Boca Raton Personal Injury Lawyers Blog | Ellis, Ged & Bodden P.A.

The Free Lance-Star is reporting that, Area builders and drywall providers say Chinese-made drywall has not been used in Fredericksburg-area houses.

Chinese drywall has been making national news of late after hundreds of U.S. homeowners have complained that it smells and emits gasses that make people sick. Most of the claims have been filed in Florida and New Orleans. Homebuilder Lennar Corp., which is building homes in Spotsylvania County's Lee's Parke subdivision, disclosed Monday that it has been named in a class-action lawsuit filed in Florida on behalf of people who bought homes with Chinese drywall that were built during the boom.

Bob Krieff, division president for Lennar in Virginia, said Chinese drywall has not been used in any of Lennar's Virginia homes. He said it appears to be a Florida-only problem for Lennar. In Florida, Lennar has been inspecting homes it built that might have had the Chinese drywall and paying to replace it. Lennar sued the Chinese drywall manufacturer and distributors. Florida's health department has said it will begin testing the air quality in homes to determine whether the material can make people ill. Estimates indicate the drywall may be in more than 100,000 homes, more than 35,000 in Florida alone.

Harvey Gold, director of government affairs for the Fredericksburg Area Builders Association, said none of the association's builders he's checked with have reported using the Chinese drywall. He's also checked with local governments, and no problems have been reported. Executives for Ashton Innovations and Chatham Construction Co. Inc., which are two of the Fredericksburg area's bigger drywall installers, both said they do not and have not used Chinese drywall.

The Attorneys at Ellis, Ged & Bodden P.A. are offering FREE consultations to residents of Florida in all matters relating to Chinese drywall. If you believe your home and health may be at risk, please contact us immediately to protect your legal rights.

--The Associated Press contributed to this report.

CLEARWATER, Fla. — A 3-month-old boy who was ejected from his car seat during a two-vehicle crash has died.

The crash happened shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday. Clearwater police said the infant's mother, 19-year-old Priscilla Baltazar, was driving a Honda in a curb lane when she was hit by an SUV.
Her infant, Alden Perez, was ejected from his car seat and died at a local hospital. Officials said Baltazar and a 3-year-old child received minor injuries.
So far, no charges have been filed.

If you have been injured in a traffic accident, or if you have a loved one injured, the traffic accident attorneys at Ellis, Ged & Bodden P.A. will work diligently to protect your legal rights and to maximize your recovery. The initial consultation is free of charge, so call or email us today

Accoding to the Sun Sentinel WEST BOCA - Two people involved in traffic accidents on roads west of Boca Raton earlier this month have died from their injuries.Kevin Grant, 36, died Friday after being struck by a car as he stood on Dolphin Road on April 4, according to a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office report. As Robert Hebert turned his 2001 Hyundai sedan onto Dolphin Road from Sandalfoot Boulevard his vehicle's side mirror struck Grant in the back of the head, the report states. Grant died Friday at Delray Medical Center. Grant and Hebert, 58, both are of the 10100 block of Marlin Drive.Bicyclist Timothy Williams died Sunday after being struck Saturday by a 2003 Dodge SUV driven by Miami resident Candice Curl, 36. Williams, 35, of west of Boca Raton, pedaled his Magna bike eastbound on Camino Real when Curl's SUV, also eastbound on Camino Real, struck Williams as he entered the intersection of Camino Del Mar, according to the report. Williams was pronounced dead at Delray Medical Center.
If you have been injured in a traffic accident, or if you have a loved one injured, the traffic accident attorneys at Ellis, Ged & Bodden P.A. will work diligently to protect your legal rights and to maximize your recovery. The initial consultation is free of charge, so call or email us today.

Sun Sentinel; PALM VALLEY, Fla. - Authorities were investigating Monday why a power boat packed with 12 people slammed into a docked tug boat, killing five occupants of the pleasure craft and seriously injuring 12.The 22-foot power boat crashed into the rear of the tug at about 7 p.m. Sunday on the Intracoastal Waterway in St. Johns County, about 20 miles northwest of St. Augustine, said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Joy Hill. The Intracoastal Waterway runs along Florida's east coastline.Three of the injured were airlifted from the crash site and all seven were taken to area hospitals, she said.Hill was not sure whether those on the Crownline boat were tossed into the water during the crash.

She said it doesn't appear anyone was aboard the 25-foot tug boat, which is registered to F&A Enterprises in St. Augustine.The victims names have not been released."Investigators are looking at anything that may have caused this," Hill said, including the speed and capacity of the boat, lighting conditions and whether alcohol may have been a factor.The boat was carrying 12 people, according to Jeremy Robshaw of the St. Johns County Fire and Rescue. He told The Florida Times-Union newspaper that three of those injured were in critical condition, with the others in stable condition.Robshaw said the pier was under construction and rescuers had to lay down planking before they could get to the crash victims.Herb Davis watched the rescue from the dock at his home down the street."There was a lot of moaning," he told the newspaper. "It was very clear, this lady was screaming so loud," he said.

