Cutler Bay Car Accident Attorney
Jon Sorensen
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Injured Pedestrian
- Medical Malpractice
Mr. Sorensen grew up in Homestead, Florida. Upon his graduation from High School, Mr. Sorensen served in the United States Navy for six years including submarine duty on the USS San Francisco. During this time he received several awards and honors, including the Navy Achievement Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Submarine Warfare Insignia, Navy “E” Ribbon, and the National Defense Service Medal. …
Nobody leaves their home in the morning planning to be involved in a car accident, but unfortunately, thousands of people are hurt or killed in crashes across the country every day, with some taking place in Miami-Dade County. After a car accident, a victim has a lot to deal with: injury care, missing time from work, mounting medical bills, the cost of damaged or destroyed property, emotional suffering, and more. Filing a personal injury claim with the insurance company is meant to help them recover the money they deserve after suffering in a crash that someone else caused, but is that actually what happens?
Insurance companies work to settle claims against their drivers as quickly and inexpensively as possible, leaving victims struggling to come up with funds that go beyond the most basic lost wages, medical bills, and car repairs. However, car accident attorneys know that there is much more that car accident victims are owed following a crash.
Common Causes of Car Accidents
The following are just a few of the many causes of auto accidents in Cutler Bay, Florida, and beyond. Whether or not you see the cause of your own Cutler Bay car accident below, contact 1-800-Injured as soon as possible to connect with a personal injury law firm for a free consultation about your case.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of car accidents and involves any activity that takes a driver’s attention away from the road. Common distractions include texting while driving, eating or drinking, using a navigation system, or engaging in conversations with passengers.
Speeding
Speeding is a major factor in car accidents and can result in serious injuries or even death. Driving above the posted speed limit can be dangerous and can put a driver and everyone else on the road at risk. If you believe that the other driver was speeding, be sure to inform the attending officer.
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol can impair a driver’s judgment and reaction time and increase the risk of a serious car accident. Even though mind-altering substances other than alcohol don’t show up on a breathalyzer, they can still affect a driver’s ability to safely operate a vehicle, and police have ways to determine if a driver has been using illegal substances.
Bad Weather
Inclement weather, such as fog and rain, can reduce visibility and make it more difficult for drivers to operate their vehicles safely. In some cases, weather can even be a factor in causing an accident. While we don’t have control over the weather, we do have control over how we drive in adverse conditions, and drivers are expected to use extra caution when visibility is reduced.
Calculating Compensation In an Auto Accident
There are many steps for resolving an auto accident claim, but one of the most essential is the matter of compensation, a personal injury term for the amount of money that a victim is owed as a result of losses associated with the accident.
After a Cutler Bay car accident, victims will seek compensatory damages that are subdivided into two separate categories: economic and non-economic damages. While distinct and unique from each other, each is equally important.
Economic damages are the basis of a personal injury claim, and include any loss or impact that has a set or measurable dollar value associated with it. The most common economic damages include things like a victim’s lost wages as a result of their injuries, as well as the cost of their medical care, property damage costs, and the cost of goods or services purchased to help them with their daily lives.
In some cases, a victim may not make a complete recovery, which can impact their long term earning capacity, contributions to retirement funds, and other significant financial issues that may be more difficult to calculate.
While these damages are fairly straightforward to calculate — simply by adding up the total of all invoices, receipts, and income statements — identifying all of the damages that can be legitimately claimed is best left to an experienced attorney. Many people overlook important damages that they are owed compensation for. The insurance company will almost certainly not volunteer additional damages, as their goal is to reach an inexpensive settlement, not to ensure that victims receive their fair share.
Non-economic damages are a bit tricker to calculate, because they apply to any impact of an accident that does not have a set dollar value. The most common non-economic damages are the pain and suffering a victim endures following their crash, as well as issues like post-traumatic stress disorder, loss of enjoyment, depression, anxiety, and others.
Trying to assign a dollar value to something like depression is difficult, but experienced attorneys have a range of calculation methods at their disposal that they will use to fight for the compensation their clients are rightfully owed.
Trying to negotiate non-economic damages with an insurance company without the support of a car accident lawyer can be very frustrating. Working with a legal professional who is focused on getting you the compensation you deserve can give you the emotional space you need to focus on your recovery without the added stress — which is proven to have a negative impact on the physical recovery process.