Talk to our Miramar Beach car accident lawyers after being hit by another driver. Each time you pull out onto the open road, you put your trust in countless strangers with whom you share the road. You trust that they have active insurance, that their driver’s license is valid, and most importantly, that they will obey the same rules and regulations as you while driving prudently to avoid an accident.
Florida law enforces this behavior. However, no amount of enforcement can guarantee that a dangerous driver will not cause a crash. An accident caused by a reckless or negligent driver entitles the victims to seek comprehensive compensation, either directly from the driver through a lawsuit or the driver’s liability insurance. Let a Miramar Beach personal injury lawyer at Fasig | Brooks help you through this process.
Personal Injury Lawyer Practice Areas in Miramar Beach
Whether or not you see your accident below, talk to your lawyer as soon as possible to take advantage of our legal services and get the support you deserve for your accident lawsuit. Our team of personal injury attorneys in Miramar Beach at Fasig | Brooks includes:
- Miramar Beach pedestrian accident lawyer
- Miramar Beach truck accident lawyer
- Miramar Beach drunk driving accident lawyer
- Miramar Beach motorcycle accident lawyer
- Miramar Beach catastrophic injury lawyer
- Miramar Beach distracted driving auto accident lawyer
Contact our legal team to discuss your car accident case with an experienced professional. With years of experience successfully handling a number of cases stemming from vehicle accidents, we are here to help.
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Liability for a Miramar Beach Car Accident
The first question that car accident attorneys will need to answer regarding personal injury claims is who caused the accident and how. This is why you need to call 911 as soon as possible — a county sheriff will be able to gather evidence and information for an accident report, as EMTs provide car accident victims with emergency care.
Then, the fire department will be able to secure the scene. However, the accident report is only a tiny part of the body of evidence that may be called upon to determine exact liability.
If possible, take a video of the accident scene and provide a narrative over the video, pointing out specifics such as which direction you and the negligent party were traveling, specific hazards or obstacles that may have contributed to the crash, and more. Memory becomes unreliable after a short time, so the more contemporaneous notes and evidence you can compile, the better.
Comparative Fault in Florida Car Accidents
In some motor vehicle crashes, it is abundantly clear that one individual is entirely responsible for an accident. Still, there are other instances where the victim may have potentially contributed to the accident by not taking appropriate defensive actions or another issue that the insurance company will focus on during the legal process. This is where the concept of pure comparative fault comes into play.
Comparative fault allows a victim to assume partial responsibility for an accident while still being entitled to compensation for their damages. Once the percentage of fault the victim is liable for is determined, this same percentage is deducted from their final settlement.
An Example to Illustrate Comparative Fault
If you are in an accident that someone else caused, but it is determined that you were driving over the speed limit, you could assume 10% of the fault. If your final damages amounted to $100,000, your settlement would, therefore, be $90,000, as the total was reduced by 10%.
While this law is fundamental (otherwise, even 1% of fault would bar an auto accident victim from seeking compensation), insurance companies will seek to leverage this law to their advantage by working to pin additional blame on a victim to save money. An experienced car accident attorney will fight to ensure that you do not accept any fault you don’t deserve to get you the money you are rightfully entitled to.
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Steps to Protect Your Rights After a Car Accident in Miramar Beach
The aftermath of a car accident in Miramar Beach can be a confusing and stressful time. One minute, you’re enjoying the sunshine; the next, you’re dealing with severe injuries, car damage, and a mountain of unknowns. Here’s what you can do to protect your rights and well-being in the following moments:
- Prioritize Your Health. This might seem obvious, but in the shock of an accident, it’s easy to overlook your own physical needs. Seek medical attention immediately, no matter how minor your injuries seem at first. Even a seemingly small bump or bruise can worsen over time.
