Wrongful Death
The death of a loved one or immediate family member is the most emotionally devastating event that anyone can experience.
The "wrongful death" of a loved one due to the negligence or misconduct of another individual, company, corporation, or
entity should not happen. Often the surviving spouses and children and in some cases, the parents are left to pick up the
pieces. In Florida, this is governed by Florida's "Wrongful Death Act" or FS 768.16-768.26.
In wrongful death cases, decedents are eligible to recover:
• Lost support and services with interest
• Future loss of support and services
• Loss of companionship and protection
• Mental pain and suffering
• Minor children may recover for loss of parental companionship
• Medical or funeral expenses
• Loss of future earnings with interest
The statute of limitations for filing wrongful death claims is typically two years. It's important to contact our Gainesville
Attorneys promptly so that there is enough time to file a wrongful death lawsuit if the case cannot be resolved through
negotiations. Our Gainesville Attorneys can tell the story of your loved one or family member. We use family photos,
videos and personal information to create a presentation to show the insurance company or jury the kind of person and life
that has been lost.
The process of a wrongful death cases can sometimes be a long, complicated process. That is why we feel our dedication
to our clients and the fundamental basis of our firm doing what is best for the client, separates us from the pack
of other personal injury attorneys. Each of our Gainesville Attorneys is completely focused on our client's needs. What is best for the client drives every single decision at the Allen Law Firm.
If your family member has died as the results of another party's negligence, please call Gainesville Attorneys to discuss a wrongful death case.
Call anytime 24 hours / 7 days a week! 352.331.6789
Auto Accidents
More people in the United States are injured or killed in auto accidents than by any other trauma. Automobiles remain the number one cause of personal injuries in our country. Legal issues revolving around car accidents normally involve negligence issues or product/manufacturer defects. When the driver of a vehicle fails to operate a vehicle with the reasonable care required of them, they can be held legally liable for injuries and damages they cause.
Automobile accidents can be caused not only by negligent drivers but also when automobile equipment fails. This is called a products liability claim, and some examples of these types of claims are defective tires, defective air bags, and defective automobile designs that cause roll-over accidents.
Insurance companies are making it more and more difficult to obtain a fair recovery in automobile accident cases, and
we will be open and honest with you about the merits of your potential claim and what you have the right to expect from
your case. We do everything possible to ensure that pursuing a claim does not waste your time.
Choosing the right Gainesville Attorney can make a difference. Select one that has experience in handling automobile injury and
wrongful death cases. Attorney Bill Allen had handled over 5,000 personal injury cases with total settlement
exceeding $90 million.
How do you choose?
• Look at past experience in Automobile Accident Cases
• Look at the firm and ask yourself "Does this Personal Injury Law firm match my values?"
If you or a family member have been injured or hurt in an automobile accident, please call Gainesville Attorneys today for a free consultation. Call anytime 24 hours / 7 days a week! 352.331.6789
Motorcycle Accidents
Let fellow rider Attorney Bill Allen help you with your claim. He has been riding motorcycles for over 35 years and has a
unique perspective and expertise in handling motorcycle cases. He knows that in the large majority of motorcycle accidents
the driver of the vehicle violated the motorcyclist's right of way - often
Deaths from motorcycle crashes have more than doubled in the past decade. The yearly number of motorcycle deaths is more
than twice the annual number of fatalities in all aviation, rail, and marine accidents combined. An experienced
Gainesville Attorneys can tell you that head injuries are the
leading cause of death in motorcycle crashes.
Most accidents happen simply because other drivers do not see the motorcycle - they are conditioned to look for other
vehicles. You may have questions such as:
• If I was not wearing a helmet can I still recover damages?
• If a road hazard such as a pothole, debris, or an oil slick caused my accident, can I recover damages?
• If my motorcycle had a defective tire or manufacture's design flaw that led to an injury or accident, what are my rights?
If you or a family member have been injured or hurt in a motorcycle accident, please call Gainesville Attorneys today for a free consultation. Call anytime 24 hours / 7 days a week! 352.331.6789
Premises Liability
Premises Liability cases arise from many different factual scenarios. Generally, property owners are required to provide
reasonably safe premises to the general public. If they fail to do so, the owner may be liable for damages caused by their
negligence. Premises liability cases arise from injuries caused by:
• Slips and falls
• Dog attacks
• Assaults, muggings, killings and rapes due to inadequate security
• Pool injuries, including drowning
• Inadequate warnings at construction sites
• Defective decking
• Inadequate lighting
• Uneven sidewalks, walkways, etc.
