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0 Florida Criminal Found in Luggage
When deputies moved in to capture a suspect, they found that this Florida criminal came with baggage. According to the Bradenton Herald, Manatee County Sheriff’s Office deputies saw Gonzalo Pedraza, 33, walk into his sister’s home and they approached the home to execute a felony warrant for Pedraza’s arrest. His sister claiming that Pedraza wasn’t there. With the help of a K-9, deputies were able to find Pedraza, who had zipped himself inside a piece of luggage. After the suspect refused to exit his unique hiding spot, deputies unleashed the K-9, forcing him to comply, according to an affidavit obtained by the Bradenton Herald. For information on criminal law advice, call Robert Gluck at 1-877-GLUCK-LAW and check out his website at www.robertgluck.com.com
0 Law360: Will Allen Sentenced to Six Years In Prison for Ponzi Scheme
Former NFL defensive back Will Allen was given six years in prison for his role in a Ponzi scheme, a much harsher sentence than courtroom observers expected. Brian Amaral, a reporter for Law360, said Allen got twice the average sentence for fraud. Former banker Susan Daub also got six years, according to Law360. Both pleaded guilty last year. Allen, a cornerback, played 140 NFL games with the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins from 2001-11. He was the Giants' first-round pick in 2001. Allen (not to be confused with fellow former NFL defensive back Will Allen, who played mostly for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers from 2004-16) was charged with fraud in 2015. In this Ponzi scheme, Allen and Daub convinced investors to fund loans to professional athletes, but the loans were bogus or oversubscribed and they used the money for personal expenses and other business ventures, Law360 said. Amaral said some in the courtroom were stunned at the sentences of six years in prison, and he reported that even the U.S. attorney's office seemed surprised. The scheme cost investors about $17 million, Law360 said. "This was a huge fraud," U.S. District Judge William Young said, according to Law360. If you are the target of a criminal investigation, or have recently been arrested, call Robert Gluck at 1-877-GLUCK-LAW for a free consultation and learn about your criminal rights. You can also see Mr. Gluck's web page at www.robertgluck.com.
0 Marchman Act Saves Lives; Can Turn People For the Better
There’s an important topic to include in the discussion of how to help a drug addict. It is not widely used, but is becoming more common in the mental health and substance abuse counseling and program management work. The topic is the Marchman Act. It’s saved lives. Under the Marchman Act, named after the late Rev. Hal Marchman, of Daytona Beach, a single relative or guardian, or three friends, can petition the court to order an involuntary assessment of an alcoholic or drug abuser deemed in their good faith judgment to be in danger for their life and health. The person or persons can go to the County Courthouse and fill out the paperwork. The judge will review it, and if it’s found worthy, issue an order for an involuntary assessment. If the assessment shows the person to be in need of treatment to protect their life and health, they will be adjudicated to mandatory treatment which can last up to 60 days. The act applies both to juveniles and to adults. If the person violates the judge’s court order, they can be incarcerated. Virtually all persons comply with the judge's order. For more information on Marchman Act cases call attorney Robert Gluck at 1-877-GLUCK-LAW. You can also visit him on the internet at www.robertgluck.com/marchman-act.html.
