Accidents caused by negligence can inflict devastating physical injuries, cause significant emotional distress, create substantial financial hardship, and negatively impact a person’s overall quality of life. Victims of personal injury accidents could receive compensation to help them recover from the financial, physical, and emotional consequences of their injuries.
A Sanford personal injury lawyer at our firm helps you understand your legal options if you suffered harmed by an individual or company’s negligence. The attorneys at Colling Gilbert Wright work as tireless legal advocates, guiding you through the complexities of the legal process and representing you in all aspects of negotiations with insurance companies.
What Are the Common Types of Personal Injury Cases?
Our personal injury attorneys in Sanford could assist you with a wide range of cases involving injuries caused by another party’s negligence or intentional actions. This can include personal injury incidents such as:
- Car, boat, or motorcycle accidents due to drunk driving, distracted driving, operator inattention and experience, excessive speed, or other negligent driving behaviors
- Pedestrian and bicycle accidents caused by at-fault drivers who fail to observe their duty of care
- Slip and fall accidents occurring on both public and private property due to hazards such as wet floors, uneven surfaces, or poor lighting
- Dog bites that occur in a public place or on private property, which can result in the dog owner being held strictly liable for the victim’s injuries
- Medical malpractice leading to injuries from negligence by health care professionals, including misdiagnosis, surgical errors, or medication errors
- Product liability stemming from a defective product that causes injury, in which case the manufacturer, designer, or seller can be held liable
- Workplace injuries, which fall under workers’ compensation, but may also involve a third party in the personal injury claim
- Burn injuries resulting from accidents, fires, or exposure to hazardous substances caused by a person or company’s negligence
Wrongful death claims filed by family members when a loved one dies due to another party’s negligence also fall under personal injury. Most personal injury cases rely on proving that the other party failed to act with reasonable care, causing your injury. If someone else’s actions caused you harm, a personal injury lawyer could help you understand your rights and pursue compensation for your losses.
How Can Victims Get Compensation for Injuries Caused by Negligence?
Victims of negligence in Sanford should consult with our attorneys about pursuing compensation through a personal injury claim. To be successful in this type of claim, you must prove several elements of negligence.
First, you must demonstrate that the at-fault party owed you a duty of care, meaning the individual or entity had a legal obligation to act reasonably toward you. Second, you must prove that the other party failed to uphold that duty of care, acting negligently. Finally, you need to show that the negligent act directly caused your injuries and resulting damages.
Recoverable damages could be both economic and non-economic. Economic damages are quantifiable losses, such as medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. Non-economic damages refer to subjective losses such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In cases of extreme misconduct, such as intentional harm or gross negligence, you may receive punitive damages, which are meant to punish the at-fault party and deter similar behavior.
Florida operates under a pure comparative negligence rule. This means that even if you are partially at fault for your injuries, you may still recover damages, but the amount will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
Understanding the Personal Injury Claims Process
When you hire us to pursue an injury claim, our first task is to investigate the circumstances. We review the information you provide us, like your story about what happened, your medical records, and perhaps a police report if you were hurt in a car accident. Then we look for indicators that someone was negligent and their negligence caused the incident.
This phase of the investigation may take some time and require input from professionals outside our firm. Depending on the type of case, we may work with private investigators, medical professionals, engineers, and accident reconstruction experts. Once we have evidence that a specific party’s negligence led directly to your injuries, we contact them and begin negotiations for appropriate compensation.
In almost every case, negotiations will lead to a successful conclusion and a fair settlement. However, our Sanford injury attorneys are skillful litigators. When necessary, we will take a case to trial if that is the best way to obtain fair compensation for you.
What to Do After an Accident Caused by Someone Else
Sometimes an injured person’s conduct after an accident or injury has a big impact on their legal claim. It might be impossible to keep calm and do all the right things in the heat of the moment, but even just avoiding certain actions can strengthen your case.
If you are conscious and able to move around safely after the incident, take photos or video of the accident scene if you can. Make a written note or voice recording documenting the circumstances, including the date and time, the weather if the accident happened outdoors, and the circumstances surrounding the incident as they appear to you.
Always accept ambulance transport if it is offered, even if you do not feel you are badly hurt. In other cases, go to an emergency room, urgent care center, or your personal physician as quickly as possible, preferably within 24 hours. Doing so protects your health, but also strengthens your legal claim by tying the accident to your injuries.
Strictly Limit Communication
Be very careful about discussing the incident with other involved parties, or even friends and family. Never admit to any part in the accident, except when speaking with your attorney. Do not give a recorded statement to an insurance company before speaking with an attorney, and avoid posting about the incident on social media.
Contact a Lawyer Right Away
When you have an accident, the other party will likely report it to their insurance company immediately. The company’s investigators and adjusters will immediately begin working to limit the company’s liability. If you wait to contact a DeLand accident attorney, our investigators will be at a disadvantage. We can still build a strong case. But there is no reason to give the negligent party a head start.
Get Help From a Personal Injury Attorney in Sanford
Insurance companies often prioritize their own financial interests and may try to minimize or deny claims. A Sanford personal injury lawyer at our firm could advocate for your best interests and fight for a fair settlement with the insurance company. If you are unable to reach a settlement, the attorneys at The Florida Firm Injury and Accident Lawyers could represent you in court to secure the compensation you deserve.
Attorneys and clients across the state trust us to advocate for full and fair financial recovery for injury victims, and we receive most of our cases from past clients or other firms. Recent settlements and verdicts won for our clients include $200 million in a fungal meningitis outbreak case, $20 million for a quadriplegic client against an underinsured drunk driver, $16 million in a worksite explosion case, and $7.5 million against a pediatrician for failure to diagnose and treat a heart condition.
Please call today to schedule your free consultation.
FAQs
How long will it take before I receive compensation?
Unfortunately, probably longer than you would like. A simple case might settle in three to six months. One to two years is more common for cases that involve liability disputes, multiple defendants, or catastrophic injuries. If we must go to trial, it could be several years before we reach a resolution.
I cannot work and need money now—what can I do?
Colling Gilbert Wright has a team of staff whose job is to offer support while you wait for your case to conclude. We can negotiate payment terms with your creditors and medical providers, help you apply for disability benefits, and connect you with other resources that could be available to you.
What if I have no money for a lawyer?
You do not need money to work with us. The initial consultation is free, and we handle all expenses while your case is ongoing. We take our fees and expenses off the top of any verdict or settlement we obtain for you. If we fail, you do not owe us anything.