• Defectively designed, built and maintained steps and railings
• Improperly designed and marked curbs
• Wet floors
• Falling items
These are just some of the ways premises liability claims can arise. Our Gainesville Attorneys have handled hundreds of these cases throughout Florida. Landowners involved in the cases have included, among others, apartment complexes, gas stations, restaurants, hotels and motels, shopping malls, commercial buildings, parking lots, and movie theaters.
Our firm has the experience and resources to effectively pursue the level of investigation needed to successfully maximize recovery. An early investigation of the premises (before changes are made to the property) is often crucial to the success of these cases. We routinely retain premise safety and security experts and engineers to ensure that liability is established against the property owner.
These cases can be complicated involving complex legal terms and definitions such as possession, invitee or licensee, trespassers, and third party premises liability or vicarious liability cases.
If you or a family member have been injured by the negligence of a property owner, please contact Gainesville Attorneys today for a free
consultation. Call anytime 24 hours / 7 days a week! 352.331.6789
Boating Accidents
Boating accidents can cause serious injuries or death. Like automobile accidents, many boating accidents are caused
by people who have been drinking. And boating drunk drivers and jet ski operators need to be held responsible for
the injuries they cause.
Speeding and failing to pay attention to others in the water like water skiers, jet skiers and other boaters can have
serious consequences. However, recklessness and negligence in operating a boat can be particularly difficult to prove.
At times, accidents can be caused by a defective boat part or a design flaw. The Allen Law Firm's Gainesville Attorneys are experienced in handling these types of accidents and claims and has the resources to obtain the help of engineering and accident reconstruction experts.
If you or a family member have been the victim of a boating accident, please call Gainesville Attorneys today for a free consultation.
Call anytime 24 hours / 7 days a week! 352.331.6789
Scooter Accidents
Gainesville, FL and its surrounding North Central Florida communities are a home to an unusual number of scooter or moped operators. Many University of Florida, Central Florida college students as well as residents enjoy the beautiful weather, an inexpensive mode of transportation, and the ability to avoid packed automobile parking lots by using scooters or mopeds as their primary mode of transportation to and from campus.
Unfortunately, the consequences of an accident caused by a negligent driver are significant often leading to severe
injuries or in the worst case, a wrongful death. Our Gainesville Attorneys have extensive experience handling scooter accidents and injuries and can assist you every step of the way with the property damage to the scooter, insurance issues and treatment needs.
If you or a family member have been injured or hurt in a scooter accident, please contact Gainesville Attorneys today for a free consultation. Call anytime 24 hours / 7 days a week! 352.331.6789
Negligent Security
In negligent security cases, in order to be held responsible and liable, the owner of land or a building must have been able to foresee some that some injury will likely result in some manner of his negligence. A noted pattern of crime against property and persons may establish this foreseeability.
If an owner can foresee an issue they have the responsibility to use "reasonable care" to maintain their property
in a safe manner and a duty to learn of the existence of any dangerous conditions on the premises. They also have
the responsibility to warn you of the existence of the perils and a duty to correct a dangerous condition.
These cases often revolve around issues such as:
• Failure to provide adequate security at apartments or rental housing
• Failure to adequately address crime patterns near the property
• Failure of land owners to correct dangerous situations on their property
If you or a family member have been injured or hurt by an owner failing to provide adequate security, please contact Gainesville Attorneys today for a free consultation. Call anytime 24 hours / 7 days a week! 352.331.6789
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice or professional negligence is the failure of a health care provider (doctor, physician, nurse, etc.) to render care in keeping with the current standard of care of other reasonable medical professionals. In other words, when the doctor, nurse, or medical technician does something that is not accepted by the medical community as reasonable or fails to do something that is required by reasonable professionals that results in physical or mental injury or in the worse cases wrongful death.
Florida has a two year statute of limitations in medical negligence cases. In most cases, this means the lawsuit
must be filed within two years from the time the patient or guardian knew about or should have known about the injury.
Florida also has a harsh provision known as the "statute of repose" that also should be taken into consideration.
Some examples of Medical Malpractice cases:
• Birth Injury
• Anesthesia Errors
• Defective Drugs
• Incorrect Prescriptions
• Medication Errors
• Failure to Diagnose
• Misdiagnosis
• Surgical Errors
• Child Delivery
• Lab Errors
• Misreading of X-rays
The rules and regulations revolving around medical malpractice are constantly being modified and revised by the
legislature and courts. That is why if you have been injured or a family member is the victim of a wrongful death,
you should consult Allen Law Firm's Gainesville Attorneys immediately to protect your rights.
