trial attorney Archives - Page 6 of 8

$12 Million Haggard Law Verdict Featured in VerdictSearch Periodical

Posted on March 6, 2018 by HaggardTeam

A recent issue of the VerdictSearch periodical named a $12 Million verdict earned by Haggard Law in a wrongful death, negligent security case as the “Featured Verdict” of the month.

Background of Case

A Miami Dade County jury awarded the parents of Yaimi Guevara Machado $12 million following a five-day trial that originated from a wrongful death negligent security lawsuit filed against the Chesapeake Motel.

On April 10, 2016, their daughter, 30-year-old Machado was locked out of her hotel room only wearing a bra and jeans when she asked the staff of the Hialeah motel for help . They refused. Moments later, police say, she was beaten to death by Ronald Lopez Andrade who has been charged with first-degree murder.

Machado’s family filed the lawsuit against the owners of the Chesapeake Motel because they believe its staff had several opportunities to prevent the tragedy. Along with not assisting Machado when she approached them, the hotel’s staff:

Allowed Andrade, who was not a hotel guest, to linger on the property
sold Andrade alcohol
fielded a request from the inebriated Andrade for help to find a prostitute
did not kick Andrade off property when he sought sexual favors from a housekeeper

The Haggard Law Firm’s Christopher Marlowe and Jason Brenner were joined by co-counsel, Alexis Izquierdo, in litigating this case.

Over the last decade, The Haggard Law Firm has handled hundreds of premises liability / negligent security cases, delivering more than $300 million in verdicts and settlement in that time.

To read the entire feature by VerdictSearch.com click here: http://verdictsearch.com/state/fl/

Media Coverage

The tragic and preventable crime and subsequent verdict was covered by media outlets across the area and internationally. The parents of Machado continue to hope the exposure of the case will help change motel and hotel security policies so no one else loses their loved one

FL. Senate Kills Human Trafficking Survivors Lawsuit Bill

Posted on March 5, 2018 by HaggardTeam

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

Posted on February 8, 2018 by HaggardTeam

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…

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What Does Haggard’s Pedro Echarte Enjoy About Litigation

Posted on February 7, 2018 by HaggardTeam

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

Haggard Becomes President of National Crime Victim Bar Association

Posted on January 26, 2018 by HaggardTeam

The Haggard Law Firm’s Managing Partner Michael Haggard assumed his role as the new President of the National Crime Victim Bar Association in 2018. The organization was founded in April 1999, creating the nation’s first professional association of attorneys and expert witnesses dedicated to helping victims seek justice through the civil system. The NCVBA is an affiliate and program of the National Center for Victims of Crime.

CLICK HERE FOR A FREE CONSULTATION

In this video, Haggard discusses how his primary focus this year is to make sure human trafficking victims understand they not only have rights in the criminal justice system but also in the civil justice system.

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

Posted on January 10, 2018 by HaggardTeam

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.

VIDEO: Why Do You Enjoy Picking a Jury

Posted on January 8, 2018 by HaggardTeam

Haggard Law Firm partner and trial attorney Christopher Marlowe says one of the elements of a civil trial that he looks forward to the most…is picking a jury.

The Truth about Direct and Cross-Examinations

Posted on January 8, 2018 by HaggardTeam

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

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Haggard to Lead Negligent Security Seminar During FJA Workhorse Event

Posted on January 2, 2018 by HaggardTeam

The Haggard Law Firm’s Michael Haggard has been invited to once again speak at the Florida Justice Association’s Workhorse Seminar. Set to be held at the Orlando World Center Marriott, this Seminar is one of FJA’s most popular learning events among attorneys throughout the state.

Haggard is scheduled to speak on Wednesday, March 21, 2018 between 8:30 am – 9:00 am. His topic for his Seminar is “Escaping Defense-created Liability Traps in the Handling of Negligent Security Injury and Death Cases.”

Haggard is a longtime member of the FJA and has served in multiple leadership positions over the years. Several months ago, he was recognized with the FJA’s most prestigious honor, the Perry Nichols Award.

About the Workhorse Seminar

The Workhorse Seminar ensures attorneys receive the strategies and techniques needed to enhance the work done every day in civil litigation cases. The FJA guarantees attendees will take away valuable information and innovative ideas that can immediately aid personal injury attorneys’ efforts to assist clients in their cases.

About the Florida Justice Association

The Florida Justice Association (FJA), formerly the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers (AFTL), is dedicated to strengthening and upholding Florida’s civil justice system and protecting the rights of Florida’s citizens and consumers.

We passionately believe that all Floridians benefit when deserving individuals have a fair chance to seek justice in our state’s courts and that Florida’s consumers are made safer when large corporations and industries are held to a high ethical standard and accept fair responsibility for their actions.

FJA works in the legislative, political and public arenas to ensure that Floridians know and understand the importance of their rights to justice and to make certain that these rights, which are at the very core of what it means to be American, are safeguarded and protected.

Click here to contact Michael Haggard

Michael Haggard Profile Video produced by the Florida Justice Association for the Perry Nichols Award presentation

DBR Features $1.57 Million Verdict Earned in Car Crash Case

Posted on December 6, 2017 by HaggardTeam

Today the Daily Business Review published a feature (in the online edition) on the recent $1.57 Million verdict in a personal injury car crash case. Haggard Law trial attorneys Douglas McCarron and Pedro Echarte litigated the case involving the injuries suffered by clients John Paul Souza and Anh Pham Souza that stemmed from a car crash on Miami Beach in 2014.

The article dives into the primary obstacle McCarron and Echarte managed during the trial to come to the very successful result.

The DBR article reads, in part:

Attorneys from The Haggard Law Firm secured a nearly $1.57 million verdict for a tourist involved in a car crash, despite medical scans that failed to corroborate an injury and a slew of social media photos showing the plaintiff’s extensive travel after the crash.
(the article continued)
The Souzas are avid travelers who posted photographs on social media of luxury trips to the Hamptons, Bahamas, Necker Island and other destinations. That pastime would complicate the litigation, as defense attorneys pointed to the posts as proof John Souza was unscathed after the Miami accident.
“There were a lot of pictures. [The defendants] were trying to make a big deal out of it,” McCarron said. “A lot of times in these kinds of cases, there’s a lot on social media. It’s not something to be afraid of, as long as your clients are being honest.”

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