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Navigating the Road Construction Case

 

On August 16th, 2018 The Haggard Law Firm will present Winning Case Strategies in Premises Liability, FREE CLE Credit Seminar. The event will take place from 1 to 5pm at the Doubletree Jacksonville Riverfront. To RSVP for the seminar, email of call Stacy at slaffere@haggardlawfirm.com   305.446.5700 

Among the topics to be discussed, road construction cases. That portion of the seminar will be lead by Haggard Law Trial Lawyer Douglas McCarron, who wrote the following article on the topic which was originally published in the Daily Business Review.

Navigating The Road Construction Case

Article by, Douglas McCarron, The Haggard Law Firm.

In today’s day and age, road construction is everywhere. It causes frustration and traffic jams throughout South Florida. More importantly, the road construction causes confusion for motorists on how they are to traverse a construction zone.

When analyzing an auto case, it is extremely important to determine if road construction played a hand in the accident. Investigating and taking photographs and video of the scene is crucial. Road construction projects change on a daily basis, so it is imperative to get photographs/video of the scene as soon as practicable.

Depending on the severity of the accident and the injuries involved, the police may document the scene. Many times, even in smaller accidents, construction personnel take photographs or otherwise document the scene. Nevertheless, it is critical that no stone go unturned in trying to locate photographs and video of the accident site. Look for red-light cameras and business surveillance equipment in the area of an accident and make sure to send subpoenas or spoliation letters.

Generally, road construction projects are funded by either the state or county government. As such, the project plans and documentation are public records. Within the plans, you will find a plethora of information such as the identity of the general contractor, the subcontractors, the construction engineering and inspection firm and the daily progress reports. Most importantly, the documents will enable you to identify the entity that was responsible for the maintenance of traffic , or MOTs, for the project.

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DBR Features $1.57 Million Verdict Earned in Car Crash Case

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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