Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorney
| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorneys, Uncategorized

What are the Duties of an Auto Accident Attorney?

Accidents happen to everyone, it’s just a matter of when. Everyone hopes it’s not serious and that no one is injured, but the statistics say it will happen eventually. That being said, do you know what to do when you’re in an accident? We have covered what to do immediately after the accident, such as cooperate with the authorities, but don’t admit fault, and don’t post on social media. Take photographs if possible.

Fort Lauderdale Auto Accident Attorney

Fort Lauderdale Accident AttorneyThen seek the advice of a good auto accident attorney, and look for references and reviews to select a good one. Then, after you have decided on a lawyer, what then? What should you expect from your attorney? Obviously you want to be communicated with regularly. What else?

How about a list of the duties and responsibilities a good auto accident attorney should know his responsibilities based on the circumstances of the case, but a basic outline is:

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cruise ship accident attorney
| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | CRUISE SHIP ACCIDENTS

Cruise Ships are Getting Smart, Hiring Lifeguards – Fort Lauderdale Cruise Ship Accident Attorney

fort lauderdale cruise ship accident attorneyBased in the Fort Lauderdale area we decided many years ago to provide assistance to people who have had harmful incidents with cruise ships and cruise lines. It is an interesting and challenging area of law for several reasons, including the reality that often incidents occur outside the jurisdiction of U.S. laws.

One of the most perplexing areas of concern for us over the years has been the accidents, injuries, and deaths that occur in and around swimming pools on board cruise ships. Cruise lines have traditionally opted to not provide lifeguards to patrol the pools, and pointed to statistics they believe back-up their decision. They have compared the number of accidents on ships to the number of land-based pools and decided that because, according to their numbers are fewer, there was no need for lifeguards. It has always been bewildering to us how they could reach that conclusion because even one preventable accident is too many.

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Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorneys
| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorneys

A Bottom Five Ranking: Florida Distracted Driving

A new study released to coincide with Distracted Driving Awareness Month (April) says that Florida ranks poorly when it comes to focusingfort lauderdale accident attorneys on the road. Florida drivers are among the most dangerous menaces on the road, ranking second-worst in the nation for being distracted while behind the wheel, according to a study of driving habits.

After a steady decline in fatal accidents nationwide, there has been a slow increase over the past 6 years and many experts believe it is due to distracted driving, mainly texting while driving.

The states with the best record for complying with phone-and-drive laws were:

1. Vermont
2. Minnesota
3. Oregon
4. New Hampshire
5. Connecticut

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pharmacist and physician errors
| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | MEDICAL MALPRACTICE |

Primum non Nocere – Pharmacist and Physician Errors

pharmacist physician errorsWhen you go to visit your doctor, you hope to feel better and be healthier when you leave than before you made the trip. And when you go to the pharmacy to get medicine prescribed by the doctor, you have similar expectations. But that’s not always the case.

The phrase “do no harm” comes from the Latin primum non nocere and is believed to be the basis for a portion of the Hippocratic Oath, which includes a promise made by physicians to “abstain from doing harm.” Non-maleficence, which is derived from the maxim, is one of the principal precepts of bioethics that all healthcare students are taught in school and is a fundamental principle throughout the world. Another way to state it is that, “given an existing problem, it may be better not to do something, or even to do nothing, than to risk causing more harm than good.” It reminds the health care provider that they must consider the possible harm that any intervention might do. It is invoked when debating the use of an intervention that carries an obvious risk of harm but a less certain chance of benefit.

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| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Attorney Reviews

The Importance of Attorney Reviews by Clients

We remember a restaurant critic in south Florida by the name of Robert Tolf, who reviewed restaurants all over Florida for the Sun-Sentinelattorney reviews newspaper and Florida Trend Magazine for many years. Mr. Tolf’s reviews were a must-read before visiting a new place to eat because they were well-written and very accurate. His writing was so detailed you could almost taste the food as he described it’s flavor, smell, and texture. He detailed the quality of service, the cleanliness, and ambiance so you had a good idea what you were in for before you made the commitment to spend a lot of money on a gourmet meal. Mr. Tolf also wrote several books about history and he passed away in 2015.

