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Category: florida injury attorney

Press Conference Regarding Parkland Shooting

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MEDIA CONFERENCE ALERT

Attorneys Representing Parkland Shooting Victims’ Families To Hold Media Conference, Will Be Joined by Parents of Shooting Victim Joaquin Oliver

 

Ft. Lauderdale, FL – In response to court records that indicate the Broward County School Board aims to minimize its responsibility in the shooting deaths of 17 people at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida February 14th, a press conference will be held on Friday, April 27th, 2018 at 10:30 am outside the Broward County School Board building.

 

According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (click to review article ), court records show that The School Board “is portraying the mass murder as one incident with many victims.” Michael Haggard and Todd Michaels of The Haggard Law Firm, which represents the families of two victims, will be joined by 17-year-old victim Joaquin Oliver’s parents Manuel and Patricia.

 

Trial attorney Michael Haggard of The Haggard Law Firm says “the school board is watching its financial best interest instead of that of the families it has publicly claimed it would continuously support.” Haggard, whose law firm represents the Oliver family in this case, adds “The School Board should be ashamed. Each of these families are suffering. We have successfully litigated against School Boards in the past and will take this matter to Tallahassee if needed.”

 

The Haggard Law Firm represented the family of Juan Carlos Rivera, who was stabbed to death at Coral Gables High School in September of 2009. In that case, Haggard filed a claims bill in the State Legislature to finalize the $1,875,000 settlement agreed upon with the Miami-Dade County School Board.

 

Media Conference Details

 

Haggard Law Firm and Negligent Security Cases

The Haggard Law Firm has litigated nearly 200 cases involving the failure to provide adequate security resulting in the victim suffering severe injuries and/or death. Since 2007,  The Firm has handled over 175 negligent security cases and delivered over $400million in verdicts and settlements in those cases.

 

Establishments such as bars, restaurants, flea markets, shopping centers, nursing homes, banks, hotels and apartment buildings have all been subjects of successfully litigated negligent security claims. By representing individuals permanently injured in cases stemming from negligent security, we take an active role in making the community safe for the public.

 

In 2017 and 2016 TopVerdict named two different Haggard Law Firm cases as the #1 inadequate security (negligent security) verdicts in Florida each respective year.

Learn more about Haggard Law negligent security – inadequate security cases, click here

 

2017 Top Verdict in a Negligent Security Case – Haggard Law Firm

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The Haggard Law Firm has been recognized by TopVerdict for notable results in 2017. TopVerdict recognizes U.S. law firms and attorneys who have obtained one of the highest jury verdicts, settlements, court or arbitration awards in the Nation or an individual State, in a particular area of law, and year

The $12 million verdict obtained by Haggard Law in Machado v Waves of Hialeah was named by TopVerdict as the number one inadequate security (negligent security) verdict and third highest premises liability verdict in Florida in 2017. The negligent security, wrongful death case was litigated by our Christopher Marlowe, Jason Brenner, James Blecke and co-counsel Alexis Izquierdo, ESQ.

Click here to view multiple media reports on the Machado verdict. 

The Machado case was also named one of the Top 50 Verdicts overall in Florida in 2017.

This is the second straight year Haggard Law has earned the #1 Inadequate Security verdict recognition. In 2016, Brenner and trial attorney Douglas McCarron were recognized for the $1.7 million verdict obtained in Navas V Regal  Entertainment Group. That case involved injuries suffered by a Monica Navas after moviegoers trampled her while trying to frantically escape a theater after a suspicious person started a fight days after the Aurora Colorado movie theater mass shooting.

Christopher Marlowe and trial attorney Pedro Echarte were the litigators of the #3 ranked inadequate security case on the 2017 list. The pair delivered a $1 million result in Gilbert v. Cryptical Development LLC.

 

Continue reading “2017 Top Verdict in a Negligent Security Case – Haggard Law Firm”

$907K Verdict in Waffle House Parking Lot Beating Case

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Late Friday, a Ft. Myers jury awarded long haul trucker Steve Long $907, 211 for the injuries he sustained from a 2014 beating by several people in the parking lot of a Waffle House.

The Haggard Law Firm’s Todd Michaels co-counseled the negligent security case along with Dave Mishael of the Law Offices of David B. Mishael and Steven N. Kassner  of Steven N. Kassner, PA.

The team of attorneys explained to the jury that for the 3 years before Long was attacked on April 19, 2014, , there were 24 significant crimes committed on the property. Those crimes included multiple fights (one involving nearly 100 people) and three incidents involving gun shots.