- Gather Evidence if Possible. While safety comes first, if you’re able, take pictures of the accident scene from multiple angles. Capture any damage to your vehicle and any visible injuries you may have sustained. Note down the names and contact information of any witnesses who saw the accident unfold. This documentation can be crucial later when piecing together the events and determining fault.
- File a Police Report. Reporting the accident to the police creates an official record of the event. The police officer will investigate the scene, interview those involved, and file a report that details their findings. This police report can be vital evidence for your insurance claim or potential legal case.
- Contact Your Insurance Company. Get in touch with your insurance company as soon as possible to report the accident. Be factual in your communication, but avoid admitting fault. Your insurance company will guide you through their claims process.
An experienced lawyer can be a valuable asset during this challenging time. They can advise you of your legal options, handle complex paperwork and communication with insurance companies, and ensure you receive fair compensation for your injuries.
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Common Injuries in Miramar Beach Car Accidents
The force of a car accident can wreak havoc on the body, causing a variety of injuries that range from mild to severe. The impact can be especially jarring on a relaxing Miramar Beach vacation, turning a carefree day into a whirlwind of medical concerns. Here’s a look at some of the common injuries you might encounter after a Miramar Beach car accident:
- Cuts, Scrapes, and Soft Tissue Injuries. While these injuries might seem minor, they can still be painful and require medical care to prevent infection. Additionally, the impact can cause internal bleeding or damage to muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
- Whiplash Injury. This is a soft tissue injury to the neck, often caused by the sudden back-and-forth movement of the head during a collision. Symptoms of a whiplash injury, like neck pain, stiffness, and headaches, can linger for weeks or even months.
- Broken Bones. Depending on the severity of the accident, you might sustain fractures in your arms, legs, ribs, or even vertebrae. These injuries often require casting, physical therapy, and significant recovery time.
- Head Injuries. These injuries can range from a mild concussion to a life-threatening traumatic brain injury. Symptoms like headaches, dizziness, confusion, and memory loss can be present. If you experience any of these after an accident, seek medical attention immediately.
Remember, even seemingly minor injuries can have lasting effects. Don’t hesitate to seek medical attention after a car accident, even if you think your injuries are insignificant. A doctor can perform a thorough examination to diagnose any underlying issues and ensure you receive proper treatment.
Compensatory Damages After a Car Accident in Miramar Beach
Once fault is established — or while your Miramar Beach car accident attorney is negotiating the final breakdown of personal injury comparative fault — the next step is to calculate the total damages you have suffered from your car crash. Again, this process is more complicated than car accident victims may assume because compensatory damages are divided into two distinct parts that require close attention to detail and a clear understanding of how to calculate the non-economic impacts of a crash.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are the basis of a personal injury claim, and insurance companies will focus on these solely without paying for any non-economic damages. Economic damages are the impacts of your car accident that have measurable dollar values. These include the cost of your medical treatment, the amount of your property damage, and the effects on your earnings that your Miramar Beach auto accident has caused.
While economic damages are personal injury matters that are relatively simple to calculate—since most come with a receipt, invoice, bill, or earnings statement—long-term damages from a Miramar Beach car accident are often overlooked in accident claims. Many “minor” damages aren’t considered at all due to their seeming insignificance.
The car accident attorneys at our firm will make sure to compile all of the economic damages you have suffered in your car wreck and will work aggressively to calculate the long-term impacts and costs fairly.
Damages Available After Losing a Loved One in a Fatal Car Accident
Following fatal car accidents, personal injury lawyers will work through wrongful death cases to recover compensation beyond what would be acquired for a non-fatal personal injury lawsuit. This includes things like:
- The long-term loss of financial support
- End-of-life hospital bills
- Burial costs
These costs exceed your personal injury protection limits, which are considered “no-fault” after a Miramar Beach auto accident.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are more complicated to calculate than economic damages because they are the “intangible” impacts of an accident, like pain and suffering, emotional conditions, and more. According to Northwestern University of Law, putting a price on a claim requires different methods that an experienced personal injury attorney will use to reach a fair calculation for the money their client deserves.
