Pasco Law Blog

You are cordially invited to visit our Hernando County Office on Tuesday, June 8, 2010 to participate in our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Open House.  Please join us from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm at our Spring Hill Office, located at 8184 Chaucer Drive. Joining us for the ceremony will be members of the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce and True Oldies 106.3 WJQB.

We hope to see you as we formally open the doors to our Hernando County Office.  We can be reached at 352-686-0080.

Press Release:  April 8, 2010

The Million Dollar Advocates Forum is pleased to announce that attorney Jeff Lucas of New Port Richey, Florida has been certified as a member.  Attorney Lucas joins his partner James L. Magazine who is also a member.

The Million Dollar Advocates Forum is recognized as one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States.  Membership is limited to attorneys who have won million and multi-million dollar verdicts, awards and settlements.  The organization was founded in 1993 and there are approximately 3000 members located throughout the country.  Fewer than  1 percent  of U.S. lawyers are members.  Forum membership acknowledges excellence in advocacy, and provides members with a national network of experienced colleagues for professional referral and information exchange in major cases.  Members must have acted as principal counsel in at least one case in which their client has received a verdict, award or settlement in the amount of  one million dollars or more.   Please see their website www.milliondollaradvocates.com for further details concerning membership qualifications.

The week of February 22 through February 26 finds the attorneys at Lucas, Green & Magazine in trial.   The past several months have been very busy for our attorneys and support staff as they have been preparing for this trial week.  Our attorneys are currently  prepared to try five (5) cases in Pasco, Pinellas and Martin County.  With our Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial attorneys and our team approach to trying cases, our firm is prepared for this very busy trial week.  At Lucas, Green & Magazine our trial experienced attorneys work together by discussing and planning the best presentation of our client’s case for the courtroom.  Although they often find “great minds think alike,” sometimes round-tabling accident cases may bring a new perspective and fresh ideas.  At Lucas, Green & Magazine we know each client is different and each case is different.  The attorneys you meet at our firm, and the staff that handle your claims will always keep your best interest at heart.

The Law Office of Lucas, Green & Magazine is assisting the Joshua House in the collection of back to school supplies for foster children in need.  Items that can be donated include: notebooks, crayons, colored pencils, rulers, scissors, highlighters, notebook paper (college rule), scientific calculators,  5-subject notebooks, mechanical pencils, pocket dictionaries, erasers, glue/glue sticks and backpacks.  Donations need to be dropped by our office by Wednesday, August 5, 2009.  Monetary Donations are accepted.  Please make your checks payable to “Friends of Joshua House Foundation” write “School Supplies” on the memo line and mail to:  Friends of Joshua House Foundation, Inc., PO Box 26333, Tampa, FL 33623.

On July 1, 2009, the seatbelt law in the State of Florida changed. Floridalaw has required drivers and front-seat passengers to wear seatbelts, however on July 1, 2009 the law changed so that you can be stopped just for not wearing your seatbelt. The law used to be that if you were stopped for another traffic violation, you could also be sited with a “no seatbelt” violation on top of the original charge.

The Florida Primary Seat Belt Law makes it a primary charge not to be wearing a seat belt while driving.  Drivers not wearing their seat belts may know that it’s not the safest of practices. They may even be aware that not wearing a seatbelt is against the law.

However, now law enforcement officers can pull over drivers and their passengers for not being buckled up.  With this change, there real is no excuse not to wear your seat belt. Drivers who get caught face a $30 statewide fine, plus an added county penalty.

Since 2005, law enforcement officers have been able to pull over a vehicle if any occupant under the age of 18 was not wearing a seat belt.  The change now is that the law applies to the driver of the car and the front-seat passenger regardless of age, and still applies to passengers in the back seat under 18.  There are no warnings.”

With my son in his junior year of college at Florida Gulf Coast University, I thought I was at the end of my parenting days.  True, you are always a parent to your children no matter how old they are, but at 21 your children either “get it” or they don’t.  They don’t require any supervision; they just need a few reminders now and then.  However, this week I learned that my life was coming full-circle as I learned I now had to be a parent to my parent.

Yes, I had to practice some tough love with my 87 year old mother.  Somehow she seems to have gotten herself released early from the hospital.  It appears that she was behaving “as cantankerously as she could” to the hospital staff.  Due to her surgery she could not go home immediately and live independently.  She will need to recover in the rehab facility.  She will need to heal, get her strength back and learn how to take care of her “new self.”  I had to sit her down and tell her that like it or not, she had to stay in the skilled nursing facility. If you have not been in this position, let me suffice it to say that it is very strange.  Here is the parent who lectured you about behaving yourself and minding your manners, behaving in a way that requires that the tables be turned.

“You are not going anywhere mom.  You are staying here, and if you want to get back home, you will need to behave and listen to your caregivers.  You need to make sure you eat right so your wounds will heal faster. Be nice to others, so they will be nice to you.”

