Lakeland Personal Injury Lawyer
Have you or a loved one suffered a personal injury in Lakeland, Florida? You might be due compensation from the at-fault party for your medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and more. The aggressive attorneys with Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, are here to help.
Our Lakeland personal injury attorneys have more than a century of combined legal experience, and we’ve collected tens of millions of dollars for deserving personal injury victims since our doors opened.
We’ll do everything in our power to help you obtain the compensation you need after an accident, and we won’t back down regardless of who’s on the other side of the negotiating table.
Contact or call us at (863) 251-6196 for more information regarding how we can assist with your case in Lakeland, FL. We offer a free, no-obligation consultation to review your situation, and we’re available 24/7 to take your call.
Why Should I Hire Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers To Handle My Personal Injury Case?
We understand that you’re going through a difficult time after suffering a personal injury in Lakeland, Florida. You might be in a difficult financial position with mounting medical bills and other expenses, especially if your injury has kept you out of work.
You might be experiencing significant pain and suffering with no clear end in sight. On top of all of this, there might be an insurance company bombarding you with questions in an attempt to minimize your claim.
With that much on your plate, it’s more important than ever to have a strong advocate on your side who can protect your rights and interests. The experienced Lakeland personal injury lawyers with Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, can do that and more. We’re some of the most well-regarded attorneys in the entire State of Florida, and to date, our law firm has returned multiple million-dollar-plus verdicts and settlements for our clients.
When you hire our legal team to represent you, we can help by:
- Determining the extent of your damages via an internal investigation
- Collecting evidence to help improve your case
- Handling all negotiations and communications on your behalf
- Filing a lawsuit and taking your case to a Polk County jury if need be
- Ensuring you’re adequately protected from allegations that you’re to blame for the accident
The above is just a sampling of what we can do to help your personal injury accident case in Lakeland, Florida. Reach out to our law offices today for a free case evaluation.
Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle
With over 119 years of combined experience, it’s probably not surprising to hear that the Lakeland personal injury lawyers with Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, have handled just about every type of personal injury case.
Some of the practice areas our law firm has experience with include but are not limited to:
Car Accidents
Florida is home to some of the most car accidents in the entire country.
If you’ve suffered an auto accident, our experienced Lakeland car accident lawyers can help you obtain compensation for your medical bills, repair costs, and more.
Truck Accidents
Trucks are necessary for the proper function of society, such as interstate commerce.
Accident cases involving these vehicles are complex, as the trucking company plus at least one insurance company will probably be involved.
Contact our Lakeland truck accident attorneys to discuss your today.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycles are fun to ride but provide inherently less protection than other types of motor vehicles. For that reason, accidents involving motorcycles tend to cause severe harm.
Our experienced Lakeland motorcycle accident lawyers can help.
Uber Accidents
Accidents involving an Uber vehicle can vary depending on the driver’s status at the time of the crash.
Our Lakeland uber accident attorneys can help you determine your best course of action.
Brain Injuries
An accident resulting in a brain injury can be outright terrifying. It’s important that you put your best case forward in order to be adequately compensated.
The skilled Lakeland brain injury attorneys from Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, can help you every step of the way.
Slip and Fall Accidents
A slip and fall accident can happen just about anywhere. Whether it’s in a private residence, place of business, or public sidewalk, you might have a compensation claim.
Our Lakeland slip and fall accident lawyers can help explain your legal options.
Wrongful Death
The wrongful death of a loved one is a circumstance nobody should have to deal with. While no amount of money can bring your family member back, it can help you recover financially and also obtain a sense of justice.
Reach out to us today for a free case review. Our aggressive Lakeland wrongful death lawyers are eager to begin fighting for compensation on your behalf.
What Damages Are Available to Lakeland Accident Victims?
Victims of personal injury accidents in Lakeland can pursue economic damages, non-economic damages, and in rare cases, punitive damages.
Economic damages reflect the financial losses you’ve suffered, such as lost wages, medical bills, out-of-pocket expenses, and decreased earning capacity.
Non-economic damages reflect the other losses you’ve suffered, those that are not as easy to quantify. Examples include loss of consortium, pain and suffering, PTSD, depression, and disfigurement.
Punitive damages are available in rare cases where the at-fault party’s conduct was especially reckless or malicious. These damages are still given to you but are intended to punish the defendant for their behavior and deter others from that same sort of behavior.
Who Pays My Medical Bills?
If you sustained injuries in an accident that required medical treatment, you may have several options, depending on the type of accident you were in and the parties involved.
You may even need ongoing care, such as physical therapy or rehabilitative treatment. If you’ve received treatment, you’ll be responsible for paying your medical bills.
