Jan 12
I haven’t read through the report yet but I thought I would share the link to the media release from the Florida Insurance Commissioner’s website. The release has a link to a PDF version of the annual report.
Call Harrell & Harrell, PA with your questions about workers’ compensation benefits and on-the-job injuries.
Don’t settle for less than you deserve!
Dec 22
Two semi trucks collided while travelling south on Interstate 95 this morning leaving one of the drivers dead. The truck accident happened just south of the St John’s County / Flagler County line. Traffic is a mess on 95 and on US 1 near 95. Only reason I know about the traffic is that my wife is stuck in it trying to get down to Orlando.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the truck driver and his/her family. Just a reminder of how quickly our lives can change. Please be careful on the roads as everyone starts to travel to family and friends for the holidays.
Kudos to Mark Papa, a social security attorney who works for Harrell & Harrell in our Mandarin/Southside office, for feeding me with great blog information regarding the SSA and your Social Security benefits.
The article by Senior Editor Jason White at msnbc.com sums it up very nicely. Aging baby boomers and the struggling economy are driving up Social Security claims to staggering levels. According to Jason’s statistics he quotes from the SSA, new claims for disability benefits rose nearly 17 percent in fiscal year 2009 and disability filings are projected to rise another 10 percent in fiscal 2010. Add that to the already 12 million Americans who receive disability benefits at a total cost of $161 billion in fiscal 2009.
Wow!
Read the article because Jason sums it up better than I ever could and then call Mark Papa at (904)251-1111 to schedule your free consultation. If you are outside of the Jacksonville area, feel free to use our toll free number or submit your information on our “Do I Have a Case” form.
Having worked in the personal injury field for close to 15 years, I wind up paying much more attention to potential hazards whether it be driving in Jacksonville traffic, going out to eat at a local restaurant or just doing some shopping. I have heard about every type of accidental injury story you can think of – some are much more believable than others. People need to be reminded of the need for taking that extra few seconds to make sure what they are about to do won’t result in an accident.
I ran across this Reuters news story this morning which reports that Florida is the most dangerous state for pedestrians. Guess what – Jacksonville and it’s many surrounding communities are ranked in the top four in the state.
I know I don’t want to be one of those accident statistics and assume neither do you. Obviously everyone needs to always look out for themselves but let’s not forget to look out for others. If you see a dangerous situation develop, be proactive by slowing down and warning others of the potential hazard. Next time it might be you trying to cross the street.
How many times have you told a business owner of a spill on the floor, straightened that rug at the entrance of your local grocery store, or picked up an item that fell on the floor? If you do it more often, so will others.
Enjoy the holidays and be careful!
As the saying goes….maybe next year!
Announced in the end of October, there will be no cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) this year for Social Security Disability recipients or Supplemental Security Income recipients. This was announced in the Federal Register at 74 Fed. Reg. 55614.
There was a 5.8% COLA from 2008 to 2009, the largest increase since 1982. The COLA is determined by comparing the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) from the third quarter of 2008 to the third quarter of 2009. There was no increase in CPI-W. Therefore, SSD and SSI benefits will not change for 2010.
If you have any questions about Social Security benefits you already receive or you just want to know how to apply for disability, please contact us. Our experienced, courteous and knowledgeable team of lawyers and their staff will be glad to assist you.
Car accident – Who you gonna call?
Ghostbusters? Ask Gary? Ask Dave? What happened to Ask Kobe?
They come and they go like ships passing in the night. Some have flashy spokespeople and cute sayings that catch your attention, some have catchy phone numbers but what are they really? Who will you wind up with and do they really care about you or just the auto insurance you come in with?
Most are just referral middleman out to make the almighty dollar off of your tragic experience. Some are medical clinics while some are actual attorneys that practice on the other end of the state and will fly in to make you their client but will they fly back when you have other questions and concerns?
Don’t make things worse – call an experienced local Jacksonville trial attorney that has a name you can trust and the resources to represent you against the mega insurance companies – they aren’t your good neighbor and definitely don’t want you in good hands. That boils things down to a handful of local Jacksonville lawyers that are truly out to represent the people of Jacksonville.
The smaller personal injury firms or solo practitioners of Jacksonville warn you against going to the bigger law firms like Harrell & Harrell, PA by claiming we will treat you as just another number. We do not and will not treat our clients that way. We have a large staff and have designed our operating systems to focus primarily on auto accident injury claims so we can give our clients, YOU, the personal touch they expect. We understand that your injury claim is your ONLY claim whether it is big or small. Personal injury is what we do – it’s that simple. They may also claim that you may never see the attorney or lawyer that is handling your file because we are so big. Again untrue, our experienced and caring attorneys and their staff are available to you from start to finish and sometimes beyond. They are just a call or e-mail away 24 hours a day.
The attorneys and staff at Harrell & Harrell, PA also understand that word of mouth advertising is much more effective and affordable so our primarily goal is to handle every injury claim that comes into our office to the best of our ability so you leave our office knowing you made the right choice in the beginning.
Hopefully you will refer us a friend, family member or co-worker when they are injured and need an experienced trial lawyer.
Don’t leave it to chance – Contact Harrell & Harrell today for your free consultation.
(904)251-1111
(800)251-1111
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.