Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Social Liability for Alcohol-Related Injuries and Deaths
In September 2017, Spencer Hight got drunk and then walked into his estranged wife’s house in Plano, Texas, where a group of people were watching football. He killed eight people before being taken down by police. The families of three of the victims recently filed a lawsuit against the bar that Hight patronized twice… Read More »
Bounce House Injuries On the Rise
Bounce houses seem innocent enough. And they’re safer than roller coasters and other high-adventure rides. Right? Unfortunately, bounce houses can be just as dangerous as more traditional rides. Take this example from Nashua, New Hampshire: In the fall of 2014, two toddlers were playing in a bounce house at a Halloween festival when a… Read More »
Comparative Negligence and Nominal Damages
In January 2014, two police officers responded to a noise complaint at a Fort Pierce home. A man pulled open the garage door when the officers knocked, but then started to close it when he saw the police. One of the officers opened fire when the man allegedly pulled a weapon on them. The… Read More »
Understanding Class Certification in a Class Action Lawsuit
A group of Palm Beach County homeowners filed a class action lawsuit against Pratt & Whitney, an aerospace manufacturing company, alleging that their property values decreased because of industrial pollution from a nearby plant. But a federal judge in Florida recently denied class certification. What Is a Class Action Lawsuit? A class action lawsuit… Read More »
Who Is Liable after a Mass Shooting?
On February 14, 2018, 17 students and teachers tragically lost their lives in a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. While money will never make up for the lives lost or the trauma experienced that day, there are certain damages that can be recovered. That’s why injured survivors and… Read More »
Examples of Negligent Security
A federal jury recently found a Florida Waffle House liable for injuries a customer sustained when he was robbed outside of the restaurant. One man was attacked by three assailants when he left the restaurant early one morning in April 2014 and suffered facial fractures and traumatic brain injury. The man claimed that the… Read More »
Common Types of Car Accident Injuries
There were almost 400,000 motor vehicle crashes in Florida last year, according to the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and more than 250,000 injuries. That equates to more than 1,000 accidents and just under 700 injuries a day. Certain injuries are particularly common among car accident victims, including: Traumatic brain injuries…. Read More »
Fort Myers Wants to Dismiss Toxic Tort Case
In 1962, the city of Fort Myers began dumping waste from the water treatment plant in a residential neighborhood without telling the residents that the waste contained arsenic. City officials claim that the arsenic levels were within normal levels, but residents say that in some cases exposure to the toxic sludge caused cancer. Residents… Read More »
Understanding the Exceptions to Florida’s Statute of Limitations
The general rule in Florida is that negligence lawsuits must be filed within four years of the date of the injury, and wrongful death lawsuits must be filed within two years of the date of the death. This is called the statute of limitations. If you miss this deadline, then you won’t be able… Read More »
Preparing for Hurricane Season
Three major hurricanes struck the United States last year, and forecasters say 2018 could be another above-average season. In fact, Colorado State University recently released a preliminary seasonal forecast that predicts 14 named storms this year, including (once again) three major hurricanes. (Hurricane season officially begins June 1 and ends November 30.) With a… Read More »