If you’ve suffered a personal injury, you deserve full compensation. Because most times the other party won’t readily admit responsibility, you’ll have no other option but to seek legal assistance. Hiring a personal injury attorney in Pensacola, FL, is your best course of action in such circumstances.
Types of Personal Injury Pensacola, FL, Attorneys Handle
Motor vehicle accidents are some of the most common causes of personal injury. There are several others that will justify launching a personal injury claim. They include:
- Slips and Falls
Although most falls are not serious, some result in life-changing injuries. Causes include slippery or uneven floors, obstructions, poor lighting, and trailing cables. If caused by the property owner or another party’s negligence, you may launch a personal injury lawsuit.
- Work-Related Injuries
If you suffer a workplace injury, you have a right to redress under Florida’s State Workers Compensation Program. Common causes are muscle strains, cuts, and lacerations, inhaling toxic fumes, falling objects, carpal tunnel syndrome, and inadequate protective equipment. According to the US Bureau of Labor, there were 2.8 million reported nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2018.
- Bicycle and Motorcycle Accidents
Two-wheelers are more dangerous because they don’t offer the best safety features. Unlike motor vehicles, they don’t have airbags or steel frames. You may have years of experience riding them and follow all traffic rules, but still suffer an accident. One cause of motorcycle accidents is rain, snow, ice or debris on the road. Others are drunk drivers, lane splitting and sudden stops.
- Medical Malpractice
Negligent healthcare provision might result in substandard medical services, injury or even death. A common cause is errors in diagnosis, treatment, medication dosage, and aftercare. It also occurs due to acts of omission, when a medical practitioner fails to perform a critical task or procedure.
Rideshare apps such as Lyft and Uber have taken the transportation industry by storm. Although they heavily depend on technology, they’re still exposed to the same challenges as other motorists. If you suffer an injury as a passenger, driver or other parties, you’re entitled to compensation.
If you’ve lost a loved through someone else’s negligence, omission or wrongful act, you may file a wrongful death claim. Florida law requires you to first open an estate on the deceased’s behalf. A personal representative is then appointed to administer it. The estate can then proceed with a lawsuit or claim against the entity it holds responsible for the untimely death.
These injuries range from whiplash to broken bones, spinal cord and brain injuries, and orthopedic injuries. Hiring a personal injury attorney in Pensacola, FL, will help you deal better with these unforeseen and painful circumstances.
What It Takes to Prove a Personal Injury Case
To prove that the other party’s actions caused your injuries, you should focus on the negligence aspect. Your personal injury lawyer in Pensacola will inform you that negligence consists of three key parts:
Duty of Care: This means one is obligated not to cause direct harm to another person or put them in a dangerous situation. For instance, business owners are obligated to ensure their customers’ safety by repairing faulty stairs and keeping the floor dry.
Breach of Duty: It means one failed to take their duty of care responsibilities seriously. Examples include failing to fix a staircase or having a wet or slippery floor, resulting in a serious fall and injury. It takes a seasoned personal injury attorney in Pensacola, FL, to prove breach of duty. That’s because what’s deemed harmful may vary from one situation to the next.
Causation: After showing that whoever had a duty of care breached it, your lawyer must prove that it directly caused your injury. Admitting negligence doesn’t automatically mean it caused injury.
Common Damages from Personal Injury Lawsuits
Damages are a way of compensating you for any loss suffered due to injury. It’s an attempt to make your life as comfortable as it was before. The most common types of damages your personal injury lawyer in Pensacola, FL, might pursue include:
Medical costs such as surgery, physical therapy, and medication: Other damages include the cost of future medical treatment.
Lost income: This is the amount of money you lose by being incapacitated through injury, as well as the projected future loss.
Closeup of hand peeked at two playing cardsEmotional distress: Depending on the gravity of your accident, you could suffer anxiety, PTSD, paranoia, and other psychological issues.
Pain and suffering: After an injury, this may range from slight discomfort to long term persistent pain.
Damage to property, such as your vehicle: These damages go towards repairing your property or replacing it.
Loss of relationships: After an injury, your personal relationships also suffer. Your spouse, children, parents, siblings and other relatives might experience trying moments as well.
Loss of enjoyment: This refers to the inability to perform activities or hobbies that you enjoyed before an accident or injury. Examples of such activities include engaging in a sport, playing a musical instrument, hiking and woodworking.
What to Look for in a Personal Injury Attorney in Pensacola, FL
The period immediately after a personal injury might be confusing. You might get contacted by dubious attorneys offering to file a lawsuit on your behalf. Ambulance chasing is illegal in Florida. Besides, hiring the first lawyer who shows up might expose you to a raw deal as they might not be competent enough. Before settling on a legal representative, make sure they have the following characteristics:
- Trial Experience
Personal injury is complex because it overlaps with several other laws. Your preferred lawyer should have experience with a wide range of cases, ranging from falls to wrongful death. They should also have actual trial experience.
Some attorneys rush to settle because they’re only interested in collecting a contingency fee. Although it generally takes longer, a successful lawsuit might earn you more in terms of damages.
- A Good Reputation
Nowadays it’s easier to establish a law firm’s reputation through online searches. Reviews left by past clients on Google, Facebook and other websites are a good place to start. The more positive reviews it has, the more likely the firm is reputable.
Other than clients, competent law firms are also recognized by their peers and industry associations. It’s easy for attorneys to advertise, but they can’t always control what others really think of their services.
- Significant Resources
Other than experience, an attorney should ideally have the resources needed to successfully try a case. Lawsuits require a lot of paperwork, research, investigation, and coordination with other parties. Your lawyer should also be able to call expert witnesses to bolster your case. This level of preparation requires sizable resources.
- Passion and Commitment
These are intangible characteristics that go a long way in improving your chances of success. A suitable personal injury attorney in Pensacola, FL, isn’t just one who works for money. They should also be able to empathize with your situation and be ready to go all the way.
A genuine attorney is more likely to pursue your case on a contingency fee basis. This means they’ll only get paid if your lawsuit results in damages. This arrangement proves the lawyer is committed to fighting hard for your interests.
Crawford Law Has Your Best Interests at Heart
If you’re looking for a personal injury attorney in Pensacola, FL, Crawford Law is your best option. Unlike other lawyers, they don’t rush to settle, but always prefer to take cases to trial. This guarantees you the highest possible damages. Our highly experienced and skilled team, led by attorneys Chris Crawford and Geoff Joseph, is the real deal. We specialize in personal injury, wrongful death accidents, and criminal defense. Crawford Law has a reputation for aggressively defending our clients. Contact us today for a free consultation, where we’ll discuss your legal options in detail.
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