Wrongful Death

January 14, 2023

Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Recovering for Mental and Nervous Injuries in Florida

Florida’s liability law and workers’ compensation systems are cautious about awarding benefits for mental and nervous injuries. The underlying basis for the caution is that allowing recovery for injuries resulting from purely emotional distress would open the floodgates for fictitious or speculative claims. R.J. v. Humana of Florida, Inc., 652 So.2d 360 (Fla.1995).

What has come to be known as the “Impact Rule” requires that “before a plaintiff can recover damages for emotional distress caused by the negligence of another, the emotional distress suffered must flow from physical injuries the plaintiff sustained in an impact.'” See Southern Baptist Hosp. of Fla. v. Welker, 908 So.2d 317 (Fla.2005).

The rule is applied in common law personal injury cases and in workers’ compensation cases.

Limited exceptions to the Impact Rule apply in both fields. The common law exceptions have been created by the Florida Supreme Court. See, e.g., Eastern Airlines, Inc. v. King, 557 So.2d 574 (Fla.1990) (recognizing the tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress absent impact); Champion v. Gray, 478 So.2d 17 (Fla.1985) (allowing recovery where plaintiff is in the “sensory perception” of physical injuries sustained by a close family member); Kush v. Lloyd, 616 So.2d 415 (Fla.1992) (finding rule inapplicable to actions for wrongful birth); Tanner v. Hartog, 696 So.2d 705 (Fla.1997) (impact rule does not preclude recovery of non-economic damages for parents of stillborn child); Gracey v. Eaker (impact rule inapplicable for breach of statutory duty of confidentiality to patient); Rowell v. Holt, 850 So.2d 474 (Fla.2003) (impact rule does not preclude recovery for psychological injury due to attorney’s negligence).

In short, “[e]xceptions to the rule have been narrowly created and defined in a certain very narrow class of cases in which the foreseeability and gravity of the emotional injury involved, and lack of countervailing policy concerns, have surmounted the policy rationale undergirding application of the impact rule.” Id. at 478.

Compare these close-call cases: R.J. v. Humana of Florida, Inc., 652 So.2d 360 (Fla. 1995) (impact rule applies to negligent HIV diagnosis without physical damage), Woodard v. Jupiter Christian School, Inc., 913 So.2d 1188 (Fla. 2005) (impact rule applies to outing student’s homosexuality).

July 27, 2022

Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Unrelated Works Exception to Workers’ Compensation Immunity Does Not Apply to Employees of a Different Subcontractor

by Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

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 as pain and suffering. Workers’ compensation covers only authorized medical expenses and a defined period of lost wages. Noneconomic damages are not allowed. Civil remedy damages include economic damages such as medical expenses and lost wages as well as noneconomic damages.

Florida Statute 440.11 provides immunity to employers and their employees from civil remedy actions. There are exceptions to this rule. The exceptions are outlined in 440.11. The employer loses its immunity if it fails to maintain the workers’ compensation security required by Chapter 440 or commits an intentional tort. Section 440.11(1)(b) describes the fellow-employee exceptions:

Fellow-employee immunities shall not be applicable to an employee who acts, with respect to a fellow employee, with willful and wanton disregard or unprovoked physical aggression or with gross negligence when such acts result in injury or death or such acts proximately cause such injury or death, nor shall such immunities be applicable to employees of the same employer when each is operating in the furtherance of the employer’s business but they are assigned primarily to unrelated works within private or public employment. (Italics added.)

In Moradiellos v Gerelco Traffic Controls, Inc., 176 So.3d 329 (Fla. 3rd DCA 2015), Mr. Moradiellos was killed in a construction site incident caused by the negligence of a subcontractor’s employee. Employees of construction subcontractors typically also get the 440.11 workers’ compensation immunity. The decedent was employed by the general contractor.

July 19, 2022

Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Florida Liability Insurance Carriers Not Obligated by Duty of Good Faith to Settle Claims of All Insureds

by Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

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 2006).

Insurance companies are obligated under Florida law to act in good faith and with due regard for every insured’s interests. Boston Old Colony Insurance Company v. Gutierrez, 386 So.2d 783 (Fla. 1980). Under this duty, carriers must give fair consideration of any settlement opportunity and settle the claim when it can and should do so. Powell v. Prudential Property & Casualty Ins. Co., 584 So. 2d 12, 13 (Fla. 3rd DCA 1991).

