The Haggard Law Firm’s Pedro Echarte has obtained a $1 Million policy limit settlement in a case involving the sexual assault of a minor at an Orange County, Florida daycare. The parties, insurance carriers, defense counsel, date of loss, and school where the incident occurred are confidential.
Echarte represented the parents of a 7-year-old child, who was molested by an older student during an after-school care program that was operated by the defendant (a private entity). The incident occurred in a bathroom in the school’s cafeteria during after-school care hours. Both students were enrolled in the after-school care program at the time of the incident.
The Haggard Law Firm’s client, John Doe Jr, was shot and killed while standing in line to enter a pop-up nightclub located within a banquet hall. He was survived by a six-year-old son.
The Haggard Law Firm’s Pedro Echarte and co-counsel Michael Carmona of Friedland Carmona obtained a $1 Million policy limit settlement in a Miami-Dade County Bar/Liquor Liability Case or “dram shop” case (Florida Statutes § 768.125).
On August 10, 2020, Charilyn Martica Rodriguez went to work at Sandbar Sports Grill in Culter Bay, Florida. Like many prior occasions in the past, she consumed alcohol both during her shift and after her shift. Rodriguez became heavily intoxicated and was unable to make decisions for herself.
Tragically, she attempted to drive home and was killed when she crashed her car only miles from her house.
Trial lawyer Adam FinkelManaging Partner Michael Haggard
On October 26, 2019, Rodney Hinds, Jr. picked up snacks from a gas station in Miami Gardens, while On October 26, 2019, Rodney Hinds, Jr. picked up snacks from a gas station in Miami Gardens, while other friends filled the car with gas. After purchasing snacks and returning to the car, an unknown person approached the car and opened fire. Rodney was struck and died. He was only 17 years old. He is survived by his mother, Tina, and his father, Rodney Sr.
The Haggard Law Firm’s Kimberly Wald and Michael Haggard have obtained a $1 Million pre-suit settlement in a negligent security case involving a 22-year-old shot outside a pop-up club in Brevard County. Wald successfully resolved this case within the first month of her joining The Haggard Law Firm.
On Halloween night 2021, Levontay Thomas was in the parking lot of the Bee Hive Lounge, a pop-up club in the Arlington Pines Shopping Plaza. A group of men began shooting into the crowd in the parking lot and Thomas was one of their victims. He was shot in his left leg. Since the shooting, Thomas has developed compartment syndrome which is a condition in which increased pressure within one of the body’s anatomical compartments results in insufficient blood supply to tissue within that space. He underwent multiple surgical fasciotomies and had several complications including infections and extensive wound care. He remains at risk of amputation. To date, Thomas has had eight surgeries.
“This is a life-changing tragedy that could have been prevented if the defendants had taken action after years of notice from a series of consistent violent acts on the same property where Thomas was shot,” says Wald.
Coral Gables/Ft. Lauderdale – The Haggard Law Firm has hired trial lawyer Kimberly L. Wald who will work from the renowned law firm’s first-ever office in Broward County.
Wald comes to The Haggard Law Firm from Kelley Uustal where she focused on catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, products liability, tobacco, and medical malpractice litigation. To date, Wald has obtained verdicts and settlements totaling more than $104 Million. Those cases included a $35 Million dollar jury verdict in 2021 for a paralyzed Navy veteran who suffered catastrophic injuries in a car crash case. Two other results of significance include a $28,795,000 verdict against the second-largest cigarette manufacturer in the country and a $4 Million medical malpractice arbitration award.
“We have spent a significant amount of time searching for our next experienced, talented, and passionate trial lawyer,” says Michael Haggard, The Haggard Law Firm’s Managing Partner. He adds, “Kim is a grand slam hire. She has the skill, creativity, and commitment we demand as a trial-focused firm that advocates for our clients. She also champions causes that can help make a positive difference in the communities we touch.” I am ecstatic to join the prestigious Haggard Law Firm,” says Wald. “I have co-counseled cases with the Haggard Law Firm for the past four years and have always admired their dedication and commitment to protecting our community. I am thrilled to be able to work alongside the best and brightest attorneys and look forward to continuing to fight for justice on behalf of injured victims.”
Kimberly is the incoming President of the Young Lawyer’s Section of the Broward County Bar Association (BCBA). She also serves on the Broward County Trial Lawyer’s Association Board of Directors as the Newsletter Editor and is the Chair of the Annual Young Lawyers Judicial Reception. She also serves on the Young Lawyers Division Board of the Florida Justice Association and is an active member of Trial School and the Broward County Women Lawyer’s Section. In 2021, Kimberly was honored to be selected by the Broward County Trial Lawyers Association to receive the inaugural “Rising Star Award.” She also was named a “Rising Star” by the Super Lawyers organization in both 2020 and 2021 and additionally was named one of the best lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Wald was named one of the Daily Business Review’s “Most Effective Lawyers” in 2016.