If you or a family member have been the victim of medical or dental malpractice that resulted in injury or a loved one
has been the victim of a wrongful death claim, please call Gainesville Attorneys today for a free consultation. Call anytime 24 hours /
7 days a week! 352.331.6789
Insurance Disputes
Insurance companies serve a public good; however, there is an inherent conflict of interest
between this public good and the financial self interest not to pay claims. In the worst of cases, an insurance company
will be found to be acting in "bad faith." Bad faith means that an insurance company's conduct has been unreasonable
and unfair or when an insurance claim is wrongfully denied by an insurance company.
The Allen Law firm has a unique perspective on the insurance claims process, insurance adjusters, and insurance disputes.
Our Gainesville Attorneys have over 35 years working directly for major insurance companies. We know how an insurance
company operates and how the claims process should work. She also knows how to make sure you protect your rights when
dealing with an insurance company are protected.
Some typical insurance disputes are:
• Failure to quickly investigate a claim
• Failure to thoroughly investigate a claim
• Refusing to settle a claim
• Refusing to reimburse you for the entirety of your loss
• Unreasonable delay in making payment to policyholder
• Unreasonably denying a covered claim
• Unreasonable termination of a policy
If you are experience any of these types of issues with your insurance carrier, please contact Gainesville Attorneys today. We may be able to help. Call anytime 24 hours / 7 days a week! 352.331.6789
Nursing Home Neglect
The decisions surrounding a loved one placed in the care of a nursing home or assisted living facility are often emotional. At the Allen Law Firm, we understand those issues. We believe these residents deserve to live their senior years as comfortably as possible, free from neglect and abuse. Unfortunately, elderly residents do sometimes suffer neglect and abuse at these facilities. This occurs for many reasons, including mismanagement, inadequate and incomplete training and supervision of staff, staff shortages, and the simple failure of these facilities to properly research the past criminal records of their employees. Such abuse and neglect can cause serious injuries, sometimes leading to death.
When a loved one is placed in the care of a nursing home or assisted living facility, our Gainesville Attorneys have an expectation that our loved
one will be cared for in a loving manner. If that trust is violated by negligence of a doctor, nurse, CNA or other medical
professional, we must move quickly to protect our loved one's rights.
Nursing Home neglect cases can take several forms, including physical, emotional and psychological, sexual, financial,
and simple neglect. Indication of abuse and neglect can include:
• Unexplained Injury
• Falls
• Drops
• Bed or Pressure Sores
• Dehydration
• Sexual Assault or Rape
• Malnutrition
• Emotional and/or Verbal Abuse
• Physical Abuse such as slapping
• Theft of resident's money or personal property
• Medication errors
• Infections
• Lack of personal hygiene
If you or a family member have been the victim of the neglect of a nursing home or assisted living facility
that resulted in injury or wrongful death, please contact Gainesville Attorneys today for a free consultation.
Call anytime 24 hours / 7 days a week! 352.331.6789
Property Damage
When an insurance company fails to pay on an insurance claim, what option do you have? Allen Law Firm can help sort through the roadblocks that complicate the insurance claims process. We can provide the legal muscle necessary to move the process along and put pressure on the insurance company. We can help to ensure you are paid properly for the value of your claim.
For auto liability claims, this means ensuring that the repair estimate or total loss value assessment is fair. It
also means that you are compensated with a rental vehicle or loss of use of a vehicle during the repair time or time
it takes to assess the value of your vehicle. It also includes being paid fairly for damaged items in your vehicle.
You may also be entitled to Diminution in Value Claim. This means that your car is worth less now because it was
involved in an accident. Most cars suffer a 10% to 50% loss in market value even after being repaired.
In a Diminution of Value claim, the accident must be caused by someone else who has insurance and the repairs on
the car must be properly completed.
For homeowner and commercial claims, our Gainesville Attorneys frequently work with certified public adjusters (CPAs)
to provide an edge in an insurance bad faith case.
If your family member has been the victim of a negligent act that resulted in property damages, please call Gainesville
Attorneys today for a free consultation. Call anytime 24 hours / 7 days a week! 352.331.6789
Trucking Accidents
Whether you call them trucks, semi trucks, semis, long haul trucks or big rigs, large trucks can be dangerous on our roadways. Distracted drivers or tired drivers combined with gross vehicle weights over 10,000 pounds, are a dangerous combination causing severe injuries and wrongful deaths across Florida.
Trucking accidents can be caused not only by negligent drivers but also when trucking equipment fails. This is called
a products liability claim, and some examples of these types of claims are defective tires, defective air bags,
defective brakes, and defective truck design that causes roll-over accidents.
