A teenager in Florida will likely recover from a severe brain injury, caused by being impaled by a 3-foot-long spear, while spear fishing.

On June 8, Yasser Lopez, age 16, was fishing with a friend near Miami.  When the friend attempted to load the spear gun, he accidentally shot Lopez.  The spear penetrated his skull above the right eye, went through his brain, and exited the back of his head.

Lopez survived the brain injury and underwent a three-hour-long surgery at Jackson Memorial Hospital, from which he will enter an intensive rehabilitation program.

“It is a miracle that this boy survived such an awful injury,” said Robert Joyce, a brain injury attorney with the Joyce & Reyes Law Firm.  “Brain injuries can have devastating long-term effects.”

Doctors said that when Lopez came into the hospital, he was conscious and was able to follow commands, therefore providing a neurological assessment to the attending physicians.  Many patients with a severe brain injury tend to be comatose or otherwise unresponsive.

Lopez was also fortunate in the location of his injury.  His outlook is more promising because the brain’s right side was affected.  The left side of the brain controls vital functions such as speech and cognition.

In addition, the spear did not affect the brain’s midline, which is home to many vital structures and blood vessels.  If the spear had cut a major blood vessel, then Lopez could have suffered a stroke or severe bleeding.

Doctors say that the margin of error could be measured in millimeters, and that Lopez is “the lucky of the unlucky.”  The fact that Lopez is young and healthy increases the odds that he will recover well from the brain injury.  He may have a 70 to 90 percent chance of a good recovery.

Robert Joyce is a Tampa brain injury attorney.  To learn more about the Tampa brain injury lawyer or the Joyce & Reyes Law Firm, visit http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/ or call 1.888.771.1529.

Many new safety technologies have been introduced in automobiles now on the market, and according to a new study, at least some of them are working.

The study, by the Highway Loss Data Institute, analyzed insurance claims in conjunction with data from automobile accidents.  The non-profit institute is funded by the insurance industry.

“The emergence of these new safety technologies are an important step toward reducing the number of tragic injuries and deaths that occur on the highway,” said Robert Joyce, a Tampa, Florida car accident attorney with the Joyce & Reyes law firm.

According to the study, one particularly effective technology is the “forward collision avoidance system.”  The system warns drivers when they are approaching an object at a high rate of speed.  Some systems will actually apply the brakes if the driver does not.

This feature is already available in models like the Volvo XC60, the Mercedes CL Class sedan, and the Acura MDX.

The Institute studied liability claims for accidents involving the Mercedes-Benz and Acura models, and found a 14 percent reduction in claims for property damage in the models that featured the new technology, compared to those that did not.

Several other new technologies show some promise as well.

The study found that adaptive headlights, which change direction in response to the driver’s steering, caused a 10% reduction in claims.  Although there was some variation in the data, injury claims dropped significantly across the board, including by nearly 30% in some Mazda models.

As for parking-assistance systems and blind-spot-detection systems, there is so far no measurable effect on collision rates, according to the study.  Another technology, lane departure warnings, actually was associated with an increase in claims, though the reason is unclear.  The system warns drivers when they appear to be drifting out of their lane.

To learn more about the Tampa car accident attorney and personal injury lawyer or the Joyce & Reyes Law Firm, visit http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/ or call 1.888.771.1529.

A man described as a pill mill “mogul” received a sentence of 20 years in federal prison, but his sentence may be greatly reduced because of his cooperation with authorities.

According to court records, Vincent Colangelo, 43, dispensed more than half a million prescription pills such as oxycodone throughout Florida, racking up a small fortune before he was apprehended.

“This case is another sad reminder of the pill mill epidemic Florida is facing,” said Robert Joyce, a Tampa pill mill litigation attorney with Joyce & Reyes Law Firm.  “While this perpetrator has been taken down, there are many victims still suffering from illegal distribution of prescription drugs.”

U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke indicated that prosecutors may eventually recommend that Colangelo’s sentence be reduced, because he is providing them with information about the illegal distribution of prescription drugs throughout the southeastern United States.

During Colangelo’s sentencing hearing, both the prosecution and defense declared that Colangelo had been very forthcoming and had significant knowledge of the organized selling of illegal pharmaceuticals that could not be obtained otherwise.

According to court records, Colangelo controlled eight different clinics in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, that dispensed more than 660,000 pills such as oxycodone over the course of 2009 and 2010.  Colangelo’s indictment states that he used approximately 1,600 websites to solicit drug buyers across the country.

When Colangelo was arrested, authorities seized 50 vehicles, boats, cash, and real estate.  Colangelo blamed his actions on his own drug addiction.  Earlier he had spent four years in state prison, convicted for distributing cocaine and heroin.

Colangelo’s arrest was part of a February 2011 crackdown that resulted in the arrest of 20 people.  Forty different clinics were targeted, and undercover agents made more than 340 purchases of painkillers.  The state of Florida has become the center of a prescription drug abuse epidemic.  According to state law enforcement, Florida clinics had been providing 85% of all oxycodone sold in the United States.

To assist the action by law enforcement, a database to track prescription drug purchases is now operational, a move that had been delayed because of opposition from Gov. Rick Scott.

Robert Joyce is a Tampa pill mill litigation attorney at Joyce & Reyes Law Firm. To learn more about the Tampa pill mill litigation lawyer, visit http://www.joyceandreyespa.com/ or call 1.888.771.1529.

The parents of a Florida A&M University (FAMU) drum major have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university, following the student’s death in a hazing ritual. The university’s president, James Ammons, has announced he will resign, after the board of trustees gave him a vote of no confidence.

Robert Champion, age 26, died after FAMU’s renowned marching band traveled from Tallahassee to a “Battle of the Bands” event in Orlando, held in conjunction with the “Florida Classic” football game. Champion died on the band’s bus after what officials described as a brutal hazing ritual.

Criminal charges have been brought against 13 band members. Two received misdemeanor charges, and the other 11 face felonies that carry a prison sentence of up to six years.

The wrongful death lawsuit accuses FAMU of tolerating hazing even after the hospitalization of three band members on previous occasions. According to the lawsuit, there were at least 107 hazing incidents at the university since 1983.

The lawsuit also claims that three days before Champion’s death, the university failed to act on a proposal to suspend the band in order to put a stop to the hazing problem.

Champion’s mother welcomed the resignation of the university president. She said the family had created a foundation named after her son that will work to eliminate hazing from universities.

The family’s original lawsuit was filed in February against Fabulous Coach Lines and Wendy Millette, the bus driver, who allegedly allowed the hazing to happen. An amendment to that suit has been filed, adding the allegations against the university.

The amendment to the suit also contains details of the allegations against Millette, saying that she would regularly park the bus in an isolated area and discourage other drivers from intervening in the hazing rituals. According to the lawsuit, other drivers made complaints to the management of the bus company, but were told to stay out of it.

The wrongful death lawsuit alleges that Millette guarded the door of the bus while Champion was being hazed, and forced him to get back on when he came to the bus door vomiting.

The marching band has been suspended indefinitely by the university. FAMU’s high-stepping “Marching 100” band is known for having introduced a style of showmanship and pageantry to university marching bands that previously focused on military precision. The band has been judged among the best marching bands in the nation.

University President Ammons decided to resign after eight out of 12 board trustees gave him a vote of no confidence in his ability to lead the university.