No matter how safe and responsible we are as drivers, there will always be a risk of a car accident while other people are on the road. Even though there are speed limits, licensing requirements, driver’s education courses, and other mechanisms intended to help all drivers follow the same rules and guidelines to maximize safety, all too often, there are drivers who ignore these guidelines and act recklessly or dangerously on the roads. Getting into a car accident with someone who has willfully ignored traffic laws or safety guidelines can be an extremely frustrating experience, especially if you suffer from serious injuries as a result.
Fortunately, there is legal recourse available for victims of other drivers’ reckless behaviors, and car accident victims can seek compensation from the driver’s representative insurance company. The insurance company will cover—ostensibly—all of the financial impacts that the victim has suffered as a result of the crash, ranging from medical bills to emotional suffering, as well as the repair or replacement costs of the victim’s damaged property. Getting the money that you deserve, though, and not just what the insurance company is willing to pay, is another issue entirely.
What Causes Auto Accidents in Port St. Lucie, FL?
The majority of car accidents in Port St. Lucie, FL, are caused by driver errors. Here is a look at the most common causes:
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is by far one of the most common reasons a car accident occurs. All drivers need to abide by their legal duty of operating motor vehicles in a safe and law-abiding way. A car crash caused by visual, manual, or cognitive distractions may be caused by texting and driving, changing music on the stereo, eating, talking to passengers, daydreaming, or reaching into the backseat for an object.
Drunk Driving
Despite efforts to curb intoxicated driving, it remains a serious issue and a top cause of a vehicle accident. Tragically, drunk drivers often cause fatalities, tearing loved ones away and leaving families stricken with grief. While you can file a wrongful death claim, the stress and sense of loss can be impossible. You should choose car accident lawyers who can represent you in your wrongful death lawsuit.
Reckless Driving
Impatient drivers who act as though they are above the law on the road also cause a number of auto accidents. They may speed, weave in and out of traffic, tailgate, or make other reckless maneuvers that lead to a vehicle accident.
No matter how the at-fault driver caused your car crash, make sure you find an experienced Port St. Lucie accident lawyer to take your personal injury case. CarAccidentAttorney.com can connect you to a local legal team of injury lawyers who can assist you with your legal claim. You can arrange a free consultation with an attorney in Port St. Lucie to learn more about your legal options.
Common Injuries That Can Arise with Personal Injury Claims for a Car Accident
When you sustain injuries, you’re bound to be in physical pain. Some victims may be lucky and only suffer minor injuries that will heal quickly. Others won’t be as fortunate and may face traumatic brain injuries and the lengthy future medical care that will be required as treatment.
Other common injuries include broken bones, neck and back injuries, and internal injuries. The reason it is so imperative to seek the services of an attorney is that these injuries or the terror of the accident itself may cause post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions. The pain and suffering you experience should not be taken lightly. Only a lawyer will have the necessary expertise and negotiating prowess to negotiate for your non-economic damages that are often brought on by physical injuries.
Hire an Attorney to Get the Money You Deserve After a Car Accident in Port St. Lucie Through CarAccidentAttorney.com
In the early days after a car accident, a victim has a lot on their mind: understanding the reality of their severe injuries, trying to get their work obligations in order, taking care of family, and getting the medical care that they need in order to facilitate recovery. At the same time, they will need to handle police reports, speak with their insurance company, and start the car accident claims process with the other driver’s insurance company. In the midst of all this chaos, it can be understandable why someone chooses not to take on the additional stress of trying to find a Port St. Lucie car accident attorney available for their case.
CarAccidentAttorney.com is an attorney directory service that can connect you to a Port St. Lucie car accident lawyer. Instead of needing to go through the entire process of finding a local Port St. Lucie car accident attorney by reaching out to countless attorneys while hoping that you can find someone available to take your case, you’ll be able to find an experienced personal injury attorney through this simple directory. After choosing from available car accident lawyers in the area, you’ll have the advocate you need to help you through personal injury claims or file a personal injury lawsuit to seek compensation for your car crash.
Read more below about why it is so essential to hire a personal injury attorney after a car accident and get connected with a Port St. Lucie car accident lawyer for your case today.
The Importance of Legal Representation After a Port St. Lucie Car Accident
When you file an insurance claim for your serious injuries after a car crash, you are going up against a massive company with years of experience handling situations similar to yours and identifying all possible ways to limit the amount that gets paid out for car accident injuries. Your situation will be the same, no matter how pleasant your interactions with the claims adjuster may be. Remember: insurance companies stay in business by paying as little as possible for personal injury claims.
