“Jake Schickel was recommended to me by a number of other firefighters. I have recommended him to several others. I would have been lost without his help and feel very fortunate that he and Jim Daniel supported me throughout a long and frustrating process.” …..“Rusty” Butler

Firm Partner Jim Daniel recently obtained a favorable ruling from the First District Court of Appeal (DCA) on behalf of retired Jacksonville firefighter Graymond “Rusty” Butler. He was awarded permanent total disability benefits previously denied him by his former employer, the City of Jacksonville. “After faithfully serving the citizens of Jacksonville and putting his life in danger for over three decades, Rusty will now finally get the compensation he deserves,” comments Jim.

Rusty first brought his case to Jake Schickel, who is board certified in Workers’ Compensation and Civil Trial Law. Health issues had forced Rusty into early retirement. Like so many of his fellow firefighters and police officers, Rusty was diagnosed with hypertension with resulting peripheral vascular disease. “It’s the stress of the job that causes it,” explains Rusty. “I know a lot of people I served with are having trouble getting their benefits.”

This is exactly what brought the former firefighter to Jake Schickel. Jake’s investigation revealed that while his medical expenses had been paid, Rusty had not received all the benefits owed him, despite meeting the guidelines for total disability. Jake was certain that his client’s case was fully supported by the Florida Statute known as the “Heart Lung Bill” and began a long fight to obtain rightful compensation. This law stipulates that firefighters and police officers are entitled to a presumption that hypertension or heart disease, and any complications resulting from these conditions, are causally related to their employment.

Despite this statute and without presenting any evidence disproving this causal relationship, the city vigorously contested Rusty’s claim, even sending him to an Orlando doctor who testified against him. After Judge William Dane ruled in favor of the city and denied benefits, Jim Daniel, a board-certified specialist in Appellate Law, filed the appeal that reversed that decision.

Coker Schickel Sorenson & Posgay, Jacksonville Personal Injury Firm - Firm Fights for Firefighter’s Rights

“My attorneys never doubted me. Their belief in me was a major factor in the jury’s decision. They always gave me the straight facts and kept me informed.” …Walter Pace

A Clay County jury recently found for Jacksonville resident Walter Pace in his suit against a motorist who had fallen asleep at the wheel and crashed into the back of his vehicle. The verdict was 21 times greater than the final offer made by the State Farm adjuster, who insured the driver at fault.
State Farm staked out its position on the case during Mr. Pace’s first conversation with this adjuster, who took a hostile, “take it or leave it” stance. He told Walter that he did not believe he was injured in the accident and that he would make sure there was no settlement offered in the case. “He told me that he was going to make an example of me by forcing me to go to trial — which he was sure I would lose,” said Walter Pace.
It all began in July of 2002 in Green Cove Springs, Florida as Walter and his family were traveling on US 17 on their way to teach vacation bible school in nearby Switzerland. Walter Pace was sitting in the back seat while his wife drove, allowing one of his children to ride “shotgun.” John Moore, a construction worker, was traveling behind the Pace vehicle. Moore had gotten up before dawn to work at his job site and then he went surfing. When he reached Green Cove Springs, he fell asleep at the wheel, accelerated, and crashed into the back of the Pace vehicle.
Our investigation revealed that Walter had a previous neck condition that was in no way bothersome prior to the accident, but had now become significantly worse. After the accident, Mr. Pace had to struggle to approach his old level of physical activity. A sole proprietor and master artisan in a business engaged in handcrafting control panels for sewage and wastewater management systems, Walter found it increasingly difficult after the accident to do the work that had previously been his source of income. He had lost his biggest client and seen his earnings decrease dramatically each year. By 2005, Walter’s income was less than half of what it had been in the years preceding the accident.
Convinced that State Farm’s position was grossly unfair to Mr. Pace, our firm took the case to trial. They believed Walter Pace and they believed in his case. The jury saw their passion and, in the end, they too believed Walter Pace. “This case illustrates the type of treatment by insurance companies we see all too frequently,” said Attorney Rick Alexander. “It also shows how the jury system can work to vindicate a real victim, even though he is denied by an insurance company.”

