We Can Help You With Your Divorce Issue

The end of a marriage is a stressful and uncertain time for everyone involved. There are many changes affecting your financial situation, living situation, and your relationship with your children. Colette Heck Law recognizes the special importance of achieving satisfactory child custody arrangements. We strive for complete resolution of all issues, so you don't have to keep going back to court.

At Colette Heck Law we want to help you reach a positive outcome as soon as possible. Often, that can be accomplished through mediation, where both spouses negotiate directly with each other and keep the terms of the divorce under their control, rather than a judge's. However, if one spouse is uncooperative or hostile, litigation may be the only option. We are not afraid to zealously protect your rights in all aspects of your family law case.

From negotiating fair parenting plans to modifying an existing divorce settlement to account for new circumstances, we can help you with your divorce issue. Contact Colette Heck Law today to schedule an initial consultation about your divorce case.

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Colette Heck Will Take Care of Your Injury Lawsuits

Deadlines for Filing an Injury Lawsuit in Florida

Like every other state, Florida has a statute on the books that sets a deadline for the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit in civil court against the person or business that might be legally at fault for your injury. This law is called a statute of limitations.

Under Florida's statute of limitations for personal injury cases, you have four years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit in Florida's civil courts (this law can be found in Florida Statutes Annotated section 95.11). If you don't file your case within this time window, the court will very likely refuse to hear it at all. In rare cases, you may not “discover” that you actually suffered harm for some amount of time after the incident that caused the injury, and in those instances the lawsuit-filing window will be extended.

For injury claims against a city, county or state government, the time limit is three years.

If you're filing an insurance claim or lawsuit over an accident or injury, you'll need to be familiar with laws in your state that might affect your case.

Contact Colette Heck Law today.

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Colette Heck Handles Rear-end Collisions

Rear-end collisions are some of the most common types of car accidents on the roads today.  These types of accidents occur when the front end of an automobile hits the back of the car in front of it.  Although many of these collisions happen at relatively low speeds, the impact can still cause serious bodily injury to the occupants. Our attorneys know that not all rear-end collisions occur at low speeds. Colette Heck has represented victims of high speed, highway rear-end collisions where the injuries were truly catastrophic in nature.

There are many reasons that rear-end crashes occur. The most common cause is driver inattentiveness or distraction whether due to reading text messages, talking on a cell phone, conversation/ argument with a passenger, checking e-mail, use of navigation system or radio. Tail
gating and racing can also result in a rear-end collision among other negligent acts or omissions.

Injuries most commonly associated with low-speed rear-end collisions include damage to the soft tissues of the body such as sprains or strains to the muscles supporting the spinal cord, injuries to the inter-vertebral discs (Herniated disc or HNP), spinal cord injuries and closed head injuries, which can result in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) / brain damage and permanent disability. When the accident is the result of a high speed impact to the rear, the injuries are often very serious and even fatal. They can include spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, burn injury, fractures, amputation, nerve damage, herniated disc and even death.

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Wear Your Seat belt!

It is a dangerous myth that today’s modern cars with functioning airbags have eliminated the need to wear seatbelts. Airbags are specifically designed to be used in accordance with a belted occupant. In fact, an airbag can become dangerous if it goes off against an unrestrained occupant. Additionally, airbags offer little to no help to those involved in rear-end, side or rollover crashes. Colette Heck will battle on behalf of the injured. Often the greatest challenge in litigating car and truck cases in Florida is not always who caused the accident, but rather if the injured qualifies for any recovery under Florida’s motor vehicle law.

It can be a critical mistake to think people do not need to wear a seatbelt if they are just driving around the corner. Studies have proven that a person has a 400% greater chance of surviving an accident if they are properly seat belted. Florida Statute S316.614 details the rules regarding the use of safety belts. Florida law requires that anyone driving a car, pickup truck, truck or van on a Florida road must wear a seatbelt. This law applies to front seat passengers too. Failure to wear a seatbelt is considered a non-moving violation and is punishable by a $30.00 fine plus $6.00 in court costs. If the driver is under 18 years of age, each passenger must wear a seatbelt as long as the car, truck, pickup truck or van is moving.

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Car Accidents

Car accidents have a number of causes, most of which are related to negligence or wrongdoing. The primary cause of car accidents throughout Voluisa County and Ormond Beach is driver error or negligence. As an example, drunk driving accidents account for approximately one-third of all fatal traffic accidents throughout the U.S. each year, other car crash statistics are just as troubling. Additional forms of negligence may include: speeding, driving recklessly, or disobeying a traffic law, as well as simple errors such as failing to check one’s blind spot or not looking both ways before proceeding through an intersection. Less common causes of Gainesville car accidents may include: automobile defects or malfunction, or poor road or weather conditions.

Depending on the cause of your serious car accident in Ormond Beach, you may be able to hold another driver responsible, or perhaps an automobile or auto part manufacturer. In some cases, you may even be able to hold the local government responsible for poorly maintained or designed roads or intersections.

Find out more about what you can do in the wake of a car accident with the help of a skilled attorney at your side. Contact Colette Heck Law today for your consultation!

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Drunk driving

Drunk drivers willfully and needlessly endanger the life of others. According to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles, 33,625 people were convicted of driving under the influence last year alone. When someone decides to drive drunk innocent drivers and passengers are in immediate danger. These cases are more difficult than many people realize. It is not about just reckless driving. It's also about tracing the beverage or substance trail back to the source to make those who foster, encourage, or enable drunk or drug impaired drivers.

Drunk driving is a third degree felony under Florida Statutes and is punishable in by incarceration. Under Florida law, drivers with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher are above the legal limit. Furthermore, drunk drivers that cause accidents and serious injuries such as a traumatic brain or closed head injury can also be subject additional civil liability for punitive damages under Florida Statutes 768.762.

Damages in a drunk driving case include amounts for past and future medical bills, loss of earnings, loss of a loved one, pain and suffering, permanent disability and punitive damages. This is because drunk driving is reckless disregard for the life and safety of others. Drunk driving cases can also include claims not just against the drunk driver but may include legal liability from other third parties such as establishments where the alcohol was served. Florida's vendor responsibility act requires alcohol establishments to teach their employees to serve alcohol responsibly to the public.

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Proudly serving Ormond Beach.

It's important to note that many accidents occur when drivers are simply not paying attention to the road. In fact, distracted driving accidents are quickly becoming one of the leading causes of personal injury in the nation.

With over 3 million injuries a year resulting from auto accidents, car crashes can also be responsible for property damage, financial losses, physical injuries and sometimes death.

If you have been injured in an auto accident, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, repair costs, loss of future earnings and other damages such as emotional and physical pain and suffering.

Proudly serving Ormond Beach | www.colettehecklaw.com | (386) 253-3033 | plus.google.com/112342627763158578314/posts?hl=en