Some of your options to pay your medical bills include:
- Personal injury protection (PIP) insurance if you were in a car accident: All Florida drivers must carry PIP insurance. This coverage kicks in regardless of who was at fault for the collision. It will cover up to 80% of your reasonable medical expenses up to the policy limits. The minimum required coverage in Florida is $10,000.
- Your health insurance: Contact your health insurance provider to determine if you’re covered for any of your accident-related medical treatments. Ask them about your available coverage, in-network providers, and how to deal with out-of-network healthcare needs.
- Personal injury settlement or verdict: You can seek compensation for your past and future medical costs from the at-fault party. Your attorney will help you value your losses to ensure you recover an amount that fully compensates you.
Your personal injury lawyer can also negotiate medical liens on your behalf if necessary. This will allow you to receive medical care right away. In exchange, you promise to reimburse the healthcare provider using the proceeds of your personal injury case.
Contact us today to learn more about how to cover your medical bills after an accident in Lakeland, FL.
Why Should I File a Personal Injury Claim?
Filing a personal injury claim is your best, perhaps only, chance to be compensated after an accident. It’s highly unlikely that the party responsible for your injury will simply write you a check without legal obligation.
Of course, almost every personal injury claim will be contested – if not the entire validity of the claim, but certainly its value. Insurance adjusters are incentivized to minimize the value of your claim as they work for a for-profit business.
This is to say that filing a personal injury claim doesn’t always guarantee you’ll be fully compensated. But you stand a better chance than you would if you don’t file a claim. And you stand an even better chance if you hire a personal injury attorney with Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers.
How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
Since each personal injury case involves a unique set of facts and circumstances, each has a unique value. That said, there are factors that tend to influence how much every personal injury case is worth, and they include:
- Whether you’re expected to make a full recovery from your injuries
- The types of injuries you’ve suffered
- Whether you are partly to blame for the accident
- The terms of any applicable insurance policies
- How long you’ll be unable to work due to the accident
The larger an impact your injuries have had and will have on your life, the more your case will be worth in most instances. If you have any questions about the value of your Lakeland personal injury case, reach out to our lawyers today for a free case review.
How Long Will My Personal Injury Case Take?
Each personal injury case will take a different amount of time to resolve based on its unique circumstances. Some cases are resolved in just a couple of weeks, while others can take much longer.
Personal injury cases that make it to court will probably take longer to conclude than those that are settled beforehand. Not all cases that go to court will go all the way to trial. However, cases that do make it to trial will take the longest amount of time to resolve.
If you’d like additional information regarding how long your case might take, reach out to us for a free consultation. Once we have more information about your case, we can provide further insight.
Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Generally speaking, you’ll have just one chance to pursue a personal injury claim. Hiring a Lakeland personal injury lawyer is your opportunity to make the most of that claim.
Some of the key reasons you should consider hiring a personal injury attorney include:
- It’ll help level the playing field. Insurance companies have teams of legal experts dedicated to helping their clients (the insurance companies) pay out as little as possible for the claims they receive. When you hire Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, you’ll have a team of your own.
- Attorneys can hire experts. Personal injury law firms have access to resources that the general public doesn’t. We can hire experts to analyze your case and even testify on your behalf if your case reaches trial.
- The defendant will try to blame you. Protecting yourself from accusations that you’re at fault for the accident is crucial. If the other side is successful in pinning the blame on you, your compensation award could be reduced or eliminated.
- You can rest and recover from your injury. When you hire a lawyer, you’ll be able to focus on healing while they handle your case for compensation.
Ready to get started? Call us today to set up your free initial consultation.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Our law firm works on a contingency fee basis. You’ll pay us nothing upfront for our legal services. Instead, we will receive our payment as a percentage of the financial award we obtain for you.
We will discuss and agree on the percentage ahead of time, and it will usually be around 33%. To illustrate with an example, let’s say we agree to a 35% contingency fee, and we obtain a $1 million award for you. In that instance, our payment would be $350,000 of that $1 million.
The contingency fee system allows you to hire us when you might otherwise be in a prohibitive financial position. It also incentives our team to maximize your financial award. The more money you receive, the more money we receive as well.
Do you have questions about how this system of payment will work in your case? We can provide more information during your free consultation.
What is the Statute of Limitations in Florida?
Florida’s statute of limitations establishes the deadlines by which lawsuits must be filed. If you file your lawsuit after the Florida statute of limitations has passed for your cause of action, your case will not be heard by a court of law.
For most personal injury cases, you’ll have two years from the date of the accident to file suit. However, if you got into an accident before 3/24/2023, you may have longer.
