Sebring, Florida
Sebring Personal Injury Lawyers
Sebring: 2547 US Hwy 27 S, Sebring, FL 33870
Suffering injuries from a personal injury accident can leave you confused about your legal rights. An experienced Florida personal injury attorney can answer your questions, investigate fault, deal with insurers, calculate losses, negotiate settlements, and file lawsuits if needed while you focus on recovering.
A case like this can be complex. It certainly is overwhelming as you are already trying to deal with the injuries, medical appointments, and bills. There are many areas and loopholes that you should be cautious about to get your fullest potential compensation.
What Claims Fall Under Personal Injury Law?
Personal injury law is a broad area of civil law that covers many types of claims involving physical harm, monetary losses, and emotional suffering caused by someone else’s negligence, carelessness, or intentional wrongful acts. Some of the most common yet diverse claims and cases that fall under the personal injury legal practice area include:
Motor vehicle accident injuries
Injuries stemming from car accidents, motorcycle crashes, bicycle collisions, pedestrian impacts, and commercial trucking incidents can be devasting. Liability is based on determining the at-fault driver.
Premises liability injury claims
Injuries that occur on someone else’s property due to unsafe conditions, such as slip and fall accidents on wet floors or uneven walking surfaces, drowning incidents due to lack of proper pool security measures, dog bite attacks due to loose, aggressive dogs, injuries caused by poor lighting, unsecured railings, failure to shovel ice, etc. The property owner is held liable.
Product liability claims
Product liability claims involve injuries caused by manufacturing or design defects in products, drugs, medical devices, sports equipment, children’s toys, automobiles, etc. The product makers and suppliers can be held responsible.
Workplace injury claims
On-the-job illnesses or injuries that occur because another company at the job site failed to provide adequate safety precautions, training, equipment maintenance, or supervision. The company at fault should be held liable for these injuries.
Traumatic brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury can happen in numerous ways. Severe head trauma caused by any kind of accident or negligence of another party is the most common cause.
Wrongful death claims
Situations where misconduct, negligence, or intentional actions of a person or entity result in someone’s death. Families can pursue compensation. A personal injury attorney in Sebring can evaluate your unique situation to determine if it qualifies for compensation under this area of civil law.
Types of Potential Compensation You Can Obtain
If you are injured or lose a loved one due to someone else’s negligent or wrongful actions, you may be entitled to various types of monetary compensation for your losses and damages. With an attorney assisting you, some of the types of compensation you may obtain include:
Medical expenses – Both current and ongoing future medical costs related to the injuries, such as hospital bills, ambulance services, physical therapy, prescription medications, assistive devices, and in-home care.
Lost income – Wages lost due to missing work during recovery. Also, reduced future earning capacity if disabilities limit the ability to work the same job.
Pain and suffering – Monetary damages accounting for physical pain, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and reduced quality of life.
Disability costs – Modifications needed in vehicles, homes, or elsewhere to accommodate permanent disabilities.
Loss of consortium – Compensation for the impact of injuries on marital relations or family life.
Wrongful death damages – In fatality cases, compensation for pain, suffering, loss of companionship, loss of support and services, and loss of net accumulations to the estate.
Punitive damages – Punitive damages are additional amounts in cases of reckless disregard for great bodily injury or intentional misconduct.
Recovering fair compensation provides funds needed to pay accident costs and justly compensates you for losses in quality of life, pain, grief, and reduced abilities. A Sebring personal injury lawyer will pursue the maximum damages.
Why Working With a Sebring Personal Injury Attorney is Beneficial
Having a lawyer on your side provides important benefits if you suffered an injury due to negligence or misconduct. Going through a personal injury case can be a lot of work. There is endless proof that you need. You will also need to learn how to handle the other side and the insurance company. That’s where a lawyer comes in who can help you with the following:
Local Experience
We have extensive firsthand experience handling injury cases in Sebring and neighboring communities. Our familiarity with the local court system, judges, jury pools, opposing attorneys, and insurance companies can be helpful.
Experience Against Powerful Insurance Companies
Large insurance corporations dedicate several legal resources to minimizing claim payouts. We counteract that by aggressively fighting for your rights.
