Buenos Dias!

Hispanic heritage month is currently in full swing across the United States. September 15kicked off a month long celebration to recognize the accomplishments and achievements of our vibrant Hispanic citizens. The Latino community amounts to 16 % of the US population and continues to rise each year.  Many Hispanics have become influential members of our government such as Sonia Sotomayor, Marco Rubio and Manuel Diaz. The Hispanic community is rich in culture and has infused their rhythms and flavors right here in our backyard. We are home to the world-famous Versailles Restaurant in South Beach, which has served Cuban cuisine to politicians such as Mitt Romney, John McCain and Bill Clinton. 

The LaBovick Law Group would like to recognize the Hispanic members of our community and acknowledge them for their contributions to our community. We have spent the month getting to know members of our local Hispanic community and recognizing their achievements.  In addition, we will be participating in the 6^th annual Binational Health Fair in West Palm Beach on Saturday October 20, 2012. This event will educate and inform the Hispanic community about beneficial services in their area.

Buenos Dias!

El mes de la Herencia Hispana se encuentra actualmente en pleno apogeo en los Estados Unidos. El  15 de septiembre comienza la celebración para reconocer nuestros ciudadanos hispanos vibrantes. La comunidad latina que equivale al 16% de la población de los EE.UU. y sigue creciendo cada año. Muchos hispanos se han convertido en miembros influyentes de nuestro gobierno, como Sonia Sotomayor, Marco Rubio y Díaz, Manuel. La comunidad hispana es rica en cultura y ha infundido sus ritmos y sabores aquí en nuestro país. Somos el hogar de la mundialmente famosa Restaurante Versailles en South Beach, que ha servido cocina cubana a los políticos, como Mitt Romney, John McCain y Bill Clinton.
El Grupo de Derecho LaBovick gustaría reconocer a los miembros hispanos de nuestra comunidad y reconocerlos por sus contribuciones a nuestra comunidad. Hemos pasado el mes de conocer a miembros de la comunidad hispana local y el reconocimiento de sus logros. Además, vamos a participar en la 6ta Feria Anual Binacional de Salud en West Palm Beach, el sábado 20 de octubre de 2012. Este evento será educar e informar a la comunidad hispana sobre los servicios benéficos en su área.

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This summer Federal motor carrier safety administration (FMCSA) conducted a surprise inspection sweep of many motor coaches, large trucks and tour buses. The sweep will cut across 13 states including most of the Eastern seaboard and the District of Columbia. The reason, and need, for these inspections is because of the rash of fatal accidents that have steadily risen in number over the past year.

We all assume buses and motor coach greyhound bus style travel is safe. Suddenly the lack of government regulation, difficult to bring tort/negligence claims and almost no oversight, is causing people to get hurt or even die unnecessarily. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTSA) has also taken note. They are proposing additional requirements to include anti-rollover equipment on all motor coaches and big trucks. This coincides with the release of a 1,600 page report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) that details the reasons for the deaths of passengers for bus accidents over the last year in New York City. That report spotlights many safety issues for buses. The new equipment has been effective at stopping roll overs on cars and light trucks. Engineering this computer assisted braking and vehicle movement stabilizers to fit buses and large trucks will certainly save lives.

Summer travel brings on a a glut of motor coach, large truck and bus travel. Certainly accidents will increase. Travel on buses throughout our national parks, and around the major cities, is the norm for many tourists. Hopefully with new regulations, better equipment, and increased inspections we will all have safe summer vacations.

LaBovick Law Group concentrates their national injury practice into three divisions: the large truck/motor coach/bus accident division; the catastrophic accidents division and the Florida maritime lawyer division. Don't trust your bus accident case to a firm that handles car accidents. Hire a firm that is familiar with the national standards and regulations of the large truck and motor coach industry. We offer a free consultation and can handle cases in all 50 states.

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A good friend of mine and I were sitting around the other day talking about our kids and he told me a story about his daughter in the middle school of our public school system here in Palm Beach County Florida. As the story unfolded, I became more and more horrified at what I heard.

Evidently, she suffers from a learning disability referred to as Dyscalculia. This is the mathematical equivalent of Dyslexia. It is more common than believed and significantly under diagnosed. All along the parents had been led to believe that she was “slow” or unmotivated. They tried, in vain, through intermediate school to obtain a 504 plan through the school board only to be discouraged by the school's math teacher and principal. Subsequently, the fifth-grade math teacher gave the child the answers to the final exam test so that she would pass with D. In other words, the school failed her up to the next grade.

