Legal Updates
Legal Blog
Timely updates on personal injury law, Defense Base Act developments, maritime case law, and Florida legislation affecting injury victims.
Florida law changes fast. Stay ahead of it. Sharp legal updates on personal injury, Defense Base Act, maritime, and Florida court rulings, straight from our attorneys.
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Defense Base Act vs. Workers' Compensation: What Overseas Contractors Need to Know
Where you were working decides which system covers you. If you got hurt outside the country on a job for the United States government, the Defense Base Act covers you. If you got hurt on a job inside the country, your state's workers' comp covers you. Both pay two thirds of your pay, but the weekly limit, the doctor, and the deadlines are not the same.
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How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Cost in Florida?
Almost every injury lawyer in Florida works on a contingency fee, so you pay nothing up front and owe no attorney fee unless money is recovered. The percentages are capped by a Florida Bar rule: 33 1/3 percent of the first $1 million before an answer is filed, and 40 percent after. Here is what the rule allows, how case costs are handled separately, and the parts of a fee contract people sign without reading.
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Are Personal Injury Settlements Taxable? What the IRS Taxes in 2026, and What It Does Not
Money you receive for a physical injury or physical sickness is usually not taxed, and that includes the pain and suffering and the lost wages tied to that injury. But punitive damages, interest, and emotional distress with no physical injury are taxed, and a 2026 tax change makes the attorney fee on those taxable pieces cost more than it used to. Here is how the IRS rules work, plus how Longshore and Defense Base Act benefits are treated.
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Hurt on a Cruise from Miami? The One-Year Deadline and Fine Print That Can Sink Your Claim
A cruise ticket is a contract, and the fine print usually gives you far less time than a normal Florida injury case. Here is how the one-year deadline to sue, the six-month notice requirement, and the clause that forces your case into a Miami federal court actually work, and why waiting can quietly end a cruise ship injury claim before it starts.
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Hit by an Unlicensed Driver in Florida? What Isaiah's Law Changes, and What It Does Not
Isaiah's Law changes how Florida treats repeat unlicensed drivers, but it does not create a new injury claim or pay your medical bills. Here is what the law does, what it does not do, and where your own PIP and uninsured motorist coverage usually come in after a crash with an unlicensed driver.
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How Long Does a Defense Base Act Claim Take? What Overseas Contractors Can Expect in 2026
How long does a DBA claim take? There is no single fixed timeline. Here is how long each stage of a Defense Base Act claim tends to take in 2026, the deadlines that start the clock, what causes delays, and how a settlement can speed the process up or slow it down.
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Defense Base Act Death Benefits: What Surviving Families Get in 2026
When a civilian contractor dies from a covered overseas injury, the Defense Base Act pays surviving families weekly death benefits plus funeral costs. Here is who qualifies, how the 50% and two-thirds wage rules work, the 2026 federal cap, and how to file a DBA death benefit claim.
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How Do You Prove PTSD in a Defense Base Act Claim? What Overseas Contractors Need to Know (2026)
Yes, PTSD can be covered under the Defense Base Act, and a psychological injury does not require a physical one. Here is how to prove a DBA PTSD claim in 2026: the diagnosis, the link to your overseas work, the form you file (LS-203), and the deadlines that apply.
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How Are Defense Base Act Settlements Calculated? A 2026 Guide to Benefits and Compensation Limits
Defense Base Act benefits are set by a federal formula, not a flat settlement figure. Here is how DBA disability benefits work in 2026, the two-thirds wage rule, the four disability categories, and the official maximum and minimum compensation rates now in effect.
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Defense Base Act Settlements: What's the Average Payout in 2026?
There is no single average Defense Base Act settlement. DBA settlement amounts depend on your injury, your permanent disability rating, your average weekly wage, your future medical care, and whether the case settles or is litigated. Here is what actually drives the number in 2026: plus the official federal benefit rates that changed on October 1, 2025.
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No, Florida Hasn't Ended No-Fault Insurance: What's Actually True for Drivers in 2026
No. Florida still requires Personal Injury Protection, and the $10,000 minimum still applies. The 2026 repeal bills died in committee on March 13, 2026. Here is what PIP pays, the 14-day treatment rule, and how to check the law yourself.
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Florida Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury in 2026: The 2-Year HB 837 Deadline Is Hitting Now (Plus the PIP-Repeal Update Most People Are Misreading)
Florida negligence claims that arose on or after March 24, 2023 must be filed within two years of the accident, not four. Cases from 2024 are hitting that deadline all through 2026. Here is when the clock starts and the narrow exceptions that move it.
