Common Personal Injury Questions

Once you recover from the initial shock of being involved in a serious crash, you should call 9-1-1. This will dispatch law enforcement and emergency medical first responders, if necessary, to the accident scene. Florida law states that the police are obligated to issue a report of the accident details if the property damages exceed $500.00. This police report will become a key factor if it becomes necessary for you to hire an attorney after your accident. Even if you feel as though you have not suffered any serious injuries, always obtain a copy of the accident police report – the information contained in it may very well determine who is at fault, and who will ultimately be held liable for your injuries and damages.

Depending on the severity of the accident, you may wonder whether it is safe or correct to move your car from the flow of traffic. Florida law requires that “if a damaged vehicle is obstructing traffic, the driver of such vehicle must make every reasonable effort to move the vehicle or have it moved so as not to block the regular flow of traffic”. (In fact, if you are physically able to move your car and fail to do so, you may subject yourself to a citation for a non-moving violation.) If you can move your car, make sure to pinpoint exactly where your car was immediately following the crash, and take photographs with your cell phone. This is to document the location of the accident, the damage done to your car, as well as documenting any other vehicles involved. These pictures will be another critical part of your defending your legal rights after being hurt in a crash.

If you are safely able to do so, it is always a good idea to gather the pertinent information involving the other drivers involved in the crash. This should include their complete legal name, their address, the name of their insurance company and policy number, and their driver's license number. Do not panic if you are physically unable to get this information – the police will do it once they arrive at the scene.

In many cases, having an eyewitness to an accident can be incredibly valuable in proving liability for the crash. We have had countless cases in which witness statements or testimony about the crash were used to help prove liability and became instrumental in determining exactly what happened in a crash. If you can, it is always best to obtain a written statement from any witnesses, including their name and contact information.

When it comes to dealing with any insurance company after a crash – especially one in which there were serious injuries – you may be in for an unbelievable hassle. Prior to getting too far down that road, we suggest you contact us for a free initial consultation to review the facts of your accident. It should come as no shock to learn that no matter if it is your insurance company or that of the other driver, they will do everything in their power to pay out as little as possible on your claim, or maybe even deny it completely. Insurance companies have entire teams of lawyers and claims investigators whose sole job is to keep as much money as possible in their pockets. You can expect to deal with endless requests for making a recorded statement, provide accident reports and a host of other related documents in an effort to support your claim, and it is not an easy process. Don't make the mistake of taking this on by yourself – give us a call and allow us to help.

You may feel that the accident was in no way your fault, so there is no harm in providing a recorded account of what had happened from your perspective, right? Most auto insurance policies even have a requirement within the fine print that says you agree to provide a recorded statement following an accident. No matter how honest your statement is, providing a recorded statement to an insurance claims investigator prior to speaking with an experienced accident injury lawyer is NEVER a good idea. The type of questions you will be asked – and the way they ask them – can likely come back to haunt you. Remember, these investigators are trained to frame invasive questions in a way that seems innocent, and most people think there is no harm in providing information. As stated earlier, any insurance company, whether your own policy or that of another driver, has one purpose; to pay out as little as possible on a claim, or to deny a claim completely. We suggest taking advantage of our free initial consultation with an attorney before you agree to provide any recorded statement.

The law enforcement agency investigating a crash will generally issue a citation to at least one of the drivers involved, after they complete their investigation at the scene. You, and any other drivers involved, could be cited for a civil infraction, or a criminal citation may be issued for more serious offenses, such as DUI or reckless driving. In cases like those, or crash cases that involve serious bodily injury, we strongly recommend you seek the legal counsel of Goldberg Noone Abraham's experienced Personal Injury attorneys.

It is important to point out that if you are found guilty of a criminal charge, that can be used against you should someone attempt to file a civil lawsuit for damages. The bottom line is that it is always best to enlist the help of a personal injury attorney as soon as possible after a crash. This will help to alleviate your fears and answer your questions – it does not cost a thing to come in and talk to us about your accident.

If one or more of the other drivers is not carrying any auto insurance, you can make a claim for damage repair to your vehicle under the collision coverage of your car's policy. Even if you carry what is called “Uninsured Motorist”, or UM coverage, that will only pay for bodily injury - not for damage to your car. If the accident is minor and you do not have collision coverage, you may be able to negotiate with the other driver(s) to get them to pay for the damage to your vehicle. But if it was a major accident that involved injuries, but the other party has no insurance, your best recourse may be to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party to be financially compensated for your losses.

