Being involved in a car accident can leave you grappling with physical injuries, emotional trauma, and financial strain for weeks, months, or even years following the collision. For those who have lost a loved one under such tragic circumstances, the grief can endure for a lifetime. In the aftermath of a West Palm Beach car accident, it can be difficult to know what steps to take to pursue compensation from the party responsible for the accident. The most important step you can take is to consult with an experienced West Palm Beach car accident lawyer.
Whether you are an injured party or a surviving family member coping with the aftermath of a fatal accident, you may be entitled to compensation from those responsible for the crash. We understand that navigating the aftermath of a car accident can be overwhelming, especially if you are focused on ascertaining medical care, struggling with emotional trauma, or processing the loss of a family member. The prospect of taking legal action may seem daunting; however, you may be entitled to compensation that will ultimately help you recover physically, emotionally, and financially. Working with an experienced West Palm Beach injury lawyer at Demand the Limits is the best way to ensure that the at-fault party (or parties) is held accountable and that you are justly compensated for all your injuries.
How Do I Know If Another Party Is Legally Responsible for My Injuries?
A West Palm Beach car accident can leave a victim with serious, even life-altering physical and psychological injuries as well as result in financial hardship for a victim and his or her entire family. If you were injured in a car accident, how do you know if another party is legally responsible for your injuries? While we often refer to a collision as a car “accident,” crashes frequently result from negligent behavior on the part of one or more parties. Negligence, in legal terms, occurs when a party owed you a duty of care, breached that duty, and caused your injuries or losses because of that breach.
Sometimes, a driver’s negligent conduct is relatively apparent, such as when a motorist is driving while under the influence or admits to texting while driving. Other times, the issue of fault in a West Palm Beach car accident is less obvious. One of the many benefits of working with an experienced West Palm Beach car accident lawyer is that your lawyer can evaluate the circumstances surrounding your accident and identify the potentially negligent parties.
What Happens If I Contributed to Causing a West Palm Beach Car Accident?
In some instances, multiple parties may share blame for an accident. You may have even contributed to the accident in which you were injured. This does not necessarily impede legal recourse. In Florida, the comparative fault doctrine allows injured parties to seek compensation as long as their share of fault is below 50 percent. If you shared in the fault for an accident, however, your compensation may be reduced according to your degree of fault. For example, if you are determined to be 25 percent at fault in an accident, and you have damages amounting to $100,000, your award or settlement would be reduced by 25 percent, meaning you would collect $75,000 in damages.
Does Florida’s No-Fault Insurance Law Impact My West Palm Beach Car Accident?
Like many states, Florida is a “no-fault” insurance state. Florida’s no-fault insurance law requires all drivers to carry a minimum of $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance which covers an insured’s medical bills and lost wages up to $10,000 without regard to who was at fault in a car accident. If you were injured in a West Palm Beach car accident, you are restricted to pursuing compensation through a PIP claim with your own insurance company unless you meet the law’s “serious injury” threshold. If your injuries qualify as any of the following, you can leave the no-fault system and pursue a traditional personal injury lawsuit:
- Significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function.
- Permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability.
- Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement.
- Death.
What Kind of Compensation Am I Entitled to for My West Palm Beach Car Accident Injuries?
As the injured victim in a West Palm Beach car accident, you could be entitled to both economic and non-economic damages from the at-fault party or parties. Economic damages are aimed at compensating an injured party for the objective, easy-to-quantify expenses associated with an injury, while non-economic damages are intended to compensate a victim for the more subjective, difficult-to-quantify injuries suffered in an accident. Collectively, your economic and non-economic damages might compensate for things such as:
- Vehicle repairs
- Doctor and hospital expenses
- Rehabilitation and other care costs
- Lost income (past and future)
- Diminished earning capacity
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
- Mental anguish
Get Help from an Experienced West Palm Beach Car Accident Lawyer
If you were involved in a West Palm Beach car accident, you may have sustained physical injuries and emotional trauma as well as financial devastation. An experienced West Palm Beach car accident lawyer at Demand the Limits can review the details of your case, including the circumstances surrounding the accident, and help ensure that you receive the maximum compensation available for all your injuries.
At Demand the Limits, we understand how a car accident can dramatically change your life and the lives of your family members. We are dedicated to helping injured victims recover physically, emotionally, and financially and to ensuring that those parties responsible for causing an accident are held accountable. Our experienced West Palm Beach injury lawyers have extensive experience with all types of car accident cases. We fight hard to defend the legal rights of all West Palm Beach injury victims. Call (561) 600-3555 or contact us online to schedule your free case evaluation. Don’t delay – the sooner you have an attorney fighting for you, the better protected your legal rights will be.