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How Long Does a Personal Injury Case Take to Settle in Florida? (And Why It Might Be Taking Longer Than Expected)
Most Florida injury cases settle in a few months to a few years. Minor injuries with clear fault move fastest, while surgery, disputed fault, and trial take the longest. Here is what each stage adds and where the delay actually comes from.
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Florida's 90-Day Pre-Suit Trap: Why Medical Malpractice Victims Run Out of Time Before They Even File
Plan on 18 months to four years. Florida requires a pre-suit investigation, a sworn expert opinion, and a 90 day notice period, all inside the same two year deadline. Here is what each stage takes and which deadlines end cases early.
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5 Essential Steps Longshore Workers in Florida Should Take After an Injury
Five things protect a longshore claim after an injury: tell your supervisor the day it happens, see a doctor and keep going back, save every photo, report, bill, and pay stub, file inside the federal deadlines, and get advice before any recorded statement or early offer.
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5 Ways a Longshore Injury Lawyer Can Maximize Your Compensation After a Dock Accident
A longshore lawyer works a dock injury claim by documenting future care, proving coverage under the Longshore Act, correcting average weekly wage errors, and finding third party claims. Here are the five places that work happens.
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7 Reasons to Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer After an Accident
The first two weeks after an accident decide most of what follows. A lawyer preserves evidence, handles the adjuster, ties your records to the injury, and tracks the filing deadline. Here are seven moments when that call changes things.
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5 Common Mistakes Longshore Workers Make That Reduce Their Benefit Amounts
Late reporting, letting the employer pick your doctor, a wrong average weekly wage, treatment gaps, and going it alone are what shrink longshore benefit checks. Here is how each mistake happens and how to head it off.
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5 Common Longshore Injuries and Accidents
Back and spine injuries from lifting, crush accidents, falls on wet decks, chemical exposure, and equipment accidents are the five that send dock workers into the Longshore Act system. Here is what causes each one and what to do first.
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Who is Covered Under the Longshore Act in Florida?
The Longshore Act covers maritime workers hurt on or near navigable water who are not vessel crew: longshoremen, ship repairers, crane operators, terminal staff. Coverage turns on your duties and your work site. Here is who is in and who is out.
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When Does Workers' Comp Not Cover My Injury in Florida?
Most Florida employees hurt on the job are covered, but benefits can be denied in five situations: drugs or alcohol caused the accident, the injury was self inflicted, it did not happen in the course of work, you are a true independent contractor, or you reported late and used a doctor nobody authorized.
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What to Do After a Car Accident in Miami
Check for injuries and call 911, wait for police and get the report number, photograph the scene before the cars move, see a doctor within 14 days, keep the first adjuster call short, and get advice before any recorded statement.
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5 Reasons DBA PTSD Claims Are Important
PTSD is a covered injury under the Defense Base Act, with no requirement that you were physically hurt. A claim can cover counseling, psychiatric care, and lost wages. Here is why overseas contractors file and what the claim takes to prove.
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5 Reasons to Hire a Longshore Lawyer in Florida
Longshore claims run on federal rules, with notice to the employer inside 30 days and a filed claim inside one year. Workers bring in a lawyer to file it correctly, answer the carrier, count the wages right, and fight a denial.
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4 Rights Every Rider Has After A Florida Motorcycle Accident
Motorcycles sit outside Florida’s no-fault system, so riders have no PIP benefit to fall back on. You can claim directly against the at-fault driver, recover even if partly at fault, and most crash lawsuits now carry a two year deadline.
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Boating Accident Attorney Florida: 7 Legal Tips for Boaters
Most Florida boating cases turn on the first hour: required safety gear aboard, a sober operator, a report to the FWC when someone is hurt or damage tops $2,000, and photos and witness names taken the same day.
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7 Documents You Need to Win Your DBA or Maritime Case
A DBA or maritime injury claim rests on seven records: the injury report, medical records, your contract or deployment orders, wage proof, witness statements, written exchanges with the employer or insurer, and the filed claim forms.
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6 Dangers Oil Rig Workers Face Daily
Fires, falls, heavy machinery, dropped objects, fatigue, and toxic chemicals cause most serious oil rig injuries. If you are hurt, report it that day, get seen by a doctor, photograph what caused it, and sign nothing until a lawyer reads it.
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Trump’s Impact on DBA Claims: Defense Contractors & Injuries
The Defense Base Act still covers civilian contractors hurt overseas on U.S. government contracts. What has hardened is the carrier response, especially on PTSD, hearing loss, and repetitive strain claims. A denial is a starting position.
