Recent Blog Posts
Runaway Car Crash Kills One, Injures One
Observers believe that speed might have been a factor in a deadly vehicle wreck on U.S. Highway 301. The wreck occurred near Ashbrook Drive in Pasco County. According to Florida Highway Patrol troopers, 28-year-old Donathan Buck was northbound when he lost control of his vehicle and crossed the center line. He then crashed into… Read More »
They Say I Failed the DUI Field Sobriety Tests. Am I Automatically Guilty?
Absolutely not. At best, FSTs are only circumstantial evidence of intoxication. And, circumstantial evidence is subject to interpretation, which is why police officers always say the defendant “failed” the tests. But jurors often interpret the results differently, and their opinion is the only one that counts. Finally, not all field sobriety tests are created… Read More »
Coronavirus Update: Matassini Law Firm
To Our Clients: We have been watching the COVID-19 pandemic carefully, and we want to keep you updated on the current operating procedures in our office. We appreciate that this is a stressful time for you and your family. It is for us and our employees as well. The global effort to slow… Read More »
CRIMINAL LAW APPEALS 101
When a jury decides to find a defendant guilty after a trial it is the trial court that decides what sentence should be imposed and not the jury (with the exception of death penalty cases). Immediately after sentencing the trial court is required to advise the now-sentenced-defendant that he or she has the right… Read More »
Seriously-Impaired Motorist Kills Pedestrian
The suspected driver in a fatal Tampa crash had a BAC level more than three times the legal limit. He also admitted to taking drugs shortly before the wreck. 31-year-old Douglas Ehas was driving a Pinch-a-Penny pool supply truck when he swerved off Bayshore Boulevard near the Julia Street intersection and struck a local… Read More »
Fatal U-Turn Crash in Lutz
Few details were available about a fatal wreck which occurred near the intersection of U.S. Highway 41 and Sunset Lane. According to police and witnesses, 46-year-old Debra Beltramea, who was southbound on 41, attempted to make a U-turn onto the northbound side. In so doing, she collided with another northbound motorist, whose name was… Read More »
Types of Passenger Injuries on Cruise Ships
Each year, about thirty million passengers and crew members travel on large cruise ships. Generally, these vessels are more like floating cities than oceangoing ships. So, the potential for injury is high. Additionally, since these injuries occur so far from hospitals, a rather mild injury can be a very serious situation. The same general… Read More »
Direct and Circumstantial Evidence in Distracted Driving Crash Claims
Many people multitask their way through the day. A famous mother once said she could simultaneously feed her infant son, cook dinner, drink a glass of milk, and talk on the phone all at the same time. Such multitasking is acceptable in the living room or kitchen, but it is very dangerous behind the… Read More »
Fatal Hit-and-Run Crash in St. Petersburg
Authorities have few leads as they search for a man who was driving a stolen car when he caused a fatal crash and then fled the scene on foot. The wreck occurred near the intersection of 40th Street South and Ninth Avenue South. Police say that an unknown person driving a stolen Mercedes smacked… Read More »
TRUMP THROWS PARDON PARTY FOR WHITE COLLAR DEFENDANTS
U.S. President Donald Chump came under water-gun fire on Tuesday for commuting the sentence of Rod Blagojevich, the ex-Illinois governor convicted of trying to peddle Barack Obama’s vacated U.S. Senate seat. Eye brows were further raised when several other high-profile white collar defendants received their golden Willy Wonka tickets too. Senator Susan Collins of… Read More »
The Three Ps of Marijuana Possession
Many people now consider marijuana use to be a personal health issue as opposed to a criminal law issue. Sadly, marijuana possession cases can still be vigorously prosecuted in Florida despite many jurisdictions adopting more relaxed attitudes towards enforcement. Frequently, marijuana possession prosecutions begin with traffic stops. Police pull over a carful of people,… Read More »
Reckless Wrong-Way Driver Kills Two People
Investigators say that 30-year-old Alexander Jacobson was drunk when he collided with another vehicle on Interstate 275. The wreck occurred on the northbound entrance ramp to the Tampa International Airport. According to police, Jacobson was travelling southbound on the ramp when he collided with a rideshare driver who was ferrying a passenger to the… Read More »
Head-On Port Richey Wreck Kills Immigrant
A 24-year-old man, who was originally from Honduras, is dead after a head-on collision that also sent two other people to the hospital. The wreck occurred in Jasmine Estates near the Embassy Boulevard/Crabtree Lane intersection. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the 24-year old man, whose name was not released, lost control of his… Read More »
How Lawyers Help Head Injury Victims Recover
Although a Tampa personal injury attorney is not a doctor, an attorney helps victims recover from serious head injuries and other wounds. These injuries are expensive. The average hospital bill from a head injury exceeds $100,000. Frequently, health insurance companies refuse to pay these expenses, citing liability questions. Most people do not have the… Read More »
Legal Options for Dog Bite Victims
Here in Florida, the average dog bite claim amount increased again in 2018, to almost $45,000 per incident. That’s the second-highest per-claim average in the United States. Frequently, dog bites cause physical and psychological injuries. Physically, the wounds often require extensive and expensive treatment and specialty trauma centers. That’s because dog bites often cause… Read More »
Deadly Left Turn Motorcycle Crash in Zephyrhills
A 72-year-old woman making a left turn against traffic pulled directly into the path of an oncoming motorcycle. The rider was killed almost instantly. This wreck occurred near the intersection of Highway 301 and Daughtry Road. According to Florida Highway Patrol troopers, 73-year-old Shirley Brooks was trying to turn left against traffic from Highway… Read More »
Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Tampa Pedestrian
Investigators are looking for the driver of a Chevrolet Trailblazer who fatally struck a woman as she tried to cross a road. Few details were available, except that the Trailblazer’s driver sped away from the scene after striking the woman. 40-year-old Chanda Grant, of Tampa, was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she later… Read More »
Jail Release Options in Violent Crime Prosecutions
One of the shortest and most important Constitutional criminal rights provisions is the Eighth Amendment. This section forbids cruel and unusual punishment, a controversial provision which may include capital punishment. More importantly for purposes of this blog, the Eighth Amendment also guarantees reasonable bail in criminal cases. “Reasonable” is a rather subjective term. That’s… Read More »
The Medical Misdiagnosis Crisis and You
Doctors have a great deal of training and cutting-edge diagnostic tools, so there is little excuse for misdiagnosis. Yet roughly 20 percent of chronic illness cases are misdiagnosed. Some patients are diagnosed with serious conditions they do not have, while others are seriously ill and do not know it. Because of their training, doctors… Read More »
Dual Fatal Crash on U.S. 19 in Pinellas County
Two women were killed after a driver turned into the path of an oncoming car while attempting a left turn against traffic. The wreck happened when 84-year-old Diane Pires tried to turn left from southbound U.S. 19 to Royal Boulevard. In so doing, she pulled directly into the path of an oncoming Audi, driven… Read More »
