West Palm Beach Personal Injury Lawyers at Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A.: ‘Claim Bill’ Action by Lawmakers Will Help FL Accident Victims
West Palm Beach, FL (PRWEB) February 14, 2015 -- West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys at Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A. today applauded the Florida Senate for taking action on “claim bills,” a move that will help victims of accidents caused by government negligence.
The Florida Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 3 heard and passed five claim bills, which allow local and state government to pay settlements and verdicts, according to a report in the Florida Times-Union (“Senate Judiciary Committee OKs first claim bills out of committee,” Feb. 3).
“Accidents involving negligence by government entities can lead to complex personal injury claims,” said Adriana Gonzalez, an experienced West Palm Beach accident lawyer at Gonzalez & Cartwright. “Victims often get frustrated because their compensation can get delayed. That’s because local and state governments can agree to settle a lawsuit or claim with an injured person or a family that lost a loved one, but under Florida law, the government entities cannot pay more than $200,000 until a bill passes in the Legislature.”
Examples of accidents involving government negligence: A police officer who runs a red light and crashes into another vehicle, resulting injury or death; an individual who is paralyzed after a limb falls from a rotting tree that a city knew about and failed to remove, according to the Times-Union.
The Times-Union cited five claim bills that were passed on Feb. 3. Two of the bills involved serious accidents in Palm Beach County. A deputy for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office crashed into and killed a 60-year-old man, and the bill allows the office to pay the victim’s family about $372,000. The other example involved a Palm Beach County school bus that struck a man as he walked in a crosswalk. He died after having to live in a nursing home. The bill allows the school district to pay his family $633,000, according to the Times-Union.
West Palm Beach attorney Charles E. Cartwright said settlements and verdicts don’t make victims rich. Instead, the compensation covers things like medical treatment and rehabilitation, modifications to a home and other necessary expenses to help victims and families get their lives back together.
“It’s incredibly frustrating for victims and families when justice is delayed,” Cartwright said. “In so many cases, injury victims and families that lost loved ones in accidents are struggling to make ends meet. The compensation that comes through a settlement or verdict helps them pay accident-related bills. The damages awarded are designed to make the victim ‘whole’ again from a monetary standpoint. A serious accident can be financially and emotionally devastating. That’s why we strongly support our lawmakers’ efforts to pass these claim bills.”
Cartwright said anyone injured in an accident or who loses a loved one should speak with an experienced attorney who can help pursue compensation and closure.
About Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A.
Charles Cartwright obtained his law degree from the University of Miami in 1993 and has been practicing law in South Florida for over 20 years. Well versed in all steps of the personal injury process, Cartwright is an AV-rated attorney who has received the highest rating from Martindale Hubbell.
Adriana Gonzalez obtained her law degree from Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Florida, and is the current president of the Palm Beach County Hispanic Bar Association. Gonzalez has appeared on Spanish language television and radio stations discussing legal issues important to the Hispanic community. In 2014, Super Lawyers named her one of Florida’s Rising Stars for her work in personal injury law. It was the third year in a row Gonzalez received the honor. She also was elected to the board of the Palm Beach County Justice Association in 2013.
For more information on what to do if you’ve been injured or a loved one died in an accident in South Florida, call (561) 533-0345. The consultation is free and confidential. Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A. handles cases on a contingency fee basis, which means clients pay nothing unless there is recovery.
Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A. is located at 813 Lucerne Avenue, Lake Worth, FL 33460. Visit http://www.gonzalezcartwright.com
Jacob M Del Hagen, Big Voodoo Interactive, http://www.bigvoodoo.com, +1 (413) 650-0593, [email protected]
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