Ask The Lawyer – Radio Show (Part 5)

December 16, 2020

A young man went to the beach bar and was drinking The Bar maid thought she was doing him a favor by pouring the remainder of each of his previous drinks into his class when making him a new drink. He was a regular at the bar and in the past he had been ask to leave the bar because he was too drunk. On this day when he left the bar he got into his car in the parking lot and when he went to drive away he struck another car. A sheriff deputy notice he struck a car so he followed him. He was speeding and then he crossed the center line hitting another vehicle head on. The family in the car he struck all had to be hospitalized with sever injuries. The drunk drivers insurance company said they aren’t responsible because he was driving drunk. What can a lawyer do?

December 9, 2020

Our daughter is attending a private college in Jacksonville. While riding her bike on the sidewalk on the campus, she was struck by one of the school’s golf carts, causing her to get severely injured. It turns out the driver of the cart was a vendor who was working on the sprinkler system. The medical bills are enormous, and the school claims that they are not responsible for the accident because the driver was not an employee of the school. Can the lawyer help? Do we need to hire a Jacksonville lawyer even though we live in Venice?

December 2, 2020

My brother drove his motorcycle safely when a commercial truck ran a stop sign and hit him, causing severe injuries. The doctors say he will require multiple surgeries, including having a metal rod inserted in his leg. The medical bills are going to be enormous. The commercial truck company will not pay for his injuries because they discovered my brother’s license was suspended. He didn’t know that his license had been suspended for failure to pay parking tickets. Can you ask the lawyer if he is out of luck? His insurance wouldn’t begin to pay all the bills.

November 25, 2020

My brother was driving on I-75 when a Semi-Truck, with the name of a major retailer on it, swerved into him, causing his car to flip over and crash into the guard rail. The trucker was ticketed for reckless driving. Unfortunately, it turns out the driver of the truck is under insured. My brother was in intensive care and is scheduled to have multiple surgeries, which will affect him for the rest of his life. My sister-in-law contacted the major retailer, and they are claiming the truck was leased, and the driver was an independent contractor, so they are not liable. We have insurance but not nearly enough to cover the medical bills, not to mention the therapy and medical assistance he will need for years to come. Can you ask the lawyer what we can do?

November 18, 2020

My friend’s brother was driving on a two-lane road on a foggy night when a vehicle crossed over into his lane, causing a head-on crash. My friend’s brother spent a week in the hospital and will require to follow-up surgery and therapy. When my friend contacted the at-fault driver insurance company for his brother, the insurance company claimed my friend’s brother was at fault. Is there anything a lawyer can do?

November 11, 2020

My sister lives in an area with brick roads. Two weeks ago, she was walking her dog, and when she crossed the road, she didn’t realize that a forklift loaded with bricks was backing up and struck her. She has serious injuries, including a broken leg and a fractured arm, in addition to other injuries. She will need to have multiple surgeries. The police told her husband at the scene that he needed to contact the city about paying for her injuries. Our nephew, who works for a different town, says you can’t sue the city. Is that true? The road crew was part of a large construction company, and we wondered if because they work for the city, we can’t sue them? Our medical is paying some of the bills, but she can not return to work for at least eight weeks and will need a lot of therapy. Can you ask the lawyer if we can recover any of the tremendous financial losses?

November 4, 2020

I was driving my truck for my job, and another truck ran a red light and struck me. I was severely injured including a herniated disk in my neck that required surgery. Our companies HR person says that the at-fault party is responsible for my medical bills and lost wages not workman’s comp. The at-fault party’s who was also driving a work truck said that I am only entitled to workman’s comp. And because I was working, I am not allowed to collect for pain and suffering from the at-fault party. I have enormous medical bills, and I am getting the run-around. Can the lawyer help?

October 28, 2020

My 16-year-old Niece, who been living with my wife and me for the last year while her Mom is overseas with the military. She was struck while riding her bike and had severe injuries, including two broken legs, and will need multiple surgeries and rehab. The driver only had minimum insurance, and I have UM coverage. Still, my insurance says she is not covered by my car insurance even though I notified them that I had another licensed drive in my house. Can a lawyer help?

