Jacksonville Personal Injury Lawyer - Miscellaneous - Most Popular

The Fight To Cap Payday Loans

Eddie Farah — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 01:11:46 GMT

PayDay Loans. If you see them you should run the other way.

Florida is among a few states that has tried to stop the abusive high interest loans.

In the average scenario, a person takes out a high interest loan with phenomenal interest rates, up to 400 percent in some cases. The average borrower ends up paying back about $800 on a $300 loan, according to The Center for Responsible Lending. One payday loan can lead to another payday loan to pay off the first, called a rollover.

A couple of bills introduced in Congress will help address the abuse on borrowers.

Already military families are protected by the cap that Congress applied in 2006. 15 states plus the District of Columbia have stopped the consumer abuse by imposing a cap in the 36 percent range.

Florida has tried payment plans but that has not slowed down the number of trapped borrowers.

But pawn shops say if S. 500 passes they will have to close their doors. The shop owners say that the average pawn loan is just $80 so the high interest is needed just to stay in business. Unfortunately the payday loan industry is a growth industry right now, so right now is the time to address this out of control experiencing a growth during these tough times.

S. 500 would put a cap of 36 percent on the interest borrowers would have to pay for these short term loans. The bill is directed at payday and car title loans. S. 500 was introduced by Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and California Rep. Jackie Speier introduced H.R. 1608, that also puts a 36 percent annual interest cap on consumer loans.

Putting a cap on the double or triple-digit annual interest rate is the only way to stop abusive payday loan flipping.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Foreclosures Stopped At Two Florida Banks

Eddie Farah — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 12:52:55 GMT

With Florida leading the country as one of the top states for foreclosure, two banks here say they will stop foreclosures temporarily as the federal government tries to fix the housing crisis.

Coral Gables-based BankUnited, along with BankAtlantic, will join Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Chase, Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Bank of America which have all decided to temporarily halt foreclosures.

A bank spokesman said they didn’t want consumers to miss any opportunities that would be provided by the federal government. BankUnited’s president Ramiro Ortiz says 1,400 homes in Florida will be affected. Together they cover $426 million in mortgages.

All of this is a bit self-serving as well. Banks don’t want to own property, especially property whose value is in a decline. And foreclosure is expensive.

Florida joins California, Nevada, and Arizona as the top states for foreclosures. Together they account for about half of the 2.3 million nationwide in 2008, according to RealtyTrac Inc and that number is up by 81 percent from the previous year. The numbers are expected to get worse before they get better, perhaps a high as 10 million foreclosures.

Besides waiting for some federal solution, Chase will open counseling centers in Florida to try and help homeowners avoid foreclosure. Expect to see banks get creative in helping consumers so they too do not join the ranks of two other Florida banks which have failed. #

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Buckle Up On The Boat This Holiday Weekend

Eddie Farah — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:21:20 GMT

A warning before you head out this July 4^th weekend on the coastal or Intracoastal Florida waters – The Coast Guard says this holiday is the deadliest one for Florida boaters.

The Coast Guard, as well as Florida Fish and Wildlife, will be out patrolling the waterways this Independence Day holiday. Their message- wear a life jacket!

Not unlike a car, wearing a life jacket is a must when there are more boats on the water, especially at night when it’s difficult to see. Also people paying attention to the fireworks are not likely to be paying attention to their surroundings, so it’s always a good idea to have a second observer watching out for where you are going and looking for any hazards, such as debris, in the water.

Another thing to remember- just like driving a car – don’t drive a boat drunk. Alcohol is a known factor in about 20 percent of fatal boating accidents, so if you plan on drinking name a designated driver. The sun, noise, and wind are considered stressors that intensify the affects of alcohol and drugs.

According to the Coast Guard, national boating statistics showed the numbers of deaths from 2006 to 2007 dropped from 710 to 685. Unfortunately the number of accidents rose during the same period from 4,967 to 5,191.

Over two-thirds of fatal boating accidents involved drowning and of those 90 percent were not wearing a life jacket. The Coast Guard reports that three-quarters of drowning occurred in boats less than 21 feet. And the majority occurred on boats where the operator had not received safety instructions.

When out in deep water, running out of gas is a problem for some who are not paying attention. The Coast Guard will be bringing extra fuel containers onboard for those boaters. And after ten hours on the water – don’t forget about the drained batteries you will need to get back home.

Many experienced boaters say this weekend is one they decide to leave the boat in the dry dock!

