McConnaughhay, Coonrod, Pope, Weaver, Stern & Thomas P.A. is proud to announce Hayley L. Folmar has been appointed to the Workers’ Compensation Rules Advisory Committee for the 2016-2019 term. Hayley is located in our Jacksonville Office. The scope and function of the Workers' Compensation...
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Key Issues in Misrepresentation
March 28, 2016 by Aaron T. McCurdy, Associate Attorney
Under Florida’s Workers’ Compensation Laws, a claimant will have a heavy price to pay if an administrative hearing officer, court, or jury, finds the injured worker knowingly or intentionally made any false, fraudulent, or misleading statement, either verbally or in writing, to obtain any...
Read More Share This2016 Workers' Compensation Session Wrap Up
March 15, 2016 by Tamela I. Perdue, Of Counsel
The Florida Legislature closed out the 2016 Regular Session at 6:45 pm last Friday, March 11, 2016. Throughout the session, over 1800 bills were filed but the Florida Legislature only passed 261 before its adjournment. Governor Rick Scott has already signed several items into new law. Florida...
Read More Share ThisQuigg v. Thomas County School District – A New Dawn for Mixed Motive Claims?
March 11, 2016 by Matthew G. Hawk, Associate
On February 22, 2016, the Eleventh Circuit handed down a decision in Linda Jean Quigg v. Thomas County School District, a ruling that has significant potential to alter the analysis of employment claims. Dr. Quigg was Superintendent of the Thomas County School District under a contract that was...
Read More Share ThisNew Decision As To Prevailing Party Can Be "Costly" To Employer/Carriers
March 9, 2016 by Patrick W. Luna, Associate
Entitlement to attorney's fees and costs in workers' compensation claims is often evaluated based on the timely provision of benefits. However, in Jennings v. Habana Health Care Center, (2015 WL 9438007), the First DCA ruled that the issue of timeliness is irrelevant in addressing entitlement to...
Read More Share ThisTrawick Receives AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating
March 2, 2016
McConnaughhay, Coonrod, Pope, Weaver, Stern & Thomas P.A. is proud to announce John Trawick received an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating from LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell. John is located in our Pensacola Office. John was given an AV rating from his peers, which means that he was deemed to...
Read More Share ThisFriend of the Court (Amicus) Brief to Support Friends of Business
January 15, 2016
Furthering our representation of businesses and employers, Jim McConnaughhay and David McCranie submitted an Amicus Brief to the Florida Supreme Court on behalf of a number of business and employer organizations in defense of Florida's Workers' Compensation law. In Stahl v. Hialeah Hospital et al.,...
Read More Share ThisCell Phone Discovery
January 8, 2016 by Hayley Lewis Folmar, Associate Attorney
As tort liability has combined with the digital age, a party's cell phone, and its Electronically Stored Information (ESI), may operate as a goldmine of information in discovery. A person's smart phone can create a map to the owner's thoughts and actions. A cell phone may reveal relevant...
Read More Share ThisKnow What Protection for Patrons Means During Travel Season – and Beyond
December 29, 2015 by Matthew G. Hawk, Associate
Businesses such as hotels, motels, restaurants, and bars have long owed heightened duties to their customers. The basic rule is that the owner or operator of a hotel or restaurant has a duty to exercise reasonable care for the protection of its patrons. Courts have noted, however, that the business...
Read More Share ThisRemoving Junk Science From Your Trial
December 7, 2015 by Scott R. Schomber, Of Counsel
Litigants have long recognized the need for "expert witnesses" in the presentation of their claims at trial. The term "expert witness" has been defined as a person duly and regularly engaged in the practice of a profession who holds a professional degree from a university or college and has had...
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