Make an Emergency Kit

In the event of a severe storm, you might have to wait for days before help arrives. Have enough food, water, and basic supplies to last at least 72 hours.

Have Materials Ready to Board Up Your Windows

Storm shutters offer the best protection, but if you don’t have them, 5/8 inch marine plywood is a good alternative. Cut these boards to fit in advance, and keep them at the ready so you can use them when it’s time. 

Keep the Landscaping in Check

Well-trimmed trees and shrubbery are more wind resistant. And that means they’re less likely to become flying battering rams in a storm.

Keep Your Car Fueled Up

Don’t wait until it’s time to evacuate to realize you don’t have enough gas. Gas stations will often be closed during emergencies, and the pumps won’t work if there’s a power outage. Be sure to have at least a half tank of gas at all times.

How to Know a Storm is Coming

You can spot a tornado brewing by the dark, often greenish, sky; big hailstones; and large, low-lying clouds. You’ll also hear a roar, similar to a freight train. In the case of a hurricane, look for increasing ocean swells, frequency of waves, and driving rain 36 to 72 hours before it hits.

A Safe Place for Your Car

Ideally, your car would be with you as you evacuate. However, if you can’t take it with you, park it indoors or on high ground away from potential sources of damage (falling debris, projectiles, etc.). Be sure to have a tarp and waterproof tape handy to seal your windows and doors, as well.

Evacuation routes

When appropriate, local officials will provide information about evacuation routes through the media. But these routes are typically available at any time online. It’s a good idea to be familiar with these routes before a storm hits so you know where to go.

Where to Find Shelter

When a storm hits, the last place you want to be is outside. Even a car is not a reliable place to take refuge. It’s best to think through where to go beforehand—to have a plan. Basements, the bottom floor of a building, or under a stairwell are good places to wait out a storm.

The Elevation Level of Your Property

It’s a good idea to know your home’s elevation and prepare accordingly. FloodTools.com has some great tips for planning for a flood. And although you might not be able to prevent flood damage, you could take measures to avoid losing truly irreplaceable things.

Cramming at the Eleventh Hour

“If you believe you can accomplish everything by ‘cramming’ at the eleventh hour, by all means, don't lift a finger now. But you may think twice about beginning to build your ark once it has already started raining.” –Max Brooks, The Zombie Survival Guide

"An ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure."

- Benjamin Franklin

A failure to prepare...

“A failure to prepare is preparing to fail” - Benjamin Franklin

Be Prepared for Emergencies with a Home Inventory

Be Prepared for Emergencies with a Home Inventory

In the event of damage to a residence, the property owner has the burden of proving the existence of any contents which were damaged or destroyed, and the value of that loss. Thus, there is a need to have an accurate and complete inventory of the contents of one’s home.  It is usually far easier to prove the loss of a building and its value than it is to prove the loss of the contents of that building.  Having represented a great many homeowners  in  suits against insurance companies for property damage, I know that having an inventory of the contents, including  pictures or videos of the contents, is a very valuable thing to have should you ever have to attempt to recover damages from an insurance company for the loss of the contents of your home.

With hurricane season approaching, now is the time to take an up-to-date inventory of your household items for insurance claims later.  Such an inventory will help you substantiate damaged or missing household items in the event of an insurance claim dispute.  It will also give you peace of mind, knowing that you have an accurate list of household valuables available at your fingertips.

Compiling a home inventory is not as difficult as it sounds.  However, it should include a detailed account of your possessions, complete with accurate descriptions, photos, videos, estimated values, dates of purchase and receipts, if you have them.  Anything that can provide proof of ownership and condition prior to loss will be to your advantage when filing an insurance claim.  Insurance companies have a tendency to underestimate the value of a home’s possessions. So, it’s well worth the extra time and effort it takes to compile such a list.

Inventory Help Available

If you need help, many insurance companies provide free, printable inventory checklists available on their websites. Home inventory software programs are available, making it easier to catalogue your possessions and generating reports when you need them.  There are also web-based home inventory management services that let you store your home inventory online for 24/7 access. 

Keep a Copy Offsite

Whichever home inventory system you choose, it’s very important to keep a copy of the list offsite.  In a disaster, your home inventory list can be destroyed and you’ll lose pertinent information when you file an insurance claim.  Consider keeping a copy in your bank’s

safe-deposit box, sending a copy to a friend or relative, or keeping the information stored online.  However, make sure you have a hard copy available at all times to be updated periodically, especially when you purchase a new, expensive item, such as an HDTV or jewelry.  

For more information about insurance preparedness, contact the Law Office of Stuart R. Michelson, toll free, at 1-866-563-6100 or smichelson@smichelsonlaw.com.

Fort Lauderdale Attorney Fights in Court – Fights in the Ring!

When Stuart R. Michelson, owner of The Law Office of Stuart R. Michelson, Fort Lauderdale, FL, enters a courtroom, he fights to win for his clients, usually against big insurance companies.  However he also brings that same energy and passion to the boxing arena in amateur competitions.

“I’ve always enjoyed boxing,” said Michelson.  “It’s a competitive sport, similar to the trial practice, except that the lawyers are not allowed to actually hit each other. But both boxing and the trial practice involve the art of the feint and require extensive preparation and strategic planning. I look forward to the challenge of getting in the ring and winning, just like when I enter a courtroom.”

