A good car accident lawyer will not only win you the compensation you rightfully deserve, but will help you to focus on healing while they look after the legal process. Contact our team of experienced car accident lawyers at The Law Place to schedule for your free, no-obligation case evaluation.
Florida has some of the highest cases of car accidents and traffic injuries out of any state. In response to these statistics release by the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) department there has been a huge increase in the number of personal injury cases being raised across the state.
Nobody should be out of pocket for an accident that wasn’t their fault, and it is unfair that many victims in a car accident never get fair compensation for their losses. The reason that there are so many cases that are settled early and unfairly is due to a combination of factors. Most people do not know their rights, and they don’t know how much they are entitled to or even if they are entitled to make a claim at all. This is why it is important to get in touch with a skilled personal injury accident lawyer at the earliest possible convenience.
Hoping that you are going to get fair-treatment from other insurance companies, unfortunately, can often backfire. Often, clients come to us after finding out that their medical bills will not be paid by the insurance companies involved. Many people believe that hiring a personal injury accident lawyer will result in them receiving a lower payout due to the fees. That is usually not the case. With a skilled personal injury accident lawyer behind you, you will usually be able to seek compensation that is much higher than what you would be able to seek on your own.
There are lots of attorneys in the state of Florida that work on a conveyor belt system. They take huge numbers of cases on, aim for an early and easy settlement. and push cases through as fast as possible. By doing this, they ensure a high level of cash flow for their law firm but sacrifice the full compensation that you might be able to claim for with a reputable firm of accident lawyers, like The Law Place.
The Law Place has been built upon the foundation of their clients. They aren’t afraid to turn down settlements or stand toe to toe with insurance companies and their loss adjusters. We will fight for the full and fair compensation value that we believe you are entitled to. Don’t settle for less; give the team of personal injury accident lawyers at The Law Place a call for a free consultation. Our phone lines are open 24/7, give us a call at: 941-444-4444.
We have over 75 years of combined experience in dealing with traffic and auto accident cases across Florida. The attorney we assign you will be knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with cases just like yours, and they will give you honest advice from a place of clarity. Even if you do not want to hire an attorney, we highly recommend you give one a call after an accident, just to hear the free advice they will give you.
What Is the Average Settlement for a Car Accident in Florida?
In the state of Florida, the average car accident settlement sits at around $15,000 but this varies from case to case. For any case where the injuries are more severe, this number rises quite dramatically. If your payout ends up being less than this average, it is usually because you had some degree of fault in causing the accident.
For whiplash, the average settlement is between $9,000 and $20,000. As this is a form of soft tissue damage, your compensation will have to cover you for your injuries and the medical bills they incur.
In Florida, This means that minor accidents resulted in minor injuries, and medical bills are usually solved by the no-fault system. Under no-fault laws, all Florida drivers are required, by law, to own PIP car insurance. This will cover them for any minor accidents and will provide immediate aid for seeking medical attention.
If your losses and damages amount to more than the threshold for Personal Injury Protection (PIP) claims, you should be looking to seek either a settlement figure or be looking to hire a personal accident lawyer to start proceedings for a lawsuit to recover your damages. Most no-fault insurance policies will cover you for a limit of $10,000. In cases where there are no injuries or very minor ones and no medical attention, the most you will be able to recover is around $2,500.
How to Find the Best Car Accident Attorney?
Obviously, when asked this question, we will say that our law firm, The Law Place are the best attorneys. If you decide you want to do your research; however, here is how to find the best attorneys.
There are more personal injury accident lawyers and attorneys then there has ever been before in the state of Florida. Conveyor belt companies with huge advertising budgets have started to monopolize on the rising number of traffic incidents in Florida. These companies often do not have the best intentions, they will settle early, often for a lower sum that may not be agreeable or even fair to you personally.
A reputable firm is one that can prove they have your best intentions at heart. They won’t roll over for an early settlement, and they will fight for you, against loss adjusters, insurance companies, against anyone who they believe is treating you unreasonably.
Hiring an attorney means they are your advocate; they should be looking out for your best interests. They will take over all of your communications with other parties, relieving you of the stress, and act on your behalf to seek what they believe you are owed.
Here are some great indicators that a law firm is worth contacting:
Word of Mouth/Referrals
As we have already touched upon, some companies will spend a huge amount of money on advertising just to win you over. They will have suave T.V ads, huge billboards in busy pass-throughs, and will have ads up in every publication. When you see these companies, you should ask yourself, “have I heard about this firm besides their advertising attempts?”.
Word of mouth and referrals are how strong, reputable law firms build up their reputation. They do not need to advertise as hard because their happy clients are more than happy to suggest them to friends and family. If one of your friends or family comes to you and tells you, they were extremely happy with a certain attorney, that’s a green flag, in our opinion.
Experience
When considering an attorney, make sure to check their history. A good attorney with lots of wins under their belt will be more than happy to tell you about their wins and experience dealing with cases similar to yours. This is especially important if you have a unique or difficult case. Finding an attorney that has dealt with a similar case and won, is a great tactic.
Fees
We advise anybody who is considering using an attorney, to brush up on their knowledge of legal fees. You should have a basic understanding of what you will need to pay before hiring a personal injury lawyer. Most lawyers will work on a contingency-fee basis, you won’t pay unless you win, but it is important to understand how much of your settlement you will then have to pay your attorney.
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Should I Hire a Lawyer for a Car Accident?
