True, the disaster was on a different scale – while there are at least six dead and 16 missing from Costa Concordia out of the 4,234 passengers and crew, more than 1,500 died when the Titanic sank. And the Costa Concordia was never hailed as unsinkable; no one was going to make that mistake again.

The actions of Costa Concordia, its crew and especially its Captain are beyond negligent. It is unacceptable in today’s world of technology for cruise ship of that size and magnitude to crash into a rock. This is simply unacceptable.

If you or a loved one was on the Costa Concordia, you have certain rights. Do not let the insurance company for Costa Concordia low ball you in an attempt to obtain a fast settlement. The insurance companies are always looking out for their best interest. If you or a loved one suffered injuries or died as a result of the negligence of the Costa Concordia you must exercise your rights immediately. There are time deadlines that must be complied with immediately so you do not lose your rights to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve for Costa Concordia clear cut negligence.

The Shaked Law Firm, P.A. has experience in representing victims of cruise ship accidents and cruise ship negligence cases. The Shaked Law Firm, P.A., has a board certified civil trial lawyer who will passionately represent your interests. If you or a loved one were on the Costa Concordia call the Shaked Law Firm for a free consultation at (877) LAW-0080 or 877 529-0080 or (305) 937-0191.

According to the law and your passenger ticket, The Costa Concordia negligence cases must be brought in Miami, Florida and within one year of the incident. The Shaked Law Firm is headquartered in Miami, Florida.

Just after 7 p.m. on July 22, a 2007 2-door BMW and a 2008 4-door Mercedes were westbound on Stirling Road. As they approached the 8900 block, the BMW struck a 2006 Scion that had just exited a business to cross Stirling Road. The impact caused both the BMW and the Scion to spin around before coming to rest west of the point of impact. The Mercedes did not make contact with any vehicle. Initial information from witnesses stated that the BMW and Mercedes were speeding however, that has not been confirmed pending the investigation.

Ashema Rattigan, 22, and her daughter Janaiyah Mora, 2, were passengers in the back seat of the Scion driven by Stacy Ann Melisa Telemaque, 23. There was no infant car seat in the vehicle. The front seat passenger was identified as Patrick Cave, 22. The mother and infant from the back seat were treated on scene by Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue and transported to Memorial Regional Hospital and Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, respectively, where the mother subsequently died from her injuries after arrival. The infant was listed in critical but stable condition after arriving at the hospital. Telemaque and Cave were treated and released from an area hospital. The driver of the BMW, Abbas F. Khalife, 32, of Davie, refused transport to the hospital.

Broward Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit detectives are conducting the investigation into the cause of the crash. An autopsy was performed on the victim by the Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death.

For a free consultation with a the Shaked Law Firm Accident Attorneys, call (305) 937-0191 or toll free at 1-877-LAW-0080.

We have litigated cases throughout the State of Florida and are willing to meet with clients anywhere in the State. Please visit the Contact Us page to speak with our experienced Accident lawyers.

The Convenience Business Security Act requires that certain security devices and standards be established at all convenience businesses open any time between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. The Act, which is contained in sections 812.1701-812.175, Florida Statutes, places enforcement authority within the Office of the Attorney General. Violations of the law may result in civil penalties of up to $5,000.00.

Under the Act, a convenience business is defined as one that:

Is primarily engaged in the sale of groceries, or both groceries and gasoline; and
Is open for business during any hours between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Excluded from the Act are businesses that:

Are solely or primarily in the restaurant business; or
Have five or more employees on the premises between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.; or
Have more than 10,000 square feet of retail floor space; or
Have the owner or a member of the owner’s immediate family (spouse, mother, father, brother, sister or child) working on the premises between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Minimum Security Standards

Training in robbery deterrence and safety for each employee, conducted through an approved curriculum
Drop safe or cash management device that is secured to the floor or counter or that weighs at least 500 pounds
Lighted parking lot
Notice at the entrance that the cash register contains $50.00 or less
Height markers at the entrance
Window sign placement allowing an unobstructed view of the sales transaction area from inside and outside the building
Window tinting that allows for physical identification of all persons in the sales transaction area from outside the building
A written cash management policy, kept on-site, that limits cash on hand between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
A security camera system that is capable of retrieving an identifiable image of an offender, including an annual test photo and a maintenance log showing maintenance every four months
A silent alarm
Additional security measures, if required (see below)

Additional security measures are required when:

Convenience businesses at which a murder, robbery, sexual battery, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, kidnapping or false imprisonment has occurred in connection with the operation of the business must have one of the following additional security measures in place between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.:

At least two employees on the premises at all times
A secured safety enclosure made of transparent polycarbonate
A security guard or off duty law enforcement officer on the premises
Locked premises with business conducted through an indirect pass-through, trap door or window

The additional security requirements must be in place for a minimum of 24 months after the date of the most recent crime. After 24 months, the convenience business may file a notice of exemption with the Office of the Attorney General.

