Lakeland Car Accident Lawyer

In the past twenty years, Florida has experienced both explosive population growth and significant expansion of the tourism industry. Both of these factors have been great for the economy and development throughout the state. However, having thousands of additional people here has also led to problems on the roadways, including heavy traffic, more car accidents and increased car accident injuries and fatalities.

Data from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles show that fatalities on our roadways increased by 54%, from 2,400 to 3,707, in the past ten years, and each year, more than 250,000 people are hurt in accidents. Last year in Polk County alone, 9,111 people were injured in crashes and 155 died because of their injuries.

Undoubtedly, car accident injuries can be devastating for the injured victims and their families. If you or a family member suffered injuries in a car accident, you may be facing overwhelming challenges and losses, unsure of what steps to take next. The Lakeland Dennis Hernandez car accident lawyers understand this and want to help. We have helped hundreds of car accident victims throughout Florida and can put our experience and legal expertise to work helping you get the financial compensation you need and deserve.

On this page, we are going to try to answer general questions you may have about Lakeland car accident cases. For specific information about your individual case, please call us at 855-529-3366 or fill in the FREE CASE EVALUATION form on our website. All consultations and advice are free, and you pay nothing until we win your case.

Frequently Asked Questions about Car Accident Cases in Lakeland

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident in Lakeland, you may have many questions and concerns about your future, insurance coverage and lawsuits. On this web page, we have provided answers to common questions about these topics to give you a general understanding of your current situation and legal options. Talking with an experienced Lakeland car accident lawyer is, however, recommended to help you decide on your best course of action.

• Can I Sue for Car Accident Injuries in Lakeland?
• When Can I Sue for Car Accident Injuries in Lakeland?
• Do I Need a Lawyer for a Florida Car Accident Lawsuit in Lakeland?
• Who Can Be Held Liable for My Lakeland Car Accident?
• What Damages Can Be Recoverd with a Florida Car Accident Lawsuit?
• How Much Compensation Can I Receive from a Florida Car Accident Lawsuit?
• What Should I Tell the Insurance Adjuster?
• Should I Accept a Settlement Offer?
• When Should I Contact a Lakeland Car Accident Lawyer?
• How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Lakeland Car Accident Lawyer?
• What Is the Best Way to Choose a Lakeland Car Accident Lawyer?

 

Can I Sue for Car Accident Injuries in Lakeland?

In Florida, motor vehicle operators have to have personal injury protection (PIP) insurance to cover their own accident-related injuries. This insurance covers up to $10,000, but it may not fully pay for injury-related expenses, lost income, or non-economic damages like pain and suffering.

When car accident injuries are serious, the Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law allows accident victims to bring lawsuits to obtain fair compensation for their medical expenses, other economic losses and non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. According to the law, serious injuries are those that are permanent, resulted in disfigurement or scarring or caused the loss of important bodily functions. Examples of injuries that could be considered serious include:

• Traumatic Brain injuries: Car crashes are a major cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). These injuries can cause significant and permanent cognitive and physical disabilities.
• Spinal cord injuries: Spinal cord injuries cause loss of function and/or sensation and can be permanently disabling.
• Broken bones: Broken and fractured bones are very common in car accidents. They can cause pain, affect bodily functions, require surgery or other medical treatments, and cause chronic health problems.
• Neck and back injuries: The sudden impact of a collision can permanently injure the discs in your neck or back. The damage can get worse over time and could necissitate surgeries and other medical treatments.
• Burns: If an accident causes a fire or explosion, people in the vehicles may suffer serious burns. These burns can cause scarring, disfigurement, pain, and/or loss of bodily functions and may require extensive and long-term medical treatments.
• Lost limbs: In severe accidents, victims may lose limbs due to traumatic injury or require amputation because of extensive damage.

If you or a loved one suffered serious injuries in a Lakeland car accident, filing a lawsuit may be necessary to secure fair compensation for medical expenses, lost income, pain, and suffering. An experienced Dennis Hernandez Lakeland car accident lawyer can review what happened in your accident and let you know if you are eligible for this kind of lawsuit.

When Can I Sue for Car Accident Injuries in Lakeland?

