Articles Posted in Miami Dade County

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According to officials, a construction worker died after falling several levels from a parking garage in Miami.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at the Bal Harbour Shops, which are located close to Collins Avenue and 96th Street.

According to a witness, the worker died after falling several levels from a parking garage.

A statement was made by Bal Harbour Shops expressing their condolences for the death of the man who was harmed in a workplace accident at their construction site. News articles claim they are fully cooperating with authorities to help identify why the accident happened.

Untitled-design-31-200x300Accidents at construction sites can easily result in severe injuries and fatalities. The most common cause of injury and fatality among construction workers is falls from scaffolding, ladders, and roofs. In fact, 65% of construction accidents happen while workers are on improperly designed or otherwise dangerous scaffolds, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Other construction-related incidents occur when workers are struck by falling objects, get entangled between objects, suffer electrocutions, or slip and fall or trip and fall. Our Miami Construction Accident Death Lawyers Whittel & Melton can help you recover the full and fair compensation you are due after suffering a workplace injury in Bal Harbour, Coral Gables, North Miami Beach, and elsewhere in Miami-Dade County. We can also hold any negligent parties accountable for the wrongful death of a loved one who was killed in a construction mishap in Miami.

When Should I Hire a Miami Construction Accidental Death Lawyer?

It can be difficult to identify the at-fault party for a construction site accidental death. Contractors and subcontractors often work together on a construction site, so both parties could share blame. An investigation must be launched right away to determine who was overseeing job duties and from there assess who is liable for your loved one’s specific accident.

The owner of the construction site could be found liable for the harm your loved one incurred on a construction site if they have any influence on how work duties were carried out, as well as if they were your loved one’s direct supervisor. If a general contractor maintains sufficient control over the safety of the construction project, designating a qualified supervisor, assigning a person in charge of preventing accidents, coordinating the work, and overseeing the methods and procedures used on the job site, they may be directly liable for any errors or mishaps on the part of subcontractors or other employees that lead to an accidental death. Continue reading

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Two people were injured following a helicopter crash near the Miami Beach shore on Saturday, according to reports from the Miami Beach police.

The two passengers were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital where they were listed as in “stable” condition. There was apparently a third passenger in the helicopter who was not harmed.

The helicopter crash happened just after 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The helicopter landed in the Atlantic Ocean near 10th street in Miami Beach.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) did arrive at the crash site and closed off a two-block stretch of roadway between ninth and 11th streets, according to police.

lifeguard-house-gefe80f781_1920-300x200The FAA said the helicopter involved in the crash was a Robinson R44. The cause of the crash remains unknown at this time, but the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will work together to investigate the cause of the crash and provide updates as they are available.

Helicopters are used for a variety of different reasons, like medical transport, tourism, military purposes, search and rescue, construction purposes, agriculture purposes, news and media purposes, police purposes, aerial observation, and more. Regardless of the purposes for using a helicopter, this mode of transportation can be quite dangerous as helicopters are complex aircrafts that have many different components and systems that are manufactured by multiple companies.

There are many factors that can lead to a helicopter crash, such as:

  • Pilot error
  • Bad weather
  • Helicopter that has not been maintained properly
  • Defective helicopter or defective parts on the helicopter

Helicopter accidents involve their own set of complex legal issues, so you need an experienced aviation accident lawyer who understands how to go about investigating these crashes. These investigations often involve helicopter crash experts, aviation engineers, and other expert investigators to uncover the facts about a crash so that your lawyer can assess the legal issues involved. These crashes often involve personal injury claims, wrongful death claims, and product liability claims, or any combination of these. When you consult with our Florida Aviation Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton we can launch an immediate investigation into a helicopter crash and piece together a full legal analysis of the accident so that we can prepare the strongest legal arguments to best support your claim. Continue reading

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A Roman Catholic priest in Florida is facing charges that he drugged a female parishioner and raped her.

The man was in a Miami-Dade County jail late Saturday charged with sexual battery on an incapacitated victim.

According to reports, in October, the 64-year-old priest invited the victim to his home at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Homestead. The woman said she drank tea he gave her and passed out. She told investigators she woke up two hours later naked in the man’s bed, believing she was raped.

