Miami Personal Injury Attorney Blog

Miami’s Motorists Rank Among Worst

September 16, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

Recently, The Huffington Post crowned Miami home to the worst drivers in America. In the Miami-Dade County area, distracted drivers continue to contribute to the overwhelming number of traffic accidents that occur daily. Brian Palmer, a writer for Slate.com, “crunched the numbers” and found in 2012 Miami topped the national list for the highest amount of automobile fatalities and hit-and-run accidents involving pedestrians—on average 35 hit-and-run violations a day.

Statistics showed Miami experienced more distracted driver accidents than any other city in America, with Philadelphia a distant runner-up. South Florida’s increasing problem of distracted drivers and texting sparked Governor Rick Scott to sign a texting ban in May, which will take effect October 1, 2013.

The Florida Department of Transportation plans to sponsor a Distracted Driver Awareness Campaign. The awareness campaign will target teenagers. Governor Scott also emphasized the importance of The National Safety Council’s report that 3,000 teenagers end up receiving hospital treatment due to accidents involving texting. Distracted drivers and texting have become a national public dilemma.

Accident Kills One and Injures Two

August 29, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

One person was killed and another injured when a Smart Car and a truck collided at Biscayne Boulevard and Northeast 15th Street. The accident took place at 5 a.m. on Wednesday.

According to Miami Police, the Smart Car, which was rented from Car 2 Go, caused the accident by running a red light and t-boning the Chevy Silverado truck.

According to CBS Miami, the driver of the Smart Car was rushed to the hospital and is in critical condition. The driver of the truck was treated at Jackson Memorial Hospital and was released. He suffered a spinal injury and a concussion. The Smart Car passenger died on the scene.

Boy Injured on Cruise-Ship

August 29, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

A relaxing family cruise turned into a nightmare when a 9-year-old was seriously injured on a Royal Caribbean ship. The child’s family is now suing the cruise line.

According to NBC Miami, the boy was injured while playing a game in the ship’s entertainment zone for kids. The game involved two staff members throwing balls and children running to avoid them. One boy collided with another child, and his head struck a hard surface.

The ship, Monarch of the Seas, sailed out of Port Miami. Following the incident, the boy was rushed to a hospital in Nassau for emergency brain surgery.

Classes Resume After Deadly Car Crash

August 29, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

Classes at Miami Dade College’s Liberty City Campus resumed after a fiery car crash killed one person and injured three.

The four-door, silver Lincoln sedan was speeding on Northwest Seventh Avenue before it clipped a light post and crashed into a building. The car was reported stolen on Aug. 18. According to the Miami Police Department, the vehicle exploded immediately after impacting the wall.

The driver of the Lincoln ran away from the accident and left four passengers inside the burning car. One passenger died when the officers arrived.

Driver Arrested Almost 2 Months Later

August 29, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

After originating a multi-car accident almost two months ago Isis Cesar, 36, was arrested August 5, 2013 and now faces DUI and manslaughter charges. According to reports, she takes several medications, was under the influence of alcohol at the time and smoked marijuana the day before.

According to police, on May 9, 2013 Cesar was traveling more than 70 mph in an area where the speed limit was 40 mph around 2pm in Northwest Miami-Dade, when her car hit another vehicle turning left at 47th and NW 7th avenue. This caused the other driver’s car to crash into the car of Juan Liriano, age 71. Liriano’s car flew into the air and was hit yet again, ending his life.

Florida DUI and Manslaughter Penalties.

Slip and Fall Accidents

July 31, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

It is common for floors to get wet, pavement to become uneven and slip and falls to happen. It is for that reason that not every instance of a slip and fall accident should result in a lawsuit. Business and homeowners cannot be expected to catch every item or liquid on the ground immediately. They cannot be held liable for every slip or trip that occurs on the premise. There is a level of responsibility for one’s own actions that need to be taken into account before pursuing a personal injury lawsuit due to a slip and fall accident. A personal injury lawyer will be able to go over the details of your accident with you and confirm whether or not you have grounds to make a claim.

When it comes to determining liability for injuries related to a slip and fall accident in Florida, certain things need to be taken into account. Whether or not the owner of the property or an employee caused the spill or knew about the source of danger on the premises and failed to do anything about it for example. These cases revolve around common sense; had the owner taken reasonable measures to provide a safe environment? Where they neglectful of maintaining a safe environment? To win a slip and fall case, you must show how the property owner was liable for the accident. You must also be able to show you suffered a significant injury directly caused by their negligence. This is why consulting a personal injury attorney is so important.

