Howell & Thornhill

Lakeland Car Accident Lawyers

Your Home Team Since 1975 - We Got This!

 

In just a few minutes, a car accident can change your life, causing financial, emotional, and physical damage that is hard to recover from, even for the most prepared person. If you are in a car accident that someone else is responsible for, working with highly experienced Lakeland car accident lawyers is the most important decision you can make right now.

Our legal team at Howell & Thornhill has long provided assistance to victims, supporting their right to compensation to pay for the damages others have inflicted on them as a result of an accident. When you have medical bills, loss of ability to work, and chronic pain, you need someone who will fight for you. We can help. Contact us now in Lakeland, FL, for a free consultation to discuss your case with us. We are committed to providing exceptional support to you today and every day.

When Should You Hire an Attorney in a Car Accident?

Any time you have been in a car accident that caused significant injury or struggled to get the compensation owed to you from an insurance company, hire an attorney. Our car accident lawyers have seen many people struggle for years to try to get their medical bills paid after an accident occurs that they did not cause. It is never easy, and it is very commonly challenging to obtain maximum compensation without the legal support of an attorney.

When you hire our attorneys for car accidents in Lakeland, we can provide you with a number of resources to put your mind at ease. While we do not know the outcome of your case just yet, we can help you in several key ways:

Our Experience Helps Maximize Your Recovery

Our law firm has helped clients obtain the compensation owed to them since 1975. As a result, we ensure you do not leave money on the table. We strive to ensure you always have access to the compensation owed to you. You can count on our experience.

We Are Aggressive Defenders of Our Clients

Insurance companies like to take advantage of victims to reduce the compensation they pay out. Our goal is to ensure you never feel like you are the victim again. To do that, we strive to be there to support you throughout this legal process, including providing a compassionate level of care to you during your recovery while we fight aggressively to protect your rights. We help you avoid abusive insurance adjusters.

We Are Not Afraid to Go to Court

There are many times when our clients find themselves unable to come to an agreement with insurance companies. We know that this happens for various reasons, but when it is justified, we will go to court to fight for your rights. We do not settle just to take the easy way out for you. We do the hard work needed to ensure you have the best outcome possible.

What Should You Do After a Car Accident?

This is one of the most common questions our clients have after they have been in a car accident in Lakeland. You may have already taken the immediate steps after a car accident, like calling 911 and going to the emergency room to be cleared of injuries or to get the care you need. What do you do after that, though?

Our Lakeland auto accident attorneys are always available to you right away. Even if you have not left the hospital yet, we are happy to talk to you about your specific needs right now. Consider the following steps.

Follow All of Your Doctor’s Recommended Care

Whether you need to remain in the hospital longer, get specialized care, or stay off your feet for an extended period of time, follow your doctor’s guidance. That is the best way to ensure you recover to the fullest level allowable. Do not worry about the cost related to extensive care. Talk to our car accident law firm today.

Allow Our Team to Calculate Your Losses for You

Our legal team can begin to calculate the losses you have right away. However, we do not encourage you to settle your claim immediately. Instead, it is essential that you fully understand what your long-term recovery looks like. That means that if the insurance company wants you to settle your case right away, you should hold off on doing so until you are fully sure of what the cost of your care will be.

Our attorneys for car accidents in Lakeland will help with this. We will use:

All of this data will help us to provide you with more insight into what your claim may be worth. We do not want you to feel rushed. You may find that, in six months, your medical needs are more extensive than expected, or your recovery may require additional procedures. We want to be sure you get full compensation for all of those losses.

We Handle the Insurance Company

Most of the time, we can handle the insurance company and all of their questions and pressure on you. If you have an adjuster calling and harassing you, let them know you are working with our team. That ensures they will have to be open and honest about your case. Our legal team will also ensure that we are avoiding any mistakes in what is said or done to ensure your compensation is protected.

Let us handle the hard work for you. Our Lakeland auto accident attorneys are here to listen and work with you. You can count on our auto accident law firm to help you throughout this legal process.

What Is Your Lakeland, FL Car Accident Worth?

One of the most common questions our clients have is what their car accident is worth. There is no simple answer to this. Many factors play a role in what you could be owed. A component of the work we do as your car accident lawyers in Lakeland is to estimate all of your losses.  Are goal is to obtain the largest amount possible.

