Being injured due to no fault of your own can lead you to some very complex emotions. While coping with your injury, you’re feeling betrayed, frustrated, and in some cases, legitimately angry. Some injuries can cause life-changing physical disabilities, severe anxiety, and other psychological conditions. When faced with Florida’s complex personal injury laws, you may be confused and unsure if you even have a case. Personal injury cases aren’t a battle to fight alone. Meldon Law Firm’s personal injury attorneys will fight for you, which gives you the time to adjust to your injuries and medical conditions. Don’t feel frustrated. Give them a call today.
A Look at Florida Personal Injury Lawsuits
Florida’s legal system can be a complex maze, and many accident victims don’t know what to do after an accident that wasn’t their fault. From vehicular crashes to medical mistakes to a slip and fall incident, accident victims are often unaware of their legal rights to seek compensation.
Insurance companies sometimes offer a settlement, but is it in your best interest to simply sign on the dotted line? Most of the time, they just want to limit their liability, which leaves money on the table.
We’ll cover the most common Florida personal injury lawsuits and what’s important to know about each type. What is common to all Florida personal injury lawsuits is that their statute of limitations has recently been reduced to 2 years. This change points to the necessity of filing your case as soon as possible.
1. Car Accidents
Vehicular accidents involving cars, 18-wheelers, and motorcycles all fall under the umbrella of a personal injury lawsuit. Florida is one of the no-fault states and requires operators of motor vehicles to carry PIP (Personal Injury Protection) coverage. This means that regardless of who was at fault, your insurance company will pay for damages.
However, PIP coverage is limited. To get the maximum compensation for your damages, you must hire a personal injury attorney and file a formal lawsuit against the negligent party.
2. Medical Malpractice
To prove a medical malpractice claim in Florida, you’ll need to provide evidence that your healthcare provider or entity did not follow the standard practice of expected care, and as a result, your condition worsened, or you were permanently harmed.
To file a medical malpractice case, you’ll need to obtain an Affidavit of Merit from a similarly trained medical expert whose testimony states that, in their opinion, medical malpractice did occur.
3. Dog Bites
In Florida, damages sustained from a dog bite can be sought by filing a personal injury lawsuit. Fortunately, Florida law doesn’t require the dog’s owner to have been aware of its aggressive nature.
Unlike some states, dog bite victims can file a lawsuit even if this was the first time the animal has ever bitten anyone. However, the victim must prove that the dog wasn’t provoked into biting.
It’s important to note that trespassers on private property whose owner’s dog bit have no legal recourse to file a case. If the bite happened on private property, the victim would have had to have been invited. This isn’t the case for dog bites that occur on public property.
4. Slip and Fall Accidents
Victims who’ve slipped and fell and sustained injuries can file a personal injury lawsuit. They’ll have the burden of proving negligence and their injuries like most other personal injury cases. However, the party you’ll seek compensation from could differ depending on where the accident occurred.
Falls that happened in a private residence that you were invited to may be covered under the homeowner’s home insurance policy. Your damages may be covered under the company’s liability insurance for falling accidents in a retail store or private business.
Hire a Personal Injury Attorney to Help You Obtain Maximum Compensation
Understanding Florida’s complex and wordy personal injury laws is usually difficult, even for the smartest Floridians. With so many nuances, it’s easy not to know if you have a legitimate lawsuit and, if you do, how to proceed.
Most Florida personal injury attorneys offer free consultations for the victims of accidents. If they determine that you have a case, most work on a contingency fee basis, so there’s no need to front any money to have an experienced lawyer fight for your right to receive the compensation you deserve.
Also read: Journey to Justice: How Personal Injury Attorneys Aid in a Catastrophic Injury Case
