heintzlaw.com

A stroke occurs when the brain cannot get the oxygen it needs because a blood vessel is either blocked by a clot or the vessel ruptures.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), strokes are the #3 cause of death in the United States after heart disease and cancer. There are warning signs you should know and take immediate action if they occur:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one eye or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance/coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

It is extremely important to know the time the first symptom occurred because if treated within the first three hours there is a drug that can be given through an IV in the arm by hospital personnel, called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). tPA is the only FDA approved medication that can reduce long-term effe

Florida law provides that employers who provide worker's compensation benefits to their employees are generally immune from tort liability. However, there are times when an employee is injured on the job and it is due to a third party's negligence.

An example of a third party claim would be an employee who was injured in a motor vehicle collision that was caused by someone else's negligence while on a mission or doing an errand for his employer. In that case, the employee could potentially have a claim against the at-fault driver. If the at-fault driver was uninsured or underinsured, then the employee would potentially also have a claim against any uninsured or underinsured automobile insurance coverage. The employee's own motor vehicle insurance policy could provide benefits, as well as the coverage on the car he was driving. Many employees drive a company owned vehicle and in a motor vehicle collision, the coverage on

Honda Motor Company has announced that it is recalling 344,000 Odysseys and 68,000 Elements from the 2007 and 2008 model years because of brake concerns. Customers have complained of a "soft" feel to the brake pedal and having to push harder on the brake pedal in order to get the vehicle to stop. Honda has found that air was leaking into the brake system via the stability control system. Honda is investigating three crashes in which brake failure was cited.

It appears that, at least for now, that the bill to keep 911 call tapes confidential is dead this session. House Speaker Larry Cretul said they are going to focus on a bill dealing with the certification, education and training of all 911 call dispatchers. The bill was strongly opposed by newspapers and other groups associated with supporting free speech and government in the sunshine issues. Our firm is in favor of keeping the law as it remains now and having the tapes available. Over the years, on behalf of our accident victim clients, we have used the information gained from those tapes to obtain successful settlements for our clients.

My car was rear-ended and my insurance company has to pay my medical bills? In Florida, the answer is yes. As a no-fault state, an automobile insurance company is primarily responsible for their own insured's medical expenses and lost wages, regardless of fault. No-fault is otherwise known as Personal Injury Protection (PIP). PIP is mandated coverage and provides benefits to the named insured, relatives residing in the same household, persons operating the insured motor vehicle, passengers in such motor vehicle, and other persons struck by such motor vehicle and suffering bodily injury while not an occupant of a self-propelled vehicle for loss sustained by any such person as a result of bodily injury, sickness, disease, or death arising out of the ownership, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle, subject to a limit of $10,000.00. Extended PIP coverage can be purchased for a

According to bradenton.com, on Wednesday, March 3, 2010, an elderly couple were killed in a crash on a Sun City Center street. It appears that a car driven by Robert Blue turned left in front of a truck driven by Jinger Marino. Mr. Blue's wife, Marjorie Blue, was a passenger in her husband's vehicle and was deceased at the scene. Mr. Blue later died at a Tampa hospital. Mr. Marino is in a Tampa hospital with serious injuries. The crash currently remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Jinger Marino would possibly have a claim against the Estate of Robert Blue if it is confirmed that Robert Blue violated his right-of-way. Jinger Marino would also have a claim against any available underinsured motorist benefits.

On Tuesday, March 2, 2010, General Motors announced a recall of 1.3 million vehicles for power steering related problems. The models affected by the recall are the 2005-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt, the 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, the 2005-2006 Pontiac Pursuit (sold in Canada) and the 2005-2006 Pontiac G4 (sold in Mexico). Owners of the vehicles have reported that the power steering would go out occasionally and then sometimes become more frequent. Jamie Hresko, General Motors Vice President of Quality, said in a statement that "it tends to occur in older models out of warranty."

If the power steering goes out, a chime should sound and a warning light or message should be displayed. The vehicle can still be steered, but it will require more effort at speeds under 15 mph.

The loss of power steering could be a very serious concern and possibly hazardous for senior citizens or those with physical limitations or disabiliti

According to the baynews9.com website, a motorcyclist was killed on Monday evening, March 1, 2010, on U.S. 301 in Riverview. The motorcycle was operated by James R. Cameron of Riverview. He was traveling southbound on U.S. 301 when a Dodge Dakota pickup, driven by a 16 year old, attempted a left turn directly in his path. Mr. Cameron was ejected from the motorcycle and died at the scene.

Unfortunately, in the State of Florida, motorcycles are not considered "motor vehicles" and are not required to carry insurance. However, if Mr. Cameron owned a vehicle that is required to carry insurance coverage, his family may have a possible claim against any uninsured motorist coverage. They would also have a claim against the 16 year old driver of the vehicle that struck him, the owner of that vehicle and also possibly the adult that signed for the teenager's driver's l