Michelson began boxing five years ago, training at several Fort Lauderdale boxing gyms and at the old 5^th Street Gym in Miami Beach..  He trained intensively with Guy Laieta, a licensed professional boxing trainer and certified USA Boxing amateur coach.  Laieta has trained numerous junior and open-class Golden Glove and Junior Olympic champions in South Florida, as well as professional fighters.   

“As long as I’m in good shape, I hope to continue boxing for a long time to come,” said Michelson.  “Age should not stop anyone from achieving their personal best, and I firmly believe this in my life as well as my law practice.”

Stuart R. Michelson is an AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated Broward County attorney with more than 35 years experience representing individual, business and municipal clients throughout Florida in state and federal litigation, appeals and administrative matters.

For more information about the Law Office of Stuart R. Michelson, call, toll free, 1-866-563-6100, or visit www.smichelsonlaw.com.

Column by Raoul Cantero, a former state Supreme Court justice, and Mark Schlakman, of Florida State University's Center for the Advancement of Human Rights. From the column: "Earlier this week the Florida Senate Criminal Justice Committee voted 5-0 to pass a bill that would require, in capital-case penalty-phase proceedings, that a jury vote unanimously, rather than by a simple majority, to recommend sentences of death. . . . Beyond the unanimous jury legislation, The Florida Bar Board of Governors recently renewed its support for a comprehensive review of Florida's entire death-penalty process by all branches of government. In 2006, the ABA Florida Death Penalty Assessment Team [. . .] issued a report identifying serious concerns regarding the fairness, accuracy and impartiality of Florida's death-penalty process. . . . Irrespective of whether one supports or opposes capital punishment, a comprehensive review by state officials arguably is long overdue."

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Local Groups Hope to Give Voting Rights to Felons

The League of Women Voters, along with the NAACP and the National Congress of Women, held a forum Wednesday [March 18] night at the Cocoa Civic Center to discuss ways to allow felons to get their voting rights back immediately after being released from prison. The league's aim is to gather the 684,000 verified signatures needed by Feb. 1, 2016, to put an amendment on the ballot statewide that will restore felons' voting privileges. Currently, they say that more than 1.5 million citizens in Florida are unable vote due to prior incarceration -- 10% of the voting-age population.

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Service Dog Bill Passes Final Committee, Heads to Florida House Floor

A Florida House bill that would punish service dog posers and protect the disabled who have invisible wounds passed its final stop with the State Affairs Committee on Thursday [March 19] with a unanimous vote and now heads to the House floor. The bill revises the term "individual with a disability" to include anyone with a "physical or mental impairment" that interferes with daily activities. Included in the definition "physical or mental impairment" are psychological disorders listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, including post-traumatic-stress disorder. The bill would make interfering with the disabled and their service animals a second degree misdemeanor. Under the bill, the same crime and penalties would apply to pet owners who lie about having disabilities and falsely claim that their pets are service animals.

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Mierzwa Case - Law Office of Stuart R. Michelson

Many, many people in Florida were beneficiaries of Michelson's victory in the Mierzwa case. This was the first time a Court applied the statue in question, which had been law in Florida for almost 100 years, to a situation where a home was destroyed by both wind storm & flood so as to award the homeowner with the face value of the policy as damages for the loss of the home. As the lead attorney who wrote the appeal, and who argued the case before the District Court of Appeal, Michelson was asked to appear on several media outlets throughout the State of Florida in 2014.

This television show was broadcast in Northern Florida and featured a number of attorneys and Stuart Michelson of the Law Firm of Stuart R. Michelson. The statute in question, the Valued Policy Law, was subsequently amended by the Florida Legislature so as to deprive the homeowners of the beneficial treatment they received under the statute as it was interpreted by the District Court of Appeal in the Mierzwa case. This interview is shown more for historical interest than anything else, as the statue no longer provides the protection to property owners as it did on the date in which this broadcast aired.

For more information about your rights in property damage cases contact:
Law Office of Stuart R. Michelson
800 Southeast Third Avenue, 4th Floor
Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33316
(954) 463-6100

Mierzwa Case - Florida

Many, many people in Florida were beneficiaries of Michelson's victory in the Mierzwa case. This was the first time a Court applied the statue in question, which had been law in Florida for almost 100 years, to a situation where a home was destroyed by both wind storm & flood so as to award the homeowner with the face value of the policy as damages for the loss of the home. As the lead attorney who wrote the appeal, and who argued the case before the District Court of Appeal, Michelson was asked to appear on several media outlets throughout the State of Florida in 2014.

This television show was broadcast in Northern Florida and featured a number of attorneys and Stuart Michelson of the Law Firm of Stuart R. Michelson. The statute in question, the Valued Policy Law, was subsequently amended by the Florida Legislature so as to deprive the homeowners of the beneficial treatment they received under the statute as it was interpreted by the District Court of Appeal in the Mierzwa case. This interview is shown more for historical interest than anything else, as the statue no longer provides the protection to property owners as it did on the date in which this broadcast aired.

For more information about your rights in property damage cases contact: Law Office of Stuart R. Michelson 800 Southeast Third Avenue, 4th Floor Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33316 (954) 463-6100

Insurance Companies have Lawyers...

Insurance Companies have Lawyers...And so should you! 

Floods, Fires and Storms cause millions of dollars in property damage. Even a broken pipe can be devastating. Getting fair compensation from your insurance company can be difficult. Insurance companies have lawyers, and so should you! I will dedicate myself to recovering as much money as possible for you! Don't sign anything until you speak with me.

For a free consultation with Stuart Michelson call 866-563-6100