Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Court Rules on Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Last month, the Florida Supreme Court addressed the issue of the amount of uninsured motorist (UM) coverage available under an auto insurance policy. In the case, the plaintiff was involved in an accident with an uninsured motorist and argued that the UM coverage transferred to her by her father years prior was no longer… Read More »
Infant Dies at the Hands of Negligent Caregiver
A four month old baby died in Fort Myers as a result of negligent care from an Arcadia caregiver after receiving deadly attempts at lifesaving. The child’s mother, Martha Garcia, a citrus migrant worker, only received the news of her baby’s condition after the child was already unconscious and was in the hands of… Read More »
Florida Whistleblowers Must Prove Actual Violation of Law
A recent decision made in Florida’s Second District Court of Appeals has clarified that an employee’s “reasonable belief” that a violation has occurred under the state’s Whistleblower Act is no longer enough, and the employee must prove an actual violation of law in order to state a claim. This case falls under the Florida… Read More »
Jacksonville Woman Sues over Airbag Injuries
A Jacksonville woman has filed a lawsuit against Honda Motor Company and airbag manufacturer Takata Corp. for being rendered a quadriplegic when her driver’s side air bag exploded. Patricia Mincey claims that the companies concealed the defective nature of their airbag system from consumers for more than a decade before her accident in June,… Read More »
Woman Potentially Exposed to HIV in Hospital
In Orange County, Florida a hospital is facing massive liability for a woman’s claim that their medical staff exposed her to HIV. A 75-year-old woman went to the Florida Hospital East campus last November for her bronchitis. She ended up in a shared room with a patient who was HIV positive. During her stay,… Read More »
Florida Insurance Company Settled Seventy Percent of Sinkhole Claims in 2014
The Citizens Property Insurance Corp. released a statement that said that their company reached settlement agreements with more than 1,650 Florida homeowners last year on sinkhole claims. These settlements allowed for litigation to end between the insurer and policyholders as well as end delays to the critical repairs that the properties needed. The insurer’s… Read More »
Two Teenagers Critical After Jet Ski Accident
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Service are investigating a jet ski accident that sent two teenagers to the hospital in critical condition in Brevard County. The accident took place in Indialantic near The Banana River, behind a home on Finch Drive at around 2:00 p.m. Authorities have said that two 19-year-olds, Ryan Meek and… Read More »
Multiple Semi-Truck Accident Injures One, Causes Traffic Nightmare
A section of roadway on Interstate 95 was closed down for several hours on Tuesday after three semi-trucks were involved in an accident early that morning. According to the police, at around 5:10 a.m. two commercial trucks collided with one another on I-95 northbound near State Road 16. One of the eighteen wheelers, carrying… Read More »
Florida Court Clarifies Notice Rules for Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
A Florida Appeals Court ruled earlier last month that a tolling provision in the state laws regarding medical malpractice lawsuits applies to all potential defendants once any notices of intent are timely served, and it even applies to prospective defendants who have not yet been served. A three judge panel from the Third District… Read More »
Florida PIP Insurance Data Looking Positive
A report recently released from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation shows that the growth of fraud in personal injury protection (PIP) claims has stopped. As a result, legislators in the state are unlikely to change the law that was designed to reduce fraud in the state’s “no-fault” auto insurance system and proponents of… Read More »