Singer Law Blog

South Florida Personal Injury Attorney: Babies At Risk of Harm, Death With Common Items

David Singer — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:58:32 +0000

From Miami to Hollywood and Fort Lauderdale to almost every corner of the world, they’re as common as kids themselves: pacifiers, plastic baby bottles, pacifiers, toys with “button” batteries and a host of items used by children – and increasingly linked to the harm, personal injury and even death of newborns, infants, toddlers and other youngsters.

In the “Well” blog of the New York Times, a recent report notes that the journal Pediatrics discovered that bottles, pacifiers and “sippy cups” were the source of numerous under-reported causes of injury in children. Injuries included damage to children’s teeth and mouths resulting from falls while holding the items in their mouths, the journal reported.

“Some 83 percent of the wounds were cuts or bruises to the mouth and face or dental injuries after children fell while using the products,” reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Two-thirds of the injuries occurred among one-year-olds, who tend to be unsteady on their feet and prone to tumbles.”

Over a 20-year period, “more than 45,000 young children had sustained injuries [linked to baby products]…serious enough to warrant emergency-room treatment,” noted the Washington Post‘s ”The Checkup” blog.

Another risk: Button batteries. Life-threatening if swallowed by children, USA Today - reporting of a study from the journal Pediatrics – noted that the batteries “accounted for 84% of the battery-related hospital emergency department visits by children from 1990 to 2009, and once ingested, they can be life-threatening.”

If you know of a child or family of a child harmed or killed through the use of a baby product – or any other item – contact the Law Offices of David W. Singer.

David W. Singer, Esq.
1011 So. Federal Hwy., Hollywood, FL 33020
www.1800ASKFREE.COM
305-945-3045 Dade Office
954-467-3045 Broward Office
561-833-6944 W. Palm Office
305-904-4899 Cell
954-926-5746 Fax
DSingeresq@aol.com

Teens, Professional Athletes Sidelined by Concussions, Traumatic Brain Injury; Sides Settle as Truth of Impact Becomes Clear

David Singer — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:34:39 +0000

It’s not just the South Florida playing fields where the impact of concussions and serious brain injuries are being debated and weighed. While professional, amateur and high school football and hockey leagues – along with personal injury attorneys – discuss the damages and lost future potential of those injured, the courts are left to truly weigh how this will play out.

In a recent case, a jury awarded a high school football player almost $5 million for a serious brain injury. During a 2007 game, the player collapsed on the sidelines. Once back on his feet, the boy complained of headaches. Still, the coach returned the boy to the game.

Plaintiff counsel argued that the helmet’s manufacturer and reconditioner used padding that provided insufficient, unsafe or improper shock absorption. Additionally, attorneys also argued that the coach returned the player to the game, even though he showed signs of previous concussion.

The helmet maker settled for six figures; the school district settled for more than $4 million. The lesson for all should be to use the best, safest equipment available, and always to look for signs of concussion and other injuries.

Construction, Jobsite and Workplace Accidents Lead to Million-Dollar Damage Awards

David Singer — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 18:17:02 +0000

From South Florida to New York and around the country, damage claims for serious personal injuries suffered on the job site and construction zones are mounting from worksite injuries, construction accidents, personal injury and damages.

In a recent case, a vehicle driver suffered a partially severed spinal cord when a car crossed into his lane and struck him. The driver claimed warning signs required under the state contract were not erected. The driver settled for a $6 million high-low agreement – before the jury eventually rendered a more than $33 million verdict.

In another case, a carpenter working on a residential renovation project fell off of a ladder, suffering fractures to his head, face and wrist, and ongoing cognitive deficiencies. He claims the latter was too damaged for use; the homeowner contends the carpenter was warned not to use the ladder. The two also contest whether the carpenter still can work. The carpenter recovered a multi-million dollar settlement against the owner.

A rooftop construction accident resulting in a man being impaled by a steel rod led to a summary judgment awarding the injured man nearly $7 million. Found liable were the project’s general contractors and the work site’s owners. The finding was that the rod, left protruding from the roof, lacked the necessary cap. Jurors were requested to determine damages for the worker who needed a colostomy and several hospitalizations after damage to his rectum and perirectal region.

