Harrell and Harrell's Personal Injury law blog

Experienced personal injury lawyers

School is back in session

Aug 15

Posted by admin in Auto Accidents, Car Accidents, Personal Injury | Comments off

For those of you with kids this is good news. Schedules become more manageable, vacation has come and gone and life settles down just a bit. Ahhh!

Not so fast, any relief gained by knowing where our kids are and when they have to be there is offset by those annoying yellow school buses and those darn school zones we all have to commute through. What is there about a bus or a slow speed zone that gets us all so aggravated? In reality, the amount of time added to our drives by stopping for a loading/unloading bus  is minuscule. A car accident will cause you much more delay and aggravation – ruining your day or someone elses day.

Slow down and take a deep breath. Allow a few extra minutes for that bus or school zone. Also, traffic on the roads will increase dramatically with moms and dads taking their kids to school. Worse yet, there will be a dramatic increase in new inexperienced drivers taking the family car to school for the first time.

Be attentive and patient! Traffic will settle down in a week or so. Try not to be the one who causes a car accident or becomes a victim of a car accident.

www.harrellandharrell.com

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Honesty – the best policy

Jul 21

Posted by admin in Auto Accidents, Personal Injury | Comments off

One of out trial attorneys, David Black, was kind enough to submit this article after completing a jury trial last week in Green Cove Springs, FL.  David and his team achieved a great result for our client. Here’s his submission:

Last week a jury in Clay County awarded my client $176,000.00 for injuries that were caused by a car accident.   The credit for this win belongs to my client.   In the news these days, it’s common for media outlets to bash attorneys and victims of car accidents for filing frivolous lawsuits.   However, last week a jury validated my client’s claims and justified awarding her damages to compensate her for the injuries that have caused her life to take a turn for the worse.   The reason my client deserves all the credit, is because she told the truth and her honesty convinced the jury she was significantly injured.   When I ask people, ”What is a frivolous lawsuit?”   The usual answer I get is, ”It’s when someone asks for compensation that they don’t deserve.”   You see in a personal injury lawsuit from a car accident, a victim’s credibility is always attacked.   The reason is to determine if the victim deserves compensation.    Well, in this case, my client was stopped in traffic when she was rear ended by a speeding car.   The impact broke her driver’s seat and caused her injuries.   She treated with doctors for over five years and required invasive medical procedures to help her live with her pain.   Her doctors testified that she will live with pain for the rest of her life.   My client deserved every penny that was awarded to her from the verdict.   She was able to testify to all of the aspects of her life that have changed for the worse due to her accident.   By telling the truth she was able to convince a jury of her peers that she should be compensated.   So with personal injury lawsuits if you want a jury to believe you and award you compensation for your injuries, honesty is the best policy.

If you’d like to speak with David or anyone else here at Harrell & Harrell, PA, please contact us.

Don’t settle for less than you deserve!

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Social Security Update – Jacksonville area

Jun 29

Posted by admin in Disability Denial, Social Security Denial | Comments off

Our lead Social Security  attorney, Mark Papa, just got out of a meeting with the Chief Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) of the Jacksonville, FL Social Security hearing office. Here’s Mark’s summary of that meeting.

The Jacksonville Hearing Office is receiving 600 new cases per month (which, according to the Chief ALJ, means they are trying to adjudicate at least 600 cases a month, with our without a hearing);

The Jacksonville Hearing Office has 6,400 active cases currently (down from almost 12,000 active cases just 10 years ago, or so);

It is taking approximately 12 months, give or take, to have a hearing scheduled from the time that a claim is received in their office (i.e. after a Request for Hearing is filed);

The Federal fiscal year ends September 30, 2011 and right now, no one knows what Social Security’s budget will be,  The rate at which the claims are processed and heard is directly related to staffing (both support staff and ALJs) at the hearing office, which is directly related to the budget. 

Currently there are 13 ALJs housed at the Jacksonville Hearing Office.

If your claim was filed in Daytona Beach, Deland, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Lake City, Palatka, or St. Augustine, your claim will be heard by a Jacksonville ALJ. 

