Car accidents are a common occurrence on the roads of Florida, and they can have serious consequences for those involved. If you have been in a car accident in Florida

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Will There Will Be A Car Accident Investigation?

The at-fault party’s insurance company will immediately launch an auto accident investigation to reduce their payout.

This investigation includes taking statements from the parties and witnesses and collecting physical evidence, such as photographs and even the damaged vehicles.

While the insurance company attempts to avoid liability, most auto accident victims are left to deal with the personal and financial effects of the trauma. This reality is why it’s important to have a specialist on your side. We won’t let the insurance company take advantage of you.

Should I Seek Medical Attention After An Accident?

Most people avoid doctor appointments after a vehicle accident. However, after a severe auto crash, it is important to follow medical advice to give yourself the best and fastest chance to heal.

Seek medical care immediately after an injury and avoid missing appointments with your healthcare professionals.

Should I Tell My Doctor About Prior Injuries?

Your auto accident case value is determined by evidence from several places, especially your doctors. Most people who require treatment will get better; however, some catastrophic injuries require lifelong care.

After an accident, document what future needs may be necessary. It is also important to tell your doctors about past issues.

The doctors need to give opinions about new injuries and prior injuries that were possibly exacerbated. Failure to provide your doctors with accurate information may damage your credibility and undermine your doctor’s findings.

What Is A Permanent Injury In Florida?

After Lakeland, FL, car accident, you must demonstrate that your injury is permanent to receive compensation for pain and suffering, disability or physical impairment, deformity, mental anguish, inconvenience, or loss of capacity for enjoyment of life.

To be considered a permanent injury, it must include:

A significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function.

Permanent and significant scarring or disfigurement.

An injury that the evidence shows is permanent to a reasonable degree of probability.

What Is "Maximum Medical Improvement?"

Maximum medical improvement is when an injured patient’s condition cannot be further improved or when a healing plateau is reached.

It can mean the patient has fully recovered from their injury, or their condition has stabilized, and no substantial change can be expected. Maximum medical improvement does not mean the patient will not receive future care.

What Is "Palliative Care?"

Sometimes, future care is designed to help with functionality or pain levels and will not cure the condition. This kind of treatment following a car wreck is called “palliative care.” Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach to specialized health care for people with severe conditions.

It focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptom or pain. Such therapy aims to improve the patient’s quality of life.

How Can A Lawyer Help Me After An Accident?

After getting the care you need, obtaining good advice and counsel is important for your future. Hiring the right personal injury attorneys can make a difference in your case. If you need legal assistance, contact one of our car accident specialists.

If you hire a lawyer on contingency, you will likely pay the same percentage fee whether your lawyer is a first-year lawyer with little or no experience or a board-certified specialist by the Florida Bar.

If you suffered catastrophic wounds because of someone else’s carelessness, you could work with a Winter Haven catastrophic injury lawyer to seek compensation for your injuries and other losses.

You have enough on your plate right now with such life-changing injuries. You do not have to go through the legal process by yourself. A personal injury lawyer can help with your personal injury case and determine who is liable. Our team at Dismuke Law will be there with you every step of the way.

What Is a Catastrophic Injury?

There are many different definitions of catastrophic injuries. NeuLife Rehabilitation, a residential treatment facility that provides specialized rehabilitation programs for catastrophic injuries, says that a catastrophic injury often causes long-term or permanent disability or disfigurement and typically involves one or more of the following:

Brain injury
Spinal cord injury

Skull fracture
Spinal fracture
Loss of limb
Severe burns

The treatment facility cautions that catastrophic injuries often need rehabilitation programs, more than one surgery, and a long and arduous recovery process. A person who suffers a catastrophic injury usually faces a lifetime of medical treatment.

A catastrophic injury lawyer in Winter Haven, FL could handle your personal injury claim so that you can focus on your healing process.

Who Can You Sue for Causing a Catastrophic Injury in Winter Haven?

