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Articles by Sean M. Cleary
Florida Has Welcomed Driverless Cars — But Is Its Liability Law Ready for the Crashes?
The state should guarantee that its policies remain clear as responsibility for driving increasingly shifts from people to automated systems. For years, the advent of autonomous vehicles has been hailed as a revolutionary shift in how Americans travel. Notably, that transformative future is no longer just a distant vision for Florida motorists; it already unfolds right on the state’s roads, with driverless cars now transporting passengers without a human operator behind the wheel.
There is no denying that college is where academic life meets a social world filled with celebrations, athletic events, parties, and night outs. And when alcohol becomes part of those occasions, the question of how everyone gets home safely cannot be treated as an afterthought. Simply put, it should not be a concern whether the end of a celebration should mean a secure ride to their respective residences—not a trip to the emergency room.
Preventing Florida’s Next DUI Tragedy: Why Punishment Alone Isn’t Enough
Too often, the public views DUI as an accident. However, the truth is, there is little that is accidental about its underlying cause. Basically, someone deliberately chooses to drink and makes the reckless decision to drive. And in just a heartbeat, another individual’s life can be permanently changed or, worse, perish. Alarmingly, Florida continues to witness that sequence to this day.
GUEST COLUMNIST: Florida’s DUI crisis—prevention must outpace punishment
Sean M. Cleary founded The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary P.A., a law firm that represents victims in personal injury cases, including those involving DUI-related crashes. Getting behind the wheel after drinking can turn an ordinary drive into a serious danger for everyone on the road. The consequences range from fines after a routine traffic stop to arrests, injuries, and potentially loss of life.
Rethinking DUI in Franklin and Gulf counties
Laws against drunk driving didn’t come all at once. They became stricter over time, as more crashes involving alcohol led to real loss of life on the roads. Today, the consequences are serious — fines, losing a license, or even time in prison. Still, that hasn’t made the problem go away. People continue to take the risk, and alcohol-related crashes keep happening. At that point, it’s fair to ask whether punishment on its own is really enough.
Closing Florida’s DUI regulatory gaps | Opinion
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... Every day, countless Floridians share the roads with drivers who consciously choose to get behind the wheel after drinking. Unfortunately, these reckless decisions carry drastic consequences that ripple far beyond the individuals involved. In 2025 alone, Florida recorded over 4,600 impaired-driving crashes involving alcohol, which resulted in 215 tragic fatalities and nearly 2,650 injuries.
The policy gap putting Colorado heart patients at risk
By SEAN M. CLEARY Medical emergencies demand speed and sound judgment. Yet in some cases, the system itself becomes the obstacle. That failure is especially dangerous during a STEMI — the most severe form of heart attack, caused by a complete blockage of a coronary artery. Survival depends on one procedure: percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), available only at specialized hospitals.
Cleary: STEMI bypass law could strengthen heart attack response in Iowa
Heart attack survival is not determined solely by medical expertise, but also by how swiftly a patient obtains definitive care. And such a reality is especially stark for individuals experiencing ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) — a deadly type of cardiovascular condition in which a major coronary artery becomes completely obstructed, abruptly cutting off the supply of oxygen-rich blood.
Breaking cardiac care barriers: The urgent need for a STEMI bypass law in New York
Every year, thousands of Americans suffer heart attacks that strike without warning, thereby leaving precious minutes to determine whether they survive. And for patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) — a fatal type of cardiovascular disease characterized by a blocked coronary artery — each minute is critical. Swift restoration of blood flow is essential to prevent irreversible tissue damage and, ultimately, save lives.
Local View: Cardiac law needed to save Minnesotans' hearts, lives
Every single minute is critical when a patient suffers a heart attack. But for those experiencing ST-elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI , the stakes are even higher. This severe form of cardiac condition typically arises when a major coronary artery becomes completely obstructed, depriving the heart of essential blood flow and risking irreversible damage to its muscle.
Competition among hospital systems cannot override quality care | Opinion
In a state as medically advanced as Florida, no one should be denied timely and necessary care just because of business rivalries. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happens when hospital systems prioritize their networks over patient outcomes. Yet the problem is not about bed capacity or the capability of health care professionals to cater to sick individuals — it stems from corporate greed and unreasonable competition among medical institutions.