If another driver’s negligence or reckless driving caused your car accident, you may have the right to sue for damages. These can include medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and other compensation allowed under Florida law. However, you have to be able to demonstrate negligence on the other driver’s part. That is, you have to be able to show that

• The other driver owed you a duty of care. Anyone operating a motor vehicle in Florida owes those with whom they share the roads a duty of care. They have a legal duty to abide by the state’s traffic laws and drive safely.
• The driver breached this duty of care. If drivers are negligent or reckless, as in speeding, driving while distracted or driving while intoxicated, they have breached their duty of care.
• The breach of duty resulted in your being injured. If a driver’s negligence or recklessness causes an accident that harms you, they can be held liable.
• Because of the harm resulting from the driver’s breach of duty, you suffered damages. Damages resulting from the driver’s negligent or reckless driving can be economic, such as medical expenses and lost income, and non-economic, such as physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, diminished capacity to enjoy life and other damages recoverable under Florida law,

Florida law allows you to sue another driver even if you were partially responsible for the accident. That is, partial fault does not prevent you from recovering damages related to an accident. However, your compensation will be reduced based on your percentage of fault in the accident.

If you are thinking about bringing a car accident lawsuit, you should keep in mind that you must file within a specific time period after the accident. Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a) gives you four years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim if you were injured in an accident and two years to file a wrongful death claim if a loved one was fatally injured.

Do I Need a Lawyer for a Florida Car Accident Lawsuit in Lakeland?

If you suffered serious injuries in a car accident in Lakeland, Florida law allows you to sue the at-fault driver without needing a lawyer. However, an experienced Lakeland car accident attorney can guide you through the legal process and help you secure the full compensation you deserve. However, an experienced Lakeland car accident lawyer can help you navigate the complicated legal process and obtain the full compensation you deserve.

The Dennis Hernandez Lakeland car accident lawyers can answer any questions you have about the process of filing a Florida car accident lawsuit, help you determine the best course of action, given the circumstances of your case, and expertly manage the case through the entire legal process so you can focus on recovering. As your lawyers, we will:

• Review the specific circumstances of your accident and advise you on whether you are eligible to sue for damages.
• Negotiate aggressively with insurance companies on your behalf.
• Amass the evidence needed to show the other driver was negligent.
• Gather the evidence necessary to establish the full value of your damages and support your claim for compensation.
• Advise you on whether you should accept a settlement offer.
• Be fully prepared to go to trial if necessary to secure the full and fair compensation you deserve.
• Protect your rights throughout the entire legal process.
• Keep you informed of progress on your case and respond promptly to any questions about it you may have.

The Dennis Hernandez Lakeland car accident lawyers are here to answer specific questions about your case. Please call us at 855-529-3366  or fill in the FREE CASE EVALUATION form on our website to talk with an experienced attorney. Your consultations with us are free, and you pay nothing until we win your case.

Who Can Be Held Liable for My Lakeland Car Accident?

Liability in car accident cases is based on the concept of negligence. Liability arises when a person fails to exercise reasonable care. In car accidents, negligence often involves violating traffic laws or driving unsafely due to distractions or fatigue.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that the main cause of accidents is risky driving behaviors, including:

• Drunk Driving – responsible for more than 10,000 fatalities a year.
• Drug-impaired Driving – associated with more than 50% of the drivers involved in serious injury accidents.
• Speeding – responsible for almost 9,500 deaths each year.
• Drowsy Driving – responsible for approximately 700 fatalities per year.
• Distracted Driving – responsible for causing more than 3,000 deaths each year.

Some accidents are, however, caused by defective parts in cars and other motor vehicles. In these cases, the vehicle manufacturer, parts manufacturer, or mechanic may be liable if they fail to properly repair or replace a defective part.

If you were partially at fault for the accident, you may still sue for damages. However, your compensation will be reduced based on your percentage of responsibility.

What Damages Can Be Recovered with a Florida Car Accident Lawsuit?

Personal injury lawsuits for Florida car accident injuries enable accident victims to recover damages for the economic and non-economic losses they suffered because of the accident. The specific damages you can claim depend on many factors, such as your physical injuries, healthcare needs, prognosis and the effects of those injuries and needs on your emotional well-being, ability to work, capacity to enjoy life and ability to fulfill your family’s need for companionship, support and guidance.

An experienced Dennis Hernandez Lakeland car accident lawyer can help determine all the damages you may be able to recover. However, in general, Florida accident victims can pursue compensation for the following damages:

• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish, depression, anxiety related to the accident and your injuries
• Diminished capacity to enjoy life
• Property damage
• Lost wages and other income, including diminished earning capacity in the future
• All medical and care expenses, such as hospital stays, surgeries, medication, diagnostic tests, office visits, assistive devices, equipment, rehabilitative therapies and transportation to medical facilities
• Physical impairment, disfigurement or scarring
• Your family’s loss of your guidance, assistance and companionship
• Other damages recoverable under Florida law

How Much Compensation Can I Receive from a Florida Car Accident Lawsuit?

