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TAMPA & ST. PETERSBURG INJURY & AUTO ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS
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Does your child attend a negligent daycare, school, or camp near St. Petersburg, FL?

Keeping pupils safe in schools, preschool and daycare programs, on playgrounds, as well as in other theoretically supervised situations is a primary responsibility of those who administer these types of programs. When a child is injured in a negligent daycare or school situation, the negligent agency will have a greater chance of prevailing when it has very clear and readily available policies which they strictly enforce. In many school premises liability lawsuits plaintiffs are more likely to prevail when the facility in question fails to maintain its campus and/or equipment, does not have a regular (and documented) inspection plan, and does not instruct and supervise students in the safe and appropriate use of equipment. The greatest deterrent to litigation with respect to premises and equipment liability is to keep the building and grounds free of hazards. School administrators must be sure to maintain the grounds and equipment on a regular basis, and ensure that that equipment is safe and properly installed, used, and maintained.

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What if your baby’s labor and delivery injury could have been prevented?

Head injury, brain damage, cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, and Erb’s palsy are just some of the injuries a newborn can suffer as a result of mistakes that happen during labor and delivery. In certain cases, medical mismanagement by the obstetrician can lead to unforeseen and tragic consequences for the mother. Many times, even the unforeseen consequences are preventable. The attorneys at Shocklee Paolino want to hear what happened to your child or to you. Our team of labor and delivery injury attorneys can help you determine whether your child’s birth injury or your injury was caused by medical mismanagement or negligence.

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Proper Detection and Treatment of Preeclampsia

A Preeclampsia Attorney at SP Justice is ready to help with your case because we understand the importance and growing need for proper obstetric care. Research shows that the quantity of global maternal deaths has dropped dramatically in the past few decades. However, in the United States maternal death rates have more than doubled since the 1980s, showing that women are still at risk for pregnancy complications that can end in mortality (Robeznieks, 2015).

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Do I Need A Cerebral Palsy Attorney in St. Petersburg, FL

Cerebral palsy can result from complications during prenatal care, labor, delivery, or newborn care. The most serious damage is often caused by oxygen deprivation to the infant’s brain during these crucial periods of development. The failure to perform a cesarean section, misuse of forceps or vacuum during delivery, abuse of Pitocin, or miscalculating of the size of the baby can all contribute to serious brain injuries to the child. A Cerebral Palsy Attorney at Shocklee Paolino can help you understand if it’s in your best interest to make a claim against your medical provider. What makes Cerebral Palsy so sad is that most of these problems can be prevented, since many birth injuries are caused by a doctor failing to address problems in a timely fashion during the processes of labor and delivery.

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Who is at fault when a Car and Bike Crash?

As bicyclists, it’s not uncommon to hear motorists blame us for the way “all of you bikers” ride recklessly on the roads. Motorists often don’t respect cyclists because they claim cyclists are the ones to consistently “break the law”, slow other traffic, and ignore the rules of the roads. At Shocklee Paolino, we have found that motorists overwhelmingly blame the bicyclists for being the cause of accidents when a car and bike crash. But is that really the case?

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Steps to take after a Bicycle Accident, including contacting a Florida bicycle accident lawyer

If you are a bicyclist who has suffered injuries due to the actions of a negligent or distracted driver in Florida, it is important that you contact a bicycle accident lawyer immediately to help protect your rights. A Florida bicycle accident lawyer at Shocklee Paolino can offer you experience in fighting for the rights of bicyclists and pedestrians and will conduct the necessary investigation to ensure all evidence is preserved to properly pursue your claim. Knowing the importance of pursuing your claim, we have researched and assembled a few important steps to take after a bicycle accident in order to help you protect your legal rights.

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What Determines the Value of a Dog Bite Case?

