The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic. This designation signifies that we are in the midst of a global disease outbreak, which occurs when a new virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population.  Coronavirus can cause serious illness, and spreads easily person-to-person worldwide.

Corless Barfield Trial Group is your Tampa-based law firm that is open and available to address legal matters with our clients nationwide. Our attorneys continue to guide clients through the complex process of property damage, insurance disputes, and personal injury law. If you have questions about court closures, pending legal matters, or new cases, please call us at 813-258-4998.  We have moved to a remote platform and will return your calls in an expeditious manner. 

Our law firm wants to do our part to contain COVID-19’s spread and to implement the federal and state government’s health and safety recommendations. We do this out of concern for the safety and health of our clients and hard-working staff.  

You may also have questions about different areas of law that may be impacted by the coronavirus, including contracts, force majeure clauses, employment law, or workers’ compensation. We invite you to call Corless Barfield at 813-258-4998.  We are here to help clients better understand and prepare for impending legal complications resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. We have lawyers and support staff ready, willing, and able to answer your questions. 

For the latest health information, visit cdc.gov and who.int. You may also find the following link helpful regarding Florida State Courts: informz.net/FB/data/images/AOSC20-13.pdf. 

Check back on our website and social media platforms for continual updates as part of Corless Barfield Trial Group’s ongoing coverage about important COVID-19 coronavirus topics and resources.  Our attorneys continue to monitor developments to provide up-to-date advice to our clients.

We deliver outstanding results, and we will continue to do so. Together, we will get through this.

Salvatore Anello was charged by Puerto Rican authorities in the July death of his granddaughter, 18-month-old Chloe Wiegand. Chloe fell from an open window that Salvatore thought was closed on the 11th story of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in Puerto Rico on July 7. The accident occurred while the ship was docked in San Juan.  Puerto Rico’s Justice Department arrested Salvatore on the charge of negligent homicide.

There was no joy for recent passengers aboard the Norwegian Joy. Authorities say 19 people on this Norwegian Cruise Line ship reported flu-like illnesses in Nov. as they reached a Southern California port. The Los Angeles Fire Department says authorities were called to evaluate patients after they fell ill on the ship. It was the same ship that paramedics responded to a week earlier after four passengers became ill. 

Two Americans were killed and five others were injured during a bus crash in Belize, as they traveled in the country as part of a Carnival Cruise Line shore excursion. The seven Carnival guests who were involved in the bus accident were traveling on a seven-day voyage on the Carnival Vista ship. The ship departed Galveston, Texas, on Nov. 23.

Cruise ship accidents are more commonplace than you might think. If you or a loved one has been the victim of injury or harm while onboard a cruise ship or during a shore excursion, you may be entitled to compensation for damages. Call Florida-based Corless Barfield Trial Group today at 813-258-4998. Our experienced injury attorneys represent those whose lives were impacted by the negligence of cruise lines. 

All cruise lines must ensure that their passengers and employees are safe from the risk of serious injuries. If you suffered injuries while aboard a ship, and you believe that a cruise line failed in their duty to protect you from harm, you may be entitled to a recovery for your damages. 

If you experienced a slip and fall, sexual assault, shore excursion injury, food poisoning or contaminated food, unsafe conditions (such as defective handrails), tender boat accidents, cruise ship medical malpractice, or onboard fires, call Corless Barfield Trial Group at 813-258-4998.

Whether your personal injury claim is subject to Florida state, federal, or international law, our knowledgeable and experienced accident attorneys are ready to handle even the most complex cases. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

With the state of health insurance as it is in our country, it’s not completely unbelievable that many aren’t covered. So, as a pedestrian hit by a car, not being covered by health insurance can be a frightening concept. Fortunately, however, a pedestrian’s own health insurance isn’t the only answer. One does have options to file claims with different types of insurance.

Health insurance

Ideally, the first place you’d go is to your own personal health insurance. Depending on the coverage in your policy, it should cover most of your major medical expenses. This process will be plain at simple: see your doctor and get treated.

Now, if you are covered by health insurance, whether or not you decide to approach the driver who hit you for some sort of extra settlement is a different story. You may be able to sue the negligent driver for a reward, but otherwise, their car insurance is under no obligation to provide you with any sort of financial compensation.

Car insurance

The next place for you to look is the car insurance of the driver who hit you. Of course, this is only an option if the driver didn’t flee the scene of the crime and the driver is actually insured. If all goes well and the driver who hit you is insured, you will file a claim with their insurance company.

Next, the insurance company will analyze the situation to attempt to determine who is at fault. Unless you are more than 50% negligent, meaning you were very clearly breaking a law and putting yourself in harm’s way, you’re likely to win your settlement this way. If you are found to be at fault in any way, your assigned negligence may affect your compensation. 

Fortunately for the pedestrian involved, the car insurance is obligated to pay the balance of your settlement even if the driver is under-insured. However, if the driver failed to stop when they hit you, it does throw a wrench in your rights. In this case, the first thing to do is get hold of any witnesses to the collision. Witnesses may be able to narrow down a description of the perpetrator, including car color, type, make, model, year, license plate, and/or a physical description of the driver. If you can provide the authorities with this information and they are able to track down the perpetrator, it’ll be much easier to file a claim through their car insurance. The fact that they fled the scene may also increase your settlement due to negligence, as a driver is legally obligated to stop at a collision they are involved in.

Why you need an attorney

If you’re a pedestrian hit by a car looking to the driver’s car insurance to pay your bills, the insurance company is not your friend. They are in this business to make money, so the more they are obligated to pay for your settlement, the more money they lose. Therefore, if you share details about the accident or place blame without an attorney present, the insurance company may twist your words to screw you out of a proper settlement. While the driver as their insurance on their side, you’ll need an attorney on yours.

Second, Florida is a no-fault state. This means that the driver’s car insurance is required to pay for the injured party regardless of fault or negligence. Therefore, any medical, surgical, disability, and even funeral costs that you accrue must be paid for by the car insurance. However, to protect their financial interests, the insurance may cut corners, neglect to provide you with information, or drag out the compensation process to force you to settle for a low amount out of urgency. An attorney knows exactly what you’re entitled to, and will ensure the insurance company treats you in the manner in which you deserve.

You may also be interested in:

Diagnosing Neck Pain After an Accident – Is it Whiplash?
I Rear-Ended Someone – Is it My Fault?
Can You Rent a Car Without Insurance?
Conquering the Fear of Driving After an Accident
Florida’s Distracted Driving Law
Hit by a Drunk Driver – What Now?
Snap and Drive: Snapchat a Danger to Florida’s Roads