Personal Injury Attorneys in Florida

SUMMARY: Personal Injury Attorneys in Florida

Car accidents are traumatic, especially when you've been injured. Having a personal injury attorney can help you get your compensation while you focus on healing. When choosing your lawyer, make sure to get certain information upfront. Also, familiarize yourself with your state's statute of limitations and how FL's fault laws can determine your damages. A personal injury attorney will be able to answer any questions and help you understand your case.

NOTE: The content of this website is intended solely for informational purposes. It is not a source of legal advice and should not be used as such.

Hiring a FL Personal Injury Attorney

When you get into a car accident, you have a lot to deal with bills, vehicle repairs, insurance agents, and more.

When you're injured, this only gets worse. You'll have to visit doctors, sort out your medical bills, and document your injuries. You may also be dealing with lost wages, pain and suffering, etc.

Because this can be so overwhelming, it's smart to have support by your side. A personal injury lawyer can provide the help you need to get the compensation you deserve after an injury-causing accident.

An attorney can be especially beneficial when:

  • Your injuries are very serious.
  • Your accident worsened existing injuries.
  • You are experiencing pain and suffering, loss of companionship, or other non-economic losses.
  • Your insurance company is offering an insufficient settlement or attempting to deny your injuries were caused by the accident.

Finding a Personal Injury Lawyer

When searching for a personal injury attorney, it is important that you do your research. You can learn a lot about a lawyer through online reviews and personal recommendations.

Spend some time interviewing potential personal injury attorneys to find the right one. When doing so, ask some questions that will help you determine both your level of comfort with the attorney and how much experience they have with cases like yours.

Consider asking your potential personal injury lawyer about:

  • Experience and track record.
    • How many cases like yours have they had? How many have they won?
  • Education.
  • Process.
    • How will they proceed with the case?
    • Will you be able to contact them directly, or will your communications go through another person?
  • Fees.
    • Make sure you understand their fee structure BEFORE getting started.

Aside from asking the above questions, it's important to understand Florida laws that are pertinent to your case. Continue reading to learn more.

FL Statute of Limitations

The time limit you have from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit is the statute of limitations. This varies by state.

In Florida, statute of limitations on personal injury cases is 4 years.

In some cases, the 4 years may begin from the date you discovered your injury (the "discovery date"). This applies when you didn't realize you were injured immediately after the accident.

Florida's Fault Laws

In an accident, fault is not always assigned solely to one driver. Every state has laws to deal with shared fault.

In Florida, the comparative negligence law is used to determine how damages are doled out. In comparative negligence, your potential damages are reduced by the percentage of fault you hold.

Let's look at an example to see how this works:

  • You were in an accident with one other driver. The other driver t-boned you and is assigned 90% of the blame but because you were speeding you are 10% at fault.
  • Total damages for the accident are $50,000.
  • You would be eligible to receive $45,000 ($50,000 less 10%).

Your personal injury attorney will be able to answer any questions you have about the comparative negligence law.

Understanding Personal Injury Cases

Personal injury can get complicated quickly, especially when you have severe injuries or you've exacerbated injuries that already exist. Insurance companies try to get you the minimal amount of compensation and can make things very complicated in doing so.

An experienced personal injury lawyer will know your rights and the law. They can explain to you what you need to sufficiently resolve your case (for example, documentation of your medical bills and appointments), and will ensure that you have those things as you move through the process.

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