A growing crisis in American healthcare - South Central Florida Life
Some American hospitals prioritize institutional loyalty and business competition over patient care. Recently, the family of a patient was awarded $45M against the Orlando Health system over a fatal heart attack transfer delay. It shows the increasing issue with hospital networks' delay and the implications of prioritizing the system over patient care. Patients deserve care based on urgency, not profit and system priorities.
Opinion: Florida's healthcare dilemma: hospital competition vs quality patient care
Healthcare exists to serve people. It should prioritize timely and effective treatment based on patients' needs, not network affiliation or profit potential. But across Florida, this essential principle is quietly undermined as hospital care is increasingly shaped by intense corporate competition rather than collaboration. As health systems grow, they become more protective of their networks and often give way to rivalry, even in critical moments when patients most need seamless attention.
The Hidden Dangers: How Defective Vehicle Parts Compromise Road Safety
— Since their invention, cars have become an essential part of every American community. However, motor vehicle crashes have turned out to be among the leading causes of death in the country, especially in states like Florida. There are multiple factors behind fatal car accidents, including reckless driving. Most investigations involving deadly vehicle crashes often focus on reckless behavior and rarely on defective designs and components.
How to Assess a Personal Injury Case
Car accidents are a leading cause of death in the United States every year. It is estimated that in 2017, approximately 259,000 car crashes took place in Florida, only. Statistics say that 20% of car crashes in Florida take place in Miami. Thousands of people are injured or killed annually and, unfortunately, there is no sign that these accidents will become rarer anytime soon. Nearly 2.1 million people are living with limb loss in the U.S. and approximately 185,000 amputations occur each year.
When Medical Malpractice Results in Fatalities – Legal Options for Grieving Family Members - Baltimore Post-Examiner
According to a new analysis from the American Medical Association, over 30% of doctors are sued by their patients, but most claims end with no finding of negligence or error. Nevertheless, medical malpractice does happen and, in many cases, is fatal. Maryland is one of the states with of medical malpractice.
Medical Malpractice and Wrongful Death – How Surviving Family Members Can Recover Damages - MarylandReporter.com
Referring to situations in which patients experience harm or even death as a result of the negligence of healthcare professionals, medical malpractice is unfortunately common in Maryland. The state has , with 87 adverse action reports per 100,000 residents. There are many reasons why medical malpractice occurs, the most common being misdiagnosis, unnecessary delay of treatment, failure to order lab tests, prescribing the wrong treatment, and ignoring the patient’s concerns and symptoms.
‘Free kill’ ruling remains a blight on medical malpractice law | Commentary
Every year, up to 120,000 people lose their lives due to medical malpractice across the country. In Florida, medical malpractice occurs when a health-care provider breaches a professional duty of care. If no reasonably competent physician with the same level of training as your health-care provider would have made the mistakes your doctor did, you may have a claim for malpractice.
Is Fourth Time the Charm for Florida's Alimony Reform?
In May 2023, Florida’s House and Senate passed nearly identical bills aiming to finally revamp state alimony laws. Due to unfair provisions which would have affected already-existing alimony agreements, similar reform attempts were rejected on three separate occasions over the past decade – twice by Rick Scott and once by Governor DeSantis only last year. Should either bill become law, it has the potential to dramatically shift how the courts will award spousal support from now on.
Dispelling the January Divorce Month Myth
As the New Year begins, individuals disillusioned with their marriage or who believe it has run its course start weighing their options. In recent years, January has earned an unfortunate reputation as the month when most married couples decide to end their unions. Although the concept of January as the dreaded “divorce month” has been popularized through repetition, the foundation upon which it was established doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, similar to other commonly-held misconceptions.
Letter to the Editor: $12M Jury Verdict Was 'Fair and Just'
The Daily Business Review recently published an article focused on a $12 million jury verdict which was overturned by the Third District Court of Appeal. Our firms had the honor of representing the family of 22-year-old Ernesto Artiles, an HVAC technician who fell to his death through an acrylic skylight atop a warehouse where he was working. Artiles’ death should have been prevented. Want to continue reading?
LGBT marriage and divorce in a post-Roe world | Opinion
Seven years since the Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, same-sex marriage rates across the U.S. remain stable. Although significant advancements in federal law now allow LGBTQ+ couples to marry and establish families across the U.S., state-level legislation and the short time since same-sex unions have been legalized federally can still pose issues for couples.
