Even though Florida is a no-fault insurance state, it may still be wise to hire a car accident lawyer after an accident. Our accident lawyers handle personal injury claims involving PIP claims and accident claims filed with the other driver’s liability insurance company. We also represent accident victims in personal injury lawsuits.
Continue reading for more insight into when it is a good idea to hire a car accident lawyer in Florida.
When Should You Hire a Florida Car Accident Lawyer To Handle Your Case?
Hiring a car accident attorney might not always be necessary after all car accidents. If you sustained minor injuries, your medical expenses from the crash might be covered by your PIP insurance provider.
However, it never hurts to seek legal advice from an injury attorney just to ensure you are not entitled to additional compensation for damages. Definitely talk with one of our accident lawyers if you experience any of the following situations:
You Sustained Serious Injuries
Florida’s insurance laws permit you to file a claim against the party who caused your accident if you sustained serious injuries. Serious injuries are defined by statute.
No-fault insurance only pays a portion of your medical bills and lost wages. It does not compensate you for non-economic damages. However, filing a claim against the at-fault driver can put more money in your pocket for your economic damages, pain and suffering, and other losses.
You Are Being Blamed for Causing the Collision
You must prove that the other party caused the car accident to recover compensation for damages. A common tactic used by insurance companies is to shift the blame for the crash to the victim.
Under Florida’s modified comparative negligence rules, your compensation is reduced by your level of fault for the cause of the crash. Therefore, if you are found to be 20% at fault for the cause of the car wreck, your compensation for damages is reduced by 20%. However, these rules prohibit you from recovering compensation if you are 51% or more at fault for the accident.
The Insurance Company Denied Your Claim or Offered a Low Settlement Amount
Insurance adjusters protect the company by limiting liability for claims. Therefore, they might deny a valid insurance claim or significantly undervalue damages. If the adjuster denies your claim or gives you a low settlement offer, contact our accident attorneys immediately to discuss your case.
Multiple Parties Are Involved in the Case
Some situations make accident claims more complex, including crashes involving multiple vehicles or liable parties. For example, commercial truck accidents and chain-reaction car crashes often involve several liable parties. Each party may “point fingers” at the other parties to avoid paying damages.
Sorting out liability is crucial to ensure you receive fair compensation. Our skilled legal team has significant experience handling these types of car accident claims.
The Statute of Limitations Is About To Expire
Florida’s statute of limitations for most car accident claims is now two years due to a new tort reform law passed on 3/24/23. It used to be four years. If you miss the filing deadline, you lose your right to pursue a legal claim.
You Sustained Permanent Impairments
Life-altering injuries complicate an injury case. In addition to past damages, you are entitled to compensation for future damages. You can receive compensation for:
- Ongoing medical expenses
- Future lost wages and diminished earning potential
- Decrease in your quality of life
- Ongoing emotional distress
- Continuing physical pain
However, these cases often require hiring medical experts and financial professionals to assist in determining the extent and value of damages.
Your Child Was Injured in a Car Accident
Child injury claims have a few issues that differ from a typical car case from an accident. Experienced legal counsel helps you navigate the process to ensure that you receive fair compensation for your child. In addition, an attorney helps you retain the medical experts necessary to correctly access your child’s damages, including cognitive, developmental, emotional, and physical impairments caused by the auto accident.
A Loved One Dies in a Car Accident
Wrongful death claims are different from car accident claims. Different rules can apply, and the process for filing claims is slightly different. Contact us to discuss how we can help you hold the driver who caused your family member’s death liable for their negligence.
How Can Our Florida Car Accident Lawyers Help You With Your Case?
Our legal team has considerable resources to handle the most complex car accident cases. Our experience and skills benefit our clients in numerous ways. When you hire our law firm to handle your accident case, you can expect us to:
- Advise you of your legal options for recovering money for your claim
- Answering your questions about personal injury claims
- Conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of your traffic accident to gather evidence
- Identify all parties who could be liable for your damages
- Confirm insurance coverage and file insurance claims
- Handle all communications with insurance companies and other parties
- Calculate deadlines for filing claims and lawsuits and monitor those deadlines
- Work with you, your doctors, and medical experts to document your injuries and damages
- Calculate the correct value for your damages
- Defend you against allegations of failure to mitigate damages and contributory fault
- Aggressively negotiate a settlement for the maximum value of your claim
- Protect you from bad faith insurance practices
- Prepare and file a lawsuit and advocate for you in court
Insurance companies immediately take steps to protect themselves from claims. They use a variety of tactics to avoid paying your claim. Insurance adjusters often try to trick you into saying things that could hurt your case.
After a car accident in Florida, the priority is seeking medical treatment. Your next priority is seeking legal advice from an experienced accident lawyer. Your lawyer then handles the insurance adjuster and insurance investigators for you.
It Does Not Cost You Anything To Retain Us for Your Car Accident
Our law firm accepts cases on a contingency fee basis. With a contingency fee agreement, you do not pay any attorneys’ fees upfront. Instead, you pay a percentage of the amount recovered when we settle your case or obtain a jury verdict.
If we do not recover money for your claim, you do not owe us any attorney’s fees. We believe it is important for injured victims and their families to have access to legal representation. Therefore, we will wait to collect our legal fees until we recover money for you.
Contact Us To Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Personal Injury Lawyers
At Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, our legal team is ready to help you with your car accident claim. You deserve to be compensated fully for all damages caused by a negligent driver. Contact or call our personal injury law firm in Tampa, FL, to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced personal injury attorneys.
