Why You Should Always Talk to a Lawyer After Suffering Injuries in a Car Accident

If you’re like most people who have been injured in a car accident, you have lots of questions. One of these questions might be: Should you hire a Florida car accident lawyer to represent you?

Any time you are dealing with an accident-related injury, it is important to have an experienced Florida car accident lawyer on your side. Here are seven reasons why you should always talk to a lawyer after suffering injuries in a car accident in Florida:

Reason #1: The Costs Associated with Traumatic Injuries Can Add Up Quickly

Under Florida law, car accident victims who suffer significant and permanent injuries can file claims to recover full compensation for their accident-related losses. This includes their medical bills and lost wages (among other losses we discuss below).

The financial costs associated with traumatic injuries can add up very quickly—and they can easily exceed what most people can afford. In a typical scenario, a car accident victim’s financial costs will include:

• Medical bills for emergency care
• Medical bills for surgery and other forms of treatment
• Medical bills for inpatient or outpatient care
• Prescriptions, medical supplies, and other necessary purchases
• Loss of income and benefits

Regardless of whether you have health insurance, you could find yourself facing significant out-of-pocket losses in the immediate aftermath of your car accident. If you hire an experienced Florida car accident lawyer to represent you, your lawyer will be able to assist with keeping track of these costs and making sure you are seeking the full reimbursement to which you are legally entitled.

Reason #2: Your Costs Could Also Continue Adding Up for a Very Long Time

Not only can the costs of a car accident add up quickly, but they can also continue adding up for a very long time. If you suffered significant or permanent injuries in the crash, you could be facing long-term costs including:

• Future medical care
• Ongoing physical and occupational therapy
• Ongoing psychological therapy or mental health care
• Ongoing medication and medical supply needs
• Loss of future earnings

If your car accident is likely to have long-term or permanent effects, your future costs could far exceed your costs to date. This is common in serious car accident cases, and we regularly represent accident victims who need to ensure that they have the financial resources they will need for the future.

While car accident victims are clearly entitled to just compensation for their future costs under Florida law, recovering compensation for these costs presents unique challenges. To recover compensation for your future costs, you must be able to both: (i) prove that you are likely to incur these costs; and, (ii) prove how much you deserve to recover now so that you will be able to cover these costs in the years (or decades) ahead. Once you hire an experienced Florida car accident lawyer to represent you, your lawyer will be able to take all of the steps that are necessary to prove your future accident-related financial losses.

Reason #3: Traumatic Injuries Can Also Have Significant Non-Financial Consequences

Along with financial costs, traumatic injuries suffered can also have significant non-financial consequences. If you have a claim for your car accident, you may be entitled to just compensation for the non-financial consequences of the accident as well. This could include your:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional trauma and post-traumatic stress
• Permanent scarring or disfigurement (i.e., severe burns or loss of a limb)
• Loss of consortium and companionship
• Loss of enjoyment of life

But, here too, it is up to you to prove the losses you are entitled to recover. Proving the non-financial consequences of a serious car accident presents unique challenges as well; and, without evidence, you won’t be able to collect the financial compensation you deserve. An experienced Florida car accident lawyer will be able to assist with preparing the evidence you need, and then your lawyer will be able to use this evidence to negotiate for a fair settlement on your behalf.

Reason #4: You May Be Able to File a Fault-Based Insurance Claim for Full Compensation

Florida is a “no fault” auto insurance state. This means that, in most cases, car accident victims must rely on their own auto insurance to cover their accident-related losses. This involves filing a personal injury protection (PIP) claim, and PIP only covers a portion of your medical expenses and lost wages.

But, there is one major exception: Florida’s “no fault” auto insurance law does not apply in cases involving significant or permanent injuries.

As a result, if you suffered significant or permanent injuries in your car accident, you can file a fault-based claim for full compensation. However, this is not an easy process. Proving fault requires a prompt and thorough investigation; and, as we discussed above, you must be able to prove all of the financial and non-financial losses you are entitled to recover. An experienced Florida car accident lawyer will be able to determine if you are eligible to file a claim outside of PIP—and, if you are, your lawyer will be able to take all of the steps that are necessary to seek the full compensation you deserve.

Reason #5: The Insurance Companies Will Always Put Their Best Interests First

When you are facing the consequences of a serious car accident, you need to know that you are making informed decisions. This means that you need to be able to rely on the advice of someone who has your best interests in mind.

Unfortunately, the insurance companies will not put your best interests first. Whether you have a “no fault” claim or a fault-based claim for full compensation, the insurance companies will be focused on paying as little as possible. If you hire a Florida car accident lawyer to represent you, your lawyer will be working to maximize your financial recovery, and your lawyer will deal with the insurance companies’ tactics on your behalf.

Reason #6: You Only Get One Chance to Seek the Compensation You Deserve

Some people assume that they can try to file an insurance claim on their own, and then they can hire a lawyer to help them if they get stuck. Unfortunately, this generally is not the case. After a car accident, it is critical to quickly preserve the available evidence before it disappears. If you wait too long to hire a lawyer, your lawyer won’t be able to gather the evidence he or she needs, and this means your lawyer won’t be able to fight for the financial compensation you deserve.

Similarly, if you settle your claim before you talk to a lawyer, you won’t be able to go back and ask for more. You only get one chance to seek the compensation you deserve—and this fact alone makes it well worth putting an experienced lawyer on your side.

Reason #7: It Costs Nothing Out-of-Pocket to Hire a Florida Car Accident Lawyer

Finally, if you decide to hire a lawyer to handle your car accident claim, you will not have to pay anything out-of-pocket for your legal representation. In this scenario, you can hire a lawyer to represent you on a contingency-fee basis. This means that you will not pay any up-front costs or fees, and you will not pay anything unless your lawyer helps you recover just compensation for your accident-related losses.

Schedule a Free Consultation with an Experienced Florida Car Accident Lawyer at Searcy Denney

Since it costs nothing out-of-pocket to hire a Florida car accident lawyer, you have no reason not to seek experienced legal representation. To get started with a free, no-obligation consultation, call us at 800-780-8607 or tell us how we can contact you online now.