Betras/Kopp Florida

06/25/2025

For most kids, summer is the best season of the year—especially if they have access to a swimming pool. But along with swimming, diving, splashing, and fun comes danger: drowning is the leading cause of accidental death among children aged one to four and claimed nearly 400 young lives last year and sent another 6,500 kids to the emergency room.
Because the Betras Kopp team is dedicated to helping keep you, your kids and other family members safe, we’re providing these tips from Poolsafely.gov that will go a long way toward ensuring your child doesn't become a tragic statistic:
1. Never leave a child unattended in or near water.
Always watch children when they’re in or near water, and never leave them unattended. Designate an official Water Watcher, an adult tasked with supervising children in the water. That should be their only task – they shouldn’t be reading, texting or playing games on their phone. Have a phone close by at all times in case you need to call for help, and if a child is missing, check the pool first.
Even if a lifeguard is present, parents and caregivers should still take the responsibility of being a designated Water Watcher. When any lifeguard chair is empty, the remaining lifeguards may not be able to see the entire pool and when lifeguards are seated in low chairs, their view can be blocked by patrons in the pool.
2. Teach children how to swim.
Swimming is not only fun, it’s a lifesaving skill. Enroll children in swimming lessons; there are many free or reduced-cost options available from your local YMCA, USA Swimming chapter or Parks and Recreation Department.
3. Teach children to stay away from drains.
Do not play or swim near drains or suction outlets, especially in spas and shallow pools, and never enter a pool or spa that has a loose, broken or missing drain cover. Children’s hair, limbs, jewelry or bathing suits can get stuck in a drain or suction opening. When using a spa, be sure to locate the emergency vacuum shutoff before getting in the water.
4. Ensure all pools and spas - both in your backyard and any public pool you may visit - have compliant drain covers.
Virginia Graeme Baker, after whom the Pool and Spa Safety Act is named, died from drowning due to a suction entrapment from a faulty drain cover. All public pools and spas must have drain grates or covers that meet safety standards to avoid incidents like the one that took Graeme’s life. Powerful suction from a pool or spa drain can even trap an adult.
5. Install proper barriers, covers and alarms on and around your pool and spa.
Proper fences, barriers, alarms and covers can be lifesaving devices. A fence of at least four feet in height should surround the pool or spa on all sides and should not be climbable for children. The water should only be accessible through a self-closing, self-latching gate. Teach children to never try to climb over the gate or fence. Install a door alarm from the house to the pool area, and keep pool and spa covers in working order.
6. Know how to perform CPR on children and adults.
Often, bystanders are the first to aid a drowning victim, so learning CPR can help save a life. And once you’re CPR certified, make sure to keep your certification current. CPR classes are available through many hospitals, community centers, or by contacting the American Red Cross.
7. Take the Pledge!
Before heading to the pool or spa with your family, remember to take the Pool Safely Pledge: https://www.poolsafely.gov/pledge/
This online call to action is a reminder to stay safer around the water.
Thanks for taking a few minutes to learn more about pool safety and please share it with your family members and friends. We also invite you to check our website and social media platforms for additional information that will keep you and your family safe this summer.

05/21/2025

It’s no accident that May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month because as the weather gets nicer and riders hit the streets the number of wrecks involving bikes and other vehicles skyrockets.
To help keep the open road safe for bikers Betras Kopp will post tips and videos from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), AAA, law enforcement, and the National Highway Safety Foundation during the month and throughout the summer. Check out this informative video from the MSF: https://vimeo.com/543457795
We’re leading off with the MSF’s Five Tips for car and truck drivers because statistics show they are at fault in 60% of the accidents involving a bike and another vehicle.
Here are the tips, please utilize them when you’re behind the wheel:
1. Take an extra moment to look for motorcycles. Because of its small size, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots, so check — then check again — before changing lanes or making a turn.
2. Predict a motorcycle is closer than it looks. A motorcycle may look farther away than it is because of its small size, and it may be difficult to judge a motorcycle’s speed. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection or into (or out of) a driveway, predict a motorcycle is closer than it appears.
3. Keep a safe distance. Motorcyclists often slow by rolling off the throttle or downshifting, thus not activating the brake light, so allow more following distance, about 3 to 4 seconds.
4. Understand lane shifting. Motorcyclists often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize effects of road debris, passing vehicles, and wind. Understand that motorcyclists adjust lane position for a purpose, not to show off or to allow you to share the lane with them.
5. See the person. When a motorcycle is in motion, see more than the motorcycle, see the person under the helmet, who could be your friend, neighbor, or relative.
Bikers enjoy the open road and remember, if you or someone you know is involved in a motorcycle accident, contact the local lawyers who will fight to win the settlement you need and deserve: Betras Kopp Attorneys at Law.
https://youtu.be/X_8iJXgBqTI

t’s no accident that May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month because as the weather gets nicer and riders hit the streets the number of wrecks involving bik...

05/08/2025

In conjunction with Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, we're pleased to prevent materails from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's (MSF) "Cool Gear, Fool's Gear" Collection. https://youtu.be/O2Wmi6KdPHw?si=6DEQydkx85ib3j-p

As we said when the observance began on May 1, bikers are in danger because it's difficult for car and truck drivers to see them. That's why most most multi-vehicle accidents involving motorcycles are caused by other drivers.

Wearing the cool gear recommended by the MSF is a critically important way for bikers to proectect themselves and lessen the injuries suffered in crashes. We urge you to watch the video, download the poster, and suit up properly so your next ride doesn't become your last.

