West Palm Beach Car Accident Lawyer

Table of Contents [Show]

Call our West Palm Beach law firm to make sure your car accident claim gets taken seriously and you are seeking full compensation for your losses.

In the blink of an eye, a car accident can change your life for the worse. Your vehicle is damaged. The injuries sustained in a car accident can leave you permanently disabled. And you’re likely buried under a mountain of medical bills and other losses, expenses made all the more difficult to cover when you’re trying to focus on your recovery and healing. When you’ve been injured in a car accident, moving forward might feel impossible, especially without the funds to do it.

You deserve a payout from the party at fault for the damages and suffering you’ve endured. Your compensation will likely come from an insurance company. Sadly, insurers are likely to view your claim as a profit loss. This means that for some, their goal is to minimize what they must pay you for the accident. Insurers often rely on the fact that they know more about settlement processes than you do, and it’s all too easy for them to offer a settlement far below what you deserve because you don’t have a car accident expert on your side.

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, it’s time to seek out a lawyer. Car accident lawyers have a deep understanding of how to best deal with predatory insurance companies so you get the settlement you deserve. Getting fairly compensated means building a case clearly showing how the other side was at fault. This is something the West Palm Beach car accident lawyer from the Law Offices of Casey D. Shomo can help you with so you can focus on your own recovery without losing out on the funds you deserve.

No-Fault Car Accident Insurance in Florida

Florida is a no-fault state for car insurance. Because of that, you’ll first have to file a claim with your own insurance after an accident. Your personal injury protection (PIP) can provide you with compensation quickly, regardless of who was responsible for causing the car accident. But it does have its shortcomings, which are critical to consider as you evaluate your most favorable options.

First, most policies are limited in what damages they’ll cover. Often they’re limited to just medical expenses and lost income. Non-economic damages generally aren’t covered. Just because non-economic damages aren’t included within coverage doesn’t mean these damages don’t have a major impact on your life and entitle you to compensation. Your pain, suffering, emotional damage, loss of normal life, and loss of relationships and opportunities due to your car accident are all harmful. You deserve to be fairly compensated for these damages too, which a car accident lawyer can help you with.

Secondly, even though you’ll file this claim with your own insurance company, you still can’t count on them to treat you fairly. They can’t blame you for the car accident. But they’ll likely lowball your settlement offer. They may hope you’ll accept before you find out what your claim is truly worth.

As an average person who doesn’t work in personal injury law or insurance, it’s unreasonable to expect you’d have extensive knowledge of the ins and outs of car accident settlements. It’s also unfair to lose out on the money you deserve because insurance companies care more about their profit margins and count on your lack of knowledge of what your case is worth. Having a skilled personal injury attorney on your side empowers you with the knowledge, guidance, and skill necessary to successfully advocate for your highest settlement.

To get compensation for all your losses, you’ll need to file a personal injury claim. Florida will only allow this if you suffer significant damages in the accident. This means your accident-related injuries must have resulted in serious bodily injury.

Some examples of serious injuries that could allow you to file a personal injury claim for a car accident in West Palm Beach include:

  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
  • Broken bones
  • Organ damage
  • Spinal injuries
  • Permanent disability
  • Scarring
  • Disfigurement

Unsure whether your injury qualifies as “serious” under Florida’s legal definition? The car accident lawyers from our West Palm Beach firm can help you see if you qualify. We have a long history of successfully advocating for our clients to get the compensation they need, and we can help you explore the unique details of your case so you know what to expect and how to maximize your settlement amount.

How Negligence Relates to Your Car Accident Case

You might have heard the term “negligence” before, but you may not fully understand its meaning. Negligence is when someone’s careless (or willful) actions lead to you being injured. Florida law allows you to sue someone in civil court if their behavior caused your injury. This includes serious car accidents. Your car accident lawyer can help to better break this concept down in terms of how it applies to your unique circumstance, and how to move forward.

There are many steps to proving negligence caused your accident in West Palm Beach. Your accident must be investigated to see what caused it and who was responsible. It must be proven that you weren’t responsible for your accident. Or, if you were partly at fault, you must prove someone else contributed to your injuries.

