Dangerous road conditions in Tampa cause thousands of traffic accidents each year. These accidents can result in significant injuries or damage to your vehicle. When you get injured due to someone else’s negligence, you have the legal right to hold them accountable.
A Tampa dangerous road conditions accident injury lawyer can help you recover compensation for your losses. Our personal injury team can stand by your side throughout your case to help you get the compensation you deserve. You can call us today for a free consultation.
Types of Dangerous Road Conditions
Various types of dangerous road conditions could cause an accident. Knowing what caused the accident is important so you can determine liability. According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), common dangerous road conditions are:
- Roadway obstructions
- Road debris
- Missing traffic control, like a missing stop sign or stop light
- Inoperable traffic controls
- Poor lighting conditions
- Adverse weather conditions
If dangerous road conditions cause your accident in Tampa, our attorneys can help. We can help you prove the cause of the accident and determine the liable party.
Common Injuries in Dangerous Road Conditions Accidents
You may be entitled to financial compensation if you or a loved one have been involved in an accident stemming from dangerous road conditions. It’s helpful to be aware of the most common injuries in these types of accidents you can recover damages for, which include:
- Spinal cord injuries: Spinal cord injuries can be devastating and life-altering. They can cause paralysis, loss of sensation, and even death.
- Traumatic brain injury: Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a serious and potentially life-threatening type of injury that can occur when the head is subjected to a sudden, violent force. TBIs can range from mild concussions to severe, debilitating ones requiring long-term medical care.
- Broken bones: Driving on hazardous roads can result in broken bones. If a broken bone doesn’t heal properly, it could affect your ability to do everyday functions.
- Soft tissue injuries: Soft tissue injuries include sprains, strains, and contusions. These injuries may not be immediately apparent after an accident but can cause long-term pain and disability.
- Whiplash: When the head and neck are violently pulled forward or backward, it frequently results in whiplash. The neck’s range of motion may be restricted, and it may also cause discomfort and stiffness.
Our team of lawyers can help you recover damages for your injuries. The first thing you should do after you’re injured is to get medical attention so a doctor can diagnose your injuries. Your doctor may discover additional injuries that don’t show symptoms immediately but can be fatal, like traumatic brain injuries.
After you’ve received a diagnosis, you can use your medical records as evidence to prove your damages to the insurance adjuster.
You Have a Limited Time To File an Injury Lawsuit in Florida
To recover compensation after an accident caused by dangerous road conditions in Tampa, you must file a personal injury claim before the statute of limitations runs out. Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a) states that injured victims generally have four years from the accident date to file a lawsuit against the liable party.
It is essential to contact an attorney soon after the accident to ensure they have enough time to develop a solid case. Before filing a lawsuit, our attorneys can attempt to settle your case outside of court. Steps we can take before a lawsuit include:
- Investigating your case: We can investigate the accident to determine what caused it. Our team can determine liability through our investigation.
- Calculating your damages: We can review all documentation and proof of the injuries you sustained. Our attorneys can then add up the value of your damages, so we know how much compensation to fight for during negotiations.
- Negotiating a fair settlement: We can negotiate with the opposing party and their insurance company to reach a fair settlement agreement.
A lawsuit is only necessary if we cannot settle. Reaching out to a Tampa dangerous road condition accident and injury lawyer soon after your accident can give us ample time to build a strong case.
Responsible Parties in Dangerous Road Conditions Crashes
Even though road conditions are to blame, people are responsible for maintaining them. You can file an accident claim against the following parties:
The Agency Responsible for Maintaining the Road
Local county, city, and federal government agencies are responsible for maintaining a majority of the roads in Florida. So if you get injured due to dangerous conditions, you could file an insurance claim against the agency.
The legal process against a federal or local agency may take longer because of the extra steps you have to take, but our team will try our best to complete the process promptly.
