Uncategorized
Have You Lost a Loved One Due to Wrongful Death?
Posted on by Rainmaker

Losing a loved one is one of the greatest challenges any of us will ever face, and sometimes it seems as if the mourning process is endless. While it is difficult to watch someone go through an extended illness, there is often more time to prepare yourself (and your children) for the loss, and to consider how you will go on without them, hard as it may be. If you have lost a family member due to the negligence of others though—and suddenly—it can be extremely difficult to get past the unexpected loss and overwhelming changes in your life. In the case of a wrongful death, you may feel the typical phases of grief more acutely, and for a more extended time—especially anger and depression.

Despite the emotional turmoil and overall sadness associated with such an event, the future must be considered for partners and dependents left behind. Clear intent to harm and a violent or criminal act may be the reason for a wrongful death, or it may have been caused by negligence, to include:

  • Car, truck, or motorcycle accidents
  • Bicycle and pedestrian deaths
  • Boating accidents
  • Swimming pool accidents
  • Medical malpractice or accident in a hospital
  • Defective products
  • Accidents at the workplace, a childcare facility, or public venue

As an immediate family member or dependent, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death suit. And although the time after such a traumatic event may leave you feeling helpless and extremely worried about the future, it is your right to seek compensation with the help of a skilled wrongful death attorney from a firm like Heintz & Becker. Be aware that insurance companies for the other side may be quick to step in and encourage communication; however, they do not have the best interest of you or your family in mind. If they offer you financial compensation, remember that their agenda is to settle with you for as little as possible, and as quickly as possible. Speak with an attorney first to protect yourself and your family.

You may be due damages not only for the loss of your loved one and pain and suffering, but also for hospital and funeral costs and loss of other income.

Contact Heintz & Becker today. Our wrongful death lawyers represent families in the Sarasota and Bradenton areas who have lost loved ones due to catastrophic injuries. Call us for a free consultation now at 941-748-2916 or contact us online. We are here to help!

All blogs are written on behalf of Heintz & Becker for informational purposes. These articles should not, however, be considered legal advice, or in any way responsible for creating an attorney/client relationship.

 

US Motorists: More Are Uninsured Than Ever
Posted on by Rainmaker

Do you dread paying that annual or monthly car insurance payment? Most of us do, and at an average of $900 per policyholder per year, it is easy to see why; however, the reward of having insurance is feeling that sense of security, resting easy in thinking that insurance will cover any damage to our car. That is not always the case though, as a rising percentage of motorists driving along the highway with you are not carrying insurance. This means that if they hit you and cause damage, your policy will only pay out if you have your own collision insurance. To make matters worse, insurance rates continue to climb for everyone else due to the costs incurred in the US by uninsured drivers.

CBS News recently outlined the growing issue of uninsured motorists in Florida, stating that not only are 27 percent of motorists without insurance – that is twice the average in the US for the uninsured, usually at one in eight. For Floridians, this spells trouble for many who are involved in accidents due to the negligence of another.

“In addition to paying for their own actions, each insured motorist also pays a portion of the costs for others that choose to disobey the law,” said the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in their report, ‘Uninsured Motorists: A Growing Problem for Consumers.’

“There are at least 23 states trying to solve the issues of the uninsured motorist through data verification of some sort. The first three reports question the capability of existing data verification systems to adequately reduce the number of uninsured motorists, to protect privacy information and to provide the critical law-enforcement tools necessary. There is a clear lack of national insurance regulatory leadership regarding this issue. The Insurance industry, in the meantime, has clearly been working on a solution to address this issue.”

You may find yourself paying around $67 extra per month in your insurance policy to make up for all those uninsured motorists—and their numbers have risen recently to 13 percent, with no signs of slowing down.

“This has been a concern in Florida for quite a while, and the numbers are likely rising due to an increase in population,” said professor Lynne McChristian of Florida State University. “Florida has a highly mobile population who move within and out of the state.”

Fines apparently are not enough to stop the problem in its tracks, with many uninsured motorists gaining the prerequisite coverage just long enough to buy a car and then dropping it within a very short period. It has been suggested that following suit with states like Oklahoma could make a difference. After instituting the practice of taking the license plates of those without insurance, Oklahoma saw a significant drop in uninsured motorists.

Have you or a loved one been injured in a car or motorcycle accident due to the negligence of others who are uninsured? Please call Heintz & Becker for a free consultation with one of our personal injury attorneys. We handle all types of Florida personal injury cases, and our law firm has established an impressive record of verdicts and settlements. If you have been seriously injured, call us now at 941-748-2916 or contact us online. We are here to help!

All blogs are written on behalf of Heintz & Becker for informational purposes. These articles should not, however, be considered legal advice, or in any way responsible for creating an attorney/client relationship.