FAQ's
Q. Do I need to talk to a lawyer, and if so when in relation to my accident?
A. Yes, you should always at least talk to a lawyer soon after an accident involving injuries since you need a full understanding of your legal rights and responsibilities, even if you do not initially hire that lawyer. In some cases it is crucial that you give our law firm and our investigation team a chance to investigate your case soon after the accident happens while the evidence is still fresh and witnesses can be located to support your claims.
Q. What will it cost me to talk to an attorney at your law firm?
A. Nothing. We offer free telephone and office consultations to anybody involved in a serious accident involving injuries. All you have to do is call us right now and we will gladly talk to you for free without any obligation to hire us or pay us.
Q. What will it cost me to hire your law firm to handle my case?
A. It costs you nothing up front and nothing in the future unless we make a money damages recovery for you against the responsible parties or insurance carriers involved. We work strictly on a contingency fee basis which means we charge a reasonable percentage of the amount of what we recover for you against the at fault party, the at-fault party's insurance carrier or the uninsured motorist carrier.
Q. Will the other person's insurance company pay my medical bills right now?
A. The at-fault party's insurance company does not just voluntarily step up and pay your medical bills right now as they are incurred. But when a settlement is finally reached after you complete your medical treatment to the point of maximum medical improvement, your past medical bills are only one piece of what is considered in arriving at a settlement figure.
Q. Will the other person's insurance company pay for my lost wages right now while I am injured and out of work?
A. The at-fault party's insurance company does not just voluntarily step up and pay your wage loss right now at the end of each week while you are unable to return to work. But when a settlement is finally reached after you are finished with your medical treatment to the point of maximum medical improvement, your lost wages and future loss of earnings capacity are another piece of what is considered in arriving at a settlement figure.
Q. Will my own car insurance company pay for my medical bills and wage loss right now while I am getting treatment for my injuries and remain out of work due to my injuries?
A. In Florida Your own automobile PIP (Personal Injury Protection) insurance carrier is obligated to pay 80% of your medical bills and 60% of your wage loss up to the PIP policy limit, which is usually only $10,000. Most of the time that small $10,000 limit of insurance is exhausted long before you are finished with medical care or able to return to work. Your own PIP carrier does not just automatically pay medical bills and wage loss unless proper documentation of your injuries, average weekly wage and temporary disability due to injuries is presented to that insurance adjuster. The at-fault party and the at fault party's insurance carrier can ultimately be held liable at the end of your case to pay medical bills and wage loss that either exceed or have not already been paid by your own PIP insurance carrier. If you have Medical Payments insurance then your own carrier is obligated to pay your medical bills only up to that small policy limit as well. Usually the Medical Payments insurance has only a $5,000 limit. In Alabama your own car insurance policy likely has medical payments insurance to pay up to the first $5,000 of your own medical bills, but not your wage loss.
Q. Should I give a recorded statement right now to the at-fault party's insurance adjuster before talking to a lawyer on my side?
A. No. Unless you have talked to a personal injury lawyer on your side of the case, we do not recommend giving a recorded statement to the negligent party's insurance carrier or lawyer. Insurance adjusters routinely try to trap you into saying something that would be damaging to your case.
Q. Should I give a recorded statement right now to my own insurance company's adjuster?
A. Yes, but only after first consulting with a personal injury lawyer about your rights and responsibilities towards your own motor vehicle insurance company. Anything you say or do towards your own insurance company can be used both for and against you.
Q. Can I receive a copy of my recorded statement if I give one to any insurance adjuster?
A. Yes, that is required if you ask and make it a condition of giving a statement.
Q. What is uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance?
A. Florida and Alabama drivers have a right to buy uninsured motorist insurance, which is also known as underinsured motorist insurance. Uninsured motorist insurance carriers can be held responsible to pay your damages caused by a negligent party who has either an insufficient amount of motor vehicle liability insurance or no liability insurance. The claim is made against your own uninsured motorist insurance carrier to the full extent of your damages, but subject in most instances to the policy limit of uninsured motorist insurance available.
Q. How much is my case worth?
A. There is no set answer to that question since every case is unique. It depends on the facts of the accident, the extent of the injury, whether there is a death involved, how the injury or death impacts the injured person and the family. Typically there are two broad areas of damages that need to be addressed in personal injury cases:
- Non-Economic Damages: past and future pain, suffering, disability, disfigurement, mental anguish and loss of ability to enjoy life.
- Economic Damages: past and future medical bills, wage loss and loss of earnings capacity.
Typically in Florida there are two broad areas of damages that need to be addresses in wrongful death cases:
- Non-Economic Damages: past and future mental anguish and loss of companionship of your loved one who died due to the negligence of another.
- Economic Damages: past medical bills, funeral expenses, loss of future net accumulations of the estate.
In Florida punitive damages are only applicable in cases involving egregious conduct amounting to a willful and reckless disregard for human life.
In Alabama all wrongful death cases are handled as punitive damages claims, which means the negligent parties can be held liable to pay punishment damages for the conduct that caused the death of your loved one.
We gather the necessary evidence throughout your case and present it in a manner that is easily understandable which tends to maximize the recovery you can make against the responsible parties and insurance carriers involved.