Bagen Law Blog

Car owners are used to car parts getting old and needing replacement. However, tire aging is not necessarily a well understood auto condition. That’s because people either replace their tires when they go flat or when the tread life expires. However, what happens when a car owner buys tires and ends up with “new” tires that actually have been on the shelf for quite a while? A number of risks can occur with aging tires that tire shops don’t necessarily advertise with their product.

Tire aging is a process of structural degradation in a tire over time. Tires are made of steel radial and rubber molded together. However, time can cause separation of rubber layers as the rubber starts to dry out. Cracking and layer separation begin, even a miniscule level. Add in heat, road wear, sunlight and time when the tires are on the car, and the process accelerates. Warmer climate areas will see this process happen faster than colder climates. Ironically, keeping a car in the garage and not using it often can also contribute to faster tire breakdown as well. So, bottom line, an aging tire is a bad thing both ways.

It's amazing how some of the best drivers on the road turn into some of the most clumsy and irresponsible boat drivers on water. In reality, boats and boating traffic are regulated, boat owners have responsibilities, and being irresponsible with a boat can result in property, injuries, and even death in boating accidents.

Florida is a prime state for boaters, surrounded by water on three sides, and dotted with hundreds of lakes, as well as the Everglades. As a result, boaters with watercraft of all sizes and types will find a location that suits their fancy, enjoying a weekend on the water or making a living out of the waterways or both. However, just like the roadwayss and highways, the waterways have risks that boaters need to constantly be aware of. These include hidden underwater obstacles, above water risks, water currents, the weather, and most importantly, other boaters and water recreation users.

When you first set out to find a bicycle accident attorney Ocala, FL you are going to need to consider a lot of things. For one, you need to know from the beginning that bicycle accidents are the number one reason why children visit the emergency room. With the level of traumatic brain injuries that children incur while riding their bicycles, a helmet can be the difference between a slight amount of injury and something far more serious. Since 443 million people under the age of 21 years old participate in the activity of bicycle riding each year in the US, a large number of serious injuries could be prevented or lessened through the regular use of a helmet.

When a bicycle accident happens, there is a lot to do including, but not limited to, seeking the counsel of a bicycle accident attorney in Gainesville, FL. When an automobile and a bicycle meet at any speed, there is bound to be damage done to the bicyclist. As the slowest and smallest participants in road travel, bicyclists are at a serious disadvantage. Some cyclists have even taken the step of adding to the legal aspects of their cases by installing small video cameras on their bikes, so there is no longer a need for eyewitnesses or for a jury to believe the cyclist's side of the story in court.

Steven A. Bagen Law Firm is a personal injury law firm with offices in Gainesville and Ocala to serve the surrounding North and Central Florida areas.

Without a doubt, one of the hardest cases a lawyer will ever tackle is a medical malpractice lawsuit. Whether representing a defendant or a plaintiff, the job of representing a malpractice case is one best left to experienced lawyers. The reason medical malpractice situations are difficult to represent is because there are many laws and guidelines to follow, making some malpractice cases nearly irrelevant in court.

To prove a death or injury was sustained as the result of negligence on the behalf of an attending physician, surgeon, pharmacist, or any other medical staff takes years of experience and resources. Due to the massive number of malpractice lawsuits over the years, strict laws have been passed and are heavily enforced. These laws serve to help those in the medical profession have a fair shot of defending their innocence. Unfortunately, these laws mean that many people that have suffered from a legitimate injury or death as a result of medical malpractice are often left uncompensated.

Have you experienced a personal injury due to another party? If you have, then you should immediately contact a personal injury defense attorney in Gainesville. Depending on the extent of your injury, you could be facing some seriously costly medical and doctor bills. These are expenses that the offending party should pay for. Not to mention the fact that you should also be compensated for the pain and suffering resulting from the injury as well as any punitive damages owed to you due to the negligence of the offending party. If you have been injured, you should never try to take the offending party to court or deal with the insurance company on your own. There are a number of reasons why you’ll be able receive better compensation if you are working side by side with a personal injury defense attorney in Gainesville or Ocala. The following are just a few of the reasons why you should take advantage of the services of a local attorney.

According to statistics from the National Highway Transportation Association, injuries and fatalities from bicycle crashes are on the upswing after years of years of decreasing rates. This alarming statistic is important to cyclists in our state because Florida is the state with the greatest amount of fatalities stemming from bicycle accidents. Nevertheless, what about bicyclists who survive an accident, but suffer severe or catastrophic injuries as a result? This is where the services of an experienced bicycle accident attorney Gainesville, FL are needed most.

Thousands of motorists and pedestrians are injured and killed following traffic accidents each year. One major cause of these fatal accidents is texting while driving. Cell phones are great inventions, and yes, they do come in handy in the event of an emergency. By the same token, they are also health hazards and extremely dangerous when they are not used for their proper intent.

For this reason, Florida and other states have passed laws that prohibit the use of cell phones and other wireless devices while driving. One particular chapter and section of the law is 316.305 "Wireless Communication Devices; Prohibition." This section of the law is often referred to as the “Florida Ban on Texting While Driving Law.”

After being involved in a car accident, you have a lot running through your mind. You barely make it home from the emergency room or from a visit to your doctor and you have insurance representatives calling you or coming to your home, asking for a recorded statement. Even though the individual might seem polite, he or she keeps pressuring you for a statement. Now, you face the decision of what you should do. Many worry about losing their insurance or forfeiting their claim if they aren’t cooperative.

So, what should you do in this situation?

When you are trying to recover from an injury, the last thing you probably want to focus on or even consider is that of taxes. If you are receiving money from the insurance company as a result of your accident, you might not have another choice but to think about whether you are going to be responsible for paying taxes on the payout you receive. Depending on the type of insurance policy you are dealing with and the type of settlement you are going to receive, some of the money received might be subject to taxes.

To find out more information about your payout, you can speak with a Gainesville personal injury attorney to discuss your case further. Steven A. Bagen Law Firm has offices in Gainesville and Ocala, Florida, serving all of the surrounding areas. Beyond being able to provide you with information about the settlement itself, your attorney will make sure that you receive everything you are entitled to receive and not shorted out of money due to the insurance company taking advantage of you. Recovering from an accident is difficult enough; you shouldn’t have to worry about whether you are going to be jilted by the insurance company along the way.