leave tenants and visitors vulnerable to crime.

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When it comes to medical malpractice resulting in birth injuries, there may be no way to undo the harm – and no amount of money that could ever fully compensate the injured person – for the way in which their life has changed. birth injury

That said, it’s necessary to pursue action against doctors, hospitals and other health care professionals who may have failed to act according to the standard of care for their position, thus resulting in serious and lifelong injury to the patient. Victims of medical malpractice may suffer lifelong damages, and could require extensive future care and medical treatment, not to mention the loss of wages and earning potential and life enjoyment.

Recently, a Fort Myers medical malpractice birth injury lawsuit resulted in a $2.3 million settlement stemming from a case involving a premature baby who suffered a brain injury and amputation in four years ago.  Continue reading

Last Memorial Day, a six-year-old child lived through a terrifying ordeal on Fort Lauderdale Beach Park when the bounce house she and two others were in took flight and sailed at least 20 feet before dropping hard to the ground. bouncehouse

Now, she girl has filed a personal injury lawsuit in Fort Lauderdale, accusing both the vendor and the city of negligence. The inflatable structure had been affixed to a basketball court at the park and three children were inside when a tornado reportedly swept through and picked up the structure.

A recorded cell phone video of the incident shows the horror of those involved as the structure was lifted off the ground. Screams can be heard on the jostling video. The little girl inside, now the plaintiff, would later tell reporters she was thinking, “I was about to die.” She suffered a head injury, was admitted to the Broward Health Medical Center and treated overnight.

In addition to the City of Fort Lauderdale, vendor All Star Events, based in Miami Lakes, is named as a defendant.  Continue reading

For the second Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. day in a row, throngs of riders on motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes and mopeds took the highways of Broward and Miami-Dade Counties. According to those on the informal, unsanctioned ride, it was about civil rights. It was about honoring King’s legacy of non-violence. wheelie

However, police say that was nothing more than a guise to pull roadway stunts that endangered the traveling public. Some of the actions observed by police and others:

  • Running red lights;
  • Popping wheelies;
  • Speeding;
  • Driving in the wrong lanes;
  • Taking photographs and video of other riders while operating vehicles.

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As we recently reported on our Broward Injury Lawyer Blog, the number of pedestrian accidents here in the Sunshine State is on the rise. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) recently released a statement confirming these findings.

While accident fatality numbers are decreasing, the number of pedestrians and bicyclists in these accidents continues to climb. Our Fort Lauderdale bicycle accident attorneys also recently reported on the increase in the number of bicyclist fatalities. There were about 75 bicyclists killed in Florida in 2010 and about 120 killed in 2011. Thousands are seriously injured each year in collisions with motor vehicles.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released all of this information in detail. Their headline focuses on the fact that the total number of traffic fatalities is down about 2 percent from the previous year and down more than 25 percent since 2005. What should be the focus is the fact that bicycle, pedestrian and motorcyclist fatalities are significantly up.

Broward County is ranked number one in the state when it comes to these kinds of accidents. Drivers just aren’t looking out for these vulnerable travelers — and bicyclists and pedestrians continue to pay the price.

In the Sunshine State, there were about 500 walkers killed while walking throughout the state.

Nationwide, more than 10 percent of traffic fatalities are of pedestrians. What might be most alarming is the fact that only about 2 percent of federal funds are set aside to improve pedestrian and cycling safety. Most of our roadways are designed only for fast-moving, vehicular traffic.

“Traffic crashes are largely avoidable, and so I would urge drivers to give their full attention to the road when they are behind the wheel,” said the DHSMV Executive Director, Julie Jones.

With the New Year, we’re asking drivers to renew their vow to be safer travelers. We’re asking everyone behind the wheel to keep an eye out for bicyclists and pedestrians along our Florida roadways. The truth of the matter is that our year round beautiful weather provides some of the most ideal conditions for these travelers. When they’re out and about during the winter months, we see significant increases in the risks for accidents and ultimately an increase in the number of injuries and fatalities. But that can be changed with more driver awareness. Take that extra second to look for a bicyclist or a pedestrian when making a turn in traffic. In most cases, drivers of motor vehicles are at fault in these kinds of accidents. It’s important to keep away from the distractions and to keep all of our attention on the road and on other travelers.

“Even as we celebrate the progress we’ve made in recent years, we must remain focused on addressing the safety issues that are continuing to claim more than 30,000 lives each year,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland.
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