Are you a resident of Stuart, Florida? Then you are probably familiar with Florida’s statute of limitations when it comes to car accidents, but you may not be aware about all your options.
Florida has certain restrictions for its residents filing a car accident lawsuit but having the right attorney can help you make decisions that will benefit your case and help you seek the compensation that you may rightfully deserve.
If you are new to Florida or still trying to understand the Florida car accident rules, here is everything you need to know.
How to Handle a Car Accident
Once you’re involved in a car accident in Stuart, Florida, there are steps you have to take to ensure everything is completed correctly.
The first thing you should do is contact the police to come to the scene and file a report. Having the police report your case can be used later on for evidence, especially if they deem the other driver at-fault.
Due to Florida’s no-fault rule that states all parties involved in a car accident are responsible for sharing the blame, you are required to seek financial help from your own insurer. Residents of Florida are required to have no-fault insurance that has a minimum of $10,000 in personal injury protection and personal liability protection.
All parties involved in the wreck will turn to their own insurer, and it’s only if your case meets certain requirements where you can file a third-party claim and file a car accident lawsuit with the help of an attorney.
Options for Filing a Lawsuit from a Car Accident
Have you or a loved one suffered a severe injury from a car accident? Do your damages result in more than $10,000? You might qualify for filing a third-party claim.
Here are the qualifications a person must have for meeting the eligibility to file a car accident lawsuit:
- Damages exceeding $10,000
- Sustaining a “serious injury”
Those serious injuries could be one or more of the following:
- Death
- Dismemberment
- Permanent damages resulting in the help of medical care
- Severe impact on the quality of life
- Reduced mobility
If you have suffered from one of these cases, your attorney can help you file a third-party claim. You will begin the process by sitting down with a lawyer to discuss your medical situation in greater detail. Your attorney will then get you started on filing a personal injury claim.
This is an additional way to seek compensation that can help cover any outstanding medical bills you may be facing or to at least help make up for the impact the accident has caused.
If you decide to file a personal injury claim, you have two years from the date of the crash to do so. It is highly recommended that you start as soon as you can to get the ball rolling so you don’t miss your strict deadline.
Seeking a Lawyer for Professional Help
Seeking the help of a Stuart Car Accident Lawyer can make positive and helpful strides in your case. Lawyers possess the necessary skills for negotiation between your insurer, the other driver, and the jury for helping you seek extra compensation.
You can start looking for an attorney as soon as you want, even before or after you speak with your insurer. If you believe you deserve more than your insurer offers, you can meet with an attorney to discuss how they can negotiate more from your policy.
When you start looking for a car accident lawyer, you should spend time looking for someone who has adequate knowledge of Florida’s statute of limitations when it comes to car accidents. It is highly advisable that you research lawyers in your area who are known for covering these types of cases. Taking the time to research several firms in the area to meet with and hear how they can best serve you will allow you to choose the right attorney to work with.
You should spend time researching firms in the area to meet with and hear how they can best help you.
Most lawyers will offer free consultations where you will be able to sit down and discuss your case in further detail with one of the attorneys. They will then tell you how they can help based upon their services and what you expect to get out of your personal injury settlement.
A lawyer will take everything off your hands once you choose one to hire. The attorney will be responsible for organizing and obtaining the evidence, speaking to the insurer and jury on your behalf, and collecting medical records to gather more information.
What Is a Personal Injury Claim?
Personal injury refers to any harm or injury a person has experienced at the negligence of someone else. Car accidents often see a lot of personal injury claims, but in Florida, there are certain regulations that allow for filing these claims.
If you have suffered from a serious injury after a car accident in Stuart, Florida, or have over $10,000 in expenses to cover, you meet the requirements to file a personal injury claim with an attorney. When you file a third-party claim on the at-fault driver, and your case makes it to court, your lawyer can estimate how much they believe you may deserve from your settlement.
The jury will be responsible for determining how much you will receive based on the economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages refer to everything that can be totaled up, such as car accident damages, medical bills, lost wages from time off work, and anything else with monetary value. Non-economic damages are the expenses of everything non-materialistic added up. Damages such as loss of life, the impact of the quality of life, PTSD, and any medical long-term suffering fit in the non-economic category.
Once your economic and non-economic expenses are all added up, they are then multiplied by any number from one to five. This is called “the multiplier.” The multiplier will be higher or lower depending on the severity of the facts surrounding your case.
Let Experienced Lawyers Help You Today
The experienced attorneys at Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers can help you seek extra compensation for your car accident. Our attorneys have 40 years of experience in the practice of handling these types of car accident cases.
When you work with a Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyer, you can trust that you are getting an expert on your side who knows what to expect out of the other side. Our 40 years in the business have taught us what to anticipate with the other side’s moves. We also know how to look at all the angles of a case and give you expert advice on what to do next.
If you’re ready to begin working with our attorneys, call Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers today at (561) 800-8000 or visit us online to fill out our free consultation form. Once we have your information, a representative from our firm will contact you to schedule a time for you to come in and speak with one of our attorneys.
If you feel like we are the right fit for your case, we will start building it to help you seek extra compensation. Don’t let any more time pass you by. Contact our firm today to get started on your personal injury case.