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Have you been involved in an accident that caused a spinal cord injury in Florida? Read these 3 spinal cord injury tips, then give us a call. 1) Taking the First Settlement If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury, do not accept any offers that are made by the insurance company. Contact a personal injury attorney who specializes in spinal cord injuries immediately, so you can get the proper advice. Oftentimes insurance companies try to settle cases as early and as quickly as possible for as little money as possible. Particularly in spinal cord injury cases, these are injuries that could affect you for the rest of your life, so you need to make sure that you have the proper representation and proper advice from a specialized attorney that can help you through this process. 2) Insurance Investigation Do not talk to any insurance companies that contact you. You need to hire a personal injury attorney who specializes in spinal cord injuries that can deal with the insurance company for you. Oftentimes, and unfortunately, insurance companies try to settle cases as quickly as possible for as little money as possible. In a spinal cord injury case in particular, the damages are very significant and oftentimes will require treatment and very significant treatment for the remainder of a person’s life. For that reason, you need to have someone who is solely representing your interests. The insurance company is not representing your interests. The insurance company is trying to save money and get your case settled as quickly as possible. For that reason, you need someone fighting for you, particularly with the severity of those types of injuries involved in a spinal cord injury case. If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury or someone in your family has suffered a spinal cord injury, it turns your life upside down. 3) Mistakes After a Spinal Cord Injury One of the most common mistakes that we see people make who suffer a spinal cord injury in Florida is not getting an attorney, specifically a personal injury attorney who specializes in spinal cord injuries, involved immediately or soon after the injury occurs as possible. The reason for that is that these types of cases often involve very severe damages and potentially liability disputes. You need to make sure that you have an attorney fighting for you from the very beginning, who can hire experts if needed, who can try your case if needed, because these types of cases involve such severe injuries that affect a person for the rest of their lifetime. For that reason, the damages are huge, the future medical expenses are hug, the pain and suffering damages are huge, so you need someone to help you and fight for you, specifically someone who specializes in those types of cases, because they are unique cases. Have you or a loved one been involved in an accident or event that caused a spinal cord injury in Florida and have questions about these 3 spinal cord injury tips? Contact our experienced Southwest Florida spinal cord injury lawyers today for a free consultation and case evaluation. Like us on Facebook

Do you have questions about your pedestrian accident claim going to trial? Watch this video, then call our Southwest Florida lawyers today. Question: Will my pedestrian accident claim go to trial? Answer: Your pedestrian accident injury claim may or may not need to go to trial. It certainly depends upon the factors involved in a case, including who was at fault for the crash or if there is shared responsibility between the automobile driver and the pedestrian. Those are arguments that insurance companies like to have many times in pedestrian accident cases to try and save themselves some money, to be completely honest with you. Your pedestrian accident injury case also involves your damages, your medical expenses, both in the past and what you’re going to need in the future, your wage losses, your loss of future earning capacity, and then certainly those intangible or non-economic damages, your pain and suffering and how the accident has affected you and continues to affect you. There are certain points in times where if we put together the right information early on with you in your pedestrian accident injury case, we can get a good and substantial offer from the insurance companies. There are other times where insurance companies simply don’t play fair because they want to make you work through the process. That’s where getting qualified attorneys, like us at Goldstein Buckley Cechman, Rice & Purtz, onboard to handle your case and help you navigate those waters can work to seek maximum value for you, whether that be early on in the case, some point in time in the middle, or through the trial of your pedestrian accident injury case. It all is based upon what you and what we can work to put together with you to seek full justice in your case. Have you or a loved one recently been injured in a pedestrian accident in Florida and have questions about pedestrian accident claim going to trial? Contact our experienced Southwest Florida pedestrian accident lawyers today for a free consultation and case evaluation. Like us on Facebook

