It’s possible that you don’t think you require a Melbourne car accident lawyer or personal injury lawyer if you’ve been involved with a car accident or around Melbourne, Florida. You may perhaps be feeling confident in your ability to handle the case on your own. Even though it is possible to manage the case by yourself but you’ll miss out on some great benefits from having a Melbourne lawyer who handles car accidents for you.

A Florida attorney for automobile accidents is an expert in this area. After years of training, attorneys can apply their knowledge in real-life situations which often involve hundreds or thousands of similar cases. That kind of experience is impossible for anyone who is not experienced to duplicate and brings with it tremendous advantages. They can comprehend the ins and outs of a complex process that Melbourne personal injury lawyers manage.

A reputable personal injury law firm will be able to assist you, as well as you find a Melbourne attorney for car accidents. But understand that you should be sure to hire an expert who can assist you in helping take some of the burdens off of your shoulders. An experienced car accident lawyer will assist you, without having to remember deadlines, file documents, respond to requests and deal with adjusters and insurance companies.

Hiring a Melbourne personal injury attorney means that someone else is responsible for organizing every aspect of the claim process, freeing you up to heal from your injury and get on with your life.

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What Should You Do Following a Car Accident?

Law firms that specialize in personal injury handle automobile accidents daily. As you can see, accidents happen in Florida every day. Before you call a Melbourne car accident lawyer, you need to decide if you should seek medical attention if you’ve been in a car crash in Melbourne, Florida.

Seek Medical Care

If the accident was all serious, and you have even the slightest chance of being injured in some way, you should immediately seek medical care. This is vitally important because of many reasons. First, seeking treatment promptly can increase your chances of avoiding injuries and recovering faster.

It also records your injuries immediately leaving a trail of paper that could prove helpful in the future. Finally, it prevents the other driver or the insurance company from claiming that your injuries occurred later or were caused by anything other than the vehicle accident.

If your accident was not sufficient to warrant visiting an emergency room, there are still other ways you can help prepare for a possible future claim for a car accident.

Exchange Contact and Insurance Information

The first step is to exchange information and contact details with the driver who was at fault. It is important to exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver.

This will allow your insurance company to have an injury report. This can help both you and your attorney determine whom to call. It’s also essential to get the contact details of anyone who might have been present during the scene of the accident. If there is ever a dispute about what happened, these people may help.

Take Photos

Take photos of both the cars and the accident scene if you can. You should also make a note of any details that you’ll remember as soon as the accident occurs. If the driver in the other vehicle was distracted or on a cellphone, they were speeding, or if the weather was not ideal, all these details might be important later on but are easily overlooked after the chaos of an accident. It’s a good idea to write down as much information as you can after an accident.

Many people believe that pictures are worth 1000 words or more. If the crash is disputed, perhaps the other side claims it wasn’t as serious as you claim photographs can be a great option to settle the dispute. Showing photographic proof of a crushed vehicle tells jurors and judges all they have to know about how serious an accident is. Photographs can also be used to illustrate the extent of injuries. This allows people to understand how badly someone was hurt immediately.

If you can, try and take some photographs of the accident and give them to your lawyer in the future. Photograph your car with your smartphone or camera and capture photos as you go. Making a few photos of the other car(s) involved in the crash can also be useful as can more general pictures of the area of the accident.

However, remember that safety is much more important than memorializing the crash. Don’t get out of your vehicle and snap pictures if it isn’t safe to do so since it could cause a serious accident much much worse.

How Is Fault Established in a Florida Car Crash?

It is essential to realize that, if you are involved in a Melbourne crash, Florida handles car accident cases differently than most other states. In actual fact, Florida is one of just 12 states that have no-fault auto insurance laws. These laws, implemented in the early 1970s, were designed to make it faster and more efficient to collect damages after a car accident.

The law requires all drivers in Florida to buy Personal Injury Protection (also called “PIP”) that covers medical expenses loss of wages, funeral expenses, and other associated costs, regardless of who was responsible for the crash. This means your insurance company has to compensate you for your losses, regardless of who was at fault.

Melbourne car accident lawyer

What Factors Affect the Value of a Car Accident Claim?

For each Melbourne car accident injury lawyer this is a frequent question and, in actuality, all lawyers who handle auto accident cases, in general, will be asked this question. A lot of people who have been injured in car accidents want to know how valuable their case may be. It’s difficult to answer this question in a general manner as each instance will be different.

However, there are some categories of harm that decide the final value of a car accident case and, understanding the details of these categories will allow a lawyer to give you a better estimation of what your case may be worth. These include medical bills, future medical costs and lost wages/time off work loss of earning capacity in the future, and suffering and pain.

In determining the amount of any settlement you might be entitled to,  there are certain elements to take into consideration. They will consider your injuries as well as the circumstances of the accident, your responsibility level as well as your work history and the ability you have to earn a living, and your lifestyle and life expectation.

These are just a few of the factors that go into the complicated set of elements being considered when deciding how the amount of compensation to award in a Florida car accident case. A Melbourne lawyer for car accidents can be invaluable.

How Soon Will a Melbourne Car Accident Lawyer Settle Your Case?

This is yet another difficult issue to be answered without knowing the specifics of your case. A Melbourne car accident lawyer may not know how long it will take. Because each case is different and will be based on your actions along with the insurance adjusters, as well as the opposing party. Many other unidentified factors could cause delays to your claim or speed it up. Most car accident claims are completed in only a few months but in the event of a trial could take many years.

What Happens If a Car Accident Case Is Brought to Court?

Many believe that all cases involving car accidents will be decided by the judge or jury. This is something that many people are worried about and would prefer not to. What’s the good thing about cases involving car accidents in Melbourne is that they’re almost completely settled before trial. Many cases are settled via negotiations, which could save both sides time and money.

This means that only a small percentage of claims ever need to be presented before the judge. However, it is impossible to determine which claims will be brought to the court. This is the reason it is so important to find a Melbourne attorney for car accidents that you trust regardless of whether your dispute ends up as a negotiated settlement, or in front of an attorney.

What Is the Time Limit to Submit a Melbourne Car Accident Claim?

Unfortunately, victims of car accidents do not have an unlimited amount of recovery and healing time before they decide which way to pursue their claim. The reason for this is that car accident claims are dependent on a specific state law that limits the time a person has before they are unable to claim damages. The law is known as the statute of limitations and it restricts how long a person can wait to file suit when they’ve been injured.

There isn’t one universal statute of limitations. It varies depending on the place you live and what type of injury you suffer. In Florida, personal injury claims against the other party responsible for the accident must be brought within four years from the date of the injury. Individuals have four years after the date of injury to bring uninsured/underinsured claims against their own insurance company. Contact a Melbourne car accident lawyer to learn more.

Contact a Melbourne Car Accident Attorney Today

If you need help after being involved in a car accident, contact the Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Coalition Fort Lauderdale at (786) 686-2857 today for a free consultation. There are many crucial decisions to make soon. Our Melbourne car accident lawyers are here to help you.

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You can rely on our experience to help you through each step of the claims process.