South Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog

Negligent Credentialing in Medical Malpractice Cases in Florida

Published on: December 27, 2019 | by Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada, P.A.

Under Florida law, health care providers owe a duty to their patients. This duty requires doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals to provide a certain level of care to their patients. When a medical professional fails to live up to this duty, and a patient is injured as a result, the patient may be able to pursue compensation through a South Florida medical malpractice lawsuit.

Medical malpractice claims can be complex, and they often raise several unanticipated issues. One of the most critical early decisions that an injured patient must make is which parties to name as defendants. Of course, the medical professional whose negligence resulted in the patient’s injuries is an obvious choice. However, there may be other parties that can be named to improve a plaintiff’s chance of recovering compensation for their injuries.

This stands true for all Florida personal injury cases. And a common source of liability is an at-fault party’s employer. For example, under the doctrine of respondeat superior, an employer can be held liable for the negligent acts of their employee. Thus, employers are routinely named as defendants in cases involving an employee’s negligence. However, most medical professionals are legally classified as contractors rather than employees, making a respondeat superior claim difficult, if not impossible.

Florida Medical Malpractice Lawsuits Involving Children

Published on: December 21, 2019 | by Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada, P.A.

Infants, children, and young teenagers are susceptible to a wide array of medical and health issues that can have lifelong and potentially fatal outcomes. Although safe and swift medical treatment is important for all individuals, it is crucial for populations that are unable to articulate their symptoms or effectively advocate on their behalf. When medical professionals fail to appropriately treat young children, they may be liable under Florida’s medical malpractice statutes.

Florida law requires that medical professionals adhere to a reasonable standard of care when treating their patients. When a physician or other health care provider diverges from this standard of care, either by their action or by their failure to act, they may be liable to compensate their patients for the damages that they suffered. Under Florida’s medical malpractice statute, medical professionals owe children a “substantial duty of care.” This heightened standard means that these professionals must act reasonably in all aspects of their handling of the child’s medical care.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) lists pediatric medical malpractice lawsuits as one of the most common types of medical malpractice lawsuits brought against medical professionals. Some common incidents that result in medical malpractice are birth injuries, failures to diagnose, misdiagnoses, prescription errors, defective laboratory equipment, and surgical complications.

Florida Court Addresses Transfer of Duties in Trucking Accident Lawsuit

Published on: December 20, 2019 | by Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada, P.A.

An appellate court in Florida recently released an opinion addressing issues that frequently arise in South Florida truck accident cases. The case arose after a woman suffered severe injuries when a trailer flew off a truck and collided with her vehicle. The woman filed a lawsuit against various parties, including the trucking company as well as the automotive company that installed the wheels on the trailer. After amending her complaints, the trucking company was the only defendant remaining. At this point, the trucking company moved to dismiss the claim, alleging that their duty to maintain the truck was a delegable one, and therefore the company was not liable for the injuries that the plaintiff sustained.

The trucking company argued that they were not negligent because they conducted all relevant and applicable safety inspections, and they did not know that the automotive company was negligent in their repair. The woman argued that the company’s duty to maintain and repair its fleet was non-delegable.

Under Florida law, when a person suffers injuries because of a trucking accident, various parties may be liable. Some common defendants in Florida trucking accidents are the truck driver, the truck company, manufacturers of trucking component parts, and mechanics who worked on the vehicle. Although all of these parties may owe the victim a duty of care, issues arise when determining which parties breached that duty. Many times, defendants will argue that they are not responsible because they delegated a duty that was owed to the plaintiff to another party, and that other party should be accountable for the injuries that the victim suffered.

Landlord Liability Following a South Florida Dog Bite

Published on: December 17, 2019 | by Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada, P.A.

Florida dog bite law imposes liability on dog owners if their dog bites another person when the victim is lawfully in a private place or a public place. This statute only includes incidents in which a person suffers injuries specifically resulting from a dog bite. In cases in which a person suffers another type of injury from a dog, such as a scratch or a fall, the owner may be liable if the victim establishes that the owner’s negligence or failure to use reasonable care caused their injury.

Moreover, Florida courts follow strict liability theories when addressing dog bite injuries. Strict liability in dog bite cases means that owners can be liable when their dog bites another person, even if the person had no previous knowledge or warning that the dog might attack or bite someone. Unlike victims of other dog-related injuries, dog bite victims do not need to establish that the owner failed to take reasonable care to prevent their dog from biting the victim.