Did you suffer a serious injury related to a faulty medical device? Read these 5 common questions about medical device injury, then call us! 1) How Much Does an Attorney Cost for a Medical Device Injury Claim in Southwest Florida? At our firm, we handle medical device injury claims on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no out of pocket expenses or upfront costs to our client. Our firm advances all the costs in prosecuting the case, which can be substantial including the cost of engineers to testify and doctors. It is only in the event we make a recovery for our client that we get attorney fees, Secondly, that’s the only time that we are reimbursed our cost if we make recovery for our client. There’s no upfront out of pocket expenses to hire our law firm for a medical device injury claim. 2) How Long Will a Medical Device Injury Claim Take to Resolve? There’s no stated or standard amount of time that it takes for a medical device injury claim to resolve in Florida but because of the complexities of them and the fact that many times they end up in what’s known as multidistrict litigation and a central federal court somewhere in the country, they generally take anywhere from three to six years to resolve, but it could be less. Sometimes, the manufacturers will have programs set up to settle claims quicker. Either way, our firm is ready, willing, and able to handle these claims for you. 3) How Do I Determine the Value of a Medical Device Injury Claim? There are several ways that we evaluate medical device injury claims in Florida. We look at different factors that are involved in the case, from the amount of medical expenses incurred as a result of the defective device to the impact that the defective device has had on the individual, including their quality of life and earning capacity. All this and more go into the evaluation process. There is no magic formula and therefore we really listen closely to our clients when we evaluate these type of claims. 4) What Mistakes Do People Make that They Should Avoid If They Are Filing a Medical Device Injury Claim? One of the biggest mistakes people make with a medical device injury claim in Florida is not preserving the defective product, called an explant. When an implant is replaced, the explant, the old part, should be preserved as evidence because, many times, the explant will have evidence of the defect. Most times and many times, that explant is not preserved because of burial hazard issues and things of that nature, but at all costs, if you particularly think you have a medical device injury claim that you should preserve the old product and many hospitals and doctors would be willing to do that for you, but you have to ask in advance. Be sure to preserve the evidence. It’s very critical in these cases. 5) Do I Have a Lawsuit If My Medical Device that Was Implanted Is Recalled? If your medical device was recalled, that’s evidence that the device was defective, which can be used to support a claim of a defective medical device. It may depend, however, on the length of time the device has been in your body. Most microdevices have a life expectancy based on the state you live in at the time. If it’s somewhere between 10 and 15 years and the device has been implanted longer than that, then the fact it’s been recalled may not be relevant to support a claim; if it’s been less than that, then obviously, it will support a claim. The fact that the device has been recalled is strong evidence that the device is defective and therefore would support a claim for medical device. Have you suffered serious health issues related to a faulty medical device in Florida and have questions? After reading these 5 common questions about medical device injury, contact our experienced Southwest Florida medical device injury lawyers today for a free consultation and case evaluation. Like us on Facebook

Do you have questions about what steps to take after a truck accident injury? Watch this video, then call our Southwest Florida lawyers. Question: What should I do if I was injured in a commercial truck accident in Southwest Florida? Answer: We had a recent case for a client whose husband was in the hospital with severe injuries, and he ultimately succumbed to those injuries as a result of a truck hitting his motorcycle. She wanted to know what the first steps are that needed to be done. The first step that needs to be done is to try to preserve as much evidence as you can. Oftentimes the insurance company for the trucking company knows that there can be major injuries, so they will send an investigator to the scene of the accident. In this particular case, the defense attorney in the case was actually at the scene of the accident. They’ll act quickly, so what you need to do is make sure you hire an attorney that understands they also need to act quickly to get an investigation done to the vehicles, to preserve evidence, including preserving the vehicles, to take statements of witnesses, and to start to build the case from day one. We have seasoned trial attorneys her, so we understand the intricacies of a trucking accident case. It’s important that you reach out to us right away so we can get started on your trucking accident case. Have you lost a loved one who has been involved in an accident with a truck in Florida and have questions about the steps to take after a truck accident? Contact our experienced Southwest Florida truck accident lawyers today for a free consultation and case evaluation. Like us on Facebook

