W&C

Did you know that in 2018 there were more than 399,000 traffic accidents in the state of Florida, resulting in more than 215,000 injuries and nearly 3,000 fatalities? So far in 2019, there has already been 24,500 traffic accidents on Florida roads with more than 15,000 people injured and 162 with traffic crash fatalities.

Slip and fall accidents occur with regularity across South Florida and the first thing you should do if you find yourself a victim of one is to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit for damages against the at-fault party. That at-fault party is usually the owner or whoever is operating the property where the accident occurred. Property owners are required to maintain adequate insurance, which means that if you file a lawsuit you’ll more than likely be dealing with the property’s insurance company. 

People have been getting injured in moving vehicles accidents since the invention of the wheel. There is hardly a day that goes by that your local news does not highlight a car accident. But what you think you know about car accidents and the insurance claim process may not be completely accurate. 

There are so many new vehicles on the road today that offer advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). These improvements in vehicle technology are designed to increase safety and convenience by warning drivers that a crash is imminent or even by temporarily automating certain parts of vehicle control like speed, breaking or acceleration. We’re big proponents of technology here at Weinstein & Cohen, especially when it comes to vehicle safety and the reduction of traffic accidents, injuries and deaths on our South Florida roadways. 

Accident cases are always nuanced, but tend to follow certain patterns. However, a recent $400,000 settlement in Steve vs. Leonel by Weinstein & Cohen Founding Partner Judson Cohen highlighted one particular part of the law that not everyone might be aware of.

Following a successful argument by Weinstein & Cohen Founding Partner Judson Cohen in front of the Supreme Court of Florida last year, the highest court in the state adopted the Florida Bar Rules Judicial Administration Committee’s (RJAC) recommendation to change Florida Bar legal rules as they pertain to the computation of time. 

Shorter days, fatigue, compromised vision, rush hour, holiday traffic and impaired driving all contribute to making driving at night more dangerous this time of year compared to any other. In fact, according to the National Safety Council, the risk for fatal crashes is three times higher at night.

Every year, school administrators and teachers grapple with the decision whether to allow students to celebrate Halloween on campus. Inappropriate costumes, poor conduct and religious reasons have all factored into the decision making process behind an increasing number of schools that are banning Halloween parties and costumes. Even many private schools have joined the fray as they try to juggle cultural sensitivity among an increasingly diverse student body. 

Some of the most serious injuries that people sustain are often treated at the nearest hospital. And hospitals treat a wide variety of patients with varying degrees of injury or sickness that can require a multitude of treatments – from emergency surgery to long-term care. Unfortunately, with any hospitalization comes the potential for medical malpractice from healthcare provider negligence. 

Ridesharing is part of the fabric of our lives now. And whether you’re a passenger, the driver, or in the other motor vehicle involved in an accident with a company such as Uber or Lyft, there are certain procedures essential to the insurance and claims process that you need to be aware of.