330 Alhambra Circle

Coral Gables, FL 33134

633 S. Andrews Avenue Suite 400
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

(305) 446-5700

(954) 323-4400

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Evidence Preservation in Fire Cases

Article By Pedro Echarte, The Haggard Law Firm

When handling personal injury/wrongful death cases resulting from fires, the importance of quickly notifying the property owner of the potential claim and gaining immediate access to the property to the perform a site inspection is imperative.  While in other types of cases (e.g., drowning, automobile, aviation, medical malpractice, negligent security) the evidence required to prove your case is generally preserved, that is generally not the case when it comes to litigation stemming from fires because landowners (whether residential or commercial) generally want to promptly repair their premises after a fire in order to avoid a significant loss of income.  Once the property is altered or repaired, it will be difficult to determine not only the cause of fire, but also what fire safety measures that property had at the time of the fire and whether they operated as intended.

In fire cases that we have handled, we have accomplished early notification to the potential defendant and coordination of a site inspection in one of two ways. Generally, we first attempt to reach the property owner directly, informing them of the potential claim and requesting access to the property.  If we are unable to contact the property owner or if the property owner refuses to give us access to the property, we file the lawsuit along with an emergency motion seeking to enjoin the property owner from repairing the property and requesting access to the property for a site inspection.

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String of Gas Station, Retailer Parking Lot Robberies

In the last week, there have been a string of robberies at gas stations and parking lots of popular retailers in South Florida. A large percentage of the negligent security cases The Haggard Law Firm has litigated in the last decade have included violent incidents involving these types of businesses. Cases like Snell VS Family Food Saver II, CORP which occurred on the property of a gas station and Pilotos v. Ryta Food Corp which was a deadly shooting in the parking lot of a grocery store.

Following the most recent news, Haggard Law Attorney Todd Michaels said:

“Every business owner who holds themselves open to the public has a duty to assess the risk of crime occurring on their property, and to implement adequate security based on that risk.  All too often, we have seen business owners fail to do so, and the result is both tragic and predictable.  Unless business owners are doing their part, there is little that the police or individuals themselves can do to remain safe.”

 

 

FULL ARTICLE ABOUT Palm Beach County crime spree:

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VIDEO: 2016 Notable Case Results

This video is a review of three cases resolved by The Haggard Law Firm in 2016:

Haggard to Lead NCVBA

The Haggard Law Firm’s Managing Partner Michael Haggard was just voted to become the President Elect of the National Crime Victim Bar Association. Haggard has been a member of the NCVBA for 15 years and has been a board member for 10.

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‘Most Effective’ Personal Injury Lawyers

Haggard Law Firm attorney Todd Michaels was named a Most Effective Lawyer of South Florida, in the Personal Injury category, by the Daily Business Review.

 

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Haggard Law Firm Attorney Todd Michaels

Today, the periodical published its article detailing the case cited in the announcement of the honor Michaels, a $3.1 million settlement to the family of 21-year-old Charles Lucas, who was shot to death outside a Miami nightclub in 2011 while he tried to diffuse an altercation.

 

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VIDEO: Preparation & Safety

The power of preparation to stay safe…it’s the topic of our second installment of Haggard’s Helping Hands which airs on Generation Nexxt the local youth football highlight show which Sundays at 6pm on NBC 6

To watch the full video by our Managing Partner Michael Haggard, click here

VIDEO: Apartment Complex Safety

 

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The Haggard Law Firm is thrilled to support Generation Nexxt with a second season of our Haggard Helping Hands segment. These segments will appear throughout the youth football season on NBC 6 in South Florida during the Generation Nexxt program which airs at noon.

 

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US News & World Report: Haggard Law a 2017 “Best Law Firm”

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We are proud to announce that the Haggard Law Firm has, once again, been included on the U.S. News & World Report Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” list.

Haggard Law was recognized in two separate categories: Personal Injury Litigation- Plaintiffs and Appellate Practice.

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DBR Highlights $10.1 Million Haggard Law Negligent Security Result

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Today’s issue of the Daily Business Review takes an in-depth look at the recent $10.1 million settlement result in a negligent security case litigated by our Pedro Echarte.

Here is the full text of the article authored by Celia Ampel:

Bryan Perez was just 22 when he was shot and paralyzed while trying to protect his sister, mother and pregnant girlfriend from home invaders.

The 2014 shooting left him in a wheelchair, making it difficult for him to work and to go out alone with his baby.

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Michael Haggard Receives Lifetime Achievment Honor

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The Haggard Law Firm’s Managing Partner Michael Haggard has been selected as a Lifetime Achievement honoree among America’s Top 100 Attorneys®.

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Selection to America’s Top 100 Attorneys® is by invitation only and is comprised of the nation’s most exceptional attorneys whose accomplishments merit a lifetime achievement recognition. Lifetime Achievement recognition among America’s Top 100 Attorneys® is meant to identify and promote the most outstanding and impactful legal talent currently serving throughout the nation. Only 100 attorneys in each state* will receive this honor and be selected for Lifetime Achievement Membership among America’s Top 100 Attorneys®. Selection is not achieved based on a single accomplishment or a single great year of success, but rather on a lifetime of hard work, ethical standards, and community enriching accomplishments that are inspiring among the legal profession. This honor is not given every year, or every 10 years; it is given but once-in-a-lifetime. To help ensure that all attorneys selected for membership meet the very high standards expected for selection, candidates for lifetime membership are carefully screened through third-party research and statistical analysis based on a broad array of criteria, including the candidate’s professional experience, lifetime achievements, significant case results, peer reputation, and community impact . While selection for any award, honor, or exclusive membership organization is always subjective in nature, we developed our comprehensive multi-phase selection process in an effort to help ensure that only the attorneys whose lifetime achievements extol the legal profession are chosen. With these extremely high standards for selection to America’s Top 100 Attorneys®, less than one-half percent (0.5%) of active attorneys in the United States will receive this honor — truly the most exclusive and elite level of attorneys in the community.