In the most common dog bite cases, the victim is entitled to:

  • Economic damages: This most often refers to medical costs, expenses of transportation for medical reasons (i.e., an ambulance, airlift, mileage to the doctor), future medical costs associated with any necessary cosmetic treatment of scars/surgeries, loss of income (both past and future), defensive measures necessitated by the dog attachk (such as putting up a fence), loss of the property value (due to proximity of dangerous dogs),  torn clothing, counseling and psychological expenses (both past and future), funds expended on anything (vacations for example) that could not be taken because of the accident, and other out-of-pocket costs that were necessary because of the dog bite.
  • Non-economic damages: including pain from the injury and treatment, mental suffering when confronted by dogs or remembering the attack, humiliation caused by scars, loss of quality of life because of disability, anxiety about not being able to get work in the future, loss of earning capacity in the future, the indignity of being handicapped and similar detriments that are intangible by nature.

The exact amount of money depends on a large number of factors, such as the age and gender of the victim, his or her relationship to the defendants, the nature and extent of injury, the presence of visible or painful scaring, the degree of disability caused by the dog bite, the attitudes of potential jurors in the relevant court district, the strength of the evidence, and much  more. There is no general rule or formula that tells how much money your case is “worth”, but once we know all of the details, an experienced dog bite injury attorney at Shocklee Paolino can help you get on the right track to successfully regain all that you’ve lost.

CALL FOR A FREE CONSULTATION: (727) 498-8771

What to do after a dog bite

Read though our guide on the immediate and long-term steps that we recommend taking following a dog bite. This information should not be taken as official legal advice, but these are guidelines that we’ve assembled based on the past experience of our clients.

  1. Identify owner of the dog that bit you
    Immediately identify the human who had custody of the dog when it bit you. Make a written list of names, addresses, and phone numbers of any human associated with the dog. If you’re unable to identify the owner of the animal and/or the owner is not able to verify the status of the dog’s vaccinations you may be legally required to undergo a series of rabies vaccinations which can be extremely expensive (up to $10,000 per individual in some cases)
  2. Get experienced medical care
    If the dog bite is severe to the point that you’re losing blood or you feel like you won’t be able to safely make it home under your own power, be sure to contact first responders (9-1-1) for immediate medical attention. If a friend or family member is available, have them take you to emergency care. Always seek professional medical treatment following a dog bite because the risk of infection from a dog bite is much too high to be ignored.
  3. File a report with authorities
    After you’ve been treated by a medical professionalm file a dog bite report with the proper city or county authorities. Taking this action will produce the necessary legal documents for the filing of any case if a law suite is necessary. Without this paper trail of legal documents, authorities cannot enforce effectively.
  4. Photograph your injuries
    Take photographs (preferably digital) of your injuries.Confer with a doctor or nurse as needed if taking such photos will require the opening of any bandages. They will tell you a safe manner in which to do so. It is also recommended that you photograph all of your wounds, including bruises, as well as all torn, stained, or otherwise damanged clothing and the location of the attack.
  5. Contact an attorney
    Contact a dog bite attorney right away. The legal issues surrounding dog bites are always complex and difficult to navigate through. An experienced Dog Bite Injury Attorney will look out for your best interest from this point forward.
  6. Keep a journal
    If you plan to seek compensation for your injury it can be very helpful start a journal as soon as you can. Spend just a few minutes each day recording your thoughts for the few first weeks after the dog bite. Animal attack claims frequently take over a year to arrive at completion. Anticipate keeping this journal on a weekly basis over the course of this time and use it to keep track of how your feeling (both physically and emotionally), and keep notes on any and all financial impact the dog bite has had on your life.

If you have suffered a dog bite in Tampa or St. Petersburg, contact the dog bit injury attorneys at Shocklee Paolino to learn how they can help you receive compensation for your suffering.

CALL FOR A FREE CONSULTATION: (727) 498-8771

Florida Motorcycle Insurance 101

FLORIDA MOTORCYCLE RIDERS

We have had some questions recently about insurance coverage for motorcycle riders. There is a lot of confusion out there, and rightfully so. Did you know that in Florida a motorcycle is not a “motor vehicle.” It doesn’t have 4-wheels so according to Florida law it is not a motor vehicle and as such insurance does not apply to your motorcycle as it does to your car or truck. Is that a big deal?

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