October 21, 2020

One night recently, my boyfriend and I were crossing a major intersection within the crosswalk on a green light. Before we got very far, a car struck my boyfriend, causing him to sustain a severely broken leg. The car driver claimed he was not at fault. He couldn’t see us because he was blinded by another vehicle’s high beam headlights. To make matters worse, the driver only had $10,000 of bodily injury coverage. My boyfriends’ medical bills exceeded that amount by many times. Can a lawyer help us? Is being blinded by another driver’s high beams make the driver not responsible?

October 14, 2020

My wife was shopping at the supermarket. As she was looking at some can goods, an employee was pushing a cart with cases of soda, and he ran it right into my wife, causing her to fall and break her hip. She was hospitalized and required a hip replacement. The store has denied liability because it was not an employee of the store that ran into her but the local soda vendor who sends their employees to stock the shelves. The store manager has given me the soda distributor’s name, but they refuse to return our calls. Is the store correct that they are not liable? Can you ask the lawyer what we can do?

October 07, 2020

I was in an auto accident involving three vehicles. The right front corner of my SUV was hit and caused severe damages. I also incurred injuries to my neck and back (have MRI’s completed showing herniations, tears, and bulging discs). I was not at fault for the accident and tried to figure out what I was supposed to do. The accident occurred over three months ago, and not much seems to have happened other than my insurance company opened a claim for both injury and vehicle damages. The opposing insurance (from the man that hit me while driving his work van) is trying to avoid assisting with this situation. My doctors told me that I’d need to see a neurosurgeon to repair the damage to my neck and back. I’ve never been through something like this and honestly have no clue what I’m supposed to do.

September 30, 2020

My Nephew was away at college in Gainesville, and when he was riding to class on Wednesday, he was struck by a car. He has multiple injuries that will require surgery and a long rehabilitation. It turns out the driver had his driver’s license suspended and no insurance. My brother has always had full coverage insurance, including UM, but his insurance company says his son is not covered because he was not living at home. Can a lawyer help my brother?

September 23, 2020

My brother was going to visit a friend at an apartment complex; as he was walking inside the apartment building’s complex property, he was caught in a crossfire from two rival gangs. As a result of the shooting, he is paralyzed. He has enormous medical bills, including rehabilitation. My brother discovered in talking with the police that this was just one of many similar gunfire instances at this complex. His friend had just moved into the complex and had no idea about this problem. When my brother contacted the complex, they claimed they were not responsible for his injuries. They also said they were under no obligation to have told his friend about previous shooting incidents.

September 9, 2020

When I was 12 years old, I attended a church-owned camp and was sexually assaulted by one of the youth ministers who worked at the mega-church that owned the camp. I have suppressed this event’s memory and trauma for the last ten years, but now I feel I should do something about it. My fiancée thinks I might be out of luck because it was so long ago. Can you ask the lawyer if there is anything I can do?

September 2, 2020

My niece was riding on the back of a friend’s motorcycle. Another vehicle made a left turn in front of the motorcycle, causing a horrific accident. My niece required a hip replacement and neck fusion. Bills are substantial. The motorcycle driver was killed, and witnesses say both motorcycle and other vehicle ran a red light. The motorcycle driver had minimum insurance. My niece’s family has full insurance coverage for her, but since she wasn’t driving and the motorcycle driver was partially at fault, my brother is worried the insurance won’t help. Is there anything a lawyer might be able to do even if both drivers ran a red light?

August 26, 2020

My next door neighbor and his wife were riding a motorcycle in Charlotte County when a truck hauling oranges turn in front of them. Both were life flighted to hospital were very serve injuries. The driver was a contracted driver for a large citrus company but didn’t have anywhere near enough insurance to begin to cover the bills. The Citrus company is claiming they are not responsible even though the truck cab had their name on it. Is there anything they can do?

