Inverness, the seat of Citrus County, is home to a number of historic buildings and cultural institutions, and with a population of only 7,200, it offers the charm of small-town living. Located on the western shore of Tsala Apopka and Henderson lakes, it’s a haven for those who enjoy biking, boating and fishing, but those pleasurable activities aren’t without risk. If you’ve been injured by someone’s carelessness, you can trust Largey Law Firm to fight for the compensation you need for medical expenses, lost wages and other losses.
Getting hurt in an accident is stressful and disruptive. Healing from your injuries might take time, and you might be unable to work while recovering. You could have extra expenses and less money to pay them. If another party’s carelessness or recklessness contributed to your injuries, you could bring a claim for damages. A negligent party has a legal obligation to compensate you for your losses, including the inconvenience, pain, and trauma an accident caused.
An Inverness personal injury lawyer could review your case, identify the negligent parties, and help you hold them accountable. It is critical to reach out to a capable legal professional as soon as possible after your accident to protect your rights.
What is the Personal Injury Lawsuit Process?
If another party’s negligence was a factor in an accident that caused injuries, a careless party (defendant) owes damages to an injured party (plaintiff). In most cases, a defendant’s insurance company pays a plaintiff for their losses.
Investigation
A legal representative’s first job is to investigate an accident to determine how it happened and identify potentially accountable parties. Often, an investigation reveals several parties who may have legal responsibility for a plaintiff’s injuries.
For example, if a plaintiff suffered severe injuries in a car accident with a drunk driver, the driver is negligent and responsible for a plaintiff’s damages. The state has a dram shop law, therefore, depending on the circumstances, a person or establishment who provided a drunk driver with alcohol could also be liable. A manufacturer might have some responsibility if either party’s car malfunctioned and contributed to a crash. If poor lighting or road marking had a role in an incident, the town where a collision occurred might be liable. If an emergency room physician did not provide adequate care, a plaintiff could have a medical malpractice claim against a doctor and hospital.
With the help of a knowledgeable attorney in Inverness, personal injury plaintiffs must prove these four elements to hold a defendant accountable:
- Duty of care — The defendant had a duty to avoid the action or inaction that caused the plaintiff harm.
- Breach of duty — The defendant failed in that duty of care.
- Causation — Whatever the defendant did or didn’t do directly caused the plaintiff’s injuries.
- Damages — The plaintiff suffered an injury or other recognized loss.
When an attorneys files a claim, they ensure legal requirements are met to prove the defendant’s liability.
Demand and Negotiations
Once legal counsel identifies the potentially negligent parties and collects evidence proving negligence, they will send them demand letters asserting a plaintiff’s claim for damages. An insurance company usually makes a low initial offer, and negotiations begin. Insurers often claim that a person’s conduct caused an accident, and a defendant should not pay for a plaintiff’s recklessness.
Florida Statutes §768.81 allows injured people who were negligent to collect damages from other careless parties who contributed to their accident. However, an injured person cannot collect full damages if they were partially responsible. Much of the negotiations will center on how much responsibility each party has for an accident to determine the percentage of a plaintiff’s damages each party should pay.
Settlement or Trial
Almost all negligence actions and medical malpractice cases settle before a trial. The parties negotiate a fair monetary settlement under the circumstances, and a plaintiff signs a release agreeing not to sue in return for the payment.
However, in some cases, one or more parties might refuse to negotiate in good faith or be unwilling to offer a reasonable settlement. In such cases, a seasoned attorney in Inverness could vigorously advocate for a plaintiff at a personal injury trial.
Calculating Damages in an Injury Case
People often underestimate the cost of their injuries, making them vulnerable to accepting low offers from insurance companies. A personal injury lawyer could help an injured person in Inverness document their losses and demand adequate compensation.
Damages should cover all expenses related to receiving medical treatment, including copayments, deductibles, parking, meals, travel costs, babysitters, and any other cost a family incurred. A compensation package could include rehabilitation expenses, home care, mental health support, medical equipment, and home renovations to accommodate the injury.
Lost income and lost earning opportunities are also a component of reimbursement. The plaintiff might also suffer physical pain, emotional trauma, inconvenience, and lost opportunities to enjoy life; damages should provide compensation for these subjective losses, too.
Trusted Law Firm Represents Clients in All Types of Personal Injury Cases
Our dedicated lawyers handle a full range of personal injury cases in Inverness, including those involving:
- Car accidents — When a person is hurt in a car accident, an attorney could seek the damages the injurede person deserves. We also represent families who’ve lost loved ones through wrongful death.
- Drunk driving accident victims — No matter how safely a person drives, anyone can become the victim of a drunk driving accident without warning. We hold drivers accountable when they drive while inebriated.
- Uber/Lyft ridesharing accidents — Uber and Lyft drivers increase road congestion, which increases the risk of ridesharing accidents.
- Motorcycle accidents — Our firm understands the unique concerns of motorcycle accident victims.
- Truck accidents — Truck accidents can cause devastating injuries to other vehicles’ occupants.
- Theme park accidents — Inverness residents are only an hour’s drive from Orlando and its attractions, but the dangers of theme park accidents can’t be underestimated.
- Medical malpractice — We will work to hold physicians accountable for substandard care through medical malpractice claims.
Our legal representatives also handle the following cases:
An injured person can seek compensation even when they bear some fault for the accident; however, the court will reduce the damages by the plaintiff’s percentage of fault. An attorney will work to maximize the compensation .
How to Win a Personal Injury Case
When preparing a personal injury claim, an Inverness attorney could compile evidence to support the claim, which could include the following:
- Police reports — These reports offer a basic framework for what happened at the accident scene.
- Witness statements — Anyone who saw or heard the accident may be able to provide statements that document what happened.
- Medical reports — Only by thoroughly documenting the plaintiff’s injuries can a legal team determine damages.
- Safety and inspection reports — The defendant may have been aware of the dangerous condition that contributed to the accident.
- Video and photography — Any visual evidence of the accident scene can have a powerful impact on the jury.
These pieces of evidence determine the value of the claim so we can seek just compensation.
Work With an Inverness Personal Injury Attorney to Hold Negligent Parties Accountable
It’s hard for most plaintiffs to stand up to a defendant’s insurance company and its lawyers without professional help. As experienced personal injury attorneys, we know the law and the courts of Florida and will represent your interests in a cost-effective way while fighting for the full, fair damages you deserve.
When someone else’s negligence causes you harm, they are responsible for compensating you. An Inverness personal injury lawyer could ensure that every party whose conduct contributed to your losses pays their fair share of the damages. The law limits an injured person’s time to act. Do not delay seeking legal assistance. Schedule a consultation today.
