In life, no one can plan for unforeseen accidents. Accidents do not discriminate and can happen to any of us. In the modern world, there are many opportunities for unexpected accidents, and if you are lucky, they usually only result in minor injuries or inconveniences. However, sometimes, accidents can cause us serious bodily injuries and trauma.
If you do find yourself in the unfortunate position of being seriously injured in Bradenton, Florida, you should contact a Bradenton personal injury lawyer. A personal injury lawyer’s job is to get you compensation when you have been injured in an incident that was not your fault. You could be owed thousands of dollars if you sustained long-term injuries from an accident.
Contact The Law Place today for a free consultation on (941) 444-4444! With over 75 years in law and in multiple practice areas, our team specializes in personal injury, so why wait! You never know how much money you could be owed. Phone lines are open 24/7.
Defining Serious Bodily Injuries, Bradenton, FL.
The term “serious bodily injury” may seem like it leaves room for speculation and subjectivity. However, this isn’t the case. Florida Statute 316.027 clearly states what is considered a serious bodily injury.
It is defined as:
“Serious bodily injury means an injury to a person, including the driver, which consists of a physical condition that creates a substantial risk of death, serious personal disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of the function of a bodily member or organ.”
If you have sustained an injury that fits this description or you think that your injury is a serious bodily injury, then you should consider getting legal representation. You may be owed a lot of money- much more than if your injuries were minor. Contact The Law Place today for a free case evaluation with one of our Bradenton personal injury lawyers.
For a free legal consultation with a serious bodily injury lawyer serving Bradenton, call 941-444-4444
What Counts as a Serious Personal Injury
A serious injury has to leave the victim with long-lasting effects or with a higher risk of death. Some examples of serious injuries include, but are not limited to:
- Head or brain injuries.
- Disfigurement.
- Neck injuries.
- Severed, broken, or fractured bones.
- Injuries to the spinal cord.
- Loss of limbs.
- Loss of muscle or motor function.
- Paralysis.
- Scarring and permanent cosmetic damage.
- Internal injuries resulting in long-lasting effects.
If you have sustained an injury that is not listed above, then do not hesitate to call our office to speak to a personal injury lawyer who can advise you on if your injury is classed as serious. Due to the complexity of injuries, it is difficult to categorize all injuries possible, so it is advised to double-check with one of our lawyers versed in Florida law.
Bradenton Serious Bodily Injury Lawyer Near Me 941-444-4444
Causes of Serious Bodily Injury in Bradenton, FL.
Life is full of accidents waiting to happen. There are many ways in which you could sustain a severe bodily injury. Some accidents are more common than others. In Bradenton, Florida, the most common accidents that result in serious injury are from road and car accidents. Be it a motorcycle, car, or truck accident, the road is a dangerous place, and auto accidents are very common.
Our team at The Law Place deal with the following accidents most commonly:
- Vehicle accidents, including motorcycle accidents and accidents involving large vehicles, such as trucks carrying a much higher risk of serious bodily injury than car accidents.
- Slips and falls.
- Assault and battery.
- Animal attacks.
- Instances of medical practice.
If you have been injured due to any of the aforementioned incidents or think your injury is worth compensation, seek legal advice straight away.
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How to Make a Personal Injury Claim
Making a personal injury claim with no legal representation can be very difficult if you do not know what you are doing, as personal injury law can be complex. It is always recommended to seek out legal advice from a qualified personal injury lawyer.
After you have been in an accident, the first thing to do (after seeking medical attention) is to contact a lawyer straight away. This is so the personal injury lawyer can start the claims process as quickly as possible.
You should collect as much information from your accident as possible, such as:
- All documentation of the incident that caused your injuries, as well as pictures of the accident.
- Photographs of the injuries you acquired.
- Receipts of all expenses associated with the incident.
- Bills & physical evidence of doctor visits or medical tests.
When your attorney has this information, they can get underway with your case. Claims processes can be lengthy, especially with severe bodily injuries, due to the nature of these injuries and the amount of money that you may be owed.
It is highly recommended to start your claims process as quickly as possible. This is for a few reasons. The first reason is that the person who is liable for your injuries probably has a legal team working on the same case and will be looking for reasons that they are not liable for your injuries. Their defense attorney will be looking for evidence to suggest that the accident was not their client’s fault, and you do not want them to get a substantial head start over you – as this could hurt your chances of winning your case.
The second reason is that the quality of evidence will deteriorate with time, eye-witnesses’ memories may fade, injuries will heal, and you may not be able to track down key witnesses that could have helped your case. Nothing makes your case stronger than fresh evidence, so if you have been in an incident in which you have received a severe injury, do not put off calling The Law Place today!
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What to Expect During the Claims Process in Bradenton, FL.
There are some things you should expect when making a personal injury claim. You may have to relay the events that led to your injury and details of the accident itself several times. You should be as honest and detailed as possible about your accident to help your lawyers. This is needed as lawyers, law enforcement, and insurance firms will likely need a lot of clarification and specification about what happened. We at The Law Place understand that this can be traumatic, especially in the case of wrongful death. However, our personal injury lawyers are well versed in helping and handling your case sensitively with minimal disruption to your life.
