Ask The Lawyer - Radio Show

Bruce L. Scheiner speaks with Todd Matthews on KIX Country 92.9 every Wednesday morning at 9am to answer questions related to Personal Injury. If you have missed any of these features, we have archived audio files of previously broadcasted features here on the “Ask the Lawyer” page.

Jul 24, 2024

My son was walking down our street and was struck by a hit-and-run driver. He was hospitalized with multiple broken bones and will be unable to work for at least three months. He and his wife have been living with us for the last year. He doesn't have a car right now, so he doesn't have insurance. I have a small landscaping business and have full coverage, including uninsured motorist coverage. Can my insurance help pay the bills and lost wages even if my son has no car?

Jul 17, 2024

A girl struck a neighbor riding his bicycle in the evening with her car. My neighbor has a broken leg that will need surgery, and he will not be able to work for months. The girl fled the accident scene and later claimed someone had stolen her vehicle while she was sleeping. However, one of her friends said she had a call from the girl on her cell phone and was distraught. Her father owns an accounting firm, and this was a company car. None of the family was home to confirm the girl was sleeping. The father's insurance company denies responsibility. Is there anything a lawyer could do for my neighbor?

Jul 10, 2024

My nephew and one of his friends were crossing the street in the crosswalk with the light in his favor when he was struck by a vehicle headed in the same direction, making a right-hand turn. The drive struck my nephew, sending him to the hospital with a broken leg and other injuries requiring surgery. The driver's insurance claims he had the green light and was not at fault. My brother has five children, and his wife is disabled, so they can't afford the hospital bills, not to mention the physical therapy his son will need. My brother doesn't know what to do and is afraid to call a lawyer because he doesn't have the money to pay legal fees. Can you ask the lawyer what my brother should do?

Jul 03, 2024

My husband and I rented a condominium through Airbnb. Our kids were playing in the back area. There was a pool with a fence around it, so we weren't worried about the kids, who were 3 and 5 years old. We didn't know that the gate on the far side of the pool was broken and stuck open. The kids wandered in, and our 3-year-old son fell in the pool. Our daughter yelled for help, and we came as quickly as possible. Our son had been in the water for several minutes and wasn't breathing. I was about to perform CPR, and he finally gained consciousness. However, the doctors are saying he was unconscious for so long that he has brain damage and will require a lot of therapy for possibly years. The condominium is saying that we are not owners and they are not responsible for our son's injuries. The homeowner association said they had notified the management company about the gate and were responsible for making repairs.

Jun 12, 2024

I was in a big box store two weeks ago with my wife. My wife left me to go to a different aisle, and all of a sudden, I heard her scream. When I arrived, she was lying on the floor in a puddle. One of the store employees called over the manager, who immediately called an ambulance. The manager told us the roof had been leaking and that he had already called back the roofing company, which was supposed to have repaired the roof earlier in the week. The manager said this was the third leak in this aisle that day. My wife broke her hip and will need to have it replaced. When we contacted the big box store's insurance, they claimed it was the roofer's responsibility and were not liable. It turns out the roofing company doesn't have any insurance. Can you ask the lawyer what we should do?

Jun 05, 2024

My sister was a passenger in a car struck by a late model Lexus making a right-hand turn. The driver of the vehicle my sister was a passenger in told the police that the other vehicle was speeding. My sister was taken to the hospital with severe injuries requiring surgery. The at-fault driver has denied he was speeding, and there are no witnesses. Is there anything a lawyer could do?

May 29, 2024

My uncle went to the low-price superstore just after 8 pm. He was walking toward the door when an employee ran into his back with a bunch of shopping carts. My uncle fell and shattered his knee, and he will need surgery. The manager came out and called an ambulance. He told my aunt that he would file an incident report and that the store would handle the medical bills. Three weeks later, when they contacted the corporate offices, they said that the employee denied running into my uncle and that they would not pay for his injuries.

May 22, 2024

While staying at a friend's house in Sarasota, my son borrowed his friend's motorcycle. He was riding on State Road 45 when a driver ran a red light and struck him. He was thrown over 10 feet and was taken to the hospital with severe injuries. The driver who ran the stop sign had a suspended license and no insurance. His friend who lent him the motorcycle only had minimum insurance. He has already spent ten days in the hospital, and the medical bills will be enormous. I recently added something called stacking uninsured coverage to our car insurance at my brother's recommendation. Still, we are worried because my son wasn't driving in our cars and doesn't have a motorcycle license. Can the lawyer help?