When facing a large insurance company, you are already fighting against the odds. They will have a dedicated team whose only job is to work against you to lower their liability and payout. You might already be dealing with the aftermath of the accident. You might still be in shock or have some injuries that are affecting your way of life. This might lead to you making poor judgment decisions that will be exploited by the insurance company lawyers.
We believe that you should at least consult with an auto accident law firm after an auto accident. Even if you do not decide to go with them, they will still offer you their honest advice as to what they suggest you do. Court battles and injuries from an accident can be long-lasting, and fighting the battle on your own is un-necessarily tough. It is worth noting that in most cases, even though you have to pay your car accident lawyer their contingency fee, you will still end up with a higher settlement with a skilled attorney fighting for you. They will also relieve you of the stress and headache of dealing with the intricacies of Florida law alone.
A large insurance company did not become a large insurance company by paying out large sums for every accident. The only way to receive a higher settlement is to fight them aggressively. It is a car accident lawyers’ job to make the insurance claims adjuster think that settling is more cost-effective than a lawsuit.
Even if you think your injuries are minor, and you haven’t incurred much in the term of damages, we still advise you to get a free consultation from a skilled car accident lawyer. We offer a free consultation for a reason, and we know that it can be a confusing time. We try and offer clear advice from a knowledgable position to help you through your difficult times.
We’re Florida’s top litigation team with over 75 years of combined experience
I’ve Decided I Want to Hire an Attorney
If you have come to the decision that you want to hire an experienced Florida car accident attorney, you have taken the first steps towards getting fair and reasonable compensation for your losses. You might be wondering, what happens next?
The first thing that your experienced Florida car accident attorney will probably do is to fully explain how Florida’s PIP laws work you need to understand Florida Statute 627.736. PIP laws in Florida are notoriously tricky to navigate, explaining this now will clear up a lot of questions.
After that, they will liaise with each insurance company involved on your behalf. At this point, you will be told to ignore any correspondence from either insurance company, your attorney will keep you informed instead.
Once you agree to be represented by an experienced Florida car accident lawyer, you can sit back and relax. This is another reason why car accident lawyers are the best option for fighting your case. You will not have to deal with anyone other than your attorney from now on, and this means you can focus on recovery and getting back to 100%. If you dislike being out of the loop, we advise that you educate yourself on Florida car accident and auto accident law. Doing this will allow you to understand what stage your case is and how best to prepare or help in fighting your case.
If you prefer a hands-off approach, that is perfectly fine. Your attorney will deal with everything on behalf. If you have any questions, they will answer them for you.
Time is always of the essence when it comes to legal matters. The sooner you get your car accident attorney on the case, the sooner they can start investigating, building up evidence, and building up a strong place to negotiate from. As well as the immediate time benefits, under Florida state statue law, you only have four years from the date of an auto accident to put in a claim. After that, you are barred from making a claim over that incident, forever.
Although the timing is important, the most important thing to focus on after an accident is your health. If you have been injured, deal with your injuries correctly first. Once you are in a good place to do so, contact your attorney at the earliest convenience.
From the initial call to updates on your case status, we are here to get you answers.
How Can I Get Pain and Suffering Without a Lawyer
We often get asked this question during our free consultation, and the answer is always the same. Pain and suffering is a hard fight to win unless you are represented. When it comes to pain and suffering claims after a Florida car accident, having someone representing you who knows the ins and outs of Florida car accident law is vital for securing a compensation payout. Car accidents are tricky to navigate in terms of insurance law.
If you are determined to seek pain and suffering claims without representation, then we suggest you spend some serious hours familiarizing yourself with Florida state law.
You should record as much as you possibly can regarding the accident, the events that led up to it, and every single penny of expenses that you have had to pay as a result of the accident. Here are some things to record that will massively help your case:
- In all car accidents, you should record the other drivers’ description and a description of their car, like the color, type, make, model, condition, and age.
- If the other party has stayed at the scene, make sure you get all of their details, addresses, names, phone numbers, etc.
- Make a record of the accident scene. Draw a sketch of the road and add two squares, labeled “A” and “B,” where A is you and B is the other party. Draw arrows to show the direction both cars were traveling.
- Record every single expense after the accident. This included medical bills, transport bills, loss of earnings.
- Try and write in a journal every single day, documenting your thoughts, feelings, and mental state.
If you accurately record all of these, you will have vastly improved odds of winning your case. In Florida court, the evidence is king. Seeking compensation is nearly impossible if you cannot prove your losses. Car accidents can be a chaotic time, and gathering all this information can be a challenge. This is just another reason to seek the help of a lawyer who is skilled at dealing with injuries and insurance lawsuits.
Contact The Law Place Today!
Here at The Law Place, our team of skilled attorneys has over 70 years of combined experience at dealing with incidents just like yours. Thanks to this experience, they are extremely knowledgable in Florida insurance and injury law. Our attorneys will always seek the best possible compensation and reasonable treatment for you. They are not afraid to stand toe-toe with insurance company behemoths. We will not roll over and accept a lower offer if we think you deserve more.
Call us today for a free consultation, and we can advise you on what course of action we think is the best for you individually. When your head is clouded in the aftermath of the accident, having a clear-headed and knowledgable attorney, like one of ours behind you, maybe the deciding factor in whether or not you get what you rightfully deserve.
Our phones are manned 24/7 so give us a ring today at 941-444-4444.