To determine fault, you should also understand some of the common factors that lead to car accidents involving negligence, like drowsy driving and mechanical part failures. We’ll discuss those in more detail below.

Fault and Your Car Accident Claim

While fault doesn’t matter in a no-fault claim, it’s key for a personal injury claim. For you to have grounds for a case, someone else needs to be at least partially responsible for causing the accident. You can be partially at fault—even mostly at fault—and still be able to seek a settlement. From distracted drivers to poor road maintenance to faulty automobile parts, someone is responsible for the harm you’ve suffered in your car accident case, and they’re held liable for your damages.

If you’re finding it difficult to determine who is responsible for the accident, you’re not alone. Your car accident lawyer from West Palm Beach will look into the car accident for its cause and trace the fault back to whoever was responsible. These are a few examples of who could be at-fault for your car accident:

  • Distracted Driving – This takes many forms, but often cell phones are involved. It may be necessary to get records from the provider to determine if texting or app use was taking place right before the accident.
  • Drunk Driving – If the other driver was arrested for drunk driving, it can greatly strengthen your case for compensation.
  • Faulty Manufacturer-Installed Parts – Sometimes, vehicle parts will break or otherwise not work the way they were intended. This can lead to collisions. For example, say your brakes go out because of poor design and you crash. You could sue the manufacturer of the brakes or vehicle.
  • Poor Mechanical Work – Mechanics and body shops may make negligent mistakes when servicing a vehicle. This could cause an accident. The shop or the mechanic could be held liable.
  • Drowsy Driving – Driver fatigue might be proven through rest logs or a long shift that just finished.
  • Road Construction – Thousands of car accidents happen every year because of roadwork. Sometimes, dangerous debris is left in the road. Other accidents can be caused by inaccurate detour signs or inattentive flaggers, for example.
  • Dangerous Road Conditions – In many accidents, unsafe road conditions, like potholes, steep shoulders, and broken traffic lights, are to blame. This could implicate the agency responsible for the road’s upkeep.

Looking into the Cause of Your West Palm Beach Car Accident

One of the hardest parts of winning a car accident case in West Palm Beach is proving negligence and fault. Clearly proving which driver is at fault requires evidence, from post-accident pictures and videos of your vehicle to medical documentation of your injuries and much more. After an accident, your focus should be on recovery, not on gathering all the required paperwork to properly build your best case.

A personal injury lawyer can take over the evidence-collecting process and work with you directly to ensure your case has precisely what it needs.

A car accident lawyer must investigate the accident scene, gather all available evidence, document your injuries, and keep records of medical expenses. This allows you to devote your energy to healing and feel confident that your case is being well taken care of.

Below are some items we might need to prove your West Palm Beach car accident case:

  • Accident reports, injury reports, and accident scene expert reports
  • Witness statements
  • Video and photo evidence of the crash and your injuries
  • Your medical history
  • Info on the other involved parties
  • Accident-related medical records and expenses
  • Records of other accident-related costs
  • Records of how this accident has impacted your life

As we build your case, you can help by providing any images or evidence you have, including photos of your injuries or car damage. Otherwise, we will take the lead on collecting critical evidence to build your best case and present the full scope of the damages for your settlement claim. That way, you can focus on your recovery, rather than working hard to gather evidence.

Car Accident Types and Injuries

The type of car accident you were hurt in and the injuries you suffered will be central to your West Palm Beach car accident claim. The accident type can provide clues about who was at fault. Certain car accidents showcase how and in what way the other party caused damage to your person or your vehicle, which is a strong piece of evidence to present when fighting for your settlement. This can help better prove your case and determine who is at fault.

Your injuries will have a major impact on the financial compensation you receive. For example, if your injuries led to major hospitalization and recovery periods, you may receive higher compensation. Additionally, if your injury prevents you from returning to work or leads to the loss of normal life, you can expect a higher settlement to compensate you for these struggles.

These will be taken into account by your car accident lawyer in West Palm Beach. Your personal injury lawyer can help present an idea of what to expect throughout the process and how your unique case details and injuries will contribute to your final settlement offer.

