Being involved in a traffic accident can be a life-changing experience. Depending on the severity of the accident, you may deal with serious injuries, chronic pain and lifelong disability. You may also be facing insurmountable medical bills, lost wages and other damages as a result of the accident. In the worst cases, a traffic accident may even lead to the death of a loved one. Regardless of the circumstances, you can improve your situation and regain control over your life by hiring Robinson Trial Lawyers and allowing them to fight for maximum compensation against all parties responsible for your accident.
About Traffic Accidents in Florida
Traffic accidents occur in Florida for a variety of reasons, including:
- Driver distraction. – If a driver is texting, talking on the phone, dealing with children or engaged in another activity aside from driving, he or she is driving with distractions that may lead to an accident.
- Negligence. – Drivers’ inattention and/or lack of regard for the rules of the road causes accidents frequently.
- Driving under the influence. – When drivers are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, their reflexes and decision-making skills are affected. In many cases, this causes accidents.
- Inclement weather. – When the weather is bad and drivers don’t exercise adequate caution, accidents may occur.
Thousands of people are injured each year in car accidents on Florida’s roadways. According to data from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there are over 200,000 automobile accidents each year. These incidents lead to hundreds of thousands of injuries and a death toll that has risen to over 3,000 people per year.
Proving Personal Injury Cases in Florida
If you are a victim in a car, motorcycle, pedestrian, trucking, or bicycle accident, you can hire Robinson Trial Lawyers to pursue a case against those at fault. The following is a very general overview of these cases. However, every case is different. You should discuss your case in detail with an attorney at Robinson Trial Lawyers.
Car accident personal injury cases are generally divided into two parts-Liability and Damages.
Liability
Liability simply answers the question: Who was at fault for this accident? If your case ends up going to a trial, the first series of questions that the jury must answer address liability. The jury is free to assign full responsibility for causing the accident to the Defendant, to you, or to a combination of both. Further, a jury can even assign a percentage of negligence to unnamed parties if it is proven that they are partially responsible for causing the accident.
Damages
Proving that the other party was at fault for the accident is only half the battle. You must next prove that your damages/injuries were causally related to the subject accident. This means that there will be no compensation for damages or injuries that are unrelated to the subject accident. Generally, the categories that you can recover compensation in a personal injury case are as follows:
- Medical Bills
- Future Medical Care
- Lost Wages
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Pain, Suffering, Loss of Enjoyment of Life, Mental Anguish, Scarring, Inconvenience*
- Property Damage
- Punitive Damages**
*You may only ask a jury for pain and suffering damages if you can prove within a reasonable degree of medical probability that you have sustained a permanent injury from the subject accident. In certain circumstances, you do not need to prove ‘permanency’ in order to ask a jury for these damages, however, this is less common.
**Punitive Damages are special damages that are only granted in limited instances. In order to make a claim for punitive damages, you must file a motion with the court and allege evidence of intentional misconduct and/or gross negligence.
Insurance Companies are the Real Defendants in Personal Injury Cases
In almost 100% of cases filed by Robinson Trial Lawyers, the person responsible for the car accident carries automobile insurance. This means that there is an insurance company who will hire and pay for an attorney for the person who caused the accident. Further, the insurance company is responsible for handling all negotiations and paying out any settlements or judgments. Insurance is a big business and these multi-million (and billion) dollar companies have the resources to deny and delay your claim. Further, you can be sure that the insurance companies will employ a team of lawyers and employees in order to investigate and minimize your claim in an effort to save insurance companies money. Because of this, you need experienced and aggressive attorneys from Robinson Trial Lawyers to combat the insurance company and fight for your rights and compensation.
Hiring an Attorney
If you or someone you love was involved in a car accident, you may be able to recover compensation by filing a claim against the person or organization responsible for the accident. Depending on the nature of the case, you may receive compensation for your medical expenses, property damage, lost wages and pain and suffering. Because these cases can be complicated and overwhelming, hiring an experienced attorney is highly recommended. An attorney who understands these laws can help you prepare your case, collect evidence and present it in court. If the other side offers a settlement, your attorney can also help you evaluate it.
Robinson Trial Lawyers have many years of experience representing clients in all types of Florida traffic accident cases, including car accidents, bike accidents, motorcycle accidents and trucking accidents.
Don’t allow the person or company that caused your accident get away with what they have done. Please call our office today to learn more about working with Robinson Trial Lawyers or to schedule a consultation with our team. We hope to hear from you soon!
