When someone else’s negligence causes car accident injuries, you are entitled to seek damages for your medical expenses and personal property. Unfortunately, insurance companies typically offer far less than your claim is worth. A Gainesville car accident lawyer can help.
After a devastating motor vehicle accident, Anidjar & Levine wants you to focus on getting better and not have to think about the details of your claim. That is why we always go the extra mile to serve you. Our Gainesville personal injury lawyers are committed to getting justice for car crash victims, and we offer free case evaluations.
Call today to find out what an accessible, compassionate legal representative can do for you.
How You Benefit From Hiring A Lawyer After A Gainesville Car Accident
You might think that the at-fault driver’s insurance company will properly manage your claim if you were injured in a car accident. While the at-fault party’s auto insurance is supposed to cover serious accident victims, the insurance company may try to get out of paying.
Car insurance providers frequently refuse to give victims the money they require to fully cover the expense of their injuries. When this happens, let our team fight to get your accident-related damages paid. Your Gainesville car accident lawyer can assist with the following:
We Will Negotiate With Car Accident Insurers On Your Behalf
Car accidents often entail complex insurance negotiations. You should approach the liable party’s insurer with caution. Their insurer won’t have your best interests in mind; they want you to settle for the lowest value possible.
They could reduce your accident claim if you say the wrong word or phrase. They may also try to use a recorded statement against you. One of the goals of an insurance adjuster is to get you talking, so we advise you to contact a personal injury attorney before speaking with anyone from the insurance company.
We Keep The Insurance Company From Taking Advantage Of You
Our Gainesville lawyers can manage communication with the liable party’s insurer. With our help, you won’t need to waste your time agonizing over the negotiation process. We can also determine what kinds of damages you are eligible for, which can protect you from unfair settlement offers. We can:
- Advise you on what you should or shouldn’t say to insurers
- Help you respond to insurance company letters
- Use evidence to show the value of your losses
- Help you avoid costly insurance negotiation mistakes
- Push for a fair insurance settlement
Our auto accident attorneys are familiar with the tactics insurance companies use to protect their bottom line. We work tirelessly to get you the compensation you need to recover and move forward.
We Can Gather Evidence Of Your Car Accident
Insurance negotiations and lawsuits both hinge on evidence: you can’t demonstrate that another negligent party was responsible for your injuries without it. The process of gathering evidence is painstaking and time-consuming. Our personal injury attorneys typically investigate and examine the following pieces of evidence for clients:
- Accident or police reports
- Medical bills and other expenses
- Medical records that demonstrate the extent of your injuries
- Footage or images of the car accident
- Eyewitness testimonies
- Expert interviews and statements
Evidence can make or break your case. We can use it to assign liability and pursue compensation.
Our Car Accident Lawyers Are Easily Accessible
Our law firm understands the financial stress that accident victims are often under, so we won’t leave you in the dark about new developments in your case.
We prioritize responsiveness and accessibility in the following ways:
- We offer you the phone number of the lawyer assigned to your case.
- We’ll provide you with consistent case updates.
- We’ll promptly answer all your legal questions.
- You can communicate via text, phone calls, or email.
- We can come to see you at home or in the hospital.
We Handle Car Injury Cases On A Contingency-Fee Basis
Our personal injury lawyers are paid on a contingency basis, which means we won’t get paid unless you do. Instead, you and your attorney agree on what percentage of the final recovery your attorney will keep.
Working with a lawyer on a contingency-fee basis benefits you in multiple ways. First, there are no upfront costs for you. Second, you owe the attorney nothing if your lawsuit is unsuccessful.
Recovering Damages For A Gainesville Car Accident
After suffering a car accident in Florida, you may be eligible to receive financial compensation for a variety of expenses related to the medical care you need to recover from your injuries, including bills for:
- Emergency medical care
- A hospital stay
- Rehabilitation
- Long-term care
- Doctor visits
- Physical therapy
- Prescription medications
- Mobility aids
These are not the only economic damages to which you may be entitled. If you lost wages during your recovery, are unable to return to work, or need to repair your car, our Gainesville lawyers can pursue those damages as well.
Every case is different, and our legal team can help you identify opportunities to claim the financial compensation you qualify for. We can even help you get your car fixed.
Compensation For Non-Economic Losses After A Car Crash
As part of the settlement in your personal injury case, you may be entitled to receive compensation for a variety of items beyond your financial expenses, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent injuries, such as paralysis or disfigurement
- Mental trauma, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and insomnia
- Reduction in quality of life
Ready to learn more about what you could recover and how to take back control of your life? Call us today.