Insurance companies employ a wide range of tactics to limit payments, including using the victims’ statements against them for technicalities, requiring medical exams performed by doctors contracted by the insurance company, and leveraging the victims’ stress about the whole situation to convince them to accept a lower settlement in exchange for waiving any future legal rights relating to this car accident.
Hire an Attorney to Protect Your Options
When you have a Port St. Lucie personal injury attorney working on your behalf, you do not need to worry about making a misstatement that could come back to haunt you or having the insurance company dissect every piece of information that you provide them looking for ways to pin additional fault on you. Instead, you can focus on your recovery and your personal needs without the extra stress, knowing that there is a legal professional who is representing you through the entire process.
Reduce Your Stress
Stress is proven to be detrimental to physical wound recovery, and the legal stress involved with car accident cases can have an enormous toll on a victim. This is especially true as your medical bills and medical expenses are piling up, your income is dwindling as a result of lost wages due to your injuries, and the insurance company of the at-fault party is working hard to pay you as little as possible. This discomfort is one of the major levers that an insurance company can use in order to get the outcome they want in car accident cases. Still, your Port St. Lucie personal injury lawyer will be able to shield you from this stress and put your mind at ease as they fight to obtain maximum compensation on your behalf. Taking on the fear and distress of the “unknown” plays a significant role in this process if you attempt to do it yourself without seeking out an experienced car accident lawyer.
Maximize Your Damages
Many of the damages that an insurance company will include in their calculations are apparent and straightforward to calculate, such as your initial medical expenses, lost wages, and other simple impacts that you have already encountered. However, the damages that you deserve go far beyond these easy calculations, whether or not the insurance company wants to admit it. As a victim of someone else’s reckless or negligent behavior, you are entitled to fair compensation for the fear and trauma you have experienced, the pain and suffering of your injuries, and many more damages that the insurance company will never include in their calculations, and will push back on aggressively if you seek them out for yourself.
Make Decisions With Confidence
When you are confronted with a series of options or requests from the insurance company, and you do not have an experienced Port St. Lucie personal injury lawyer to help you understand both what you are looking at and how you can proceed, the stress of making a decision comes down entirely on you. At the same time that you are trying to heal your wounds, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by highly detailed and lengthy legal documents, complicated terms, and strangely worded questions that will feel like they are designed to negatively impact you in your Port St. Lucie personal injury case. When you have an attorney on your side, they will be able to distill these legal concepts and guide you.
Steps to Take in the Aftermath: What to Do After Your Port St. Lucie Car Accident
Time is truly of the essence in the aftermath of an auto wreck. The following steps you take can go a long way in protecting your legal rights.
Contact the Police
You might be shocked, but you must contact the police while at the scene of the accident. When officers arrive, they will conduct an assessment of the crash. They may issue a citation to the other driver for their violation of traffic laws as well. The report they create will be a valuable part of the evidence in your case.
Get Treatment for Your Injuries
Some victims skip medical care, and that’s a huge mistake. Many injuries are not outwardly visible, and not getting the treatment you need could cause them to worsen. It can also give the insurer ammunition to use against you for lowballing your settlement or denying it altogether. When you seek medical care, you’ll have established medical records on the date of the crash that fully detail the extent of your injuries and treatments.
Gather Evidence
Did you know that the insurance company could try to blame you for your injuries? This is why you should take photos and videos on the scene. Talking to witnesses is also encouraged as they can provide a statement. In the event that your injuries are severe and you have to be transported to the emergency room, injury lawyers can use their resources to gather the evidence on your behalf.
Use CarAccidentAttorney.com to Find an Attorney
Your personal injury protection can’t help you when you’ve exhausted the limits of your policy. When another driver has caused this crash out of carelessness or negligence, you will need help getting the compensation you deserve for all your financial losses incurred, as well as your pain and suffering.
If you start your claim on your own, the insurers will likely drag their feet. It’s a deliberate act to limit the time you have to file your lawsuit. The statute of limitations, or time limit, imposed for car accident cases in Florida is only two years from the date it occurred. Since the statute of limitations is ticking away, that means less time to file your lawsuit and start the legal process.
Consulting a Port St. Lucie car accident lawyer can give you a better idea of what to expect. You’ll have an advocate who will take over communications with the insurers, investigate your accident, obtain evidence, and negotiate for what is fair.
You can get a free consultation with a local attorney. Contact CarAccidentAttorney.com to find a lawyer near you for car accidents or other legal concerns, such as medical malpractice, motorcycle accidents, and slip-and-fall accidents.