She did not notify police until two weeks ago after telling another priest. The Miami Archdiocese says she was told to contact authorities. Officers say the man confessed when confronted.

Priests are religious figures that you believe you can trust. However, when they violate that trust, the long-lasting effects on the victim can be devastating. They can range from depression and sleeping disorders to self-harm, suicide, and substance abuse.

If you are a survivor of clergy abuse, you have the right to seek compensation for your losses. You may receive damages for medical and therapy bills and loss of income. You may also be able to recover punitive damages, which are designed to punish the individuals and the institutions that allowed these acts of abuse to occur.

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Authorities say a Florida police officer is dead following an all-terrain vehicle crash.

Miami-Dade police say the officer was patrolling an area near a canal Wednesday afternoon when he hit a tree.

He was following up on nuisance and theft complaints by residents. Police say the officer had been called to an enforcement action just before the crash.

Police are still investigating the crash.

If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one in an ATV accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your pain and suffering. ATV accidents can result in serious injuries, even death, as this case shows. Our South Florida ATV Accident Attorneys at Whittel & Melton can help you receive the compensation that you deserve for ATV accident injuries and death.

ATV crashes can deliver serious injuries that may affect you for the rest of your life. Without the protection offered by cars, ATV drivers and passengers are more likely to suffer from life-threatening injuries. This is especially true because ATVs are highly prone to rollovers. We commonly see the following injuries from ATV accidents:

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Miami Beach’s Catalina Hotel, the scene of the 2012 CW network reality series “The Catalina,” has been slapped with twin lawsuits brought by two female tourists who allege the resort’s manager escorted one of them to their room then sexually abused them both.

The incident, according to the lawsuits filed in Miami-Dade County circuit court, allegedly took place a year ago. The women are only identified in court files as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2.

With prices in the $200 range and an open bar nightly from 7 to 8 p.m., the Catalina has become popular with spring breakers.

The hotel manager is accused of escorting Jane Doe 2 back to her room after she and roommate Jane Doe 1 “consumed several alcoholic drinks” during the complimentary hour.

When they arrived to the room, Jane Doe 1 was asleep on her bed.

Once in the room, the manager is accused of forcing himself on Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, including forcibly performing oral sex on both while Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 were in a nearly unconscious state, according to the complaint.

The negligence lawsuit faults the hotel for offering free booze without enforcing safety rules.

Hotel property owners have a duty to provide a safe place for guests and patrons to visit. Unfortunately, sexual abuse and other crimes can happen on hotel property, and when an assault or act of violence occurs because of unsafe conditions, the property owner may face a hotel liability lawsuit.

Failure to maintain a hotel property in a safe condition that is free from dangers entitles the injured party or victim to file a premises liability claim for negligence against the hotel. A premises liability claim is a type of personal injury claim that allows the victim to seek financial compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and various other damages.

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Drivers should anticipate an increase in motorcycle traffic on Florida roads, as thousands of motorcyclists ride into Daytona for the 76th annual Daytona Bike Week March 10-19.

With that said, Florida has the most motorcycle crash fatalities in the nation, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

According to the most recent crash data, Florida saw a 30 percent increase in motorcycle deaths in 2015, the highest on record. Motorcyclists accounted for 20 percent of motor vehicle fatalities in the state, yet motorcycles account for only 3 percent of registered vehicles. In 2015, 606 people died and 9,045 were injured in motorcycle crashes on Florida roads.

The top counties for motorcycle fatalities are:

  1. Miami-Dade
  2. Hillsborough
  3. Broward
  4. Palm Beach
  5. Pinellas
  6. Lee
  7. Orange
  8. Duval
  9. Brevard
  10. Pasco
  11. Polk
  12. Volusia

Motorcyclists lack the protection offered to drivers of cars and trucks. Collisions that would cause minor injuries to a car or truck driver can be fatal to motorcyclists. That is why the fatality rate for motorcyclists in accidents is six times the fatality rate for passenger vehicle occupants.

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A cruise ship passenger alleges he was injured after he slipped and fell near the food court on the ship.

The man filed a suit on Feb. 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against Celebrity Cruises Inc. alleging negligence.