If you are injured while boating, traveling on a cruise line, on a yacht, or simply offshore, the laws can get complicated very quickly. The laws governing your injuries and your potential remedies depend upon who you are, where you were, and what you were doing at the time of the accident.

The maritime lawyers at the law firm of Ellis, Ged & Bodden P.A. have extensive experience in litigating maritime cases in almost every major port in the United States as well as internationally.

DEBARY, Fla. — According to the Palm Beach Post Authorities say a Florida Highway Patrol trooper was seriously injured when a vehicle hit him during a traffic stop on Interstate 4 near DeBary.
An FHP spokeswoman says Trooper Rickie Zigler was standing on the shoulder after pulling over a sport utility vehicle Thursday afternoon driven by Luz Roman, who called 911 dispatchers for help with a domestic disturbance. Another vehicle driven by 78-year-old Donola White lost control and hit the SUV, causing it to hit the trooper.
Zigler was taken by helicopter to a Daytona Beach hospital with a broken pelvis and wrist. Roman was taken to a Sanford hospital with minor injuries. White, who had to be removed from the car, was taken by helicopter to an Orlando hospital and was in critical but stable condition.
If you are in Florida, and have been injured in an auto accident, or if you have a loved one injured, the auto accident attorneys at Ellis, Ged & Bodden P.A. will work diligently to protect your legal rights and to maximize your recovery. The initial consultation is free of charge, so call or email us today.

CBS new 12 reported on the new driving conditions in West Palm Beach. Worried that the problem is only going to get worse, police say something has to be done about nabbing red-light runners."We think that a lot of people are running red lights. We don't have the personnel especially in today's budget situation to monitor them all the time," said Assistant West Palm Beach Police Chief Dennis Crispo.

City commissioners are considering a contract with an outside firm that would install and maintain the cameras and send tickets to violators. The fine would be $125.
West Palm Beach Police have identified ten intersections with the highest number of accidents.
Those intersections, such as 45th and Congress, will get cameras to videotape drivers who race through when the light changes to red. Drivers will get a ticket in the mail, and will have to pay a fine. They can even go to a website and see video of their car running a red light, if they don't recall the incident or want to make sure the city really does have them on camera.
Motorists we talked with say they don't have a problem with the plan to install red-light runner cameras.

"In south Florida, they gun it and run it instead of trying to stop, Absolutely. I think it's a great idea," said Mike Lewis, motorist. "I do think that running red lights is very dangerous. So I think probably the city has a right to do that if it is a real safety problem for the citizens," said Anne Pepper, another motorist. Crispo says the cameras would be installed in about three months.

Auto accidents are the most common basis for personal injury claims brought in the United States. When a person is careless in the operation of their vehicle, they are liable to all individuals who are injured as a result. In determining whether or not a driver was negligent, several factors are considered:

• The driver’s speed
• The weather conditions at the time of the accident
• Any failure to obey traffic signals or signs
• Any failure to follow proper procedures in operating the vehicle
• Whether or not the driver was under the influence of any alcohol or drugs

The law provides a limited time period for you to bring an automobile accident claim. If you are in Florida, and have been injured in an auto accident, or if you have a loved one injured, contact Ellis, Ged & Bodden P.A. today. We will work diligently to protect your legal rights and to maximize your recovery. The initial consultation is free of charge, so call or email us today.

Palm Beach Post reports today, Portions of County Line Road in northern Palm Beach County remained closed past 4:30 p.m. today after a motorcyclist was killed in a collision with a Palm Tran connection bus.

Authorities identified the motorcyclist as Stephen Charles Trapani, 68, of Tequesta.
Trapani was on a motorcycle by himself heading east on County Line Road just north of Tequesta near the Martin County line when he struck the front of the bus at 1:39 p.m., Palm Beach County Sherriff’s investigator Karly Gallart said. The bus was headed west and turning left onto Old Dixie Highway when the motorcycle collided, smashing the bus windshield on the driver's side. The driver and lone passenger on the bus were not injured.

Trapani, who was not wearing a helmet, was killed instantly, Gallart said.

Auto accidents are the most common basis for personal injury claims brought in the United States. When a person is careless in the operation of their vehicle, they are liable to all individuals who are injured as a result. The law provides a limited time period for you to bring an automobile accident claim. If you are in Florida, and have been injured in an auto accident, or if you have a loved one injured, contact Ellis, Ged & Bodden today. We will work diligently to protect your legal rights and to maximize your recovery. The initial consultation is free of charge, so call or email us today.