How Your Car Crash Injuries Affect Your Compensation
Many factors determine how much money you might receive after a car accident. These include:
The Type And Severity Of Your Car Accident Injuries
There are several different types of injuries that we commonly see, including:
- Head trauma
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Soft tissue injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Burns
- Paralysis
Each of these conditions has its own unique set of symptoms and complications. Some people suffer from long-term effects, such as chronic pain, while others experience immediate problems, such as loss of consciousness and shortness of breath. Your symptoms and their affect on your life will impact your settlement.
Care Required To Treat Your Accident Injuries
The more expensive your required treatments, the more you could potentially recover in compensation. For example, someone with a permanent injury will typically receive more than someone who fully recovers within a few months.
We can talk to your doctors and our in-house medical experts to determine what damages you should pursue.
What To Do Immediately After A Car Accident
The moments immediately following a car crash are often chaotic and confusing. However, what you do in those minutes can make or break your case. Here are some tips to keep in mind during the immediate aftermath of an auto accident:
- First and foremost, check on your and any passenger’s safety and well-being.
- If possible, call 911 to report the incident. This way, emergency responders can arrive quickly. You can also contact the Gainesville Police Department directly to report the accident.
- Take pictures of the cars involved in the collision and the damages they sustained. These could prove useful later on.
- Contact a personal injury lawyer about filing a claim or lawsuit.
Reporting Your Car Accident To The Police
The law requires anyone involved in an accident that caused damages of $500 or more and/or personal injuries to notify the local police department immediately. You should also report hit-and-run incidents, DUI crashes, and fatal accidents.
When speaking to the police, be honest about what you remember and what you do not. However, do not offer more information than they ask for: keep your answers short and to the point until you get a chance to consult with a car injury lawyer.
No-Fault Insurance Protection In Gainesville
Per Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), all drivers in the state are required to carry and have proof of two types of insurance:
- Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
- Property Damage Liability (PDL)
PIP Coverage For Car Crashes
Personal injury protection covers up to 80 percent of medical expenses for a covered injury. The minimum required amount of protection is $10,000, though you can purchase more if you want to. It does not matter who causes the crash; your PIP will cover the expenses.
PDL Coverage For Car Crashes
Property damage liability coverage handles the costs of damage to another person’s property. Regardless of who had permission to drive your vehicle, your PDL covers the damage.
Car Accident Damages Over $10,000
If your damages exceed $10,000 (or whatever your policy limits are, if you buy more than the minimum required amount), you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the other driver or their insurance company to recover additional compensation for your losses.
A Gainesville car accident lawyer can walk you through your rights and the relevant insurance coverages and policies. Count on our personal injury law firm to help you receive fair treatment from insurance companies.
Assigning Liability For A Gainesville Motor Vehicle Accident
The law requires people who cause harm to others to compensate them for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you are trying to recover damages for your injuries, it is important to understand how courts determine responsibility for causing accidents.
Personal injury cases, which include car accidents, use a four-step process to assign liability. With the necessary evidence in hand, a personal injury lawyer from Anidjar & Levine can work to show that:
- The other driver owed you a duty of care. They were responsible for keeping you safe from harm.
- They breached this duty of care by behaving negligently. This can involve speeding, driving drunk, or otherwise ignoring roadway laws.
- This breach of duty caused your accident.
- You suffered verifiable injuries because of your accident.
Car Accident Cases Have A Deadline In Florida
Please remember that you don’t have unlimited time to file a lawsuit after a car accident. The statute of limitations for car accidents in our state is generally two years, per Florida Statutes § 95.11. If your case involves the passing of a loved one, the same deadline applies, but it starts counting down from the day your loved one passed away, not from the day of the accident.
We urge you to begin the insurance claim or lawsuit process as early as possible. If you miss your deadline, you’ll have one less way to pursue compensation.
The Florida statute of limitations is just one of the reasons to get started on your claim promptly:
- Building a car accident case is time-consuming; the sooner you start, the better.
- Building a case is easier right after the accident when the evidence is fresh and witnesses still remember what they saw.
- We want you to have a head start on the settlement negotiation process so you can get paid sooner.
As one former car accident client put it, Anidjar & Levine is “very professional” and works to make clients feel “that everything [is] going to be fine.” We know how to handle cases like yours with care and determination.
Let Our Gainesville Car Accident Attorney Defend Your Rights
If you or a loved one was injured in a car accident in or around Gainesville, our firm could help you seek compensation for your losses. You do not have to battle with the insurance companies alone. Our Gainesville car accident lawyers are here to help.
Call Anidjar & Levine today for a free consultation to discuss the facts of your case. Remember, we work on a contingency-fee basis, so we will not be paid until we secure a settlement or judgment for you.