Author Archives: Jay Butchko
What To Do If You Were Hit by a Motorist While Crossing the Street
Getting hit by a motorist while crossing the street can be a debilitating, life-altering experience. There is the shock you experience from getting hit and the likely pain associated with your bodily injuries. The next thing that probably comes to your mind is how to get to safety and make sure you are alright…. Read More »
What Happens If You Serve Alcohol to an Underage Drinker?
Parents who worry about their teenage children drinking and driving might think the teens are better off drinking at home under adult supervision. But that logic could get them in trouble under Florida’s dram shop law. Florida’s dram shop law imposes civil liability on businesses and social hosts who sell or supply alcohol to… Read More »
School Bus Safety in Florida
All Florida motorists are responsible for driving safely around school buses, especially when they are transporting, loading or unloading children. Florida has specific laws that drivers must follow when approaching buses: All motorists traveling in either direction on a two-way street must stop for a school bus with its stop sign extended. Cars must… Read More »
Do You Need an Autopsy to File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Florida?
A medical examiner recently issued his findings in an autopsy performed on a Florida man who died in a car accident involving Venus Williams. The Palm Beach County doctor said that 78-year-old Jerome Barson died from complications of blunt force trauma in the June 9 car accident. Specifically, he suffered lacerations to his spleen… Read More »
Homeowner’s Insurance Policies Available in Florida
This has been an active hurricane season so far. Puerto Rico and Texas were ravaged by Hurricanes Maria and Harvey. And in Florida, hundreds of thousands of property owners have filed insurance claims for damage caused by Hurricane Irma. Claimed losses are estimated at more than $4.5 billion, according to the Florida Office of… Read More »
Assigning Your Insurance Benefits
Floridians whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Irma or other tropical storm or hurricane activity are eager to repair their properties. But some insurers are worried that homeowners looking for quick and easy repairs might be vulnerable to assignment of benefits abuse. They urge homeowners to proceed with caution in assigning their insurance benefits…. Read More »
Frequently Asked Questions About Florida Homeowners’ Insurance Law
Florida insurance law is complex. But understanding your rights and responsibilities as a Florida homeowner is extremely important. Here are the answers to a few frequently asked questions about Florida homeowners’ insurance law. Q: Will my insurance company reimburse me for the actual value of my property before the damage occurred? A: No. Florida… Read More »
Insurance Company Disputes Effective Date of Flood Insurance Policy
Almost 500,000 insurance claims have been filed in Florida because of Hurricane Irma, and only 17 percent of those claims have been closed, according to recent figures from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Standard homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover flood damage. In fact, if you were in Irma’s path, you might have sustained… Read More »
Zombicon Wrongful Death Lawsuit and Suing Government Actors
Fort Myers recently settled a wrongful death lawsuit for a 20-year-old who was killed in the 2015 Zombicon mass shooting. The city agreed to pay Expavious Taylor’s estate $40,000, after having already spent $55,000 in other Zombicon-related settlements, including two personal injury awards made to men wounded during the shooting. Two other personal injury… Read More »
Florida Homeowners without Flood Insurance
Of the people living in Florida’s four southernmost counties, there are 1.3 million homes located in high-risk flood areas, according to data collected by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Of those 1.3 million, more than 861,000 don’t have flood insurance. The four southernmost counties are Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Collier, which are home… Read More »