Is your loved one suffering nursing home abuse? Here’s what you need to do: read this article, then contact our Southwest Florida attorneys. Selecting the Best Attorney For You Nursing home negligence actions are very specific, and they are very fact- and detail-intensive. When choosing an attorney to handle that type of case for you, you want to make sure you are hiring and retaining an attorney and a firm that has experience in this specific area of law. Folks are injured in nursing homes, and they are at their most vulnerable before these bad acts occur that leave people in an even worse position. Making sure you are choosing an attorney that one, knows how to handle these types of cases, and two, is going to get in with you early and investigate the details of the incident. Being able to put the pieces together with you on the ground is paramount when you’re looking for an attorney to handle these types of complex cases. Taking the First Settlement Offer In a nursing home negligence type claim, it is rare to get an early offer from nursing home insurance companies. There is a procedure that has to be worked through that the legislature has set forth, and what we have to do is clear a lot of hurdles and make sure that we have all the documentation necessary to present your claim. At the time that a first offer is made, it is generally not in your best interest to accept that offer unless you simply want the case to go away. More facts are uncovered, and the offer typically goes up the more that we are able to put time and effort and energy into fully documenting and fully putting together your case and your injuries. Attorney Fees Hiring an attorney for a nursing home negligence claim at Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz will cost you absolutely nothing upfront. We do not seek any money from you initially when you first come to speak with us and evaluate the case; even after signing you up as a client or your loved one up as a client, we will ask for no money upfront from you. You will never see a bill from us, and we will never ask you for a check. We also cover the initial costs that go along with putting these detailed and fact-intensive cases together. We will not ask you for a check for those expenses, either. We front those on your behalf. The only way that we get paid for your nursing home negligence case is if we are ultimately successful for you. At that point in time, we work on what’s called a contingency fee agreement where a portion or percentage of what ultimately is recovered for you or your loved one is paid to us for the work that we have done on the case, and then those expenses that we have had to take on to move your case along get reimbursed. At the end of the day, if we are ultimately not successful for you, you will never owe us a dime for looking into, furthering, and prosecuting your nursing home injury case. Mistakes To Avoid After a Nursing Home Abuse Claim The very biggest mistake we see in nursing home negligence cases in Florida is simply waiting and not addressing it immediately when it occurs or shortly thereafter. The legislature, the folks up in Tallahassee that make all the laws, have set forth certain procedures and requirements in nursing home negligence cases. These all involve timelines, so certain things need to happen at certain points in time along the way, otherwise your claim can be barred forever. As such, it is crucial that you are initially addressing the concerns and the complaints with a qualified attorney to make sure the documentation is there and completed and that we are working through those legislative mandates to cover and clear all of those hurdles that exist in a nursing home negligence case. Is your loved one suffering nursing home abuse? Here’s what you need to do: contact our experienced Southwest Florida nursing home abuse lawyers today for a free consultation and case evaluation. Like us on Facebook

