2008 July Archive

Despite a new Florida law that allows employees to bring guns to work, JEA says not here.

The Manager for Security for the utility company, sent a memo last month to employees about the “Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008.” 

That is a long-winded way of making reference to a law recently passed by the Florida legislature and sign by Governor Charlie Crist.

It allows employees, who have a valid concealed weapons permit, to bring their gun to work and keep it in their car. 

JEA says there are exemptions and they fall into one. JEA employees and contractors doing business with JEA will not be allowed to bring guns to work. 

Exemptions include any bank, church, government office or court, or any place that manufacturers or stores explosives.

JEA is not being explicit as to what exemption they fall under.  Many answering this story say they will bring guns anyway and not tell.

At Walt Disney World in Orlando, employees will not be allowed to keep guns in their cars at company parking lots.

The entertainment giant will make the Orlando parking lots gun-free zones, despite the new state law which took effect Tuesday.

Disney is not making any friends with backers of the law. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” according to state Sen. Durell Peaden, one of the authors of the bill and a Republican from the Florida Panhandle tells the Orlando Sentinel.

But Disney has a long standing policy against guns on the 30,000 acre property which employs 60,000.

Last spring, opposition from Disney and the Florida Chamber of Commerce was trumped by the powerful National Rifle Association. 

The Orlando Sentinel obtained a memo from the Vice President of Public Affairs for Disney World saying that Disney “continues to maintain a zero tolerance policy” for guns.  Bringing one to work could be grounds for termination.

Many readers to this Disney web site also agree with the decision, including comments from gun owners.

The law allows an exemption for a defense contractor, or explosives manufacturer. And a last minute revision to the bill included an exemption for any property leased or owned by an employer who has a permit for explosives. 

Disney has a permit to use fireworks in its theme parks.  

Disney says under that definition all of the theme parks, resorts, cast member parking lots, administrative offices, sports complex, hotels, Celebration and Disney Reservation centers in Orlando and Tampa are exempt. 

Not exempt are Disney Cruise Line’s crew parking lots and some other Disney properties in Florida.

And Universal is joining Disney in claiming an exemption.

Not so at Sea World. The company believes in the rights of employees or visitors to transport legal firearms in their car, according to a spokeswoman. #

Three St. Johns County Florida teenagers were arrested Saturday for giving a 14-year-old girl so much alcohol that she passed out at an open house party. 

This is a parent’s worst nightmare – an open house party where everyone is invited. The open house was south of St. Augustine, and about 60, mostly juveniles were in attendance.

It’s amazing how fast word spreads on the internet and with texting. 

The young girl’s parents say they thought she was at home in bed.

Read the rest »

It is just a fact.

As the price of gasoline continues to rise, more people are going to try and get around on a bicycle. That means people behind the wheel of a car better keep their eyes opened for those on the road on two wheels.  

Unfortunately that didn’t happen on Thursday afternoon.

A bicyclist died when a tow-truck backed over him. The cyclist was cutting through a Shell station on the Westside of Jacksonville. That’s when the tow-truck, obviously blinded, backed out of a diesel fueling area.  He struck the cyclist even though bystanders were yelling at the driver to stop.   When he did, he pulled forward and then ran over the cyclist for a second time.

A cyclist just trying to do the right thing. His name has not been immediately released.  Charges could be pending against the driver of the tow truck.

According to national statistics, the most serious injuries, resulting when a bicycle and car collide, are traumatic brain injury to the cyclist.

A helmet helps reduce head injury risk by 85 percent, but unfortunately in 2006, the vast majority of bicyclists killed  were not wearing helmets.   

Even a skilled rider is facing danger on the roads as motorists fail to see the cyclist or refuse to share the road responsibly.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety – 770 bicyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles in 2006. 

A bicyclist may have right to recover fair compensation if a motorist was negligent or failed to exercise a reasonable amount of caution on the road. 

Talk to our experienced accident attorneys and we will be able to advise you of your rights and help you to maneuver sometimes difficult insurance companies. #

This could happen to anyone at any time.  

Last Saturday over the July 4th holiday, 9-year-old Miranda Miller spent the day at a family friend’s house in Melrose, Florida. 

Miranda and the children played during the weekend along with the family’s dog. The dog never showed any sign of aggression until they went inside for the evening.  The kids were coloring on the floor.

Miranda says “One of the pencils rolled away. It was the color I wanted. Then I stood up to go get it, and the dog bit me.”

