It is the job of every injury lawyer to maximize the client’s recovery. Sometimes when a person is hurt at work, more than one remedy is available. Workers’ compensation is one remedy. Civil law is another. Florida’s workers’ compensation laws do not allow for the recovery of noneconomic damages such…
Articles Posted in Personal Injury
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Florida Motor Vehicle Insurance Protections Gutted by The Graves Amendment
Companies make billions of dollars leasing and renting their motor vehicles. You’d think they’d have some corresponding corporate responsibility to compensate individuals injured through no fault of their own by the negligent operation of their vehicles. They don’t. The Florida Legislature once believed they did. They may still feel this…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Florida Liability Insurance Carriers Not Obligated by Duty of Good Faith to Settle Claims of All Insureds
Florida liability insurance policies often provide coverage to many individuals, including those not named in the policy. For example, the standard Florida motor vehicle policy will insure vehicle owners and unlisted permissive users. This was the scenario in Contreras v. U.S. Sec. Ins. Co., 927 So.2d 16 (Fla. 4th DCA…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Exculpatory Clauses Place Florida School Children at Risk
One of the main goals behind holding individuals and corporations accountable for the damage caused by their negligence is to make society a safer place. The thinking is that to avoid the substantial hassle and expense of lawsuits and damage awards, thoughtful people will act reasonably. An exculpatory clause purports…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // UM Carrier Not Entitled to Setoff for Benefits Paid by Private Health Insurance
The law disfavors windfall recoveries and insurance carriers are always seeking to be the beneficiaries of this public policy. One way carriers seek to benefit from this policy is by reducing jury verdicts by amounts recovered in damages from other sources. This is known as “Setoff.” Uninsured and underinsured motor…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // $2 Million Settlement Achieved by Avoiding Florida’s Workers’ Compensation Immunity Law
What began as a product liability investigation, ended in a $2,000,000 personal injury settlement against the owner of an altered riding lawnmower (pictured). Our client lost his right leg when run over by the lawnmower he was operating for his employer. Initially thinking that the mower was owned by the employer,…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Where the Insurance Policy is Delivered Can Matter
We recently resolved a case involving a reimbursement dispute under an Occupational Health & Disability Insurance Policy. Our client, an independent trucker, had sustained catastrophic injuries from being struck by a motor vehicle as he was changing a tire while parked in a gore on I-95 in Florida. He was…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Proceed Cautiously With Settlement Releases
Think of an injury case like navigating a ship from one port to another. Signing up the case is the equivalent of throwing off the ropes and pulling safely away from the dock. Being at sea is analogous to litigation. Some days you will eat the bear and some days…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Personal Injury/Wrongful Death Damages Can Include Those Caused by an Aggravating Intervening Cause
We are representing the surviving spouse of an elderly gentleman who fell and broke his hip due to the negligence of a condominium association. While hospitalized for the serious injury, he contracted Covid 19 and died. Our claim against the condo association is for his wrongful death rather just for…
Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Health and Disability Insurance Reimbursement Rights in Florida Personal Injury Cases
It is common for health and disability (lost wages) insurance companies to pay benefits to their insureds who have been injured through the negligence of others. Most of the insurance policies contain language granting the insurance company a right of reimbursement for the money it has paid out from the…