Florida Car Accident Attorney
In 2020, the number of car accidents on Florida roads decreased. However, the reason for this was that fewer people were on the road because of the global pandemic rather than an improvement in road safety. What’s more, the number of Florida car accidents still sat at over 335,000 (leading to over 3,150 deaths). What can we take from this information?
The number of road accidents and fatalities in Florida is still too high
Numbers are likely to rise once again as the country recovers from the pandemic
With this in mind, thousands of people every year start their day as normal only to then end up in a car accident. While some Florida car accidents are small fender benders, others are serious motor vehicle collision that causes personal injuries such as broken bones, concussions, and even death. If you’ve been involved in a Florida car accident that you didn’t cause, feel free to contact The Injury Firm today. As a Florida car accident attorney, we’ll protect your legal rights and stand by your side as you claim personal injury compensation.
Dealing with a Florida Car Accident
First and foremost, what do you do after experiencing a Florida car accident? As Florida car accident lawyers, one of the things we’ve realized over the years is that very few people know how to react after a car accident. They assume that car accidents are what happen to other people rather than themselves.
If you’re caught up in a Florida road collision, the first thing to do is assess the condition of yourself as well as all passengers. Does anybody have a serious injury? It’s important to highlight serious injuries as early as possible so that they get the medical attention they require. From here, contact emergency services. While the police will file a report about the car accident (be sure to give your side of the story so that the report leans in your favor), the ambulance will document all injuries.
If you’re seriously injured, get the treatment you need and then contact The Injury Firm when you’re well enough. We’ll attempt to gather evidence and compile a case on your behalf. For those able to move around, you can help us by getting a head start at the scene. What does this mean?
Exchange information with other drivers
Take pictures of license plates
Photograph or video the scene (include any hazards, if the road caused the accident rather than another driver)
Talk to eyewitnesses and gather their details (you could even ask for a statement on the spot)
The more you do at the scene, the easier it becomes for your Florida auto accident attorney to build a successful claim/case. However, this isn’t to say that you can’t succeed with an insurance claim without all these things. Either way, contact The Injury Firm after a car accident in Florida. Personal injury car accident cases are never easy, but we have the experience and expertise to fight your corner.
Bonus Tips
While most Florida auto accident injury guides stop there, we have some additional steps because a simple mistake could limit the compensation you receive later in the process. Firstly, never give a statement to an insurance adjuster or representative before you’ve spoken to a fatal car accident lawyer. This is a big no-no because adjusters only have one thing on their minds - money. Although we assume that insurance companies help car accident victims, they protect profit, so they want to pay as little as possible.
Next, never accept money from the guilty party at the scene or sign documents without legal representation. Legally, nobody is allowed to contact you within the first 30 days after a Florida car accident. Also, any money you take during this period is unlikely to represent the true amount you deserve. Despite this, it could still prevent you from claiming more.
If in doubt, contact The Injury Firm, and our legal team will help you to navigate all the obstacles while you prioritize the recovery process.
Common Car Accident Injuries
We’ve said it before, but each case is different. Some people are lucky enough to walk away with some minor bruising and a headache; while you might be shaken up, compensation opportunities are limited. Meanwhile, the largest compensation packages are awarded to those with the most serious injuries. This includes:
Neck damage
Back damage
Broken bones
Whiplash
Scarring
Head trauma
Burns and lacerations
Muscle or joint damage
Loss of limbs
Paralysis
Disability
Death
The amount you receive as compensation directly correlates to the damages incurred after your car accident in Florida. Consequently, the larger compensation packages come in cases that have heavy medical bills, long periods away from work, physiotherapy, mental anguish, property damage, and more.
Sadly, as we saw in the statistics, over 3,000 people died after an auto accident injury in 2020. This is still 3,000 too many, and lawmakers are doing everything they can to reduce this number. In cases where a victim passes away, The Injury Firm will tactfully file a wrongful death claim on behalf of your loved one. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves, and we’ll talk about compensation a little later in the guide.
Car Accident Claim Types
Of all the people involved in accidents each year, how many are preventable? Unfortunately, the answer is most. Driver negligence is still a huge issue not only in Florida personal injury cases but right across the United States. This being said, other case types do exist.
Negligence - Personal Injury
As the most common cause of car accidents, negligence in personal injury cases is a huge problem. Your car accident lawyer will prove that another driver failed in their duty of care towards you (and all other drivers). One of the most common types of negligence comes in the form of distraction - examples include eating, watching TV on a tablet or mobile, turning to talk to passengers, or talking on a phone.
Other forms of negligence include drunk driving, drug driving, poor use of signaling, poor lane conduct, speeding, and dangerous driving. The Injury Firm needs to prove that the other driver was negligent and that this negligence caused the accident and, by extension, your injuries.