Listed below are some common accident types and injuries often associated with them:

  • Head-On Collisions – Traumatic brain injuries, spine and neck injuries, broken bones, wrongful death
  • Rear-End Collisions – Whiplash, concussions, spinal injuries, facial fractures
  • Rollovers – Traumatic brain injuries, spine injuries, broken bones, wrongful death
  • Sideswipes – Broken bones, head injuries, cuts, lacerations

West Palm Beach Accident Compensation

The bills that follow a car accident can be substantial. Many car accident victims face staggering medical debt, with the average of some general emergency treatments like ambulances costing thousands to tens of thousands of dollars.

These payments are even tougher to make if your injury has forced you to quit or take time away from work. That’s why it’s important to partner with a personal injury lawyer like one at our firm to maximize the compensation you’ll be granted to cover your bills now and later.

And that doesn’t even touch on the emotional trauma that can be caused. You can seek compensation to cover all of your financial expenses and non-economic losses.

Though non-economic losses are often dismissed by insurance companies, it’s important to include your non-economic damages when assessing the target value for your compensation. The emotional pain, relationship loss, and loss of a normal life are all real and extensive factors that require fixing, so don’t feel powerless to fight for a higher settlement that fully encompasses your needs and damages.

Your car accident lawyer will work to uncover all of the ways your life and finances are impacted by the accident and your injuries. In doing so, they’ll enable themselves to better argue your case and seek a higher settlement. Below are just a few things you may be able to claim:

  • Medical bills, both current and future
  • Lost wages, income, and earning potential
  • Transportation costs and caretaker wages
  • Car repair or replacement
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress and therapy
  • Lost enjoyment of life

Don’t Delay in Filing Your West Palm Beach Accident Claim

An accident attorney from our firm understands that you’ve been through a lot and that the thought of fighting with insurance companies over money might be overwhelming. You may believe the process will be costly or too complex, full of paperwork. At West Palm Beach LLC, we believe in helping our clients through every step of the process. We get started quickly and work hard to support you.

If you want to be compensated for a vehicle crash that you weren’t responsible for, you will need to file a personal injury claim against the responsible parties. A skilled attorney can help you navigate the claims process so you know what to expect and who the responsibilities fall to.

It’s important to note that there are also time frames for filing injury claims in West Palm Beach and the rest of Florida. The time limit for filing car crash claims is four years from the date of your injury collision. If you fail to bring your accident claim within that timeframe, you run the risk of missing the chance to file a claim at all. This means you could face missing out on the funds you deserve if you wait too long to file your claim.

Don’t take the risk of waiting too long to file an injury claim. It costs you nothing to contact a West Palm Beach auto accident lawyer at the Law Offices of Casey D. Shomo because we offer free consultations. Tell us about your case, and we can advise you on whether you have a good case and how much compensation you’re eligible to receive.

If you’re concerned about money, have no fear. At our trusted law firm, we charge nothing until you’ve won the settlement you deserve. We’re here to fight for your case, and if we believe there’s a chance your case will settle, we’ll advocate for your best options to move forward.

Why Do I Need Legal Assistance with My Car Accident Claim in West Palm Beach?

Many people in West Palm Beach have never worked with a car accident lawyer before. So they have some anxiety about hiring one. This could be because you’re worried about the cost of working with a car accident lawyer in West Palm Beach. Or you may just be nervous about the entire personal injury process.

Your personal injury lawyer is here to make your battle for compensation easier, not harder. Our job is to fight hard for your case in a variety of ways so you can focus your time and effort on healing. We break down what to expect throughout the legal process at every stage so you can feel confident and secure moving forward.

As for the cost of working with a lawyer on your personal injury case—you don’t pay us anything until we’ve won you fair compensation for your car accident claim. This means you don’t have to fear the possibility of not winning your case and covering our costs out of pocket. We work hard to get you the settlement you deserve, and you won’t need to pay us a single cent until you get that fair compensation.

What exactly does a car accident lawyer do for you?