August 19, 2020

I was a passenger in my mother-in-law’s car, when a drunk driver crossed over the center line and crashed head on into the vehicle in which I was a passenger. I was life flighted to Lee Memorial Hospital. I have extremely large medical bills and very severe injuries. The drunk driver had no insurance and I don’t own a car. My wife was looking over her mother’s insurance coverage which included uninsured motorist coverage but even that was not enough for all my bills. My wife discovered her mother has something called an umbrella policy. What is an umbrella policy? Is that something that can help with my situation?

August 12, 2020

My wife was a passenger in her own vehicle being driven by her friend. She was involved in a very serious accident which resulted in her hospitalization with a broken hip. The other driver was ticketed for being at fault for running a stop sign. The at fault driver had no bodily injury insurance. When I purchased insurance for my wife’s car I made a big mistake by not purchasing uninsured motorist coverage. What makes things even worse my wife’s friend had just lectured me about both uninsured motorist coverage and having stacking uninsured motorist coverage. Is there anything a lawyer could do?

August 5, 2020

My friend left his two-year old son with his cousin who lived in a condominium. Tragically, they found the little boy had fallen in the Condominiums pool. They called an ambulance and someone who knew CPR was able to revive my friends son. Unfortunately he was underwater for a while and suffered brain damage. He will require a lifetime of care including physical and mental rehabilitation. It turns out the cousin fell asleep and my friends son was able to leave the ground floor condominium. Once out of the condo he went through the broken gate that accesses the condominium pool. My friend is devastated and has no idea how he going to pay for his son’s therapy and medical treatment. Is there anything a lawyer can do?

July 29, 2020

My girlfriend was walking across 41 in the crosswalk a half-hour before sundown. As she crossed, she was struck by a company truck. The driver is claiming that the sun blocked his vision, and he didn’t see my girlfriend. The company claims they are not responsible because the sun was in the driver’s eyes and blocked his view. My girlfriend sustained severe injuries and was hospitalized for two weeks. Our insurance company says I only have limited coverage, not nearly enough to cover her medical bills. What can we do?

July 22, 2020

My buddy was driving down 41 following a lawn maintenance truck. All of a sudden I noticed a weed wacker came flying off the truck into the path of my buddy’s motorcycle. It caused my buddy to wipe out and sustain serious injuries. I was able to get the name of the company and the license plate. The landscape company denied responsibility and won’t take our calls. Is there anything my buddy can do? Could a lawyer help?

July 15, 2020

My wife and I were playing golf, and we were walking to the next tee when my wife was struck by a golf cart, which caused a torn rotator cuff, which required surgery. They asked the golf cart driver (the golf club owned the cart) to reimburse my wife’s expensive medical bills, and they refused. The golf course is saying they are not responsible, and that we have to pursue the golfer that was driving the golf cart. What do you think?

July 8, 2020

My wife was in the garden section of a local hardware store when she tripped over a display in the walkway. It caused a rack of pest products to fall on her and in the process, she fell and broke her hip. She was taken to the hospital by ambulance. She had to get a hip replacement, and the medical bills are over $50,000. The store owner claims he is not responsible because it was a manufacturer’s representative who was setting up the display, not his employees. I tried to contact the manufacturer, but they are refusing to respond. Can a lawyer help me get someone to respond?

June 24, 2020

I drove down a two-lane street in Port Charlotte when a car entered my lane to get around a furniture truck that was illegally parked on his side of the road. I swerved to miss him, but he hit my driver’s side, and I sustained multiple injuries, including a broken shoulder. He was ticketed for violating my right of way. The driver who hit me doesn’t have insurance, and I don’t have uninsured motorist coverage. Can the furniture store who’s truck was illegally parked on the street be held liable for the accident? Could you ask the lawyer?

