Nov 25
Ran across an amazing short story explaining the meaning of Thanksgiving to young children. Enjoy!
Having turkey problems- call the other 911 at www.butterball.com
Hopefully this rainy weather won’t cause too many car accidents or traffic congestion. Please be careful on the roads and enjoy the holiday.
Nov 23
Adding to my 11/16/09 post regarding Social Security Disability cases in the North Florida area – one of our Social Security Attorneys, Mark Papa, just forwarded me some interesting statistics regarding Social Security cases handled by the Jacksonville Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR).
At least we don’t live in Detroit is all I can say. Here are the stats:
The most recent National Ranking Report ranks the Jacksonville Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (Jacksonville hearing office) 75th out of 142 hearing offices in the length of time it takes a claim to be heard. It takes Jacksonville ODAR 462 days or approximately 15 months to get to hearing from the time a Request for Hearing is filed.
The San Juan, Puerto Rico hearing office is ranked number 1 and takes the least amount of time at 272 days and the Harrisburg, Pennsylvania hearing office is ranked number 2 at 278 days. Detroit, Michigan and Fort Wayne, Indiana hearing offices are ranked second to last and last at 703 days and 704 days respectively.
The highest ranked Florida hearing office is Ft. Lauderdale, ranked 48th at 414 days.
In addition to the two Jacksonville Social Security Field Offices, Jacksonville ODAR also services the following field offices: Daytona Beach, Deland, Lake City, Marianna, Palatka, Panama City, Quincy, St. Augustine, and Tallahassee. If your claim was filed in one of these offices and you have not moved, your claim will be heard by a Social Security Judge from the Jacksonville hearing office.
Don’t add to the delay – Call (800)251-1111 and speak with our outstanding team in the Social Security Department at the personal injury law firm of Harrell & Harrell or feel free to submit your confidential inquiry on our website. Either way, we look forward to assisting you.
None of us ever want to be the victim of an auto accident or the cause of an auto accident. In my 15 years of working at Harrell & Harrell, two common accident scenarios always come to mind and both are easily avoidable.
#1 Picture this – it’s 5 pm and time to go home after a long day’s work. Everyday you do the same thing – walk to your car – get in – buckle up - and head for home but first you have to turn out of the parking lot. Do you always look both ways when you are simply turning right onto the road? 99.9 % (I made that stat up) of the time there won’t be a car coming that way but what about the pedestrian, jogger or bicyclist on the sidewalk. I can’t count the number of times I have heard this story. Always look both ways and if you see someone approaching on the sidewalk make sure they see you. As an avid cyclist and runner, I never cross in front of someone unless I have eye contact with them but not everyone adheres to that idea. Some even assume they have the right of way. They may be right but the vehicle normally wins the battle.
#2 The second scenario could be presented in the same way but picture having to turn out across 2 or 3 lanes of rush hour traffic plus a busy turn lane to go left out of your parking lot. There are cars stopped in traffic when that good samaritan trying to help you out gives “the deadly wave” to go ahead and cross in front of him. Go ahead and assume everyone else is out to hit you! You wouldn’t believe the number of callers that honestly felt that it must be clear to go all the way out to the turn lane. What if the 3rd lane isn’t stopped? What if the center turn lane becomes a convenient although illegal lane of travel for someone to make it that last quarter mile to the red light? Wham-mo! Whether you cause the accident or not it usually results in some sort of injury.
The holidays bring a lot more traffic, a wee bit more stress and maybe even a little less patience as we prepare for the fun. Take that extra few seconds to look both ways and ensure you won’t be the next injured victim of a careless auto accident or the cause of something tragic.
Nov 12
Whether injured by a co-worker or a liable third-party, the effects can be devastating and your right and responsibilites vary greatly. Avoid being the victim of another mistake by contacting us to discuss your legal options.
As the economy worsens and employers attempt to raise production with less manpower, corners will be cut and seemingly innocent oversights will occur resulting in more dangerous work sites and conditions. Don’t become the innocent injured victim. Stay aware of your surroundings and make sure to voice your concerns to the appropriate people so catastrophic personal injury can be avoided.
The National Safety Council published some of the most common safety violations so far in 2009. Scaffolding remains the most problematic area. Whether you are working on the most basic makeshift scaffolds to high-end commercially produced products – safety awareness should be job one. A good discussion of this data can be found at “The Safety Blog“.
If you, your loved one, family member or co-worker find yourself injured on the job due to just plain dumb luck or the carelessness of another – call Harrell & Harrell to arrange for a free consultation or just visit our website and submit a “Do I Have A Case” form. Either way someone will address your concerns so you can just focus on getting better.
