Jacksonville Personal Injury Lawyer

Insurance adjusters are trained to minimize the value of your losses. They’re often able to succeed by taking advantage of victims. Your lawyer will understand the law and the process–and they can prevent unfair insurance tactics from working.

Victim blaming is an extremely common insurance strategy. If successful, you’ll receive less than you deserve. Your lawyer will know how to spot unfair allegations and fight back.

You’re struggling in the aftermath of a painful injury. An insurance battle is the last thing you need. Your lawyer will invest their own time and energy so you can focus on your physical and mental recovery.

If your case involves complex issues, your attorney will have access to a network of professionals who can strengthen your arguments. That could include medical experts, accident reconstructionists, financial analysts, and more.

If you suffered some type of injury due to another person’s negligence or wrongful act, there’s a good chance you have a case. Many different situations can give rise to a valid personal injury claim.

Some examples include:

• A driver runs a red light and crashes into a motorcycle
• A patient becomes ill because their doctor prescribes the wrong medication
• A construction worker is injured after defective scaffolding collapses
• A pedestrian is hit by a car and killed
• A hotel owner ignores dangerous conditions, and someone slips and falls

A virtually endless list of scenarios exists. To get a better sense of your legal rights and the strength of your case, call an experienced attorney as soon as you can.

Most accident attorneys in Jacksonville work on a contingency fee basis. This is different from a flat rate or hourly fee. With this payment method, you only pay attorney’s fees if your lawyer secures compensation for you.

You’ll sign a contingency fee agreement at the beginning of your case. In most situations, the fee will be about 33% of the jury verdict or settlement your lawyer recovers for you. 

This arrangement can benefit you because you can afford to hire any personal injury lawyer you want for your case, regardless of your financial circumstances. Your attorney will also aim to increase your compensation to the utmost extent.

Whether you pursue compensation through insurance or a personal injury lawsuit, you’ll typically be able to recover economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages help to cover the verified costs of your accident and injuries, such as:

• Current and future medical bills
• Lost wages and income
• Diminished earning capacity
• Property damage
• Nursing care
• Rehabilitation

Non-economic damages help to offset the harder-to-value suffering and life changes you might be experiencing because of your accident, including:

• Pain and suffering
• Loss of companionship
• Disfigurement
• Physical scarring
• Disability
• Embarrassment
• Chronic physical pain
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life

The insurance company will work hard to downplay your injuries and life changes. Our Jacksonville personal injury attorneys will not let them stand between you and the money you deserve. 

Every case is different. In general, people who have suffered a traumatic accident and have lasting injuries will have a higher case value. 

Some of the factors that may impact your case value are whether you:

• Have disabling and permanent injuries
• Experienced significant physical pain and suffering
• Received significant and ongoing medical treatment
• Have emotional trauma because of the accident or your injuries
• Incurred property damage 
• Are unable to work or earn income or have missed a significant amount of work
• Have a decreased overall quality of life
• Are partially responsible for causing the accident or worsening your injuries

We can help you estimate your case value. This will help us identify good and bad settlement offers throughout your case. 

Yes, but only if your share of the blame doesn’t exceed 50 percent. Florida operates under a modified comparative fault system. Once liability exceeds half, accident victims lose the right to seek damages from another party.

You can recover a limited award if you’re partly to blame. Damages are reduced proportionately based on fault. For example, if you’re 10 percent at fault for a recent car accident, your financial award will be reduced by 10 percent.

Our personal injury lawyers in Jacksonville will anticipate victim-blaming tactics designed to shift liability and hurt your case. We’ll be ready to fight back with arguments and evidence that help you work toward the life-changing monetary award you deserve.

Florida has a two-year statute of limitations that applies to most personal injury lawsuits, including matters of wrongful death.

This gives you two years from the date of your accident or a family member’s death to pursue compensation from an insurance company or negligent party.

Missing the deadline isn’t an option. Once time runs out, you lose the right to get the money you need to move forward with your life.

Going to trial should always be on the table as a possibility. However, in reality, it’s unlikely that your case will proceed to trial. Experienced lawyers can typically reach a fair settlement agreement via insurance negotiations.

Some factors that will make a trial more likely include:

• Serious contested issues exist, such as disputes over liability or case value
• Multiple parties share blame for the same accident
• The insurance company refuses to negotiate in good faith for a fair settlement
• The victim wants to hold the at-fault party publicly responsible in court

In the end, your lawyer should always be prepared for trial. If the insurance company doesn’t feel the threat of litigation, they won’t have an incentive to negotiate for a full settlement.