A Landowner of a Private Road
When a person owns a private road, they have a duty of care to ensure it’s in good condition, so other drivers don’t get into accidents. If your accident occurred on someone’s private road due to poor road conditions and you sustained injuries, we can help you hold them accountable.
For example, the road owner could be liable if a landowner’s road is missing a stop sign and you were hit by a driver engaging in reckless driving. They would be liable for your injuries because the other driver wouldn’t have been speeding without a stop sign.
Manufacturer of Road Structures
Another party you could seek compensation from for your injuries is the company that built the road structures if they failed to keep you safe. For example, if there was an already unstable guardrail a company built and you hit it and sustained injuries, you can file a claim with the manufacturer’s insurance company.
Our team of experienced attorneys can identify the liable parties and help you file an insurance claim with their insurance company.
Valuable Evidence in a Dangerous Road Conditions Collision
You’ll need a strong case with strong evidence to have the highest chance of recovering the maximum compensation. Our lawyers can help you collect and present valuable pieces of evidence such as:
- Police report: A police report is an important document used to document the details of a car accident. The police officer who responded to the accident scene will and can provide valuable information about what happened, who was involved, and any injuries or property damage.
- Medical records: In a Tampa motor vehicle accident case, we can use medical records to show the extent of the injuries you suffered. Medical records can also provide evidence of any pre-existing conditions that may have been aggravated or exacerbated by the accident.
- Photos and videos: Photos and videos can be invaluable evidence for proving a case of dangerous road conditions causing an accident and injury. Photos and videos can help establish the condition of the road at the time of the accident, as well as any other factors like driver error that may have contributed to the incident.
- Contact information of the other driver: If you have been involved in an accident caused by dangerous road conditions, it is important to get the other driver’s contact information. This includes their name, address, phone number, and insurance information. This information can be beneficial if you file a claim or pursue a lawsuit.
- Missed work records: If you have been injured in an accident due to a dangerous road condition, keeping accurate records of any missed work is important. This includes the dates and times you could not work and any wages or benefits lost due to your injury.
Our dangerous road conditions accident lawyer can help you gather evidence to strengthen your case and present it to the insurance company or even a judge if we have to take it to court.
Damages You Can Recover After a Dangerous Road Conditions Accident in Tampa
You could recover your losses after getting into an accident because of the dangerous roads in the Tampa area. Damages are the money someone pays for causing someone else’s injuries. Examples of damages you could recover include:
- Medical Expenses: The costs for any medical treatments you received. Medical treatments could include emergency room care, hospital stays, doctor’s visits, diagnostic tests, surgeries, or medications.
- Future medical bills: If medical professionals believe your injuries could require ongoing medical care, you could recover compensation for future medical bills. Our Tampa personal injury attorneys can help to calculate the projected value of your future medical bills.
- Lost income: If your injuries are severe enough to make you miss work, you could recover your lost income. This could also include future income if you cannot return to work for a long time or at all. If you cannot return to work, you could also include the loss of medical or retirement benefits in your claim.
- Property damage: You could recover compensation to repair or replace your vehicle. You could also seek compensation for the diminished value of your vehicle because it was involved in an accident.
- Pain and suffering: If you experience physical pain, anguish, inconvenience, or discomfort, you could recover damages for pain and suffering. This subjective loss isn’t associated with an exact monetary value, also known as non-economic damages. Our attorneys can help you calculate the value of your pain and suffering damages.
- Punitivedamages: You can recover punitive damages when a defendant engages in intentional misconduct and injures you. The damage doesn’t qualify as economic or non-economic, but you can still receive compensation. A judge will award you this damage if our lawyers prove the defendant intended to hurt you.
- Loss of quality of life: After you’re injured in a car crash, you may not be able to do the activities you love. Being restricted from your favorite activities could lead to mental health issues like depression and overall dissatisfaction with your life. We can help you recover compensation for these feelings.
Once we review your damages, we can estimate what your case is worth. We can use this value when negotiating with the opposing party.