Wald, and her new support team, will be the first members of The Haggard Law Firm to staff the 50-year-old law firm’s maiden office in Ft. Lauderdale. About the office expansion, Haggard says “Our Firm has been handling cases across the country for decades, but we felt this initial expansion into Broward County will further enhance our opportunity to consistently serve in that community.
Kim’s well-established reputation and the positions she holds in Broward make this decision to expand our offices a simple one.”Haggard adds that as the number of the Firm’s catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases continues to increase, he expects to open more offices across Florida.
Plaintiff brought this wrongful death commercial automobile accident case on behalf of her nineteen-year-old son against ABC Corporation and their driver. ABC Corporation was involved in a road construction project in northern Miami-Dade County. On the evening in question, they had sent one of their drivers, John Roe, out driving a flatbed tractor-trailer. Roe was a convicted criminal with a history of careless driving citations. As he was the cousin of the owner of ABC Corporation, he was immediately hired and put to work driving tractor-trailers without the usual training and background check that ABC Corporation performed on most of its drivers.
The Haggard Law Firm’s Douglas McCarron has obtained a $2.8 Million settlement in a negligent security catastrophic injury case against a billiards hall and shopping center.
As part of the terms of the settlement, the names of the parties involved must remain publicly confidential.
The victim, John Doe, was a customer at a billiards hall at the defendant’s shopping center. On the night of the incident, John Doe observed a man getting physical with his waitress. Mr. Doe followed the man and waitress outside and asked the man to calm down. The man struck Mr. Doe in the head and a fight ensued. Bouncers from the hall broke up the altercation within seconds and instructed the other man the leave. Mr. Doe went back inside.
Approximately 15 minutes later, Mr. Doe walked outside to wait for a taxi. Unbeknownst to Mr. Doe, the other man remained in the parking lot and was waiting. The other man pulled his truck out of its parking space and started to drive in the victim’s direction. As the truck got closer to Mr. Doe, the man accelerated and drove straight into Mr. Doe. As a result of the impact, Mr. Doe was airlifted to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a de-gloving injury and an open proximal tibia shaft fracture. A few days later, the decision was made to perform an above-knee amputation of Mr. Doe’s leg.
Mr. Doe brought a negligent security case against the billiards hall and the shopping center owner for failing to provide security for its parking lot. For years, the billiards hall had many issues with violence that often spilled out into the parking lot. Despite multiple events, there was no manned security in the parking lot. Instead, there were only bouncers focused on the inside of the business.
The case settled for the billiard hall’s $300,000 policy limit and $2.5 million from the shopping center owner.
The Haggard Law Firm’s Adam Finkel and Michael Haggard obtained a $6 Million policy limit, pre-suit settlement in a negligent security wrongful death and personal injury case, involving a shooting near a boat dock in the Florida Keys.
On Monday, June 15, 2020, Jose “Pepe” Clemente returned from a hard day’s work at sea onboard a fishing boat that docked in Safe Harbor – a property owned by the Bernstein Trust and operated by Fishbusterz, a local retail fish merchant. As was the custom, Pepe hung around after work to share a few drinks with friends and play dominoes.
That Monday, between 4 and 5:00 p.m., Pepe was hanging out near some lobster traps in the middle of the property, drinking vodka and socializing with other fishermen, including Iliecer “Amarillo” Noa. At one point, two unknown men (not fishermen) approached and yelled towards Amarillo about the whereabouts of another local fisherman. After Amarillo stated that he was unaware of the person’s whereabouts, an argument ensued. Gunshots followed, and Pepe was killed. Amarillo suffered severe injuries, as well, and was represented by The Mustell Law Firm as co-counsel.
The Haggard Law Firm’s Pedro Echarte and Co-Counsel Michael Flanagan of Flanagan & Bodenheimer have obtained a $4.2 Million settlement in a negligent security wrongful death case in Broward County, Florida.
Dwight Higgins
On December 8, 2018, Dwight Higgins was shot and killed at the Lauderhill Point Apartments (f/k/a Driftwood). That evening Mr. Higgins went to the apartment complex with a friend to visit his friend’s girlfriend. Sometime after they arrived, his friend left the complex and Mr. Higgins was outside in the common areas. Four armed assailants approached him in a robbery attempt. Mr. Higgins tried to run away from the assailants. The attackers began shooting at him while chasing Higgins throughout the complex. The 27-year old was shot and was later pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.