In Contreras, a permissive user struck and killed a pedestrian while driving at a high rate of speed after consuming alcohol. Both the owner of the vehicle and the permissive user were covered under a U.S. Security motor vehicle liability insurance policy. Coverage under the policy for wrongful death was limited to $10,000.

December 18, 2021

Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Proceed Cautiously With Settlement Releases

by Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

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 the bear will eat you. Stay your course. Invariably, chart adjustments will be necessary, but the final destination always remains the same: favorable resolution of the case. Settling the case equates to pulling into port. However, it is not the last act. The ship must be successfully docked and secured. The Settlement Release is part of this final act. It must be done properly to avoid damaging the ship.

Our law firm handles both workers’ compensation and personal injury/wrongful death cases. It is not uncommon to have both types of cases arising out of one accident. For example, we represent a gentleman who suffered numerous catastrophic injuries in a motor vehicle crash. Since the accident happened in the course and scope of his employment, he was covered under workers’ compensation. We recently settled the workers’ compensation case. The common law liability case, against the second vehicle’s owner and our client’s co-worker [brought under a theory of gross negligence to overcome workers’ compensation immunity], remains ongoing.

As part of the workers’ compensation mediated settlement, the workers’ compensation carrier agreed that the settlement did not affect the liability case against the third party or the co-worker. Nevertheless, the General Release it submitted to us contained wording that could be construed as preventing our client from proceeding against the co-worker. We have reworded it to avoid this outcome.

September 22, 2021

Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Personal Injury/Wrongful Death Damages Can Include Those Caused by an Aggravating Intervening Cause

by Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

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 the broken hip. We are doing so on the authority of Stuart v. Hertz Corp., 351 So.2d 703 (Fla. 1977).

In Stuart v. Hertz Corp., 351 So.2d 703 (Fla. 1977), a car crash victim’s injuries were made worse by the negligence of a treating doctor. The victim was allowed to claim damages for the enhanced injuries from the parties liable for the underlying car crash case.

August 22, 2021

Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Health and Disability Insurance Reimbursement Rights in Florida Personal Injury Cases

by Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

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 proceeds recovered by the insured in the personal injury case for the same losses.

How much must be repaid depends on policy language and who is paying the settlement or judgment in the personal injury case.

Many of the insurance policies provide that the carrier has the right to be reimbursed in full up to the amount recovered in the liability case before the insured and the insured’s attorney receive penny one. When the compensation is paid by a tortfeasor, who is the person or entity responsible for causing the harm, reimbursement is determined by the formula set forth in section 768.76(4), Florida Statutes. The statutory formula applies even where the insurance policy calls for full reimbursement to the carrier first. In Ingenix v. Ham, 35 So.3d 949 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2010), Gerald Ham’s health insurer, UnitedHealthcare, paid almost all of Ham’s medical bills relating to a medical procedure that ultimately resulted in his death. After settling with the medical providers (i.e., tortfeasors) in a medical malpractice lawsuit, Ham’s estate contended that it was only required to reimburse UnitedHealthcare a reduced amount according to the formula set out in section 768.76(4), Florida Statutes (2008). UnitedHealthcare took the position that it was entitled to full reimbursement in accordance with the language of its policy. The court held that section 768.76(4) controlled, limiting UnitedHealthcare’s reimbursement to the formula under section 768.76(4).

June 1, 2018

Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Important Application of “Survivors” Under Florida’s Wrongful Death Act

by Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

Under Florida law, only individuals meeting the definition of “Survivors” under Florida’s Wrongful Death Act may be compensated for losses resulting from the death of another person. (See this blog, Florida Wrongful Death Survivors Chart, for a handy reference to benefits available under the Act.)

Under section 768.18(1) of the Act, survivors are defined as:

the decedent’s spouse, children, parents, and, when partly or wholly dependent on the decedent for support or services, any blood relatives and adoptive brothers and sisters. It includes the child born out of wedlock of a mother, but not the child born out of wedlock of the father unless the father has recognized a responsibility for the child’s support.

In January 2011, Richard Wiederhold was immediately rendered a quadriplegic in a motor vehicle crash. One month later he sued Domino’s Pizza as being responsible for the crash. Several months later he married his girlfriend. In March 2012, Mr. Wiederhold died, and his now-wife, Mrs. Wiederhold, as personal representative of his estate, was substituted as the plaintiff. She then filed an amended complaint to include a claim for wrongful death damages as Mr. Wiederhold’s surviving spouse.