Negligence can also lead to death, and families of these victims should contact The Injury Firm for help with a wrongful death claim/case.
Road Defects or Conditions
Road maintenance is essential, and local governments designate large sums to projects every year. Though it’s frustrating when roads are closed or restricted by maintenance teams, this work is what keeps Floridians safe. It’s sad to say that poor construction, faulty road design, and poor conditions still cause many vehicle accidents each year.
If you followed the rules of the road and didn’t cause a car accident, you aren’t responsible in the eyes of Florida law. In the past, The Injury Firm has helped in cases with poor road maintenance, failed traffic laws, poor signage, improper signs, and more. If it wasn’t your fault, you shouldn’t have to pay for the resulting medical bills and lost wages.
Defective Machinery
Although we don’t like to think about it, some people have suffered injuries after their vehicles malfunctioned. Later, they found out that there was an issue with the design or manufacturing of the vehicle. Often, people don’t think that they can take on a major car manufacturer, so they live with the damages themselves. Choose The Injury Firm today and allow us to boost your confidence with a free case evaluation. A Florida product liability car accident attorney could help with your compensation claim if a defective or poorly manufactured vehicle caused your accident.
Compensation After an Auto Accident Injury
How does compensation work? Don’t worry; there are no silly questions when it comes to personal injury protection. If you’ve never been involved in an accident before, you have no reason to know this sort of information.
Rather than revenge, compensation is designed to reimburse victims for the damages connected to an accident. However, it’s not as simple as looking at medical bills and asking for this amount. Instead, there are two types of damages:
Economic Damages - These are damages that can be calculated and have a fiscal amount attached - this includes property damage, medical bills, and lost wages. When pushed, you can sit down with a calculator and work out your losses.
Non-Economic Damages - As you’ve probably guessed, non-economic damages don’t have a fiscal amount attached. In other words, there’s no single value attached to the loss, and it’s, therefore, somewhat subjective.
Examples of non-economic damages include emotional anguish, pain and suffering, and loss of companionship. They aren’t tangible losses but affect victims (and loved ones of car accident victims) just as much as economic damages.
Generally speaking, non-economic damages are linked to the seriousness of accidents. The more serious the accident, the more it affects the victim psychologically. We mentioned wrongful death cases previously, and they can include loss of companionship, loss of consortium, and other non-economic damages.
How much compensation do you deserve? How much money will you receive after a car accident in Florida? Don’t get excited or disappointed by what you read online. Ultimately, the amount you receive depends on the extent of the accident. Those with a minor injury and only two weeks off work will require less compensation than somebody with a broken bone forced into taking months away from work.
As you speak with your Florida auto accident lawyer, you’ll learn that your injuries and damages determine what you receive in compensation. The Injury Firm will also carefully select a figure for non-economic damages so that you’re compensated for pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and more. The total figure you receive in compensation should reflect the damages that arose after the accident.
Do I Need a Florida Car Accident Attorney?
This is a question we see frequently, and we would never want to see a victim who deserves compensation walk away from the opportunity. Likewise, we would never want to see a deserving victim make a critical mistake. If there’s no damage to either your vehicle or yourself, you probably don’t need to contact an attorney after a motor vehicle accident. While the accident was inconvenient, there aren’t enough damages to recover through Florida car accident claims.
This being said, you have a right to legal representation after a car accident so you’re always welcome to contact The Injury Firm for a case evaluation. If you were injured and your vehicle suffered serious damage, phone The Injury Firm as soon as possible. We will protect your legal rights and gather evidence while also preventing a serious mistake.
As mentioned previously, insurance adjusters have an ulterior motive when contacting victims. Rather than checking on the condition of victims, they need to reduce potential compensation. They often lull victims into a false sense of security - they feel comfortable and make a comment that could be construed as admitting blame/fault. Suddenly, the insurance company has this statement on record, and you won’t get a full compensation package.
While recovering from an accident or grieving a lost loved one, the last thing you need is an insurance adjuster trying to trip you up. Therefore, Florida car accident attorneys help. Another reason to choose an attorney is that the insurance company may refuse or dispute your claim. Before the process becomes too strenuous, reach out to The Injury Firm.
If you were in a car accident in South Florida or any part of the state that wasn’t your fault and experienced damages, phone a Florida car accident lawyer. If you have any doubts whatsoever, phone a Florida car accident lawyer. It’s better to reach out and find that you don’t need an attorney than potentially miss out on thousands of dollars.
Benefits of Hiring a Florida Accident Attorney
Naturally, we would love for you to choose The Injury Firm to represent you. We’re passionate about helping people after a car accident injury. With this in mind, here are the benefits of choosing an attorney after a car accident in Florida.