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5 Reasons the Jones Act Could Apply to Your Maritime Injury
The Jones Act may apply if you spend a large share of your work time, usually about 30 percent, aboard a vessel in navigation and your duties serve that vessel. Employer negligence or an unseaworthy ship then supports a claim.
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7 Legal Myths About Maritime and DBA Injury Cases
Seamen are not on state workers’ compensation, overseas contract work is covered by the Defense Base Act, a signed waiver does not erase federal injury rights, and mental health conditions count. Seven myths that quietly cost workers claims.
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4 Critical Deadlines That Can Hurt Your DBA or Maritime Case
Four clocks run at once: written notice to the employer within 30 days, a Defense Base Act claim within one year, most maritime lawsuits within three years, and appeal windows after a denial that can be as short as 10 to 30 days.
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5 Mistakes to Avoid in a Maritime Injury Lawsuit | T&H Law
Five mistakes weaken most maritime injury cases: waiting to report the accident, delaying treatment, giving the insurer a recorded statement, letting evidence vanish, and hiring a lawyer who does not work in maritime law.
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6 Reasons Your DBA Claim Might Be Denied | How To Avoid It
Most Defense Base Act denials trace back to a short list: late notice, a disputed work connection, bad paperwork, treatment fights, and statements that do not match. Report within 30 days, file within one year, and know a denial can be challenged.
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Injured on a Tugboat, Cargo Ship, or Oil Rig? | Maritime Law
Your rights after a tugboat, cargo ship, or oil rig injury depend on the work you do. Seamen sue under the Jones Act and are owed maintenance and cure no matter who was at fault. Dock and terminal workers usually file under the LHWCA instead.
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Injured at Sea? Maritime Injury Lawyers Can Help | T&H Law
Hurt at sea? Report it the same day and ask that it go in the ship's log, get medical care, photograph the spot and name the witnesses, and do not sign anything about fault until a maritime lawyer has read it.
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Can You Receive Both DBA and LHWCA Benefits?
The Defense Base Act is an extension of the Longshore Act, so one injury does not pay out twice. Which law covers you turns on where you were working and under what contract, and a career can cross both.
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DBA Claims in War Zones: What Contractors Must Know
The Defense Base Act covers civilian contractors on United States government work overseas, conflict zones included. You do not have to be hurt by enemy fire, PTSD counts, and coverage follows you home after the deployment ends.
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Do I Qualify for LHWCA Benefits? Eligibility Explained
LHWCA eligibility comes down to two tests: maritime work such as loading, repairing, or building ships, and an injury on or next to navigable waters. Seamen are left out because they file under the Jones Act instead.
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How Much Is a Longshore Injury Case Worth? | LHWCA Guide
There is no average longshore settlement. Under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, case value is built out of your average weekly wage, whether the hurt body part is on the law’s set schedule, how much of your earning ability is gone, and the cost of the medical care still ahead of you.
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Injured By a Self-Driving Delivery Robot? | Who’s Liable?
A sidewalk delivery robot has no driver, so responsibility points at the companies behind it: the maker, the software company, and the business running the fleet. Photograph the robot and the spot before it moves on.
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Denied Workers' Compensation? Steps to Appeal & Get Benefits
A denied Florida workers' compensation claim can still go forward. Read the reason in the denial letter, gather medical records and witness statements, and file a Petition for Benefits, generally due within two years of the injury.
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Hit by a Tesla or Self-Driving Car?
Hit by a Tesla or another self-driving car? The driver is usually still responsible, because Autopilot does not replace them. The carmaker can share blame for a system failure, and the car's own data decides much of it.
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Shocking Rise in Accidents Under Trump’s 2025 Policies
Federal safety work shifted in 2025: fewer rules, FAA staffing cuts, and smaller bus and rail safety budgets. Policy stays in the background, though. An injury claim still turns on who was careless and what that cost you.
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Delivery Driver Left You Injured? Here's What To Do
A crash with an Amazon, DoorDash, or Uber Eats driver starts with a coverage question: who the driver worked for, and whether a delivery was active. That answer decides which policy pays, so document it before anyone leaves.
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50% at Fault? You May Still Get Compensation | T&H Attorneys
Being 50 percent at fault does not end a Florida car accident claim. Florida uses modified comparative negligence, so a share of 50 percent or less still allows a recovery, reduced by that share, while more than 50 percent bars it.
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Negligence or Malpractice? What You Need to Know
Negligence applies to anyone who fails to use reasonable care. Malpractice is a narrower kind of negligence that applies only to licensed professionals who fall below their field’s standard, and it changes the proof, the experts, and the deadline.
