Boca Raton Car Accident Lawyers
Every car crash, no matter how minor or severe, can have life-altering effects on the people involved and their family members. It is imperative to contact an auto accident attorney who is empathetic to your situation and has the courtroom experience necessary to force the insurance companies to pay you the money you deserve.
Further, it is essential that the lawyer handling your personal injury or car accident claim has significant litigation experience to hold an insurance company accountable in court, should they fail to act in a reasonable manner.
My vast experience in litigation and actual trial work was honed during my years as a public defender in Palm Beach County, where I rose to become a Felony Trial Division Chief. Immediately before founding my own law firm, I spent years at one of Florida’s most prestigious personal injury law firms, handling various injury cases, including catastrophic injury claims working hand-in-hand with leading medical and scientific experts in developing cases.
At the Law Office of Arye P. Corbett, P.A., we will be in constant communication with you and will handle every step of the process so that you can focus on the things that matter: your health and your family.
What makes my firm different than many others is our ability to provide personal attention. A common criticism of the big firms who advertise on TV and radio is their inability to provide personal attention. Additionally, many of these heavy advertisers handle so much volume that individual cases do not receive the attention they deserve.
At The Law Office of Arye P. Corbett, P.A., it is our mission to keep our clients as informed as possible. In that spirit, we have put together a valuable resource on car accident personal injury claims below. This article will help you to answer some the most common questions associated with car accident claims and will help you to make informed decisions moving forward.
Every client receives my personal cell phone number.
Can I hire Any Lawyer for my case?
Finding a Boca Raton attorney who can best handle your car accident case may seem like a daunting task, but thanks to modern conveniences, it can be a much more clear-cut process than in the past.
Many attorneys practice in as many different law areas as possible in order to widen their net and maximize their potential for profits. The problem with this is that it can be difficult to stay up to date on all the disciplines that they cover.
Rather than focusing on one or two areas, they often become adequate at a lot of different things, but not great at any one thing. So when it comes time to hire a Florida car accident attorney, give thought to the number of areas they practice and whether or not they are experienced specifically in auto accident personal injury law.
You should also consider whether they have the resources and connections to take your case all the way to and through a trial if necessary. Not all attorneys have the means to hire the necessary investigators, experts, and staff to properly try a case.
Now that you know to hire an experienced car accident attorney, how to do you determine if they are any good?
How do I find a Good Accident Attorney?
There are a few things you can do to determine if a car accident attorney is good at their job and if they will be a good fit for you.
Instead of just responding to a catchy radio ad, do your research to investigate different attorneys in your area. Review their ratings on the Florida Bar Website, Google, and other law sites like AVVO. Likewise, investigate the main attorney(s) at the practice. Where did they work before, what is their experience, and how do they seem to conduct themselves and their business?
If the firm seems too big to meet face-to-face with their clients, they probably are. You will likely be just another case number to them. If the attorney is brand new, they probably don't have the connections and resources necessary to try your case properly. You’ll want to find an attorney somewhere in the middle.
The internet has opened up a world of information to us. Use that information to do your homework before you pick a car accident attorney to handle your claim. The difference between a great outcome and a mediocre or poor one can be tremendous. Car accidents are difficult, stressful, and chaotic; picking a good attorney can mitigate a lot of this worry.
Who will pay my medical bills After a car Accident?
When you are injured in a car accident, you should seek medical attention right away. Your life is more important than any of the other million things going on in the chaos following a car crash.
But once you are seen by the hospital or another local healthcare provider, it will inevitably cross your mind that medical care isn't free. There will likely be bills from the ambulance service, the ER, the hospital, and the radiology department. Then you will have follow-up visits, tests, and medicines to pay for. If your injury is serious enough, you will also likely have physical therapy, chiropractic care, and possibly in-home medical care. It’s a lot to think about, much less deal with.
So how are you going to pay your medical bills after an accident?
Florida requires that all drivers carry a type of insurance known as Personal Injury Protection (PIP). You may know it as ‘no-fault’ insurance. PIP will cover the first part of your medical bills and lost wages. This coverage applies regardless of fault, thus its nickname.
You can view Florida law pertaining to PIP here.
You cannot rely completely on PIP, however, since it is limited. Florida’s PIP coverage only covers up to $10,000 in medical bills for Emergency Medical Conditions (EMC) and $2,500 for non-EMCs. It also covers up to $10,000 for lost wages and up to $5,000 for death benefits.
After PIP benefits are exhausted, it is up to the at-fault party to pay the remainder of the injured victim’s medical bills and damages. This is most often done through insurance companies; and this is where negotiations and lawsuits come into the picture.
