Car accidents are complicated and painful, and the crash is only the beginning of the complex journey that car accident victims must endure. Mounting medical bills, ongoing lost wages, and the complications of severe injuries are all part of the aftermath of an auto accident, and these issues don’t even begin to account for how frustrating the car accident claims process is.
Even in a situation where the at-fault driver is clearly and unequivocally responsible for the Pompano Beach auto accident, insurers will do everything possible to leverage Florida law to their advantage and leave victims high and dry.
CarAccidentAttorney.com Connects Car Accident Victims With Pompano Beach Attorneys
Filing a personal injury claim after suffering from car accident injuries is complicated, and connecting with car accident attorneys is one of the best decisions that a victim can make. Pompano Beach car accidents are complex, and as you are trying to juggle medical expenses, lost wages, and more, you’ll be thankful to have a team of experienced car accident attorneys representing your case. At the same time, you focus on your personal life.
CarAccidentAttorney.com is an attorney directory service that can connect you with a Pompano Beach law firm for a free legal consultation with an experienced traffic accident attorney.
Common Car Accident Injuries
The following are just a few of the many injuries that are common in a traffic accident. If you have suffered injuries, whether or not they are listed below, contact CarAccidentAttorney.com to be connected with a Pompano Beach car accident lawyer who can help you make sense of your car accident claim.
During your free case evaluation for your car wreck, you will be able to discuss the specifics of your situation.
Bruising
Bruising is extremely common from any sort of impact, such as a car crash, and often shows up immediately. Severe bruising, however, can take a few days to develop and may cover a large area of your body. These types of injuries typically require rest and ice to heal correctly, but some may indicate a more significant issue and should be reviewed by a medical professional regardless.
Whiplash
Whiplash is caused by the force of your head being quickly jerked forward and then backward. The ligaments, muscles, and tendons in your neck are all strained during this process, which can lead to extensive pain and discomfort. Whiplash is often treated with physical therapy, pain medication, and rest. Still, after a serious Pompano Beach car accident, it may require surgery that will add to your existing medical bills.
Broken Bones
Although less common than other injuries, broken bones can still occur during a car crash, especially if there is a lot of force involved or if you are hit by a larger vehicle. Broken bones require immediate medical attention and may need to be set or put in a cast. These injuries will have a profound impact on a victim’s ability to continue working and enjoying their lives as they did before the motor vehicle collision.
Lacerations
Cuts are also common in car accidents, especially if there is glass involved. Cuts can be extremely minor, such as a small cut on your finger, or they can be more serious, such as a deep gash on your arm. Most minor cuts will heal on their own, but more serious ones may need stitches.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Although less common, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are still possible in car accidents. TBI can range from a mild concussion to a more serious injury, such as a skull fracture. Symptoms of a TBI can include headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion, and difficulty concentrating, and more serious TBIs can lead to permanent brain damage and notable changes in personality. If you think you or another passenger may have suffered a TBI, it is essential to seek medical attention right away.
Seatbelt Injuries
Although seatbelts are designed to protect you during a car accident, they can still cause injuries. The most common seatbelt injury is bruising from the strap itself, but the belt can also cause more serious injuries, such as internal bleeding or organ damage.
Airbag Injuries
As with seatbelts, airbags are designed to protect you during an accident, but there are possible injuries that a car accident victim may suffer due to this life-saving device. Typically, the most common injury from a deployed airbag is a friction burn from the speed of the bag’s release. Still, it is also possible to break bones or suffer other injuries from the impact of the airbag.
Emotional Injuries
It is important to remember that not all injuries from a car accident are physical. Many people suffer from emotional distress, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), after a motor vehicle collision.
These types of injuries can be just as debilitating as physical ones and often require professional help to overcome them. Insurance adjusters will usually try to dismiss these injuries, but an experienced lawyer will fight to ensure that this very real, brutal suffering is included in your settlement.
What Causes Car Accidents in South Florida?
In Broward County, Dade, and West Palm Beach, car accidents are usually the result of driver error. Here is a look at the common causes of these crashes as observed by car accident lawyers:
Distracted Driving
Drivers throughout Fort Lauderdale, especially on Pompano Beach roads, are becoming more distracted than ever before. Distractions can be visual, manual, or cognitive, though many actions a distracted driver takes will often overlap between these three. A prime example is texting while driving, though other bad habits behind the wheel can also lead to accidents.
These may include looking up directions on GPS, changing the music on the stereo, talking to passengers, reaching for objects in the backseat, eating, drinking, applying makeup, or even daydreaming. If the other driver was distracted at the time of the crash, a car accident lawyer can help you prove it.
Drunk Driving
Drunk driving accidents tend to cause catastrophic injury that often results in permanent disability. A drunk driver is more likely to head into oncoming traffic, make reckless maneuvers, or be too slow to react to changes on the road. Experienced attorneys can help you hold the responsible party accountable for their negligent actions.
Drowsy Driving
When another motorist is tired behind the wheel, they are as dangerous as someone who is intoxicated. No matter their rationale, fatigued drivers should not be driving anywhere, as their reaction times are significantly slowed by their exhaustion.
Reckless Driving Behaviors
Speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, and tailgating are reckless driving behaviors that can cause much more than property damage. Drivers who behave in this way are more likely to cause a multi-vehicle crash and leave you with complicated injuries.
Failure to Obey Traffic Laws
When drivers run red lights and stop signs, fail to yield, or do not change lanes with care, it can cause a crash. One of the most common types of crashes, a T-bone accident, tends to occur at intersections when motorists misjudge their timing. In a motorcycle accident case or car accident case, this action can be deadly.
Dangerous Intersections
All drivers must take care at intersections, though at the most dangerous intersections, the county should be doing more to prevent these occurrences. If your car accident claim involves the negligence of city officials, you should speak to car accident lawyers about your legal rights.