If you are seriously hurt in a crash, you will be facing several financial hardships, including the medical costs related to your injuries. Even if the other parties that were found to be responsible for your injuries have no auto insurance, there may still be an opportunity to receive compensation for your losses and injuries. Our personal injury attorneys analyze each specific case to determine every legal course of action to protect your rights, and to help you obtain the compensation that you deserve.

If you are awarded compensation by a settlement or by a jury trial against a party that had no car insurance, the Department of Motor Vehicles will suspend the driver's license and registration of the at-fault party until the entire judgement has been paid.

The bottom line is that any serious motor vehicle accident represents a huge challenge in dealing with insurance companies – yours, and that of any other parties. Their aggressive tactics and unrelenting pressure to get you to settle your claim for pennies on the dollar, or maybe even deny your claim altogether, can be an intimidating uphill struggle. Our experienced Personal Injury lawyers will aggressively fight for the justice and compensation that you deserve, and will help you put your life back in order.

Florida law states that those seeking Personal Injury Protection (PIP) medical benefit compensation only have 14 days from the date of the accident to seek medical treatment for their injuries. You will lose the ability to use your PIP coverage if you do not see the appropriate medical provider within that time frame, even though you paid for the coverage. There are now restrictions that define exactly what type of medical practitioner can diagnose you as having an “emergency medical condition”. Most notably, for you to be eligible to receive your full $10,000 in PIP benefits, an emergency medical condition can only be diagnosed by an MD, a DO, an ARNP (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner), PA (Physician's Assistant) or dentist. The 2013 PIP Law does not allow a chiropractic physician to render such diagnosis to qualify you for the full $10,000 in PIP benefits. If massage therapy is recommended or if acupuncture is sought to treat your injuries, PIP will no longer pay for these treatments.

This makes it critical that you seek medical care from one of the above-referenced medical providers immediately. Injuries often do not fully manifest themselves until days, or even weeks, after an accident. If you do not go to an emergency room or medical facility by ambulance after a crash, you should seek out a qualified practitioner such as a walk-in clinic to have your injuries evaluated as soon as possible.

Even though you are still required to faithfully make your premium payments on your $10,000 worth of benefits, THERE ARE NOW SITUATIONS IN WHICH YOU ARE ALLOWED ONLY $2,500 IN ACTUAL BENEFITS. The law requires that you have been determined to have an “emergency medical condition” to have access to your full $10,000 of coverage. Insurance companies will try to prove that you do not qualify, and only allow you $2,500 in benefits. These types of situations are often litigated. We aggressively fight for the full amount of coverage our clients are owed, recognizing that every case is different.

Florida has laws regarding what is called “comparative negligence” in personal injury lawsuits. That means there is a chance that an insurance company – either yours or that of the other party – will not find an individual 100% responsible for the crash and resulting bodily injury. In some cases, it can be determined that there is more than one party at fault and will divide the negligence into what they feel is an equitable split.

However, if it is proven that you were in no way responsible for the cause of the accident, an insurance company is bound by ordinances set forth by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation to not raise your premium costs.

In Florida, there are Statutes of Limitations regarding how long a person can file a claim for damages and personal injury. Generally, you have 4 years from the date of the accident to file a civil lawsuit against another party. In cases of wrongful death fatalities, the Statute is just 2 years. The key is to seek medical evaluation and treatment, along with accurate legal advice from one of our personal injury attorneys, as soon as possible following a crash. This is your best choice of action to best protect your legal rights.

After a serious accident, time can become a blur and the months can go by fast. Contacting one of our personal injury attorneys immediately after the incident is critical to getting financial compensation for your injuries.

Not every accident requires the help of a lawyer. At the Goldberg Noone Abraham Law Firm, we are happy to meet with you to determine if there is a legal cause of action in your accident case. You can sit down with one of our Personal Injury lawyers at no cost for a confidential consultation. We are not what is known as a “settlement mill”, a law firm that depends on the quantity of their cases as opposed to the quality of their work. Settlement mills will regularly accept low-ball insurance offers in order to close your file and move on to the next one. You may not ever speak to an actual attorney but be passed along to a paralegal or case file worker to process your claim.

