Coral Gables, FL 33134
633 S. Andrews Avenue Suite 400
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
(954) 323-4400
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The Haggard Law Firm’s Pedro Echarte and Michael Haggard have settled a wrongful death boating crash case for a total of $3.75 million. Per terms of the confidential settlement, the names of the parties involved are confidential
The victim was swimming off of a public beach when he was hit by a passing boater. The catastrophically injured swimmer was airlifted to a hospital but died a few hours after his arrival.
Continue reading “Wrongful death boating crash case settled for $3.75 Million”The Haggard Law Firm’s Todd Michaels has obtained a $1.6 million settlement in a confidential wrongful death negligent security case.
The decedent was a talented and good-natured 19-year-old who enjoyed an exceptionally close relationship with his mother. Michaels says this case was a peculiar, difficult, and incredibly tragic case. “What made this case uniquely challenging is that the victim was shot accidentally by a childhood friend.”
Continue reading “$1.6 Million Settlement in Wrongful Death Case Where Victim Was Shot By Friend”On Thursday, October 8th a press conference will be held to discuss new findings in the shooting deaths of Frank Ordonez, Rick Cutshaw, and the injuries suffered by Carlos Lara during the December 2019 police shootout on the Miramar Parkway following a two county high-speed chase.
The Haggard Law Firm’s Michael Haggard and Adam Finkel will discuss a new witness who says the police shot first. The lawyers will also announce the intention to file a lawsuit on behalf of victim Rick Cutshaw’s family
Background
On December 15, 2019 UPS driver Frank Ordonez, 27, was taken hostage by two men, who stole his truck after robbing a Coral Gables jewelry store. A high-speed, two-county chase with multiple police departments ensued.
It ended when the UPS truck encountered stopped traffic at an intersection of the Miramar Parkway just west of Flamingo Road. Law enforcement boxed-in the delivery truck and officers exited their vehicles.
As officers approached the truck with their weapons drawn, using bystanders’ vehicles as cover, they opened fire on the robbers and Mr. Ordonez. Through the course of the shootout the kidnappers, Ordonez, and 70-year-old bystander Rick Cutshaw were killed. Bystander Carlos Lara suffered significant injuries.
A lawsuit on behalf of Ordonez and Lara was filed against six law enforcement agencies on September 16, 2020.
‘Miramar Parkway Police Shootout’ Press Conference
When: Thursday October 8, 2020 – 1 PM EST
Where: Hyatt Regency Coral Gables (Alcazabra Room)
50 Alhambra Plaza, Coral Gables, FL, 33134 USA
Speakers:
Livestream: The press conference will be live streamed on The Haggard Law Firm Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HaggardLawFirm
NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: J.P. HERVIS 305.321.4293
*Only credentialed members of the media are invited to attend
*All CDC-guided COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place.
Opa-Locka, FL – Palmer Properties has agreed to a $1 Million pre-suit policy limits settlement with the Estate of Wayne Mitchell who was killed by a neighbor at a Palmer Property-owned apartment complex.
Mitchell was shot and killed two days after his 50th birthday on the grounds of an apartment complex located at 2170 Washington Avenue in Opa-Locka, Florida. On January 7, 2019, Carlos Flores ambushed Mitchell in a hallway of the apartment complex both men lived in. Flores shot Mitchell as he exited his own unit. An investigation revealed that Flores, who had a violent and lengthy criminal history, was jealous that the building had hired Mitchell instead of him as a handyman.
Continue reading “Apartment Complex Agrees to $1 Million Policy Limit Settlement in Handyman Murder Case”Pensacola, FL – Michael Haggard and Christopher Marlowe have settled the negligent security wrongful death lawsuits involving the abduction and murder of 12-year-old Naomi Jones.
Claims against the principal defendant, the management company of the Pensacola apartment complex where she was abducted, were resolved under confidential terms.
The lawsuit against the owner of the apartment complex was resolved for policy limits of $2,000,000.
Continue reading “Settlement in Naomi Jones Negligent Security Wrongful Death Case”The Haggard Law Firm’s Douglas McCarron has obtained a $1.7 million settlement for a woman injured in a trip and fall at a department store.
Some details of the case have been withheld due to terms of confidentiality.
Jane Doe was shopping in…
Continue reading “$1.7 Million Settlement – Trip and Fall Injury Case”The $12 Million verdict in a wrongful death negligent security case against a Hialeah hotel was upheld by the 3rd District Court of Appeals.
The court’s opinion is attached below.
Haggard Law Firm lawyer Christopher Marlowe, who tried the case, said about the affirmed verdict “this opinion is significant to all personal injury cases where there are allegations of the victim’s use of drugs or other intoxicants. By adopting the well-established evidentiary requirement from a criminal law opinion, the Court made clear that a positive drug test, by itself, is not enough to slander the victim as having been ‘under the influence.’ ”
Synopsis of Case
The victim, Yaimi Machado, was locked out of room 106 of the Chesapeake Motel in Hialeah on April 10, 2016. The victim entered the lobby of the motel in her bra and jeans and asked for room 106 to be opened by the front desk clerk. The clerk instructed the victim to go wait outside the door to room 106. Twenty minutes prior to the victim entering the lobby a man walked in drunk and claimed to be the manager’s son and asked for beer. The front desk clerk sold the man beer despite the motel’s policy only to sell alcohol to guests. The man then asks for a prostitute and the clerk tells the man he needed to find servicewomen outside. The man leaves the lobby and stops at room 104 where a housekeeper is cleaning a room by herself. The man asks the housekeeper for a kiss and then enters room 104 and asks the housekeeper for a second kiss. The housekeeper threatens to call the front desk and the man stands at the door to 104 until he sees the victim walking down the hallway toward him. The door to room 106 was never opened and the last time the victim is seen was walking toward the front entrance in the area where she was brutally murdered by the man.
The Daily Business Review wrote an article about the original verdict on December 5th or 2017: https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/sites/dailybusinessreview/2017/12/05/hialeah-motel-slammed-with-12m-verdict-after-womans-murder/
How Safe Is the Apartment You Want to Rent? Key Questions to Ask a Landlord Before Signing a Lease
A sense of security and safety for you and your family is key to making a house feel like a home.
Unfortunately, many landlords don’t provide, and in some cases aren’t legally required to share, crime and safety information to a potential tenant.
“Along with costs and amenities, tenants should be prepared to ask a variety of questions about safety measures before signing a lease and moving into a new apartment or home” says Michael Haggard. Haggard is the Managing Partner of The Haggard Law Firm (www.haggardlawfirm.com) which has made a mark successfully representing tenants who are injured or killed by someone committing a crime that could have been prevented if the landlord of the property where the crime occurs had taken proper security measures.
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.
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”
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.