During this period, your personal injury attorney will help you to keep track of your mounting medical bills and other debts and will contact these companies to work out agreements for possible delayed payment pending a settlement.
Despite this, it is always the responsibility of the person getting the treatment to pay their own medical bills. Since these bills can add up fast, it is best to employ the services of an experienced personal injury attorney right away so that you can know your rights and options.
Different Types of Car Accident Claims
In order to be successful in asserting your car crash claim against the insurance company and the person who caused you damage, your car accident attorney must establish that the other driver was negligent (i.e., at fault). Under Florida law, negligence means that the other person failed to use due care in the operation of their vehicle. In order to prove negligence, your attorney MUST establish the following four things:
Duty: The at-fault driver had a duty to operate a motor vehicle in a safe and prudent manner.
Breach: The at-fault driver breached their duty to operate the vehicle in a safe, reasonable, or prudent manner.
Cause: As a result of the at-fault driver’s breach, a crash was caused.
Damages: You suffered injuries or other economic damages in the crash.
Negligence can be established when your car wreck lawyer establishes that the other driver was:
Texting while driving
Driving under the influence
Distracted
Failed to stop
Speeding
Driving too fast for conditions
Ran a stop sign
Ran a red light
How do i Prove the other Driver was at-Fault?
It is important that your auto accident lawyer work to establish liability as soon as possible. The sooner fault can be established, the sooner the insurance company will start working to evaluate how much to compensate you for your injuries and to fix the damage to your vehicle.
It is important to receive the crash report as soon as possible. It is also important to take photos of the vehicles involved in your crash and of the general accident scene. These photos could be the key to your case in establishing who was at fault.
The Law Office of Arye P. Corbett, P.A. has often secured video evidence of the actual crash. Cameras are everywhere these days, and many times, a crash is captured on municipal traffic cameras, business surveillance cameras, and even drone footage. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words; well then a video must be worth a million.
Video evidence of the crash can result in a significant increase in the value of your claim. Not only will it definitively establish that the other person was at fault, but it will also show just how severe the impact of your car crash was.
Can I hire a car accident attorney even if I might have been at fault?
Yes, you can absolutely hire a car accident attorney even if you think you might have been at fault. Many times it is not clear who caused the accident. In many car accidents, there are no witnesses; it’s a “he said, she said” situation.
Or, maybe both drivers are a little bit at fault for the crash. You can still hire a Florida car accident attorney to bring your claim forward. Other states have different laws on this issue, but Florida is a pure comparative negligence state.
Under Florida law, even if partially negligent, you are not prohibited from making a claim. The opposing party is responsible to pay you for their percentage of fault. For example, if a jury awarded you $100,000 and found the other party 40% at fault, then the other party would be responsible to pay you $40,000 which is 40% of the jury award.
Auto Accident Statistics in the US
Earlier this decade, the number of people who died in car crashes kept increasing every year. Thankfully, due in part to increased vehicle safety features and spreading knowledge about the dangers of distracted driving, recent government statistics show that the number of traffic fatalities is starting to trend downward.
For 2017, the US Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data showed that highway fatality numbers are down, following two consecutive years of large increases. Additionally, NHTSA estimates for 2018 also showed a downward trend.
Although the statistics have been trending downward, the numbers are still far too high. There were still 37,133 people who died in motor vehicle crashes in 2017.
Auto Accident Statistics in Florida
Florida has a reputation for having very bad drivers. Surveys have shown that Florida ranks as one of the top states for the worst drivers in the nation.
According to Florida’s Integrated Report Exchange System (FIRES), there were a total of 400,081 reported Florida crashes in 2018. Of those reported, 165,944 involved injury and 2,830 involved fatalities.
Florida pedestrian crash statistics showed 9,243 pedestrian-related incidents and 674 fatalities. Bicycle crashes in Florida stood at 6,528 with 140 fatalities.
What injuries can be caused by a car crash?
Traffic crashes involve the collision of heavy vehicles operating at high speeds. The forces generated by a car’s weight and speed are absorbed by your body during the crash and injury is often the result.
It is amazing how different the injuries can be in a car crash. Every person’s body reacts differently. Our law firm has represented people who were involved in a rollover crash and survived without a scratch, while other clients of ours have been in what the insurance company calls a “low-property damage” crash and required surgery to relieve constant pain and suffering. These injuries can cost you significant amounts of money for medical care following the crash, and potentially for the rest of your life.
