Yesterday it was the baby sling that was recalled because of three infant deaths. Today comes news that Evenflo Top-of-Stair Plus baby gates are being recalled. Over 180,000 gates have been recalled in North America because of a possible danger to small children and infants.
According to an Associated Press story there have been three reports of children who got past the gates and onto staircases. There have also been more than 140 reports of detached and broken slats. The gates are manufactured in Mexico and sold nationwide by stores like Toys R Us, Kmart and Burlington Baby Depot.

In September a Florida judge ruled the shooting death of 24-year-old Casey Landes was justified under Florida’s stand your ground law. Now the mother of the young man that was shot in the head has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in a Florida court seeking damages in excess of $15,000. The civil complaint was filed in Hillsborough County Circuit Court.
According to the St Petersburg Times quoting court documents, Ruby Landes says that Charles Podany acted with reckless disregard when he shot her son. Podany was originally charged with manslaughter but a judge later agreed with defense attorneys that he shot Landes in self-defense. The lawsuit was filed against Podany and the condo association where the shooting took place.

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Is the recession helping plaintiffs in personal injury cases? I guess it depends who you ask but in a recent article in the Wisconsin Journal of Law, the author makes a case that verdict awards are up in this tough economic climate. The article is based on interviews with local lawyers and a study by Florida-based Jury Verdict Research. The company maintains a national database of awards in personal injury cases. According to their data, the median verdict in 2007 was $40,000. That is up $5000 from 2006.
While the data seems to back up this claim, some defense attorneys just don’t agree. They also point out that in this economic climate some plaintiffs are far more willing to settle for less money that they would get if a case went to trial because they are more likely to take a settlement offer. One lawyer also commented that in settlements insurance companies are not offering any more money just beacuase times are tough.
If you or a loved one is in need of quality representation in your personal injury case, please contact Personal Injury Attorney Darren Finebloom at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) or online at fightyourinjury.com to discuss the matter. You can also contact Darren via email.

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 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.

21 polo horses with an estimated value of 100,000.00 dollars were accidentally killed when Frank’s Pharmacy improperly mixed their medication. Franks pharmacy has readily admitted that there negligence in preparing the medication given to the horses caused their deaths.
What damages could be recovered by the Plaintiff. Clearly the value of the Horses would be recoverable by the owner. In any civil action a plaintiff can also try and recover damages for pain and mental anguish. Despite the fact there has been no personal injury to the owner, it may still be worth pursuing. Each and every owner spent an enormous amount of time training these animals and the death could cause some extreme emotions. Is it recoverable in court? Only time will tell. If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident please do not hesitate to call Darren Finebloom at 1-800-fight-it or visit our website fightyourinjury.com.

Ereck Plancher has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the University of Central Florida. Plancher was only 19 years old, a Naples native at the time of his death. Plencher died while participating in an offseason workout.
Plancher’s lawsuit alleges that UCF, its coaches and officials negligence were the direct and proximate cause of Plancher’s death. The University is denying the allegations made in the lawsuit. In fact, Plancher was diagnosed with a sickle cell trait shortly before his death. The autopsy reported that Plancher died of due to the sickle cell trait which was aggravated by the workout.
Did UCF know of Planchers condition and when did they know it. That is the critical question which goes to the heart of this lawsuit. The Plaintiff’s case will be come much easier if they can prove UCF had knowledge of the Plaintiff’s illness. If they did not have knowledge of the pre-existing illness the Plaintiff will then have a more difficult time proving their actions were
If you or your loved one has been injured by the negligence of another please do not hesitate to call Darren Finebloom at 1-800-fight or visit our website at www.fightyourinjury.com.