Wrongful Death Damages We Can Help You Recover
If a loved one got into a car crash and their injuries resulted in death, our team of auto accident attorneys sends our deepest condolences. We know no amount of money will console your grief but having money to pay off any debts your loved one has can relieve you of some stress.
To recover damages, you must file a wrongful death claim within two years of your loved one’s death. The damages we can help you recover include the following:
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Loss of companionship
- Unpaid medical bills
- Loss of inheritance
One of our wrongful death attorneys can review your case and determine what damages you qualify for if you have a case. We’re ready to help you recover the losses you’ve suffered.
How We Determine a Dangerous Condition Car Crash Settlement
We understand you’re eager to get compensation and want to know how much money will be in your settlement. However, the factors determining a case’s value are different for every client, so there’s no average amount we can tell you. Some of the factors that affect your settlement include:
Degree of Negligence
If driver negligence led to your injuries, you might be eligible for punitive damages as an additional award. Since you’re increasing the damages you receive, your settlement will be higher.
Punitive damages can add up to be up to four times the amount of the compensatory damages you’ve received, Investopedia states. If you’re eligible for punitive damages, we can examine your situation and see how it will impact your settlement.
Injury Severity
Another factor affecting how much you receive in a settlement is the extent of your injuries. The general rule is that the more medical treatment you need, your settlement will be higher. We say this because your settlement amount should be high enough to cover all the expenses you have from your injuries.
Some injuries you could have sustained are worth more than others. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and paralysis usually result in a higher settlement than other minor injuries.
Number of Negligent Parties
The number of people or entities contributing to your crash and injuries can also increase your settlement. If multiple people are liable, we can help you file a personal injury claim against all of them.
Then, you’ll be able to recover damages from all of them. Sharing fault in the accident can also affect your settlement, but you won’t be completely barred from collecting compensation. You’ll lose a percentage of your settlement based on the fault you shared in the crash.
Negotiations With the Insurance Company
The last factor affecting your dangerous road conditions accident settlement is how well your lawyer negotiates with the insurance adjuster. Our lawyers know how to identify insurance adjusters’ tactics and shut them down.
When our lawyers communicate your settlement expectations and dodge the insurance company’s tactics, you have a high chance of recovering a sufficient settlement. If you were to approach the insurance company without one of our lawyers, you might get tricked into accepting a lower settlement.
Our Tampa Attorneys Can Fight for You
You might not know who to turn to in an accident. You might not even realize you can file a claim against the entity that failed to maintain the roads. The Tampa car accident lawyers at our firm can help you hold them accountable so you don’t have to suffer financially because of their negligence.
When you choose our Tampa law office, you can expect us to be dedicated to your case. Some perks of working with our law firm are:
- You’ll receive your attorney’s cell phone number: Our attorneys are responsive communicators and always want our clients to get in touch with us quickly when they need something. We can respond promptly if you have a question or want a status update.
- Our team can handle communications on yourbehalf: After sustaining an injury, you won’t have to deal with talking to insurance companies trying to underpay you the value of your case. We can manage those communications. Our team can also schedule to get your vehicle fixed.
- A free case evaluation: You can contact our team at no cost if you have questions after getting in an accident due to dangerous road conditions. We can answer your questions and provide legal guidance. After the consultation, you can decide if you want to move forward with our firm.
Our team also works on a contingency fee basis; a contingency fee means you only pay us if we resolve your case. We want our clients to hold the liable party accountable without worrying about how much it could cost. You don’t have to pay us if you don’t recover compensation.
Contact Us Today for a Free Consultation After a Dangerous Road Condition Accident
Contact the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today to learn more about your legal rights. You can speak to our team at no cost. We can explain your legal actions and how our Tampa dangerous road condition accident and injury lawyer can help your case.
Our team is available 24/7 to speak to you about your case. Don’t allow the negligence of someone else to cost you financially. Instead, let our personal injury lawyers help you take control of your life.