Thousands of car accidents occur all over Florida annually. So, learn why you should hire a Florida car accident lawyer if you get into a collision.
Florida records several car accidents annually. For example, in 2019, there were 2,950 fatal crashes. These collisions then led to 3,183 deaths. According to another report, the Broward county office recorded about 34,050 crashes in 2020. So, automobile crashes are a big problem in Florida.
Notably, Florida doesn’t identify with the at-fault states. We mean that it doesn’t have at-fault insurance laws. However, injury victims can still sue the at-fault driver for their accident injuries or property damage. Sadly, you can see an injured person who doesn’t want to hire an experienced lawyer for their auto accident lawsuit.
Several factors inform this hesitation. For example, some people just don’t like lawyers. Conversely, after a minor car accident, an injured person may think hiring an attorney is unnecessary. Speaking with a Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer is an excellent decision, though. This is because they can increase your chances of getting fair compensation.
If you’ve been in a Florida car accident, you must have suffered economic and non-economic damages. These would include medical expenses and other bills. Fortunately, you can recover your actual damages and more. These would include:
We have already established that motor vehicle accident victims avoid lawyers for various reasons. Therefore, we explain below why you should hire a Florida car accident lawyer.
Claim evaluation may be the most important part of Florida car accident cases. Suppose you win a lawsuit without knowing the actual value of your claim. Then, you wouldn’t get the rightful compensation. Fortunately, an experienced car accident lawyer can properly evaluate your case. Attorneys have several methods of determining the losses from a crash. So, it’ll be best to exploit this expertise.
Fault isn’t always clear in a Florida crash. However, liability is crucial if you want to file a car accident lawsuit. Therefore, it’s best to hire an attorney to identify the liable party. Without a lawyer, an aggressive insurance adjuster can wrongly blame you for the crash. If this happens, you may sustain additional losses. Of course, this will happen if you have to compensate the other driver.
Finally, paying a lawyer gives you access to legal counsel. Like a medical professional for health challenges, an attorney knows the best step in every circumstance. So, they can advise you on the best options for your case. A typical example is helping you choose between accident settlements and filing a lawsuit. A skilled attorney can identify the smartest move considering the circumstances of the case.
After a minor car crash, survivors often think they don’t need car accident lawyers. They usually feel they don’t need financial compensation. If a person sustained only minor injuries, pursuing accident settlements may be needless. However, talking to minor car accident lawyers is still a good idea.
Below are some of the reasons why you might want to consider hiring an attorney after a minor accident.
Minor bumps, like a fender bender, often cause minor injuries. Furthermore, they’re usually obvious injuries. However, seemingly moderate injuries may become severe injuries later. That’s why it’ll be best to seek medical attention still. If you see a doctor, you’ll need to recover your medical costs. So, you’ll need an attorney to sue the party at fault.
Auto insurance companies often increase insurance policies because of accidents. The minor damage to your vehicle can make you pay higher premiums. Usually, this will be where responsibility for the crash isn’t resolved. Therefore, it’ll be best to hire minor car accident lawyers. An attorney can prove liability for the crash. Consequently, the insurance company wouldn’t have an excuse to increase your premiums.
Not all car accident victims shy away from legal representation because they don’t like lawyers. Instead, an injured party may not have money to proceed against the fault party. Fortunately, most personal injury law firms have a solution to this issue. For example, an injured person can hire personal injury lawyers on a contingency fee basis.
A contingency fee arrangement means that auto accident victims only pay their legal counsel when they win the case. Therefore, suppose the accident claim fails. Then, the car crash attorney gets nothing. Notably, both parties agree on the cost of legal representation before the case starts. Auto accident victims still foot the administrative costs of the suit, though.
These would include filing fees and other court dues. So, after winning the case, the lawyer only takes the agreed sum. Winning could be through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. A contingency fee agreement has several advantages. For example, it motivates the auto accident attorney to win the case.
Furthermore, working on a contingency basis means that the personal injury lawyers’ fees depend on the size of your accident compensation. So, an experienced attorney will get you a fair settlement. This is because a larger settlement increases their professional fees. This is why an experienced car accident attorney will not accept a contingency fee arrangement except there’s a high success rate.