If you were injured in a slip and fall in Florida, read our 5 frequently asked slip and fall questions. Then, contact our Florida lawyers now. 1) How Do I Select a Slip and Fall Attorney? To select the best slip and fall attorney in Florida, you really need to find an attorney that understands the intricacies of a slip and fall case, and our firm does that. You want to hire an attorney, in Florida, in a slip and fall case who understands the whole case, understands how to build your case appropriately, understands there’s evidence that needs to be preserved, and understands the right depositions to take to make sure they can build your case. 2) What Should I Do If I Slip and Fall on Residential Property? If you slip and fall at a residential property in Florida, you should contact an attorney right away. You want to make sure that, first of all, you preserve whatever the evidence was, whether it be a liquid on the floor, a defect in a walking surface such as a cracked walking surface, a raised walking surface, or some other defect. Then get an attorney involved. Let the attorney do an appropriate investigation. Make sure you get an attorney that knows how to do that appropriate investigation and has the resources to do that, and our law firm has that. We’ve been around for almost 60 years. We handle a lot of slip and fall cases. Ask that attorney whether they’re willing to go to litigation or go to trial for you in a slip and fall case because oftentimes what we see is attorneys really won’t want to litigate a slip and fall case, but our firm does. We often do. We take those cases to trial. We end up trying multiple slip and fall cases a year. Reach out to the attorney. Let the attorney do the heavy lifting for you, which will prevent you from saying or doing anything that could prejudice the value of your case down the road. 3) What are the Common Mistakes After a Slip and Fall Claim? A common mistake that someone may make with a slip and fall injury claim in Florida is not contacting an attorney immediately. If you hire an attorney right away, that attorney can then put the restaurant or premises on notice, and then they can get any evidence that exists, such as a video, potentially an incident report and witness statements. Those things can help ultimately maximize the value of your case. Try to hire an attorney right away. We have four board-certified civil trial attorneys at our law firm, which means we’re experts in the area of personal injury, and we understand how to handle slip and fall cases and help clients navigate through those. 4) Will my Slip and Fall Case Go To Trial? Most of these cases never have to go to trial. We can settle some of these cases early on with the insurance company by sending a demand letter and negotiating settlement. The demand letter just says what your injuries are, how the accident happened, what your medical bills are, what your pain and suffering is, and then we can negotiate settlement within the first few months after an accident. Sometimes, though, we have to file a lawsuit. A lawsuit just means that we file paperwork with the court and we proceed towards trial. Even when we do that, most of those cases settle before we go to trial. Why? Because the insurance company understands that our law firm is a trial firm, that we will try these cases, so that usually means we can maximize the value of the case before going to trial. Insurance companies also know the attorneys that don’t try cases, so they’ll continue to lowball the client because they know the attorney will push the client to settle the case. That’s not what we do. We have four board-certified civil trial attorneys – which is the highest certification you can receive for civil trial – and that makes us personal injury trial experts, and we’re willing to try these cases for you. Because we’re willing to do that, most of these cases never have to go to trial; in fact, a very small percentage do. 5) What if I Have a Pre-Existing Injury? If you have a slip and fall claim in Florida and you have a preexisting condition – say you have an arthritic knee – and then you get in this slip and fall accident and hurt that knee worse. While you had some pain in the knee before, you never needed surgery. After this accident, you need a surgery on the knee. The insurance company is going to say, “Well that was a preexisting condition, so we’re not going to pay you for that because it’s something that you would’ve had anyway.” This is a very common argument they make. Insurance companies hire defense doctors all the time, and those doctors will come up with these opinions. Those opinions oftentimes lack foundation because they do not take into account that you were hurt worse. The law in Florida says if you have a preexisting condition and it’s aggravated because of an accident, then the insurance company is responsible for that aggravation and responsible for that knee surgery if that knee is aggravated. Don’t let it scare you off if you have some preexisting condition. If you’re hurt worse, the law says that you can recover for that. You need a skilled attorney that’s able to make sure your treating physicians understand that you had this prior condition, that it got worse from the accident. Then the doctors can give appropriate opinions and we can recover appropriately for that aggravation of the preexisting condition. Were you ore a loved one injured in a slip and fall accident in Florida due to the carelessness or negligence of someone else and have questions? After reading our 5 frequently asked slip and fall questions, contact our experienced Southwest Florida slip and fall lawyers today for a free consultation and case evaluation. Like us on Facebook

Were you hurt due to inadequate security in Florida and have questions about negligent security lawyer fees? Watch this video, then call us. Question: How much does it cost to hire a negligent security attorney in Southwest Florida? Answer: If you have a negligent security claim in Florida, it doesn’t cost you anything to hire our law firm. Our law firm works off a contingency fee basis, meaning that we only recover if we get a recovery for you. That goes for attorney’s fees and costs. If we have to hire an expert, which is often needed in a negligent security case to show that the property owner should’ve had proper security on the property, that’s not something we ask you to pay for either. You never spend any money out-of-pocket. Once we recover for you, as part of the contingency fee contract, we then get a portion of that recovery as the attorney’s fees and costs. If you have a negligent security case, don’t be afraid because you think you’ll owe something to us. You don’t. We only recover if we recover for you. Please feel free to reach out to us. Have you or a loved one been hurt due to the negligence of a business or property owner and have questions about negligent security lawyer fees? Contact our experienced Southwest Florida Negligent Security lawyers today for a free consultation and case evaluation. Like us on Facebook

Are you concerned about who pays your car accident medical bills after a crash in Southwest Florida? Watch this video, then call us today. Question: Who is going to pay for my medical bills after a car accident in Southwest Florida? Answer: The person that’s responsible for paying your medical bills after you’re involved in a car crash in Florida would be the at-fault driver. There are certain other things that go into that question though in terms of what insurance coverages are available both to you through your own insurance policy and also available through the at-fault driver. That’s why it’s incredibly important to hire someone who specializes in personal injury law to represent you when you’re injured in a motor vehicle crash because that attorney has the specialized knowledge to make sure that they are maximizing your recovery and any potential sources of insurance coverage or recovery for you. Have you or a loved one been injured in a car accident in Florida and have questions about who pays your car accident medical bills after a crash? Contact our experienced Southwest Florida car accident lawyers today for a free consultation and case evaluation. Like us on Facebook