Haggard Law’s Todd Michaels explains “all of the crime and danger occurred in the 3rd shift, nonetheless, there was nothing done about it, IE: no security in the parking lot, no outside security cameras, poor lighting and no manned security.” 

 

 (Scroll down to watch video RE: importance of Foreseeability in Negligent Security Cases)

Continue reading “$907K Verdict in Waffle House Parking Lot Beating Case”

I Became a Trial Lawyer Because…

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Michael Haggard says he wanted to become a trial lawyer thanks to the example set by his father Andy Haggard and what he watched his father do to help clients effected by tragedy.

 

 

 

Haggard has established himself as a powerful force in the South Florida Legal Community as the Managing Partner for The Haggard Law Firm. After spending time as a Public Defender and working with a small personal injury firm before joining The Haggard Law Firm, Haggard was named a partner in 2001, secure in the belief that every case holds equal importance and could mean the opportunity to award a family resolution to a devastating incident.

 

TO CONTACT MICHAEL A. HAGGARD, CLICK HERE MAH@HAGGARDLAWFIRM.COM OR CALL 305.446.5700

 

He soon captured national headlines as the only plaintiff’s personal injury attorney to secure three separate $100 million dollar verdicts on behalf of individual clients. Haggard secured two consecutive $100 million verdicts on behalf of children involved in pool accidents. Several years later, a third $100 million verdict was awarded by a jury in a negligent security case, deemed the largest of its kind for that genre of case law.

to read his full bio click here: http://bit.ly/haggardbiopage

 

FL. Senate Kills Human Trafficking Survivors Lawsuit Bill

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In a move that most would call a surprising, members of a Florida Senate Committee pulled a bill that would allow human trafficking survivors to sue Florida hotels and other businesses where they were sold for sex. The partnering House bill had already passed two committees and was headed to the House floor.

“This was a chance for our state leaders to take a stand against modern day slavery and they chose the hospitality lobby” says Haggard Law Firm Managing Partner Michael Haggard.

Haggard, who is the current president of the National Crime Victim’s Bar Association, added “to say this is disappointing is a vast understatement. Florida ranks as the third worst in number of human trafficking cases in our country. Studies show that the majority of trafficking victims, primarily for sexual exploitation, are abused in hotels and motels.”

The NCVBA has a long-standing commitment to civil justice for victims. As President, Haggard  plays an intricate role in advising and setting the annual agenda on what issues the organization will focus on in support of crime victims. This year Haggard has earmarked support of human trafficking victims as a primary goal.

The Orlando Sentinel reported: “…ex trafficking survivors spoke tearfully of betrayal by Florida lawmakers Friday as bills that would have allowed the hotel industry to be sued for willfully ignoring the problem came to a puzzling halt this week…”

The legislation would hold business owners liable if they “knowingly or in willful blindness” facilitate trafficking crimes.

“With or without state leadership, The Haggard Law Firm is 100% committed to using the tool of the civil justice system to hold business owners accountable for their negligence due to ignorance and those who choose to profit on trafficking by seemingly turning a blind eye to this multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise conducted on their property” says Haggard.

Multiple media outlets reported that the hospitality industry, namely The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association and Disney,  had been lobbying hard against it behind the scenes,

“As crime victim trial attorneys we know civil court remedies will effect change on a wide scale while helping victims pick up the pieces of their life and start a new”

 

Article Sources

Orlando Sentinel Story: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/political-pulse/os-disney-asked-to-support-human-trafficking-bill-20180302-story.html

Brandenton herald: http://www.bradenton.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article203049349.html

Haggard to Lead Seminar During Aquatic Law Symposium

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Our Michael Haggard will be one of the featured presenters during the upcoming 2018 National Drowning Prevention Alliance Educational Conference’s Aquatic Law Symposium.  The objective of the symposium is to provide plaintiff and defense attorneys with information about principles and practices of aquatic law. The event will be held April 2nd to the 7th at the Marriott Waterside in Tampa. Haggard’s seminar “Developing Theories of Negligence Citing Important Litigation Cases by Firm” is scheduled for the morning session which begins at 8:50am on Saturday, April 7th.

The legal symposiums are certified by the Florida Bar and in every state via reciprocity agreement for CLE credits (8 Credits Available)

Michael Haggard’s Aquatic Law Experience

Michael Haggard and The Haggard Law Firm has a long history of successfully litigating cases involving drownings and near-drownings…

Continue reading “Haggard to Lead Seminar During Aquatic Law Symposium”

What Does Haggard’s Pedro Echarte Enjoy About Litigation

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Attorneys, besides achieving a positive result for a client….what is the favorite part of your job?
Our Pedro Echarte​ says cross examination during a trial or deposition is one element of the litigation process he most enjoys. Why? and what’s the other?

