Winter Haven Injury Attorneys
You’ve been injured and you don’t know what to do next? That is where our Winter Haven injury attorneys step in. Lawyers at Howell & Thornhill, P.A. have been working with Floridians since 1975, helping them get their lives back after a catastrophic injury accident.
If you are looking for financial compensation for the losses you suffered due to an injury caused by someone else’s negligence, you need the best legal team available. Our Winter Haven injury attorneys at Howell & Thornhill, P.A. are here to fight for you.
Types of Catastrophic Injuries
What makes an injury catastrophic? An injury is catastrophic if its impact has permanent or long-term effects on the victim. These types of injuries usually require expensive treatments, like surgery, and ongoing medical care. The extent of the injury also includes the emotional toll of the accident.
There are many different types of catastrophic injuries that an accident victim might suffer. We can help you understand the extent of your injuries and the protections the law provides after an injury.
The attorneys at Howell & Thornhill, P.A. help our clients maximize their settlements so they can cope with their catastrophic injuries. Below are some examples of serious injuries that victims suffer after an accident.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur when an accident forces the skull to strike a hard, fixed object. TBIs can cause long-term effects, including changes in cognitive abilities and speech patterns. Some TBI sufferers might have personality changes, including depression, anxiety, and aggressive behaviors. You might need long-term rehabilitative care if you suffer from TBI.
Severe Nerve Damage
Nerve injuries are serious and might cause you to live with debilitating effects that cannot be truly healed. Some of the effects that nerve damage victims might face can include permanent numbness and tingling, chronic pain, loss of muscle control, and reduced fine motor skills.
Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI)
Spinal cord injuries can impact your entire body. The spine controls movement throughout your entire body, so an injury can mean total disability. A spinal cord injury can drastically change your quality of life. Adapting to the injury might mean making changes to your lifestyle or your home, such as using a wheelchair, adding ramps, or making other home modifications.
The reduction in movement after a spinal cord injury might lead to other health issues, like bedsores and infections. Working with an experienced attorney can help you identify each of your losses and estimate the value of your claim.
Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are often severe. Treating these injuries can take a long time and might include multiple surgeries. Some of the ways that a burn injury can significantly impact your life include scarring, disfigurement, lost range of motion, and the need for lifelong skin care.
Severe Orthopedic Injuries
An orthopedic injury can seriously affect your joints; in fact, you might live with chronic joint pain. Treating your injury might require that you have ongoing care, like physical therapy. A severe orthopedic injury might make returning to work difficult, especially if you had a physically demanding job.
Internal Organ Damage
Internal organ damage can be deadly. It’s important for you to see a physician after an accident to ensure you didn’t suffer any internal injuries. An internal injury can result in a permanent loss or reduced function of vital organs. Treating internal organ damage might require multiple surgeries, including organ transplants.
Facial and Dental Injuries
Depending on how the accident happened, you might have a facial or dental injury. These types of injuries can lead to vision loss. You might find it difficult to eat, speak, or breathe after a facial injury. Cosmetic or reconstructive surgery might be required to treat a facial injury.
Loss of Limbs
Serious accidents can cause dismemberment or require surgical amputation of an injured limb. Of course, losing a limb can seriously alter your life and lifestyle. Some amputation victims might not be able to return to full-time work, so they will need to rely on disability, which is usually not enough money to support a family. Filing a lawsuit for damages can help you create a solid foundation for recovery after getting into an accident that caused a catastrophic injury.
Multiple Broken Bones and Fractures
Multiple broken bones and fractures can be catastrophic. Multiple broken bones can take weeks or months to heal. Some injuries require surgery and physical therapy. After a catastrophic injury that caused multiple broken bones, you might suffer from chronic pain even after being fully treated.
Hearing Loss
Serious accidents can cause hearing loss or deafness. Damage to the skull, inner ear, or auditory nerve can lead to communication barriers. Additionally, you might require assistance, such as hearing aids or implants, to cope with the hearing loss that you suffered.
Crush Injuries
Crush injuries can be life-changing. Crushed limbs, a broken pelvis, or shattered bones caused by significant impact can lead to long-term disability, lost range of motion, and chronic pain. Treating crush injuries might involve multiple surgeries.
Wrongful Death
Some serious accidents end with the death of the victim, and wrongful death cases tend to be the most difficult types of accident cases to handle. It can be incredibly exhausting for families to pursue justice after a fatal accident. Having a lawyer help you understand and protect your legal rights can improve your odds of financial recovery after a wrongful death.
Psychological Trauma
The psychological impact of an accident should not be discounted. The trauma caused by the accident might lead to a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, or anxiety. Any of these diagnoses can manifest as a fear of driving, reduced enjoyment of life, and difficulty maintaining relationships. The emotional trauma might require that you participate in long-term therapeutic treatment and even the need for medication.
Multiple Injuries/ Polytrauma
Some accidents are so severe that the victim might have multiple severe traumas. Multiple injuries increase your risk of complications and infections, which will likely cause significant medical expenses. Polytrauma can lead to a permanent reduction in quality of life.
How Much Is My Injury Claim Worth?
This is an important question. Many injured individuals are aware that they are owed compensation for their injuries and losses. Still, they are uncertain about the amount and how to obtain it. A lawyer works to identify all your losses and hold each potential defendant responsible.
