On Saturday, November 7th, a 15-year-old Palm Beach County boy died in a car crash.  The Sheriff’s investigators reported that the boy was not wearing a seat belt and was driving with a learners permit when the crash occurred at about 12:15 a.m.  The 16-year-old passenger in the vehicle was wearing a seatbelt, and sustained only minor injuries.

Seatbelt safety is of the utmost of importance.  Why are teens today still not understanding the vitality of seatbelt related deaths?  We believe strongly in educating our young people today, and showing them the importance and responsibility of driving a car.  You get in the car and you buckle up. Plain and simple.

The personal injury and auto accident law firm of Balkan & Patterson stresses the importance of proper young driver education in order to protect our young teens and our communities from other tragedies like this. For more information about Balkan & Patterson or to find resources for safe driving practices, please visit our website at www.balkanpatterson.com.

Officials in Parkland, Florida, are weighing the options of making texting while driving illegal because of safety concerns. Texting while driving greatly increases the risk of an accident because a driver’s attention is significantly reduced - it is estimated that those drivers are 23 times as likely to be involved in an accident.

Seventeen states have already banned texting while driving. According to Parkland officials, the fines will not be determined until later, but could mimic similar legislation around the country. In California, for example, the fine for the first offense is $20. To view the complete story, please click here.

The personal injury law firm of Balkan & Patterson settled a lawsuit this week against the St. Lucie School Board on behalf of a family whose child was abused by his behavioral analyst at Oak Hammock K-8 school. The amount of the settlement is confidential.

The child, now age 10, was a special needs student and required additional help in school. He was working with a behavioral analyst when he was dragged down a hallway in the school, violently restrained and roughly handled. This treatment caused him to suffer physical injuries. The abuses he received required medical treatment, and his health care providers predict that he will require medical treatment in the future for the long term emotional and mental effects. In addition, the behavioral analyst had a questionable record that was not fully investigated by the school before he was hired.

“Our client trusted that the teachers and staff of Oak Hammock K-8 school would instruct her child, providing him with a safe and healthy  institution for learning,” said attorney Adam Balkan. “However, this was not the case, and a helpless child was severely mistreated by the people who were entrusted to help him. On top of that, the school board has a duty to fully investigate the backgrounds of their employees to ensure they are qualified to work with special needs students.”

“Thankfully the school board settled the case without having to put the family through the ordeals of a trial, but it does not excuse the treatment the boy received. It is all too common that we see these types of cases, and it is absolutely inexcusable that public schools are treating their students – especially special needs students – in this manner,” Mr. Balkan added.

Rafael Katz from the Katz Law Group acted as co-counsel on this case. Adam M. Balkan is a partner in the law firm of Balkan & Patterson, LLP. Additional information about this case can be found on our website, www.balkanpatterson.com.