There are two new bills that you should be aware of. The first bill is House Bill 599 which deals with Public Works Projects. The hyperlink to the bill, which was signed into law by the governor is found below:   https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2017/599/BillText/er/PDF   The theory is that the amendment will provide a more competitive bid process for public construction projects where state dollars represent 50% or more of the funding. Prior to this bill, local governments could establish arbitrary pre-bid mandates on contractor's telling them who they must hire, where they must train and what benefit packages they must offer if they want to bid the job with that entity. For many small businesses, these mandates made it unaffordable to bid on many public projects. The premise is, increasing competition will benefit Florida taxpayers.   The second piece of legislation of consequence is House Bill 377 which deals with limitations on lawsuits other than for the recovery of real property. A hyperlink to the legislation is found below:   https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2017/377/BillText/er/PDF   What this bill hopes to accomplish is to clarify when and how Florida's 10-year statute of repose begins to run on a completed project. The statute of repose defines the period in which an owner can sue for alleged construction defects. In a number of recent cases, a final payment was not made for construction costs. By making final payment late, the repose period was effectively extended beyond the 10 years envisioned by the Florida legislature.   The pertinent language now states:   Completion of the contract means the later of the date of final performance of all the contracted services or the date that final payment for such services becomes due without regard to the date final payment is made. This act applies to causes of action that accrue on or after July 1, 2017. If you have any questions please feel free to give me a call. Christopher Weiss Attorney at Law, P.A. Board Certified Construction Attorney 17 N. Summerlin Avenue, Ste. 200 Orlando, FL 32801 (407) 928-6737 chris@cweisslaw.com   ...read more

In Brevard County this past Thursday, a 2002 Chevy pickup truck driving south on US-1 across the St. Sebastian River Bridge collided with a bicycle headed north on the same highway. The cyclist, 59-year-old David Smith, a resident of Micco, was riding along US-1 and, according to the report, was on the white line painted on the highway’s border. The collision between the bicycle and the car was almost head-on, with the front right corner of the pickup colliding with the front tire of the bicycle, and caused Smith and his bike to collide with the concrete wall dividing the highway’s southbound shoulder from the city’s sidewalk. The bicycle was ultimately propelled over the wall and onto the sidewalk itself. When the emergency response teams arrived, they pronounced Smith dead at the scene. The driver of the Chevy, 21-year-old Tyler Gates, a Vero Beach resident, was uninjured in the accident. The Florida Highway Patrol is still investigating the situation and looking into the claims that Smith was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. While emergency response teams examined the scene of the accident, the portion of road where US-1 and Main Street meet, around the Indian River and Brevard County line, was closed from 5:20 p.m. until the teams decided they had extracted all the information that they could. The accident itself is estimated to have happened around 4:57 p.m., right when rush hour begins to reach its peak. As of this moment, no formal charges have been brought against Gates, and it is unknown what exactly the conditions were under which the accident happened. Circumstances such as this one, where a cyclist is killed by the driver of a car, are challenging to assess right away. Because the driver of the car is operating something so much more powerful than the bicycle, it often seems that the culpability lies primarily with them. However, there are certainly circumstances under which the cyclist’s own irresponsibility can cause the incident to take place. On the road, everyone is responsible to be aware of each other and everyone else. All it takes is one moment of negligence for irreparable damage or death to occur. If you or a loved one have been injured in a Brevard County bicycle accident, contact the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. today at 877-FL-INJURY (877-354-6587). ...read more

The Law Office of Dennis Winesett If you have been  accused, arrested or charged with a "crime" in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia or Brevard County; or are facing charges for a felony, a misdemeanor or a serious traffic offense such as DUI? I have personally defended the accused in Central Florida and beyond for over 20 years.  See what 20 years experience as a trial lawyer can do for your situation CALL ANYTIME 407.756.7256 Accused, Arrested or Charged with a "Crime" in  Orange County Florida Osceola County Florida  Seminole County Florida Volusia  County Florida Brevard County Florida Are you facing charges for a Felony, a Misdemeanor or a serious traffic offense such as DUI? -  Criminal Justice Attorney -  DUI Attorney -  Attorney  -  Lawyer -  Law Firm -  General Practice Attorney -  Trial Attorney I have personally defended the accused in Central Florida and beyond for over 20 years.Accused, Arrested or Charged with a "Crime" in  Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Volusia or Brevard County?  Are you facing charges for a Felony, a Misdemeanor or a serious traffic offense such as DUI? I have personally defended the accused in Central Florida and beyond for over 20 years. ...read more