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seatbeltSeat belts are designed to protect people but sometimes they end up injuring the very people they are meant to protect. When seat belts are faulty, they can end up causing serious and long-term injuries. If you or someone you know has been injured in an auto accident due to a defective seat belt, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, our seasoned Miami personal injury lawyers can protect your rights every step of the way. We are dedicated to being zealous advocates for our clients.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat car occupants by about 45 percent and the risk of moderate to critical injury by about 50 percent. In fact, the NHTSA found that seat belts prevented over 12,800 deaths in the United States in 2014.

While automobile manufacturers recognize that seat belts can save lives, they sometimes do not properly test these seat belts in high-speed situations. This is why, in some cases, seat belts can fail to serve their intended purpose at the time of the accident. Seat belts can malfunction in a variety of ways, including but not limited to:

  • Seat belts becoming unlatched during an accident;
  • Seat beats being too loose to prevent drivers or passengers from flying forward.

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American flagThe Fourth of July can be a time of great fun with family and friends. People typically get together to barbecue, spend time with one another, and watch firework displays. The celebrations often require people to drive. Many families go on road trips to meet up with loved ones. Unfortunately, the Fourth of July weekend is statistically one of the deadliest times to get behind the wheel. If you or someone close to you is injured in an accident over the holiday weekend, it is important to speak to a skilled Miami attorney who can assess the merits of your case.

You may be surprised to learn that by some estimates, about 40 percent of all DUI traffic fatalities take place on the Fourth of July weekend. (Drunk driving kills approximately 10,000 people each year overall.)

In a more recent study conducted by Value Penguin that ranked all of the major holidays by their potential for a fatal crash, the Fourth of July weekend ranked in third place. Memorial Day weekend took first place, and Labor Day weekend took second place on the list. The data is based on numbers from between 2011 and 2015. While Memorial Day weekend was the deadliest weekend, the Fourth of July was the single most dangerous day of the year for people to be on the road.

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airbagThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that 51 million cars were recalled in 2015, and over 25 percent of those recalled cars were never repaired. Defective car parts, such as airbags, can lead to serious and long-term injuries. If you or someone close to you has been injured by a faulty airbag, you may be able to recover compensation for your harm. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, our Miami attorneys can scrutinize the facts of your case and determine the viability of your claim.

Airbag maker Takata Corp. filed for bankruptcy in Delaware and Japan recently after paying over $1 billion in fines as part of a settlement with the United States Justice Department over its handling of airbag ruptures linked to 16 deaths and more than 180 injuries worldwide. Regulators have said that the recall would ultimately affect about 42 million U.S. vehicles with almost 70 million Takata airbag inflators, making it the largest recall in U.S. history. Furthermore, the NHTSA is investigating Honda for failing to promptly report incidents involving the Takata airbags installed in its vehicles.

Defective Takata airbags are prone to exploding when they are deployed, flinging burning shrapnel into drivers and passengers. Specifically, the problem is with the airbag inflators, which fill up airbags in the event of a crash. These can explode with too much force and spew metal shrapnel, which is what has been happening.

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parkingNot every state requires that a driver be able to parallel park before obtaining his or her license. In fact, Florida does not make new drivers prove they can parallel park, and it does not seem that this will change any time soon. While there may be fewer areas around the state as compared to other population-dense states in which people need to parallel park, the reality is that parallel parking accidents do happen. If you or someone close to you has been injured or sustained property damage as a result of a parallel parking accident, our firm can help.

Parallel parking refers to when a vehicle is parked parallel to the roadside. Parallel parking can be a daunting task even for experienced drivers. Drivers who are attempting to parallel park must take great care in making sure they are paying attention when pulling into the spot.

Typically, a driver will drive slightly past the spot and reverse into it slowly. The driver who is parking should signal and pull into the spot as quickly as possible in order not to hold up traffic behind him or her. This is sometimes tricky because as the car is backing into the empty car spot, traffic may be moving in the lane right beside it, and a car may even be pulling up behind the driver, waiting for the driver to pull into the spot. The motorists following the parking car should slow down and pass only when it is safe to do so.

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cribParents’ main concern is their child’s well-being. When you put your baby into a crib, you expect the baby to be safe. Unfortunately, defective cribs cause serious injuries or death to thousands of infants each year. If your child was injured due to a defective crib, it is important to reach out to a Miami product liability attorney. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, we have the experience and dedication to handle your case. You can rest assured that we will work carefully to make sure that your family’s rights are protected at every step of the way.

In 2011, the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimated that over 11 million cribs, bassinets, and play yards had been recalled since 2007. In that year alone, CPSC recalled 1,040,000 cribs and bassinets from just one manufacturer. Cribs pose dangers of which you may not even be aware. The following are several types of crib hazards that may cause injuries to your child:

  • Strangulation:  Blankets, sheets, or clothing may become wrapped around the baby’s face, neck, or head and lead to cutting off their air supply. Crib bumpers also pose the risk of strangulation.
  • Suffocation: Blankets, sheets, or clothing can also pose a risk if they are not fitted, and the baby can get underneath them and accidentally suffocate. The same applies to crib bumper pads.
  • Falling out: A baby may be at risk of falling out of the crib if the mattress is too high. In addition, defective drop sides that fall and allow the child to fall out of the crib may be a cause of an unexpected injury to your child.
  • Poorly spaced slats: Crib slats that are too far apart may enable your child to slip through and fall. While suffocation is most commonly associated with poor spacing, it can also result in a child’s limb becoming stuck between the slats, resulting in the entrapment of arms, legs, or other body parts.

