Car accidents are one of the most common accidents (and most likely) that you, a Florida resident, are likely to be impacted by in your lifetime. In fact, if you live in Pinellas County, it has the highest incidence of auto accidents of any county in the state of Florida, with almost eighty (80) auto accidents happening in Pinellas County every day! EIGHTY! As a result, having a Florida auto accident attorney who has litigated hundreds of personal injury cases and knows the in’s and out’s of personal injury coverage is critical to maximizing your Florida auto accident damages.

Auto Accident: What to Do First?

After an automobile accident, your mind will be racing: what do I do?

• First, if seriously injured, get medical attention immediately. Call 911 or ask law enforcement to have you taken to the hospital to have the injuries you sustained in the automobile accident treated.
• If you have not already provided a statement, tell a law enforcement officer about the auto accident. If not done at the scene, under Florida law, you have ten (10) days to submit your long form report to law enforcement detailing the auto accident. The information provided in this form will likely become very important for any eventual litigation resulting from the auto accident.
• Witnesses. If there were people that witnessed the car accident, get their names and contact information. They also could be critically important in any eventual personal injury litigation that results from your auto accident.
• Take Pictures. If possible, take pictures of the auto accident and surrounding scene. If you cannot take the pictures due to your injuries, ask another person or witness to take pictures. Also, if your accident was near business that may have video surveillance, go to those businesses and ask — if they have video, the recording could show the other driver was at fault in your auto accident case. But don’t wait too long: many businesses will delete videos after a couple of days.
• Contact a LeavenLaw Auto Accident Attorney. Auto accidents can be devastating and the evidence needed to try and get you the most damages possible could disappear. Therefore, call a LeavenLaw auto accident attorney immediately to discuss your case at a free consultation. If injured, LeavenLaw will come to you.

What shouldn’t I do after an Auto Accident?!? 

• Do not speak with the other driver (other than to share insurance and contact information).
• Do not speak with the insurance company.
• Do not consider settling your case without speaking to a car accident attorney.

Do I Need a Florida Auto Accident Attorney?

If you have been in a automobile accident in the state of Florida, it is not required that you use an attorney. However, if you want to pull a tooth, you also do not need to go to a dentist . . . but that doesn’t make it a good idea!

Truth is, hiring an experienced, AV-rated LeavenLaw auto accident attorney costs you nothing out-of-pocket. LeavenLaw’s attorneys are not paid unless and until we win. If LeavenLaw’s attorneys do not recover damages for you, you owe us nothing.

Contingency representation like this makes it affordable and easy to hire a qualified attorney, not to take part of your settlement, but rather to maximize your settlement and the amount of damages you receive. Insurance companies know that individuals that try to settle cases by themselves end up getting far less on average than they would get if they hired and used an experience auto accident attorney. Don’t make a mistake and handle your case alone — contact LeavenLaw to discuss your auto accident case at a free consultation.

Who Will Pay My Doctor Bills?

If you are injured in an auto accident in Florida, there several avenues to cover your medical bills from the accident:

• Personal Injury Protection (PIP): Generally, the first $10,000 of qualifying bills is covered by PIP, no fault protection.
• Health Insurance: if you have health insurance, it may pay for the medical care needed from your auto accident. In such case, however, these health care companies will have a lien on any recovery from the auto accident. Health care liens are complex — ask your LeavenLaw auto accident attorney for more details regarding their experience and success in resolving health care subordination liens.
• Bodily Injury Insurance and/or Letters of Protection. If you do not have health insurance, then the at fault driver’s insurance (assuming they have it) will be the carrier to potentially pay. This, however, can take time, litigation and prevailing in the case. In the meantime, your LeavenLaw attorney may be able to help you get needed medical treatment via a Letter of Protection, where a medical service provider will provide the medical services in good faith, taking promised payment from insurance proceeds obtained via litigation sometime in the future.
• U.M. Insurance. As discussed above, if there is no other insurance coverage, your own uninsured or under-insured coverage is typically the last resort to pay your medical bills.

If you have questions about insurance coverage and how your medical bills resulting from an auto accident will be paid, contact a LeavenLaw auto accident attorney to discuss these issues today!

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage?

When the at-fault driver has insurance, that is typically referred to “bodily injury” coverage in the automobile accident world. Such insurance is available to you to cover your bodily injury damages if you sustain a permanent, compensable injury.

Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage is insurance coverage that you buy from your own insurance company to pay for bodily injury and other damages in the event that the at-fault driver has no insurance of their own, or does not have enough insurance.

Should you have uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance? Undoubtedly yes. Studies have shown that 1 in 4 drivers does not have any auto insurance. So, don’t risk incurring life-changing damages in an auto accident without any protection — get UM coverage today if you do not already have it. In fact, if you have questions about your insurance coverage, LeavenLaw’s auto accident attorneys offer a free consultation just to review your insurance levels and advise you if you should get more insurance based upon your income, asset levels and desired protection. Call today to have your free insurance evaluation and review! (727) 327-3328.

What is My Auto Accident Case Worth?

This is an important question, and most of the time the fist question asked by someone injured in an auto accident. Unfortunately, there is no easy or predictable answer. Further, no two auto accident cases are ever the same. What LeavenLaw’s auto accident attorneys will try to do is:

• Maximize pain and suffering recovery (typically 3 to 5 times medical bills)
• Recover lost wages
• Restore property/property damage
• Recover for lost consortium
• Recover other economic damages (i.e., home health care, etc.)

In the end, it is the accumulation of the above damages that will in material part determine what your automobile accident case is worth.

Common Automobile Accident Injuries & Damages

Auto accidents—crashes of steel on steel—can cause severe bodily injury and damages. Damages and injuries that result from auto accidents include:

• Brain injuries
• Skull fracture
• Epidural Hemorrhage
• Broken bones
• Internal bleeding
• Death

If you experience abdominal pains, swelling, severe headaches or discoloration of the skin after an auto accident, do not delay. Seek medical attention immediately for potential serious injuries resulting from your auto accident.

Contact a St. Petersburg Auto Accident Lawyer

LeavenLaw’s automobile accident lawyers offer you a free initial consultation to discuss the details of your potential case. After your initial consultation, if LeavenLaw decides to take your case (and you feel comfortable with LeavenLaw as your auto accident attorney) you will not have to pay any up-front attorney fees or costs. LeavenLaw handles automobile accident cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning we will deduct our attorneys’ fees and costs from any eventual settlement or judgment we obtain on your behalf against the parties that caused you harm. If we do not prevail, you owe us nothing.

Car accidents again may typically cause serious injuries and unfortunately can be change your life forever, given the types injuries and the amounts of damages that they can cause. If you have been injured in an automobile accident, contact the AV-rated civil trial lawyers and personal injury lawyers at LeavenLaw (in St. Petersburg) at (727) 327-3328 or (statewide) 1-855-LeavenLaw (532-8365). Alternatively, you can always submit an inquiry online to schedule a free consultation to discuss your auto accident case. If needed, one of LeavenLaw’s auto accident attorneys can come to you to discuss your case. We will look forward to talking to you soon.

St. Petersburg Automobile Accident Office
LeavenLaw
3900 First Street North, #100
St. Petersburg, FL 33703

Contact us at (727) 327-3328 to discuss your auto accident case today! Or email us through our online contact form!