We must prove all four of these elements of negligence to hold someone accountable for your devastating injury in Winter Haven:

Duty of care. The person we file a claim against or sue (the defendant) must have owed the injured person a duty of care. For example, suppose the injuries happened in a car crash. In that case, we can prove this element of negligence by referring to the fact that everyone who operates a motor vehicle in Florida has a legal duty to drive carefully and safely.
Breach of duty. When a person acts in a way that violates their duty of care, they are negligent. Let’s say that the defendant was driving a car in Winter Haven while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. This dangerous behavior breaches their duty to drive carefully and safely, so it is negligence.
Causation. The careless behavior must have caused the accident that injured the plaintiff (the person who filed the claim or lawsuit). In our scenario, perhaps the drunk driver ran into a pedestrian (the plaintiff) at high speed in a crosswalk. Because the pedestrian would not have been injured if the car had not hit them, we can prove the driver’s negligence caused the crash.
Damages. The plaintiff must have measurable losses from the accident. Physical injuries satisfy this fourth required element.

When the plaintiff can provide evidence of all four of these factors, they can pursue a compensation claim against the defendant for their catastrophic injury.

What Kind of Lawyer Handles Catastrophic Injury Cases?

A catastrophic injury attorney in Winter Haven, FL could help you hold the at-fault party accountable for your wounds and how they have affected your life. A catastrophic injury attorney is a type of personal injury lawyer who handles cases in which the injured person’s wounds have changed their life forever.

The wounded individual suffered trauma that can impact their ability to perform everyday self-care and independent living tasks and support themselves through gainful employment. Catastrophic injury claims typically involve massive medical bills and lost wages, which means they are often high-dollar-value cases.

Your catastrophic injury attorney should know how to build a strong case for compensation, fight against the aggressive tactics of the defendant’s insurance company, and work with medical and rehabilitation expert witnesses.

Recoverable Damages in Winter Haven Catastrophic Injury Claims

If you suffered devastating wounds in Winter Haven caused by an accident that was someone else’s fault, you probably have astronomical expenses as a result. Here are a few of the more common types of monetary damages you pursue from the at-fault party in this situation:

Medical bills for the initial treatment of your wounds
Post-crisis rehabilitation with specialized medical interventions specific to your injury, like traumatic brain injury (TBI) or paralysis from spinal cord damage
Follow-up procedures, like operations
Ongoing medical treatment and long-term equipment, like oxygen tanks and wheelchairs
Prescription drugs and pain management
Lost wages from when you could not work because of the accident and your devastating injuries
Decreased earning capacity if you cannot make as much money as before the accident because of your impairment
Disability if you have long-term or permanent limitations from your injuries that restrict your ability to live independently and work to support yourself
Pain and suffering for the physical discomfort, inconvenience, and emotional distress of the accident and your life-changing wounds
Other intangible losses like disfigurement, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and loss of enjoyment of life if you can no longer engage in activities you enjoyed before the accident, like playing with your child or coaching their sports team

If you lost a loved one because of catastrophic injuries that someone else caused through negligence, we could seek additional compensation for the family through a wrongful death claim.

How Long You Have to File a Catastrophic Injury Lawsuit in Winter Haven, Florida

Florida does not let you wait indefinitely to take legal action against the at-fault party for your losses. The deadline can approach quickly after you or a loved one suffers life-changing injuries. Simply getting through an ordinary day can feel like trying to climb a mountain.

Our Winter Haven catastrophic injury attorneys could take care of your catastrophic injury lawsuit on your behalf, leaving you free to deal with all the other challenges of your new reality. You can reach out to us today for a free initial consultation.

The statutes of limitations, also known as filing deadlines, in Florida are:

Personal injury: 2 years, per Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a).
Wrongful death: 2 years, per Florida Statutes § 95.11(4)(d).

A Winter Haven catastrophic injury lawyer from our team wants to help you, so please do not wait too long to get started.

Getting Started with Dismuke Law’s Winter Haven Catastrophic Injury Lawyers

You will not have any upfront legal fees when we handle your catastrophic injury case. If you do not win, you will not owe us any attorney fees. Contact Dismuke Law today for your free initial consultation.

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We Care About Your Recovery

Seriously injured? Have no coverage? We want to talk to you and we can help. We have two convenient office locations in Lakeland and Tampa and can even come to you if you are unable to travel due to your injuries. When you’ve been hurt in Florida, 1-800-ASK-DAVE is the only number you have to remember.

WHAT IS MY AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT CASE WORTH?
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