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stethoscopeIf you or someone close to you has been hurt by someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, our seasoned Miami injury attorneys can help you navigate a personal injury lawsuit from start to finish. When you file a personal injury claim, the defense has a number of tools and strategies they can use to try to minimize the amount of money they will eventually have to pay. Having a deep understanding of Florida injury law, we can often anticipate what the defense will likely try to do and advise you accordingly.

In Florida personal injury litigation, specifically under Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.360, a defendant can require that the plaintiff attend a compulsory medical examination (CME) by a doctor of the defendant’s choosing. Put another way, a CME is when the defense hires a doctor to evaluate the plaintiff. This typically means that an insurance company is paying for the doctor. It is important to note that each insurance carrier usually has a handful of doctors that they routinely retain to conduct CMEs. In some cases, a particular doctor will work for a number of insurance companies in the area.

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slip hazardSlip and fall accidents can lead to serious injuries. If you have been injured in a slip and fall accident, the case may seem relatively straightforward. However, this is not always the case. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, our skilled Miami premises liability attorney can assess the merits of your case and help you try to hold the negligent parties accountable. With years of experience, we have helped many South Florida clients and can help you as well.

Property owners in Florida have an obligation to maintain their premises in reasonably safe conditions in order not to injure those who enter the land. Under Florida law, a property owner is not automatically liable simply because someone was injured on his or her property. Instead, a property owner will be liable if he or she was negligent. Negligence occurs when a property owner causes an injury by failing to use the level of care that a reasonably prudent property owner in the same situation would have used. Negligence can also take place through omission, namely, a failure to act when there is a duty to do so.

Establishing liability in a slip and fall case can be complicated for a number of reasons, one of them being the doctrine of pure comparative negligence. Pure comparative negligence apportions relative fault among all of the parties involved. Under the doctrine, your recovery will be limited by your amount of negligence. For example, if your actions are deemed to be 20 percent responsible, your damages will be reduced by that amount. In sum, you will be entitled to an award of 80 percent of your total monetary recovery.

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swimming poolOne of the benefits of living in the Sunshine State is being able to enjoy the great weather for so much of the year. One of the activities that children and adults in Florida enjoy is swimming. Many times, people swim at public pools where a trained lifeguard is on duty. If you or someone close to you has been injured in a swimming accident due to lifeguard negligence, we can help. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, our skilled Miami injury attorneys have the experience and determination to handle your case.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately six people drown in the United States each day. Many of these drowning accidents occur at public pool facilities with certified professional lifeguards. The CDC also found that drowning was the fourth-leading cause of accidental death in the country, and one-third of drowning victims are under the age of 14.

Lifeguards are supposed to receive their qualifications through the American Red Cross or another qualified entity. They must keep up to date with their training and certifications to be able to recognize and respond to signs of struggle immediately. When a lifeguard fails to meet a legal duty or obligation and ends up causing an injury or death to a swimmer, that lifeguard will likely be found negligent. Negligence takes place when a lifeguard causes harm by failing to use the level of care that a reasonably prudent lifeguard would have used under the same or similar circumstances.

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fire

Fires can have devastating consequences for people’s lives. If you or someone close to you has been injured in a fire on someone else’s property, you may be able to file a premises liability claim against the at-fault party. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, our Miami premises liability attorneys understand that burn injuries are some of the most painful injuries an individual can suffer, which is why we can aggressively pursue the compensation you deserve in your case.

In Florida, as in every other state, property owners have a duty to maintain their premises to prevent risks of injuries to others. When property owners fail to do this, they can be liable for any injuries that people sustain on the premises. The obligation to maintain one’s property includes taking the necessary steps to prevent a fire from occurring on the property, as well as measures to deal with a fire, should one occur. Some steps a property owner can take to do this are as follows:

  • Have proper, working smoke detectors;
  • Have proper, working sprinkler systems;
  • Have proper fire escape systems;
  • Have proper signage pointing to the fire escape system;
  • Make sure the building is up to code; and
  • Make sure there are no faulty electric outlets or natural gas leaks.

It is important to note that a property owner is not responsible for injuries simply because something happens on the property. In some cases, a fire can break out and spread even if a property owner takes all of the appropriate measures to avoid such an incident. As a result, in order to be liable, property owners must have done something wrong or failed to do something they were supposed to do.

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Soft tissue injuries can be harder to identify than obvious injuries, such as broken bones, but the consequences can be every bit as serious and sometimes even worse. If you or someone close to you has experienced a soft tissue injury, the seasoned Miami injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon can help. For years, we have helped South Florida clients seek the compensation they deserve for their harm, and we can do the same for you.ambulance

A soft tissue injury (STI) refers to damage to muscles, ligaments, tendons, and other connective tissues throughout the body. These injuries can lead to considerable pain and, in some cases, even a temporary or permanent disability. A very common example of a soft tissue injury is whiplash, a neck injury caused by a rapid back and forth movement of the neck (that often takes place in a car accident). Other examples of soft tissue injuries include sprains, strains, contusions, and tendinitis.

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