What adds value to your claim depends on the facts of the accident. How did the accident happen? Who was involved? What do you need to be made whole after being injured? A lawyer addresses these questions and calculates your damages appropriately..
Generally, these factors are used to determine the overall value of your injury claim:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity or earning potential
- Psychological or emotional impact of the accident
- Insurance policy limits
Your case deserves a thorough review from a professional to help you determine the estimated value of your accident claim. Speaking with a lawyer is the best way to get an idea about how much your claim is worth.
How Long Do I Have To File an Injury Claim in Florida?
Each state has a set amount of time it allows injury victims to file a claim. This time limit is called the statute of limitations. Failing to file an injury claim before the statute of limitations runs out bars your ability to recover financial compensation for your loss.
Florida generally allows accident victims two years from the date they are injured to settle or file a lawsuit on an accident claim. Your lawyer will help you keep up with important deadlines like the statute of limitations.
Common Challenges Accident Victims Face Without an Attorney?
Accident victims often face challenges if they pursue a claim without a lawyer. It might be tempting to try to handle things yourself, but you deserve professional guidance through this hard time.
Here are some of the most common challenges that accident victims face if they file a claim without an attorney:
- Finding a doctor that is qualified to help with your pain and will understand when the insurance for the other driver does not pay your bill promptly
- Pressure from insurance companies to settle quickly for less
- Challenges in finding potentially responsible defendants and proving fault
- Insurance delays and denials
- Underestimating and undervaluing your injuries and losses
Why Is It Important to Have a Winter Haven Injury Lawyer?
In our opinion, having a local lawyer is essential to the success of your claim. Primarily, you will not need to drive to Tampa or Orlando to see your attorney face to face. Also, a Winter Haven Injury Lawyer should know your autobody repair shops, your doctor, the investigating police department. Most importantly, the insurance company will know that your lawyer is close to the Courthouse where your case will be tried, if the insurance company makes an unacceptable offer.
Hiring a lawyer comes with various benefits. An injury attorney can help you after a serious accident by:
- Investigating the cause of the accident
- Preserve critical evidence
- Negotiate settlements
- Handle insurance claims
- Calculate full damages
- Represent you in court
Injury attorneys can level the playing field in accident cases. In our opinion, unrepresented accident victims can be taken advantage of by large insurance companies. An attorney can protect you from exploitation by insurance companies, defendants, or third parties.
Your lawyer is here to answer your questions throughout the legal process. You do not need to go it alone after an injury. Take advantage of the knowledge and skill of an experienced attorney.
What Should I Look For In an Injury Attorney?
It is important to choose the best lawyer who meets your needs. Consider the following when you decide who represents you in an injury claim.
The Attorney’s Experience
It is important to have an experienced attorney and legal team to support you as you pursue your legal claim. You want an attorney with experience handling cases that are similar to yours. An experienced injury attorney will help you understand state law, local procedures, and insurance rules.
The Attorney’s Track Record
In addition to having an experienced attorney, you want a legal team with a successful track record. Ask any attorney you are considering to share their case results and references with you.
The Attorney’s Skills
Representing an injury victim takes serious skill. You want an attorney with both strong negotiation and trial skills who will serve you throughout your case.
The Attorney’s Communication Style
Communication is essential to a successful injury case. A good communicator will answer your legal questions and make sure you thoroughly understand each step of the legal process.
The Attorney’s Local Knowledge
Having an attorney with experience in the local court system, judges, and other legal professionals might help your case. Knowing the local doctors is also important since the doctors must document your injuries from the trauma.
The Attorney’s Reputation
The lawyer you hire should have a good reputation in the profession and in the community. A strong professional reputation can make all the difference when you are working toward a settlement with the insurance company.
The Attorney’s Compassion and Professionalism
Compassionate service during your legal matter is important. You will want an attorney who makes you feel cared for and who shows genuine concern for your claim.
Your Comfort and Trust in the Attorney
You could be spending a lot of time with your legal team as you pursue compensation after an accident. For this reason, it is advisable to select a lawyer and legal team who are reliable and with whom you can work effectively. The Winter Haven injury attorneys at Howell & Thornhill, P.A. are honored by the over 10,000 Polk County residents that have put their trust in us.
What Types of Injury Cases Do We Handle?
The injury attorneys at Howell & Thornhill, P.A. offer clients representation for various types of injury-causing accidents. We are committed to helping our neighbors get their lives back to normal, even if they are involved in:
- An accident with an impaired driver
- An accident with a distracted driver
- A car, bicycle, motorcycle, or boating accident
- A large commercial truck crash
- A pedestrian accident
- Work injury
- A slip and fall accident
- An animal attack
- Nursing home abuse
- Have a wrongful death claim
We take pride in helping clients and their families manage an often-intimidating legal system to achieve the outcomes they deserve. You deserve an advocate, too.
Contact Our Winter Haven Injury Attorneys Today
We have served our neighbors for decades, so we at Howell & Thornhill, P.A. have the expertise to handle your claim for an injury in Winter Haven, Florida. We want to partner with you as you get your life back. If you have suffered an injury after an accident in Winter Haven, FL, contact our law office today to get started. We got this!