Remember that most of your energy will go toward physical and emotional recovery; you will hardly have time or energy to deal with the legal process. A St. Petersburg personal injury lawyer from our firm can handle your case while you focus on your family and rebuilding your life. Contact our experienced team today.
Injuries That Can Result From Accidents
Some of the most common injuries in personal injury claims include:
- Lacerations: Lacerations are cuts or wounds that may be caused by accidents like car crashes, slip-and-fall incidents. They can result in bleeding and require stitches or bandages.
- Broken Bones: Broken bones are some of the most serious injuries because they can cause permanent damage if not treated properly. The severity of broken bones depends on where it occurs, how badly it’s fractured, and whether or not the bone has been displaced (broken).
- Sprains and strains: Strains and sprains are injuries when ligaments or tendons tear. These injuries usually happen after being hit by another vehicle, falling stairs, or slipping on ice.
- Spinal cord injuries: Spinal cord injuries can lead to paralysis, loss of sensation, and even death. If you suffer from one of these injuries, you may be entitled to compensation for lost wages, pain and suffering, and medical expenses.
- Brain damage: Brain damage, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), can also result from an accident. It can cause memory problems, speech difficulties, headaches, seizures, and other symptoms.
- Paralysis: Paralyzed people cannot move their limbs or feel sensations below the neck. They may have trouble speaking and swallowing. They may need help with daily activities such as eating, dressing, bathing, and using the toilet.
- Disfigurement: Disfigurement refers to physical changes that make someone look different than they used to. For example, scars, burns, disfiguring tumors, and facial deformities are all examples of this kind of injury.
- Loss of sight: Loss of sight can be caused by many personal injury-related accidents, including medical malpractice, car or motorcycle accidents, workplace injuries, and slip-and-falls.
Potential Compensation for Accident-Related Injuries
If you’ve been involved in an accident due to someone else’s negligence, you can seek economic and non-economic damages. Here are a few damages your personal injury lawyer can include in your claim:
- Loss of consortium: A spouse or partner may be entitled to recover damages for the loss consortium, which is their love, companionship, affection, society, sexual relations, and household services.
- Pain and suffering: Pain and suffering include mental anguish, emotional distress, and other painful experiences. You may be compensated for the amount of time spent recovering from your injuries and the costs associated with treatment.
- Medical bills: Medical bills can add up quickly, especially if you’re dealing with multiple doctors and specialists. You can collect money for the cost of your treatments and medications.
- Funeral expenses: Funeral expenses can be high and unexpected, especially if your loved one dies due to their injuries.
- Property damage: Property damage can occur when someone causes property damage during an accident. Examples include broken windows, damaged vehicles, and destroyed furniture.
- Reduced earning capacity: Reduced earning capacity is a type of non-economic damage that compensates you for the financial losses you suffered because of your injuries. This could include missed days at work, reduced income, and decreased ability to earn money in the future.
- Medical charges: Medical bills can be expensive, but it doesn’t always mean you’ll receive compensation. You might not be eligible for medical payments coverage if you were injured in an auto accident. However, you may still be able to collect money from the driver’s insurance company for your medical bills.
- Disabilities or permanent injuries: Disabilities or permanent injuries can have long-term effects on your life. These types of injuries can cause pain and discomfort and even require surgery.
- Wrongful death: Wrongful death happens when someone dies directly from another person’s negligence. The victim’s family may be able to sue for damages to compensate them for their losses.
- Punitive damages: Punitive damages are awarded against a defendant who acts maliciously or intentionally harms others. This award is meant to punish the defendant and deter them from doing something similar again.
What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do?
A lawyer from our personal injury law firm can handle your case from start to finish while you rest and recover. Our personal injury attorneys will take care of all aspects of your case, including:
Collect Evidence
Once hired as your lawyer, our legal team will collect relevant evidence for your case. We will obtain police reports, review eyewitness statements, watch the surveillance video, gather cell phone records, review medical reports, and visit the accident or injury scene.
Negotiate with Insurance Companies
Insurance companies have numerous lawyers who will try and offer you a settlement as soon as the accident happens. Many insurance companies will try to dupe you in the fine print with a settlement of less than what you deserve.
