Panama City has lots of great areas for walking around on foot, and lots of great reasons to do so: the sights, the weather, and the ease of getting around near the beach fronts, to name a few. However, there are plenty of opportunities for a pedestrian to be injured — or killed — as they walk around on foot, most often from accidents involving motor vehicles. In fact, Florida has the highest rate of pedestrian deaths in the United States, and surviving family members and loved ones — or victims themselves after a non-fatal accident — should partner with an experienced Panama City personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. If someone else caused the accident you were hurt in, or your loved one was killed in, then you are entitled to compensation, typically in greater sums than what an insurance company will initially offer.
Contact Fasig | Brooks Today For a Free Consultation
We offer a free consultation and case evaluation for victims of pedestrian accidents, as well as for the surviving family members and loved ones who are entitled to seek compensation following a wrongful death. During this consultation, we will be able to touch on a range of topics, especially the specifics of the accident and how we can help you move forward with a case for getting fair and comprehensive compensation for the many damages that you have suffered.
We understand that no amount of money will ever undo the pain and trauma of an accident, but there is no reason that you should have to foot the bill for someone else’s dangerous behavior. The sooner you contact our firm, the sooner we will be able to start building a case for a settlement that works for you, NOT for the insurance company.
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Why Hire a Panama City Pedestrian Accident Lawyer?
After an accident, you have a lot of important priorities, especially your health and medical care. In addition to your physical recovery, though, you will need to manage things like missed time from work, major disruptions to your social and personal life, and more. On top of it all, you are expected to file an insurance claim AND make sure that you receive fair compensation for all of the damages you have suffered.
Focus On Your Own Needs
You will quickly discover that the insurance adjuster assigned to your case is not meticulously going through every facet of your life to ensure that you get all of the money you deserve; in fact, their main priority is settling your case as quickly and cheaply as possible. You will need to actively manage your own investigation and then negotiate for a settlement agreement while trying to get your life back on track after your accident. When you are partnered with an attorney, they can handle your legal issues while you prioritize your own personal needs.
Significant Legal Experience
Part of the reason why insurance companies are able to settle claims for so much less than what a victim actually deserves is that the claimant doesn’t how many things are considered “damages” in the scope of a personal injury claim. An experienced personal injury lawyer has years of experience and legal know-how tracking down these many damages and ensuring that they are included in the package used to counter an insurance company’s settlement offer.
Get Answers When You Need Them
Understanding your rights and the long-term prospects of your case can be difficult if you do not have a professional history of personal injury casework. Insurance companies know this, and part of their process is to confuse a claimant about their options while continuing to offer a low settlement, often framing it as the best they will do. When you have a pedestrian lawyer handling your case, you can be certain that there will be someone to help you make sense of your situation and understand what the future may hold.
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Don’t Fall Victim To An Insurance Company’s Tactics
Insurance companies have playbooks for settling claims that have been compiled over generations with the input of highly skilled legal professionals and lessons learned by processing countless claims. Someone without personal injury experience, and particularly someone whose life has just been upended by an accident, is facing an uphill battle in a process specifically designs to work against them. When you come to the table with an experienced attorney from an award-winning law firm representing you, the adjuster handling your case knows that you intend on getting what you deserve.
Another thing that insurance companies use as leverage for a quick and inexpensive settlement is the stress and anxiety that come with a victim’s uncertainty about their financial future. When medical bills keep coming in, earnings keep decreasing, and monthly expenses like groceries, mortgages, rent, car payments, credit card bills, and all of the other financial responsibilities we all face keep coming in, a victim will understandably jump at the opportunity to take a lump payment to “stop the bleeding.” Unfortunately, this one-time payment also comes with a waiver blocking a victim from any future actions, meaning that as they continue to realize the widespread impacts of their accident, they no longer have the ability to seek restitution.
Comparative Fault: Useful, But Tricky
Florida uses a law called “comparative fault” when determining liability for a personal injury. Simply put, this law allows for a personal injury victim to seek compensation even in the event that they partially contributed to the accident — for example, a pedestrian accident where the driver took a right turn through a red light where prohibited, but the pedestrian was crossing without a signal. Depending on the specifics, a pedestrian may be found to be 40% responsible for the crash in this situation, but under comparative fault laws, this means that they will have their award reduced by 40% instead of being barred from seeking compensation at all.
This law is for the benefit of the victims, but this does not mean that an insurance company will not attempt to use it for the sole purpose of reducing a settlement amount. Each percentage point an insurance adjuster is able to pin on you is another percent that their financial obligation is discounted. When you are working with an attorney, they will be able to make sure that you do not accept any more fault than deserved, and therefore do not lose out on the money you are owed.
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Contact our Panama City Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Now
We encourage you to take advantage of our free consultation as soon as possible. Many people initiate an insurance claim without an attorney, and many will go through the entire claims investigation before contacting a lawyer, but the sooner you have legal representation, the sooner you can focus on your recovery without the added stress.
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