Fort Myers, Florida had a population of nearly 90,000 as of 2019, with countless more traveling to and through the city each winter as “snowbirds” take to southern Florida and the desirable Gulf Coast weather. No matter the season, drivers are always at risk of a Fort Myers car accident that may lead to significant car accident injuries, medical expenses, chronic pain, and ongoing financial issues that car accident victims seek to recover by filing an insurance claim.
Too often, car accident victims go through the entire legal process without the support of a car accident lawyer, and ultimately these car accident cases may be resolved for far less than the victim is rightfully owed. Insurers have years, if not decades, of experience handling claims against their clients and approach each car accident claim with the goal of settling for as little as possible.
File an Accident Claim With Experienced Support
When an injured person in Fort Myers files a claim alone, the adjuster will work aggressively to resolve the case without paying the true price of medical treatment and other personal injury damages.
After a Fort Myers car accident, one of the first things an injured party or a victim’s family member should think about is taking advantage of the benefits of a car accident attorney-client relationship so they can stay focused on their health.
Contact 1-800-Injured To Connect With Fort Myers Car Accident Lawyers With Ease
1-800-Injured is an attorney and medical referral service. While working with a proven law office and legal team in Lee County, clients recover compensation without taking on the stress and anxiety of the claims process, instead taking this time to focus on recovering from catastrophic injuries sustained from the car crash.
Unfortunately, reaching out to law offices after a serious car accident may seem like just another overwhelming responsibility, and many may go through the claims process without truly understanding their legal options.
Contact the team at 1-800-Injured right away, and we will connect you with a Fort Myers car accident lawyer for a free case evaluation where you can learn all about the services that their law firm can offer to support you through your car accident case. You will be able to learn about how they help clients like you seek compensation, as well as provide specific advice on which first steps to take after a car crash in Southwest Florida.
Speaking with an experienced professional as soon as possible can give you a clear understanding of your situation and allow you to look towards the future with confidence instead of panicking about the cost of your medical expenses, the impacts on your income, and more without knowing how to proceed.
WHAT TO DO IMMEDIATELY AFTER A CAR ACCIDENT
The following steps are meant to give you some general guidelines of what to do after auto accidents. Of course, no two car accidents are alike – this means that your situation may not fall in line with these steps, and you will need to determine the appropriate actions necessary for your safety.
Call 911
It is essential that you or someone else at the scene call 911 as soon as possible. Once the 911 operator dispatches the emergency responders, you will get the care and attention necessary to help you get through the initial phase of this accident.
Firefighters will address any hazards that could cause potential additional injuries or damages, police will secure the area, divert traffic, and produce an accident report, and EMTs will be able to provide emergency medical care.
Take Your Health Seriously
Being in a car accident with or without permanent injuries is traumatic, and you may not be thinking clearly in the minutes after the crash. If paramedics instruct you to go to the hospital, don’t take the advice lightly.
While first responders can offer several lifesaving treatments at the crash scene, they can’t give you the type of complete medical examination that your doctor or the emergency room staff can.
Your doctor may discover injuries that went unnoticed by the paramedics on the scene, and a timely medical report can positively impact your recovery strategy and your claim for fair compensation by generating valuable evidence about the extent of each severe injury.
Document the Accident
If possible, take pictures and video of the scene of the crash. These images may be difficult for you to revisit, but they will be extremely important as you are trying to recover damages from the insurance agency.
In addition to your own documentation, try to get the contact information of any eyewitnesses. Make sure that you provide your own statements about what happened to the police as they draft their accident report.
NEVER make any statements that could be misconstrued as an admission of guilt, such as an apology; however, make sure that you do not lie or provide false information, as this will seriously complicate any steps you will take in the future.
Contact an Attorney
Many people believe that they should file an insurance claim on their own and only hire an attorney if the claims investigation does not go well. Here is the reality: from the moment you file a claim, the insurance company will go into action to identify every possible way to limit your final payment, and every communication you have with them will be reviewed under a microscope to find ways to place blame on you.
When you have an attorney representing your case from day one, they can handle these communications for you and use their legal know-how to provide statements that will not come back to haunt you. Insurers know when Fort Myers, FL law offices initiate claims on behalf of clients, they will do what it takes to get the money their clients are owed.
Common Causes of Car Accidents in Florida
The following are just a few examples of the many ways that car accidents happen in Fort Myers every day. Whether or not you see your situation here, contact us now so that you can be connected with a Fort Myers car accident lawyer who will help you make sense of your options and allow you to understand a clear path forward.
Negligent drivers are everywhere on the road in Fort Myers, FL and beyond. If you have been hurt, you can learn all about your options with car crashes during a free case evaluation with a Fort Myers car accident lawyer.
Car accident attorneys and the teams at their law firm have experience with many different practice areas and handling a wide range of car accident causes and will be ready to fight for you today.
- Speeding
- Reckless driving
- Inexperience
- Driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
- Road rage and aggressive driving
- Distracted driving such as texting, eating, cell phones, GPS and radio units, etc.
- Blind spots (these are especially dangerous for motorcycles)
- Mechanical failures
Don’t See the Cause of Your Crash? Contact Us Now.