Once in middle school, she was classified as a special education needs student and warehoused with underachieving and learning disabled children. Finally, the parents had her tested and her intelligence ranked above average. It was only then that they learned that she suffered from Dyscalculia.

They went back to the school with the diagnosis and had a conference with the teachers and guidance counselors. They were assured that the problem would be addressed and that they were capable of teaching to the problem. She was again warehoused within the school in classrooms designed for learning disabled and chronic underachievers.

Her self-esteem deteriorated and her confidence was completely eroded. My friend went to the counselors after notice of his daughters failing grades. The school assigned her tutors but these tutors failed in their efforts as well. The tutoring sessions at the school were nothing more than free time to goof off and was more like daycare. More meetings with the counselors ensued and my friend was assured that his daughter will graduate to the eighth grade with a solid D average. His lasting impression was that the counselors, school administrators and teachers just did not care.

Recently, he pulled his daughter out of the public school system and found a local Montessori school that catered to intelligent children with a learning disability such as Dyscalculia and Dyslexia. He and his wife were ecstatic to learn that the schools mantra was to rebuild the child's self-esteem and confidence. From there the learning would progress in an acceptable fashion. Their theory is as the confidence grows in the child, the child will not fear the learning process and flourish. In the brief time that his daughter has been at the school, she has changed for the better in her personality, attitude and desire to learn.

As a father of two school-age children, I found this story to be exceptionally compelling. We must all take an active role in the educational process of our children because the system is capable of breaking down. I am sure that there are dedicated school principals, administrators and teachers throughout the state to take special interest in their students. But like any profession, there are others that are only in it only because it is a job or have burned out and are waiting for retirement. Just because our children are in public school, does not mean that we have lost all control over the process. But in order to make change, you must be involved.

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This is part one of a three part series on bullying, and anti-bullying initiatives. In this article, we will look at how bullying is defined and the different types.

According to the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program:

"A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself."

Definition of Bullying

Bullying includes three important components:

1. Aggressive behavior that involves unwanted, negative actions.
2. A pattern of behavior repeated over time.
3. An imbalance of power or strength.

Bullying has been around since the beginning of mankind. However, the advent of the Internet and social networking sites has pushed bullying into the forefront of public awareness.

Types of Bullying

Bullying can take on many forms:

1. Verbal - name-calling and teasing.
2. Social - spreading rumors, leaving people out on purpose and breaking up friendships.
3. Physical - hitting, punching and shoving.
4. Cyber - using the Internet, cell phones or other digital devices to harm others.

Recently, there have been reports where bullying has spiraled out of control to the point where the victim has committed suicide. This does not necessarily only apply to children, teenagers or college students. There have been several reported incidents where bullying in the workplace has led adults to take their own lives.

As our society becomes more complex, and communication becomes less face-to-face, bullying can become easier for those who otherwise would not engage. It is very easy for the cowardly bully to tease and ostracize others over a social networking site. This type of bully can remain in the shadows and would otherwise not confront the victim for a variety of reasons.

This is not to say that old-fashioned traditional physical bullying does not exist, it does. Schoolyard fights seem to be on the increase as society places more pressure on teenagers to achieve and gain acceptance.

In part two of our series, I will discuss the signs to look for that your child is being bullied, how to protect your child from bullies, and how to address cyber bullying.

Stay tuned for part two of our bullying series, coming soon.

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Auto Accident App

The new auto accident app launched by LaBovick Law Group is the easiest way to record details at the scene of an automobile accident. The auto accident app, named Crash Detective, is the best mobile app on the market, available for both the iPhone and the Android. It directs victims through compiling the necessary evidence immediately after a car accident has occurred. Easy to use, this app has many features and benefits.

Features of Auto Accident App

The auto accident app is a great mobile tool for accident victims. If you have been involved in a car collision, you now have a free app that guides you through a logical checklist of action items. The auto accident app has a comprehensive list of features including:

• A one touch button to call 911 or instantly contact our Palm Beach personal injury lawyers.
• A Camera, video recorder and text notepad to record all of the important information about the auto accident.
• Concise instructions of what needs to be accomplished before and after an accident.
• Efficient forms to quickly gather accident information from the other parties (drivers, witnesses, passengers).
• Automatic GPS locator which helps in recording critical accident facts like traffic patterns and driving conditions.

Emergency Services Features of Auto Accident App

The auto accident app aids victims by allowing them to quickly search and locate the closest emergency services. So, apart from being an easy to use accident reporting tool, the app doubles up as an emergency services locator. With a single click, users can:

• Find the nearest police station.
• Find a tow truck service.
• Locate auto repair shops.
• Discover nearest taxi services.
• Obtain a map of closest hospitals.

