If you were injured due to the reckless, careless, or outright negligent actions of another, you may be entitled to recover compensation for your personal injuries under Florida law. It does not matter if you were injured by another person, business, or government entity, Florida law allows for victims and their families to recover certain types of compensation for lost wages, medical bills, and their conscious pain and suffering. Although the law is clear to this right, our Tampa personal injury lawyer knows that insurance carriers often try to undermine, undervalue, or deny valid claims of personal injury victims. Do not let this happen to you.
Here at John C. Murrow, P.A., we understand the physical, emotional, and financial impacts that a bodily injury accident has on a victim and his or her family. This is why our law firm is dedicated to protecting the rights of victims and families injured by a negligent party in Florida. Our compassionate and experienced Tampa personal injury lawyer has a proven track record of success, including obtaining $2.3 million in a trucking accident, $1.1 million in an auto accident, and $1.3 million in a motorcycle crash. (Prior Results Do Not Guarantee a Similar Outcome.) If you or a loved one were seriously injured, schedule a FREE consultation with our bodily injury lawyer by dialing (813) 999-4950.
An injured person may be entitled to “damages” in a lawsuit. Under Florida law, “damages” is the measure of relief that a successful party may obtain in an action. In personal injury cases, damages are typically awarded as monetary compensation. The most common types of compensation that a victim may obtain include the following:
- Past Pain and Suffering - measured from the date of the accident to the date of settlement, verdict, or award
- Future Pain and Suffering - calculated from the payment date from the number of years a person has left to live according to an actuary table
- Medical Bills - for all related medical bills, medication costs, or other expenses in the past and future
- Lost Wages - from the accident, medical appointments, surgery, or from disability not allowing you to work and resulting in lost pay or use of vacation days/sick days
- Lost Future Earnings - if you are permanently injured and can no longer work in the same position and must take a lower paying position, the difference of your old job (higher paying) minus your new job (lower paying), multiplied by the number of working years you have left
- Home or Vehicle Modifications - installation of a ramp, chairlift, grab bars, wider doors, or other modifications to help you live as normal as possible
- Nursing Care - whether it is in-home or at an assisted living facility, nursing home, adult care facility, or another residence, the costs of these services may be paid
- Medical Equipment - costs for wheelchairs, special beds, braces, prosthetics, and other medical equipment may be compensation
- Loss of Consortium - relations with a spouse, but also more broadly loss of society, protection, guardianship, guidance, and other familial relations with spouses, parents, children, siblings, and other dependents
- Property Damage
- Punitive Damages - in rare and exceptional cases where a defendant’s negligence is so outrageous it shocks the conscious and deserves punishment
- Wrongful Death - funeral costs and burial expenses, as well as loss of income support; and
- Other Damages related to your accident that our Tampa personal injury lawyer may be able to recover for you.
There are many different ways that an innocent person could be seriously injured in Florida due to the negligence of another person, business, or government agency. Our skilled and resourceful legal team at John C. Murrow, P.A. can handle nearly any type of case, including the following:
Motor vehicle accidents are one of the leading causes of personal injuries in the United States, including right here in Florida. According to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), each year in the United States there are over 1.9 million personal injuries and 33,000 fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. In just the Sunshine State, Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports there are over 236,000 injuries and 3,100 fatalities each year.
Despite there being so many injuries and wrongful deaths due to auto accidents, most crashes are avoidable if drivers exercise reasonable care under the circumstances in the use or operation of a motor vehicle. When drivers fail to do this, it could result in a finding of negligence. The most common negligence causes of motor vehicle accidents in Florida include the following:
- Following too closely (rear end crashes)
- Drunk driving
- Distracted driving on a cell phone, texting, GPS, changing the radio, eating, or other distractions
- Speeding
- Improper left turns
- Drugged driving
- Failure to yield
- Driver inexperience
- Running a red light or a stop sign
- Improper vehicle maintenance (tire blowouts, brake failures)
- Fatigued driving or falling asleep at the wheel
- Unsafe lane changes
- Improper merges
- Unsafe backing, and
- Many other common causes that our Tampa personal injury lawyer can recover compensation for you in a crash.
Victims of auto accidents in Florida may be able to prove their case in many different ways, including by the common law (judge-made) negligence standard. This is where a driver is found to have acted unreasonably and unnecessarily exposed another to a foreseeable risk of harm. Most of the common causes above would constitute common law negligence.
The other way to prove liability is through the doctrine of negligence per se, which uses a statutory violation (legislatively-made law) to automatically establish liability. This doctrine allows a victim to hold a defendant liable where a statute is violated that was meant to protect the victim from the kind of harm that occurred. This is a powerful doctrine and tool to prove liability.
While auto accidents can be catastrophic, semi tractor trailer and 18 wheeler wrecks are almost always catastrophic. This is because these large trucks are big and heavy, generating significant momentum even at low speeds. As a result, many victims of trucking accidents in Florida suffer life-changing and permanent injuries. Some victims may be wrongfully killed in trucking accidents, some which are entirely preventable.
