If you became involved in a car accident in Jacksonville, you joined the ranks of the more than 24,000 people who annually crash their cars in Duval County, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV).
The aftermath of a car accident can turn your life upside down in an instant. The activities you used to enjoy and take for granted, such as walking or bicycling, might have become a struggle.
You may have to undergo numerous surgeries or months of therapy or chiropractic treatment. Even if all goes well, you may never make a full recovery. You may suffer from limited mobility and chronic pain for the rest of your life.
The accident may have left you unable to work. Although you may return to work sometime in the future, doctors may have told you that you cannot work as many hours as you previously did, or you cannot complete all the tasks you used to perform. You may have to take on a different role at the same company, or you may have to look for employment elsewhere, perhaps starting over and learning an unrelated occupation.
With medical bills piling up, your family might now struggle to cover everyday necessities, such as housing and groceries. You may have used up your emergency fund and now wonder what you can do to stay afloat.
One option available to you is to call a Jacksonville car accident lawyer who can seek justice and compensation for you. Ben Crump Law, PLLC, has represented clients in Florida and across the United States. We could file a personal injury lawsuit against the party who caused the collision. Call our office today at (844) 730-0233 to speak with a member of our staff.
Florida Laws on Compensation for Car Accidents
Florida is a “no-fault” insurance state. That means you will have to seek compensation for your losses by filing a claim with your insurance company under your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, even if the other driver caused the collision. If you have serious injuries that meet the criteria set out in Florida Statutes §627.737 or your damages exceed your PIP coverage limits, you could seek additional compensation by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver.
PIP coverage does not compensate victims for pain and suffering. If you file a personal injury lawsuit, you might recover a financial award for those types of damages if you suffered severe injuries, in addition to compensation for medical expenses and lost income.
For a free legal consultation with a car accidents lawyer serving Jacksonville, call (844) 730-0233
Determining Liability After a Car Accident
Sometimes, it is obvious which party has responsibility for a car crash. Suppose the other driver was speeding, texting behind the wheel, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, or acting in another dangerous or reckless manner. In that case, a court could find that individual liable for an accident, and seeking compensation may be straightforward.
However, things are not always so clear cut. The other driver may have violated a traffic law, but you may have also done something that contributed to the accident. For instance, the other driver may have gone over the speed limit, but you may have changed lanes without signaling or made a left-hand turn when the other motorist had the right-of-way.
Under those types of circumstances, both you and the other driver may share liability for the crash. In those situations, you could still recover a financial award to compensate you for your losses. Florida Statutes §768.81 establishes the pure comparative negligence system the state uses to address these sorts of situations. You can receive compensation, regardless of your amount of liability. The court will reduce any financial award you would have received if you had not shared any blame for the accident by your percentage of responsibility.
An investigation could also find that a third party might have responsibility for your accident. For example, the collision may have occurred because a design flaw or manufacturing defect rendered a vehicle unsafe. In that case, you could hold the company that built the car liable.
Another example involves when a mechanic performs a repair to make a vehicle unsafe to drive. They may have made a mistake, or a part they used to fix a car may have failed because it contained a design flaw or defect. Under those circumstances, you could hold the mechanic or part manufacturer liable for the crash.
A Jacksonville car accident lawyer has handled hundreds of cases and understands everything that could determine liability. Call Ben Crump Law, PLLC, today to learn more.
Jacksonville Car Accident Lawyer Near Me (844) 730-0233
How a Jacksonville Car Accident Lawyer Can Help You
The team at Ben Crump Law, PLLC, can investigate to determine liability for the collision. We can review the police report and any video of the accident that may exist. We can also interview you, any passengers in the car with you at the time of the collision, and witnesses who saw the crash. If we suspect that a design flaw, manufacturing defect, or faulty repair may have played a role in the accident, we could consult independent experts to gather more information.
If you suffered severe enough injuries that you can seek compensation outside the no-fault system, we could file a personal injury lawsuit against the party liable for the collision. We may seek a financial award to cover your medical bills, lost income, repair bills, and pain and suffering.
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Contact a Jacksonville Car Accident Lawyer Today
You have only four years to file a personal injury lawsuit per Florida Statutes §95.11(3)(a). If you do not take legal action within the statute of limitations, the court might bar you from suing for compensation, even if you have a valid claim.
Four years might seem like a lot of time, but a Jacksonville car accident lawyer might need several months to conduct a thorough investigation. Once they have done that, they will need to file a lawsuit, which could take months or years to come before a court. During that period, an attorney can negotiate with insurance adjusters and defense counsel, fighting for the justice and compensation you deserve. In the meantime, the bills for medical treatments, housing, utilities, and other expenses might continue to pile up as you remain unable to return to work.
The sooner you contact Ben Crump Law, PLLC, the sooner we can begin working on your case. Call our office today at (844) 730-0233 to speak with a member of our staff.
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