Miscellaneous

I think we can all agree that the 2008 race for the White House has received more media coverage than any election in history. I have certainly watched and read more campaign speeches than ever before. One thing that has struck me, however, is the Democratic candidates’ reluctance to discuss […]

As an attorney, I am accustomed to cautionary tales after the fact, in the wake of tragedies that might have been avoided. If only someone had known, I think. If only someone had behaved differently, I say. What follows is a short story that can, and does, happen to anyone, […]

I was driving to work this morning and heard the tale of a puppy found suffering after someone poured hot oil on him and left him to suffer to death. What sort of low-life does it take to torture an innocent, defenseless, animal? What should the penalty be for this […]

Two elements of the American Dream – home ownership and the right to seek justice – have been on a collision course as home buyers fighting construction defects learn the hard way that arbitration clauses stack the deck against them. Responding, in part, to consumer outrage, both houses of Congress […]

After years of decline, thanks to safety standards and increased law enforcement, accidental deaths in the United States are on a sharp upswing – with apparently no end in sight. The National Safety Council warns that if the trend continues, accidents will surpass an all-time high set in 1969 (http://www.intelihealth.com/). […]

Television comedians have a field day with jokes about elderly drivers, and with its concentration of retirees, Florida is often the butt of the joke. I have a Florida friend who calls white-haired drivers “no-see-ums.” Not because, like the biting midges, they are so tiny we can’t see ‘em, but […]

If you are a parent or a grandparent, the initial frustration of locking a small child into the web of buckles and straps of a car seat is followed by a sigh of relief: now she will be safe. And that same peace of mind takes over when you remind […]

Warnings are everywhere about the dangers of drinking and driving, a major cause of catastrophic motor vehicle accidents that kill and maim thousands of Floridians. But far less is said about the lethal combination of alcohol and water . . . bodies of water, that is, as Floridians get their […]

The recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) mandate for what is called “electronic stability control” in all vehicles sounds like great news. The Transportation Department says it could save between 5,000 and 10,000 lives and prevent nearly a quarter of a million injuries a year. In plain language, electronic […]