Ocala Injury Lawyers Blog

Follow-up to Florida Polo Mogul Retrial

Published on: November 12, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

Late last week, the founder of the International Polo Club was found guilty in a fatal drunk-driving crash. A local news report explained that the defendant was found guilty in 2012 for the accident, but it was overturned after juror misconduct was discovered. The case was retried, and after four hours of jury deliberation the defendant was found guilty of vehicular homicide and DUI manslaughter.

Apparently, the defendant ran a stop sign while drunk and slammed into a 23-year-old recent college graduate. He left the scene of the crime and did not call 911 until approximately one hour later, at which point the victim had already passed.

His attorneys attempted to argue that the test that gauged his blood alcohol concentration was inaccurate and that his car may have malfunctioned. However, even after his retrial he was found guilty.

Medical Malpractice Case Reversed in Favor of Plaintiff

Published on: November 11, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

The Supreme Court of Idaho reversed a medical malpractice case in favor of the plaintiff. The defendant is a nursing home that specializes in long-term rehabilitation care. The plaintiff’s mother was a resident of the nursing home for five years. Apparently, during her stay there, the plaintiff’s mother had a fall. Subsequently, emergency room physicians administered medication that caused the plaintiff’s mother to have extreme side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and other issues. She was placed in the “comfort care” unit of the nursing home, and unfortunately she died shortly thereafter.

The plaintiff filed a complaint against the nursing home, claiming that it knew of his mother’s fall risk and that it did not provide adequate support to prevent the fall. The company moved to dismiss the case, claiming that the plaintiff did not prove that it acted below the appropriate standard of care.

The nursing home provided an affidavit from the nursing care director that it did follow appropriate protocols, and as a result the plaintiff also provided affidavits from two experts stating that the nursing home did indeed fall below the standard of care. The Court initially ruled in favor of the defendants, but the Supreme Court of Idaho found that the affidavits provided by the plaintiff were reliable and should have been admitted because they go to genuine issues of material fact.
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Ride Erupts into Flames in Walt Disney World

Published on: November 6, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

Earlier this week in Walt Disney World, a fire started on one of the amusement park’s newest and most popular rides, the Seven Dwarves Mine Train Ride. According to a report by People, the park authorities noticed that something was wrong when embers from the nearby Magic Kingdom firework display landed near the ride’s buildings. The building quickly caught fire.

The fire began around ten in the evening and was completely contained within two hours. Thankfully, there were no injuries as a result of the fire. The ride, which has been open for only about six months, is the park’s most popular attraction.

Disney World’s Safety Record

Walt Disney World is known to be a fairly safe amusement park. However, accidents can occur at these parks. For example, there was a fatal accident a few years back on the Sailing Ship Columbia in Disneyland where a rope that was securing the ship came loose and swung a metal cleat into a man, killing him and severely injuring his wife. The couple’s two children, although unharmed, witnessed the entire accident. In the case, the amusement park settled with the family for $20 million.

Polo Star Back in Court in Florida Regarding DUI Manslaughter Case

Published on: October 30, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

A multi-millionaire polo star is back in court regarding a 2010 DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide case. According to a local news report, four years ago a recent college grad was driving a Hyundai when the defendant crashed his Bentley into him. Evidently, the defendant waited over an hour before calling the authorities or 911.

He was convicted of this crime in 2012, but the conviction was subsequently thrown out because of juror misconduct. The new trial started late last week, where he once again pleaded not guilty. The defendant is claiming that his car malfunctioned and that he was not intoxicated, although his blood alcohol concentration was double the legal limit.

Responsible Parties in Car Accident Claims

In Florida, car accident claims can be based on the negligence of several people or entities. For example, a victim may claim the negligence of another driver, or an entity that designed an unsafe road, or even a manufacturer of a part of a car.

