The recent deaths and illnesses caused by the outbreak of a rare strain of meningitis underscores the deadly repercussions of ineffective and lax government regulation of pharmaceutical companies.

The fundamental purpose of insurance is to provide a safety net to support its policyholder in dire times. Whether it is financial protection following a natural disaster, auto accident, or life-threatening illness, Americans turn to insurance companies to ease their stress and help them rebuild their lives. Unfortunately, most hard-working individuals and their families in the United States are insured by massive conglomerates that strive to undercut policyholders at every opportunity, raise premiums without warning, deny claims whenever possible, and effectively betray the trust and fiduary duties owed to their insureds.

Stand up paddleboarding (affectionately termed “SUP” by those in the know) is the latest water activity to take the beaches, lakes, and other waterways by storm throughout the country. SUP is particularly popular in Florida, where locals and tourists are able to enjoy the sport year-round. Unfortunately, this popular new sport has been marred by injuries and even a recent death. With the following tips in mind—along with a little practice—your stand up paddleboarding experience should be exhilarating, enjoyable, and free of accidents or injuries.

In light of the statistics and inordinately high numbers of auto accidents and pedestrian deaths caused by reckless drivers throughout the Tampa Bay area, the public is well served by the recent efforts by Tampa and St. Petersburg to make major intersections safer by installing cameras. Another way to dramatically reduce traffic congestion as well as improve the safety of Tampa Bay area roads and highways is through public transit, particularly in the form of light rail.

As the 4th of July approaches, most families are busy preparing plans for Independence Day weekend. Unfortunately, so too are car crashes and other highway vehicle accidents.

The lure of a much desired goal can lead many college students to succumb to the pressure of violent hazing in a desperate effort to be accepted by their peers. In the case of Robert Champion, FAMU owed a legal duty to its student body to monitor illegal and life-threatening activities on and off campus during school-sponsored events; the school may therefore be liable for the wrongful death of its student. It is tragic that the leaders of FAMU apparently ignored such dangerous hazing incidents and tacitly permitted such behavior among their students.

On average, nearly 250,000 traffic accidents occur in Florida every year, resulting in nearly 3,000 fatalities, according to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles. Each of these tragic motor vehicle crashes is terrible in its own respect, but the case of David Belniak sent ripples of shock throughout the Tampa Bay, Florida area and surrounding counties. On June 12, 2012, the jury determined that Mr. McWilliams was not at fault in the crash and awarded a total of $14 million to the relatives of the victims Belniak in compensatory damages. The parties later reached a settlement of $1 million in punitive damages.

While many people work hard to maintain their property and keep it presentable, they may not realize that they are under a legal duty to make sure their property is safe, particularly for workers who must enter their property for business purposes as well as social visitors.

The effects of long-term concussions have appeared recently in national headlines as more former players are taking legal action against the NFL, claiming that the league did not take appropriate measures to protect its players against head injuries.

Tyler Morr died this past Wednesday afternoon, May 23, 2012, at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida after sustaining grievous injuries following a youth race car crash on the preceding Saturday. Tyler was only 12 years old and a racing competitor within the cockpit of a high performance race car at the time of his fatal crash. Needless to say, the standards for ensuring safety of the competitors are not always clear when it comes to a stock car race involving children.