Government agencies owe a duty to ensure public walkways and thoroughfares are correctly designed and adequately maintained to minimize the risk of danger to pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. When a dangerous condition results in an unreasonable risk of injury to members of the public, the agency may be liable to…
Property owners and property managers have a responsibility to make sure their site is safe for lawful guests. This duty includes residential landlords, who have many responsibilities to their tenants and tenant guests, including ensuring they are safe from an unreasonable risk of harm. This could include things like: Broken stairways Unlit…
Courts are reticent to allow the introduction of evidence pertaining to insurance coverage in accident cases. The reason is that unless it is somehow pertinent to the cause of the crash or extent of the injuries, it can be prejudicial to a jury. For example, if jurors know that a…
Hot air balloon rides, which have been around since 1783, are thrilling, romantic and even relaxing. They can also potentially be dangerous, particularly when the operator has limited experience. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recorded 775 hot air balloon accidents between 1964 and 2014, with 70 of those involving…
In general, property owners and managers are bound by law to ensure lawful guests – particularly consumers and members of the public – are reasonably safe from foreseeable harms on that property. However, there is one major exception, and it’s important to understand when it might apply. It’s called the “Recreational Use…
Pedestrian accident deaths have been a significant issue in Florida for decades. This is largely a result of our streets being designed primarily for motor vehicle traffic – wide roads, high speed limits and few safe spaces to walk or opportunities to cross. But it’s increasingly becoming a major problem on…
Bus accidents are relatively rare, but the rate tends to be higher with commercial companies that require drivers to travel long distances, often overnight. Driver fatigue is a major problem in the industry – which is popular for Orlando tourists – and it’s why the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration…
Auto insurance policies can contain complex legalese that can be difficult to sift through, particularly in the wake of a devastating auto accident. These policies are purchased not just because they are often required by law, but also because they offer necessary financial protections to to those who survive and…
Federal regulators are mulling a proposal to demand a recall of 90 million additional Takata airbags in the U.S., which would more than triple the number of defective products identified. So far, 29 million of the devices have been recalled, with reports that they explode when deployed, sending metal shrapnel…
There is much discussion nationally about “tort reform,” and this idea that it’s somehow quite easy to take home millions of dollars for a frivolous filing. This isn’t true, and the reason we tend to hear so much about lawsuits with multi-million-dollar verdicts is they are rare. Truth is, most…