Articles Tagged with Broward personal injury attorney

If you’re exploring whether you need to hire a Broward injury lawyer after a car accident or medical malpractice or slip-and-fall or some other injury caused by another, you may have seen the bookend on Florida injury lawyer advertisements offering “a free initial consultation.” But what does that mean, exactly? What should you bring? What sort of questions are they likely to ask? What should you be asking them? How much should you tell the attorney if you haven’t actually hired them? Broward injury lawyer

As a longtime Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer, I take seriously the responsibility to advocate for my clients’ best interests. That begins even with prospective clients. I start with a brief overview of the facts of their case as presented. I look to identify any parties that may be held legally liable. I’ll want to assess the anticipated scope of damages and apply the knowledge and experience gained in decades of practice in Florida injury law to provide a frank assessment of the likely viability and value of their case – and how I may personally be able to assist. All of this can happen before a person has chosen to formally hire an injury lawyer.

Given that you may want to engage more than one Broward injury lawyer in a free initial consultation before deciding which to hire, it’s best to walk in with a good sense of what to have ready. The more a person understands going in what to expect – and what may be expected of them – the more they’ll get out of the process. Ultimately, the goal is to find an injury lawyer who is not only experienced, qualified, and with a proven track record of success, but someone with whom you feel you can be honest, trust, and have easy communication.

Here are some Frequently Asked (and Answered) Questions to get you started:

Why Do Florida Injury Lawyers Offer Free Initial Consultations in the First Place?

Many attorneys charge by-the-hour, and the value of that hour can vary, depending on their experience, the complexity of the case, etc. Attorney consultation fees can run anywhere from $0 to $400. There are a few reasons initial consultations with injury lawyers are free. One has to do with the type of case, and how it’s paid. Plaintiffs in injury lawsuits do not pay attorney’s fees unless or until they win their case. This is called a contingency fee arrangement. Claimants in these types of cases aren’t typically large companies (which can afford lawyers on retainer). They are vying for fair compensation from someone who has legally wronged them. The injury lawyer they hire is paid at the end of a successful case with a previously-agreed portion of the insurance money or damages awarded. Contingency fee arrangements allow people with meritorious cases – but not a lot of extra cash upfront – to access quality legal representation. Attorneys are compelled to be honest with prospective clients, and only help pursue injury cases that have a pretty decent shot at winning. Knowing that many injury case clients don’t have a lot of money upfront, free initial consultations are a low-risk way to help both sides glean the information they need to get a good sense of whether the case is worth pursuing, and if the attorney is a good fit for the client’s needs.

Can an Attorney Give Me Legal Advice Before I Hire Them?

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Two Florida families are taking legal action against a daycare their children attended in April 2014, when a vehicle crashed into the side of the daycare structure, killing one girl and injuring several other children.injury lawyer

Although undoubtedly one could find fault on the part of the motor vehicle driver who left the roadway and smashed into the building, Broward injury lawyers know it’s imperative to explore every angle and identify all possible defendants. This is for two reasons:

  • Ultimately maximizing the pool of insurance money available to plaintiffs, for a better chance of recovering full compensation;
  • Eliminating the chances a court may find a non-party was partially liable (as you can’t recover from defendants whom you haven’t named in the claim).

In this case, plaintiffs allege the daycare should be held liable for the children’s injuries because they failed to put in place proper barriers around the school to prevent such incidents. The parking lot was angled heading into the building, making such a collision more likely. Additionally, plaintiffs cited several other accidents at out-of-state facilities (in Washington state and New Jersey) owned by this same chain wherein the same kind of accidents occurred. This fact, plaintiffs allege, make these accidents foreseeable. Continue reading

Florida’s Constitution Revision Commission, which convenes every 20 years to review proposed changes to the state’s constitution, is being asked to consider an introduction of a “Nursing Home Bill of Rights,” that would mandate the right of vulnerable residents to a safe, comfortable living environment. Proposal 88 also includes a provision that would guarantee residents’ access to courts and a jury system – a right that is often lost upon admission when residents are required to sign arbitration agreements. nursing home neglect attorney

This change could have a profound and lasting positive impact for the estimated 70,000 Florida nursing home residents, who are often frail, vulnerable and targets for abuse and exploitation. Arbitration agreements are generally disfavored by plaintiff attorneys because they strip patients of the right to have disputes resolved in a court of law by a jury. Arbitration takes away certain rights that are guaranteed through the court process, such as the right to discovery (the sharing of information about what allegedly occurred). Outcomes of arbitration in nursing home abuse cases also tend to be decided more favorably toward the nursing home, with fewer and lesser judgments for the plaintiffs. Finally, the process is secretive and confidential, meaning potential future patients don’t have the benefit of knowing what really took place and residents and families don’t have the right speak freely about problems with abuse and neglect at a given facility.

It’s worth noting there is a resident bill of rights codified in Florida Statutes, specifically F.S. 429.28. This provision affords residents a litany of protections, including the right to a safe living environment free from abuse and neglect, treatment that is respectful and cognizant of one’s personal dignity and access to appropriate and adequate health care consistent with established and recognized standards in the community. However, Proposal 88 would commit these rights to the state constitution (making them more difficult to amend) and also taking mandatory arbitration agreements off the table.  Continue reading

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