Florida Personal Injury Guide
This Florida personal injury guide will teach you about the basics of:
- When you can sue for a personal injury
- The personal injury statute of limitations
- How to pursue the damages you need
- Hiring our Florida personal injury lawyers to manage your case
Can You Sue for a Personal Injury in Florida?
If your personal injury is the result of someone else’s negligence, then yes, you can sue for a personal injury in Florida. Proving negligence means finding evidence that the following four statements all apply to your case:
- The at-fault party had a duty of care to engage in reasonable behavior and avoid being reckless.
- The at-fault party failed in this duty, thus putting others in harm’s way.
- Your accident happened as a direct result of the at-fault party’s negligence.
- Your injuries happened as a direct result of the accident, and you would not have been injured if the accident had not occurred.
How Long After an Accident Can You Sue for Personal Injury in Florida?
You have two years to start your case, according to Florida Statutes § 95.11. Under this law, any legal action not filed within two years of the accident date is probably invalid.
Since the consequences of not meeting this deadline are so harsh, it is a good idea to find a Florida personal injury guide as soon as possible and take swift action to protect your rights. That action should include:
- Getting medical care so your injuries do not get worse and so you have official evidence that proves you were injured
- Preserving any materials you have related to the accident—for example, if you stayed at one of the trauma centers listed by the Florida Department of Health, save the bills they sent you
- Getting in touch with our personal injury law firm so we can educate you about your rights and help you make the right decision for your future and your family
It Is Better to Hire Our Lawyers Sooner Rather Than Later
We encourage you to call our firm as soon as you can. This allows us to protect you right from the start and prevent any mistakes or misunderstandings—including missing legal deadlines—that could delay your settlement.
That said, as long as the statute of limitations has not expired, it is not too late to get legal help. Even if you started your case alone or with another law firm and now want our assistance, we are still available to hear what you have to say.
How Can You Bring a Personal Injury Case in Florida?
First, you (or your personal injury attorney) has to collect evidence to build up your casefile. We use materials like the following to support all aspects of your case:
- Police reports
- Photos
- Video footage
- Medical records
- Eyewitness testimony
- Expert witness testimony
Once we know everything there is to know about your case, we get in touch with the liable party’s insurance company. Assuming that the entity who hurt you is properly insured, it is their insurer—rather than the at-fault party personality—who is responsible for paying your compensation.
How to Negotiate for a Personal Injury Settlement
You can leave the negotiations to us. This process can be long and risky: the insurer will be on the lookout for any missteps from you that could justify lowering their settlement offer. Our law firm seeks to protect clients like you by handling all communications on your behalf. That involves:
- Arranging a time and place to meet with the insurer’s representations (we may meet in person or virtually)
- Fighting hard to persuade the insurer that you have asked for a reasonable settlement
- Pushing back against the insurer’s counterclaims, such as assertions that you caused the accident yourself, that could lower your payout
- Assessing every settlement offer the insurer makes to determine if it is truly fair, i.e., that it will cover everything you have lost, including medical bills, pain and suffering, and property damages
Will Your Personal Injury Case Go to Court in Florida?
Not necessarily. If we can negotiate a fair settlement, you can end your case without the need for a courtroom trial. It is, however, good to know that going to court is an option if the insurance company does not want to negotiate in good faith.
If we do need to go to court, here are the steps we can take:
- Our personal injury lawyers can find out which court holds jurisdiction over your case and file the paperwork with them.
- We can engage in pretrial preparation, such as locating witnesses and selecting a jury.
- We can speak for you in the courtroom, presenting arguments and evidence before a judge and jury.
- If at any time the insurance company decides to offer a fair settlement, our attorneys can listen to what they have to say and let you know if it might be worth going back to the negotiating table.
What Do Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Do?
As described above, we can manage your case on your behalf. This will give you more time to process and recover from your injury and figure out what you want to do next.
In addition to taking care of the daily legal tasks required of your case, our personal injury attorneys can work to put your mind at ease and make this difficult time less stressful for you by:
- Taking the time to educate you about your rights and legal options
- Keeping in touch and updating you about your case on a regular basis
- Giving you time and space to recover from your injury and figure out how to get your life back on track
- Providing a professional legal perspective on an emotional and upsetting topic
Our Law Firm Can Guide Your Florida Personal Injury Case
Meldon Law won’t back down in the face of a challenge. If you want a Florida personal injury guide to help you with your case so that you can focus on feeling better, call our firm today. We offer free case reviews and will work on contingency, so you pay nothing unless we win.