Florida Basketball Coach Involved in Serious Head-On Collision

Published on: October 27, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

Earlier this month, a Northwest Florida State basketball coach was involved in a serious accident on State Road 85. According to a local news report, the basketball coach was driving in a Ford Fusion with his wife when another driver, driving a Nissan, rammed into their car head-on. Apparently, the other driver crossed three lanes and into the center median, eventually hitting the basketball coach head-on in a fiery crash.Unfortunately, the accident was so severe that the victim and the other driver were unable to be taken out of their respective vehicles easily, and rather had to be cut out by emergency personnel. The coach was taken to a local hospital, his wife was driven to another hospital, and the other driver was flown to Sacred Heart Hospital.

The current reports do not indicate that alcohol was a contributing factor in the crash, but the Florida Highway Patrol is still investigating what caused the other driver to dangerously begin driving in the wrong lanes.
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Florida Boating Accident Injures Two and Kills One Person

Published on: October 24, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

Earlier this month in Key Biscayne, Florida, two individuals were injured and one was killed in a boating accident. According to a local news article, a 68-foot yacht crashed into a 27-foot smaller watercraft.

A 29-year-old woman was killed due to injuries from the crash, and a 33-year-old and 23-year-old were severely injured. The injured parties were rushed to Mercy Hospital and Jackson Memorial’s Ryder Trauma Center. Unfortunately, both the survivors are currently in critical condition.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is attempting to determine the exact nature of the crash, and specifically, if the driver of the yacht was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash. The Commission spokesperson indicated that the driver originally exhibited some signs of impairment. The investigation is ongoing at the present time.

Florida Man Dies in Tragic Workplace Accident

Published on: October 22, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

Last month in Tampa, a 57-year-old man died as a result of an accident that occurred at his place of employment. According to a report by one local news source, the man was working for Infra-Metals when the accident took place.

Evidently, the man was using a forklift to move a large steel beam, when the beam collided with a pile of similar beams nearby. The force from the collision pushed the forklift back, crushing the man inside. Nearby workers attempted to remove the beam as soon as possible, but it was too late by the time they did.

The man left behind a wife, eight children, and 17 grandchildren. His wife told reporters that she wonders what could have been done to prevent the fatal accident. She said that her husband had told her of problems with the forklift in the past, but she assumed that they were all resolved once he stopped talking about them.

Florida Truck Accident Causes Death of 27-Year-Old

Published on: October 20, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

A 27-year-old man died late last week in a car accident on I-95. According to one news report, a truck driver was driving down I-95 when a wheel from his truck came loose. The wheel then bounced over the highway median and crashed into the windshield of the victim’s car.

The ensuing damage from the wheel, compounded with the shattered glass, caused massive damage. The victim was taken to a hospital in St. Augustine, Florida, where he was unfortunately pronounced dead. There was a passenger in the victim’s car, but he only suffered minor injuries. Additionally, debris from the car hit another driver, but that driver and the driver of the truck were not injured.

At this point, the car accident is still being investigated by Florida Highway Patrol.

Florida Helicopter Crash Results in $16 Million Verdict

Published on: October 3, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

Late last week, a local newspaper reported that a jury awarded a total of $16 million to the families of four individuals who were killed in a helicopter accident back in 2011.

A couple celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, as well as a pilot, were killed near Lake Mead in the fatal accident. The crash was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board. Evidently, the Board found that there was “inadequate maintenance” of the helicopter. The investigation found that there was a faulty bolt that was not found during routine inspections.

Sundance Helicopters owned and managed the helicopter that crashed. They denied any responsibility or liability for over three years. However, a jury finally determined that the company was negligent and that its negligence caused the untimely death of these individuals.

One-Year Anniversary of Terrible Police-Brutality Death

Published on: October 2, 2014 | Dean Law Firm, LLC

Approximately one year ago, a Florida college football player was shot and killed by a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer. In the time since that shooting, two other young, unarmed, men have died because of actions taken by a police officer.

A local news source reported that on September 14, 2013, the young football player crashed his car into the side of a house. The young man then went around the neighborhood trying to seek assistance. However, a neighborhood homeowner called the police because she believed that the young man was attempting to break into her home.

Police arrived shortly afterward, and one of the officers began shooting rounds at the young man. The man was killed after being shot ten times. The police officer claims that the man was running toward him.