May 15, 2024

My son and one of his friends were crossing the street in the crosswalk with the light in their favor when he was struck by a vehicle headed in the same direction, making a right-hand turn. The driver struck my son, sending him to the hospital with a broken leg and other injuries requiring surgery. The driver's insurance claims he had the green light and was not at fault. I have five children, and my wife is disabled, so we can't afford the hospital bills, not to mention the physical therapy my son will need. I don't know what to do and am afraid to call a lawyer because I don't have the money to pay legal fees. Can you ask the lawyer what I should do?

May 8, 2024

My daughter and I were crossing in the crosswalk with the light in our favor on Main St in Naples when a delivery courier on an E-bike struck my daughter at a high rate of speed. An ambulance took my daughter to the hospital with a broken leg and severe internal injuries. The courier was also injured, but he has no insurance. I contacted my insurance company because I carry full insurance coverage, including uninsured motorist coverage. Still, they informed me that an E-bike is not considered a motor vehicle, and thus, my car insurance does not cover the accident. Can you ask the lawyer if that is true? Am I out of luck?

April 24, 2024

My brother-in-law was riding his motorcycle home from work on March 17th (St. Patrick's Day) when he was struck by a drunk driver who ran a stop sign. He has just been released from intensive care and will need multiple surgeries. The driver was arrested and charged with drunk driving. The driver only has minimum insurance, which won't begin to cover his medical expenses. A news story in the paper indicated that the driver had been flagged for drunkenness several times by the bartender at a local bar. However, according to one patron, the same bartender still served him multiple drinks on St. Patrick's Day. The patron said he tried to get the driver's keys less than an hour before he struck my brother-in-law. Can you ask the lawyer if anything can help my brother-in-law?

April 17, 2024

My daughter was a passenger with a college friend who ran a stop sign and caused a terrible accident. My daughter was taken to the hospital with multiple broken bones, a concussion, and a severe neck injury. The driver was ticketed and only had minimum insurance. We have always maintained full insurance coverage, including uninsured motorist coverage. Will that protect my daughter even though she wasn't driving? Does the fact the person she was riding with was at fault for the accident eliminate any claim? Please ask the lawyer if he can help.

April 10, 2024

My wife was killed in an auto accident. The at-fault driver only had $25,000 of bodily injury liability insurance. I later learned that the at-fault was en route to pick up a customer as an Uber driver. Can we do anything besides collecting the driver's small insurance policy limits?

March 27, 2024

My sister was crossing on a crosswalk with the walk sign on when a van struck her. She has multiple injuries and will need surgery. She was struck by a man driving a work van who only has minimum insurance coverage, and he is claiming he was not responsible because the sun was setting at the time of the accident, blocking his vision, so he never saw her. Can you ask the lawyer what we should do?

March 20, 2024

I own a pickup truck insured by Allstate. My wife owns an SUV insured by Progressive. Last week, my son was home from college and was struck while driving his motorcycle and was taken to the hospital with severe injuries. The at-fault driver who hit him only had minimum insurance. Unfortunately, my son didn't have insurance on the motorcycle. We were told that because he didn't have insurance, our insurance didn't cover him. Can you ask the lawyer if this is true?

March 13, 2024

My brother was riding his motorcycle south on Tamiami Trail and came to a stop in the left-hand lane to make a left-hand turn. He saw a vehicle in the distance, but he made a turn given the distance. The car heading northbound struck the rear of his motorcycle, sending him in the air over 10 ft. He has many severe injuries and requires both leg and shoulder surgery. He was wearing a helmet, so he only got a concussion, which could have been much worse. Several witnesses told police that the other car was traveling at a very high rate of speed. The driver has denied that, and although he has full insurance coverage, his insurance company is blaming my brother for the accident. I am told there is no way to prove my brother was not at fault. Can the lawyer help?

March 06, 2024

My son was home from college in Alabama and was riding an electric scooter. He was crossing the road in the pedestrian walkway when he was struck by a vehicle making a right-hand turn. My son was taken to the hospital with severe injuries, including two broken legs. Unfortunately, the vehicle that hit him only had $10,000 in bodily injury coverage. Our family owns multiple cars, including two work trucks, and has full coverage on all the vehicles. Our insurance company is saying because our son attends an out-of-state school, he was not a resident relative and, thus, not covered by our insurance. Can a lawyer help?

February 27, 2024

My daughter and her family were driving to spend a few days at the attractions in Orlando when she was involved in multiple cars and tractor-trailer accident on I-4. Her car flipped over and landed in the median. My daughter and her 5-year-old daughter were both taken by ambulance to the hospital with serious injuries. The reports on the news indicated that several witnesses thought one tractor-trailer driver was speeding and switching lanes, causing a multi-car accident. We don't know who struck my daughter's car. She has full insurance, and her husband thinks they should leave things to the insurance company. This situation will be complicated, and the insurance company may try to minimize my daughter's claim. Could you ask the lawyer to explain why my daughter shouldn't wait to contact a lawyer?