Calculating these damages is only the first step, though. Your lawyer will then need to negotiate to reach an out-of-court settlement or may need to file a lawsuit with the Florida courts and prepare for a trial.
What Is the Cost of a Miramar Beach Car Accident Lawyer?
The cost of our Miramar Beach car accident lawyer operates on a contingency fee basis. This means you won’t pay anything upfront, and the lawyer’s fees are only collected if we win your case. The fee is usually a percentage of the compensation you receive.
During a free consultation, one of our experienced attorneys can discuss the specifics of your case and answer your questions about legal fees. This way, you can make an informed decision about moving forward. Remember, a Miramar Beach car accident lawyer is there to fight for your rights and pursue the maximum compensation available.
Frequently Asked Questions About Miramar Beach Car Accidents
Is It Worth Getting a Lawyer for a Minor Car Accident?
The word “minor” is difficult to quantify, especially without taking a close look at the overall situation. Often, many people are led to believe that their accident is “minor” by the at-fault party’s insurance company, often because the insurer is hoping to settle the claim for as little as possible. This may not actually be the case, though.
The best way to determine whether or not it is worth hiring a lawyer (and whether or not your accident was actually “minor”) is to schedule a free consultation with our law firm to discuss the details of your accident. We will be able to understand things like the injuries you have sustained, the impacts that the crash has caused on your life, the events that led up to the accident, and more. From there, we will be able to determine whether or not your accident is, in fact, minor and whether or not it would be worth it to work with an attorney.
How Much Can Someone Sue for After a Car Accident in Miramar Beach?
The amount that a crash victim is owed after a car accident varies on a case-by-case basis due to a wide range of factors. Some of the most important variables that go into determining how much money a victim is owed are the cost of their medical bills and lost wages and the emotional and physical impacts that the accident has had on their lives. These important factors will lead to a higher amount you are owed, but they do not tell the complete story of the damages you have suffered.
To determine how much you can seek in fair compensation, we will need to go through many details about your experience. Non-economic damages are equally important as economic damages but apply to issues that do not have measurable dollar values (as opposed to economic damages, which seek payment for dollar-measurable impacts).
These damages, as with economic damages, are extremely specific to your unique situation and require a close look and ongoing investigation before reaching a figure that we will seek through settlement negotiations on your behalf.
When Should You Get a Lawyer for a Car Accident?
The best time to get an attorney for your accident is before filing a claim with the other insurance company. Initiating the claims process is fairly simple, which is why many people take this step without speaking with an attorney. The moment an insurer is alerted to an accident that their client caused, they go into action, looking for every possible way to limit the final amount paid to the victim. This is accomplished through tactics such as leveraging clerical or administrative errors that the victim commits, taking statements out of context and using them to pin additional fault on the victim, and more.
When you have a lawyer who initiates your claim and handles all communications with the insurer, you don’t need to worry about “gotcha” tactics that will twist your words and build an argument against paying you what you are rightfully owed. At the same time that your lawyer is building your case, you will be able to focus on your health and recovery without taking on the burden of handling your claim. We encourage you to reach out to us as soon as possible for a free consultation.
Contact Fasig | Brooks for a Free Consultation Today
We offer a free initial consultation for motor vehicle accidents to discuss the situation and get a better sense of how we can work together. After an accident, you can be quickly overwhelmed by the obligations, including filing a claim, managing the personal injury claims investigation, and working with adjusters, all while trying to focus on your recovery, impacts to your employment, and the difficulty this type of accident causes.
Even a brief conversation with a personal injury attorney after a car accident in Miramar Beach can provide substantial emotional relief once you know an experienced legal professional is ready to fight for the money you deserve today. We encourage you to call Fasig | Brooks or use our online contact form as soon as possible so that we can begin representing you through the claims process and fighting to get the money you rightfully deserve.
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