According to the complaint, the man alleges that on Nov. 9, 2015, while aboard the cruise ship, he slipped and fell while walking on a slippery area near the food court. As a result, he alleges he suffered pain, loss of earnings and incurred medical expenses.

The man holds Celebrity Cruises Inc. responsible because they failed to conduct routine inspections of the area, failed to warn passengers of wet or contaminated floor surface and failed to establish, implement and enforce policies and procedures regarding the proper maintenance of the area.

Cruise lines are responsible for warning passengers of known dangers, however they are not required to warn of open and obvious dangers. Open and obvious dangers are those that should be obvious to a passenger using common sense. When slapped with a slip and fall claim, cruise lines will often use this defense to claim the cruise ship had no duty to warn its passengers of the obvious danger.  The success of this defense depends on the unique circumstances of the case and the injuries involved.

Our Florida Cruise Ship Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton know that slip, trip and falls suffered aboard a cruise ship can leave you in great pain and unable to go back to work to earn a living. These cases can be complex, which is why you need knowledgeable representation to go up against the cruise ship industry.

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A Kentucky woman claims a slippery deck near a hot tub on a Miami-based cruise ship caused her to fall.

The woman filed a complaint on Feb. 13 against Carnival Corp., doing business as Carnival Cruise Lines Inc., alleging negligence.

According to the complaint, the woman claims that on Feb. 26, 2016, she suffered serious physical injuries when she slipped and fell while exiting the Jacuzzi onboard the Carnival Fascination. She holds Carnival Cruise Lines Inc. responsible because they failed to warn the her regarding the slippery surface while exiting the Jacuzzi.

If you were injured in a cruise ship accident, you are not alone. Countless cruise ship passengers are injured every year, usually do to the negligence of a cruise line or its employees. Sadly, most of these injuries are 100 percent preventable. Slip, trip and fall accidents make up the majority of these incidents, resulting in a plethora of injuries including head injuries, broken bones, and spinal cord injuries. In most cruise ship slip, trip and fall cases, financial compensation can be sought by filing a personal injury claim.

While there are numerous ways a slip, trip and fall accident can occur, negligence is usually a contributing factor. The key to gaining a successful outcome for your claim, is proving negligence and showing that the negligence caused injuries to the victim.

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A Carnival passenger alleges he was injured because he slipped on a deck that was wet with rain.

The man filed a complaint on Jan. 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida against Carnival Corp. alleging negligence.

According to the lawsuit, the man alleges that he sustained physical injuries when he accidentally slipped and fell due to a deck wet because of rain. The man holds Carnival Corp. responsible because they failed to warn the man of the hazardous condition of the lido deck.

All areas on a cruise ship that see a high volume of foot traffic must be must be free of dangers, and that includes any wet or slick surfaces that could result in slip, trip or fall injuries. Cruise line companies could be responsible for slip, trip and fall accidents that occur because of hazards employees create. Dangerous or hazardous conditions include slick or slippery surfaces and a failure to warn passengers of the wet area or failing to undertake reasonable safety precautions.

If a cruise line creates a dangerous condition or does not work to remedy the situation in a reasonable amount of time, they could be liable for all injuries they have caused. This negligence on the cruise ship’s part could mean you are entitled to recover financial compensation for your injuries.

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A lawsuit has been filed by 18 passengers who were aboard an American Airlines aircraft that caught fire last month on the tarmac of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport after an engine failed.

The lawsuit was filed Monday in Cook County Circuit Court and targets American aircraft manufacturer Boeing Inc. and engine manufacturer General Electric Aviation.

The lawsuit claims GE sold a faulty engine that Chicago-based Boeing used to assemble an unsafe aircraft. The passengers also claim American Airlines employees should have done a better job inspecting the plane. They allege employees failed to provide “assistance, supervision and instruction” during evacuation.

On Oct. 28, pilots aborted the takeoff of American Airlines Flight 383 to Miami. All 161 passengers and nine crew were safely evacuated, with 20 people suffering minor injuries.

Engine failure is one of the most potentially catastrophic aircraft defects that can happen. Once an engine stall after a flight has taken off, the results are usually tragic. Engine failure can arise from many things, including:

  • Congestion from loose air induction systems
  • Flaws in the design
  • Broken engine components
  • Excessive rubbing of engine blades

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