Driving in and around Boca Raton can be overwhelming, especially when someone else that you share the road with is disregarding the common rules of the road, speeding, driving intoxicated, or possibly even visiting from out of town and are trying to follow their GPS instead of the road and traffic. Regardless of the way another driver is posing a risk to your safety, the reality is that every day there are accidents in Boca Raton, and sometimes they are fatal. Getting into an accident is a scary, and often painful experience and the legal process that follows is often difficult as well.
Filing an insurance claim is a simple step to take, but the process of actually getting the money that you deserve is far more difficult than many people realize. The insurance company has designed all processes to go against the best interests of the claimants, and instead protect the financial interests of the insurance company above all. Working with a car accident attorney is the way to combat these processes and fight for what you rightfully deserve.
Find a Car Accident Lawyer in Boca Raton Today
In the early days and weeks following an accident, the thought of trying to find an attorney in addition to all of the other stressful and painful work that must be done can seem like an impossibility. Fortunately, CarAccidentAttorney.com makes it easy for you to find an attorney in your area who is ready to take your case as soon as possible.
CarAccidentAttorney.com is an attorney and medical referral service. As soon as you realize that you need to file an insurance claim or explore your options for seeking compensation from the other driver, contact us to be connected with an attorney who can take the reins as soon as possible. While your attorney is fighting for what you deserve, you can prioritize your own health and recovery without taking on the dangerous stress of your legal issues.
Common Causes of Car Accidents in Boca Raton
The following are just a few examples of the most common causes of car accidents in and around Boca Raton. Whether or not your accident was caused by anything resembling these examples, contact us as soon as possible so that you can discuss the specifics with a car accident attorney during a free initial consultation, and learn more about your options moving forward.
Drunk or Drugged Driving
Driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs is a crime in Florida and the rest of the United States, and if the intoxicated individual causes an accident then they are at fault for causing a personal injury in addition to violating criminal laws. While it may seem straightforward that the other driver is 100% responsible for your accident, though, you will be shocked to find that the insurance company may still attempt to pin some degree of fault on you in order to save themselves money.
Texting and Driving
96% of all Americans own a smartphone, and the statistic of drivers who own a smartphone is likely very similar. While this does not mean that 96% of all drivers are using their smartphone while on the road, there are alarming statistics about usage while driving, as well – roughly 60% of all adults reported using their smartphones while driving in some sort of capacity.
Speeding
Speed limits are there for a reason, but an alarming number of drivers ignore these limits, or simply regard them as suggestions. When someone is driving above the speed limit, they have a decreased amount of control over their vehicle, have less time to react to hazards, and intimidate all others on the road with them. In addition, simple physics show that the faster a vehicle is traveling, the more force their impact will have, and therefore the more damage they could possibly cause.
Determining Fault After a Car Accident in Boca Raton
The question of fault is a major issue that will need to be resolved in the early stages of your claim investigation. Florida uses a rule known as pure comparative negligence that allows for all those involved in an accident to accept partial responsibility, and the victim will still be entitled to compensation whether or not they contributed to the crash. If you are the victim of an accident and accept 10% responsibility (for example, for failing to take defensive actions against the plaintiff’s reckless driving), then your final settlement will be reduced by 10%.
While this rule allows for victims to still have access to compensation, while otherwise they may have been left with no recourse if they were even 1% responsible, it is a tool that the insurance company will use aggressively in order to save as much money as possible. Remember that each percentage point counts for a massive company that handles hundreds or thousands of claims each day, but the difference of $10,000 will have a much more lasting impact on you than it will them. Your lawyer will fight to ensure that you accept the fault that you may have contributed, and no more.
Calculating Damages After a Car Accident in Boca Raton
In tandem with negotiating fault, the question of compensation is arguably the most important in any personal injury case, your car accident included. Economic damages include things like your medical bills and other treatment-related expenses and debts, as well as all impacts to your income such as lost wages paid time off or vacation days that you have used to cover missed time at work, and any possible long-term disability. Essentially, economic damages include anything that has a measurable financial value associated with it.
Non-economic damages seek compensation for more “abstract” impacts, such as the pain and suffering of your injuries and the emotional impacts of the accident. While there is no set value to these impacts, they are equally important, and your attorney will fight to make sure that they are included in your settlement.