Neck injuries
Back injuries
Spinal cord injuries
Traumatic brain injuries
Nerve damage
Shoulder and knee injuries
Fractured bones
Scarring
Paralysis
What should I do after a car crash?
The period of time immediately after a car crash can be nerve-racking and very stressful. Many times our clients tell us that they were running on adrenaline and didn’t feel pain at the accident scene. Once they went home later that night, they feel like they were hit by a train. If you are physically able to do so, these are some things that you should do immediately after the car crash:
Move your vehicle to a safe area.
Contact the police and fire rescue.
Exchange names and insurance information with those involved in the crash.
Try to obtain contact information for any witnesses.
Take pictures of the scene, the vehicles involved, and anything else you think might be important. Even the weather conditions, a stick in the road, or the layout of the intersection may come in handy later. Once you leave the scene, that evidence might be gone forever.
Do not admit wrongdoing or fault.
Tell your side of the story to the police officers so they can generate a police report.
Once you have left the scene and calmed down, contact your insurance company and inform them of the crash. You don’t need to explain every detail and every injury, just make them aware of the crash so that they can document and process the incident.
Do not sign any insurance paperwork or accept any money from the insurance company.
Seek medical attention as soon as possible or go with the ambulance service to the hospital.
If you or your family member were too injured to stay at the scene and were taken by ambulance to the hospital, we and our investigators will track down and document all of the evidence needed to establish your car crash claim. If at all possible, have someone you trust, like a family member who arrived at the scene to meet you, collect evidence on your behalf.
Hire a Boca Raton Car Accident Lawyer Right Away
Clients are often overwhelmed at the number of phone calls and mail they start receiving following their car accident. They start getting calls from various adjusters from their insurance company followed by the at-fault person’s insurance company who want to speak with them. Then those insurance companies and your medical providers will start to mail you bills and various forms to fill out. It can all be very overwhelming.
Once you hire your automobile accident lawyer, we will immediately send the insurance companies letters informing them that we represent you and directing them to no longer contact you. This way, you can focus on recovering from your injuries and returning back to as close to normal life as possible.
Insurance companies, even your own, do not have your best interest in mind. After your crash, they have teams of people working to deny your claim or, at most, pay you the least amount possible. Never accept money from the insurance company without first talking with your Florida automobile accident attorney.
What compensation can be awarded following a car crash?
Filing a lawsuit or negotiating with the insurance companies after a car accident is all about a means to recover compensation for your damages. Getting the compensation you deserve will save you loads of stress and financial pressure in the future.
A Boca Raton car accident lawyer can work to make the insurance company pay for your injuries and financial losses. These are known as your damages and you should be compensated for them.
Florida law recognizes that an injured car accident victim can recover money for:
all of the medical bills that you have incurred,
the future medical bills that you will incur,
your lost wages,
loss of future earning capacity,
pain and suffering in the past and in the future,
and other negative consequences, like the loss of the enjoyment of life.
I have hired a Florida auto accident attorney, now what?
As discussed above, your lawyer will put the insurance companies on notice that we represent you. Once the insurance companies receive our letters, they are required by Florida law to provide us with all available insurance coverage information. This is important so that we can determine the amount available to recover for you.
We will be there with you step-by-step as you recover from your injuries. Through years of representing clients in personal injury cases, we know who the best medical providers in the community are and are always willing to assist clients with locating the best possible physician for their specific needs.
After you have been treated by your doctors and they have given their opinions about the severity of your injury and what medical treatment is necessary to address your pain, your accident attorneys will send a pre-lawsuit settlement demand package to the insurance companies. This settlement demand package will inform them of why the other person was at fault, the severity of the crash, the injuries suffered, the medical bills incurred, and to be expected in the future and outline how your pain and suffering has affected your life.
As a result, the package will contain a demand to the insurance company to settle your claim or a lawsuit will be filed against them and their insured. It’s important that the insurance company knows that you are represented by a serious Florida car crash lawyer that is willing to file a lawsuit against them and take them to court if they don’t offer you a fair settlement. We have and will follow through on behalf of our clients. It is our duty and mission to get our clients the best possible settlement for their car accident cases.
Free Consultation, and No Fees Unless you Win
The Law Offices of Arye P. Corbett represent injured victims in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and all over the state of Florida.
Contact our car accident law firm today to discuss with a personal injury lawyer how we can help you pursue your injury claim. The Law Offices of Arye P. Corbett is always here for you and will gladly come to you to meet in person. Our consultations are completely free and require no commitment. We will discuss your options and rights, and decide together, what to do next.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Contact our office today by calling us at 561-948-3700 or by sending an email to arye@yourbocalawyer.com.