Florida, in general, is an extremely popular and desirable place for American’s to retire when they reach old age. This is understandable, given our gorgeous weather and world-famous rolling beaches. Unfortunately, what many people do not realize is that this results in a substantial uptick in auto accident cases. Elderly drivers often suffer from deteriorated senses such as sight or hearing loss, as well as other conditions that mean they pose a higher risk on the road.
If you have been injured as the result of an auto accident that involved an elderly driver in the previous four-year period, one of the car accident lawyers at The Law Place in Englewood can help you to maximize your compensation while you focus on healing.
The Englewood car accident attorneys at our law firm have over 75 years of combined experience helping our clients achieve damages for medical bills, pain and suffering, property damage, lost wages, and more.
All you need to do to get the process started is to call our Englewood office to speak to a personal injury lawyer near you. We are happy to offer a free consultation at no obligation at any time that suits you.
All our personal injury lawsuit cases are no-win-no-fee, so there couldn’t be less risk involved in pursuing the compensation to which you are legally entitled.
For more information on how our law firm can help you, call us today for a free case review!
What Makes an Elderly Driver More at Risk of Causing a Car Accident in Englewood, Florida?
There are a number of reasons why elderly people are statistically more likely to cause a car accident. This isn’t their own fault, but a natural symptom of being lucky enough to grow to an old age.
Elderly people commonly suffer from the following ailments, which make them more likely to be involved in serious accidents:
- Mobility illnesses such as arthritis, which can hinder their ability to quickly make maneuvers.
- Deterioration in sight, which makes it harder to see upcoming risks on the road.
- Loss of hearing, which leads to an overall reduced perception of what’s happening around their vehicle.
- Various illnesses requiring medications whose side effects include drowsiness and other effects which make driving a vehicle safely impossible.
- Difficulty in maintaining the level of concentration needed to negotiate traffic.
- Various mental issues such as dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Although elderly drivers commonly suffer from these ailments, traffic schools do not require any kind of mandatory test to ensure that they remain safe to drive. This means they can easily cause accidents and create victims without meaning to.
If you have received injuries do a motor collision with an elderly driver, let us do the hard work on your behalf. To start the process, simply call our law firm office and speak to one of our professional car accident lawyers today.
Signs That It Is No Longer Safe for an Elderly Person to Drive
Perhaps you and your family are caring for an elderly relative, or perhaps you yourself are approaching retirement age and want to prevent yourself from causing unnecessary risks in the future.
Either way, there are a number of tell-tale signs which should alert you that it might be time to start thinking about alternative transport arrangements. These are as follows:
- Getting lost or disorientated easily or often.
- Difficulty in reading signs due to sight issues.
- Repeatedly accidentally running red lights or stop sights.
- Excessive, unnecessary braking or stopping.
- Reduced confidence or increased fear/nervousness around driving.
- Slowed reactions in general.
- Lack of ability to ignore distractions.
If you or your loved one are showing any of these signs, it might be time to do some serious reconsidering. We realize that it’s a sensitive subject, but we believe it is better to be safe rather than put your family, the driver, and other innocent road users in unnecessary danger.
We’re here to serve you. Our phones are open 24 hours a day.
What Injuries Are Commonly Sustained as a Result of a Car Accident in Englewood, Florida?
A car accident can lead to a huge variety of injuries and complications, some serious and some not.
The personal injury types that are most commonly seen by the Englewood personal injury attorney team at our law firm are as follows:
- Fractured or broken bones.
- Cuts, lacerations, and bruises.
- Whiplash or other injuries to the back, neck, and spine.
- Brain or head injuries, with their attendant risk of emotional, psychological, and mental complications.
- Scarring and disfigurement.
- Blunt force trauma, organ damage, and internal bleeding.
- Psychological issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression.
If you have received any one of these injuries, or one not listed above, as a result of an Englewood car accident, a member of our accident lawyer team can help you to claim compensation for the costs and complications you suffered as a result.
We’re Florida’s top litigation team with over 75 years of combined experience
What Damages Can a Personal Injury and Accident Attorney Help Me to Claim?
There are a number of different damage types an accident attorney from our law firm in Englewood will be able to help you to claim.
These will depend on the specifics and the severity of your case, but commonly include:
- Property damage.
- Medical bills.
- Lost wages.
- Pain and suffering.
- Wrongful death.
The best way to find out which of these damage types applies to your personal injury case is to give The Law Place a call today for a free consultation.
A member of our accident attorney team will be able to talk you through which damages apply to your specific case and to give you a good idea of the value of the settlement you could be looking at.
From the initial call to updates on your case status, we are here to get you answers.
What Is the Statute of Limitations for Making a Car Accident Personal Injury Claim?
Unfortunately, under Florida laws, victims of road traffic crashes only have a finite amount of time in which to raise a case for a compensatory settlement following their accident.
This finite amount of time is known as the statute of limitations and, as per Florida Statute 95.11, stands at four years for car accident personal injury cases. This time period begins on the day on which your accident occurred.
However, just because you have four years in which to receive compensation for your damages, this doesn’t mean you should delay. Clients who file their case earlier almost always receive a larger settlement than those who wait.
What Are the Legal Insurance Responsibilities for Florida Drivers?
Florida is a state with no-fault insurance laws. This means that all drivers who are involved in an Englewood car accident are required to deal with their own insurance companies, no matter who was actually at fault in the accident, as per Florida Statue 627.7407.
This also means that every single driver on the roads of Florida must hold Personal Injury Protection insurance as part of their claims policy.
Personal Injury Protection insurance, however, is limited. As stated in Florida Statute 627.736, the insurance company is only legally necessitated to cover $10,000 in injury and disability benefits and an additional $5,000 for death benefits.
For any settlement amount exceeding this range, you will need to go through the Florida courts and take the case to trial. In order to stand the best chance at success with this, you will need to contact and hire an experienced accident and injury lawyer to fight your case.
How Much Will Legal Representation From The Law Place Cost?
At our law firm, we thoroughly believe that nobody should have to take on any risk when it comes to seeking the compensation they deserve for an accident that was not their fault.
That’s why all our accident and personal injury cases are handled on a contingency basis. That means they are no-win-no-fee, and even when you are successful in your case, you do need to pay the fees upfront – they are simply subtracted from your final settlement.
If you are a client whose case is for some reason unsuccessful, the whole process will cost you nothing at all.
All of the contingency work at our practice is strictly monitored by the State Bar Association, so you can rest assured you will not be asked to pay any hidden costs or extra fees.
Contact The Law Place Today
If you have been involved in a vehicle accident that was the fault of an elderly driver in the past four years, call our office to receive the support of experienced lawyers near you.
Our legal team has accrued 75 years of combined experience maximizing the compensation of clients in the same position as you. We know all the complexities of Florida law inside out and are incredibly familiar with the various legal tricks that insurance companies like to pull – this way, we can handle the hard fight while you focus on your recovery process.
To get started, all you need to do is call today to arrange a free case review with a member of our legal team. We will give you a good idea of the amount of compensation you could be entitled to and the best way to achieve it. Every case review is completely free and at no obligation.
For more information, get in touch with one of the attorneys at our firm!
