The Gould Cooksey Fennell Blog
When to Accept vs. Reject an Insurance Settlement Offer
After an accident, receiving a settlement offer from an insurance company might feel like a relief. This is particularly true if your medical bills are piling up and you can’t work. But even if the settlement offer seems generous, accepting it too early can be a costly mistake. Insurance companies
What Qualifies as a ‘Serious Injury’ Under Florida’s Threshold Law?
Florida has a no-fault system for car insurance. This means that all drivers are required to carry a special type of insurance called, personal injury protection, also known as PIP. If you are in an accident, this insurance will pay for your initial medical expenses and lost wages, regardless of
Psychological Injuries: PTSD and Emotional Trauma Claims
If you are hurt in an accident, you are probably aware that you can file a lawsuit against the responsible party. For example, if you slip and fall at a grocery store and break your leg, you can probably file a lawsuit against the business for your injuries. But what
How Pre-Existing Conditions Affect Your Personal Injury Claim
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 70 million adults in the United States report having a disability. Tens of millions of Americans also have medical and/or mental health conditions that they may not consider a disability. If you have a pre-existing condition, you might wonder
How Insurance Companies Calculate Settlement Offers
When one person is injured because of something that another person did (or failed to do), the injured party can pursue a personal injury claim against the at-fault party. Many injury victims expect insurance companies to offer fair compensation. Unfortunately, this is rarely how the process works. Insurance companies are
Anthony P. Guettler Selected to Present at The Florida Bar’s Wills, Trusts & Estates Certification Review Course
Gould Cooksey Fennell is proud to share that Anthony P. Guettler has been selected to present at The Florida Bar’s Wills, Trusts & Estates Certification Review Course, a premier, advanced-level program designed for attorneys preparing for the Wills, Trusts & Estates board certification exam and for practitioners seeking a comprehensive
How Florida’s No-Fault Insurance Really Works: PIP Explained
When you signed up for car insurance in Florida, you may not have paid a lot of attention to exactly what kind of coverage you purchased. If you get into a car accident, those insurance documents will become incredibly important. This is particularly true when it comes to your no-fault
Future Medical Expenses: Getting Compensation for Long-Term Care
When a person is seriously injured in an accident, the medical bills for the initial treatment are often just the beginning. For many Florida accident victims, serious and catastrophic injuries often lead to long-term or even lifelong medical needs. This can include ongoing medical treatment, rehabilitation, adaptive devices, home modifications,
FinCEN’s Residential Real Estate Report
UPDATE (March 16, 2026): Three weeks after the reporting requirement took effect, a federal judge in the Eastern District of Texas issued an order enjoining key portions of the mandate, effectively suspending its enforceability. Prior to that decision, judges in parallel actions in Florida and another Texas district upheld the
Dillon L. Roberts Featured in The Florida Bar Journal
Dillon L. Roberts, an attorney at Gould Cooksey Fennell, was recently featured in The Florida Bar Journal, one of the most respected legal publications in Florida. Dillon’s article, “Upstream Basis Planning: The Estate Planner’s Income Tax Planning Tool,” examines a sophisticated estate planning concept that estate planners may consider when
Staph and MRSA Infections After Surgery
Surgery is supposed to fix a problem. Whether you are having knee surgery or heart surgery, the ultimate goal is for you to be healthier and in less pain after the operation. In some cases, however, patients find that a post-surgical infection leaves them in worse shape. Staph bacteria live
Surgical Errors Lawsuits and Compensation in Florida
For most people, surgery is a last resort. If you do need to have surgery, you might spend time getting a second opinion and making sure that you have the best surgeon possible. If you go through all of that only to have a bad outcome, you might be wondering
Sandra G. Rennick Featured in Vero Beach Magazine’s “Leaders of Vero Beach”
Sandra G. Rennick, partner and real estate attorney at Gould Cooksey Fennell, was recently featured in Vero Beach Magazine as a Leader in Real Estate Law in the publication’s January 2026 Leaders of Vero Beach issue. The feature highlights professionals who have built long standing and respected practices within the
Can You Sue a Doctor for Negligence?
When you go to see a doctor, you expect that they will listen to your concerns and take you seriously. You also anticipate that they will use their advanced education and training to order the correct tests, make the right diagnosis, and prescribe the right treatment. Unfortunately, that does not
Can You Sue a Hospital for Negligence?
When you go to the hospital because you are sick, injured, or need a procedure, you expect to get the highest quality of care. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. In some cases, a patient leaves a hospital sicker or more badly injured than they were before they arrived. In
Types of Car Accident Injuries
Car accidents can be as simple as a low-speed, minor fender bender in a parking lot. They can also be as damaging as a high-speed head-on crash. In any car accident, there is a very real possibility that the drivers and passengers will suffer injuries. Car accident injuries can include
Christopher Marine’s Retirement Marks a Legacy and a Strong Future for Gould Cooksey Fennell
Gould Cooksey Fennell is pleased to announce the retirement of longtime real estate attorney Christopher Marine, following an extraordinary 42-year career with the firm. Christopher has dedicated more than four decades to the practice of real estate law in Vero Beach. His depth of knowledge, local and beyond, has made
Proving Fault in a Car Accident in Vero Beach
If you are hurt in a car accident, you might be entitled to financial compensation from the at-fault driver. This money will pay for things like damage to your car, medical bills, pain and suffering, and other losses. But how exactly do you prove that the other driver was responsible