The law firm of Goldberg Noone Abraham does not operate that way. Our attorneys have more than 80 years of combined experience in aggressively protecting the legal rights of people hurt in some type of accident, through no fault of their own. Our local reputation, which is well known by the giant insurance companies we negotiate with, is one of integrity, and the highest possible ethical standards. If we feel you do not need our services, we will explain that to you. If we are hired to represent you in your accident case, you can rest assured each of our attorneys are prepared to stand by our clients through every step of their case.

Many people never consider seeking the help of a personal injury lawyer because they do not think they can afford it. In fact, if we agree to represent you in a personal injury case, you will pay us no fees or costs unless we are successful on your behalf. When we reach a favorable financial settlement through an insurance carrier, either through aggressive negotiations or in a jury trial, our fees and costs are paid to us from that settlement.

When we are representing clients in a personal injury case that requires ongoing medical treatments and expenses, we will work with your treating medical provider under what is known as a Letter of Protection or LOP. An LOP is essentially an agreement between our firm and your provider that ensures they will be paid for their services rendered over the course of your treatment, following the successful settlement of your case. Further, we are skilled and experienced in monitoring and negotiating all costs and invoices related to your medical care and treatment, and often are successful in reducing the final balance on bills submitted by your medical provider.

Other services we perform as part of our Personal Injury case work:

• Contact and interview all the witnesses to the crash, conducting taped depositions if required,
• Obtain scene photographs and photos of the damaged vehicles to help determine liability,
• Thoroughly investigate the background of the defendant,
• Gather and analyze all related medical records and the medical history of our client, both prior to and following the crash,
• Hire expert investigative, crash scene reconstructionists and accident forensic specialists to assist us with presenting our case,
• Obtain cell phone records of the at-fault party to determine if they were distracted at the time of the crash.

At Goldberg Noone Abraham, we focus primarily on personal injury cases. Over our many years in business, we have developed a reputation as formidable opponents in the courtroom. Your faith in us matters - about 80% of our cases come via referrals from our past clients. We are proud of our ability to offer help to people who have been hurt or injured by no fault of their own, and we will gladly provide you with personal testimonials from those with whom we have worked.

Personal injury cases are difficult to litigate, so to be successful an attorney requires the highest possible level of knowledge and skill. Due to our extensive local history and insights in the legal system in Southwest Florida, we are fully prepared to develop and execute the most appropriate and aggressive legal strategies to represent you and your legal rights. Our legal team are experts in the field of personal injury law because it is not just part of what we do…personal injury law is all that we do.

We are local people, with local knowledge, and our law firm has been in Southwest Florida since its inception. Some out-of-town law firms establish an “office” here to gain more business. Our firm has been committed to the Southwest Florida community since we opened our doors in 2000, and our record of success speaks for itself.

If you, or someone you know, have been hurt in any type of accident, let us know how we can help. Going through the aftermath of a crash can be an overwhelming experience physically, emotionally, and financially. The attorneys at Goldberg, Noone, and Abraham are always available to help, every step of the way.

When you and the insurance company agree on a monetary amount to compensate you for your injuries. The amount of time depends, in part, on the length of time it takes to treat your injuries. Never attempt to settle your claim until you first receive all the medical care you need. Generally, that point in time is called Maximum Medical Improvement. Settlement negotiations will begin after the insurance company then receives all the documentation to support your injury claim. The clock then starts to run as to how long it should take to settle your claim. Each injury claim is unique and the time it will take to settle will depend on the insurance company and your willingness to accept what is being offered. We will provide you with advice, but the final decision to settle will be yours.

Insurance companies are not keen to part with their money. They are interested in paying as little as they can to settle a claim. A “quick” settlement benefits the insurance company and may not compensate you for all your damages.

Each state has specific laws with respect to the length of time to voluntarily settle your claim. The type of claim will also impact the amount of time to voluntarily settle your claim. The length of time is called the Statute of Limitations. If a claim cannot be settled before the Statute of Limitations expires, we will file a lawsuit on your behalf to protect your claim.

Florida is a “No Fault” state, meaning your auto insurance policy is responsible for the first portion of your medical costs (typically $10,000) through the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefit. Newly enacted provisions to these laws require extremely specific guidelines about exactly when, and from whom, you seek medical attention or treatment. The amount not covered by your insurance policy will then be the responsibility of the at fault party.