by Spencer Aronfeld | Nov 2, 2012 | Motorcycle Injuries
Our Miami motorcycle accident lawyers were saddened to learn that a Sunday morning motorcycle ride turned into tragedy for 22 year old Sweetwater, Florida police officer Bryan Marrero. He lost control of his bike and collided into the guardrail off I-75 near the 154th Street overpass. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Officer Marrero was off-duty and wearing a helmet. Our condolences to his family and the Sweetwater Police Department. According to Florida Traffic Crash Statistics the total number of Florida motorcycle accidents and deaths are declining, yet motorcycle passenger injuries are increasing every year. Motorcycle crashes in Florida are the most common cause of traffic related fatalities. When a motorcycle accident occurs, it almost always results in a serious injury and all too often, death. Accident victims can sustain brain and spinal injuries even when wearing a helmet. As a Miami Beach lawyer who does motorcycle accident cases, I believe that the single most important way to avoid a motorcycle crash-related injury is to simply wear a helmet whenever you ride. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has examined the association between states that require helmet use versus those that do not. Their findings indicate that there are fewer fatalities in states that have mandatory helmet laws. Florida has a partial helmet law, that requires drivers to be at least 21 year of age and have $10,000 worth of PIP insurance to cover medical bills. Motorcycle use is on the rise in Florida. More and more people are drawn to the economy and freedom of riding a motorcycle. They can be a fun way to get across...
by Spencer Aronfeld | Feb 16, 2012 | Car Accidents, Motorcycle Injuries, Personal Injury News and Safety Resources, Truck Accidents
Dear Florida Personal Injury Lawyer Spencer Aronfeld: Do I need a lawyer or an attorney to handle my Florida hit and run car crash? What is the difference between a Florida car accident lawyer and an attorney? I was involved in a crash in Fort Myers on Thursday. A small pickup truck cut me off and forced me into a parked car. I did not feel pain immediately and refused an offer by the police to have an ambulance transport me to the local Emergency Room. The next day, I woke up and could not move. I felt like I had been in a fight and lost. My wife gave me some Advil and called my Primary Care Physician. He does not have an appointment available till Monday. What should I do? Thanks, Injured in Ft. Meyers Dear Injured in Ft. Meyers: Thank you for reaching out to me. I am sorry you were involved in this wreck. The most important thing I can advise is for you to seek immediate medical care. Assuming you have the mandatory minimum coverage (Personal Injury Protection or PIP) and/or health insurance you can, and should, go to the Emergency Room. Tell the doctors there how the accident happened and let them order the appropriate diagnostic tests. The advantage this has for you is considerable for several reasons. First, they will have the ability to get X-rays, CT Scans, MRIs and/or blood work right on the spot. If the ER doctors feel you need a consult with an orthopedic surgeon or neurologist they can request that the “on call” specialist see...
by Spencer Aronfeld | Jan 13, 2012 | Motorcycle Injuries
As a Florida motorcycle crash injury lawyer, I was saddened by the death of Dana St. John, a North Fort Myers, Florida man who died riding home on his brand new Yamaha. According to the “Miami Herald,” he had purchased the bike earlier in the day but had absolutely no experience riding a motorcycle, was not wearing a motorcycle helmet and crashed the bike near his own front door. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles there were 8,577 motorcycle crashes in 2010 with 2700 resulting in either an incapacitating injury or fatality. The State of Florida’s motorcycle law requires that all new motorcyclists take and pass The Basic Rider Course through Florida’s Rider Training Program before they can obtain a motorcycle license or have a motorcycle endorsement added to a valid Florida driver’s license. Florida has two kinds of motorcycle licenses. An Endorsement License applies to those that already have a valid Florida driver’s license. A Motorcycle Only License is for those 16 years or older that have held either a learners permit for at least one year without a traffic ticket conviction or are over 18 years old and have passed the standard class E operates licenses and completed the Basic Riders Course developed and sponsored by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Fortunately, Since 2008, Florida has discontinued the temporary instruction permits. Florida’s Rider Training Program Courses use the 15 hour Motorcycle Safety Foundations curriculum and provides a fun introduction to basic safe and responsible motorcycling on both the streets and...
by Spencer Aronfeld | Dec 29, 2011 | Motorcycle Injuries
I am practicing a motorcycle accident injury lawyer in Florida for over twenty years and I was less than thrilled to see that the USA Network recently announced their show, “Suits,” will be returning next summer with all new episodes. The show centers around the offensive and idiotic premise that a high-powered lawyer named Harvey Spector decides to forgo hiring Ivy League law graduates in favor of a high school dropout con artist, Mike Ross, with the hopes of passing him off as his protege and associate. Apparently Ross has super-human memory and is able to work at all hours of the night and day. That seems to be enough for Spector who misrepresents to his partners, judges, opposing counsel and clients that Ross is a licensed attorney. The show is nothing more than frightening and dangerous to our system of justice. The reputation of lawyers has been rocked by scandal after scandal as former prominent members of the Bar, especially here in Florida, are currently behind bars for one thing or another. It undermines our credibility with juries who are already distrusting of lawyers and think that they are often playing by their own rules, manipulating juries with fancy suits and ten-dollar words. Clients who watch this show also may come to question what their lawyers’ true motivations are–since Harvey and Company stop at nothing to obtain the desired result, including practicing law without a license, lying, breaking and entering, and destroying evidence. I wrote my book, “Make It Your Own Law Firm,” because I wanted to provide law students a step-by-step guide on how to become a...
by Spencer Aronfeld | Mar 31, 2011 | Bicycling Injuries, Brain Injuries, Car Accidents, Child Injuries, Cruise Ship Accidents, Defective Drugs, Defective Products, Environmental Claims and Toxic Torts, Medical Malpractice, Motorcycle Injuries, Negligent Security, Nursing Home Abuse, Personal Injury News and Safety Resources, Plastic Surgery Malpractice, Sexual Assaults, Slip and Fall/Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
On April 6, 2011 Miami personal injury lawyer Spencer Aronfeld will be speaking at the University of Miami School of Law.. The topic will be: how to make your own law firm upon graduation from law school and lunch will be served. The event is open to the public as well as students from both undergraduate and law school. He will be reading portions of the book and signing copies from noon to 1:30 pm. Attorney Bruce Shemrock the book’s editor will also be in attendance. Aronfeld, a 1991 cum laude graduate wrote “Make It Your Own Law Firm” a how-to-guide for law students and graduates starting their own practices. Aronfeld has been teaching law students around the country for nearly twenty years regarding flying solo so that no lawyer will have ever take a job for the wrong reasons or find no job at all. Spencer Aronfeld started his own law firm in 1991 upon graduation from University of Miami and has a nationally recognized Florida plaintiff’s personal injury and medical negligence practice in Coral Gables,...