Dog bite victims may want to hold a landlord liable for injuries that they suffered because of a dog bite. For instance, plaintiffs in a neighboring state filed a lawsuit against a landlord after a dog escaped a yard and bit a woman. The dog bite victim alleged that the landlord was liable because he failed to repair a broken gate latch, which allowed the dog to escape the yard and attack the victim.

Drug Recalls and Pharmaceutical Warnings in Florida

Published on: December 16, 2019 | by Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada, P.A.

Pharmaceutical companies and retailers have strong financial motivations to get their products on shelves as quickly as possible. However, in some instances, these drugs can have potentially dangerous side effects for consumers. When someone suffers injuries because of a defective drug in Florida, they may be able to recover financial compensation for the harm that they suffered.

Most defective drug lawsuits are a type of Florida product liability claim and brought under strict liability theories. In some cases, other approaches may be appropriate, depending on the type of drug that the patient took, the harm that they experienced, and the warning that the company provided. There are three main defective drug claims that a Florida patient may pursue against a pharmaceutical company or retailer: a defective manufacturing claim, an improperly marketed drug claim, or a dangerous side effect claim.

Defective manufacturing claims occur when a product is contaminated or otherwise tainted during production. Sometimes products will become contaminated during production at the facility; in other cases, a product may become compromised at some point between manufacture and when the patient receives the drug. Improper marketing claims arise when the pharmaceutical company uses inappropriate or inadequate warnings, instructions, or recommendations regarding the use of the product. These types of claims may incorporate various theories of liability. Finally, a dangerous side effects claim generally transpires after a patient suffers injuries because the company failed to reveal hazardous side effects appropriately. In some cases, the product’s dangerous propensity is not discovered until sometime after the product has been on the market; however, patients may allege that the company knew of the side effects but failed to warn the public. In some cases, companies will not issue a formal recall but will provide an enhanced warning. This does not always suffice, and the company may still be liable.

Nursing Home Rating Tool Reveals Significant Safety Violations at Florida Nursing Homes

Published on: December 9, 2019 | by Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada, P.A.

According to the Florida Health Care Association, there are 697 licensed nursing homes in Florida, and they serve over 70,000 residents. These homes provide acute care, rehabilitative treatment, and convalescent services to older adults and those suffering from disabilities. Despite the startling frequently of Florida nursing home abuse cases, families do not always have many options when it comes to the long-term care and treatment of their loved ones. If a family member suspects that their loved one is experiencing nursing home abuse, they should immediately contact law enforcement and seek the assistance of a Florida nursing home abuse attorney.

Nursing home abuse, neglect, and exploitation is a pervasive, long-standing, and frequently unreported problem. Nursing homes may be criminally and civilly liable when they willfully inflict physical injury or mental harm to a resident. Abuse includes depriving residents of appropriate care and services and sexually, mentally, or physically abusing them. Neglect occurs when a nursing home provider or their employee fails to provide services and treatment that is necessary to avoid physical or emotional harm to a resident. Finally, exploitation arises when a provider takes advantage of a resident by manipulating, intimidating, or threatening them. Many times, nursing home abuse and neglect cases involve injuries from falls, pressure injuries, choking, medication errors, infection, dehydration, malnutrition, and unsafe elopement. These incidents can cause significant long-term damage or death to a resident.

There are several laws in place to address concerns regarding patient underreporting. Nursing homes must notify a resident’s treating physician and family if there are any significant changes in the resident’s condition. Further, before 2013, many nursing homes adopted “no CPR” policies, and would not perform life-saving measures on residents who were pulseless and not breathing. However, facilities must now provide essential life support treatment while awaiting emergency personnel, following the resident’s directives, or when they do not have one on file.

Who Is Responsible in a Florida Rear-End Collision?

Published on: December 6, 2019 | by Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada, P.A.

The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration reports that approximately 1 in 3 car accidents involves a rear-end collision. Quite simply, a Florida rear-end collision occurs when a driver slams into the vehicle in front of them for any reason. In many cases, these Florida accidents are the result of distracted driving, unsafe following, and weather conditions.

Many Florida drivers assume that they can recover all of their damages if someone rear-ends their vehicle. Although Florida law creates a presumption of fault on the rear-end driver, this presumption is rebuttable. The rebuttable presumption allows rear-ending drivers to avoid paying a portion or all of the other driver’s damages if they can establish that the lead driver was partially at fault for the accident.