0 Illegal Drag Racing Is Bountiful in Florida
Florida is ranked among the top five states in illegal street (drag) racing of cars and motorcycles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, resulting in injuries and deaths from crashes. Capt. Keith Gaston of the Florida Highway Patrol calls it a very dangerous crime, and the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles issues many citations each year. NBC-2 reported that on August 28, an 84 year old grandmother, a passenger in her granddaughter’s car, died after an accident on Immokalee and Livingston Roads in North Naples. Witnesses to the accident say the granddaughter’s car was hit by a Honda Civic which they believed was involved in drag racing. The Honda was driven by a 37 year old male who lost control of his vehicle. Investigators are looking into the possibility that the accident was drag-racing and/or alcohol-related. A young woman in the Tampa Bay area died in May as a result of a brain injury suffered after being struck by a racing vehicle while vacationing in Jacksonville. Witnesses to the accident reported seeing a Volkswagen Beetle (VW) striking the rear of the mother’s pickup truck when the VW was racing along the road. The pickup truck rolled several times before coming to a stop. If you are the subject of a motor vehicle accident, call Naples-area attorney Robert Gluck at 1-877-GLUCK-LAW for a free, no-obligation consultation where you can learn more about your potential case. You can also learn about Mr. Gluck on his website RobertGluck.com
0 Florida Appellate Court Rules That Chiros Cannot Give EMC's; Progressive Prevails in Court Case
Earlier this month, a Florida appeals court upheld a state PIP statute that stands for the proposition that a chiropractor isn’t considered an authorized medical physician for the purposes of an emergency medical condition determination. The case noted that in February 2013, an insured of Progressive’s, Alejandro Godoy, was involved in a motor vehicle accident in Miami. He suffered bodily injuries relating to the accident and treated with Eduardo Garrido, a chiropractor. Godoy assigned his Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits to Garrido, resulting in Garrido submitting invoices to the insurer for chiropractic treatment that totaled $6075.12. Progressive paid $2500 in PIP benefits and refused to pay any more, as there was no required determination of an emergency medical condition that necessitated treatment by an authorized physician as per section 627.736 (1)(a)3 of the Florida Statutes. Garrido responded by filing a lawsuit against the carrier which sought the full $10,000 PIP benefit and disputed the fact that he was not qualified as an authorized physician, because chiropractors are not included in the list of authorized physicians under the statute. The trial court found that “a portion of Florida’s PIP statute is unconstitutional as applied to chiropractors; and (ii) determined that, in the absence of an “emergency medical condition” diagnosis, Florida’s PIP statute allows an insured to recover up to $10,000 in PIP benefits. The trial court certified the constitutional issue to the appeals court as a question of great public importance. The appeals court reversed the trial court’s findings and found that the statute’s requirements are not unconstitutional as applied to chiropractors, thus his diagnosis of Godoy was insufficient to trigger the $10,000 PIP benefits limit. For information about your personal injury case call Plantation lawyer Robert Gluck at 1-877-GLUCK-LAW and look at his web page at RobertGluck.com
0 Allstate Finds Success At Florida Supreme Court
In a stunning defeat for medical providers across the state of Florida, a divided Florida Supreme Court on Thursday sided with Allstate Insurance Company in a dispute about fees paid to care for victims of automobile accidents. The 4-3 ruling focused on the personal-injury protection insurance program and attempts by Allstate to pay providers under certain fee schedules from the dated Medicare program. The fee schedules involve limits on payments for services rendered. Medical providers challenged the archaic practice, arguing that insurance policies were “ambiguous” about whether Allstate would use the fee schedules to curtail reimbursements. The 4th District Court of Appeal, in a 2015 ruling that involved 32 similar and alike cases, backed the providers. But the majority of the Supreme Court overturned that prior decision last month, finding that Allstate’s policies provided “legally sufficient notice” that the insurer would use the Medicare fee schedules. The unanticipated 15-page decision, written by Justice Charles Canady and joined three other Justices, provided a detailed analysis of the policy wording and the personal-injury protection, or PIP, law. Providers are not limited by the medicare fee schedules promulgated a long time ago and Allstate must pay according to those schedules. The complete article on this subject matter can be located at http://miami.cbslocal.com/2017/01/26/supreme-court-backs-insurer-on-pip-medical-fees/. For more information on Florida personal injury litigation, please click on www.robertgluck.com/personal-injury.html. Mr. Gluck can also be reached toll free at 1-877-GLUCK-LAW.
0 Legislature looking to award pre-judgment interest in personal injury cases
Opposition is mounting in the business community to proposed legislation that is being considered by the Florida legislature that would require Florida courts to include prejudgement interest in any final lawsuit award. As it stands now, in all personal injury cases in Florida, a jury will award an amount of damages, and then interest will be added by the Court in its final judgment until the amount of damages payment is made in full. Senate Bill 334, introduced by state Sen. Greg Steube (R-Sarasota), will require a court to include prejudgement interest in an award from which the plaintiff recovers both monetary and non-monetary damages. It also requires a court to include that same interest on attorney fees and costs. The proposed legislation will effectively mean juries and courts would calculate, and add, all interest from the time of the loss. For more information on this, please see click here. For details on how you can preserve your personal injury rights check out http://www.robertgluck.com/personal-injury.html. You may also call the office directly, toll-free at 1-877-GLUCK-LAW.
