Miami Personal Injury Law Blog

When a loved one dies as a result of another person's negligence or carelessness, family members often find themselves frustrated, sad, angry and confused. Why did this happen? Could it have been prevented? How can I move forward after such a devastating loss? While it can take a long time for the emotional pain to begin to heal, family members in Florida can file a wrongful death lawsuit against the party responsible.

After a deadly accident two years ago, it was decided that the families of two students who died will receive a total of $15 million for the loss of their lives. Other injured parties will divide an additional $2 million amongst them.

With summer right around the corner, many Miami families will be headed outside to relax by the pool. One product that residents will want to avoid is an inflatable slide that is intended to be set up next to an in-ground pool. Several severe injuries and at least one fatality have been sustained by people who used one of these dangerous products.

The slide is called the Banzai Splash. They were sold nationwide in Wal-Mart and Toys R Us stores up until June 2009. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a recall of 21,000 of the hazardous slide.

Traveling on a cruise ship can be a relaxing, peaceful vacation for Florida residents. Many people board cruise ships hoping to enjoy themselves and the amenities offered on many of the ships. However, one woman's vacation ended too quickly when she suffered fatal offshore injuries on board a cruise ship. The victim's family is now suing Carnival Cruise lines, citing crew negligence as the reason the woman died.

According to the lawsuit, the woman had enjoyed a couple cocktails on board in the casino. She was not gambling, but was watching as others won around her and bought additional drinks for people. After about four drinks, the woman started feeling sick. She headed back to her room.

Recently, police have been cracking down on dangerous driving behaviors in Florida. From seat belt enforcements to drinking and driving, there is commonly time dedicated to focusing on and punishing these behaviors. It is well known that distracted or drunk driving can cause car accidents, but are police missing something?

According to a recent study by the Society of Automotive Engineers, there is one behavior that may be responsible for 2 million accidents every year, and it has nothing to do with cell phones or alcohol. People are getting into accidents every day because drivers fail to use their turn signal properly.

Patients who are victims of a doctor or hospital mistake can be angry, confused and frustrated. Often, they have a right to pursue a medical malpractice claim against a negligent party. How do the doctors feel about this? Some say they too get angry, confused and frustrated. Rather than denying fault, however, some doctors are trying a new tactic in handling negligence or malpractice claims: They are apologizing.

In hospitals across the country, some doctors are choosing to take a more amicable route to resolving issues related to perceived errors. Instead of deflecting blame, getting angry and cutting off communication, doctors are opting to work with the patient to determine a solution.

In the wake of a devastating and fatal accident, family members who have suffered the loss of a loved one may not know what to do. Under the terms of the Florida Wrongful Death Act, survivors of a victim who is killed may pursue monetary damages from the party who is responsible for the death, but only for a limited period of time. Determining who that may be can be difficult in some cases.

Recently, the family of a 12-year-old boy who was killed in a car accident filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver of the car. What is significant in this case is that the family does not have a clear understanding of what happened on the night of the accident. They have filed the lawsuit in order to get answers.

An alleged breakdown in communication is being blamed for an incident that led to the wrongful death of two fishermen in the Pacific Ocean. According to reports, a cruise ship may have violated maritime law when it failed to stop and provide aid to three men on a small fishing boat. Two of these men died before they were eventually rescued.

Guests aboard the Star Princess cruise ship say they were on a deck looking at different seabirds through binoculars. They say they had spotted some people drifting on a small boat who were frantically waving their arms, indicating they were in need of help. The passengers of the ship say they notified a worker on the ship that they had seen people about two miles away who were in distress.

A recent study has determined that defective wires in defibrillators have contributed to the death of 22 patients. Doctors have been warned about the faulty products, but an estimated 79,000 patients in the United States have the wires implanted. While it is considered dangerous to remove the wires, Florida patients with defibrillators may want to be aware of the risks they pose.

The manufacturer of the wires is St. Jude Medical. The reported deaths were associated with two models of the company's products: Riata and Riata ST. They no longer make the wires, also called leads, and have warned physicians about the problems that may come up after the defibrillator is implanted.