In a recent case, a Florida appellate court addressed the four situations when a rear-end accident defendant may rebut their presumption of negligence. In that case, a woman appealed after a trial court denied the woman’s motion for a directed verdict and a jury found in favor of the rear-end driver. Under Florida law, a defendant can successfully rebut a presumption of negligence if they prove that:

Florida Bike and Scooter Share Accidents

Published on: November 27, 2019 | by Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada, P.A.

In Florida, transportation by bike or scooter is popular and widely utilized by many commuters, tourists, and those looking for an inexpensive way to get around. As a result, Florida continues to lead the nation as a state with one of the highest rates of bicycle crashes every year. Similar to motorists, individuals involved in a Florida bike accident can file a personal injury lawsuit for the injuries they suffered because of another driver or cyclist’s negligence. According to statistics gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Florida has over 100 bicycle-related fatalities every year, which is almost double the national rate.

Florida bicyclists must follow the state’s bike rider requirements. Some requirements include following all traffic laws that apply to motor vehicles, restricting the use of their bike to only one person on a seat, and ensuring that the bike is in proper working condition. Adherence to traffic laws is paramount as the likelihood, and degree of injury to unsafe cyclists is much more severe than that of a motorist.

With the rise in bike-sharing, more inexperienced bicyclists are on the road, and this can cause devastating consequences to the rider, pedestrians, and motorists. Bike-sharing companies usually use a docking system, and riders obtain bikes and return them to the docking station at a later time. However, recently, non-docking scooters and bike-sharing systems have become more prevalent. This allows riders to leave their bikes or scooters at various locations.

Maximum Medical Improvement and Florida Workers Compensation Eligibility

Published on: November 25, 2019 | by Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada, P.A.

Recently, Florida’s First District Court of Appeal issued an opinion addressing a claimant’s eligibility to temporary partial disability benefits after an expert medical advisor opined that he reached maximum medical improvement.

Under the Florida State Workers’ Compensation Program, employees who suffered injuries at their workplace or during the scope of their employment, have the right to recover costs associated with their medical expenses and lost wages. To collect benefits through the state’s workers’ compensation program, employees must report their injuries to their employer within 30 days of either the injury or when it was discovered to be related to work. Employees must provide as much information as possible, including details regarding the accident and the symptoms they are experiencing.

After reporting an injury, employers should contact their insurance company and send the employee to an occupational doctor of their choosing. The doctor will treat the patient until they reach “maximum medical improvement” (MMI). Under the statute, MMI is when a reasonable medical professional determines that an individual’s condition has reached a point where they should not expect any further recovery. A finding of MMI does not necessarily mean that an employee is fully recovered or that they are not experiencing functional limitations. Further, reaching MMI does not automatically terminate entitlement to treatment. However, reaching MMI is a critical point in the employee’s treatment, because once MMI is reached, an employee’s insurance carrier can reduce or terminate benefits. Issues arise because there are instances where doctors are under pressure to categorize patients as reaching MMI, even if that is not the case.

Appeals Court Issues Opinion in Insurance Company Dispute Following Florida Accident

Published on: November 21, 2019 | by Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada, P.A.

A Florida appellate court recently issued an opinion in a lawsuit stemming from an insurance dispute between a Florida policyholder and her car insurance provider. For several years, the plaintiff exercised with the assistance of a personal trainer out of a mobile gym. The gym used the woman’s electricity to power various equipment and machinery. On one occasion, the woman suffered injuries during her workout. She filed a negligence lawsuit against the trainer and the mobile gym’s owner, ultimately settling the claim.

That settlement did not fully compensate the plaintiff for her injuries, however. Thus, to cover her remaining damages, she filed a claim with her insurance company under her uninsured/underinsured motorist (UIM) policy. The insurance company refused to pay the costs, claiming that the policy did not extend to the circumstances surrounding her injuries. She filed a claim against the Florida car insurance company. Although these facts are admittedly unusual, the case presents a common issue that arises when a policyholder attempts to collect compensation from an insurance company.

Florida insurance companies often take on an adversarial role, even with their own policyholders. Claims adjusters often receive training to negotiate settlements and deny claims in the insurance company’s favor. Several issues commonly arise when a policyholder tries to collect from an insurance company. First, there may be issues surrounding causation. Insurance companies often require motorists to provide evidence of what caused the accident. After establishing causation, they will usually need the party to prove fault. Adjusters will often deny claims based on who they find to be at fault for the accident. If a policyholder overcomes the initial hurdles, they will then need to claim their damages. Insurance companies may try and limit payouts by contending that the policyholder’s injuries were not as severe as they suggest.