 

Haggard Law Firm Trial Attorney Pedro Echarte describes what he enjoys the most about the litigation process and the opportunity to help families searching for justice through the civil court process.

In 2016, Echarte litigated a negligent security case involving a young father who was shot 6 times in an attempted home invasion at a condominium located in Miami. As a result of the crime, the 22-year-old was rendered an incomplete paraplegic. Echarte was able to earn a $10.6 million settlement result for the Haggard Law client and his family.

To learn more about Pedro Echarte, click here

The Role Crime Statistics Play In a Negligent Security Case

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by Jason Brenner, Associate at The Haggard Law Firm

Although each negligent security case may bring about different facts or require ingenuity with your strategy, there are certain elements of your case that remain constant.  One of those elements is crime statistics.  The importance of crime statistics in your case cannot be stated enough.  Not only do these statistics help establish notice and foreseeability to the defendants, they are also a treasure trove of information.

With respect to notice and foreseeability, your crime statistics establish what the defendants “knew or should have known” prior to and at the time of subject incident.  So what should you request?  You begin by requesting the calls for service and all police reports for the subject property.  This needs to be done in one request.  From there, depending on your jurisdiction, you will order up to a mile radius for the calls for service.  Once you receive each respective request, you must synthesize the data.  For example, you will detail the violent and non-violent crimes and their frequency on the property.  This provides a picture of what type of crime was going on at the property.  It provides you with the ability to illustrate to the jury the level of crime occurring and can be used effectively to show that it is an improbability for a defendant to be unaware of the police being called to the property.

Continue reading “The Role Crime Statistics Play In a Negligent Security Case”

Result: $1.5 Million Settlement in Slip and Fall Wrongful Death Case

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We are very proud to share that our Todd Michaels has secured a $1.5 Million dollar settlement in the slip and fall wrongful death case of Qurris Walker (pictured).

In August 2011, Walker, who suffered from Down’s Syndrome, slipped and fell on a wet floor at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando. At the time of the incident, the floor was being cleaned by Rosen’s Cleaning service, Majic Cleaning Systems. As a result of the fall, Mr. Walker needed surgery to repair his leg and suffered respiratory arrest during recovery from the surgery. Nearly two years after the fall, Walker, who suffered from numerous pre-existing health issues, passed away. Both liability and causation were highly contested.

The defense argued that Majic had put down five cones in the lobby, adequately warning visitors that the floor was wet and that Mr. Walker’s death was a result of his other health issues, and was unrelated to the fall. Our thanks to the inspirational and brave Walker family for their passion to seek justice.

 

The Truth about Direct and Cross-Examinations

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In this article, The Haggard Law Firm’s Jason Brenner discusses a variety of topics including why trial attorneys should always employ a philosophy that every case should be prepared to go to trial. He says it is a mindset that many trial attorneys don’t employ.

Brenner is part of the team that recently obtained a $12 million verdict in a wrongful death, negligent security case following a 5 day trial (click to learn more about the case). Click here to learn more about the case

To learn more about The Haggard Law Firm‘s Jason Brenner, click here

The Truth I Never Knew about Direct and Cross-Examinations

Entering the legal field with the desire to become a trial attorney is a daunting endeavor. There is only one place where a young lawyer can establish himself or herself as a trial attorney—in the courtroom. Trial practice has almost become a misnomer in today’s world. The firm where I have been privileged to practice is made up of an endangered species of the trial attorney. I revel in the “war stories” about them trying a case on Monday and preparing for the next one on Friday. Nowadays, the majority of time spent in court is in motion practice.

The current status of trial practice creates an interesting conflict for young, aspiring attorneys in their attempt to develop trial skills. In the almost six years I have been practicing, I have been trial support on two civil jury trials and second chair on an additional two. The first trial in which I participated as second chair was a stroke of fortune and an eye-opening experience. Once I was in the courtroom in this role, I understood the purpose and importance of direct and cross-examination, but, most important, I understood the difference between direct and cross-examination in discovery and at trial. The primary focus of this article is to illustrate the principles of direct and cross-examination that have been taught to me.

FOR A FREE CONSULTATION, CLICK HERE

Continue reading “The Truth about Direct and Cross-Examinations”

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The Haggard Law Firm, P.A. represents the rights of people seriously injured or killed through the fault of others. We are passionately committed to our clients and stress the highest level of personal service, professionalism and case preparation.

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