Allows You to Focus on Healing While We Handle Details
Our attorneys and legal team handle everything, including gathering evidence, negotiating claims, filing lawsuits, speaking in court on your behalf, and dealing with insurers so you can concentrate on recovering from your injuries.
Our Record of Past Results
Please ask about our prior results in obtaining millions of dollars for injured victims of car crashes.
Face to Face Meetings When You Need It Most
Thoughtful legal guidance, in our opinion, requires a face to face meeting with your lawyer. When you are hurting, you need to see and hear your lawyer.
Statutes of Limitations in Florida
The statute of limitations refers to the time limit you have under Florida law to either file a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent party or settle the injury claim with an insurer. The clock starts ticking from the date of the accident or injury. If you wait too long, you forfeit their legal right to pursue compensation. It is crucial to understand these strict filing deadlines.
For many common accident and injury claims in Florida, the statute of limitations is two years according to Florida Statute 95.11. This means you have just two years from the date of the incident to settle your claim or file a lawsuit. This includes motor vehicle accidents, slip and falls, dog bites, product liability cases, workplace injuries, and other injury cases.
How to Provide Proof For Your Personal Injury Case
Proving liability and damages is crucial in injury claims in order to recover fair compensation. Working with an experienced personal injury attorney is key, as they know how to prove your case. But some steps you can take to help provide proof and strengthen your claim include:
● Gather police reports, accident reports, inspection reports, or other documentation that shows evidence of negligence, defects, hazards, or code violations that led to the incident. Official authorities documenting these issues powerfully bolsters the case.
● Take photos and videos of accident scenes, property damage, and especially any visible injuries like cuts, bruises, or swelling. Photographic evidence allows attorneys to show juries the physical impacts. Take photos from multiple angles and return later to document how injuries worsen over time.
● Get contact details and written statements from eyewitnesses if available. Credible testimony about seeing the hazardous conditions or negligent actions firsthand from independent third parties helps validate claims.
● Keep detailed records of medical diagnoses, treatments, medications, assistive devices, therapy exercises, costs, and recovery timelines. This evidence proves the extent of injuries and financial burdens caused.
● Save all receipts for any costs related to the incident, such as medical bills, prescriptions, lost wages, transportation for treatment, damages to property or vehicles, or similar. Verifiable monetary losses are more easily calculated and claimed.
● Track in a journal how daily activities, job duties, roles, recreation, mobility, and quality of life are impacted by the incident over time. This helps demonstrate pain and suffering.
● Follow all prescribed medical treatment plans. Any gaps in seeking treatment or non-compliance will be used to undermine injury claims. Following reasonable medical recommendations strengthens the case.
● Collecting extensive proof, with legal guidance on how to present it effectively, is the key to proving liability, causation, and damages when seeking maximum compensation in injury claims.
How to Get a Copy of Your Police Report
Any time law enforcement responds to and investigates an accident, injury, or incident, it is imperative to obtain a copy of the official police report documenting what occurred. This report acts as vital evidence in establishing the circumstances and details surrounding the event. Follow these tips for getting a copy:
● At the scene, get badge numbers and contact details for all officers present. Identifying who wrote the report is key for requesting it later.
● Reports take time to complete, so wait a few days before seeking a copy. Officers must finish paperwork and get supervisory approval.
● Contact the records division of the agency. This involves city police, county sheriffs, state troopers, etc. Ask them to locate and provide a copy of the specific report, providing your name and incident date.
● Standard fees apply, usually around $2.00. Redacted complex reports may have higher fees.
● If the report is pending approval when you inquire, request the division mail you a copy as soon as it is finalized.
● If issues arise in obtaining the crash report, hire an attorney who can utilize official legal channels to ensure the acquisition of a copy for your case records.
Let Us Help You Navigate Your Personal Injury Case
If you need the help of a lawyer who will meet you face to face, contact our firm for a free consultation. Our team will review your potential injury claim details and discuss your legal options. With a personal injury lawyer in Sebring handling every angle of your case, you can concentrate solely on healing, knowing you have representation fighting to secure the compensation you deserve.
You don’t have to go through this process alone. It can be a tedious process, so let us handle the details. You deserve justice, and we are eager to help. Howell & Thornhill has principal offices in Winter Haven and satellite offices in Haines City, Sebring, Zephyrhills, and Lake Wales. We are happy to meet you face to face or on Zoom!