Today, everyone is a critic! Reviews are on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and dozens of other internet sources where ratings range from “the best ever” to “not fit for my dog to eat!” Reviews are great, but in order to be credible the source should be honest, knowledgeable about the subject, and have no bias. We know a restaurant owner who was “barbecued” by someone who had just broken up with one of his servers. A lovers spat resulted in an undeserved one-star rating on Yelp, and it’s difficult to work your way back to a good overall rating after one of those.

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| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Motorcycle Accident Attorney | , , ,

Florida Helmet Law (or Lack of One) Under Fire

After much debate, the law requiring motorcyclists to wear a helmet in Florida was repealed in 2000. Since that time, motorcycle deaths have steadily increased. Between 2000 and 2008, there were 3,716 motorcyclists and their passengers killed in traffic crashes, an average of 413 per year or over one per day. In 2008, motorcycle fatalities dropped from the previous year by 3.4 percent representing 17.8 percent of all fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.

florida helmet lawIn 2015, there were 606 deaths attributed to motorcycle crashes in Florida. By county, Miami-Dade had the highest number, 67. The increase in number of deaths may be slightly related to the increase in the number of people residing in and visiting Florida, but clearly the increase in number of deaths exceeds the increase in population (by percent) and many people are calling for the helmet law to be reinstated.

Here’s why: Florida leads the nation in motorcycle crash fatalities. While motorcycles accounted for only 3 percent of all registered vehicles in our state, motorcyclists constituted 20 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities. A recent study found that about 50% of Florida motorcyclists wear helmets even though they are not required to do so. In states (19) where helmets are require.

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| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Prescription Errors

Caution: OTC Pain Relievers Sometimes Mix Poorly with Other Meds – Pharmacy Errors

Here is an all-too-common scenario in the world today: A healthy person does to the doctor for a check-up and the doctor finds his or her pharmacy errorsblood pressure is a little high, so a medication is prescribed. The person then goes to a dermatologist for a rash and another medication is recommended. Then the patient is prescribed an antibiotic after a dental procedure, and so on. The patient tells the pharmacist about all three meds but doesn’t mention the 6 to 10 ibuprofen capsules taken every day because of a sore back. This is a prescription for danger.

It’s a pharmacist’s responsibility to check what other meds a patient is taking by looking what else is in the computer, and certainly your physician should be aware of all medications you are taking. They should also know if you are taking over-the-counter pain relievers, especially if you take more than recommended on the label.

Coumadin is a common blood-thinner prescribed often, but it should never be taken at the same time as aspirin. This has been a fatal combination in many cases, and ibuprofen is also not to be taken with the drug, also known as warfarin. Supplements are another yellow flag for people taking prescription medications. Because the ingredients in supplements are not always apparent, it’s best to do some research before taking them at the same time as prescribed medication.

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| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Florida Personal Injury Attorney | , ,

Stay Safe and Healthy, Live Longer!

 

We discussed the leading causes of death in an earlier blog post, and covered 5 of the top 10. This time we’re covering 6 through 10 and we’llstay safe and healthy talk a bit more about how to stay safe and healthy!

6 – Alzheimer’s Disease

Dementia is an overall term for diseases and conditions characterized by a decline in cognitive function that affects a person’s ability to perform everyday activities. Alzheimer’s is vascular-related and is just one type of dementia. Dementia is caused by damage to nerve cells in the brain. As a result of the damage, neurons can no longer function normally and may die. This, in turn, can lead to changes in memory, behavior, and the ability to think clearly.

Avoidance may not be possible at this point, but healthy lifestyle choices may delay Alzheimer’s: no smoking, healthy foods, and stay mentally alert. The Alzheimer’s Foundation website has a lot of helpful information.

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