Florida Injury Attorneys Blog

Experienced Lawyer Darren Finebloom discusses how Finebloom & Hanel can help you if you are involved in an accident that was not your fault.

The world’s biggest maker of cancer drugs is pulling its Accutane acne medicine from the U.S. market. The move comes after juries awarded at least $33 million in damages after successful personal injury lawsuits including some in the state of Florida. (read more)

In April 2008 a Pensacola, Florida lawyer won a $10.5 million verdict and the company faces as many as 5,000 personal injury cases over the product. The suits allege that the maker of Accutane did not warn consumers that the drug could cause inflammatory bowel disease. The drug also has been linked to birth defects and depression. The drug has been pulled off the market in 11 other countries leaving Roche Holding AG even more vulnerable to law suits that have yet to be settled.

If you or a loved one have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, please contact Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourinjury.com to discuss the matter.

An alcohol-fueled brawl in a McDonald’s parking lot almost four years ago cost Anthony Makowski his life. The man who killed him in the fight was never charged but a civil jury decided Wednesday that the owner of the McDonalds and the shopping mall where it is located should pay Anthony’s parents $1 million for pain and suffering. (read more)

The parents sued over the issue of lack of security at the all-night drive thru that attracted late-night partiers. The incident that lead to the death of Makowski started in the drive thru lane when the drivers of two cars got into an altercation. Makowski was considered the aggressor in the matter by police and his death was ruled an "excusable homicide". The jury awarded each parent $500,000.00 after equally dividing the blame between the McDonald’s owner, the shopping mall management company and Makowski himself.

If you or a loved one have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, please contact Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at fightyourinjury.com to discuss the matter

A Florida judge ruled on Monday that Martin Memorial Medical Center in Stuart, Florida could be hit with punitive damages if a jury finds the hospital falsely imprisoned an illegal immigrant from Guatemala. Attorney’s representing Luis Jimenez and his Indiantown guardian, Montejo Gaspar Montejo argued there was a sufficient factual basis for the lawyers to claim for punitive damages and the judge agreed. (read more)

The hospital is being sued related to their decision to deport Jimenez following two years of medical care for a brain injury. The hospital stay cost Martin Memorial approximately $1.5 million. It is expected that well over 200 potential jurors will be questioned when the trial begins on Monday.

If you or a loved one have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, please contact Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at www.fightyourinjury.com to discuss the matter.

The City of Lockport is in a fight over a disability claim filed by one of its firefighters. The fight revolves around the paid sick leave of Lt. Michael A. Collette. The city is refusing to treat Lt. Colette’s absence from work as a firefighter disability case even though he suffered a back injury while on the job where he protected the citizens of Lockport for 18 years. (read more)

The city is fighting his claim because they don’t believe his injury merits his salary be paid in full, tax-free and his sick and vacation accruals remain untouched. The city is using claims made by the lieutenant on his Facebook page as evidence to oppose his disability. Colette is outraged the city is fighting him when his injury was documented as happening on the job.

If you or a loved one needs help fighting for your personal injury claim, we are here to help throughout the State of Florida. Please contact Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at www.fightyourinjury.com to discuss the matter.

Lawyers for three illegal immigrants injured while working on a construction site were awarded a total of $3.85 million over the last two weeks. The lawyers for the plaintiffs cheered the settlement saying that illegal immigrants should not be afraid to sue their employers if they are hurt on the job. (read more)

The largest reward was $2.5 million for a plumber from Mexico who was injured and scalded by an exploding pipe. Each of the other two plaintiffs were awarded settlements of $600,000.00 or more. The case was based in New York were a New York State of Appeals ruling in 2006 stated laborers who were illegal immigrants had the same rights as other workers.

If you or a loved one have been injured on the job or due to someone else’s negligence, please contact Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at www.fightyourinjury.com to discuss the matter.

A recent story in The Morning Call in Allentown, PA revealed some interesting statistics that may show a national trend when it comes to the current state of personal injury cases. The average number of yearly civil trials at the federal level in Eastern Pennsylvania has dropped from 550 in the 1980’s to 170 in the 2000’s. (read more) According to the story some of the reasons for the sharp drop is the fear of unpredictable juries and the courts pushing for out-of-court settlements.

Northampton County Judge Stephen Barrata was quoted in the story calling this decrease a phenomenon across the nation. Another factor could be a national recession that is keeping plaintiffs and companies out of the courtroom and looking to settle and avoid court costs. The article also said that U.S. District Magistrate Henry Perkin of Allentown estimates he settles 85 percent to 90 percent of the cases that are assigned him for mediation. According to Barrata more companies are seeing settlements as an economically attractive way to avoid placing their fates in the hands of a jury without legal expertise

If you or anyone in your family needs help with a personal injury matter we are here to fight for you. Please contact Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at www.fightyourinjury.com to discuss the matter.

In a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (NAPIL) a primary finding revealed a “proliferation of plaintiff-unfriendly legal practices” (read more). The survey found major corporations and other pro-business proponents of tort reform legislation have systematically engaged in a campaign against plaintiffs, their lawyers and consumer protection laws in an effort to gain support for their ultimate goal of limiting consumer protections.

The attacks have gained a great deal of momentum over the last 15 years and the result has been a severe bias among potential jurors who blame plaintiffs for a variety of this country’s financial woes. The way to combat these tactics is to educate the public and ensure those who are wrongfully harmed receive just compensation for their injuries.

The Law Offices of Finebloom & Haenel will fight for you or a loved one who has been injured due to someone else’s negligence. Please contact Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at www.fightyourinjury.com to discuss the matter.

A mini-train derailment at the Louisville Zoo left 22 patrons injured and has led to a personal injury lawsuit. The train, which was being operated by an 18-year old employee, was said to be traveling swiftly around a curve behind the zoo’s Gorilla Forest exhibit when it derailed and flipped onto its side (read more). Seventeen of the injured train passengers were children who were taken to local hospitals where they were treated. The five adults on the train were rushed to an area hospital as well.

Lawyers representing some of the injured parties claim the train was travelling at an abnormally fast speed especially since it was transporting children. According to zoo officials, the 18-year old, train driver started her training the day before the serious zoo accident. Lawyers for the first family to file suit asked for monetary damages and a restraining order to stop the zoo from altering the scene.

If you or anyone in your family has suffered an injury due to someone else’s negligence, please contact Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT or online at www.fightyourinjury.com to discuss the matter.

A widow of a Florida smoker was awarded 30 million dollars. The Plaintiff sued R.J. Reynolds for fraud, conspiracy and negligence. The heart of the lawsuit alleges that R.J. Reynolds ran misleading ads and misrepresented the harmful effects of smoking. R.J. Reynolds is a popular tobacco manufacturer that produces, Camel, Winston and Doral cigarettes to name a few.

Attorneys for the Tobacco Giant responded that the award was unconstitutional and insisted the award of the jury would not stand. The Jury in Pensacola, Florida awarded five million dollars in compensatory damages and 25 million in punitive damages.

Punitive damages are awarded by juries to specifically punish the Defendant. In this case the jury felt that R.J. Reynolds needs to be severely punished for their misleading behaviors which have caused millions of smokers to suffer. If you or a loved one has been injured by the fraud or negligence of others please do not hesitate to give us a call at 1-800-FIGHT-ITor visit our website fightyourinjury.com.