Mrs. Wiederhold received a favorable jury verdict. Domino’s appealed, arguing that because Mrs. Wiederhold was not married to Mr. Wiederhold at the time of the accident, she was not a surviving spouse under the Act.

December 19, 2015

Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Florida Wrongful Death Cases – Do Not Ignore Medical Expenses

by Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

We have blogged at length regarding the decision-making role of estate Personal Representatives with regard to the allocation of monetary proceeds recovered from at-fault parties and under/uninsured motorist insurance. Where the amount recovered is less than the full measure of damages, disputes often arise between creditors and the decedent’s survivors over the PR’s allocation decisions. When those disputes cannot be resolved by agreement, the courts must decide. While Florida’s Wrongful Death Act does not articulate preferences, our experience shows that courts tend to side with survivors in close cases.

In re Estate of Wiggins, 720 So. 2d 523 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999) is the seminal allocation case. It involved six adult surviving children and various creditors (owed a total of $26,000), including Indian River Memorial Hospital, vying over a $100,000 settlement. The matter was forced to trial, where the trial court agreed with the PR’s allocation which left creditors with nothing. The lower court’s ruling was upheld on appeal.

July 3, 2015

Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A. // Apportioning Settlement Proceeds in Florida Wrongful Death Cases

by Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

Not infrequently, the amount of money available following a wrongful death accident to fully satisfy outstanding debts (e.g., medical bills, funeral expenses, credit cards) and compensate survivors for their loss is inadequate. Where the settlement [in the wrongful death claim] is less than the full value of the claim, the personal representative is charged with employing a reasonable and equitable method of apportioning the distribution of settlement proceeds among the survivors and the estate. See In re Estate of Wiggins, 720 So. 2d 523 (Fla. 4th DCA 1999).

September 21, 2013

Florida Wrongful Death Survivors Chart — Back by Popular Demand

by Jeffrey P. Gale, P.A.

Understanding who may be eligible for compensation under the “Florida Wrongful Death Act,” sections 768.16 through 768.26, can be difficult, like piecing together a puzzle. Reproduced here is an easy to understand chart showing that information as well as the type of compensation that may be available. Of particular importance concerning these issues is Section 768.21 of the Act. It is that section which is broken down in the chart.

According to the Act, only statutory “survivors” and the decedent’s estate are eligible for compensation resulting from a loss caused by the intentional act or negligence of a third party. A Personal Representative, often the decedent’s family member, is appointed by the court to manage the estate after due notice to the survivors and other interested parties. The PR hires the attorney to prosecute the case to recover damages. While the survivors typically agree with the PR’s choice, they may hire their own attorney. The lawyer or lawyers will handle the case on a contingent fee basis.

The Act has survived many court challenges to its fairness. Many of its provisions are counter-intuitive and unfair. One of the most glaring faults involves an exemption for medical providers whose negligence caused death. (See Gigantic Loophole in Florida’s Wrongful Death Act.) Changes must come from the Florida Legislature.

Spouse Dies – Surviving Spouse but no Surviving Children
Spouse’s Damages:

Loss of Decendent’s Companionship and Protection
Mental Pain and Suffering from date of injury
Loss of Support and Services from date of injury to date of death (w/ interest)
Future Loss of Support and Services from date of death (at present value)
Medical and Funeral Expenses due to decedent’s injury/death if paid by survivor

Spouse Dies with Surviving Children and Surviving Spouse
Spouse’s Damages:

Loss of Decendent’s Companionship and Protection
Mental Pain and Suffering from date of injury
Loss of Support and Services from date of injury to date of death (w/ interest)
Future Loss of Support and Services from date of death (at present value)
Medical and Funeral Expenses due to decedent’s injury/death if paid by survivor

Childrens’ Damages:

Loss of Support and Services from date of injury to date of death (w/ interest)
Future Loss of Support and Services from date of death (at present value)
Minor children only (under the age of 25 – Section 768.18(2) Florida Statutes), or all children if there is no surviving spouse, may also recover loss of parental companionship, instruction, and guidance and mental pain and suffering from date of the injury

Parent Dies with Surviving Children but no Surviving Spouse
Surviving Children:

Loss of Support and Services from date of injury to date of death (w/interest)
Future Loss of Support and Services from date of death (at present value)
All children may recover loss of parental companionship, instruction, and guidance and mental pain and suffering from date of the injury