The Shaked law firm represents victims of violence in Miami and throughout the State of Florida. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured because of security negligence, lack of security, inadequate security, contact us for a free consultation.

Shaked Law Firm
2999 NE 191st Street, Penthouse 6
Miami, FL 33180
Phone: 305-937-0191
Toll Free: 877-LAW-0080

The negligent security attorneys at the Shaked Law Firm in Miami, Florida, represent clients nationally and throughout Florida in Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Key West, Broward County, Dade County, North Miami, Palm Beach, South Miami, Kendall, North Miami Beach, Miami Shores, Pembroke Pines, Hialeah, Westchester, South Beach, Miami Beach, Hollywood, Hallandale and other communities and counties throughout the State of Florida.

As she arrived at her job at The Check Cashing Store, Clairemathe Geffrard made one phone call to a coworker.

It was the signal to let everyone know she was safely inside the store.

But what co-worker Yolanda Metelus heard shortly before 9:30 a.m. Tuesday when she answered the call was the voice of a unknown male.

“Open the f—ing door,” the man barked, twice. The line went dead.

Metelus called 911 when Geffrard didn’t pick up.

New details were released Wednesday about the violent armed robbery that left Geffrard dead from a gunshot and the suspected shooter hospitalized with bullet wounds from deputies.

“Clairemathe Geffrard, a 25-year-old mother of a 1-year-old, who was just trying to make an honest living, working to take care of her family, went to work every morning like all of us do,” Sheriff Al Lamberti said Wednesday. “Unfortunately some hoodlum decided to ruin her life.”

BSO deputies and SWAT members quickly arrived at the store at 2927 W. Sunrise Blvd., a busy commercial strip just west of Fort Lauderdale, and surrounded it.

They quickly shut down Sunrise Boulevard during rush hour.

Investigators said Wednesday 33-year-old Stanley Beasley, a convicted felon with a long rap sheet was inside with Geffrard. They believe he followed her in from the parking lot as she walked from her car to the business.

At 10 a.m., Geffrard called co-worker Djefnie Pericles.

“Tell the police to leave, he’s got a gun to my head,” Geffrard said, according to the affidavit. She hung up.

Pericles tried to call back, but there was no answer.

Investigators said Beasley, of Lauderhill, shot Geffrard in the head, execution style, then ran out the front door, carrying a backpack and firing at deputies.

Five deputies returned fire, according to the affidavit, striking Beasley, who collapsed in the parking lot. His backpack was stuffed with more than $3,300, the affidavit said. A 9 mm firearm was near his right hand.

A SWAT team member found Geffrard face down on the floor, near the open store safe.

Also hurt in the gunfire was Jorge Aguilar, 36, who Lamberti described as an innocent bystander. He was across the street at a tire shop when a bullet struck him in the chest.

On Wednesday, Aguilar remained at Broward General Medical Center.

Geffrard’s husband told WSVN-Fox 7 that she had only been there for a few months and didn’t feel safe but stayed.

“She felt like leaving her job,” her husband, James Sainvil, told the station, “but, because of our situation, she could not.”

Beasley’s prior criminal history included charges of robbery, burglary, grand theft, battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest. On Wednesday, he was also was in Broward General, under prison guard. He faces charges of murder, kidnapping and robbery.

Detectives also are looking to see if Beasley is connected to the “Assault Gun Bandits,” a robbery crew that terrorized Broward and Palm Beach county banks between 2004 and 2007, stealing nearly $800,000. The crew was made up of three brothers, all with the last name Beasley: Joshua, Brandon, and Gregory.

Their spree ended after Gregory was murdered and an alert Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed Joshua in April 2008, after a $104,000 heist at a Washington Mutual bank. Brandon Beasley was convicted and sentenced to prison.

The Check Cashing Store remained closed Wednesday. A white teddy bear and flowers were left outside.

The Shaked law firm represents victims of violence in Dade and Broward Counties and throughout the State of Florida. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured because of security negligence, lack of security, inadequate security, contact us for a free consultation.

Shaked Law Firm
2999 NE 191st Street, Penthouse 6
Miami, FL 33180
Phone: 305-937-0191
Toll Free: 877-LAW-0080

A 18-wheeler and car collided in the northbound lanes of Interstate 95 Tuesday, just south of Hallandale Beach Boulevard, and firefighters were trying to free a person from the car, a fire official said.

Sheriff’s firefighters and technical rescue workers, as well as Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, responded to crash, reported at about 11 a.m. When the person is removed from the car, he or she will be taken to Memorial Regional Hospital, said Mike Jachles, a spokesman for Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue.

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the crash.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a garbage truck accident in Florida, contact the Shaked Law Firm today for a free consultation. Our experienced  Florida truck accident lawyers are eager to begin working for you!