If we can help you or someone you know answer questions about Social Security or represent you if you are denied, please get in contact with us right away.

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Fire and Injury Hazard

Jun 15

Posted by admin in Personal Injury, Product Liability, Product Recalls | Comments off

The US CPSC in conjunction with General Electric and Sharp have recalled over ninety thousand air conditioning and heating units. These units primarily used in apartment buildings and commercial spaces contain a faulty electrical component that can lead to a very dangerous smoke and fire hazard and serious injury. Stop using them immediately and contact General Electric to schedule a free repair.

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Jacksonville car accident

May 31

Posted by admin in Auto Accidents, Car Accidents, Personal Injury | Comments off

Have you had the misfortune of being involved in a car accident recently? Even though it hasn’t rained much this spring, there have been no lack of auto accidents on the roads in and around Jacksonville. Gas prices seem to be keeping some people off the roads but thankfully the high price of gasoline is starting to ease also. I do like my quicker drive to work but paying $60 for a tank of gas even in my Ford Fusion is getting old.

What should you do if you are involved in a car accident? There are so many things to consider and I know most of you don’t want to commit that kind of stuff to memory. Give us a call regardless of the facts of your accident or the extent of your injuries so we can help answer those questions. Yes there is still such a thing as FREE advice. Of course we would love to make you a client. Avoid the unnecessary referral services and consider using a local and highly respected law firm to handle your personal injury case.

If we can be of assistance, feel free to contact us! Your FREE consultation won’t cost you a thing and it is always confidential.

Don’t settle for less than you deserve!

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Stroller recalled – amputation danger

May 13

Posted by admin in Personal Injury, Product Recalls | Comments off

This is a re-announcement of a voluntary recall by  the US CPSC and McLaren USA, Inc. These strollers were recalled in November of 2009 because the hinge in the stroller had caused 15 separate personal injury incidents, 12 of which involved fingertip amputation. Since the recall there have been 37 additional incidents involving the dangerous hinge on this faulty product.

Over one million of these strollers were produced. The recall involves all McLaren single and double umbrella strollers.

If you or your child were seriously injured by this defective product or any other defective product, please contact us.

www.harrellandharrell.com

 

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Safe Driving for teens (and others)

May 12

Posted by admin in Auto Accidents, Car Accidents, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death | Comments off

Stumbled across this page provided by Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. School will be out soon and more young drivers will be out on the road for summer fun. Gas prices may slow that down a bit but not completely. Please share these tips with your kids and help keep us all safer on Florida’s roads and highways by reducing car accidents and personal injury. I imagine all these tips will work for us grown ups also.

www.harrellandharrell.com

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More Toyota problems

Apr 27

Posted by admin in Auto Accidents, Personal Injury, Product Recalls | Comments off

Own a Toyota Tundra? You might want to read this bit of news from Toyota.

www.harrellandharrell.com

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Save money on gas

Apr 26

Posted by admin in Community Service | Comments off

Here’s a link to a video presentation on how to get more bang for your buck at the gas pumps.

www.harrellandharrell.com

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Heat and Your Health

Apr 11

Posted by admin in Community Service, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death | Comments off

If you live in the South, this past weekend was a reminder of how hot it can get. Thankfully it looks like today will be our last really hot day for a bit.  We all can do ourselves a favor by acclimating  to the summer heat slowly. Heat illness can come on you like a ton of bricks and be fatal if not treated properly. Everyone likes to think of themselves as tough enough to work outside especially if you’ve lived down here for any length of time but in reality we are all susceptible to the heat and humidity.

Two of the more severe heat illnesses are heat stroke and heat exhaustion. I won’t bore you with my details on handling heat emergencies mostly because I’m not qualified. Here’s a great article I ran across that can explain the signs, symptoms and proper treatment of heat stroke and exhaustion.

Also, don’t forget to take precautions for your pets by ensuring they have shelter from the heat and a plentiful clean source of fresh water.

www.harrellandharrell.com

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