Nov 9
Harrell and Harrell is proud to honor and support our local Veteran’s. Here is a link to the City of Jacksonville’s Week of Valor website which culminates with the Veteran’s Day Parade in downtown Jacksonville. This is a great opportunity to bring your kids downtown and help them better understand what it is to be a proud American.
Get out and show your support!
Follow us on Twitter or check out our website. We are just a phone call or e-mail away from a free consultation for your injury case. Remember we work on a contingency fee so there is no harm in reaching out to us. We will clearly explain your legal options to you and let you decide the course of action.
We specialize in all types of injury claims including auto accidents, truck accidents and boating accidents just to name a few. Too many people worry if their claim is worthwhile before calling an attorney. Let us figure that part out and let you focus on getting better.
Oct 29
Free consultation awarded to anyone who can guess the ghouls.
Happy Halloween from Harrell and Harrell, PA
Don’t miss tonight’s entertainment -
The Hon. Peter J. Fryefield Law Revue
Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
Location: Times Union Center for the Performing Arts – Terry Theater
Description
Tickets on sale July 1st thru Ticketmaster.
$25 with applicable service charges
$50 VIP Tickets through The Jacksonville Bar Association. (VIP tickets: Reserved Section Seating)
Blocks of 5 or more tickets at $25 each are also available.
Contact Linda Morris at 399-4486
General Info & Advertising Contact:
Rose Marie K. Preddy
rpreddy@preddylaw.com
Performing Attorneys & Judges:
Maria Aguila
Leonard Alterman
The Honorable Roberto A. Arias
Sarah Bohr
Cary A. W. Braswell
Jay Brown
Karen Koster Burr
Christine Clark
A. Hamilton Cooke
Professor Susan Daicoff
The Honorable Eleni Derke
Patricia M. Dodson
Regina Love Durfee
Roger M. Groves
Mark A. Hall
Liana Rothstein Hood
Don Jones
Lynn W. Martin
Andrew W. Moritz
The Honorable Jefferson Morrow
Richard Mullaney
Robert Pelaia
Raymond Reid
David Sacks
Tara L. Sa’id
Kevin S. Sanders
Jodi Seitlin
Michael Sharrit
The Honorable Matthew Shirk
Taylor Speer
Eric Smith
The Honorable L. Haldane Taylor
Jim T. Terrell
Lindsay Tygart-Havice
Visual Arts Attorneys and Law Students
Marcie Beeching
Dana Brown
Karen Koster Burr
Susannah Collins
Tom Farrell
Barbara Holmes Fryefield
Maggie Jo Hilliard
Fatima Hussein
Kristina Lawrence
Eunice D. Maling
Tim McDermott
Bonnie Menard
Michelle Presume
Leslie Raby
Tara L. Sa’id
Eric Smith
Carol Todd
Additional Information
www.ticketmaster.com/2009-Lawyer-Variety-Show-tickets/artist/1336764
Contact Information
Name: Linda Morris
Phone: 904-399-4486
Fax: 904-399-4854
E-mail: marketing@jaxbar.org
According to a news release by the independent Insurance Research Council the estimated percentage of uninsured motorists on the road has decreased nationally but Florida holds the 5th worst spot on the list with a whopping 23% of drivers uninsured. Massachusetts and Maine have the best rate with both having less than 5% uninsured. They also found a direct correlation between the unemployment rate and the uninsured motorist rate which is not good news since the unemployment rate is expected to rise another 3-4%.
Give us a call at (800)251-1111 or visit our website for more information about the importance of uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. Don’t find yourself out of luck because your insurance agent didn’t really sell you “full coverage”. I can’t count the number of times I have heard that answer when I ask if someone has UM coverage. Look at your policy and don’t take it for granted!!
Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission [Link: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10702.html]
The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Model Year 2009 Zero X and Zero MX Off-Road Motorcycles
Manufacturer: Zero Motorcycles Inc., of Scotts Valley, Calif.
Hazard: The throttle on the recalled motorcycles can become stuck in the open position or become disconnected. In the “Easy” or the “0-25” mode, this can unexpectedly lead to full power when turning on the power, resulting in a loss of control and serious injury to the rider.
Description: This recall involves the model year 2009 Zero X and Zero MX electric motorcycles. The recalled motorcycles are white, with the Zero name and logo printed on the battery.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled motorcycles and contact Zero Motorcycles to schedule a free repair. Registered owners of the affected motorcycles have been mailed a direct notice.
“Product Liability” is a legal term used to describe the liability of a manufacturer, distributor and seller for any injury to a buyer caused by a defective product.
It is not the duty of a manufacturer to make a product that is accident-proof. However, the law of product liability is designed to protect the user from injury by a product that is unreasonably dangerous or is manufactured in such a fashion that the danger is hidden or concealed from the buyer.
Learn more about Product Liability and special Product Alerts at the Harrell & Harrell Web site