June 10, 2020

My 14-year daughter was struggling with her classes and falling behind in her online courses. I decided to hire a tutor from the private school she attends. I am a single mom and work as a nurse during the day, so I was not present when she was being tutored. When I returned from work, my daughter was distraught. It turns out that the 32-year tutor had sexually assaulted her. We contacted the police, and they arrested the tutor. It turns out he had a previous arrest for sexual assault two years prior. I contacted her school, and they indicated they had no idea about his last arrest and that he was working on his own time, and they are not responsible. My daughter has needed a lot of counseling and will continue to require costly therapy. Can a lawyer help?

May 20, 2020

In this segment PJ Scheiner, attorney for the injured and son of Bruce L. Scheiner, gives us some insight into the efforts made by their firm to continue to protect their clients. PJ Sheiner also talks about his involvement with the Captains For Clean Water organization.

May 13, 2020

In this segment Bruce L. Scheiner, attorney for the injured, reminisces over the early years of his practice as well as the progression of South-West, Florida. He also discusses the beauty of the unity in South-West Florida’s community.

April 29, 2020

In this segment Bruce L. Scheiner, attorney for the injured, updates us on the social distancing and virtual communication efforts taken to stay safe and healthy due to Covid-19. We are also given some insight into his son’s career as a lawyer. He proudly discusses his sons academic achievements as well as his achievements as a lawyer.

April 22, 2020

In today’s segment we will be catching up with Bruce L. Scheiner, attorney for the injured, as he updates us on the efforts made to continue to help his clients during this pandemic. He also retells the journey of his career as the 50 year anniversary of his practice approaches.

April 1, 2020

My Mom was in a large retail store when she suddenly slipped and fell. She went unconscious briefly and was taken by an ambulance to the hospital where she was held with a concussion and damaged knee. Her knee is going need surgery. The manager came over to her friend and provided a card for us to contact him. He was acting like he didn’t know why she fell but her friend had scene the floor was wet underneath her and she indicated that the pipes above had some water dripping from it, properly from the recent heavy rains. The store is denying responsibility claim she just fell on her own. Should my mom contact a lawyer.

March 25, 2020

I was severely sexually abused starting in the sixth grade while I attend a religious school. Today after a lot of consoling I have decide to come forth to expose this horrific treatment at the hands of my teachers and clergy. I was wondering if I can still file a law suit even though this sexual abuse goes all the way back to 2001. I have been told by a friend that I probably can’t because it was so long ago. Can the lawyer help me?

March 18, 2020

A girl struck a neighbor of mine who was riding his bicycle in the evening with her car. She fled the scene of the accident and later claimed someone had stolen her car while she was sleeping. Her insurance company is denying responsibility. Is there anything my neighbor can do?

March 11, 2020

My wife was shopping at a big box store in the ceiling fan section. All of a sudden, she was struck in the head by a large box and hit the ground. She was taken to the hospital with severe head injuries. I called the store to pursue a claim for my wife’s medical bills, but they were not helpful. They informed me that the report their employee submitted indicate that my wife knocked the box off the shelf, which caused her to be stuck in the head. Fortunately, a friend of my wife was not far away and saw an employee had knocked the box off. I am not sure what I should do. Can the lawyer help. Is this just a “he said, she said.

March 4, 2020

My 20-year-old son was driving his buddy’s motorcycle and had an accident. He has been pretty severely hurt and spend over a week in the hospital. His buddy didn’t have any insurance on the motorcycle. We know his friend’s family pretty well, and like us, they carry full insurance on their cars but not the motorcycle. An insurance agent friend says we might be out of luck because the car insurance coverage may not cover the motorcycle. Is there anything we can do to get some help with the enormous medical bills?

February 12, 2020

My 14-year-old daughter was having problems with some of her classes at school and it was recommended by the school counselor that they arrange for her to get some tutoring after classes at the school. What we didn’t know is that the school hires an outside company for tutors. Well our daughter came home in tears and told us she was sexually assaulted by her tutor. We contacted the police and they arrested the tutor. Needless to say, my daughter has been severely traumatized and is going to need extensive therapy and other mental health assistance. The school has been avoiding taking responsibility and we are incurring significant expenses. Can we sue the School?

