Articles Posted in Uncategorized

Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Medicare-Eligible Individuals With Group Health Insurance Beware!
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

In our practice—focused on personal injury, medical negligence, workers’ compensation, and wrongful death—we routinely handle Medicare and health insurance liens. These entities often have statutory or contractual rights to be reimbursed from any settlement or judgment recovered from third parties, meaning those legally responsible for causing the harm. This article addresses a separate legal issue…

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Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Ignorance of a Document’s Contents Does Not Excuse Legal Obligations
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

A similar principle applies to written instruments: ignorance of a document’s contents does not absolve a signatory of the responsibilities it imposes. We pursued a personal injury action in Broward County against a homeowner after our client sustained serious injuries on the homeowner’s property during a construction project. One of our central theories of liability…

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Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Florida Premises Liability Law — Tripping on Tree Roots
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

We’ve all done it—cut across a landscaped area to save a few steps on the way from one public area to another. Most of the time, it’s harmless. But when someone trips and falls, the question arises: Who is responsible? Can the landowner be held liable? Or does the law essentially say, “cross at your…

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Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Florida’s “Free Kill” Law: A Legal Loophole That Still Denies Grieving Families Justice
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

Since 1990, Florida has enforced a statute commonly referred to as the “Free Kill” law. Codified at Section 768.21(8) of the Florida Wrongful Death Act, this provision creates a glaring exception in an otherwise remedial framework intended to support grieving families. The legislative intent behind the Wrongful Death Act, as stated in Section 768.17, is…

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Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. /// Reimbursement Rights of Health and Disability Insurers in Florida Personal Injury Cases
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

It is common for health and disability (lost wages) insurance carriers to pay benefits to their insureds who are injured due to someone else’s negligence. Many of these policies include reimbursement provisions allowing the insurer to recover payments from any personal injury settlement or judgment obtained by the insured. How Much Must Be Repaid? The…

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Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Understanding Workers’ Compensation Liens and Uninsured Motorist Claims Under Florida Law
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

It is not uncommon for employees to be injured in motor vehicle accidents while acting within the course and scope of their employment. Such incidents frequently implicate multiple layers of insurance coverage. Regardless of fault, injured employees may be eligible for benefits including workers’ compensation, Personal Injury Protection (PIP), and health insurance (including Medicare). Workers’…

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Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. /// Personal Injury Liability Cases — The Perils of Ignoring Medicare’s Future Interest
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

Our law firm handles both workers’ compensation and personal injury cases, claimant’s/plaintiff’s side only. For years we have been dealing with Medicare Set-Asides (MSA) in our workers’ compensation cases. We have not been doing it in our personal injury cases. It may be time to start. A Medicare Set-Aside is a legal device used to…

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Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. /// Florida Workers’ Compensation Permanent Total Disability (PTD) Benefits
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

Florida’s workers’ compensation system, outlined in Chapter 440 of Florida’s statutes, allows four different types of wage loss benefits divided into two categories. The categories are temporary and permanent indemnity benefits. There are two types of temporary indemnity benefits, Temporary Total Disability (TTD) and Temporary Partial Disability (TPD). Section 440.15(2)(a) describes TTD as being a…

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Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Key Florida Workers’ Compensation Emergency Medical Care Issues
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

Emergency medical services and care can play a pivotal role in Florida workers’ compensation cases. Under section 440.13(1)(e), Florida Statutes, “emergency services and care” is defined by its reference to section 395.002, Florida Statutes (2024), as follows: (9) “Emergency services and care” means medical screening, examination, and evaluation by a physician, or, to the extent permitted…

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Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Releasing Active Tortfeasors Does Not Release Vicariously Liable Tortfeasors
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

Active tortfeasors become legally liable for engaging in negligent conduct. Passive tortfeasors become liable for the negligent conduct of active tortfeasors through the legal principle known as vicarious liability. Examples include owners of motor vehicles whose permissive drivers cause crashes and employers for the acts of their employees. Nowadays, active tortfeasors can be released from…

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