Finally, a jury awarded almost $22 million to two truckers injured in an accident. The vehicle the driver and passenger of the 26-foot vehicle involved in the accident in a Bronx, New York, intersection was hit and flipped by a rig. The two claimed injuries to the shoulder, knees and ankles, as well as a herniated disc. The jury returned an award of more than $12 million for future medical expenses.

If you have been injured in a workplace or jobsite accident, call The Law Offices of David W. Singer.

David W. Singer, Esq.
1011 So. Federal Hwy
Hollywood, FL 33020
www.1800ASKFREE.COM
305-945-3045 Dade Office
954-467-3045 Broward Office
561-833-6944 W. Palm Office
305-904-4899 Cell
954-926-5746 Fax
DSingeresq@aol.com

Florida Personal Injury Law Firm Calls For Florida To Save Lives By Strengthening Safety Seat Law, Requiring Booster Seats

David Singer — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 12:25:00 +0000

From Hollywood to Miami to anywhere cars are driven, one of the most important and effective safety devices proven to prevent car crashes, automotive accidents, personal injury and even death — aside from a smart, cautious, defensive driver — is the seat belt. Any personal injury or auto accident attorney will attest to that.

When the passengers are children, though, a booster seat is needed.

The statistics are staggering. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children from 3 to 14 years old, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Yet Florida is one of three states that does not require a booster seat for children who have outgrown their child safety seat but are still too small to use an adult seat belt safely.

The physics of car crashes are clear: A child’s small body is insufficiently developed to withstand the force of a seat belt, and most vehicle manuals indicate that the back seat of a vehicle is not designed to provide protection to a child in the event of a crash.

If you care for the children in your life, put them in a booster seat. If you care for all Florida children, contact your state legislator. If you know a child injured in a car crash, call The Law Offices of David W. Singer.

Auto Accident Attorney Wonders If Vehicle Defects Continue to Cause Personal Injury, Death

David Singer — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 20:16:02 +0000

Problems possibly related to Toyota vehicles accelerators and braking systems continue to cause personal injury, damages and death. In a recent report, a female bicyclist, 26, was struck and killed by a Toyota being backed out of a parking space.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Toyota may be inclined to file this case “into the driver error file without a backward glance,” wrote Safety Research and Strategies Inc. “We’re not so sure. We don’t know all the facts in the…incident, but it appears to have the key ingredients of a Toyota Unintended Acceleration parking lot incident.”

Attorneys involved in vehicle accident cases, especially from those auto makers perplexed by ongoing manufacturing issues and defects, will not be so quick to attribute this to driver error.

If you have been involved in or injured by an accident that could be attributed to vehicle defect, the Law Offices of David W. Singer is experienced in these cases.

Florida Workplace Injury Law Firm Urges Improved Work Safety Through Near-Miss Reporting

David Singer — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:31:36 +0000

As a workplace injury, jobsite accident and personal injury attorney working in South Florida for three decades, this practice has seen the catastrophic harm such accidents can cause. Yet much of it can be avoided.

While there has been general improvement in workplace safety in the U.S., as measured by recordable injuries and lost time accident reports, the frequency of workplace fatalities has remained steady. A number of world-class companies and small businesses who value their people and reputations are frustrated that despite their low injury rates, fatalities continue in relatively consistent patterns.

The prevention of serious injuries and fatalities is a hot topic among today’s safety professionals and operational leaders, and current research is indicating that different intervention strategies are required to prevent serious injuries and fatal events.

Under the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), all companies are required to report total recordable injury and lost time accident frequencies. However, OSHA does not require the submission of near miss reports, and most companies do not have near miss reporting programs in place, or programs that are ineffective.

Our law firm has been fighter for work safety regulations for over 30 years. We would urge, OSHA, the Federal Govt. and all states to pass regulations requiring this type of reporting. Our firm has handled many multii-million dollar work injury cases that could have been prevented by a little more safety.

If you have been injured, or you know someone who has been injured or killed in a workplace or jobsite accident, or if you know of faulty near-miss reporting in a dangerous workplace, contact us today.

Miami Maritime Attorney: SilverSea Cruise Ship Damaged in Collision, Avoids Personal Injury

David Singer — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 10:37:37 +0000

A Silversea Cruises cruise liner cruising through a thick fog collided with a cargo vessel in port in Vietnam this month. No known personal injury to cruise line passengers were reported, though some injuries were sustained on the other ship.