December 11, 2019

My son was struck by a white van while riding his bicycle. He received severe injuries including a broken arm, shoulder blade, and a knee injury, which may need surgery. The driver of the van was wearing an Amazon delivery shirt and delivering Amazon packages. The driver only had limited personal insurance, and Amazon is claiming that they are not responsible because he is a contract worker. Is there anything that a lawyer can do?

December 4, 2019

My disabled sister, who walks with a cane, was in one of the big box stores. When she went to enter the bathroom, there was a raised floor between the regular floor and the area to go back to the bathroom. My sister fell and broke her hip. The store claims that there is no liability on their part. The medical bills and loss of income from her job are quite extensive. Is there anything the lawyer can do?

November 13, 219

My daughter’s best friend was riding her motorcycle on I-75, when a tractor trailer in front of her had a tire blow out and the debris struck her bike and caused her to wipe out. She has sustained some very serious injuries and the police were able to identify the truck who had the blow out. She has a lot of serious medical bills and she only had limited insurance. Can she pursue the trucker? Should she talk to a lawyer.

October 30, 2019

A tractor-trailer was going to make a delivery just before dawn last week. When the driver went to back up into the loading dock, he was also blocking the northbound lane of the road. My brother was driving northbound didn’t see the truck in time to stop, and as a result, he was decapitated. He had a wife and two children, and his wife was told that she doesn’t have a claim against the truck owner. The company is claiming that he should have avoided striking the truck. Is that true? Is there anything she can do?

October 16, 2019

My stepdad was walking across the street, not in a cross walk, the nearest one is almost a mile away. He’s disabled and has trouble walking. After checking if the road was clear, he started walking and was clipped by a car halfway across. My stepdad was taken by ambulance to the hospital, and FHP saying he was at fault for not using a cross walk. The hospital did a head CT and the next day he followed up at his doctor and was told he had bruised ribs. A few days later, he then found out his foot was broken and will need surgery to repair his foot. My stepdad is under the impression, since FHP said it was his fault, the driver had no responsibility for any medical bills. He is on a fixed income and can barely pay the copay. He needs surgery but is afraid to get it done due to the cost. Is there anything that can be done?

October 2, 2019

My brother was riding his Harley-Davidson when a car failed to stop at a stop sign. My brother was taken to the hospital with two broken legs. Unfortunately, he did not have motorcycle insurance. What makes matters worse is the driver of the car who ran the stop sign, only had minimal insurance. My brother’s friend whom had been riding with him at the time of the accident, said the car that hit him had a pizza delivery sign on it and the driver was wearing a pizza company shirt. Can a lawyer help him get his bill paid for?

September 18, 2019

This past weekend I was at an anniversary party in the home of a close friend. As I was walking out onto the patio, I tripped on a patio paver that was sticking up several inches, which the homeowner indicated I was third person to stumble on that same paver. My feet came right out from under me, causing me to land on my back. Right now, I have a very sore back, neck, shoulder, and arm. Since I don’t have medical insurance, I asked my friend, the homeowner, if I could submit a claim against her homeowner’s insurance, to pay for x-rays or MRI, etc. After one week of no response, I am asking you what I can do? I haven’t been able to walk or drive, which means I can’t get to work. Does the homeowner have to provide me the information?

September 11, 2019

Two days ago, I was hit by a car from behind while I was stopped at a red light. I learned that my car is going to be totaled. Medically I suffered a concussion, and stiff neck and my right shoulder separated. Also, I have torn ligaments in the left knee and a fracture of my right leg. These injuries are preventing me from returning to work, I am an independent truck driver, and I am the breadwinner of the family. Do. I have a case? If so, can I recover more than just the medical bills? By the way, the driver that hit me was given a ticket at the accident.

August 28, 2019

I drove my grandmother to of those large superstores and dropped her off near the entrance. As she was walking to the door, an employee with a long line of shopping carts hit her, causing her to fall breaking her hip. The assistant manager stated to me that it was not the stores’ responsibility because she was outside the store. Can a lawyer help?