Finding and Dividing Hidden Crypto Assets in a Divorce
For many people across the country, cryptocurrency has progressed from being a niche interest to becoming a substantial financial asset. As the value of crypto assets, such as bitcoin and ethereum, have skyrocketed, many investors have become extremely wealthy, particularly those who entered the crypto market in its early stages.
How Advisors Can Help Wealthy Clients Through ‘Gray Divorce’
What You Need to Know The divorce rate has increased among couples over 50 and even more so among HNW couples. While many HNW couples have complicated marital agreements, these documents often are far from ironclad. In most U.S. states, inheritances are not subject to equitable division because they are not deemed marital property. As a term describing the rising divorce rate among couples 50 and older, the “gray divorce” was coined in 2004 by AARP.
High-Net-Worth Divorce Under a Looking-Glass
Baby Boomers are the generation most prone to divorce, with 40% of them having already divorced as of 2010. The net worth of those going through what is often called gray divorce, silver, or even diamond divorce is generally higher. They’ve been married for 20 to 30 years and are likely to have much more assets than younger couples, including real estate, retirement, social security benefits, and possibly larger savings accounts.
Can a Change in Traffic Patterns Cause a Spike in Fatalities?
Deadly crashes were the highest in 13 years. Why does the state collect information on automobile accidents? The aim of statistics on the topic of who is involved, the hows, and the whys of accidents is to help decrease their rate and severity, including fatalities. Crash data not only helps decision-makers understand the character, causes, and outcomes of accidents to better inform them on the way to best design new strategies for improving road safety.
How To Reduce Liability Risk For Company Vehicle Accidents — YFS Magazine
While you’ve created a booming business, you may face a major financial challenges if you’re faced with a liability lawsuit involving your company or fleet vehicles. Photo: Sean M. Cleary, Founder and Principal Attorney at The Law Offices of Sean M.
Nuclear Verdicts Urge Trucking Companies to Focus on Safety
Changes to the trucking industry could be prompted by multi-million trucking crash lawsuits. Large legal nuclear verdicts (settlements of $10 million and above) from juries in liability cases related to trucking accidents have increased. New research, available for download on American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI)’s website, provides evidence that the increase is both in the number as well as the size of the punitive damage component.
Why Is Ethics Important for Self-Driving Cars
Around 40,000 people in the U.S. die every year in vehicle accidents and more than a million globally; so, car manufacturers aim to put an end or at least decrease the number of traffic accidents in the near future. It is a daring goal, but so is the intent of creating self-driving cars.
Who is Liable in Tomorrow's Automated Crashes?
JURIST Guest Columnist Sean M. Cleary of the Law Offices of Sean M. Clearly discusses legal implications of self driving technology accidents...... Self-driving technology is being actively tested all over the world shaping the future of transportation. Companies including General Motors, Tesla, Uber, and Google are some of the major automakers and researchers who have already begun to implement this revolutionary technology.
Myths and facts on drowning that every parent needs to know
By Sean M. Cleary, Attorney, The Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary Guest Blogger Some parents already know the importance of swimming safety, especially for young children. Unfortunately, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the reality is, one in five people who die from drowning is under the age of 14. Some swimming injuries and accidents are caused by myths about drowning that parents believe.
Head Coach Bill O'Neill Earns 600th Career Victory
Feb 19, 2019 Framingham, Mass,. – Salem State defeated the Rams of Framingham State 5-4 in their regualr season finale on Tuesday evening at Loring Arena. The victory was the 600th for Vikings' head coach Bill O'Neill, who now stands third among all active NCAA Division III coaches in wins and is just the 13thcoach all-time to reach 600 career victories. O'Neill, who is in his thirty-eighth season as head coach of the Vikings, has compiled an overall record of 600-388-69 (.557).
When Driverless Cars Crash, Who’s to Blame?
JURIST Guest Columnist Sean M. Cleary of the Law Offices of Sean M. Cleary discusses the difficulty in establishing liability for driverless cars. . . Driverless cars are one of the most controversial topics that never ceases to raise doubts and concerns.
Expert Witnesses | Best Lawyers
Cases brought against the manufacturer of goods, following an injury caused by an inherent defect within the good, are not based on a theory of negligence, but on a theory of products liability. The manufacturers are liable for products that cause harm because they represented that the products were safe when they made them.
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