Coker Schickel Sorenson & Posgay, Jacksonville Personal Injury Firm - Accident Victim’s Rights Upheld by Clay County Jury

“Howard Coker, Charles Sorenson and their paralegal Leigh Philips were so wonderfully professional and thorough in the handling of my case. They went above and beyond the call of duty on my behalf. I was very satisfied with the jury’s verdict and, as importantly, I believe it put Regal Theatres on notice to fix their lighting and other safety code violations. Hopefully, this will prevent someone else from getting hurt by the simple act of going to the movies.” ……..Angie Vazquez

In January of 2006 Angie Vazquez and her then-fiancé, Chuck Kees, were excited about the opening of the film “King Kong.” The couple visited Jacksonville’s Regal Beach Theater to view the remake of the famous 1933 classic. They were unaware that the evening would cost them significantly more than the price of tickets and popcorn.
During the three-hour movie, Angie started down the stairs to use the restroom. Her vision and depth perception were impaired by extreme low light and uneven stadium-style steps. She tripped and fell, breaking both bones in her left wrist. This serious injury forced her to undergo surgery and wear a cumbersome external fixator for several months, including during her own wedding. A professional with a career that requires a certain amount of strength and dexterity, Angie found that she had lost some of her previous functionality. She comments: “I can’t physically do everything I used to – I have to ask my colleagues for help.”
The theater where Angie was injured is part of Regal Cinemas, Inc. — the largest chain of movie houses in the country. After she found the corporation non-responsive to the issues and expenses related to her accident, Angie brought her case to our firm. Partners Charles Sorenson and Howard Coker, working with firm Investigator Walt Brozowski and Paralegal Leigh Phillips, launched an investigation into the hazardous conditions at that cinema, as well as the safety codes that govern theater operations. It became clear that the cinema’s inadequate, out-of-code aisle illumination was a breach of its duty to maintain safe premises for patrons. In short, leaving one’s seat during a movie was risky business! In August, a jury agreed with our firm’s findings, awarding Angie Vazquez $233,000.

Coker Schickel Sorenson & Posgay, Jacksonville Personal Injury Firm - Jury Decides On Danger In The Dark

Siegel v. Wheeltronic

Jefforey Siegel loved his work and his company, Big Chief Tire. A veteran mechanic, he had worked hard to be promoted to supervisor. On August 15, 2006 his situation changed in an instant when he was working under a Ford F-250 and the hydraulic lift holding the 9000 lb. truck failed. Jefforey was pinned to the wall of the garage, fracturing bones, dislocating his shoulder and tearing muscle. At that time he weighed in at about 300 and was able to use his body mass and strength to push the truck off himself. “It was in the blink of an eye. I feel really lucky – if it has been someone else in the shop smaller than me they would have been dead,” Jefforey comments .
Luck in one sense is certainly correct, however Jefforey was seriously injured by a scissor lift that failed suddenly and at a crucial moment. It turned out that a specific weld on the lift was in the wrong place and, with continual use, it gave out, endangering any mechanic counting on it to keep a bone-crushing vehicle from crashing down on them as they worked. The product was manufactured by Wheeltronic, a Canadian company and distributed by Snap-On.
Jefforey required three surgeries and he will never be able to work as a mechanic again. This is something he deeply regrets. During our investigation into the case, our firm learned that the lift was not adequately tested for safety and that welds were in locations where solid pieces of steel should have been used. “The welds that were present on the lift were too weak to support the loads properly placing on it and it had an inadequate safety system because users of the lift would not be able to see fatigued welds prior to failure,” explains Partner Matthew Posgay, who represented Jefforey Siegel in this case.

Coker Schickel Sorenson & Posgay, Jacksonville Personal Injury Firm - Mechanic Compensated For Permanent Injuries Caused By Defective Car Lift