News published on Florida Record in December 2018

DESTIN -- A condominium improvement association is being sued by numerous residents for breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duties.

FORT LAUDERDALE -- A Florida judge has rejected arguments by victims' families of the Parkland shooting, saying that the deputy stationed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School was not required to stop the shooting.

A Florida partnership is suing H&R Properties LLC, a Delaware company, citing alleged breach of contract.

AVENTURA, Fla. — The Bloomingdale's department store chain has apologized to the teenager reportedly tackled in its Aventura Mall location last February when a now-fired security guard suspected the 13-year-old girl of shoplifting.

JACKSONVILLE -- A case of child protective investigations, conducted by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO), has resulted in a decision that sustains a district court ruling regarding government immunity held in court.

MIAMI – The Florida Third Circuit Court of Appeal upheld a ruling that awarded Kesoki Painting LLC $91,904 for work done as a subcontractor on a construction project for the Miami-Dade County Overtown Transit Village, according to an order entered Dec. 19.

TALLAHASSEE – The Leon Circuit Court has been directed by Florida’s First District Court of Appeal to enter a verdict in favor of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. in a case filed by the husband of a woman who died of lung cancer, according to a Dec. 18 appeals court ruling.

WEST PALM BEACH – The District Court of Appeal of Florida Fourth District upheld the 15th Judicial Circuit Court Palm Beach County’s decision to enforce a permanent easement between a shopping center and car dealership, according to an opinion entered Dec. 19.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a $625 million multistate and federal settlement with a major pharmaceutical distributor.

MIAMI – The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida recently dismissed a motion to compel arbitration filed by cable giant Comcast Cable Communication LLC regarding a lawsuit filed by a former customer who claimed she was harassed by its salespeople in an attempt to regain her service.

Ariana Fajardo Orshan, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Michael J. De Palma, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Brian Swain, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, and William Hernandez, Chief, North Miami Beach Police Department (NMBPD), announced that Saul Frederick, 45, of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was sentenced on December 14, 2018, to 61 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $1,757,397 in restitution for his role in a stolen identity tax refund scheme.

United States Attorney Maria Chapa Lopez announces that Dr. Irfan Siddiqui and his vascular surgery practice, Heart and Vascular Institute of Florida (HAVI), have agreed to pay the United States $2,230,000 to resolve allegations that, from January 2, 2011, to June 30, 2018, Dr. Siddiqui and HAVI violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims to federal health programs for reimbursement of vein ablation procedures.

An employee is suing Florida Mobile Rehab LLC d/b/a Salus, a foreign corporation, citing alleged breach of contract, unpaid wages, violation of applicable minimum wage law, violation of workers compensation acts and violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

A veterinarian and animal hospital are suing a pet owner, claiming defamation in Facebook and Google Review posts.

An employee is suing a Florida corporation, citing alleged intentional infliction of emotional distress and violation of workers' compensation laws.

An invitee is suing the William D. Stark Trust, a rental property owner, alleging insufficient measures were taken to prevent injuries.

A Pinellas County couple is suing Morton Plant Hospital Association Inc., a nursing care provider, citing alleged insufficient measures were taken to prevent injuries.

An individual is suing Lew Electrical Services LLC, a contractor, citing alleged insufficient measures were taken to prevent injuries.

A business invitee is suing Speedway LLC, a convenience store owner, citing alleged insufficient measures were taken to prevent injuries.

A motorist is suing Christine Marie Fisher and All American Transportation Services of Florida Inc., vehicle owner and driver, citing alleged insufficient measures were taken to prevent injuries.