Economic Losses

Your economic losses are those related to specific financial losses you have. Often, these types of losses are a bit easier to document because there are medical bills or other documentation to prove the loss. Some of the most common costs may include:

  • Medical bills related to emergency care
  • In hospital stays
  • Medication for pain, infection control, and treatment
  • Surgical costs
  • Specialist care
  • In-home medical and health aide
  • Adjustments to your home to meet your physical limitations
  • Rehabilitation costs
  • Emotional and physical therapy
  • Loss of earning capacity

Non-Economic Losses

Most people in serious car accidents also suffer noneconomic losses or those related to more subjective losses. There are numerous examples of this, and what you are owed in these areas is often dependent on factors such as the scope of your injury and the severity of your long-term recovery. Some examples of non-economic losses include:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Emotional distress
  • Loss of quality of life
  • Loss of consortium

To determine what your losses are in each of these areas, we gather facts. We talk to family and friends who may witness the impact that this accident has created. We talk to medical experts and use past cases like yours to help estimate the financial compensation you may be owed.

Our goal is to work to make you whole again. That often means ensuring you have the financial compensation and means to support your long-term recovery. If you cannot recover fully, we want to be sure you have access to the compensation owed to you to support your best quality of life possible. We do not stop as your Lakeland car accident attorneys until you reach that area.

Answering Your Questions About Lakeland Car Accident Claims

When you meet with our car accident lawyers in Lakeland, we will work closely with you to answer all of your questions. We always encourage you to reach out to an attorney for personalized answers to the questions you have.

The following are some of the most important questions our clients often have.

What Happens if the Other Driver Does Not Have Insurance?

When the at-fault driver does not have adequate (or any) car insurance, you may be worried about what will happen to you and your losses. Our attorneys will help you to first pursue compensation from your own insurance company through your uninsured or underinsured insurance coverage. This will give you some support.

We can also pursue compensation against the at-fault party in other ways. If they own assets, we may fight them to pay for the costs you have from those assets. Our goal is always to work with you to pursue the largest amount possible to reimburse you.

Should I Just Settle My Case With the Insurance Company?

If you are in a limited accident, you may be able to file a simple claim with the insurance company and move on. Yet, it is never advisable to settle your case before you know what all of your losses are. We highly encourage you to speak to our legal team to ensure you are getting the most you can out of your claim.

Our attorneys will be open and frank with you when you contact us for a free consultation. We always tell you if we believe you have a case for obtaining more compensation than the insurance company is offering to you. If we believe you should settle, we will tell you that. If we believe there may be a benefit in pursuing compensation more aggressively, we will tell you that as well.

I Do Not Have the Money to Pay an Attorney After My Car Accident. What Should I Do?

When you are in a car accident you did not cause, you may be out of work and unable to afford to hire someone. The good news is you do not have to worry about this. When you work with our legal team, we are paid on a contingency basis. That means you do not pay us until we win your case. If you do not receive compensation for your losses, you owe us nothing.

Do not put off getting legal help and support for your needs because you are unsure of the cost. Let our legal team speak to you about the options and rights you have now. We always provide a free case review to answer all of your questions.

What Should I Do if the Insurance Company States I Should Settle My Claim Now?

It is somewhat common for insurance companies to want a victim to file a settlement quickly. That means they can minimize the risk that you will try to get more compensation later. However, if this happens to you, or you feel pressured in any way by the insurance company’s actions, we encourage you to reach out to our legal team immediately.

There are a few things to remember about insurance companies:

  • Never admit to any guilt. If you say, “I did not notice what was happening,” that could mean that they are able to say you were not paying attention. Do not say, “I am sorry.”
  • Do not state that you are doing well. Your recovery is not their business at this point.
  • If they ask you about your medical records or your text messages, you may want to allow our Lakeland car accident attorneys to offer guidance to you on your legal options before you agree to provide that information.

Our car accident attorneys are always a phone call away to help you. All you need to do is to reach out to us for support.

Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Car Accident Attorneys Now

Put your trust in our team at Howell & Thornhill. Set up a free consultation to speak to our Lakeland car accident lawyers now to discuss your case and to determine what legal rights you have to recover damages. You are not alone in this process. We are here to work closely with you to achieve the best outcome possible. Fill out the form on this page to submit any questions you have now and to schedule a free consultation.