• Vehicle Crashes
• Slip and Falls and Negligent Security
• Insurance Disputes
• Child Injuries, Neglect and Sexual Abuse

Read our news to keep up with accidents and cases similar to yours.

Every day people are the victim of accidents, abuse, dishonesty, violence or recklessness. What are the causes, what happens to those responsible, can these people be protected, will they be compensated..? Read our News section to get a picture of how these and other questions become real in cases similar to yours.

Vehicle Crashes

• Accused Drunk Driver Kills War Hero In Crash
  Apr 05, 2010

  Jason Russo, a decorated war hero from his military service in Iraq, was tragically killed when his motorcycle was hit by Okevin Moradian on County Road 419, near Chuluota, in Seminole County, Florida.  Mr. Russo was riding his motorcyle home from his job as a state corrections officer at the Central Florida Reception Center off of State Road 528.
  
  Accoriding to State Troopers, Mr. Moradian suddenly attempted to complete a turn right in front of Mr. Russo's motorcycle.  Troopers believed that Mr. Moradian was drunk at the scene, but he refused to submit to a sobriety test.  It appears that Mr. Moradian has some experience and expertise in dealing with roadside sobriety tests.  Public records indicate that this is Moradian's third drunk driving arrest overall, and his second in less than one year.
  
  Our hearts go out to the Russo family.  It is difficult to understand how a multiple offender like Mr. Moradian should be allowed to continue driving.  More needs to be done to keep people like Mr. Moradian off of the roads.
  
  From a civil justice perspective, drunk driving potentially exposes the drunk driver to punitive damages.  These are damages over-and-above the compensatory damages designed to make the injured party, or his family in the case of a wrongful death, whole.  Punitive damages are designed to punish the wrongdoer, and to discourage anyone else from committing the same wrong. - 11 - 20

• Texting Bus Accident Danger | Seminole Auto Accidents
  Mar 19, 2010

  I was shocked when I saw this story on a local television website.  Thea Lawler, a high school junior, got concerned when the school bus driver who was driving her and her schoolmates home from school reached for his cell phone and started texting while driving a bus load of kids.  She quickly grabbed her own cell phone and took some photos.
  
  To make matters worse, this bus driver was driving on State Road 436 - one of our areas busiest, most congested roads, and a road often listed as one of the most dangerous and accident-riddled roads in Central Florida.
  
  This is just one more example of a problem I've been blogging about for months.  I even shot some video about it.
  
  - 12 - 20

• Tragic Bushnell Motorcycle Crash
  Mar 15, 2010

  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the two motorcyclists and their two passengers who were killed at the intersection of County Road 476 and County Road 629 in Bushnell this past Saturday night.  The Florida Highway Patrol reports that Paul Sermons drove his 1991 GMC truck into the lane where the two motorcyclists were travelling.  Apparently, Mr. Sermons was trying to pass a slower moving vehicle at the time.
  
  This tragic motorcycle accident stands as a stark reminder to all of us who drive in Florida that we must look out for all types of vehicles as we operate our cars and trucks.  As an avid bicyclist, I am particularly concerned the motorists look out for bicycles near the shoulder of the road.  In Central Florida, we are blessed with a very active motorcycling community.  This community of riders contributes to our economy in many positive ways.  We need to be ever mindful of their presence on our roads, and to respect their right of way.
  
  - 13 - 20

• Paramedic Almost Killed by Driver Distracted By Cell Phone
  Mar 05, 2010

  Chad Lowery, an Orange County paramedic, is lucky to be alive.  Apparently, he was working a motorcycle accidnet crash scene when a passing driver lost control of her vehicle and hit him.  She has admitted that she was distracted by her cell phone.  Lowery has suffered serious injuries to his cervical spine and can't lift his 8-month old daughter.  We wish nothing but the best for Firefighter Lowery and his family.
  
  Distracted driving is a disturbing trend.  The Florida Legislature need to do something about this frequent cause of automobile accidents before more tragic stories like this one occur. - 14 - 20

Slip and Falls and Negligent Security

• Two Deland Women Receive Over 200 Stitches After Dog Attack
  Jul 08, 2010

  Local media is reporting that two women were recently viciously attacked by what were believed to be two pit bulls near 3rd Avenue in Deland.  The women were bitten on their faces, hands, arms, and legs.  The dogs were apparently running loose and came around the side of a house as the women walked down the street.
  
  Both women were taken to the hospital where they received over 200 stitched combined.  Volusia County officials could not locate the dogs after the attack, so these dangerous dogs would appear to still be loose.  Along those lines, nobody knows who owns the dogs, so no dog owner has yet to be held responsible for the obvious personal damage that these dogs have caused.
  