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Police Report On Little Girl Left In Vehicle To Die

Eddie Farah — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:15:38 GMT

The St. Johns County Sheriff’s department is releasing details about what happened to a one-year-old who was left inside a car to die. On Sunday, June 14, Arianna Long was left in the automobile after her father dropped the mother off at work. It was very early in the morning.

Arianna was in her car seat in the back and her father assumed she was with relatives. Long remained for several hours inside the car, parked outside her St. Augustine home. When she was finally found, she was not breathing. The little girl later died at Flagler Hospital.

The police report says a relative, who was looking for Arianna Sunday morning, saw the car with the engine running and the baby in the back. The keys were in the ignition and the car was locked.

Our hearts go out to the family of Arianna and to the little girl.

Why the car was running is still a mystery. If it was running, why was there no air conditioning? Why were the keys locked inside the car?

Under Florida law, it is illegal to leave a child unattended or unsupervised in a motor vehicle for any longer than 15 minutes. That’s enough time to pull up to a store and grab a bottle of water or get some gasoline. The state can take custody of any child left longer than that.

“Death by hyperthermia” kills 15 to 25 children each year and leaving a child in a car is easier to do than you think. It can happen to anyone, and has. Read this excellent story in the Washington Post on inattentive parents - “Fatal Distraction”.

The consumer organization, Kids and Cars reminds us that there are several things we can do to remind us about kids in the back. First, put something you'll need like your cell phone, handbag, your employee badge, lunch or brief case, etc., on the floor board in the back seat.

Secondly, place a large teddy bear in the child seat when it is not occupied, and move it to the front when it is. Get into the habit of opening the back door of your vehicle every time you reach your destination to make sure no child has been left behind.

And have your child’s day care provider call if the child does not show up on schedule. Provide them with a complete list of names and numbers.

And lastly, as someone who walks through a parking lot, make it a habit to look in the rear seat and be prepared to take action, even if it means breaking out glass, to retrieve a child. You may save a life. #

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Jacksonville Leads In State, National Foreclosure Rate

Eddie Farah — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:16:57 GMT

Jacksonville has the dubious distinction of exceeding state and federal rates for foreclosures. In fact, rates here have hit a five-year high. In March, foreclosure related notices were sent out to 2,721 homes in Jacksonville – a 29 percent increase from February.

Nationwide there was a 17 percent spike during that same period. Duval County, which is where Jacksonville metro is located, saw foreclosure proceedings jump 42 percent.

Compared to a year earlier, the March foreclosure figures jumped ahead 46 percent, according to RealtyTrac. That translates to one in every 159 U.S. homes with mortgages. Florida leads the nation along with California, Arizona, Nevada and Illinois.

Obviously the economy is the main factor here. But major lenders are coming back after giving borrowers a brief respite. They had been waiting to see how President Obama planned to address the nationwide foreclosure crisis.

As it now stands, owner-occupied homes will be the only ones seeing some relief, so rentals and speculators are not going to be cut any breaks.

If there is any good news here, it is that first-time home buyers may be able to take advantage of these distressed homes, though no one expects that to match the foreclosure rate for some time. #

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

73-Year-Old SUV Passenger Killed When Car Collides With School Bus

Eddie Farah — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 21:30:48 GMT

Luckily no children were hurt on a school bus when it collided with an SUV on Thursday.

But the passenger in the SUV was killed.

73-year-old John Robert Ryder of Zephyrhills, Florida was riding with driver, 70-year-old Carole Jean Ryder in Yulee Thursday afternoon.

Her SUV turned in the path of an oncoming Nassau County school bus.

It happened at the intersection of I-95 and SR A!A.

Ryder was injured and taken to Shands Hospital with serious injuries. They were no life threatening.

"The SUV make a left-hand turn in front of the school bus," FHP Lt. Bill Leeper said. "The right-front passenger died at the scene."

There were four children on the bus and none of them was injured however the driver was shaken up and taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

No word from FHP on why the SUV might have turned in front of a school bus, but there is very little it can do to stop quickly when that happens.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Florida 2nd Highest In Boating Accidents

Eddie Farah — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 23:49:29 GMT

July is the most likely month to have a boating accident.

And Jacksonville is named as among the Top Ten Florida counties for boating accidents, helping put the state in second place nationally according to a new report.

All of this information comes from a growing concern about hazards on the water in Florida during this time of year.