I watched and held her hand as the nurses assessed the condition of her now frail body.  They checked and noted on their paperwork, every bruise, cut or other out of the ordinary injury on her body.  When I was ready to leave, she had settled down.  She promised to behave and try to be patient with her caregivers. Love you mom, see you tomorrow.

William Darrell “Billy” Mays, Jr. - most people probably do not recognize his name - but if they hear his voice, especially if he was talking about OxiClean, they surely would know who he was. His recognizable voice, beard and enthusiasm has been gracing television commercials for cleaning products for more than a decade. He was very well-known for his abrasive manner of shouting during infomercials. Whether it was OxiClean, Kaboom or Mighty Putty, his style was unmistakably his own in every infomercial.

With his passing, it makes me wonder what it would be like if our law firm had been able to hire Billy Mays to do an infomercial for our law firm. I can almost hear his voice shouting “if you or a loved one are injured in an automobile accident, slip and fall or motorcycle accident - call 1-800-4-INJURY and speak to a personal injury lawyer at Pasco Law Group who is ready to assist you with your claim.”

Hmmmm - rest in peace Billy.

Wow, what a day last Thursday was! Two icons passing away in one day. Although the passing of Farrah Fawcett was certainly expected, the sudden death of Michael Jackson was not.

Farrah was the pin up girl of my generation. The poster of her red one-piece bathing suit adorned the college dorm rooms of most of the guys I knew in 1976. The poster was considered a bit risque for the time period, but would now appear to be somewhat pure in it’s content. I remember one entire fraternity of young men meeting in the student center every evening that Charlie’s Angels was on to watch and drool over the mesmerizing beauties Farrah, Kate and Jacqueline.

Over the past few years we have watched with both fascination and admiration as Farrah fought a courageous battle with colon-rectal/anal cancer. Sadly, in the end, her choices of how she treated her disease, in some opinions, may have shortened her life. Farrah made a personal choice not to have the portion of her tumor affected colon removed. If she had done so, this would have resulted in her having a colostomy bag for the rest of her life. She also originally sought out chemo treatments that would not cause her to lose her famous locks of hair. These were her personal choices, choices that she felt were appropriate for her and her family. For me, Farrah’s choices and ultimate passing, only serves to strengthen the choice my 87 year old mother made last week to have her tumor affected colon/rectum removed, only to be replaced by a colostomy bag. Farrah opted for the less evasive lasering off of her tumors, and this resulted in their return with a vengeance.

We cannot overlook the “King of Pop” passing either. Whether you like him or loath him, most can agree that Michael Jackson was an influential part of the music industry and played a large roll in the beginnings of the Music Videoand MTV. It appears that his untimely death may also be due to his health choices. The press on his death indicates that there may have been some abuse of prescription pain killers. It will take weeks for the toxicology reports to be final.

When our clients are in accidents, we cannot offer them medical advice, we are not doctors. We can only give them medical resources for them to choose from, and hope that with their doctors input, they can make the right decisions to help them heal properly.

We are attorneys. We can assist our clients through the legal process of being involved in an accident, however we leave the medical care and decisions up to our clients and their medical providers. Our New Port Richey Personal Injury Attorneys represent people injured in all types of accidents, including automobile collisions, slip and fall accidents, animal attacks. Our law firm has a well-earned reputation for providing aggressive and high quality representation to accident victims, and we know injury law. If you or a loved one are a victim of personal injuries, please contac a New Port Richey Personal Injury attorney for a free consultation so we can put our resources to work for you.

1-800-4-INJURY or Jeff@pascolawgroup.com

When you or a loved one are injured in an automobile accident, motorcycle accident, slip and fall or other accident, it is important that you take care of your injuries and receive proper medical care.    Your recovery is the most important thing.  The hiring of a personal injury attorney can assist you in your recovery by taking the stress of dealing with insurance companies and other issues associated with a personal injury by allowing the attorney to assist in the handling your claim.  But when choosing an attorney, it is important that you choose an experienced attorney. 

To assist the public in making an educated decision when seeking and choosing a personal injury attorney, the Supreme Court of Florida directed the Florida Bar Association to offer a “Board Certification” program for Florida Bar members.   In order to be recognized as a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, not only must the attorney pass rigorous written examinations, but the attorney must also show documented evidence that they have actually practiced law inside the Courtroom and have taken cases to trial.  Less less than 2% of  lawyers that are members of  The Florida Bar, are Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyers.  Civil trial law includes personal injury, wrongful death and medical malpractice.

The Law Offices of Lucas, Green & Magazine have two attorneys on staff that are Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyers; partner Jim Magazine and associate attorney Steve Haskins.  Attorney Jim Magazine is also a member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.  http://www.milliondollaradvocates.com/  This prestigious group of trial lawyers is limited to attorneys who have won million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements.  Fewer than one percent (1%) of U.S. lawyers are members.

If you or someone you love are in need of a personal injury attorney, please contact our office at 1-800-4-INJURY or 727-849-5353.