Tractor trailer cases are unlike other automobile claims. Claims against trucking companies are much more complex as
there are state and federal regulations controlling the operation of these vehicles The Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration, the Federal Highway Administration, and the Florida and U.S. Departments of Transportation have issued
hundreds of rules and regulations strictly controlling the use and operation of these vehicles.
These regulations govern commercial drivers' qualifications, driver fatigue, daily inspections of vehicles, annual
inspections, driver's logs, drug testing, hazardous material transport, maintenance, and insurance requirements,
among many other issues. Violation of these regulations can significantly impact the value of your case,
and The Allen Law Firm's Gainesville Attorneys have an intimate understanding of these regulations in order to properly pursue your claim.
Because of the complex nature of trucking company operations, there are many ways to establish liability against trucking companies and related entities and individuals, and many ways to make costly mistakes that can reduce the value of your case. We have the resources and experts needed to prove your case.
If you or a family member have been injured or hurt in a trucking accident, please call Gainesville Attorneys today for a free consultation. Call anytime 24 hours / 7 days a week! 352.331.6789
Bicycle Accidents
Gainesville, FL and its surrounding North Central Florida communities are a bicyclist's haven. Many people enjoy the miles of bicycle lanes and numerous bicycle clubs in the area. Many ride bicycles to enjoy the beautiful sunshine, to get outdoors or as an inexpensive mode of transportation.
Unfortunately, in accidents between bicycles and cars, bicycles lose the battle. A cyclist bumped by a vehicle can easily
be severely injured or killed depending on the circumstances. Bicycle/auto accidents often result in broken bones, spinal
cord injuries, head injuries, traumatic brain injuries, internal organ injuries, and severe skin injuries.
The consequences of an accident caused by a negligent driver are significant often leading to severe injuries or in the
worst case, a wrongful death.
If you or a family member have been injured or hurt in a bicycle accident, please call Gainesville Attorneys today for a free consultation. Call anytime 24 hours / 7 days a week! 352.331.6789
Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian Accidents can happen in a parking lot, a school zone, or a cross walk. Most accidents involving a pedestrian involve a distracted driver; thus the negligence for failure to operate a vehicle with reasonable care. Injuries sustained as a result of a pedestrian accident can result in serious injuries and sometimes death.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury in a pedestrian accident caused by the negligence of another party,
you are entitled to compensation for your medical costs, lost income and pain and suffering.
If you or a family member have been injured or hurt in a pedestrian accident , please call Gainesville Attorneys today for a free consultation. Call anytime 24 hours / 7 days a week! 352.331.6789
Slip & Fall Accidents
"Slip and Fall" or "Trip and Fall" cases are a part of premises liability law. If you slip and fall on someone else's property, the property owner may be liable for your injuries.
Thousands of people are injured each year in slip and fall cases, and in some instances suffer very serious injuries. The following are some of the dangerous conditions that can cause injury and may be the basis for a premises liability claim:
• Standing puddles or spills of water
• Liquid substance spills
• Inadequate lighting
• Defective flooring
• Improperly secured mats
• Stairways, stairs or steps that are broken, unstable or slippery
• Hidden drop-offs
• Concealed holes or potholes
• A fall in a grocery store caused by a wet or greasy substance
• A crack or uneven sidewalk or walkway that caused a pedestrian to trip and fall
If you or a family member have been injured or hurt in a slip and fall or a trip and fall , please call Gainesville Attorneys today for a free consultation. Call anytime 24 hours / 7 days a week! 352.331.6789
Dog Bites
Florida has a strict liability dog bite law. This means that a dog owner is legally responsible or liable for a dog bite, regardless of whether the owner did anything wrong with respect to protecting others from attack.
There are millions of dog bites in the United States every year, and victims are bitten in the face more than any other location - largely because the majority of victims are small children. Dog Bite injuries can result in infection, scarring and disfigurement.
At the Allen Law Firm, we understand that dog attacks can be a terrifying experience. People who have suffered a dog attack often deal with significant fear and distress in addition to physical injury. People who fail to properly train and restrain their pets must be held accountable.
Dog owners are liable for property damage or personal injury caused by their dogs, cats, or any other "domestic animal".
Whether the legal grounds are common law liability, a dog bite statute, intentional injury, or negligence per se, a Gainesville Attorneys can assist you, if you have been injured or hurt as the victim of a dog bite.
If you or a family member have been injured or hurt by a dog bite caused by a negligent owner, please call Gainesville Attorneys today for a free consultation. Call anytime 24 hours / 7 days a week! 352.331.6789
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