The compensation you can recover with a Florida car accident lawsuit depends many different factors (e.g., Were you partially responsible for the accident? How seriously were you injured? Have you been able to return to work? What kind of medical care will you need in the future?). One of our experienced Lakeland car accident lawyers will be able to assess your medical expenses and need for treatment and care in the future, as well as the effects of your injury on your mental well-being, income and family life. With this assessment, we can determine a fair compensation amount based on all the damages you have suffered.

Our legal team has helped clients throughout Florida win multi-million-dollar awards. We will put our successful experience to work for you, helping you get the full, fair compensation you deserve.

What Should I Tell the Insurance Adjuster?

The other driver’s insurance company will try to talk with you sometime after the accident to ask you about the accident and your injuries. The questions and conversation may seem friendly, but be cautious. The insurance company may use your statements to suggest you were fully or partially at fault for the accident or that your injuries are less severe than you claim. Adjusters and representatives can twist your words to weaken your claim and reduce or deny your compensation.

Having an experienced Lakeland car accident lawyer communicate with the other driver’s insurance company can be very helpful in avoiding problems and miscommunications. We understand insurance company tactics and will negotiate aggressively to secure the full settlement you deserve.

Simply tell insurance company representatives that your attorney will contact them and do not talk with them about the accident. This ensures you won’t have to worry about saying anything that could affect your claim. You can let your lawyer handle everything and negotiate with the insurance company for the full compensation you deserve.

Should I Accept a Settlement Offer?

Insurance companies are in business to make money, so they typically attempt to pay out as little as possible. For car accident victims, this usually means low settlement offers. Unfortunately, car accident victims struggling with bills often feel pressured to accept low settlement offers, even when they don’t fully cover medical expenses.

Our Lakeland car accident attorneys can help you avoid this unfortunate situation. We are skilled negotiators who know how to deal with insurance companies. The companies know that we do not back down until our clients have fair settlements to cover all of their damages. When companies fail to offer a fair settlement, we take the fight to court, fully prepared to win the compensation our clients deserve.

When Should I Contact a Lakeland Car Accident Lawyer?

It is wise to contact an experienced Lakeland car accident lawyer as soon as possible after your accident. You can consult an experienced Dennis Hernandez car accident lawyer for free. Starting early allows your legal team to gather the necessary evidence and build a strong claim.

The Dennis Hernandez legal team has years of experience helping injured clients win the full settlements or awards they deserve. As experienced litigators, we fight relentlessly to achieve the results our clients seek. You won’t pay for our legal services unless we secure the compensation you deserve.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Lakeland Car Accident Lawyer?

Hiring a Lakeland car accident lawyer will not cost you anything. We work on contingency, so you pay nothing unless we secure your compensation. After you are awarded the settlement or court award, we will accept the previously agreed upon fee for representing you.

What Is the Best Way to Choose a Lakeland Car Accident Lawyer?

When selecting a lawyer, you should look for a firm’s experience, successes, commitment to clients and passion for justice. Most law firms will say they provide high quality service and leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of justice, but only a few have the years of experience and record of success Dennis Hernandez does in helping injured clients get the full, fair financial compensation they deserve.

Our lawyers have many years of experience successfully helping injured clients throughout Florida. We communicate often with our clients, answering all of their questions, responding to their concerns and making sure they know about the progress we’re making on their case. With persistence and a commitment to pursuing justice, we have achieved multi-million-dollar awards for our seriously injured clients and will put our experience, commitment and skill to work fighting for the compensation you deserve.

Get High Quality Legal Help after a Lakeland Car Accident Injury

Car accident injuries can be devastating for those injured and their families. Medical treatment and follow-up care, coupled with pain, suffering and the inability to do everything you used to do, can make everyday life difficult. Sadly, your difficulties may be compounded by having to worry about medical bills and insurance forms.

The experienced Dennis Hernandez Lakeland car accident lawyers understand these difficulties and can put your mind at ease. We handle insurance companies, gather crucial evidence to strengthen your case, and fight to secure full compensation for your medical expenses, pain, and losses.

Many personal injury lawyers in Florida try to settle with insurance companies out of court so they do not have to go to trial. Not Dennis Hernandez lawyers! We never back down. We are experienced trial lawyers who will fight for the full compensation you deserve. Partnering with us means getting the powerful representation you need throughout the entire legal process.

Please call us at 855-529-3366 or fill in the FREE CASE EVALUATION form on this page to discuss your case with an experienced Lakeland car accident lawyer and get the advice you need.