Florida Car Accident Lawyers
Florida Car Accident Lawyers
Car accidents are one of the leading causes of accidental deaths and injuries in the United States of America. Hundreds of people die or get injured in car accidents every year in the State of Florida alone.
These accidents can be devastating personal and family experiences. They cause people to lose their limbs, their ability to work and even their lives. The economic and mental consequences of these losses are borne not only by the persons involved in these accidents but also by their dependants and loved ones.
These crashes are caused by a multitude of factors such as negligence, defects and lack of maintenance. Under the Florida State law, all of these reasons validate a lawsuit and entitle the victim to compensation.
Accidents due to defect(s) in the vehicle are quite common. Faulty door latches often contribute to worsening an accident. In most cases they fail to properly secure the door of the vehicle and as a result a passenger or the driver may be ejected out of the car during the accident.
Faulty tires can also cause accidents. Defective or badly repaired tires can burst on road and cause accidents. Poor maintenance and repair are more often the reason behind these accidents than manufacturing defects. However, there have been cases where the tire manufacturer has been at fault.
Manufacturers are often the ones to blame in car crashes when it is a question of the vehicle’s inherent stability and safety. This a core issue with SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles) that are notorious for rollovers. Although other cars rollover as well, SUVs are the most likely to do this. This is because of the inherent stability issues of the design that are often ignored by the manufacturers. Manufacturers are also to blame when it comes to post-accidents fires that are fed by the fuel from the car itself. This situation is caused by badly designed fuel systems within the cars that cause the fuel to leak when the car is involved in a high-speed collision or rollover.
Driver negligence is still the leading cause of car accidents in the country. There are thousands of cases of hit and run, drunken driving and DUI in the country each year. The State of Florida has stringent laws in place that define these situations and the related proceedings. However, when two parties are clearly involved in causing an accident, the factors and the establishment of causation becomes much more complicated in legal terms.
For those who want to establish a claim against a party that they believe to be at fault, it is important to establish the negligence of that party. Once this negligence has been established, the claimant must show that significant damage has been caused. As discussed at the beginning, damages are not only economic but also emotional in nature.
The extent of the damage may be calculated by the medical expenses incurred, the number of working days lost and by damage to property. It may also be calculated on terms of death, debilitation, etc. However, the compensation awarded to the claimant may be reduced under certain situations.
The compensation awarded by the court may be adjusted against any amount received by the plaintiff by way of insurance in case the insurance claim was related to the case. For example, if the plaintiff has received insurance money for property damage related to the accident being tried, that amount will be deducted from the total compensation being claimed.
The court will also reduce the amount that the claimant will receive if the defending party can prove that the claimant was partially responsible for the accident. This is called ‘comparative negligence’ and this is calculated as a percentage.
The State of Florida has a ‘no-fault’ law in place that ensures insurance payment for non-economic loss regardless of whose fault it was. This kind of insurance can be claimed when there has been significant and permanent damage caused to a person.
The scope of the responsibility of a vehicle also lies with the owner of the vehicle and hence he can be sued. However, there are certain situations under which the actual owner of the vehicle is rendered immune to the lawsuit.
Once there has been an accident, all parties involved have only four years to file a lawsuit. Once this four-year term is over, no one is allowed to take any legal action regarding the accident. Hence, it is of utmost importance that you talk to Florida car accident lawyers as soon as an accident has occurred.
Studies show that plaintiffs have a significantly higher rate of success when they work with Florida car accidents attorneys from the very beginning. The Florida auto accident attorneys at FloridaInjuriesLawyers.com have extensive experience and have successfully handled a number of difficult accident cases.
FloridaInjuriesLawyers.com provides you with free information from top Florida Auto accident lawyers whenever you need it. Call (888) 338-3643 right now for your free consultation. Make sure to call again if you do not get through the first time.