Learn the differences between motorcycle and car accident cases in this video, then contact our Southwest Florida lawyers to get started. Question: How are motorcycle accident claims different than car accident claims? Answer: Motorcycle injury claims are a bit different than automobile crash claims in Florida for several reasons. One of the biggest things that we typically see in our practice with respect to motorcycle crashes is there’s oftentimes a tendency to blame the motorcyclist or try to put some type of fault on the motorcyclist as opposed to the automobile driver. For that reason, you need a personal injury attorney who specializes in motorcycle crashes to be in your corner and fight for you, and make sure that a proper investigation is done, and make sure that experts are hired if that’s something that is necessary. Another way that motorcycle crashes are different than automobile crashes is the types of insurance coverage that are available to you. That is why it’s particularly important to make sure that you hire a personal injury attorney who specializes in that area with respect to motorcycle crashes so that you can make sure that your recovery is maximized, and you are compensated for all of your damages. If you have questions about that, you can always feel free to reach out to us. We are happy to help you with your case. Have you or a loved one been injured in a motorcycle accident in Florida and have questions about the differences between motorcycle and car accident cases? Contact our experienced Southwest Florida motorcycle accident lawyers today for a free consultation and case evaluation. Like us on Facebook

Have you recently been injured in a boat accident in Florida? Learn about the 5 things to know about a boat wreck, then call our attorneys now. 1) Selecting a Boat Accident Attorney There are very specialized laws and circumstances that come into play when folks are injured out on the water. You want to find the right attorneys that deal with these cases not just once a month, not just once a year but continually over time. We handle boating accident cases from the very early stages all the way through trial. We are very experienced in putting together the certain factors that need to come into play to maximize the value of your boating accident injury case, and choosing the right attorney is making sure you have someone you can trust, that you know has experience in these areas. 2) Mistakes After a Boat Accident Claim The most common mistake we see with people in a boating accident injury case in Florida is not wanting to blame your friends. Let’s be honest. More times than not, boating accident injury cases occur when you’re out and about with friends, family members, and you’re out having a good time trying to enjoy the water, and you ultimately are severely and permanently injured by a simple mistake made by an acquaintance of yours often that is operating the vessel. A lot of people seem to believe that that’s not something that they should seek justice for because it’s their friend or a family member. We certainly understand that, and we can understand the apprehension that comes along with that kind of event. At the same point in time, this is an event more times than not that is going to affect you for the remainder of your days, weeks, and years on this planet, and these injuries can be very severe. So, instead of having the initial thought of “I don’t know if this is the right path to take for me” what we would suggest is contacting an attorney. In addition there, too, boating accident and injury cases generally involve multiple different facets. There can and more likely than not are multiple parties that are at fault, not including you, the injured party, for the incident occurring. For example, someone renting a boat to someone else requires duties and obligations. What we can do in addressing any of those concerns that you may have in your boating accident case is look at other potential avenues of recovery that are available to you. Simply because you’re injured and you may be a little bit apprehensive, we suggest you don’t sweep it under the rug and just think you’ll get better. These are going to be things that you’re going to deal with more often than not for the remainder of your years, and they’re certainly things you did not sign up for. 3) Taking the First Boat Accident Settlement Offer In a boat accident injury case, it is typically not advisable to take the insurance company’s first offer. Insurance companies are notorious for trying to move files off their desk and simply get you, the injured party, out of the way so they can deal with the many other claims that they have. A lot of times the first offer from an insurance company is not taking into account the full extent and amount of your damages because a lot of times you’re still working your way through your medical care and treatment. A lot of times the first offer is not really given with the full investigation underway into a conclusion, so taking the first offer more times than not is the insurance company’s attempt to get you out of their way. Don’t let the insurance companies win. 4) Boat Accident Attorney Fees For your boat accident injury claim, hiring us at Goldstein, Buckley, Cechman, Rice & Purtz costs you absolutely nothing. We are happy to evaluate your claim, talk to you first, and then hopefully sign you up as our client to pursue justice for you without any cost to you initially. You will never see a bill from us. We will never ask you to write us a check. What we do, and what we’re certainly happy to do, is work your case, develop your case, put together a comprehensive damages packet analysis for the insurance companies and try to get your case resolved, otherwise we go try your case. We’re happy to do that as well, but you do not owe us anything unless we are successful for you. We work on what’s called a contingency fee basis, which means a certain percentage of what we recover as a result of your injuries and damages would come to us for the work that we performed on your case. You also do not owe us anything for the costs associated with the case. That’s not something we would ask you to write us a check for up front. We incur those costs on your behalf, and later based upon the amount of the settlement or the judgment, we can recoup those costs based upon money that we have secure and achieved for you, so ultimately the idea is if we are not successful for you in your case, you will not owe us a dime. 5) Boat Accident Case Going to Trial Boat accident injury cases sometimes go to trial. More often than not, they settle short of trial, but certain circumstances, depending on the facts of the case, may entail your boating accident injury case to make its way all the way through the court system to a jury trial, but ultimately, there will be settlement offers along the way as long as you’ve hired the right attorneys to put the pieces together for you but also for presentation to the insurance company. Getting the case resolved can happen at any point in time along the way. There are cases that resolve very early. There are cases that resolve on the courthouse steps just before the trial begins. It all depends on the certain facts and circumstances in the case measured against your wants and desires as the client seeking full justice for you. Have you or a loved one recently been injured in a boat accident in Florida and have questions about the 5 things to know about a boat wreck? Contact our experienced Southwest Florida boat accident lawyers today for a free consultation and case evaluation. Like us on Facebook

