Have you recently suffered a personal injury accident in Miami or the South Florida area? This type of personal injury case can change someone’s life completely. For example, personal injury accidents can lead to severe bodily trauma, emotional distress, and leave significant financial damages.
We empathize with you during these difficult times as dealing with the consequences of an injury accident is not easy at all. Nonetheless, we are here to tell you that as a victim, you deserve to be compensated for all of your damages. However, obtaining compensation on your own may turn out to be a decision that you may regret if you choose to go down that route.You see, the other party involved in the accident and their insurers may intend to deny their fault. Why? Simple, they’ll do this with the purpose of not compensating you for your damages. As you can see, the legal issues following a personal injury incident require the expertise of a Miami injury lawyer. We invite you to keep reading this informative article about the benefits of hiring one of our accident attorneys.
What Are The Most Common Personal Injury Accidents in South Florida?
- Car accidents are perhaps the most recurrent personal injury incidents in our entire state. Automobile crash victims often suffer broken bones and tears in their muscles. Car, truck accidents, and motorcycle accidents are often caused by speeding, operating vehicles under the influence of alcohol, and texting while driving. Furthermore, Florida imposes a “no-fault” car insurance system. This mandate states that after being involved in a road traffic accident, your own insurance covers the medical bills and other financial losses of anyone covered under the policy. It is important to mention that your policy pays these damages regardless of who was responsible for the accident.
- Slip and fall accidents usually occur in crowded establishments such as supermarkets, shopping malls, and restaurants. Trip and fall accidents can provoke bone fractures, tears in ligaments, and head injuries that may produce brain damage.
These cases fall under the category of premises liability claims. In other words, establishment owners must maintain their premises free of any potential hazards that could cause an accident.
According to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), slip and falls account for over 8 million hospital emergency room visits per year. In addition, these incidents are the leading cause of workers’ compensation claims and occupational injuries in people aged 55 years or older.
In order to attain monetary compensation for their damages, slip and fall accident victims must prove at least one of the following requirements:
- The establishment owner triggered the dangerous condition,
- The establishment owner knew about the existence of the hazard but did not repair or eliminate it.
- The dangerous condition had been present on the premises for such a length of time that the establishment owner had sufficient time to detect and repair it.
- Dog bites can produce nasty infections and painful injuries in different areas of the body. Florida follows a “strict liability” system when it comes to filing a dog bite claim. This means that dog owners could be held liable for victims’ injuries even if they took the necessary precautions to avoid a potential accident.
If the accident occured in private property, the law will protect victims only if they were lawfully of the establishment. Just like in slip and falls, establishment owners will not be declared culpable if victims were trespassers.
What Types of Damages Are Recovered in a Florida Personal Injury Claim?
In personal injury accident claims, victims are usually entitled to recover compensatory damages. These can include financial damages such as loss of wages and property. Additionally, victims can be compensated for non-financial damages
- Financial Damages: The medical portion of damages should include every expense that you have been forced to pay throughout your treatment. Furthermore, injured individuals may become permanently injured. As a result, the future costs of medical treatment must be fully covered. If you require adaptive medical devices or transportation assistance to get to your doctor’s appointments, these expenses must be covered as well.
Calculations of lost wages will usually encompass missed work days due to your medical treatment.
Moreover, when victims have become permanently unable to work or their ability to work has been significantly reduced, lost wages over their lifetime may also be included in the award.
Personal injury accident victims should be compensated if they lost their belongings. For example, your car suffered damages and you had to repair it or you lost an expensive watch in a slip and fall.
- Non-Financial Damages: The phrase “pain and suffering” refers to a term that describes the physical or emotional damages that victims may suffer after an accident. When you endure discomfort due to your injuries, you deserve to be compensated for the hardship endured. It is recommended to keep a record of how your pain interferes with your quality of life.
Emotional distress is often related to pain and suffering. However, it is more complex to prove. In order to prove emotional distress, it is recommended to provide psychiatric records or medical diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder.
Victims can also recover punitive damages. These are awards legal that the at-fault party is required to pay on top of the compensatory damages. They are ordered by the court when the actions of the at-fault party are declared extremely negligent or intentional. Punitive damages go beyond compensating the victim. These are designed to punish offenders for their actions.
What Are The Benefits of Hiring a Miami Accident Attorney?
- If you were involved in an automobile crash that was allegedly caused by someone driving under the influence of alcohol, your Broward County car accident attorney can request a blood alcohol test from the other party.
- Fort Lauderdale accident lawyers are experts in the legal framework of all injury cases. For that reason, they can help you file your claim and make sure it complies with every mandate imposed by the State of Florida.
- Personal injury accidents can interfere with your decision making. However, a personal injury law firm can act as a voice of reason in these difficult times.
- At our accident law firm, we offer free consultations. During these sessions, you can ask us any questions you may have concerning the case.
- Your health and peace of mind come first! That is why we work on contingency fees. These are a percentage of your recovered damages. If your case is not settled, we will not take a single dollar out of your pockets.
- As we mentioned before, insurance companies may intend to lure you into accepting unfair compensation settlements. Rest assured that your Miami injury attorney will make sure that you are compensated properly.
- If your case is not settled, your Fort Lauderdale injury attorney can ultimately force a trial so that you can be compensated correctly once and for all!
We Are The Law Offices of Scott J. Senft!
We thank you for taking your time in reading our article. At the law offices of Scott J. Senft, we do not rest until our clients are compensated correctly. That is why you will find the best Miami injury lawyer right here. What are you waiting for? Call us at 561-376-8073 right away.