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Hit by Uninsured Driver? How Templer & Hirsch Can Help
When an uninsured driver hits you in Florida, your own policy carries the claim. PIP pays part of your bills if you treat within 14 days, and Uninsured Motorist coverage steps in after that. Without UM, suing the driver is possible but hard to collect.
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The Difference Between Longshore and Jones Act
The Longshore Act covers maritime workers who are not crew and pays benefits without proof of fault. The Jones Act covers seamen and lets them sue the employer for negligence. The two do not overlap, and coverage turns on your connection to a vessel rather than your job title.
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Personal Injury Claims for Children | What Parents Must Know
A child cannot file an injury claim alone, so a parent or guardian brings it. Deadlines for minors are usually longer, a court often has to approve any settlement, and the claim looks at future care and future earnings, not just today’s bills.
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Rising Global Conflicts & U.S. Involvement | DBA Claims Rise
The Defense Base Act covers civilians working on U.S. government contracts overseas. As American support spreads across Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Pacific, more contractors are sent to dangerous posts, and injury claims rise with them.
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How Trump's 2025 Tariffs Impact Product Safety & Lawsuits
Tariffs do not change who can be held responsible, but they change what reaches the shelf. Higher import costs push some companies toward cheaper parts, delayed testing, and slower recalls, while counterfeit goods spread.
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Injured in an Airbnb or Vacation Rental? Know Your Rights
An injury at an Airbnb or VRBO is usually a premises liability claim against the host. The platform is a middleman with limited coverage, and a contractor or appliance maker can share the blame, so what you photograph before checking out matters.
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Injured at a Work Event? Know Your Rights and File a Claim
Getting hurt at a company party can still be a Florida workers’ compensation claim. Coverage turns on how tied to work the event was: required attendance, employer funding, and employer benefit. An outside caterer or venue may owe a separate claim.
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Understanding Insurances Under the Defense Base Act for 2025
Under the Defense Base Act your employer buys the coverage. It pays medical care, wage replacement, and death benefits, and war hazard, kidnap, evacuation, and repatriation layers get added for high risk posts.
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Where Can I Get Free Legal Advice After a Car Accident?
Free legal advice after a car accident comes from legal aid offices, law school clinics, bar association referral lines, and free consultations at injury firms. A contingency fee means no attorney fee up front and none unless money is recovered.
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I Got Injured in a Car Accident: What Now?
After a Florida crash, get checked by a doctor, call the police, trade information, and photograph everything. Personal Injury Protection pays early medical bills only if treatment starts within 14 days of the crash.
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Can I Sue My Employer After Receiving Workers' Compensation?
In most Florida cases, no. Workers’ compensation is the exclusive remedy against your employer, with narrow exceptions for an uninsured employer or intentional harm. A separate third party claim can still reach whoever else caused the injury.
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Car Accident Lawyer Near Me
Distance matters less than fit. Look for a lawyer who handles crash claims in your county, answers questions straight, and puts the fee in writing. The first meeting is normally free, so bring the police report, photos, and insurance paperwork.
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What Trump’s Return Means for Workers’ Comp: The Shocking Truth
Workers’ compensation is state law, so a change in Washington does not rewrite Florida’s rules. Federal policy reaches injured workers indirectly, through safety enforcement, healthcare access, and agency funding. Deadlines and records still decide claims.
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Divorcing? Here’s What Happens to Your Injury Settlement
It depends on what the money replaced and where you kept it. Pain and suffering is usually treated as personal, while lost wages and medical bills from during the marriage are more likely to be shared. Joint accounts blur the line.
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What to Do After a Slip and Fall Accident - Lawyer's Advice
Report the fall to the manager, photograph the hazard before it is cleaned up, get witness names, and see a doctor the same day. Stick to the facts, and sign nothing from an insurance company before you get legal advice.
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Filing a Defense Base Act Claim: Step-by-Step Guide
A Defense Base Act claim runs on two deadlines: notice to your employer within 30 days and a written claim within one year. In between, get treatment from a doctor you choose and keep a copy of everything you send.
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Common Mistakes Slip And Fall Victims Make
The costliest mistake is walking away without reporting the fall. No report, no photos, and no witness names leave nothing to show the hazard existed. Waiting to see a doctor is the second, since it lets the insurer blame something else.
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Important Updates in Florida Personal Injury Law 2024
The date of the injury decides which rules apply. Florida negligence claims accruing on or after March 24, 2023 must be filed within two years, and in most cases a person found more than 50 percent at fault cannot recover at all.
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Filing a Lawsuit After a Port Injury: Longshoremen Guide
Longshore benefits usually bar a suit against your own employer, but a third party claim against a vessel owner, contractor, or equipment maker can run alongside them and reach losses the benefit system leaves out.