  In Florida, dog owners are legally responsible for the damage caused by their dogs.  For more information look here. - 15 - 20

• Pit Bull Attacks And Mauls Child (For The Second Time)
  May 27, 2010

  A 3-year old was attacked and mauled by his grandmother's pit bull dog in Ormond Beach yesterday -- and this is not the first time that this child has been mauled by this dog.  According to WKMG in Orlando, the young child was playing on the floor while being watched by his grandmother at her home, when the child reached out and grabbed the dog.  The grandmother's pit bull responded by biting the child several times on the left side of the head.  The boy suffered several deep laceration on the his head and one on his forehead.
  
  Instead of calling 911, the grandmother took the child to the emergency room herself, along with the go.  While he was being treated there, doctors noticed an older scar on the child's left cheek.  It was at that time that it was revealed that the dog had previously bitten the child in the face.  The grandmother indicated that she brought the dog alone because she was worried that one of her upsets relatives would kill the dog.
  
  WKMG reported that the child's mother was livid, and that she had been under the impression that the dog was going to be left outside while her son was at the grandmother's house.
  
  As a lawyer, I wonder whether the child (through his parents) has a claim against his grandmother under the Florida dog bite statute.  As a parent, I am wondering why the child's mother would allow him to stay at the grandmother's house knowing that this known violent animal was still there.
  
  Where do you land on this dilemma? - 16 - 20

• Bad Bouncer Brings Burden On Bar For Brain Injury
  Mar 05, 2010

  Check out this story from the Daytona Beach News-Journal.  Apparently, this bouncer had a violent past.  I wonder what kind of background check was conducted?  This bar could be in serious trouble.  Bars and nightclubs can be held liable for injuries caused by their overzealous bouncers or security staff.  The patron in this case wound up with a very significant brain injury.  It sounds like the patron was causing some trouble himself, but that doesn't excuse the level of violence that was administered to him by this employee - apparently named "Lurch". - 17 - 20

Child Injuries, Neglect and Sexual Abuse

• Seminole High School Teacher Accused Of Sex In Classroom With Student
  Aug 16, 2010

  Channel 6 in Orlando is reporting the arrest of a Seminole High School teacher on 17 counts of lewd and lacivious battery on a child, following reports by a 19-year old former student that she was the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of her former teacher four years ago.
  
  Apparently, the relationship began when the girl was 15-years old, and featured the teacher having sex with his student at least 11 times in his classroom, and also at his home.
  
  It will be interesting to see how this case evolves.  Of course the teacher is innocent until proven guilty.  it will be interesting to see what kind of proof the woman has that this actually happened.  One would think that the State of Florida would need to have some kind of proof to charge with teacher with 17 counts of child sexual abuse.  It is also curious that the woman waited four years to come forward. - 18 - 20

• St. Cloud Martial Arts Instructor Arrested AGAIN For Sexual Abuse
  May 10, 2010

  No sooner did John Durinick bail out of jail on child sex abuse charges, than he was hit with another charge for improper sexual contact with another child.  You may remember Mr. Durinick from my previous news comments.  He is the St. Cloud martial arts instructor who was accused a couple of weeks ago of more than 100 counts of improper sexual contact with several of his martial arts students.
  
  Apparently, after news reports surfaced concerning Mr. Durinick's first arrest, an additional 14-year old martial arts student came forward and reported that Mr. Durinick has inappropriately touched her at the martial arts studio where he worked.
  
  As with most incidents like this, there is almost always a breakdown in either a background check or supervision of the sexual abuser.  It is very rare that a sexual abuser of children begins his abuse behavior "out of the blue" or without some sign or forewarning.  Learn more about child sexual abuse cases here.
  
  - 19 - 20

• Martial Arts Instructor In St. Cloud Accused of Sex Abuse of Children
  Apr 15, 2010

  An instructor at the John Emmons Taekwondo Academy in St. Cloud has been arrested on accusation involving multiple incidents of sexual abuse against children under 16.
  
  St. Cloud Police arrested John Thomas Durinick, 39, on charges of lewd and lascivious battery on a minor, and lewd and lascivious molestation of a minor.  Apparently, Mr. Durinick has been carrying on inappropriate relationships with two different 15-year old taekwondo students for about 18 months.  Mr. Durinick was also charged with false imprisonment after one of the girls tried to flee his advances and he allegedly trapped her inside the martial arts school.  Police believe that the majority of the abuse occurred at the school.
  
  It will be interesting to see how this story develops.  As a parent of children who are very involved in sports and other extracurricular activities, I want to believe that it is not true, and that an adult mentor or instructor would not take advantage of a child in such a way.  I am curious about what kind of background check was done regarding Mr. Durinick, and what kind of reference checks took place.  Similarly, I want to know what kind of supervision Mr. Durinick and these girls were under if these abusive acts took place over an 18 month period.
  
  In our experience, there are almost always "warning signs" in these cases that something was wrong.  Unfortunately, many times it is in hindsight, too late, that all of the signs add up. - 20 - 20

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