Hull damage on the SilverSeas Silver Shadow (CNN)

This is the second cruise liner mishap this quarter. In January, Miami, Florida-based Carnival Corp’s Costa Concordia hit a reef and capsized off the coast of Italy. Two dozen of those on board were either killed or remain missing. The ship remains stranded and numerous lawsuits and criminal charges are pending.

Maritime Attorney David Singer has led the discussion of and advocacy for improved safety conditions on cruise liners. If you have been injured, assaulted or suffered some other personal injury aboard a cruise ship, or if a friend or family member was killed aboard a cruise ship or during a cruise excursion, contact us immediately.

In Wake of Carnival Corp. Costa Concordia Sinking, Coast Guard, Industry Leaders Call for Greater Safety

David Singer — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:14:53 +0000

The sinking of Carnival Corp’s Costa Concordia off the Italian coast in January still has industry leaders and maritime attorneys wondering how to improve safety and reduce the chance of personal injury and deaths aboard cruise ships. A panel of maritime leaders and safety consultants said recently the only solution is “continuous improvement — not merely compliance with existing regulations — to ensure the welfare of passengers and crew aboard cruise ships,” the Miami Herald reported.

“Regulations are good — but not enough — when it comes to ensuring the safety of cruise ships, a panel of maritime experts said Thursday at a cruise industry conference,” the paper reported from the Cruise Shipping Conference held recently in Miami.

Florida Product Liability, Defective Drug Attorney: Bayer Announces Settlement for Yaz, Yazmin Trials

David Singer — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:29:04 +0000

Watching international news unfold from South Florida – whether in Miami, Hollywood or elsewhere in Miami-Dade, Broward or Palm Beach counties, you wonder how local residents may be affected by global legal affairs. In another incident sure to have a local impact, international drug maker Bayer will settle about 70 product liability claims arising from its Yaz and Yasmin oral contraceptive products, the company noted in its latest annual report. Still, the company notes it faces more than 11,200 similar cases.

According to a news report, the two drugs (or the generic versions of the drugs, Ocella and Gianvi) are in a class of oral contraceptives containing drospirenone. Some studies have found that drospirenone causes a greater risk of blood clots than similar ingredients used in previous types of birth control pills.

Lawsuits allege that taking Yaz and Yasmin can cause heart attacks, strokes and gallbladder failure, and that Bayer failed to warn of those risks.

Bayer wrote in its report, “As of Feb. 13, 2012, Bayer had reached agreements, without admission of liability, to settle the claims of approximately 70 plaintiffs in the U.S. at terms and conditions which Bayer views to be reasonable,” the company said in the legal risks section of its 2011 annual report. The terms of those settlements were not disclosed.

“Bayer believes that it has meritorious defenses and will continue to defend itself vigorously against all claims that are not considered for settlement,” the report states.

If you have taken Yaz, Yazmin, the generic versions of the drugs, Ocella and Gianvi, or any product in the class of oral contraceptives containing drospirenone, contact a skilled product liability attorney. Learn more by contacting us at

Jury Verdict Awards Costco Customer $415,000 in Slip-and-Fall Damages Incident

David Singer — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:04:20 +0000

From Florida to California, Costco Wholesale stores dot the landscape. So, too, do incidents of slip-and-fall that lead to personal injury, pain and suffering, ongoing medical expenses, and significant damage awards. That’s what a Costco Wholesale customer – and the company itself – learned recently after a jury awarded a Covina, California, woman $415,000 for slipping and falling at a store in Industry.

According to the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper group, Monika Leiterman, 58, was slipped on a puddle of liquid soap in 2009. The fall shattered her patella, or kneecap. As a result of the injury, the paper reported, Leiterman has already had one operation – and may face two more.

The jury ruled 12-0 in favor of Leiterman, the paper reported. Jurors awarded her a total of $414,868; $89,868 for past and future medical expenses and $325,000 in past and future pain and suffering, it wrote.

If you are involved in a slip-and-fall accident that included personal injury, contact a skilled personal injury attorney. Learn more by contacting us at