We recommend that you give us a call at your earliest convenience if you are not sure whether you can still file a lawsuit in your case. We can most likely make that determination during your free consultation.
Lakeland, FL Accident Statistics
Lakeland is the largest city in Polk County, FL, with a population of over 115,000 people. With so many people living and visiting the area, accidents are bound to happen.
In 2022, 13,443 motor vehicle accidents occurred in Polk County, causing 9,502 injuries and 128 fatalities. Out of those accidents:
- 170 involved bicyclists
- 302 involved motorcyclists
- 351 involved pedestrians
As of February 11, 2023, the county has experienced 1,115 auto accidents, resulting in 856 injuries and 10 fatalities.
Thousands more Floridians are injured and killed in workplace accidents and by acts of negligence every year.
Lakeland Personal Injury FAQs
How Do I Know Who Was At Fault for My Accident?
Most accidents result from the negligence of others. Accordingly, identifying the at-fault party often requires an analysis of the elements of negligence:
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- Did someone owe you a duty of care? For example, drivers owe everyone sharing the road – including pedestrians, bicyclists, and other motorists – a duty to drive carefully.
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- Did they breach their duty of care by failing to exercise reasonable caution? For example, if they were speeding, distracted, or violating a traffic law, they breached their duty to drive safely.
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- Did their breach of duty cause your injuries? You need to be able to show that the person’s actions directly led to the harm you suffered.
In some cases, multiple parties may share fault. Our experienced attorneys will launch a thorough investigation into your accident to identify every potentially liable party.
Will My Case Go To Court?
Your case probably will not go to court. Most personal injury claims settle during the negotiation process. However, if the insurance company offers a low settlement or refuses to pay what you deserve, we’ll be prepared to take your case to court.
Our trial attorneys are known for their aggressive advocacy and ability to get clients the compensation they need, even if it means going to court.
What Should I Do If the Insurance Company Offers Me a Settlement After a Lakeland Accident?
Before you accept the settlement, be sure to consult an experienced personal injury attorney. Insurance companies frequently offer far less than accident victims deserve, hoping they’ll take the offer in their time of need. However, once you sign a settlement agreement, you cannot pursue further compensation – even if you discover additional injuries or damages in the future.
That’s why it’s essential to seek medical attention, reach maximum medical improvement, and thoroughly assess your damages before negotiating with the insurance company.
If an adjuster has offered you a settlement, contact an attorney to see if it is fair. Then you can determine whether to accept it or continue negotiating for an amount that fully compensates you.
What If the Party Who Caused My Injuries in Lakeland Does Not Carry Insurance?
Most accidents and personal injuries are covered by insurance, whether it’s an auto accident, slip and fall, or medical malpractice. However, what if the liable party is uninsured?
You have a few options, depending on the type of accident. You may be able to file a personal injury claim directly against the at-fault party. However, if they’re uninsured, they may not have the financial means to pay the full value of your claim.
If the at-fault party injured you during the course of their employment, you might have a valid claim against their employer under vicarious liability principles. Alternatively, another third party may share liability. If it was a car accident, you might have uninsured motorist coverage that applies.
Ultimately, if the party who caused your injuries doesn’t carry insurance, you should contact a personal injury lawyer for help. We’ll evaluate your accident and determine every potential source of compensation.
Contact Our Experienced Lakeland Personal Injury Lawyers for Legal Help
You don’t have to work through the aftermath of your personal injury accident alone. You probably have a lot on your plate, and the last thing you should have to worry about is how you’ll be made whole again.
The Lakeland personal injury attorneys with Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, can handle your compensation claim from start to finish while you focus on your recovery. Our aggressive attorneys will represent your interests no matter who the defendant is, and we’re confident in our ability to obtain a fair compensation award for you.
Reach out online or call (863) 251-6196 to schedule a free case evaluation. Our attorneys are standing by.
Lakeland Personal Injury Client Review
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Lakeland Emergency Rooms
- Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center Emergency Room – 1324 Lakeland Hills Blvd, Lakeland, FL 33805
- HCA Florida Lakeland Emergency – 3526 Florida Ave S, Lakeland, FL 33803
- South Florida Baptist Hospital- Jim and Ruby Redman Emergency Center – 301 N Alexander St, Plant City, FL 33563
- Emergency Department at Bartow Regional Medical Center – 2200 Osprey Blvd, Bartow, FL 33830
- Winter Haven Hospital Emergency Department – 200 Ave F NE, Winter Haven, FL 33881
*Disclaimer – we do not endorse these companies or profit from having them listed on our website. These were some of the highest-rated auto repair shops on Yelp.