And, as always, if you or someone you love is injured because a car or truck drivers was reckless, contact the law firm bikers trust: Betras Kopp.

05/06/2025

In this episode of Legally Speaking on WFMJ Toady, BK’s David Betras marks the start of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month by offering solid advice that will help bikers and drivers avoid collisions.

And this is important information because more than half of all fatal motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle. Most of the time, the car or truck driver, not the motorcyclist, is at fault. That’s because there are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers simply don't see motorcycles until it’s too late to avoid a crash.

Here are some tips for car and truck drivers from the National Safety Council that will make streets and highways safer for all:

1. Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, thus not activating the brake light. Allow more following distance, say three or four seconds. At intersections, predict a motorcyclist may slow down without visual warning.

2. Turn signals on a motorcycle usually are not self-canceling, thus some riders, (especially beginners) sometimes forget to turn them off after a turn or lane change. Make sure a motorcycle's signal is for real.

3. Motorcyclists often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize the effects of wind, road debris, and passing vehicles. Understand that motorcyclists adjust lane position for a purpose, not to be reckless or show off.

4. Because of its small size a motorcycle seems to be moving faster than it really is. Don't think motorcyclists are speed demons.

5. Because of its small size, a motorcycle may look farther away than it is. When checking traffic to turn at an intersection, predict a motorcycle is closer than it looks.

6. Because of its small size, a motorcycle can be easily hidden by objects inside or outside a car (door posts, mirrors, passengers, bushes, fences, bridges, blind spots, etc). Take an extra moment to thoroughly check traffic, whether you’re changing lanes or turning at intersections.

7. Stopping distance for motorcycles is nearly the same as for cars, but slippery pavement makes stopping quickly difficult. Allow more following distance behind a motorcycle because it can't always stop "on a dime".

8. Maneuverability is one of a motorcycle's better characteristics, especially at slower speeds and with good road conditions. But don't expect a motorcyclist to always be able to dodge out of the way.

9. Carrying a passenger complicates a motorcyclist's task. Balance is more difficult. Stopping distance is increased. Maneuverability is reduced. Predict more problems when you see two on a motorcycle, especially near intersections.

10. Mirrors are smaller on a motorcycle and usually convex. This gives the motorcyclist a smaller image of you and makes you appear farther back than you actually are. Keep at least a three or four second space cushion when following a motorcyclist.

11. There are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers don't "recognize" a motorcycle and ignore it (usually unintentionally). Look for motorcycles, especially when checking traffic at an intersection.

12. At night, single headlights and taillights on motorcycles can blend into the lights of other traffic. Those "odd" lights could be a motorcycle.

13. When a motorcycle is in motion, don't think of it as motorcycle; think of it as a person.

We’ll continue to post information, tips, and stats on our website and social media channels throughout Motorcycle Safety Week. Our goal, this year as always, is to prevent accidents. But if you or someone you love is involved in a motorcycle accident, contact the law firm that biker’s trust: Betras Kopp.

And of course, if you like this or our other videos, please remember to mash the subscribe, like, and share buttons. That will ensure you never miss our new content.

In this episode of Legally Speaking on WFMJ Toady, BK’s David Betras marks the start of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month by offering solid advice that will ...

05/01/2025

Today is the first day of of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month and no group or organization does more to promote safe riding than the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF).

The folks at MSF know that safe riding begins with wearing the gear needed to provide protection because even the safest bikers are vulnerable when they're sharing the road with cars and trucks. To make sure you're wearing the "right stuff" when you ride check out the MSF's "Fool's Gear, Cool Gear" video on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2Wmi6KdPHw

And, to make sure you have the representation you need if you are ever involved in an accident while riding, call the local law firm big enough to take on the insurance giants: Betras Kopp Attorneys at Law. Make sure to arrange a free consultation with us BEFORE you talk to an insurance adjuster or sign any papers sent you by an insurance company. Studies show that accident victims who are represented by attorneys receive settlements as much as 40% larger than those who don't.

To protect your rights and ability to obtain the financial compensation you need and deserve if you are involved in a motorcycle crash, contact the law firm that has secured millions of dollars in settelments and jury verdicts for accident victims and families: Betras Kopp Attorneys at Law.

05/01/2025

Every member of the Betras/Kopp legal team is totally committed to seeking and securing justice for our clients, upholding the Constitution, and protecting the rule of law.

That's why we're proud to join the American Bar Association and our colleagues across the nation in observing Law Day 2025.

Created by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Law Day, held annually on May 1, provides an opportunity to understand how law and the legal process protect our liberty, strive to achieve justice, and contribute to the freedoms that all Americans share.

As part of our observance of Law Day, we are pleased and proud to present an op-ed authored by former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael P. Donnelly who once appeared as a guest on BK's Legally Speaking podcast. He was recently named a "Leader in Residence" at the Cleveland State University College of Law. We invite you to read his insightful and compelling piece.

03/10/2025

Spring is in the air, and that means neighborhood streets will be filled with people walking their dogs after a long cold winter. That's great, unless you or someone you know is bitten by a dog.

At BK we pay special attention to dog bite cases because we know they can cause pain and suffering for many years. A person, especially a child, bitten on the face or other exposed body part may require many, complicated plastic surgeries that take years to heal and still may not be able to completely repair the disfigurement that can occur when a dog tears away at flesh and muscle. That’s why we fight to win settlements, either via negotiations or in court, that will provide the funds needed for our clients to fully recover from their injuries.

If you or someone you know has been attacked, contact the legal team that knows, some dogs just aren't man's best friend: Betras Kopp Attorneys at Law.