by Marius Ged, on Dec 29, 2022 12:01:05 PM
Keep up with the latest personal injury law news and insights from the industry’s trusted legal partner, Ged Lawyers. Here is an overview of what happened in the personal injury law field this month.
This Month in FL Personal Injury News
1) Judge Accepts Plea Deal in 2018 Lake County Crash that Killed 4 Moms
A family in Lake County, Florida, has expressed their disappointment after learning that the woman accused of the death of four women will spend only four years in prison.
Heather Finely was arrested in 2018 and was charged with four counts, each of DUI, manslaughter, and vehicular homicide. Finley's defense team reached a plea deal with the judge when she was brought to court, and the manslaughter charges were dropped. The plea deals also required Finely to pay $200,000 in restitution.
Judge Larry Metz accepted the plea deal stating that it was the only way he could ensure that the accused would go to jail. The deceased's family, however, was unhappy with the judge's decision to accept the plea deal, citing that they did not feel they had been granted the justice they deserved.
The women killed in the crash were all under 30 years and had children 12 years and below. While addressing the families of the deceased, Finely expressed her remorse, stating that she was aware an apology would not bring back to life the four women.
Industry Updates
1) Medicaid Appears Likely to Survive its Latest Encounter with the Supreme Court
The anti-Medicaid arguments and the case of Health and Hospital Corp. vs. Talevski continues to raise talks in the supreme Court. Supreme court justices seemed unlikely to embrace the legal arguments brought to court recently, which could have seen the scrapping of the health coverage program, which serves over 76 million American citizens from low-income homes.
The defendants of the case of hospital corp. vs. Talevski asked the supreme court justices to stop allowing patients to sue to enforce Medicaid's standards. The defendants’ arguments could have rendered the program's laws unenforceable. At least three justices may still sign into this attack on the Medicaid program.
Several justices seemed undecided on whether nursing home patients could sue to enforce their rights under the program's law or whether they should pursue their grievances through a process that does not involve the federal courts. The court could maintain that nursing home residents could use administrative processes in enforcing Medicaid laws.
2) Bakersfield Jury Awards Car Accident Victim After State Farm Insurance Refuses to Pay $100,000 Policy Limits
A woman who suffered a mild traumatic injury on the brain after a crash caused by a negligent driver will receive $8.1 million after the court’s verdict. After the accident, the defendant's insurance carrier refused to pay the defendant's $100,000 policy limits. Instead, the insurance only paid $30,000 to settle the case after two months of the plaintiff's repeated requests.
PARRIS law firm took their client's case, the accident's victim. The law firm stated that the insurance carrier for the defendant tried to minimize the severity of the crash and stated through their attorney that the victim only suffered a concussion which would resolve after a few months.
Jason P. Fowler, an attorney of PARRIS Law firm, stated that the Jury listened to their client, the victim, and the doctor, who also reaffirmed that the victim would need future medical care owing to the residual problems which she endures.
The Jury's decision and the court's verdict in support of the victim saw it fit that the defendant and his insurance carrier pay the victim $8.1 million. The verdict spread the charges as follows:
- $5,243,725.04 in future medical expenses
- $250,000 in past non-economic losses
- $1,600,000 in future non-economic losses
- $1 million in damages for the victim's husband.
Growing Your Practice
1) 5 Things to Think About for Your 2023 Law Firm Marketing Budget
The impending recession may lead to many budget cuts in many industries, including law firms. However, you still need to fund marketing for your personal injury law firm in the best way possible. Here are five things to consider for your 2023 law firm marketing budget:
Updated Websites
You should budget for proper website designs, development agencies, and a website committee. Online presence is important for your law firm in this digital era, and you should invest heavily in it.
CRM Tools
You need to invest in a client relations management tool if you are yet to get one for your law firm. It eases the burden of a lot of work and typically puts you at the forefront regarding marketing.
Marketing Automation Tools
You should budget for a reliable marketing automation tool that does more than send marketing emails. You would need a graphic designer for effective marketing templates, a marketing technologist to recommend the best marketing automation tools, and a project manager to work on marketing strategies for your firm.
Consistent Content
Many people need to give thought to investing in consistent content creation. However, consistent content is how you gain trust from prospects. If you are yet to, you need to invest in getting great content creators for your firm.
Marketing Videos
Most internet users find value in marketing videos, but only a few are interested in reading marketing scripts. Investing in effective marketing videos would help your firm gain more prospects.
2) How Law Firms Can Create Additional Revenue Streams in 2023
Drivers in Florida pay thousands in Personal injury protection. In the case of auto accidents, patients receive treatment, and medical providers claim payment through insurance companies. Litigation of PIP claims is never easy; as such, medical providers involve lawyers to help with the cases. As a personal injury lawyer, you probably handle loads of cases that require heavy document reviews and are time-consuming.
The good news is that you can partner with Ged Lawyers to lessen the burden of dealing with many cases and maximize revenue for your law firm. The firm's automated processes makes litigation and claim recovery seamless. When you refer your cases to us, you save costs and time.
Additionally, our fast claim recovery process makes it easier for medical providers to generate additional revenue. Our attorneys will safely see through all the cases that require the court's input.
Instead of spending a lot of money fixing internal processing systems to fix payout problems for medical providers, you can refer your contacts to a trusted firm like Ged Lawyers.
We clear up PIP claim cases fast enough so that you do not have backlogs of cases and instead generate income for your firm as you ought to.
Partner with Ged Lawyers to Unlock More Revenue for Your Injury Law Firm
Partnering with us creates a streamlined source of revenue, as our expertise in personal injury protection is evident from the thousands of successful cases we have handled.
Additionally, our client portal is HIPAA compliant, so you do not have to worry about data security when you give us your clients' medical contacts.
Contact us today via our website or at (561) 924-1838. Book an appointment today to learn more about how to increase your law firm's revenue by partnering with us.