August 21, 2019

Two years ago, I was injured while shopping at a local franchise convenience store. It had been raining, and when I came through the front door, I slipped on the wet floor. When I fell, I came down hard on my knee, which resulted in a tear to the meniscus. I needed surgery to repair the damage and then extended rehab. All my out-of-pocket medical expenses and lost income (I am an independent CPA) has reached $38,500 ($10,000 is my medical insurance out of pocket). The franchise store has since closed, and from my understanding, the franchise owner has filed for bankruptcy. Do I have the right to go after the store’s insurance company to recoup my expenses and losses? I tried to do this on my own since it was a local store and the manager said she should have mopped up the wet area or posted a sign.

August 7, 2019

My daughter had been staying for the last two months with a friend in Miami. This was for convenience because she was doing an internship for a company in Miami, and the commute from Port Charlotte to Miami would have been too long. She was involved in a car accident, and the at-fault driver did not have any insurance. She has a broken arm and neck injuries as a result of the crash. We have uninsured motors coverage on all our cars, including hers, but my insurance company is telling me she’s not covered under my insurance because she’s no longer a resident in my home. Am I out of luck?

July 31, 2019

A woman I know was hit from behind in a terrible car accident that actually caused her seat to break and gave her severe back injuries. She will likely need multiple surgeries and therapy. Unfortunately, the at-fault driver only has minimum insurance coverage. Is there anything she could do to get her extensive medical bills paid?

July 24, 2019

I was biking with a few friends in Port Charlotte when I was involved in an accident. We just made a turn onto a side street with a bike lane when I rode over a misaligned sewer grate. My front tire dropped into the slot in the grate, stopping the bike instantly and tossing me over the handle bars. I was rushed to the emergency room where I was treated for head trauma (I had a helmet on), a broken collar bone, and a torn rotator cup which will require surgery and at least 8 weeks of rehab. It turns out that the grate was running perpendicular to the road rather than horizontal, which is the correct way for those grates to be installed. When the city was contacted, they said they had an independent contractor who inspects and maintains the sewer system. Can I get help for my medical bills and lost wages from either city or the contractor, or both?

July 17, 2019

My sister wants us to book our travel accommodations in Europe on Air B&B. I read a recent article about a woman who was sexually assaulted and held hostage in a room and was wondering if Air B&B is liable for the actions of his room providers.

July 10, 2019

My husband no longer drives and he is frequently using his Uber app to get around town. He was riding with Uber and the driver was in an accident in which my husband was taken to the hospital with severe injuries. The other driver was at fault. The driver’s insurance claimed they were not liable as their policy doesn’t cover driving for Uber. Can a lawyer help us with the enormous medical bills?

June 19, 2019

The past three weeks have been a roller coaster ride and I need advice. I was traveling on a side street in Fort Myers when I was side swiped by a pick-up that had to be traveling at least twice the posted speed of 35 mph. My car was totaled and I suffered a few broken bones, but the most serious injury has been the head trauma. I hit my head on the window so hard that I was knocked out, waking up at Lee Memorial Hospital 2 days later. I found out today that the at-fault driver is uninsured. She keeps telling me that he will take care of replacing my car and all my medical expenses, but she will not put this down in writing…I think it’s time I seek legal advice.

June 12, 2019

I attended a work party in May at a Country Club. People became rowdy and began throwing others into the pool. When I got tossed in the pool, my shoulder hit the side of the pool, dislocating my shoulder and breaking my elbow. Because of my injuries, I’m unable to work for a minimum of 8 to 10 weeks, which means no pay check. I have medical bills from the trip to the ER and two day stay at the hospital and I need surgery on my shoulder and elbow. In addition, I have my existing monthly bills, which I can’t afford to pay without my monthly income. My boss also told me the company isn’t responsible for my bills and I may even lose my job. When I asked the Country Club for their insurance information, they said the event was contracted through a cater company and they are not liable. What can I do?