Florida Injury Attorney Blawg

Florida entities seek advance protection from their own negligence in two ways: exculpatory clauses and indemnity agreements. An exculpatory clause purports to deny an injured party the right to recover damages from a person negligently causing his injury. Kitchens of the Oceans, Inc. v. McGladrey & Pullen LLP, 832 So.2d 270 (Fla. 4th DCA 2002).…

Whenever an insured makes a claim, one of the first things every insurance company does is try to figure out ways to deny the claim. Common methods are to assert that the loss is not covered under the policy or that the insured has failed to cooperate with the carrier. Another popular practice is to…

The Medicare Secondary Payer Act of 1980 (“MSP”) — Link to the MSP Manual — was enacted to limit the financial burden on taxpayers for the medical expenses of Medicare beneficiaries whose medical needs are the primary responsibility of some other source. Until 2010, the MSP’s main focus was on workers’ compensation cases. (Florida’s workers’…

Our client was a passenger in a Dodge Dakota truck owned and leased by Enterprise Leasing Company, when it overturned two to three times on the highway at high speed. The driver, who had rented the truck from Enterprise, had fallen asleep at the wheel. Our severely injured client was airlifted to Shands Hospital, in…

For two weeks in November of 2013, I had the privilege of participating in a uniquely American experience. I participated in a civil jury trial in Orlando, Florida (in the Orange County Courthouse, the same courthouse in which Casey Anthony was on trial for first degree murder in the death of her daughter). I was…

Medicaid will sometimes pay the medical expenses incurred by a person injured in an accident, albeit at rates substantially below the medical provider’s usual and customary charges. When Medicaid does pay, beneficiaries must reimburse Medicaid from third party payments for medical care. See section 409.910(11)(f), Florida Statutes (2013). The goal of the statute is to…

Florida Statute 440.205 creates a civil remedy for various types of retaliatory misconduct by employers against employees for claiming or attempting to claim workers’ compensation. (Florida’s workers’ compensation statutes are contained in Chapter 440.) 440.205 reads as follows: Coercion of employees.–No employer shall discharge, threaten to discharge, intimidate, or coerce any employee by reason of…

Sadly, the first thought that crosses the mind of many insurance adjusters when a claim is made is how it can be denied. At the top of the list of the ways to deny claims is rescinding the insurance contract. Black’s Law Dictionary defines rescission as an act “where a contract is canceled, annulled, or…

Because motor vehicles, like guns, in the wrong hands and used improperly are likely to cause great damage, Florida has developed two legal doctrines aimed at holding vehicle owners liable for the harm resulting from the negligent operation of their vehicles by others. The doctrines are vicarious liability and negligent entrustment. Regarding motor vehicles, vicarious…

Florida employees injured at work may be able to bring a valid claim for damages against a third party. For purposes of this blog, a third party means an entity, including an individual, other than the employer or other entity entitled to workers’ compensation immunity. A third party case may exist if the work related…