Lutz Car Accident Attorney
Hundreds of thousands of car accidents happen in Florida every year, including tens of thousands just in the Tampa Bay area alone. In almost every instance, crashes occur because a driver was negligent in some way: they drove too fast for the current traffic or weather conditions; they talked on the phone, texted, or checked their social media instead of looking at the road; they followed other drivers too closely or drove too recklessly or aggressively; they drove while intoxicated; or they simply ignored traffic laws like stop signs, speed limits, stop lights, and rules regarding the right of way.
When another driver has hurt you in a car accident, they are liable to you for the harm they have caused. Moore Law can help you get the compensation you need and deserve, especially when the insurance company is denying liability, lowballing a settlement, or trying to shift the blame onto you. Don’t let the insurance company control the situation, and don’t settle for less than you deserve. Call an experienced Lutz car accident attorney at Moore Law to get the help you need.
Car Accident Injury Claims Under Florida’s No-Fault Laws
Florida’s car accident laws are written to discourage lawsuits by injury victims against negligent drivers and their insurance companies. In most cases after a crash, you’ll turn first to your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. PIP is no-fault insurance, meaning you don’t have to sue the other driver or even prove that the accident was their fault and not yours. All you have to do is present your claim to the insurance company to get paid. This might sound attractive, but there are many reasons why a PIP claim isn’t as good as it sounds:
- You can only recover 80% of your medical expenses
- You can only recover 60% of lost wages
- You cannot recover any compensation for your pain and suffering
- Your benefits are capped at $10,000 for an emergency medical condition or $2,500 for a non-emergency
- If you didn’t see a doctor within 14 days of the accident, your claim can be denied entirely
Florida law only allows for civil claims against the negligent driver in the case of a serious injury as defined in the law. In these situations, you can settle a claim with the driver’s insurance company or take them to court and recover the full amount of your medical expenses and lost wages, plus compensation for pain and suffering and other legal damages. “Serious injury” is defined as one of the following:
- Significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function
- Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability
- Death
If pursuing a fault-based claim, the burden falls on you to prove the other driver was at fault and caused your injuries, and you must also be able to prove the extent of the harm you have suffered. The insurance company, meanwhile, might be fighting back by disputing who is liable for the crash or how seriously you were hurt.
How Moore Law Can Help
It is well known that people who resolve their car accident claim without a lawyer get less money than those who have an attorney representing them. The stakes are especially high in Florida, where the state’s “modified comparative fault” law can lower your compensation or shut the door on your claim entirely. Insurance companies take full advantage of this law to shift some of the blame for the accident onto you. Every percent of negligence attributed to you reduces your compensation proportionately, and if you are considered to be more than 50% at fault, then you can’t recover anything at all. Don’t let the insurance company tell you who was at fault; get a skilled legal professional on your side who knows the law and how to apply it to the facts of your case.
As an experienced car accident attorney who has represented both plaintiffs and defendants, Eric Moore knows how much your claim is worth and won’t get tricked into taking less than you deserve. He also understands what it takes to prepare and present a strong case that proves the other driver is responsible. At Moore Law, we work aggressively to get the most compensation for our clients. While we are tough with the insurance companies, we maintain a personal, responsive relationship with our clients. We stay in close contact with our clients throughout their cases and give them a lot of our time and attention. We work for you and want to ensure that your needs are being met and that you are as comfortable as can be as we go through this process together for eventual success and results you’ll be happy with.
Call a Lutz Car Accident Attorney Today
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car accident in Lutz, call Moore Law at 813-510-5400 for a free case analysis. There is never a cost to talk to us, and we only charge a fee after we are successful in your case. Don’t settle for less. Get Moore.