Your attorney will be able to go over the details contributing to your fall such as; poor lighting, broken furniture or railings, lack of signage warning people of any potential dangers or barricades preventing entry into a risky area of the property. Whether or not a lack of proper building inspections and regular maintenance had a hand in your accident.

Jerome H. Wolfson Honored

July 16, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

Jerome H. Wolfson, Esq. has been a personal injury lawyer for over 50 years. And recently he was honored by the Florida Bar for his many years of practice. Mr. Wolfson has represented Plaintiff victims since he began his practice. Being a lawyer for 50 years gives you tremendous perspective. He has learned from many trials and cases what works and what doesn’t. Mr. Wolfson estimates that he has handed over 10,000 cases from beginning to end. And if you ask him about a case from 25 years ago, he will most likely be able to tell you what happened in the accident, who was at fault, and how the Plaintiff did in his or her recovery.

Mr. Wolfson started from humble beginnings in Long Branch, New Jersey. He drove fruit trucks on the overnight shift and played baseball for Drew University as a second basemen. Today, he enjoys practicing law with his son, Jonah Wolfson, Esq. Jonah understands the tremendous opportunity to learn from a lawyer with so many cases under his belt. Whether it is a car accident or slip and fall, Mr. Wolfson has handled a case similar or like yours.

Wolfson & Leon is proud to celebrate 50 years of practicing law for Jerome H. Wolfson, Esq. Take a look at the links below to see the recognition.

Miami Wrongful Death Claims

July 11, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

July 7, 2013, Miami, FL- The pain of losing a loved one is immeasurable, especially if their death was untimely or caused by another person or entity. It may be the furthest thing from a person’s mind while they are grieving for their parent, brother, sister, spouse or child, but survivors can seek compensation to cover their financial losses attributed to medical and funeral expenses and loss of wages. Florida wrongful death statutes also take the emotional losses of survivors into account.

A wrongful death claim is a civil suit which alleges that a person’s death was unnecessary and was the fault of another person or entity’s negligence. Wrongful death claims involve a range of accidental deaths from simple car accidents to complex medical malpractice and product liability cases. People, corporations and local, state or federal government can be sued for wrongful death either because they failed to protect an individual’s safety or intentionally caused their death.

The most important thing to note about filing a wrongful death suit in Florida is that time is critical, you must act quickly. We at the Law Office of Jonah Wolfson understand that when a person is grieving the loss of someone they love it’s hard to think about a lawsuit, but in order to have a successful case you need to hire counsel as soon after the fatal event as possible.

Miami Bar Hit With Lawsuit

June 26, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

June 25, 2013, Miami, FL- When a hundreds of die-hard Miami Heat fans gathered at the Shucker’s Bar and Grill on Biscayne Bay June 14th to watch their favorite team duke it out with San Antonio Spurs for a NBA title, they had no idea that they were in danger. But when the crowd jumped after the Heat scored a basket the deck gave way and at least a hundred people were plunged into the shallow waters of Biscayne Bay, leaving two people in critical condition and dozens of others injured. Now, a Miami couple has filed the first of several anticipated personal injury lawsuits against the bar.

Property accidents, which are too common, rarely make national headlines, but this particular incident took place during a pivotal game in the national basketball playoffs and demonstrates how quickly a seemingly innocuous night on the town can turn tragic.

The wooden deck which jutted 25 ft. onto the water collapsed in a V-shape plunging patrons, chairs and tables into the four-foot deep water. Patrons who managed to escape the fall jumped into the water and offered aide to the injured people. Emergency crews took over two dozen people to the hospital where two of the victims were listed in serious condition.

Thousands Undergo Unnecessary Surgeries

June 24, 2013 | Wolfson & Leon

June, 21, 2013, Miami, FL- A new special report shines the spotlight on the surprisingly large number of medical patients who have had unnecessary procedures that have a negative impact on their lives and subject them to painful, disabling, and sometimes deadly complications.

According to the report, which appeared in USA Today, doctors in perform tens of thousands needless surgeries; they estimate that 10 percent to 20 percent of operations in cardiac specialties and spinal injuries are unnecessary. Hysterectomies, knee replacements and caesarians are also commonly performed even though they are not required to improve the patients health.

The report states that many of these needless procedures are performed so unethical doctors can defraud insurance companies, Medicare, and Medicaid. These unnecessary surgeries cost insurers and the federal government billions of dollars and those costs are then passed on to consumers and taxpayers.