Nine times since Jan. 1, 2010, a boater on Treasure Coast waters paid a serious price during an excursion. Eight of the nine individuals lost their lives when a planned outing for play (7) or work (2) rapidly became an unexpected emergency situation.

Few who are involved in serious boating accidents plan to encounter threat to life and limb. But with more than 1 million registered vessels operating on state waters — nearly 17 million vessels nationwide — boaters are at an increasing risk of suffering serious injury or death.

According to statistics from NOAA, nearly 79 million Americans — or 32 percent of the population — will enjoy an outing by boat this year.

Sadly, some will not return home.

Between 1991 and 2009, an average of 752 boaters nationally died while on the water.

With that in mind, National Safe Boating Week (May 21-27) is the perfect time to go over safety procedures that can help reduce on-the-water accidents.

In 2009, the U.S. Coast Guard reported 4,730 accidents, 3,358 injuries, $36 million of damage and 738 deaths.

Annually Florida leads the nation with the most boating accidents and fatalities, including 79 last year, in part because Florida has the most boats.

Wear It

Each year members of the boating education community stress the importance of wearing a life jacket. That one simple choice could possibly save as many as 84 percent of the nation’s boating fatalities who drowned.

For the second year, the National Safe Boating Council and the Canadian Safe Boating Council are promoting an event on May 21 called “Ready, Set, Inflate.”

Last year, the event brought awareness to the importance of wearing life jackets while on the water by setting a world record for inflatable life jackets worn on the same day. Organizers hope to shatter last year’s record of 1,154. To learn about joining or organizing an event visit www.readysetinflate.com.

Many Florida boaters are unaware that there is a state law that mandates all children under the age of 6 must wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved Type I, II or III personal flotation device (PFD) while aboard a vessel less than 26 feet in length that is underway on state waters. There is also a federal regulation that beyond state waters — which is three miles off Florida’s Atlantic coast — each child under 13 years of age must wear a USCG-approved PFD on a recreational vessel that is underway.

Personal watercraft riders and anyone being towed behind a vessel must also be wearing an appropriate PFD. Plus, every vessel must carry at least one USCG approved Type I, II, III or V PFD for each person aboard the vessel.

Get educated

Since Jan. 1, 2010, Florida boaters are under a new law that requires boater education. In order to operate a vessel powered by a motor of more than 10 horsepower, a person born on or after Jan. 1, 1988 must complete an approved boater education course or pass an approved equivalency exam. Approved courses must be accredited by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA).

Upon completion of the course, the operator will be issued a Boater Safety Identification Card from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Legislators enacted the rule as a way to address the fact that 89 percent of state boating fatalities involved an operator who had no safe boating education.

For more information, contact the FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement at 850-488-5600 or visit www.MyFWC.com.

Don’t drink and drive

Florida laws against Boating Under the Influence (BUI) of alcohol and drugs are as strict as those for driving a vehicle. “Under the Influence” is defined as having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher.

By operating a vessel on state waters, an operator has consented to be tested for the presence of alcohol or drugs if requested by a peace officer. Refusal to be tested is punishable by a civil penalty of $500 and is a crime if fined for a previous refusal.

At the Shaked Law Firm, we work tirelessly to ensure that our clients receive the best possible outcome for their drowning cases.  If you have questions pertaining to drowning or other personal injury matter, call (305) 937-0191 or (877) LAW-0080 today to speak with an experienced and reliable Miami drowning accident attorney!

After fishing for hours in Ngo’s 18-foot skiff, they were ready to head home.

But as they passed beneath the Sunshine Skyway about 9:30 p.m. Friday, something went wrong.

The boat was going fast, Anthony Ngo said. The driver made a sharp turn and the boat lurched, throwing everyone into the water.

Anthony, the only one wearing a life jacket, went under for a moment. His dad pulled him up.

“He saved my life,” Anthony said.

Someone else hit their head on the boat, he said.

Gripping his dad’s arm, Anthony called for help. He noticed that a lot of water went into his dad’s mouth. Anthony paddled his legs to help them both stay afloat.

With the engine running, the boat circled in front of them, making it impossible to get back in.

A passing boater saw the unmanned skiff first, then Anthony and Ngo. The unidentified good Samaritan pulled them out of the water together, with Anthony still holding on to his dad’s body.

Ngo, 44, of Tampa, was later pronounced dead. Anthony was taken to a hospital and released uninjured.

The Coast Guard immediately began searching for the other two, said Petty Officer 1st Class Mariana O’Leary.

A small boat from the nearby Coast Guard cutter Crocodile found Hoa Van, 34, of Pinellas Park. Van was taken to a hospital, his condition unknown.