  • Help you file all personal injury paperwork
  • Investigate the cause of your accident to determine responsibility
  • Find car accident experts to testify on your behalf
  • Interview witnesses
  • Get important reports, such as accident and police reports
  • Gather video and photo evidence
  • Advise you on all legal matters for your case
  • Obtain medical documentation needed to prove your injuries
  • Negotiate with insurance companies
  • Take your case to court if required

The above would be very difficult, if not impossible, for a seriously injured individual to handle on their own. You should be focused on healing both physically and emotionally from this car accident. You don’t need to be running around trying to investigate your case, prove fault, and argue with insurance companies. Leave that to the experts and partner with an experienced personal injury lawyer.

Talk to an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer in West Palm Beach

You should never accept a settlement from an insurance company without first speaking with an lawyer. That’s true even if it’s your own insurer. Instead, let the Law Offices of Casey D. Shomo go to work on your accident claim so you can get the settlement you need and deserve.

The Law Offices of Casey D. Shomo serves West Palm Beach and all of Palm Beach County. We dedicate our full efforts to our clients and work hard to fight your case so you get the compensation you’re entitled to. When you seek out our services, you can count on a diligent effort to investigate and argue your case, as well as updates and communication so you stay aware of what’s happening as your case progresses.

We want all of our clients to feel prepared and confident throughout the legal process, and we’re committed to battling out your case so you can focus your efforts where it matters most: your recovery.

Schedule a time to meet for a free, no-pressure consultation with a capable West Palm Beach car accident lawyer at our law firm. We can give you an idea of what your claim might be worth and answer any questions you may have about the process. Simply complete the contact form on this page, or give us a call at 561-659-6366.

 

West Palm Beach Car Accident FAQ

A car accident lawyer from our West Palm Beach firm can help you find the answers you need. We’ve compiled a list of commonly asked questions and their answers, but if you have a question not answered in this short list, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our skilled car accident lawyers for help.

How much time do I have to file a claim for my car accident?

Florida allows car accident victims four years in which to file a claim. You should speak with a lawyer as soon as possible, though. Time has a way of destroying evidence, and witness memories lose their focus. To build your strongest case, it’s critical to connect with a car accident lawyer early on so they can gather all relevant evidence and get to work developing your successful settlement strategy. By acting fast, you increase your chances for a strong, successful case. You also ensure you get your settlement faster, which can help afford growing expenses associated with the healing process now, not later. Get the help you need right when you need it when you file a claim for your car accident early in the process.

What can I do if my car accident was caused by a defective tire blowout?

If the tire defect was related to design or manufacture, you might be able to seek compensation from the company that made the tire. If the problem was caused by a faulty installation, the company that serviced your car or installed the tires might be at fault. If you have more specific questions about what entity may be at fault in your specific case, reach out to one of our lawyers today for expert advice.

Who’s liable if an Uber or Lyft driver caused the accident?

Uber and Lyft drivers are independent contractors, not employees. This makes financial liability complicated in these accidents. It all comes down to whether the rideshare app was in use and whether the driver had an active ride request or paying fare in progress. If either of these conditions apply, the rideshare company should have at least some liability. Your personal injury lawyer can help you determine where the fault lies and how your focus should be allocated moving forward in order to pursue a higher settlement.

Should I talk to insurance companies, or save the communication for my lawyer?

It’s important to remember that your lawyer is on your side, not the insurance company. Insurance companies are centered around maintaining their own profit margins, not giving you the funds you need to recover. As such, they may operate with predatory practices like lowballing your settlement offer and twisting your words to misrepresent you in an attempt to void your case. The best way to avoid that happening is to leave the communication to your lawyers. You may speak with your own insurance company to provide basic details, but for lengthier conversations and more extensive reports, communicate with your lawyer first to make sure the information you share cannot be used against you later. It’s our job to support you throughout the entire settlement process, and that includes communication with insurers. This is especially true in terms of whether you should communicate with the at-fault party’s insurance provider. In that instance, we strongly recommend you avoid all communication and let your lawyer handle insurer interactions. Again, they’re going to attempt to keep as much of their own money as possible by finding ways to diminish your case, and letting your lawyer engage with the other party’s insurance company instead of you makes that much harder for them to do.

Our West Palm Beach Law Office