Like auto accidents, most trucking crashes may be proven through common law negligence or through the doctrine of negligence per se for statutory violations. However, since trucking is an interstate business and most states have different traffic laws, there is a federal agency that oversees all commercial vehicles setting the minimum requirements that must be followed no matter where a truck is from, going to, or presently driving in.
That agency is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and it has set specific rules and regulations that all trucking companies and truck drivers must follow. Violations of the FMCSA regulations may result in liability. Some of the most common FMCSA violations include the following:
- Hours of service violations - time limits on how long a truck driver may operate a commercial vehicle without a rest or within a given 24 hours, 7-day, and 8-day period
- No slowing or stopping during inclement weather
- Unrealistic delivery schedules set by the truck carrier
- Improperly securing cargo or loads
- Prohibition of alcohol or drug use during and even within four hours of starting work
- Not using the proper warnings and flashers when disabled on the side of the road
- Failing to inspect the wheels, brakes, torn, steering, and other mechanical components
- Driving while ill, and
- Other types of violations in the FMCSA
Any of these violations can be used to help prove liability against a defendant in Florida. While a violation of a regulation is not automatic liability like the violation of a statute, it is evidence of negligence that can be used against a defendant to help support a claim. The FMCSA regulations are very complicated and many auto accident lawyers do not know about these regulations or how to use them in case. If you or a loved one were injured in a trucking accident in Florida, call our Tampa trucking accident lawyer to learn how we can help you recover compensation.
An injury that occurs on the property of another person, business, or government entity is known as a premises liability case. These types of cases involve the use, ownership, possession, or control over real property such as a house, office building, store, parking lot, or other space. All property owners, renters, or maintainers owe other individuals a duty to keep their premises in a reasonably safe condition free from foreseeable harm. When a person is injured on the property of another due to a dangerous, hazardous, or otherwise defective condition, it could give raise to liability.
The most common types of premises liability cases are slip and falls or trip and falls. Some of the most common examples of defective or dangerous conditions on the property of another include the following:
- Spilled products on the floor
- Broken stairs or treads
- Tracked in rain in a store or office
- Leaky AC units or refrigeration units
- Broken curbs, sidewalks, tiles, or other walkways
- Inadequate lighting
- Broken handrails or no handrails on stairs
- Uneven flooring or cracks in the flooring
- Holes in the ground or defects on the flooring
- Garbage or debris on the floor
- Improperly stacking boxes or pallets in a store
- Loose materials, product, or other materials on a store floor
- Unswept or uncleaned floors
- Excessive use of wax or soap on the floor
- Bunched up mats or carpets, and
- Other serious defects that could cause a slip, trip, and fall in Florida
If you or a loved one were caused to slip, trip, and fall on the property of another, please call our Tampa personal injury lawyer to learn what rights you may have. Even if you think that it may have been your fault, Florida law allows you to recover compensation in most instances.
Although we trust healthcare providers to heal us, according to a study at Johns Hopkins Medicine, preventable medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the United States behind only heart disease and cancer. This is a shocking and troubling study demonstrating how severe the risk for medical malpractice can be for victims and their families.
A healthcare provider may be liable for medical malpractice when he or she fails to exercise the care and skill necessary to treat a patient that a reasonably prudent healthcare provider in similar circumstances and with similar training, skill, and education would have. This is known as the “standard of care.” A healthcare provider who fails to act like a reasonably prudent healthcare provider is said to have deviated from the acceptable standard of care. This can create liability for the healthcare provider and his or her employer.
Nearly any type of healthcare provider could be liable for medical malpractice in Florida. This includes doctors, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, CRNAs, anesthesiologists, hospitals, practice groups, urgent cares, or any other healthcare provider or business. Most medical malpractice cases involve multiple defendants.
There are many different types of medical malpractice cases, including some of the following:
- Surgical errors
- Anesthesia mishaps
- Failure to diagnose cancer
- Medication errors
- Failure to diagnose a stroke
- Hospital falls
- Failure to diagnose a heart attack
- Misreading imaging studies or test results
- Wrong patient surgery
- Wrong site surgery
- Communication errors
- Overdoses
- Failure to diagnose a condition
- Sepsis issues
- Emergency room delays
- Unnecessary amputations, and
- Many other common causes
If you believe that your treatment did not satisfy the standard of care, ask our Tampa personal injury lawyer for a FREE case evaluation to learn what your rights to compensation may be under Florida law.
One of the most significant and catastrophic forms of medical malpractice is a birth injury. These types of injuries are caused to infants and newborns. These are the most innocent members of our society that must be protected from avoidable harm. While we trust our healthcare providers to do that for us, and many properly protect our loved ones, unfortunately far too many do not.