0 Florida Woman Falls Off Donkey Statue In Front Of Mexican Restaurant, Sues Restaurant For Damages
Florida Woman Falls Off Donkey Statue In Front Of Mexican Restaurant, Sues Restaurant For Damages A woman in Tallahassee, Florida has filed suit against a local Mexican restaurant after she fractured her spine falling off of the popular donkey statue in front of the local eatery. Kimberly Bonn was eating at the El Jalisco on August 31, 2015 when she attempted to climb up on the donkey statue that was built to scale. This is a popular event among the diners at the restaurant, according to Fox News. Click for details Bonn maintains the position that the restaurant failed to safeguard diners who attempted this feat by having the saddle with too slick a surface and by failing to provide steps or a ladder to climb up on the donkey, Bonn is seeking damages in excess of the circuit court minimum requirement of $15,000.00. For more information on premises liability or slip and fall actions, and a free case evaluation that you might have, please look on the internet for www.robertgluck.com/attorney/trip-slip-and-fall-accidents-attorney.html. You can also call the office toll free at 1-877-GLUCK LAW.
0 Florida’s No-Fault Law Set For Big Changes
The State of Florida is considering making changes to Florida’s car insurance laws that would change the PIP mandate and require drivers to carry bodily injury coverage instead. The current PIP mandate requires everyone to have their own insurance for most of their own medical bills, no matter who is at fault. The likelihood is that the PIP mandate will be replaced with a requirement that drivers carry bodily injury liability insurance to cover the bodily injuries of any motorist they injure as a result of a car crash that is due to their fault. Senators have been discussing this and are in favor of abandoning PIP, but only if it will lower the premiums that motorists are currently paying. Studies show that motorists could save $81 per year in the event that PIP is extinguished and no longer required. The entire article can be found here. For more information on auto accidents please see RobertGluck.com and learn about what your rights are when involved in an automobile collision.
0 24 Hour Fitness Sued for Treadmill Accident Causing Brain Injury
In California, a grandmother was on a treadmill at her local gym. She fainted and fell off the back of the treadmill. After fainting, she hit the back of her head on another piece of gym equipment as she fell backwards. The gym that she belonged to only had a four foot “safety zone” behind the treadmill instead of the industry recommended six feet of clearance. This lack of an adequate “safety zone” is the basis for claiming the gym was responsible for her brain injury. For the most part, members of a gym like 24 Hour Fitness, or even small gyms not part of a chain or franchise require you to sign a document when you join called a “waiver of liability” also described as a “release” or a “waiver”. This document is mixed in with all the other documents or contracts you sign when you join such a facility. The waiver says that you are barred from bringing a claim against the gym for any injuries you sustain while working out there. Most of these releases claim to relieve the gym of liability, even for the gym’s own negligence. Most of the time, the language of these releases are strictly construed by the courts around the country and they work to bar you from suing your gym. Even if you sue, these releases prevent most of these cases from going forward. What is unique about this California case is that the plaintiff is not alleging there was any defect in the machine or that the fainting was anyone else’s fault. She is simply alleging the “safety zone” was not wide enough to protect her from hitting her head. In this California case, the court ruled that the release, which usually prevents these claims altogether, was in English and the injured person spoke Spanish only. Based on this, the court said that she can go forward with her claim on two grounds. First, that there was fraud on the part of the gym, by making someone sign a form in a language they don’t speak or read and the second theory upon which the court said she could go forward is the theory that the club was not just negligent for failing to maintain their club in a reasonably safe condition (in which case the claim would be barred due to the signed waiver) but that the gym was grossly negligent, which is a higher level of wrongdoing and gross negligence would not be covered by the waiver. In most of these treadmill injury cases fault for the incident rests with the person using the equipment, not the gym. This California case demonstrates that none of these gym cases are so simple and under the right circumstances, just because you signed a waiver, does not automatically mean you have no claim if you get injured. It is important to have your case reviewed by an experienced personal injury lawyer who has handled situations involving waivers of liability forms and various other tactics that defendants use to avoid responsibility for their actions. If you or a loved one was injured at a gym and the claim was denied, there may still be time to re-open your case. Call Robert Gluck to schedule a free consultation at 877-Gluck-law. Full Story
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