Were you severely injured? Learn what to look for when selecting the right injury attorney in this video. Then, contact our Florida attorneys. Question: How Do I Choose the Best Personal Injury Attorney? Answer: Choosing the right and the best personal injury attorney for you in any state let alone in Florida needs to be based upon trust. Trust is something that’s developed through all relationships. When you retain an attorney, the law defines that coming together of you and the attorney as an attorney-client relationship. Trust is a paramount factor in looking to retain the right and the best personal injury attorney for you. Trust is based on many things, including finding an attorney that cares and that is honest with you and your case, cares about you and looks out for your best interest, and is also honest with you about the proceedings and how the case is going to develop. It’s also important to look at an attorney that is responsible and respectful, respectful to you and your desires, not necessarily what some talking head on a TV screen may tell you is important but what it is about your case that’s important to you and also someone that is going to be responsible for your case from beginning to end, from the time you walk through the door to the time when we trial your case at trial when that becomes necessary in certain instances. We believe it’s important in looking for an attorney that fits that criteria in talking to your friends, your neighbors, your family members, people that have gone through the unfortunate circumstance that you may find yourself in. Ask them who they trust, ask them who cares about them and who showed them honesty, respect, and responsibility throughout the handling of their case. At Goldstein Buckley Cechman, Rice & Purtz, we look forward to the opportunity of showing you that we care, that we are responsible, and that you can trust us. We hope you’ll call us, and we hope we’re able to talk you through what it’s going to take to maximize justice for you and your case. Have you suffered a serious injury at the hands of someone who has been careless or negligent and have questions about what to look for when selecting the right injury attorney? Contact our experienced Southwest Florida personal injury lawyers today for a free consultation and case evaluation. Like us on Facebook

Are you wondering about the differences between a bicycle and car accident case? Check out this video, then call our lawyers in Florida. Question: How does a bicycle accident claim differ from a normal auto accident claim? Answer: Bicycle accident injury cases are oftentimes different from other types of injury cases in Florida because, unfortunately, what we see oftentimes with bicycle accidents is that the severity of injury is much more significant than certain other types of cases. For that reason, you want to make sure that you hire an attorney who specializes in personal injury and specifically bicycle accidents to help you with your case from the very beginning. Unfortunately, oftentimes what we also see is that there’s sometimes a tendency to try to blame the bicyclist for the cause of a crash. If that’s the case, we are happy to help you. That does not mean that you don’t have a case; what that means is that we need to do an investigation and fight for you because oftentimes, insurance companies will try to use that against you to try to minimize the amount of damages that you can claim. For that reason, please call us. We specialize in these types of cases. We’re happy to help you even if there is a dispute about liability and who was at fault for the crash. Have you or a loved one been injured in a bicycle accident in Florida and have questions about the differences between a bicycle and car accident case? Contact our experienced Southwest Florida bicycle accident lawyers today for a free consultation and case evaluation. Like us on Facebook