Some of the most common causes of birth injuries in Florida include the following:
- Failure to diagnose preeclampsia
- Labor and delivery errors
- Failure to diagnose or treat jaundice leading to kernicterus
- Improper use of forceps or vacuum extraction
- Excessive use of Pitocin or improper use of Pitocin
- Delays in ordering a c-section
- Failure to identify fetal distress
- Dropping a baby
- Pulling at a baby’s arm or neck
- Improper or delayed resuscitation efforts
- Failure to diagnose placenta pracata, and
- Many other cases that are medical malpractice
Some of the most common forms of birth injuries include:
- Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)
- Kernicterus
- Brachial plexus injuries
- Significant scarring or disfigurement
- Hypoxic injuries or anoxic injuries
- Burn injuries
- Nerve damage
- Eyesight or eye injuries
- Wrongful death or stillbirth, and
- Many other common causes
Any injury to your precious child must be evaluated and handled by an experienced Tampa Bay personal injury lawyer like ours. Learn how we can help you during a FREE consultation.
In addition auto accidents, trucking accidents, slip and falls/trip and falls, and medical malpractice, our bodily injury law firm also handles the following types of cases:
- Dog bites or animal attacks
- Workplace accidents
- Nursing home abuse, neglect, and malpractice
- Boating accidents
- Product liability cases, and
- Any other type of accident that may result in serious personal injuries or the wrongful death of an innocent person.
An individual may suffer many different types of personal injuries due to the negligence of another person, business, or government actor. Our bodily injury law firm in Florida can help victims and their families recover compensation for nearly any type of injury, no matter how severe or devastating it may be. Some of the most common types of personal injuries that we may be able to recover compensation for you include the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries (SCIs)
- Amputations or loss of a limb
- Burn injuries
- Broken bones or fractured bones
- Organ injuries
- Back injuries or neck injuries
- Loss of eyesight, hearing, or taste
- Nerve damage or nerve injuries
- Significant scarring or disfigurement
- Shoulder injuries such as SLAP tears, rotator cuff tears, or dislocations/separations
- Knee injuries including meniscus tears or damage to the LCL, ACL, MCL, or PCL
- Wrongful death, and
- Many other types of injuries that our experienced team can handle for you in Florida
Our experienced Tampa personal injury lawyer has over 25 years in the business of personal injury litigation. For roughly the last 15 years, John C. Murrow, Esq. has been representing victims and their families in accidents throughout Florida. This has been particularly effective because the first decade of his career was spent as a defense lawyer learning how insurance companies operate. This valuable experience has helped our Tampa Bay personal injury lawyer maximize the recovery that his clients may recover in a legal action.
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in any type of Florida accident, learn how we can help you during a FREE consultation at John C. Murrow, P.A. by dialing (813) 999-4950 or by using our “Contact Us” box available here. Our compassionate and experienced team is here and ready to help you and your family move forward after an accident. Get started with us today.
The blog published by John C. Murrow Law is available for informational purposes only and is not considered legal advice on any subject matter. By viewing blog posts, the reader understands there is no attorney-client relationship between the reader and the blog publisher. The blog should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney, and readers are urged to consult their own legal counsel on any specific legal questions concerning a specific situation.
After the car accident, your body hurts, you can’t work, you have numerous questions but don’t know what to do. Consulting attorney John C. Murrow can answer those questions.
LEARN MOREWe have experience in both commercial and recreational boating accidents. Whether you, or a loved one, are injured due to a boat operator’s negligence, or any other reason – we can help.
LEARN MORESlip and Fall accidents can happen when one least expects it and can result in severe injury. Every case is different and we can quickly determine whether a compensable claim exists.
LEARN MORELike motorist and boating accidents, cyclist and pedestrians are susceptible to injury from other motorists often resulting in serious injury. Please contact our office for a free consultation.
LEARN MOREProviding informed consent to the healthcare provider does not excuse medical malpractice. If you think you may have been harmed by medical malpractice, please contact us.
LEARN MOREMotorcycle accidents can cause minor to severe injuries and often death. If you, or a loved one, have experienced a motorcycle accident it is important to have legal representation immediately.
LEARN MOREAccidents with commercial trucks and tractor-trailers raise different issues than normal automobile accidents. Mr Murrow understands the rules and regulations involving tractor-trailers.
LEARN MOREOften, policy holders think there is no recourse when the insurance company denies or underpays the claim. Call our office for a free consultation regarding any insurance dispute.
LEARN MOREIf you have been injured by an unsafe product, you may have a case against those who designed, manufactured, sold, or furnished it. We will pursue the best potential recovery.
LEARN MOREFlorida Statutes provides a guideline on how the claims are submitted and paid. Often, insurance companies fail to pay the bill, fail to pay the bill properly, and fail to pay the bill timely.
LEARN MOREJohn C. Murrow is one of the pioneering attorneys for assisting windshield repair and replacement businesses against insurance companies so the windshield business is paid fairly.
LEARN MOREFlorida law gives surviving family members the right to bring a legal claim against the liable party under the Wrongful Death Act. John Murrow works with families while in their darkest hour.
LEARN MOREWelcome to the law office of John C. Murrow, a personal injury lawyer in Tampa, Florida. Our team of experienced staff and attorneys are dedicated to providing the highest quality legal services to our clients. We understand that when you are injured, you need a personal injury lawyer who will fight for your rights and […]
If you have been involved in a car accident in Florida, you need to find the best car accident lawyer in Florida to help you with your case. At John C. Murrow, we are proud to be one of the top car accident lawyers in Florida. Our team of experienced attorneys has been providing legal […]