February 20, 2024

My nephew was crossing Route 41 in the crosswalk with a light in his favor. A vehicle turned from the intersection and struck him, sending him to the hospital with severe injuries. The driver was also taken to the hospital because he had a seizure. The insurance company for the driver has told my brother (his dad) that the accident wasn't his fault because he had a seizure. My brother got a copy of the police report, which indicated that the driver's wife said he had been having seizures for several months. Can you ask the lawyer if the insurance company is correct that the driver is not responsible because he had a seizure?

February 19, 2024

My grandson recently moved into my house to attend FGCU and go home to his parents in the summer. He uses a bicycle for transportation even though my wife and I have three cars and would gladly lend him one. Unfortunately, while riding down the street, a car pulled out of the driveway, crashing into him, causing severe injuries as well as hospitalization. The doctors are saying my grandson will need multiple surgeries and rehab. I learned that the driver was uninsured. Since my grandson didn't have a car so, of course, my grandson didn't have car insurance. Is there anything my grandson can do?

February 07, 2024

My 20-year-old son was driving his buddy's motorcycle and had an accident. He has been severely hurt and spent over a week in the hospital. His buddy didn't have any insurance on the motorcycle. We know his friend's family well, and like us, they carry full insurance on their cars and trucks but not the motorcycles. A friend of our insurance agent says we might be out of luck because the car insurance coverage may not cover the motorcycle. Is there anything we can do to get some help with the enormous medical bills?

January 31, 2024

My wife was a passenger in her vehicle being driven by her friend. She was involved in a severe accident, which resulted in her hospitalization with a broken hip. The other driver was ticketed for being at fault for running a stop sign. The at-fault driver had no bodily injury insurance. When I purchased insurance for my wife's car, I made a big mistake by not purchasing uninsured motorist coverage. What made things even worse was that my wife's friend, who was driving, had just lectured me about uninsured motorist coverage and stacking uninsured motorist coverage. Is there anything a lawyer could do?

January 24, 2024

My Uncle was driving on I-75 when a Semi-Truck with the name of a major retailer on it swerved into him, causing his car to flip over and crash into the guard rail. The trucker was ticketed for reckless driving. Unfortunately, it turns out the driver of the truck is underinsured. My Uncle was in intensive care and is scheduled to have multiple surgeries, which will affect him for the rest of his life. My Aunt contacted the major retailer, and they are claiming the truck was leased and the driver was an independent contractor, so they are not liable. The leasing company says they are not responsible either. They have insurance, but not nearly enough to cover the medical bills, not to mention the therapy and medical assistance he will need for years to come. Can you ask the lawyer what we can do?

January 17, 2024

My wife was crossing the street in a crosswalk when one of our neighbors, driving a golf cart, struck her. I took my wife to the hospital. The emergency room doctor indicated my wife had a broken hip, which would need surgery and months of therapy. The person driving the golf cart gave me his car insurance information. The insurance company says they are not responsible because a golf cart is not a motor vehicle. I was surprised considering so many people in our area use golf carts to travel the roads, run errands, etc. I have full coverage on my cars, but now I am not sure my insurance will cover the accident. Would you ask the lawyer if what I am being told is true? Is there anything a lawyer could do to help?

January 10, 2024

My brother was working for an electrical company installing lighting in a new tunnel that was being built. The tunnel collapsed and caused my brother to have severe injuries which required surgery. He's also having to undergo physical therapy. The electrical companies' workers compensation is paying all his medical bills and lost wages. The company that was building the tunnel was investigated, and it turns out they had violated several state safety regulations and were fined a significant amount of money. My brother has been told he is not entitled to any additional money for how much he suffered. The state workers compensation insurance only covers medical and lost wages. Could you ask the lawyer if he can do anything to get reimbursed for his pain and suffering?

January 01, 2024

My brother was driving his motorcycle safely when a commercial truck ran a stop sign and hit him, causing severe injuries. The doctors say he will require multiple surgeries, including having a metal rod inserted in his leg. The medical bills are going to be enormous. The commercial truck company will not pay for his injuries because they discovered my brother's license was suspended. He didn't know that his license had been suspended for failure to pay parking tickets. My brother didn't carry enough insurance to pay all his medical bills. Can you ask the lawyer if he is out of luck?