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Winter Haven Personal Injury Attorney
When there has been an injury to an individual's body, mind, or emotional state due to another's negligence, then the victim is able to recover damages for all losses stemming from the accident or incident. Also known as tort law, personal injury law protects you if you have been injured or harmed in an accident because of the negligence of another person or entity. If you have been injured in an accident, contact a personal injury law firm at your earliest opportunity. In Winter Haven, The Turnbull Firm handles personal injury cases on a contingency basis, which means that you don't have to pay our attorneys out of pocket. We receive our compensation when you receive your settlement or court award.
When should you contact a personal injury lawyer?
Immediately after your accident, you should seek medical treatment. Then, the most crucial step is to hire a personal injury lawyer so they can get started on your claim and get you the compensation you will need to cover your medical expenses, lost wages, property damage (if any), and any other damages you may have incurred as a result of the accident.
In a personal injury claim, the person filing the injury claim is the plaintiff, and the entity that they seek compensation from is the defendant. The defendant could be an insurance company, an employer, or an individual, depending on your injury claim. One of the reasons why it's important to contact a personal injury lawyer immediately is because the defendant or their lawyer may try to contact you to get a statement about the accident. You do not want to speak to the insurance company without your personal injury attorney in Winter Haven present for the conversation.
What is a statute of limitations?
A statute of limitations is how long a person has to bring forth a personal injury case after the date of the accident or discovery of the injury. The purpose of a statute of limitations is to protect others from being accused of something years later after evidence has deteriorated. Some crimes have no statute of limitations, which means that you can file a claim for them at any time. Murder is an example of a crime that has no statute of limitations, and the accused can be arrested at any time. A personal injury lawyer will handle things differently because the case is litigated in civil court.
In the state of Florida, the statute of limitations on personal injury cases is four years from the date of the accident or two years from the time of death in wrongful death actions. This means that court proceedings must be started within four years of the date of the accident or that you discovered that you had an injury or two years after the victim has died.
What percentage do lawyers take for personal injury?
Most personal injury lawyers take between 33% to 40% of the settlement amount from the damages you receive.
What are damages?
There are two types of damages: economic damages and non-economic damages. A full and fair settlement will account for both. Economic damages include all expenses that you have a crude that a specific dollar amount can be attached to. Your personal injury attorney in Winter Haven can calculate this based on your medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, future lost wages, and other compensation that they believe you should receive in your settlement.
The next type is called non-economic damages, and they mainly include pain and suffering. These damages recognize the subjective experience and trauma of the accident and how it is affecting your mental and emotional health. If you have suffered a permanent disability, disfigurement, scarring, or a significant or permanent loss of a bodily function, then call our law firm right now to learn more about filing for compensation for pain and suffering in Florida.
What kind of cases do personal injury lawyers handle?
Personal injury law is a type of tort law that allows victims of accidents or wrongful conduct to file a civil lawsuit and receive damages from losses related to the injuries.
Medical malpractice occurs when a patient has suffered an injury due to a healthcare worker's negligence or criminal intent. Medical negligence is when a healthcare professional fails to provide the standard care to a patient that a similarly skilled and educated healthcare worker would provide in similar circumstances.
Your personal injury lawyer can call in expert witnesses, including other surgeons, doctors, therapists, or other specialists to explain the medical error and how the healthcare worker deviated from the standards of their profession that then caused injury to the patient.
If a loved one was killed in what would have otherwise been a personal injury claim, and you are seeking compensation to cover funeral expenses, medical expenses that they accrued before their death, and lost wages, then call The Turnbull Firm.
In the state of Florida, there are certain specific people who are entitled to file a wrongful death claim, including the decedent's spouse, children, parents, dependents who relied on them, blood relatives, and adopted siblings. Wrongful death claims also have a different statute of limitations than personal injury claims, set at two years from the date of death. This is why you should contact a personal injury attorney at The Turnbull Firm right away.
Slip and fall accidents can happen when walkways are not properly maintained or monitored, whether they're outside or indoors. Common causes of slip and fall accidents include
Spilled liquids on the floor
Loose floorboards
Torn, raised, or ripped carpeting
Dim lighting
When a slip and fall accident has happened, your attorney can request surveillance videos, maintenance records, and a copy of the incident report to build your case.
Motorcycle accidents are some of the most deadly types. According to Florida law, motorcyclists over the age of 21 who carry certain insurance policy minimums are not required to wear a helmet. However, not wearing a helmet significantly increases the chances of suffering head and brain trauma when involved in an accident on a motorcycle.
It's important that you take the right steps after a car accident. They include:
Checking yourself, other passengers, and on the other driver after the accident
Dialing 911 to report the accident and any injuries
Exchanging information with the other driver and any witnesses, including your names, address, phone number, email address, and auto insurance policy.
Don't say anything more to the other driver than you need to. Do not accept blame or cast blame.
Seek medical treatment right away
When a product fails to perform as advertised and causes injury, harm, disease or wrongful death, then a personal injury attorney can help the injured victim and their families to seek justice. Products that are manufactured domestically and overseas can have design flaws, defective parts, or otherwise, be faulty in a way that causes damage to innocent consumers.
Can a personal injury lawyer drop your case?
There are many cases where an attorney has legitimate reasons to drop a client's case. If a client ignores the advice of their attorney, insists on pursuing something frivolous in the case,, or is acting fraudulently, then the attorney-client relationship can be terminated.
It is important to be upfront and honest with your attorney. We try our best to help answer questions that people have about personal injury law and whether or not they have a legitimate case. It is important to understand the contingency fee agreement between you and your personal injury lawyer so that both of you have clear expectations of each other.
Common Questions For Our Law Firm
Although we strive to answer as many questions as possible, no website can answer every question that a person has about personal injury law. Therefore we invite you to speak with a personal injury lawyer by calling us today.
What are some statistics on motor vehicle accidents in Florida?
In the year 2020, in the state of Florida, there were 340,918 total crashes resulting in 3335 fatalities and 212,269 injuries, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Of those crashes, the types broke down into the following:
Total motorcycle crashes: 8,032
Total motorcycle fatalities: 517
Total hit-and-run crashes: 92,134
Total hit and run fatalities: 264
Total hit-and-run injuries: 20,976
Total fatal crashes: 3,903
Total injury crashes: 140,094
Total pedestrian crashes: 8,099
Total pedestrian fatalities: 710
What are some of the most common personal injuries?
There are myriad types of personal injuries because there are many different types of accidents. However, there are some common types of injuries that occur, whether they're slip and falls or car accidents.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can occur whenever there has been an injury to the head. If the skull was penetrated during the injury accident, it is called an open TBI, and these occur during car accidents or workplace accidents.
Injuries to the joints and bones are often the result of a forceful fall or being thrown. Fractures of the ribs, hip, tibia, and femur are very common after accidents.
Choosing The Turnbull Firm
We are ready to investigate your accident, collect evidence and fight for fair compensation for your injuries. There is no risk to you because we offer a completely free initial consultation with one of our attorneys at The Turnbull Firm.