Only California had more boating accidents during the summer months last year. Florida had 671 while California suffered 757. And Duval County is in the top 10 for accidents on the water.

The simple explaination for why is that more people now own boats.

According to a list from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, the most likely month for accidents is July, and the most likely time of day for an accident is 4-6 p.m.

Obviously you need to take precautions such as staying away from buoys and making sure life jackets are aboard AND that people wear them. Whistles are not a bad addition to boating life as well.

Colliding with another boat or a fixed object is the most common type of boating accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Merck Lobbies Hard for Schoolgirl Vaccine

Eddie Farah — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 09:49:48 GMT

Do we really think that drug maker, Merck & Co has totally benevolent motives in pushing its new drug, Gardasil to state lawmakers and parents of teenage girls? Merck is bankrolling lobbyists and state lawmakers to push for state laws making the drug a required immunization, like whopping cough and tetanus, for millions of schoolgirls as young as 11 or 12 to guard against cervical cancer caused by the human papillomavirus, or HPV. That disease is thought to be responsible to most cases of cervical cancer.

Some conservatives and parents'-rights groups say such a requirement would encourage premarital sex and interfere with the way they raise their children, and they say Merck's push for such laws is underhanded. But the company said its lobbying efforts have been above-board.

But instead of letting parents do their own research and act as, well, parents, Merck has spent an undisclosed amount on the group of female state lawmakers, Women in Government, to introduce the bills. And it's working. So far about 18 states are interested.

Proposals for mandates have popped up from California to Connecticut since the first piece of legislation was introduced in September in Michigan. Michigan's bill was narrowly defeated last month. Lawmakers said the requirement would intrude on families' privacy, even though, as in most states' proposals, parents could opt out.

An expert in pediatric infectious disease and a dad, Ken Alexander told the CBS Evening News that he believes parents should have the final say over whether their daughters receive the drug. His family has opted to give the inoculation to their 14-year old daughter.

He lives in Illinois, one of the 21 states that are considering making Gardasil a mandatory school shot. Texas is also the target of intense Merck lobbying.

Merck could make billions if Guardasil is required by schools.

But the American Academy of Pediatrics is not entirely on board since many drugs don't show problems until after the clinical trials, when they are introduced into widespread use. It advocates going slowly and monitoring the drug's results.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Nicotine in Cigarettes

Eddie Farah — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 20:11:11 GMT

Once again studies have confirmed a significant increase in nicotine levels in cigarettes. This time the report comes from Harvard School of Public Health.

Their report found that increases in smoke nicotine yield per cigarette averaged 1.6 percent each year for a total of about 11 percent over a seven-year period, 1997 to 2005.

This is the result of a study of over a 100 brands of cigarettes, and also reported a constant increase in nicotine delivered to the lungs

. This study supports a previous study conducted at the University of Boston.

Of course the tobacco companies dispute the findings. They want to argue that these figures are erroneous, according to their studies. They want us to believe there has not been a substantial increase in nicotine.

It is interesting to note that the higher the level of nicotine, the easier it is to get hooked and harder to kick the habit.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

More Nicotine in Cigarettes

Eddie Farah — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:40:59 GMT

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, nicotine typically consumed by smokers per cigarette has risen 10 percent in the past six years, which makes it harder to quit and easier to get hooked.

The study found the three most popular cigarette brands with young smokers - Marlboro, Newport and Camel - delivered significantly more nicotine than they did years ago. Nicotine in Kool, a popular menthol brand, rose 20 percent. More than two-thirds of black smoker use menthol brands.

Phillip Morris USA, manufacturer of Marlboro cigarettes and R. J. Reynolds, makers of Kool and Camel cigarettes declined to comment.

Of thee 179 cigarette brands tested in 2004, 93 percent fell into the highest range for nicotine. In 1998, 84 percent of 116 brands tested fell into the highest range

Also the study found no significant difference in the total nicotine content between "full flavor," "medium," "light" or "ultra=light" cigarettes.

These finding means health care providers may have to adjust the strength of nicotine patches and gums to help smokers quit.

Documents from other sources report the tobacco industry is secretly increasing nicotine even though more Americans try to cut back on their smoking.

Smoking-related causes are blamed in the deaths of more than 9,000 Massachusetts residence each year and tobacco-related illnesses kill more people in the state than AIDS, car accidents, homicides, suicides and poisonings combined.

">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14576260/from/ET/More nicotine in cigaretts than 6 years ago,/a.article">

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah