Car accidents often leave accident victims suffering from painful injuries that cause extensive emotional turmoil and financial losses. If you have serious injuries that someone else caused, personal injury cases are the way for you to recover compensation for all the expenses you have incurred as a result of the other driver’s negligence.
Since car accident claims can become complicated, you should seek legal representation through an experienced Palm Bay car accident lawyer. CarAccidentAttorney.com is an attorney directory service that you can use to find a local Palm Bay personal injury attorney to help you from the start of personal injury claims to filing personal injury cases in court.
The insurance companies will have a legal team that will fight you at every turn. Make sure you protect yourself by choosing an auto accident lawyer who will stand up for your rights.
Why You Need a Palm Bay Car Accident Lawyer
The majority of accident victims often try to handle their personal injury claims without a Palm Bay personal injury attorney. However, this is what the insurance companies are hoping for after auto accidents.
Florida law recently changed regarding car accidents and comparative negligence. Prior to 2023, the laws followed a pure comparative fault model that allowed accident victims to pursue compensation even if they were 99% at fault. Now, it is a modified comparative negligence system that requires the injured party to be 50% or less at fault, or they will be barred from seeking recovery.
Car accident victims quickly learn that the insurance company of the at-fault driver will either offer a low settlement or deny their claim. When that happens, a personal injury lawsuit is the only way to get the money you are owed after the crash. It can be challenging to fight the insurer without a Palm Bay personal injury attorney. Furthermore, when you finally get a decision about your insurance claim, you’ll be pressed for time to file your lawsuit.
Florida’s statute of limitations for car accident cases was shortened to just two years after the accident. Injury victims who seek representation from personal injury lawyers from the start will avoid these common pitfalls. They will also have someone advocating for them while they recover from their serious injuries.
If you were hurt in a car accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, make sure that you find an injury lawyer through CarAccidentAttorney.com.
Common Causes of Palm Bay Car Accidents
Driver errors most often cause auto accidents throughout Brevard County and in Palm Bay. Here is a look at how Palm Bay drivers cause accidents:
Distracted Driving
A distracted driver is focused on something other than the task of driving. All drivers owe one another a duty of care to abide by the rules of the road while behind the wheel of motor vehicles. Whether visual, manual, or cognitive, distractions can lead to a serious accident that can leave victims with life-altering injuries.
Drunk Driving
Driving while intoxicated is one of the most common causes of fatal injuries in a traffic accident. If you lost a loved one due to a drunk driver, filing a wrongful death claim allows you to seek justice for these kinds of auto accidents. With the help of an accident attorney, you may be able to hold the negligent driver accountable for gross negligence.
Speeding
Accidents that involve speeding create greater force upon impact. You or a loved one may have a traumatic brain injury that leaves lasting effects, preventing you from working or completing daily tasks.
Vehicle Malfunction
In some cases, auto accidents in Brevard County may be the result of a vehicle issue. A personal injury attorney can hire accident reconstructionists to determine how the accident was caused. The driver may have been negligent in maintaining their vehicle, or the mechanic or the manufacturer could be responsible for faulty parts and installation.
Failure to Obey Traffic Laws
Brevard County personal injury lawyers have seen many accidents caused by drivers who simply do not follow traffic laws. Flying through red lights and stop signs, failing to yield the right of way, and other actions on the road can cause all types of accidents, including pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents.
Aggressive Driving Behaviors
Some drivers in Palm Bay act aggressively on the roads. They weave in and out of traffic, tailgate, and speed, making it more likely that they will cause a serious accident.
If someone else caused your accident, make sure you schedule a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer. CarAccidentAttorney.com is an attorney directory service that you can use to find personal injury lawyers in Brevard County.
How Much Compensation Can You Get from Personal Injury Cases Involving Car Accidents?
If you have suffered severe injuries in a car accident caused by a negligent driver, you will want a Palm Bay accident attorney to help you prove negligence. Proving negligence requires satisfying four elements: showing that the other driver owed you a duty of care, that they breached this duty with their negligent actions, and that the breach caused the accident. You suffered injuries and damages as a result.
The compensation you receive will depend on a variety of factors that are unique to your case. The type, extent, and severity of your injuries will be a crucial point in determining economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages compensate for your tangible financial losses from this accident. These will generally include your medical expenses, lost wages, and property damage.
Non-economic damages are intangible losses that are commonly calculated using a multiplier method that assigns a number between 1.5 and 5, which is then multiplied by your total economic damages. The more extensive and severe the injury, the higher the multiplier applied.
If you want to know how much your case is worth, you must schedule a free consultation with a Palm Bay accident attorney. CarAccidentAttorney.com is an attorney directory service where you can find the right lawyer to help you seek medical expenses, lost wages, and the other damages you are owed.
Understanding Common Challenges with the Insurance Companies After Car Accidents
One thing that complicates Florida car crashes is insurance. Every driver in the state must carry personal injury protection. The coverage from this type of insurance policy is no-fault based, meaning that every driver, regardless of fault, files a claim for medical bills and other losses related to the accident through their insurer.
With such a vast population in Palm Bay and throughout the state, no-fault insurance was designed to minimize lawsuits. It can be an adequate solution when accidents are minor, and drivers and passengers are unharmed.
However, when a major accident occurs, and there are severe injuries, you can file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company. This is where things get complicated because insurance companies will scrutinize your claim and find ways to either reduce your settlement or deny it altogether. It’s even worse for those in a motorcycle accident, as motorcyclists are often blamed even when they’ve done nothing wrong.
Insurance agents are trained to ask leading questions while sounding sympathetic to your plight. They don’t have your best interests at heart, though, and when you are left with injuries that will impact the rest of your life or try to pick up the pieces after the wrongful death of a loved one, it is more added stress that you don’t need.
Don’t let them give you the runaround while more time passes you by. Contact CarAccidentAttorney.com to find a lawyer to stand by you throughout the legal process in Palm Bay.
Steps to Take After Your Palm Bay Car Accident
When you are in a car crash in Palm Bay, your life will completely change in just seconds. Even though it is terrifying, you must know the proper steps to take to protect your legal rights.
Call the Police
The first thing you should do after any car accident is call the police from the accident scene. The other driver may try to convince you otherwise, but dial 911 anyway. When officers arrive, they will create a police report that details the specifics of your car accident. They may even issue a traffic citation to the other driver, which will be noted in that report and can serve as a piece of crucial evidence in your case.
Get Immediate Medical Assistance
If you have injuries, you should get immediate medical treatment on time. Many victims assume they are fine when they don’t have visible injuries, though it is still essential to get prompt medical care. Delaying treatment makes it easier for insurers to deny your claim on the grounds that you were either injured after the accident in question or that your injuries aren’t serious.
It’s also vital to look out for your health since many injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries or internal bleeding, may not have symptoms right away. These conditions can worsen and become life-threatening, making the need for medical care essential.
Gather Evidence on the Scene
The aftermath of your car accident may have crucial clues that can help prove your case. You should take photos and videos of the placement of the vehicles and the damage to each. The images you capture should also show the intersection or surrounding areas.
If anyone stopped to render aid or because they witnessed what happened, get their contact information. They can fill in the blanks and provide more details about how the other driver was behaving before the crash.
Exchange Information
In Florida, you are required to exchange contact information and insurance information with the other driver. Make sure that you take this step and alert the police if the other driver doesn’t want to cooperate.
Speak to a Palm Bay Car Accident Lawyer
When another driver disregards their duty to drive safely and causes you harm, you have the right to fight for the compensation you deserve. The limits of your insurance coverage may mean that you are stuck paying out of your pocket for these expenses, and that simply isn’t fair when you didn’t cause the crash.
Your medical recovery hinges on being able to rest and follow doctors’ orders. By hiring an attorney, you will have an advocate who will take over all the tasks associated with your case. Your lawyer will contact the insurance company on your behalf. They will also investigate and gather evidence, a crucial step that many seriously injured victims are unable to take when they are rushed to the hospital after their car accident.
Handling your car accident on your own when you have extensive injuries will usually result in a lower settlement from the insurer or, worse, being blamed for your injuries. CarAccidentAttorney.com is an attorney directory service that you can use to find a knowledgeable local lawyer to help you through this challenging time. You can use this directory to find legal representation for other legal matters as well, such as after a motorcycle accident, recreational boating accident, a slip and fall accident, or even medical malpractice.
The insurance companies are hoping you’ll represent yourself so that they can walk all over you. Fight back by hiring someone who will aggressively advocate for you.