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10 Common Personal Injury Claims: Trends and Insights
Car crashes lead every year, followed by falls, workplace injuries, malpractice, defective products, dog bites, bicycle and pedestrian crashes, nursing home abuse, and rideshare collisions. Each one proves differently.
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Slip and Fall Accidents: Legal Rights and Responsibilities
A property owner is not liable for every fall. A Florida slip and fall claim has to show the owner knew about the hazard or should have known, did not fix it or warn about it, and that the fall caused real losses. Your own care matters too.
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Pre-Existing Conditions Impact on Personal Injury Claims
A pre-existing condition does not end a personal injury claim. You can still recover for the harm the accident added, including making an old injury worse. The medical record before and after the accident is what decides it.
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Understanding Your Rights Under the Defense Base Act
The Defense Base Act covers civilians working overseas on U.S. government contracts. It pays medical care, part of lost wages, disability benefits, and death benefits no matter who was at fault. Report within 30 days, file within one year.
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How to Handle Guest Injuries in Your Vacation Rental
If a guest is hurt at your vacation rental, help first, document the scene while it is fresh, and notify your insurer the same day. An owner is liable only for harm from a danger they knew about or should have caught.
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Lawsuits Against Vacation Rental Owners: Lessons Learned
Vacation rental owners can be sued when a guest is hurt, because guests are owed a reasonably safe home. Unfenced pools, unchecked balconies and stairs, dead alarms, and listings that oversell safety drive most of these cases.
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5 Mistakes to Avoid in Personal Injury Claims
Most injury claims are damaged in the first weeks: waiting to see a doctor, no photos or witness names, a recorded statement given too early, taking the first offer, and not knowing what the claim can cover.
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6 Downsides of Defense Base Act Insurance
Defense Base Act insurance pays medical care and wage benefits after an overseas injury, but the process is slow, payments arrive late, and carriers dispute claims. Even an approved claim can be fought over treatment and disability.
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5 Reasons for Car Accident Settlements & Insurance Increases in North Miami/Aventura Law
Crash claims and premiums keep climbing in North Miami and Aventura for four reasons: heavier traffic, costlier repairs on sensor-packed cars, larger settlements repricing risk, and no-fault coverage that puts insurers on more claims.
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Why Hire a Longshoresman Lawyer?
Longshore injuries run under federal law, not state workers’ comp, and the carrier handles these claims daily. A lawyer pushes treatment approvals, checks the wage math, and takes a denial to a judge. Notice is due within 30 days.
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The TRUTH about injury lawsuits in Florida
Florida’s own court data does not support the judicial hellhole label. The rise in circuit court filings came from mortgage foreclosures, while tort filings fell over the same ten years, and fell further measured per resident.
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Lawyers vs Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is not replacing lawyers any time soon. It is fast at document review, legal research, and spotting patterns, and weak on nuance, judgment, and accountability, so it works best as a tool a licensed lawyer checks.
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How To Handle A Hit and Run Accident
Call 911 and get a police report, stay at the scene instead of chasing the car, photograph everything, and get witness details before they leave. Uninsured motorist coverage is what usually pays when the driver who fled is never found.
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How Long is a Longshore Injury Case?
There is no fixed timeline. After a hearing, a decision usually takes about five months from the close of the record, and the months before that go to filing, investigation, the move to the Office of Administrative Law Judges, and evidence.
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Fort Pierce Longshoreman Important Info (2023)
Longshore work at Fort Pierce Port is covered by the federal Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, which pays for medical care, disability benefits, and vocational rehabilitation. Machinery, falls, cargo, and chemicals cause most injuries.
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Defense Base Act - Who pays Attorney Fees? And what will they be?
In a Defense Base Act claim the injured contractor does not pay the attorney fee out of pocket. Fees run on an hourly rate, the employer’s insurance carrier is normally responsible for the approved amount, and the U.S. Department of Labor reviews it.
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Car Insurance Guide
Uninsured motorist coverage is the most important line on a Florida auto policy, because it pays you when the other driver has none. Damage coverage on your own car applies either way, and a higher deductible lowers the yearly premium.
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5 Ways AI Will Revolutionize Brain Injury Cases
Brain injuries are hard to measure, and that is where AI could change these claims: diagnosis, severity ratings, long-term care planning, evidence in court, and negotiation. For now the cases still rest on treating doctors and medical records.
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The Biggest Challenge in Florida Personal Injury Compensation.
The hard part of a Florida injury claim is rarely proving fault. It is the insurer playbook: delay, disputed liability, downplayed injuries, and low first offers. Records, medical testimony, and readiness to try the case are the counters.
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