Remember that this list is extremely limited when you consider the seemingly-infinite ways that a Fort Myers car accident can occur, and the number of details you will need to unravel with your Fort Myers car accident lawyers to truly understand what went wrong.
Common Injuries After Car Accidents in Florida
Again, this following list comprises just a handful of the MANY car accident injuries that people can sustain after a Fort Myers, FL crash. Seemingly minor injuries may lead to chronic pain, and an insurer will work to declare issues as falling below the “injury threshold” for your car accident case to reduce their financial obligation.
injury as they work to get you the money you deserve. Once you are partnered with a car accident law firm, you can focus on recovering from these injuries with peace of mind knowing that a proven law firm is working to represent your case fairly.
All Accidents Are Unique
No two car accidents are alike, neither by cause nor consequence, and you must work with an attorney who helps you to understand your truly unique situation and build a strong case for the damages that you are rightfully entitled to.
Whiplash
Whiplash is a common injury caused by car accidents. The term whiplash refers to a rapid back and forth movement of the head involving hyperextension and hyperflexion of the neck, which causes damage to soft tissue in the cervical spine. It may even lead to back injuries in the musculature.
Whiplash Must Be Taken Seriously
When an accident happens, if your head isn’t properly supported or secured by a seat belt, it can whip forward and backward instead of moving with your body. This could cause damage to one or more areas of your cervical spine – from your neck down through your shoulders. In some cases, this leads to paralysis that affects breathing function — known as quadriplegia or tetraplegia — and can seriously limit important bodily function.
Fractured Bones
A bone fracture is a break, crack, or complete separation in part of the bone. The four body regions most likely to have fractures (commonly referred to as broken bones) are the skull, face, ribs, and thighbones (femurs). A broken bone can also occur in other body parts, such as arms and legs.
Closed vs. Open Fractures
If the skin over a fracture is not broken, it might be a closed fracture. A break in the skin over a fracture is an open fracture. You will be able to discuss the severity and impact of your fracture with experienced Fort Myers car accident lawyers during a free case review once you connect with 1-800-Injured.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is damage to the brain that results from an external force, such as a blow to or rapid acceleration/deceleration of the head. The resulting trauma can create bruising and swelling in and around the brain, tearing of nerve fibers at points where they connect to other areas of the brain, and damage to blood vessels within or leading into the brain.
Indications of a TBI
A person with a severe TBI may lose consciousness for several minutes after their injury and suffer memory loss, as well as chronic headaches, personality changes, and more. Working with car accident attorneys who can translate TBI medical records into measurable dollar values to seek from the negligent parties is an important partnership during this difficult time.
Bruising and Hematomas
A bruise is caused by bleeding under the skin, while a hematoma is caused by internal bleeding in muscles or organs. A car accident injury involving bruises and hematomas can occur when the force of impact causes blood vessels to break or tears muscle tissue. Blood leaks out into nearby tissues when this occurs, causing painful swelling.
The leaking blood may collect in an area underneath the skin, forming a bump that looks like a large black-and-blue mark called a hematoma. If not treated, these injuries could lead to long-term problems.
Seatbelt injuries
Motor vehicles are equipped with seat belts that are proven to reduce injuries and fatalities in any vehicles involved in a crash. In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control: “seat belts reduce the risk of death by 45%, and cut the risk of serious injury by 50%. Seat belts prevent drivers and passengers from being ejected during a crash. People not wearing a seat belt are 30 times more likely to be ejected from a vehicle during a crash.”
However, people are injured because of the seatbelts in motor vehicles often, as well, when the belt catches their body on impact and may lead to bruising or breaks where the seatbelt contacts the body. However, the injuries sustained by seatbelts are of a very reasonable degree when compared to the alternative.
Other Injuries Include:
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Burn Injuries
- Emotional trauma
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
Whether or not you see any or all of the injuries that you or a loved one has sustained following an accident, contact 1-800-Injured now so that you can connect with an attorney who will fight for compensation for every injury that you have suffered.
Damages To Seek With the Help of Car Accident Attorneys
In addition to the damage to your vehicle and your initial visit to the doctor or hospital, you could be facing tens of thousands of dollars in expenses to make a complete physical and emotional recovery. Medical costs and other damages can include:
- Surgery
- Physical therapy
- Prescription drugs
- Medical tests
- X-rays and MRIs
- Medical equipment (crutches, wheelchair, et cetera)
- Follow-up appointments
- Lost wages
- Emotional counseling
Most Fort Myers personal injury attorneys will agree that the costs of a car accident far exceed the sum of the medical bills that you’re charged for your treatments. Many car accident victims have diminished work capacity, reduced quality of life, and experience short-term or long-term pain and suffering.
Trying to calculate these abstract and nebulous damages is best left to the help of a car accident lawyer from a Fort Myers or Cape Coral law firm.
How Much Does My Insurance Have to Pay?
Under Florida law, vehicle owners and drivers must have $10,000 worth of personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. PIP benefits are paid by your insurance and not the at-fault party. That’s what’s meant when Florida is referred to as a “no-fault state.”
PIP will pay 80% of your medical bills and 60% of your lost wages up to $10,000. After a Fort Myers car accident, the rest is recovered from the at-fault driver and their insurers.