The Crash Detective utilizes the quickest growing way for information gathering. The best part is that it's absolutely free. Easy to use, comprehensive in design, this auto accident app provides all of the resources one will need when faced with the unfortunate circumstance of being a victim in a car collision.

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"New Name to Reflect the full scope of the Legal Team and Strength of Brand"

We are pleased to announce that the firm formerly known as LaBovick & LaBovick, P.A. has changed its name to LaBovick Law Group. This will enable the LaBovick Law Group to present a clear and strong brand in the Florida legal community.

The name change will reflect the firm's dynamic history as one of the preeminent law firms in the legal community. Founded by Brian F. LaBovick, Esq. and joined by his wife, Esther Uria LaBovick, Esq. the firm has moved beyond a small firm practice and into a full service firm serving clients throughout the nation. As part of this brand shift, the LaBovick Law Group will adopt a new tag line, “Your Full Service Law Firm” to reflect the firm’s ability to serve all the legal needs of clients.

The LaBovick Law Group will be committed to continuing to provide the expert legal services that clients have come to rely on in such core practices as Personal Injury, Qui tam, Employment Law, and Complex Litigation. The LaBovick Law Group is one of Florida’s leading civil trial law firms assisting individuals and businesses throughout Florida. In addition to its headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, the firm has offices in West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach and Boca Raton.

Managing Shareholder, Brian F. LaBovick, Esq., stated "Over the past few years, several prominent attorneys have joined the firm, adding legal expertise in practice areas such as Maritime, Estate Planning, Asset Protection, Complex Litigation, Foreclosure Defense, Mortgage Modification  Bankruptcy and PIP Insurance Litigation. We have selected a new name reflective of the full scope of legal services being offered and incorporated the strength of the LaBovick brand in the community."

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Today is Veteran’s Day.  We salute all of the men and women who served the Country in the Armed Services.  We remember those that bravely gave their lives in service of freedom for our country.

We also give special thanks to the active duty servicemen and women who are currently overseas. We owe a special thanks to their families and loved ones at home. Thank you for sharing them.

We encourage everyone to take one step further and show their gratitude to the families of veterans and active service members by going to the following website: www.serve.gov to locate a military family in your area. Also, you can Visit the Veteran's Affairs website to find out more about Veteran's Services and other volunteer outreach opportunities at: www.VA.gov

To our veterans and active duty service members:

We Thank You For Your Service - Every Day and Especially on Veterans’ Day.

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In response to a Palm Beach Post article on LaBovick & LaBovick, P.A. filing lawsuits against several insurance companies in Broward County,  Mark R. Hanson, Esq., made the following statement, which the Palm Beach Post published in its Op/Ed section on May 9.

Insurance Firms should Pay Providers as per Law

I feel compelled to comment on the article regarding the LaBovick law firm [published in the Palm Beach Post.

The article was critical of our firm for filing volumes of claims against various insurance companies for their failure to fully pay health care providers. The article failed to mention that before a suit can be filed, the insurance company is given two chances to pay the correct amount.

Only upon their failure to pay the doctors after being requested twice is a suit filed. If the insurance industry wants to stop these lawsuits, they simply have to pay the health care professionals what the law requires. Instead, they choose to nickel-and-dime the health care industry. When they get caught, they shift the blame by calling the lawyers greedy.

The insurance companies’ failure to follow the law is what is driving up insurance premiums, not the attorneys who enforce the law. What would an insurance company do if their customers underpaid their premiums by $3?

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We hope that you have a Happy and safe Fourth of July this year. 

In an effort to promote Consumer Safety we would like to share a few important facts and safety tips for handling Fireworks from the CPSC:

•  Read and follow all warnings and instructions
   
•  Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks
   
•  Keep other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.
   
•  Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from the house, dry leaves, and  flammable materials.
   
•  Never try to relight fireworks that have not fully functioned.
   
•  Keep a bucket of water in case of a malfunction or fire.

The National Fire Protection Association cites the following statistics:

In 2008, across the country 7,000 people were treated for fireworks-related injuries. 40 percent of the injuries involved kids.
Over half of the injuries were burns to the arms, legs and hands.
One out of five of the injuries nvolved hot debris hitting people's eyes.

Palm Beach County, Deputy Fire Marshall, Jeff Collins sums it up perfectly in a recent interview with the Sun Sentinel:

"Your best bet is to let the professionals handle the fireworks". 

Last year, Managing Partner, Brian LaBovick, wrote a wonderful post on How to Avoid Injuries with Fireworks and  the importance of the Fourth of July.  Enjoy reading the post.

Have a Happy and Safe Fourth of July.

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