Author Archives: Adam

Florida Officials Struggle with School Restraint Rule: Boca Raton Attorney Adam Balkan Quoted for Feature Case

Boca Raton personal injury and child abuse attorney Adam Balkan was quoted as an expert source for a Florida Associated Press story looking at state schools and how they view restraint and seclusion laws. Mr. Balkan is a leading attorney … Continue reading

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Parkland to Draft City Text Message Ordinance

Parkland is taking the next steps necessary to create and enforce a city ordinance to ban text messaging while driving. The city commissioner Jared Moskowitz instructed the Parkland city attorney to draft an ordinance for the ban. The issue could … Continue reading

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Hidden Toy Hazards Can Put Children at Risk

An onslaught of product recalls in the past year has drawn international attention to the fact that many of the products we use in our homes and purchase for our families are not always safe. The toys our children play … Continue reading

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Texting While Driving: Parkland Could Crack Down on Offenders

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 … Continue reading

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Protect Florida’s Students Against Abuse through Aversives, Restraint and Seclusions

The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network has started a petition to send to members of the Florida Department of Education to promote change that will prevent and protect students, especially special needs students, from abuse through aversives, restraint and seclusions. Currently, the … Continue reading

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National Autism Association and Families Against Restraint & Seclusion – Working to Revise our Laws to Protect Children

The National Autism Association (NAA) along with 12 other organizations launched a campaign this week to spur letter writing and raise awareness about dangerous restraint and seclusion practices in schools. For more information, click here to visit the blog for … Continue reading

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New Seat Belt Legislation in Effect Today, June 30

Florida’s new seat belt laws go into effect today. As of today, June 30, law enforcement officers can make a traffic stop on any vehicle in which they observe a seat belt law violation. The current fine for a seat … Continue reading

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Michigan Class Action Called Landmark Settlement for Autism Treatment

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Michigan has agreed to settle a class action case with about 100 families for a total of $1 million to reimburse expenses they paid for autism testing and treatment. It has been an ongoing … Continue reading

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Balkan & Patterson LLP Secures Settlement for Family of Special Needs Student Abused and Violently Restrained by Behavioral Analyst at Oak Hammock K-8 School

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 … Continue reading

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Balkan & Patterson Clients Awarded a Jury Verdict in Excess of $550,000 for Auto Accident that Left Victims Seriously Injured

The law firm of Balkan & Patterson LLP recently won a jury verdict of more than $550,000 for our clients who were seriously injured in an auto accident when they were virtually run over by the driver of a dump … Continue reading

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