A personal injury lawyer knows companies’ tactics to trick you out of a larger settlement. Knowing what insurance companies will try and do, your lawyer can negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf.
Collaborate with Experts
At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, we have access to professionals in different fields, such as medical practitioners and vehicle mechanics, who will help us substantiate the injuries and damages you have endured. This way, we will know exactly how much to ask for in settlements.
Represent You During Trial
We will take the case to trial if you cannot get the settlement you deserve. We will represent your case and work to convince the judge/jury that your case deserves compensation from the guilty party.
How Long Do Personal Injury Cases Take to Resolve?
All personal injury cases are different, so the length of resolutions differs too. For instance, it may take longer to solve the case if you suffered injuries requiring extensive care, such as rehabilitation.
Cases that go to trial will also take longer to resolve. Our legal team can work on time to help streamline your case.
Our Firm Is Paid Through Contingency Fees
At our law firm, we work on a contingency basis. We will only bill you if we settle or win the case at trial. You don’t need to worry about hourly rates or upfront fees.
What If the At-Fault Party Does Not Have Insurance?
If you were driving and then got hit by another motorist with no insurance, you might be able to file a claim with your insurer. Our lawyers can review your insurance policy to determine your options.
On the other hand, if an unmarked roadway was part of causing the accident, the municipality is responsible for compensating you.
Statute of Limitations
The statute of limitations sets the time to file your compensation claim or lawsuit against whoever was responsible for your accident. According to Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a), you generally have to file for four years from the accident date. If you file a claim after the statute of limitations has expired, the court may dismiss your case.
What to Do Following a Personal Injury Accident
After a personal injury accident, there are several steps you should take:
- Seek medical attention: The most important thing you should do following an accident in St. Petersburg, FL, is seeking prompt medical attention. You never know what you might suffer; therefore, you must receive proper treatment immediately.
- Call your insurance provider to report the accident: Make sure you tell them everything that happened. They will want to document all information regarding the incident.
- File a police report: It’s best to file a police report immediately. Your insurance company will likely request one. Filing a police report also ensures that all parties involved are held accountable.
- Get copies of any relevant documents: Keep copies of any records that could prove useful in your case. These include photographs, witness statements, and police reports.
- Notify your employer and provide proof of the accident: Provide your employer with documentation of the accident. This includes photos of the scene and any witnesses’ contact info.
- Contact a lawyer: Contact an experienced injury lawyer near you as quickly as possible. This way, they can begin protecting your legal rights and helping you maximize financial compensation for your injuries. They can also help you decide what steps you should take next.
- Negotiate a settlement or file a lawsuit: Several complex legal steps are involved in pursuing a successful personal injury lawsuit. Your attorney will work closely with you throughout the process to protect your interests. They will help you gather evidence, including:
- Photos
- Videos
- Witness statements
- Police reports
Your Personal Injury Lawyer Will Handle Insurance Companies
Your attorney will aggressively pursue your claims while simultaneously negotiating a settlement offer from the insurance company. You should note that insurance carriers have assembled their resources and will actively try to limit your recovery.
They want to pay out as little as possible and avoid paying out even more. Because of this, they will try to settle your case early on. However, they will fight your case vigorously if they cannot reach a satisfactory agreement with you or your lawyer.
If you hire an experienced personal injury lawyer, they can settle negotiations or a lawsuit effectively. Your attorney will negotiate a fair settlement offer based on the facts of your case. If the offer is rejected, your attorney will proceed to trial.
At trial, your attorney will present your case to a jury. If the jury favors your claim, they will award you damages, including monetary compensation, pain and suffering, lost wages, and other losses resulting from your accident.
You should keep going even if you’ve been injured because you face tough odds. Instead, fight back. Contact an experienced Tampa Bay-area personal injury attorney today to learn how we can help.
Why Should I Choose the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine?
If you’re in the market for a personal injury lawyer, getting overwhelmed with all the options available is easy. Our firm prides itself on offering one on one responsive legal care.
At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, we make sure you feel as comfortable as possible by giving you access to a personal injury lawyer to answer any questions you may have.
We also provide frequent case updates, allowing you to recuperate as we care for everything else. Contact us today by calling the number listed on this page or completing our online form.
We Can Help.