Experience and Expertise
What happens when you have a problem with your car? You take it to a mechanic in a garage. Equally, you need to take legal problems to an attorney. The Injury Firm has lots of experience in this field as well as the expertise to make accurate decisions for the betterment of your claim or case. While expertise helps with the claiming process, experience is invaluable in overcoming challenges that inexperienced attorneys perhaps haven’t faced before.
Investigative Skills
Another benefit of hiring a car accident lawyer is that they will investigate your accident and gather as much evidence as possible. Even when a fault is obvious, you still need to present the right evidence if you’re to obtain compensation. The Injury Firm knows how to investigate a car accident and collate the right evidence for your claim. We’ll review paperwork, speak to eyewitnesses, contact expert testimonies, visit the scene of the car crash, look at video footage, gather police reports, and more.
Relieve Stress
Often, people don’t understand the challenge that comes with personal injury cases. While trying to recover, you don’t need the stress of this legal challenge. Without experience, insurance coverage adjusters will try to take advantage of your inexperience. Why spend hours and hours reading up on the law when professionals have all the experience you need? Focus on recovery alone while we take care of everything else.
Negotiation Skills
When working with a Florida car accident lawyer, you’ll also benefit from their negotiation skills, and this is critical. Your legal representation will communicate with the insurance company and negotiate a settlement. Despite what you might read, this is always the priority. If we can get the amount that you deserve in a settlement, we’ll do it. Only when the insurance company doesn’t offer a fair deal, do we proceed to court. Since insurance companies don’t always play fair, it’s important to have somebody on your side who will fight your corner and ensure that you get the right amount of money.
Resources
Finally, your attorney will have the right resources to take the case to court if negotiations don’t go well. The Injury Firm has experience in taking personal injury car accident claims in front of a judge or jury, and often the threat of court proceedings is enough to push the negligent party's insurance company into action.
What’s more, we bring compassion and determination to all cases. Meanwhile, you simply rest and recuperate after the traumatic experience of a car crash.
Choosing Florida Car Accident Lawyers
With so many great services around, how do you differentiate between them and choose one to represent you? Well, you want somebody who will offer all the above benefits; this includes negotiation skills, resources, investigation skills, expertise, and experience. Often, people get a good insight into a service from a simple conversation. Pick up the phone and notice how the friendly team at The Injury Firm has one priority - you.
Thankfully, the internet is a deep resource these days, so this is a good place to start your search. Look at websites, keep an eye out for accolades and awards, speak to former clients, research reputation within the community, and check settlements and personal injury case histories. See what people are saying about services on Google and social media and opt for Florida car accident lawyers that are transparent from start to finish.
What’s the Cost of a Personal Injury Lawyer?
At The Injury Firm, this is another common question because people worry about their finances after a car accident injury. Fortunately, most Florida car accident lawyers in this field operate on a contingency basis. What does this mean? Well, you won’t have to find money upfront. Instead, the Florida car accident attorneys will take their fees from potential winnings (this can come from a settlement or a verdict). Either way, you don’t pay anything at the start.
Don’t worry, The Injury Firm works using this system. Therefore, you now have no reason not to get in touch after a car crashes in Florida. If the case is unsuccessful, you won’t pay a cent. Therefore, it’s a win-win scenario for you.
The Injury Firm attorneys give their all to gather evidence and present a strong case against the insurance company. During this time, you don’t have to pay anything and won’t pay anything until the settlement or verdict falls in your favor. Here, the Florida car accident lawyers take a percentage of your damages as payment (you’re left with the rest to cover medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses).
Lots of people love this arrangement, and it’s not just because they don’t have to find lots of money during a time when financial pressure is already high. It also means that your attorney will work as hard as possible to negotiate a settlement or get a verdict in your favor. After all, they don’t get paid if it all goes wrong. Rather than taking your money and not caring about the result, attorneys generally work on a contingency basis and receive their fee at the end.
Top Tips After a Car Accident in Florida
Always prioritize your health as well as the health of passengers.
Speak with medical professionals and police officers to help compile reports (these will help later!).
Don’t risk speaking to the guilty driver, and never admit fault.
Keep all paperwork, including police reports, medical bills, and quotes to repair property damage.
Attend all medical appointments - failure to show up at appointments give the defendant ammunition. They will claim that your injuries are overstated if you aren’t attending medical appointments.
Speak to The Injury Firm as soon as possible. The earlier you reach out, the easier it is for a Florida car accident lawyer to gather and present evidence in your favor.
Don’t speak with an insurance adjuster because they will trick you into admitting fault. As soon as you do this, your potential compensation package drops.
Focus on recovery while your legal representatives worry about the rest. Don’t go it alone when attorneys don’t charge any fees upfront.
