Late last year, a state court of appeals issued a written opinion in a nursing home negligence case brought by the estate of the deceased resident. The case presented the court with the opportunity to discuss when an arbitration agreement is valid if it is signed by someone other than…
South Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
Florida Appellate Court Reiterates that Witness Credibility Is Not at Issue in Summary Judgment Proceedings
Earlier this month, a Florida appellate court issued a written opinion in a slip-and-fall case that was brought by a man who had fallen after slipping on a puddle of oil in a condominium complex. In reversing the lower court’s decision to grant summary judgment in favor of the defendant,…
Establishing Liability in Florida Dog Bite Cases
Earlier this month, a Georgia appellate court issued a written opinion in a dog bite case in which the plaintiff was bitten by a neighbor’s dog after she was invited over to the neighbor’s home. In that case, the court discussed in detail that state’s requirement that the plaintiff establish not…
Florida Medical Malpractice Cases May Be Dismissed for Failure to Obtain a Supporting Medical Expert’s Opinion
Medical malpractice cases comprise a large portion of the cases that are filed in Florida courts each year. To help courts sort through the claims, and to ensure that only meritorious claims are presented to the court, the Florida legislature has implemented a requirement that all medical malpractice lawsuits must…
Florida Appellate Court Invalidates Arbitration Agreement, Rejecting Nursing Home’s Argument
Earlier this month, a Florida appellate court handed down a decision in an interesting nursing home negligence case, requiring the court to determine the validity of an arbitration contract signed by a deceased resident’s daughter. The court ultimately rejected the nursing home’s argument that, since the resident was a third-party beneficiary…
Appellate Court Refuses To Consider Evidence Presented for the First Time on Appeal
Earlier this month, a Rhode Island appellate court issued a written opinion discussing principles that are important to understand for anyone considering filing a personal injury case in South Florida. The case arose out of a slip-and-fall accident that occurred in a public park. The issue for the court to decide…
Plaintiffs with Foreign Object in Body Always Entitled to Presumption of Negligence, Florida Supreme Court Holds
The Florida Supreme Court recently determined that a plaintiff who undergoes a procedure and has a foreign object left in their body is always entitled to a presumption of negligence. Before this decision, a federal appeals court had decided that a plaintiff was not entitled to the presumption where direct…
Florida Appellate Court Upholds Defense Verdict in Car Accident Case
Earlier this month, a Florida appellate court issued a written opinion in a personal injury case brought by a motorist who was rear-ended by another driver. The court ultimately affirmed the jury’s verdict in favor of the defendant despite the fact that the defendant driver admitted that he was at…
Court Holds Bus Driver Can Be Held Strictly Liable After She Became Suddenly Unconscious on School Trip
In a recent case, one state’s supreme court considered whether a high school bus driver could be held strictly liable after she suddenly lost consciousness while behind the wheel. The driver was taking students back from a high school band competition when she experienced a sudden and unforeseeable loss of…
Florida Woman Files Claim Against Bank After Falling in Hole in Construction Area
A Florida appellate court recently considered whether a bank could be held liable after a woman fell in a hole in a construction zone on the bank’s property. The woman had driven to the bank to make a deposit. When she arrived, she saw the bank was closed and decided…