We take a personal approach to our client relationships. We understand that the people we are working with are struggling with serious health problems or injuries, do not have the medical care they need, or have been denied insurance or benefits.
We work with a team of assistants who help with client-facing matters. However, clients can always speak directly with the lawyers who are handling their cases.
In a high percentage of personal injury cases, there may be no need to file a lawsuit. Competent legal advocacy can lead to favorable settlement out of court in most cases.
Auto Accidents
Social Security Disability
One of the first things people ask about when they contact our firm is what Social Security disability programs they qualify for. The two main programs are Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
Allows you to grant very specific legal rights to someone you trust. In the State of Florida, when you grant someone power of attorney, you must do so in a manner that gives them immediate powers. In the past, the law allowed you to designate someone to have this power only in the event that you could not exercise it on your own. However, this rule has been changed, and you are now required to give the power to someone currently. When we finalize the power of attorney, you have the option to be very specific about which powers you are granting. For example, you do not have to grant the power to sell your home.
Florida is one of the few states that has a no-fault insurance law, but does not have mandatory bodily injury liability. To explain further: in order to be legal to drive/own a motor vehicle in Florida, you need only have insurance that covers yourself and the passengers in your car (no-fault or PIP insurance) and property damage liability, which will pay for damage to another vehicle or other property caused by your negligence. You
Premises Liability
More specifically, slip or trip and fall cases come under the heading of Premises Liability. That means that the property owner, or sometimes the lessee (the person renting the premises), may be liable for injuries which occur on their property.
Once you have received a certain amount of medical care, the doctors will likely conclude that you are “as good as you are going to get” and that you will not improve further as a result of further care. This threshold is called Maximum Medical Improvement. At that point, under the Florida Workers Compensation system, the doctor is required to assess your percentage of impairment and the insurance carrier is then required to provide you a certain number of weeks of “ Impairment Benefits ” based on that percentage of impairment. On the other hand, if you have suffered a very serious injury which would qualify as a “ Permanent Total Disability,” then you could be entitled to benefits for the rest of your life.
Death is the biggest loss a person, spouse, or family member can endure. Whenever a loved one dies, it can be challenging to move on emotionally. However, when that person’s death was the result of another person’s negligent or careless actions, it can be even more difficult to move on. If that is the unfortunate situation you are faced with, it is important to work with experienced Gainesville wrongful death attorneys who can help you receive the compensation you need.
Traffic Violations
This can be confusing. Here’s an example: If I am in your vehicle with you, and another driver runs a red light or a stop sign, or is speeding,or is in some way negligent and causes an accident with us, and I have medical bills or lose time at work as a result of the accident, I have to claim my no-fault benefits on my own insurance policy (assuming I own a car). So that means that even though I am in your car, and even though someone else was at fault for the accident, I have to turn to my own insurance company for this particular benefit. In fact, even if I do not own a vehicle, if I live with a relative who owns a vehicle, I must claim the no-fault benefits on their policy. If I do not own a vehicle, and do not live with a relative who owns a vehicle, then I can claim my no-fault benefits on the policy of the vehicle I was in at the time of the accident. The