CGWC Orlando Injury Attorney Blog

Orlando, Florida

Illinois Supreme Court Stikes Down Damaage Caps In Medical Malpractice Cases - Saturday, February 06, 2010

On Thursday, the Supreme Court of Illinois struck down limits on jury awards in medical malpractice cases. Four years earlier, the Illinois legislature passed a statute capping potential awards in medical malpractice cases to pacify the health care industry that was complaining of high costs of liability insurance. The Supreme Court of Illinois ruled that the caps on pain and suffering and other non-economic damages, $ 500,000 per case for doctors and $ 1,000,000 per case for hospitals, was unconstitutional. A courageous trial judge in Cook County circuit court had held that the law interfered with the right of juries to decide such awards. The Supreme Court upheld the trial judge's decision. This is the third time that Illinois' high court has struck down statutes limiting medical malpractice awards. Hospitals, medical malpractice insurers, and doctors had successfully convinced the legislature that frivolous lawsuits and runaway jury verdicts were driving up insurance rates and forcing physicians to leave the state. In the case at issue, a girl suffered brain damage during her delivery at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park.

If you or a loved one has been a victim of medical malpractice, contact The Florida Firm for a free consultation about your legal rights.

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Motorcycle Driver Dies in Central Florida Crash - Saturday, January 30, 2010

A motorcycle driver has died in Central Florida crash on State Toll Road 429 in Orange County.

Motorcyclists' rights under Florida insurance and traffic laws are vastly different than those injured while operating automobiles or trucks. If you're injured in a motorcycle accident, call The Florida Firm for a free consultation about your legal rights.


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State Farm Won't Renew Thousands of Floridians Homeowner Policies -

State Farm Insurance Companies won't be renewing many property insurance contracts this year. Non-renewal notices will be sent to 125,000 former customers, telling them Illinois based State Farm won't renew their policies in hurricane prone Florida where State Farm insures over 700,000 homes. The first notices have already been mailed.

While storm damage from hurricanes is rare, a hurricane can ravage even inland homes when it comes ashore. Storm damage can also result from severe windstorms, thunderstorms and tornadoes. Homeowners insurance is supposed to cover storm damage, and other damage to property such as fire. But often, insurers don't live up to their obligations. If your insurance company has denied a claim, call The Florida Firm for a free legal consultation.

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DOT Bans Texting By Truckers - Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The Department of Transportation announced new rules prohibiting interstate commercial truckers from sending text messages while driving big rigs. Truckers and bus drivers who violate the rules face a civil, or possibly criminal, fine. The Department of Transportation is commendably taking aim at reducing the instance of distracted driving. The DOT is working on additional regulations to regulate other multi-tasking while driving, such as using on board computers and talking on cell phones.

Research shows that drivers who text take their eyes off the road for nearly 5 seconds. In five seconds, a driver can drive the length of a football field at highway speed. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute has conducted research that shows that texting truckers are 23 times more likely to get into a crash than truckers who aren't texting while driving.

If you or a loved one is injured by a careless driver, call The Florida Firm for a free consultation about your legal rights. And don't wait too long or you'll lose your rights. Remember, one call does it all.

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Thousands Of Veterans To Get Upgraded Benefits - Tuesday, January 26, 2010

A military review could bring millions of dollars in additional benefits to veterans of the War in Iraq and the Afghanistan War. Veterans discharged with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be entitled to additional benefits after a review of the benefits awarded at discharge. The agreement to review the cases of these veterans stems from a class action lawsuit filed by seven combat veterans.

The disability rating given by the army for veterans discharged with a diagnosis of PTSD is at issue. The law requires the VA to assign a disability rating of at least 50% to veterans discharged with PTSD. Sometimes the VA assigns lower disability ratings wrongfully. The higher rating assures that a veteran with PTSD receives lifelong monthly disability payments, and free health care for the veteran and his or her family.

If you or a loved one has questions about Veterans Benefits, call The Florida Firm for a free consultation.

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Florida Veterans' Benefits Attorneys At The Florida Firm - Monday, January 25, 2010

The Florida Firm is proud to have experienced veteran's benefits attorneys on staff to help our proud veterans of past conflicts, including the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, and the Iraq War. Veterans should be aware that the Veterans Administration is changing the way it approaches many veterans' claims. An experienced veterans' benefits attorney may be needed to navigate the complicated VA system.

In the past the VA has restricted claims for Agent Orange to servicemen and women who were physically present in Vietnam - the "boot on the ground" veterans. Many veterans who served on ships in the waters near Vietnam applied for and were denied benefits for diseases and health conditions caused by Agent Orange. This denial was unfair to those veterans because they were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides when those chemicals became airborne after being sprayed into the air.

The VA has since changed its policy and as of January, 2010, they have identified blue-water vessels which conducted operations on the inland "brown water" rivers and deltas in or near Vietnam, and also vessels which operated exclusively on the inland waterways in Vietnam. The VA has published a list of the vessels and their respective dates of service in the affected areas. Any serviceman who can establish his presence on one of those vessels during the relevant time period is can now be presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange. Many Veterans are now qualified to apply for benefits and other the spouses of those Veterans that would have qualified and have since passed away may be eligible for death indemnity compensation benefits.

There are many benefits that may be available to Veterans. However, most Veterans do not know or are not aware of the benefits or their eligibility. If a Veteran or family member believes they are entitled to benefits, call The Florida Firm for a free consultation. For more information about veterans' benefits visit our website.



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Florida Automobile Accident Attorney - Sunday, January 24, 2010

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety over 37,000 people died in automobile accidents in 2008 alone. Almost 3,000 of those were in Florida. Most automobile accidents could have been avoided if drivers observed the rules of the road. If you or a loved one is involved in an automobile accident, contact The Florida Firm for a free consultation.

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Man helping injured dog on road killed by oncoming bus - Sunday, January 17, 2010

A Plant City man was killed when struck by a bus while helping an injured dog on the road. Central Florida is one of the most dangerous regions of the United States for pedestrian accidents, and pedestrian accidents are all too frequent here. If you or a family member has been injured in a pedestrian or bicycle accident, you need an experienced personal injury lawyer. Call The Florida Firm for a free consultation about your legal rights if you or a family member is injured in any kind of accident.

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Car full of teenagers crashes in Central Florida, killing 15-year-old girl -

A car full of teenagers crashed today, apparently killing a 15-year-old girl. Teenagers are especially at risk of deadly traffic accidents. If you have a teen driver, visit TeenDriving.com for safety tips. If you or any member of your family is involved in an automobile accident, contact The Florida Firm for a free consultation.

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