Read the rest »

The American Association for Justice, is an organization of personal injury attorneys that is long experienced in fighting insurance companies.  This report just issued shows what some of the fights are about, and the consumer is getting the short end of the stick.

The number one worst insurer for consumers is Allstate, says AAJ.

AAJ issued its report after sorting through thousands of legal documents, financial filings, as well as complaints filed with state insurance departments, the Securities and Exchange Commission and FBI records to determine how many claims were paid and how often the company employed hardball tactics against policyholders.

“While Allstate publicly touts its ‘good hands’ approach, it has instead privately instructed its agents to employ a ‘boxing gloves’ strategy against its policyholders,” said American Association for Justice CEO Jon Haber says in a statement.  “Allstate ducks, bobs and weaves to avoid paying claims to increase its profits.”

Allstate is known to force consumers to accept lowball claims or to deny claims altogether. One Allstate employee reported that supervisors told agents to lie and blame fires on arson, and in turn, they were rewarded.  

Some other wrongdoing AAJ found was extravagant salaries for upper ranked executives while consumers faced rising premiums. 

Some of the others at the top of the list include :

*  Unum – which sells disability insurance.

*  AIG  - The world’s biggest insurer.

*   State Farm – Lawyers are familiar with State Farm’s deny and delay tactics, especially during Hurricane Katrina.

*  Conseco  – Conseco sells long-term care policies, typically to the elderly.

Also in the Top Ten are -  WellPoint, Farmers, United Health, Torchmark, and Liberty Mutual.

Read the rest »

Washington State this week decided that if you talk on the cellphone while driving you can face a $101 fine.

Washington State joins four other states – California, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, that have cellphone restrictions while driving. And this is more than Florida has, or apparently will have.

Read the rest »

It happened Friday afternoon, July 4^th at noon. 

A heavily-traveled Jacksonville intersection was the scene of gunfire.

One man, the driver of an SUV, was shot to death by another man who approached his car.   This all happened at San Juan Avenue and Cassat Avenue on the Westside of Jacksonville.

“It’s very brazen,” said Sgt. Shawn Coarsey of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office homicide division. “It’s a very busy intersection. A lot of people could have been hurt.”

Read the rest »

A couple who filed a $15 million lawsuit against the government for the wrongful death of their 15-month-old son, have settled their lawsuit for $900,000.

Thomas and Jessica Hugaboom of Virginia reached the out-of-court agreement last week.

In 2004, their 7-month-old son, Michael, died of undiagnosed meningitis after three trips and three calls to the emergency room while his father was stationed at Jacksonville Naval Air Station.

Read the rest »

A video has been removed from YouTube, but it’s fair to say it shows a stupid teenager doing something potentially harmful to an 8-month-old infant. 

An infant toss, to be precise. 

The South Georgia teen from Lee County just north of Albany, has now been charged with child cruelty for putting the baby on a large, inflatable pillow on the floor, then jumping on the pillow so the baby flies several feet away, lands, and starts crying. 

The 16-year-old has been arrested.  Not only was he irresponsible enough to harm a baby, but he was stupid enough to have the immoral act caught on camera AND then he either allowed or put the video on the internet. 

Police have now charged him with a felony count of cruelty to a child, as well as a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to children. The first count is for violence to child under the age of 18. The second count is for allowing a teenage friend to see and tape the violence.  Too bad there is no charge for stupidity.

The boy was arrested after his Lee County teacher saw and reported the video which was brought to her attention by another student. 

The baby was being watched by the family of the teen who is shooting the video. He has not been charged with a crime and his video has been removed from YouTube.

The Lee County Sheriff’s office wants the baby to be seen by a doctor. Pediatricians warn that shaking a baby can cause bleeding inside the brain and fractures to the skull.

People commenting on this Jacksonville.com Web site either believe a) courts aren’t the place to take care of this problem, b) make an excuse such as “kids do stupid things” or c) blame his parents. 

A good judge will not buy into any of these lame excuses if he or she follows the law. If someone at age 16 doesn’t have enough sense and morality, at so many levels his parents are the least of his problem and probably can’t help with the solution.

Let’s hope a compassionate judge directs this boy to get the help he needs and to realize the seriousness of the charge of cruelty toward children.  It should never be tolerated.  Even if done by a stupid 16-year-old.

If you or a loved one have been injured by the stupidity or cruelty of another, come in and talk to one of our experienced personal injury attorneys about your rights. We are here to listen.