Contingency fee agreements aren’t the only option for costly but legitimate injury claims. Instead, you can still get aggressive representation pro bono. This means that the accident injury attorney works for free. So, the lawyer gets nothing whether they win the personal injury claim or not.
Hiring a Florida auto accident attorney is good. Engaging this lawyer early is better. However, it’s best to ensure that you pick the right lawyer for your case. But, suppose it’s your first crash. Then, you may not know what to look out for in a lawyer. Fortunately, the tips below can help you.
Florida lawyers have a responsibility to communicate with their clients properly. This will involve giving them regular updates about their case. In addition, lawyers must advise clients on the best options for their claims. Unfortunately, many car accident lawyers disregard this responsibility. As a result, they can keep their clients in the dark concerning vital news. Therefore, it’ll be best to avoid such lawyers.
Many car accident attorneys don’t have any litigation experience. So, they only speak to potential clients about insurance settlements. The lawyer is scared that they won’t win if they go to trial. Similarly, such an attorney may just want to move on to the next client. Whatever the case, it’ll be best to avoid a quick settlement. Get a lawyer that isn’t afraid of suing an insurance company or the party at fault. This way, you can ensure you get the maximum compensation for your claim.
Knowing that you need a car accident lawyer is one thing. However, knowing when to hire one is another issue. Notably, there aren’t any statutory timeframes for getting an attorney. You should, instead, consider some factors before making a decision.
Firstly, it’s a good idea to speak to an attorney immediately after the crash. However, you may need to get medical attention before calling a lawyer. The accident scene may have pieces of evidence that can help your case. So, if you talk to an attorney early, they can secure such evidence. The longer you wait, the greater your chances of losing crucial evidence.
Furthermore, suppose you want to file an insurance claim. Then, you have to hire an attorney early. The insurance company may attach time limitations to insurance claims. You may also lose your rights under an insurance policy for getting medical care late.
For example, you can only claim Personal Injury Protection insurance coverage if you get treatment within 14 days. A Florida car accident lawyer will know these crucial dates. So, they can help you protect your claim.
The statute of limitations is another critical factor. This statute dictates how long you must file a claim for money damages. In Florida, you have only four years to file this lawsuit. The law applies to all parts of Florida, including Northeast Florida, South Florida, and Pompano Beach.
Therefore, suppose you approach the court late. Then, the defendant driver will inform the court of this default. Consequently, the court will have to strike out your claim. Any good car accident lawyer will be well acquainted with the statute of limitations. So, they can ensure you respect this law and protect your lawsuit. Finally, indeed four years is ample time for your case. It’ll be best to start the legal claim earlier.
Many car accident victims worry about this issue. They want to know how much they must pay their lawyer. However, there isn’t any particular figure for all Florida car crash claims. Instead, an auto accident lawyer bills on a case-by-case basis.
We already explained that you only pay a successful attorney under contingency fee arrangements. Notably, though, the attorney’s fees are fixed at the negotiation stage. In addition, most lawyers in South Florida and other places use a percentage system. This ranges from 30-40% of your settlement or judgment sum.
In addition, your lawyer’s fees usually depend on different factors. One crucial factor is the time of settlement. The earlier your lawyer resolves the accident claim, the lower they get. Conversely, the longer the case drags, the higher their fees. The rationale for this principle is clear too.
If the time of settlement is long, the auto accident lawyer invests more resources. These would include their time and money. So, you’ll have more to pay from your financial compensation. The complexity of the case is another vital element. A straightforward case wouldn’t require much time and human resources. However, a challenging claim will take more resources. So, you’ll pay more.
Have you been in a Florida car accident? If you have, then you can file an auto accident claim to get your medical expenses and other bills from the at-fault driver. You should consider reaching out to an excellent Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer.
Reach out to a skilled car accident injury attorney from VG Law Group. With our combined experience, we have won millions of dollars for our clients. We strive to get our clients the maximum compensation they are entitled to. In addition, our law firm offers a free, no-obligation consultation. At this stage, we’ll analyze your case to see if we are able to assist. Call us today for that initial consultation.
