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Our attorneys are routinely contacted by the news media to comment on legal issues. To coordinate interviews, journalists should contact Carrie Ryder, the firm’s Director of Marketing, at
(954) 523-9922 or cryder@hpslegal.com.

HPS LEGAL ALERT: FLORIDA SUPREME COURT TAKES BABY STEPS TO ALIGN PROCEDURAL RULE & STATUTE GOVERNING PROPOSALS FOR SETTLEMENT

By Debra P. Klauber. The Florida Supreme Court, on its own motion, recently amended Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.442, which governs the procedural aspects of proposals for settlement. The court explained that the changes were made in an effort to “align” the rule of procedure with the substantive portion of the Florida Statute (section 768.79) dealing with such settlement proposals. Because the statute does not specifically refer to any “nonmonetary” terms, the court specifically...

Press Release: Pettis, Schwamm & Widowfield Selected to Florida Trend’s Legal Elite for Third Year in a Row

Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm (HPS), a leading Florida catastrophic injury law firm, is proud to announce that Eugene K. Pettis, Richard B. Schwamm and Trisha Widowfield were named to Florida Trend magazine’s “Florida Legal Elite” for 2022. All three attorneys are ranked under the “Civil Trial” practice area and have been included in the magazine’s list since 2020. Florida’s Legal Elite list represents the state’s top licensed and practicing attorneys selected by their peers. Less...

Press Release: Long-Standing Recognition of HPS Attorneys by Florida Super Lawyers Continues in 2022

Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm (HPS), a leading Florida catastrophic injury law firm, is proud to announce that four attorneys have been ranked in Florida Super Lawyers for 2022. Each individual attorney has been listed in this prestigious ranking publication for more than 10 years. James Haliczer (ranked since 2006), Eugene Pettis (ranked since 2006) and Richard Schwamm (ranked since 2010) are all listed in the “Personal Injury – Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff” practice area. Debra Klauber...

HPS LEGAL ALERT: THE CHALLENGES OF UNCOVERING MEDICATION ERROR-RELATED MALPRACTICE

By Richard L. Allen, Jr. There are approximately 6,800 prescription and numerous over-the-counter medications and supplements that people in the U.S. use to treat a variety of health problems. Even the best physician, nurse, pharmacist or technician cannot be familiar with all exact dose amounts, routes of administration, and the types of drug interactions that can occur. Unfortunately, in the U.S., this results in 7,000-9,000 people dying and thousands more suffering injuries per year, all...

Multiple HPS Attorneys Participating in Multiple Speaking Engagements on May 13

We’ve got a packed speaker schedule on May 13! James S. Haliczer, Eugene K. Pettis and Trisha Widowfield will be presenting on 3 different sessions at the Broward County Bar Association‘s Bench and Bar Convention in FTL, and in ORL, Richard Schwamm will be a panelist at the Orange County Bar Association‘s Trial Lawyers Bootcamp (the firm is also the lead sponsor of this event)!   

HPS LEGAL ALERT: RECENT FL WORKERS’ COMP COURT DECISIONS HELP CLARIFY VALCOURT-WILLIAMS

By Michael M. Riedhammer, B.C.S.  An employee just fell while working! Will he or she receive workers’ compensation benefits? Do we know why the fall occurred? Or do we have no idea what caused the fall? What exactly was he or she doing when the fall took place? Was it something related to their job?  Valcourt-Williams is the Answer! Just short of three years ago we thought we had all the answers when the First...

Press Release: Seasoned Litigator Richard L. Allen, Jr. Joins Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm

Haliczer Pettis & Schwamm (HPS) is pleased to announce that Richard “Rick” L. Allen, Jr. has joined the firm’s Orlando office as a Partner. For more than 40 years, Rick has represented clients in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice and professional/legal malpractice. “Rick is a great addition to our Orlando office,” says Jim Haliczer, Managing Partner of HPS. “His years of experience handling personal injury and medical malpractice trials, and the knowledge he gleaned...

HPS LEGAL ALERT: FAILURE TO PROVIDE PREVENTATIVE CARE: A RISE IN RESPONSIBILITY

By Richard B. Schwamm. The annual check-up is the time when patients can see their physician and discuss the need preventative care services such as screening tests, x-rays, and other tests that may detect early signs of serious illness. The “failure of preventative care” occurs when routine or well-known standards of practice are not followed because the physician misunderstands the patient’s risk factors, fails to recommend necessary treatment or fails to order the right tests....