Authorities did not find the fourth boater, Quang Minh Tran, 34, of Pinellas Park. The Coast Guard spent 23 hours searching a 8 square miles and stopped at 8:42 p.m., saying they had “exhausted all reasonable expectations of survivability” for Tran.

Air Station Clearwater launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter for the search. Rescuers from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Eckerd College Search and Rescue Team joined in, aided by two Coast Guard vessels.

Investigators were unsure what caused the accident, said wildlife commission spokesman Gary Morse.

“We don’t know what caused the boat to make a sharp turn, but all four individuals were ejected,” he said.

A woman at the address listed on Tran’s fishing license declined to comment. Van’s family could not be located.

Ngo’s wife, Hien Pang, said she last spoke with her husband at 8:30 p.m. Friday. She asked if they were heading home, and he said not yet.

Pang took a nap and was awakened at 1 a.m., when officers knocked on her door with the news.

With Anthony and three other children, ages 2, 13 and 15, Pang said Saturday she was trying to remain strong.

She worries most about Anthony, who often went fishing with his dad. He cried at first, she said, but on Saturday he remained calm. She isn’t sure he understands the finality of what happened.

Ngo, who loved fishing, picked Anthony up Friday afternoon at school and headed straight to the boat ramp. He bought the skiff last year so the family could spend more time together, said his stepdaughter, Carolyn Nguyen, 15.

“His family was his biggest priority and he liked to involve us,” she said.

Ngo, who moved to the United States from Vietnam when he was a teenager, owned CA Nail Supply in St. Petersburg and was well known in the Vietnamese community, Nguyen said.

The news hit hard for Ngo’s friends. Some of them, including Ngo, play tennis together three times a week.

Just Thursday, Ngo discussed plans for a Memorial Day cookout with them, said Thanh Dan, one of the tennis group.

Ngo was to join them again Saturday morning for doubles.

Then someone in the group heard the news of his death.

“Everyone is very, very sad,” said Dan, 65. “We were very surprised to hear (what happened).”

Dan said it is common for Vietnamese people to rally around families that have lost loved ones, often contributing money for funeral expenses.

“We will do something for the family, I think,” he said.

As Ngo’s family gathered at home Saturday, Anthony recounted the story again, without tears. He said he wasn’t scared.

“I was just sad,” he said, “because my dad died.”

At the Shaked Law Firm, we work tirelessly to ensure that our clients receive the best possible outcome for their drowning cases.  If you have questions pertaining to drowning or other personal injury matter, call (305) 937-0191 or (877) LAW-0080 today to speak with an experienced and reliable Miami drowning accident attorney!

A 26-year-old Jupiter man was critically injured Saturday night when the boat he was riding in struck a lighted channel marker in the Intracoastal Waterway near Marcinski Road.

Kai Woodstock was flown by trauma hawk to St. Mary’s Medical Center after the accident, which occurred around 9:46 p.m., according to a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Woodstock was one of five passengers in the boat; another, 25-year-old Eric Conerly of Jupiter, suffered minor injuries. According to Jupiter Police, the boat’s operator, 21-year-old Timothy Doran, also of Jupiter, took off on foot after the accident. Alcohol was believed to be a factor in the accident, police said.

It is not known whether Doran was injured; he was not the owner of the boat, according to FWC, which has kept the boat and its contents as evidence. The agency is investigating.

At the Shaked Law Firm, we work tirelessly to ensure that our clients receive the best possible outcome for their drowning cases.  If you have questions pertaining todrowning or other personal injury matter, call (305) 937-0191 or (877) LAW-0080 today to speak with an experienced and reliable Miami drowning accident attorney!

CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — Authorities say a 2-year-old girl nearly drowned when she climbed a ladder and fell into her family’s above-ground swimming pool in north Florida.

Citrus County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the home in Crystal River just after 5 p.m. Sunday. Family members were apparently inside and outside the home when the girl slipped, unnoticed, into the pool.

Sheriff’s deputies performed CPR on the child until paramedics arrived. She was airlifted in critical condition to Tampa’s All Children’s Hospital.

At the Shaked Law Firm, we work tirelessly to ensure that our clients receive the best possible outcome for their drowning cases.  If you have questions pertaining todrowning or other personal injury matter, call (305) 937-0191 or (877) LAW-0080 today to speak with an experienced and reliable Miami drowning accident attorney!

Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest holidays of the year for boaters and fishermen around Florida.

Caution is paramount, and nothing is more simple than wearing a life vest.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission points out that more than 60 percent of the 79 boating fatalities last year were by drowning.

And there will be an increased presence of officers on the water. Follow the rules.

At the Shaked Law Firm, we work tirelessly to ensure that our clients receive the best possible outcome for their drowning cases.  If you have questions pertaining todrowning or other personal injury matter, call (305) 937-0191 or (877) LAW-0080 today to speak with an experienced and reliable Miami drowning accident attorney!