Things Car Accident victims Should be Aware of
Most of us that drive regularly are well aware of the ever-present risk of being involved in a car accident. Despite this, most of us will at some point end up colliding with another vehicle. This can often mean suffering injuries that can end up causing all kinds of damages to those involved in an accident. Naturally, someone will want to seek compensation for these injuries and will turn to file an accident claim with the insurance company. This process can be complex with lots of ways that things can go wrong and mistakes that can be made to drastically reduce the value of any settlement that may have been attained.
Florida is a No-Fault State
In the state of Florida, there is what is called no-fault insurance. This basically means that if you get in an accident and suffer an injury then you will have to go through your own personal insurance rather than through the at-fault driver’s. No-fault insurance is used to help reduce the number of personal injury lawsuits filed by car accident victims and to provide quick compensation to car accident victims regardless of who was at fault for the accident.
No-fault accident insurance is also known as personal injury protection or PIP. Personal injury protection helps to pay for things like medical costs and lost wages but can sometimes not provide enough compensation to handle more severe damages. In cases where accident injuries are permanent and especially severe, a car accident victim may seek compensation for these damages by filing a personal injury claim with the at-fault party’s insurance.
Seeking Medical Attention Takes Priority
In the aftermath of a car accident, what you should do next might seem confusing considering all the commotion that you have just gone through. It is important to remember that the primary thing you should be focused on is your health and safety over all else. You should not concern yourself with anything else until you see a medical professional that can address any injuries. This is not only important because you need to preserve your health but also because failing to seek immediate medical care after an accident can influence any potential personal injury claims relating to the accident. When you neglect to seek medical care as soon as possible and procrastinate then the insurance company will argue that your injuries were not too severe since you didn’t need to see a doctor right away. This can lead to a reduction in claim value or even outright denial by the insurance company. Seeking medical assistance right after an accident is also important even if you don’t have symptoms because you may have suffered an injury like whiplash that might not start to show for a period of time because of adrenaline.
Florida Car Accident Claims Benefit From Attorney Assistance
Many people do not understand just how much an attorney can help when it comes to a car accident claim. Car accident injury claims can technically be undertaken without an attorney but the chance of you making a mistake and reducing the value of your claim is quite high. It is within your best interest to seek the assistance of an experienced attorney that specializes in car accident injury claims. Studies have shown that on average, settlements attained by attorneys through personal injury claims are larger than those attained without and that is even deducting the attorney’s fee as well.
Contact an Experienced Florida Car Accident Attorney
The best thing you can do when you are severely injured in a car accident is to seek a lawyer experienced in car accident injury claims. You technically could pursue a claim on your own but the odds of you successfully navigating the many pitfalls of insurance tricks and the legal process is greatly diminished. Insurance companies have everything they need to successfully deny a claim; as that is their goal since profits are their main priority. Insurance companies have the experience, personnel, resources, lawyers, and money to fight a claim to any extent necessary. If it turns into a “who can withstand the storm longer” type of situation, the answer will always be the insurance company when competing against an injured victim on their own.
It doesn’t cost you anything to get an injury attorney to look at your case. Likewise, car accident lawyers don’t cost anything out of your pocket since they work on a contingency fee basis. This means they take a percentage of the settlement once the claim is seen through and don’t get paid at all if the injury victim doesn’t recover financial compensation. You or your loved one are likely significantly injured if you are even considering hiring a car accident attorney in the first place. So you should focus on your recovery while a professional works to maximize your settlement with the insurance companies and courts.
If you have been injured in a car accident in the Stuart, Florida or Gainesville, Florida area, contact the experienced personal injury team at The Eberst Law Firm. We are ready to handle your case. You can contact us online or call us at 772-225-4900.
Stuart, Florida Office
101 SE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
Stuart, FL 34994
Gainesville, Florida Office
716 E. University Avenue
Gainesville, FL 32601
