By Martha Neil Attorneys who represent homeowner associations say residents of the Florida development in which an unarmed teenager was shot and killed last month by a neighborhood watch captain could be looking at a hefty bill if Trayvon Martin's family pursues a wrongful death claim. "They may wind up getting sued and getting hit with hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and damages," attorney Donna Berger of Katzman Garfinkel and Berger tells the Orlando Sentinel. "Who will pay is every member of the association, and they will have to make special assessments. ... It's a cautionary tale for other associations." http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/hoa_could_face_hefty_bill_if_sued_by_trayvon_martins_family_or_asked_to_pay/ … [Read more...]
HOA Could Face Hefty Bill If Sued By Trayvon Martin’s Family or Asked to Pay Shooter’s Defense Costs
Understanding the coming changes to Florida’s car insurance laws
By Tia Mitchell, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau TALLAHASSEE — The long list of suspected car insurance scammers now includes food truck vendors. The state Division of Insurance Fraud reported last week that 15 people have been using restaurants-on-wheels in Miami to stage accidents and collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in insurance money. The particulars of the Miami case are novel, but the scam itself is not. Lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott made curbing fraud in the state's no-fault car insurance law a top priority for 2012. http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/autos/article1222736.ece … [Read more...]
Mom’s lawsuit: Baby’s pinky severed at Heart of Florida hospital
By RAY REYES TAMPA -- The nurse had one last thing to do before Veronica Olguin's baby was discharged from the hospital. But instead of snipping off the plastic intravenous tube attached to the baby's hand, the scissors severed flesh and bone, Olguin said. "I looked at her hand and she didn't have her finger anymore," Olguin, 15, said about her now 8-month-old daughter Selena. "I started screaming, 'Her finger! Her finger!' The nurse was saying, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it.' " http://www2.tbo.com/news/news/2012/mar/27/15/mom-sues-heart-of-florida-hospital-after-babys-pin-ar-385534/ … [Read more...]
Investigators finished with FAMU hazing case
(CNN) -- Orange County, Florida, authorities say they have finished the investigation into the suspected hazing-related death of Robert Champion, the 26-year-old Florida A&M University student and drum major who died in November. The case has now been handed over to prosecutors who will make a decision on possible charges. "During the course of this investigation, Orange County Sheriff's Office investigators have worked over 1000 man hours and over 40 individuals have been interviewed," Orange County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Monday. "We have worked closely with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and on numerous occasions investigators have traveled to and from Tallahassee to meet with witnesses and gather statements." http://edition.cnn.com/2012/03/27/justice/florida-hazing-death/ … [Read more...]
Woman looked into my eyes before car hit, road ranger recalls
By PAULA MCMAHON Road Ranger Pedro Nieves didn't know what was causing cars to swerve in the center lanes of Interstate 595 in the middle of the night, so he pulled his truck onto the shoulder and turned on his warning lights. He had been on the job helping motorists in distress for four months, but he still couldn't believe his eyes – a woman dressed in dark clothes was standing in the flow of traffic. "She was bending down to pick up something, that's when I realized it was a person," Nieves testified in court Thursday. He yelled at her to get out of the road and come to the safety of his truck. "She was looking at me, we were in contact, eyes to eyes ... a vehicle struck her and she flew in the air," Nieves said, crying and trying to compose himself as he recalled the horrible sight. "After I see the vehicle leaving the scene ... I just went in shock." Read more: … [Read more...]