Due to the statute of limitations in Florida, you have a time limit on making a personal injury claim. Under Florida Statute 95.11, you have four years to make your claim. After this, you will not be able to unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as your injuries preventing you from claiming within this time.
Although you have four years, it is best to make your claim as soon as possible. The sooner evidence is collected and the more you can remember from the event that caused your injury, the better chances you have of winning your case and getting the highest amount of compensation owed to you.
In a case of wrongful death, the timeframe in which you can claim is shorter. In this case, you need to make your claim within 2 years of the day you lost your loved one. We understand in these circumstances, making a claim may be the last thing on your mind. However, at The Law Place, we can handle all the paperwork while you grieve in peace.
What to Do Immediately After Being Injured in an Accident
There are a number of steps recommended that you take after being involved in an accident. These steps are here to help you maximize your chances of winning compensation. Every accident is different, and depending on your circumstances, these steps may vary slightly, but in general, you should:
- Get to safety – The most important thing to do following an accident is to make sure you are out of danger so as to not risk any further injury.
- Contact authorities – You should then contact the authorities and call an ambulance if necessary, as this is required by Florida law.
- Gather contact details – You should then gather the contact details of anyone else involved in the incident. The most important being the insurance details of the person liable for your injuries. You should also try to get the contact details of any eye-witnesses who may help your case.
- Never admit fault – Although it is nice to be nice, and apologies may come naturally to you, you should never admit fault. It may affect your case if you admit fault at any stage, even if you did not mean it.
- Evidence – Evidence is key in any legal case. If you or someone with you can get as many photos from the scene of the incident as possible and of your injuries, this will greatly help your personal injury lawyer when making your case.
- Contact insurance companies – It is required that you make your insurance company aware of any accidents you have been involved in within a specific timeframe. With most companies, this must be within 24 hours, but this will vary depending on your insurance company – so be sure to check your policy information. Do not sign any forms without a personal injury attorney to look over the documents, as it is often the case that insurance companies try to pay out the lowest amount possible.
Alongside this list, ensure that you contact a Bradenton personal injury lawyer from The Law Place as soon as possible. For your free consultation and to discuss how next to process your personal injury claim, don’t hesitate to call us today.
Who Is Liable for Serious Bodily Injury?
It may sound obvious, but in order to make a claim, there needs to be a party member responsible for your injury. It could be that at the time of your accident, you are not aware of whose fault it is, but there is usually always a liable party. Your personal injury lawyer will work with you to establish fault.
Bradenton personal injury lawyers will search for the following:
- Duty of care – In order to make a personal injury case against someone, it must be demonstrated that they had a duty of care towards you. Let’s use driving as an example. All road users have a duty of care towards each other in that they need to follow the rules of the road and drive safely in order to protect themselves and those around them.
- Someone broke duty of care – If a road user is negligent, and breaks the rules of the road by running a red light or drinking under the influence of drugs or alcohol and ends up causing you an injury, then they have broken this duty of care towards you and will be liable for your injuries.
- Causation – It is also important to remember that your personal injury lawyer will need to prove that your injuries were a direct result of this breach of their duty of care.
- Other damages – Your personal injury attorney will also prove that you suffered other damages as a result of your injury and help you in claiming for these. This could be anything from loss of wages to emotional and psychological distress caused by your accident.
What Damages Can You Claim?
When making a personal injury claim, you can claim for other damages aside from your actual injuries. If your accident has impacted your life in multiple ways, you can make more than one claim for the different areas affected.
Common damages claimed are as follows:
- Pain and suffering – Of course, you may suffer physical pain directly from your injury, but you can also claim for other forms of suffering, such as emotional and physiological issues indirectly caused by your injury. This may be anything from not being able to continue in certain sports or hobbies you would have before your accident or any mental health issues that arise from your injury.
- Medical expenses – Medical costs in Florida can be very expensive, and you should not have to pay for this if you were in an accident that was not your fault. The party member who caused your incident is liable. You can claim for appointments and treatment past, present, and future as well as transport costs to and from appointments.
- Lost wages – Your job may be the last thing you are thinking about when you sustain a serious injury. Many injuries require you to take time off work, or in some cases, you may not be able to work in the same field again. Our personal injury lawyers will help you claim for any lost wages as well as future loss of wages.
- Wrongful death – Losing a loved one to an accident is traumatic, and no amount of money will ever be able to take away the pain. An injury lawyer from The Law Place can take care of the legal aspects of your loss while you spend time with those closest to you. A wrongful death claim will need to be filed, and the compensation from this can be used to help with funeral costs and any loss of income from the person who passed.
Contact The Law Place Today!
We hope you never need to use personal injury lawyers. But, if you do find yourself involved in an accident, we can help you with your personal injury case. There is nothing worse than recovering from a physical injury and having to deal with the financial implications of this as well.
Our clients have had many successful claims with our law firm, as well as support and understanding that has led to the positive attorney-client relationships we are known for. We don’t want you to worry about the complexities of injury law in Bradenton, Florida, so contact The Law Place today on (941) 444-4444 to schedule a free consultation with a respected personal injury attorney! Our lines are open 24/7, so there no excuse not to call.
Call or text 941-444-4444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form