Miscellaneous

• The Rational Teenage Thinking Process

  Bob Carroll | November 17, 2006 5:43 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  You are not going to believe this. Your teenager's thinking process may be more rational than yours. I said you would not believe this. Risks And The Pitfalls Of Rationality In AdolescentsIs it a good idea to swim with sharks? Is it smart to drink a bottle of Drano? What about setting your hair on fire -- is that a good thing to do? People of all ages are able to give the correct answer (it's...

• Two Children Drown When Fishing Boat Swamps

  Bob Carroll | November 17, 2006 5:28 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  A family outing on a Florida lake turned tragic. Mechanical problem might have led to boating tragedyInvestigators found two mechanical "issues" Tuesday that may have helped doom a family fishing outing, while a heartbroken Eric Singleton returned to Lake Yale near Eustis to guide divers searching the murky waters for his son and daughter.One of the problems was a bad cable that affected a...

• Waivers Or Releases Of Liability Can Be Defeated

  Bob Carroll | November 16, 2006 8:40 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  I know we don't do much snow skiing in Florida, but this Pennsylvania case caught my attention. It shows that even where there is a signed waiver of liability for future events there are some avenues that could defeat the waiver and allow a claim for negligence or other wrongful acts. It is the job of the victim's attorney, whether in Pennsylvania or Clearwater or Tampa, to search for a...

• Judge Announces He Is Armed And Dangerous

  Bob Carroll | November 12, 2006 6:26 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Was it the loaded gun or the shoot first threat that got this Florida judge in hot water?Judge gets mentoring after bringing loaded gun to courtroomPANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) -- A first-year Bay County judge was ordered to accept mentoring after bringing a loaded gun into his courtroom and announcing he was "locked and loaded." County Judge Michael Hauversburk told The News Herald that he brought...

• Six Proposed Florida Constitutional Amendments Explained

  Bob Carroll | November 04, 2006 6:09 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  There are six constitutional amendments on the ballot in Florida on Tuesday. An excellent summary and discussion of each of the amendments can be found at Abstract Appeal.2006 Proposed Constitutional Amendments

• Chaos And Confusion May Have A Lot Going For It

  Bob Carroll | November 02, 2006 10:24 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  When experienced trial lawyers sit around and swap war stories there is often much to be learned. Nowadays, some of the war stories are being swapped on the web via blogs (or, more properly, blawgs). Robert Bogg, at his Washington Trial Law blawg happened to see a post on MyTrialBlog.com about the benefit of developing and emphasizing a single theory throughout a trial. He was reminded of a...

• Phillip Morris Turns To The U.S. Supreme Court For Help

  Bob Carroll | October 27, 2006 5:38 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Phillip Morris is soon to have its day before the United States Supreme Court.Guest Blogger: Tobacco Litigation - An Historical PerspectiveDuring the past 40 years, the tobacco industry has engaged in an aggressive, expensive and largely successful campaign to defeat efforts to hold it accountable in the courts for the enormous harm caused by its conduct and its products. In Philip Morris USA...

• Federal Judges Not Seeing Many Frivolous Lawsuits

  Bob Carroll | October 26, 2006 6:29 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  What do federal judges have to say about frivolous lawsuits? The answer is provided by a survey of their opinions. Talking Liberally - "Frivolous" Law SuitsSo let's talk a bit about the supposed avalanche of frivolous lawsuits. This claim is being used to cut back on the right to sue for all sorts of even very serious injuries.Consider, if there were an onslaught of frivolous lawsuits crowding...

• Big Drug Profits In Medicare - A Republican Gift To Big Pharma

  Bob Carroll | October 24, 2006 6:34 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  I spend a decent amount of time each week negotiating with insurance companies in an effort to settle claims on behalf of my clients. I have been doing this for over 35 years in Florida where, generally speaking, negotiations are viewed as a productive practice when there is a need to arrive at a fair compromise.I thought negotiations with drug manufacturers would have been a productive process...

• Putting The Obesity Society On The Scales Of Public Scrutiny

  Bob Carroll | October 22, 2006 6:43 AM | 0 CommentsTampa Bay, FL

  Maybe our concern over being a little pudgy is the result of overblown rhetoric financed by drug and weight-loss companies. And, maybe the Obesity Society needs to lose some of its funding before it can truly be a lean and clean organization.Consumer Group Exposes Obesity Society's Conflicts Of InterestA report released by the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) titled An Epidemic of Obesity...