What You Should Know About the Insurance Companies When Recovering Compensation
Florida law requires that every driver have insurance coverage in the form of personal injury protection (PIP). This coverage is no-fault insurance, which means that when you are in a car accident, even if you were not at fault, you must go through your insurer to have your medical bills, property damage, and other expenses from the crash covered.
While the intent was to simplify things, it has created issues for those with severe injuries. Most drivers will only purchase the minimum required amount of PIP. Once you’ve exhausted the coverage, you’ll be paying out of your pocket. You may have future medical bills, lost income, and non-economic damages that you’ll be stuck with if you don’t file a claim with the other person’s insurer.
The insurance companies know that you’re desperate to recover money and may use this as an opportunity to offer you a low settlement amount. Once you sign for it, you won’t be able to seek any additional money for this accident. Unfortunately, many victims in these scenarios do not realize how much their case is worth until it’s too late. They sink further into debt and struggle as they try to move forward with life after the accident.
In other cases, insurers may use different tactics, such as unnecessary delays in processing, to make victims take low settlements. They also train their adjusters to sound like they care while they ask leading questions to use information against you. In short, you may say something that they can twist into an admission of fault and use that to justify reducing your compensation. Even worse, they may be able to deny you the money you deserve with these tricks. Insurance companies hope you’ll be like many victims and not seek immediate medical care. They can then claim that your injuries didn’t come from the accident or that you’re not as injured as you’re claiming to be.
Don’t make these mistakes and let the insurers walk all over you. You can set up a free consultation with a local attorney that you can find through CarAccidentAttorney.com.
Steps to Take After a Car Accident
If you are involved in a car accident in Pompano Beach, you should take specific steps to ensure your safety and protection. The following are meant to be taken as a guideline but remember that the most important thing for you to focus on after a crash is your health and safety.
Any steps that would interfere with this should be avoided. Failing to take proper care of yourself after the crash will lead to more serious injuries and will be used as evidence by the insurer that your injuries are not as bad as you state in your personal injury claim.
Take a Moment and Collect Your Thoughts
After a car accident, you will likely be shaken up and may not be thinking clearly as adrenaline courses through your body, and pain can cause your brain to go haywire. This is normal.
Take a moment to collect your thoughts before taking any further action.
Check for Injuries
Once you have calmed down, check yourself and any passengers in your vehicle for injuries. If anyone is seriously injured or bleeding, call 911 right away.
Do not try to move anyone who is injured, as this could make their injuries worse.
Move to a Safe Location
If you are able to do so, move your vehicle to the side of the road or a safe location away from traffic, like a median strip, breakdown lane, or sidewalk. If you cannot move your vehicle, turn on your hazard lights and wait for help. If you can safely exit the car, whether or not you can move it, do so.
Call the Police
Even if there are no serious injuries, you should always call the police (in Pompano Beach, this would be the Broward County Sheriff’s Office) after a car accident. The police will create an official report of the incident, which can be helpful when filing an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit later on.
If the at-fault driver is aggressive or uncooperative, the police can diffuse the situation and deal with it.
Exchange Information
Get the contact and insurance information from the other driver involved in the accident. You should also get the contact information of any witnesses to the accident.
If the at-fault driver does not have insurance or refuses to give you their information, do not confront them. Instead, wait for the police and let them handle the situation.
Do Not Admit Fault
You should avoid admitting fault for the accident, even if you think you may have caused it. Anything you say to the other motorist or the police can be used against you later on, so it is best to remain tight-lipped about the accident and let the investigation play out.
Even something as simple as an apology may come back to haunt you.
Do Not Sign Anything
The other driver’s insurance company may contact you after the accident and try to get you to sign away your rights or accept a quick settlement. Only sign something or agree to something after first speaking with an experienced car accident lawyer.
The insurance company is not looking out for your best interests and will often try to lowball you or deny your claim altogether. Insurers are not beneath resorting to intimidation tactics or taking advantage of a panicked victim and their inexperience.
Gather Video and Photo Evidence
If you are able, take video or photos of the damage to your vehicle and the surrounding area. If you are filming, provide narration explaining the events leading up to the crash and call out any key details that you believe will be helpful. If there were any traffic signs or signals in the area, be sure to get photos of those as well.
No matter how clear these details seem in your mind right now, your memory will fade quickly. Gathering as much evidence as possible will be helpful when filing your insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit later on because you can’t rely solely on your recollection or the police reports.
Seek Medical Treatment Right Away
Even if you do not think you were injured in the accident, it is essential to see a doctor right away. Some injuries, like traumatic brain injuries, may not present themselves until days or weeks after the accident.
By seeking medical treatment right away, you will be able to document your injuries and link them directly to the car accident. Let the EMTs examine you at the scene of the accident, follow their advice, and schedule a follow-up with your lawyer immediately if you take an ambulance to the emergency room.
Call a Lawyer
After a car accident, it is essential to speak with an experienced car accident lawyer. An attorney can review your case, help you gather evidence, and deal with the insurance companies on your behalf.
If you have been seriously injured in an accident, you need an advocate on your side who will fight for the compensation you deserve. The sooner you are connected with a Pompano Beach car accident lawyer, the more support they will be able to provide you with as they fight to recover compensation.
The majority of attorneys will offer a free consultation, and it’s a wise move to use it. During this meeting, you can find out whether or not you have a valid case and more about your legal options. You’ll also be able to learn more about the lawyer before you hire them to represent you. It is vital that you feel comfortable with this person as you’ll be working with them for several months or longer to resolve your case.
Seasoned local lawyers that you’ll find in Pompano Beach, as well as additional locations through CarAccidentAttorney.com, will give you a better chance of getting the outcome you’d like to get from this traumatic event. The insurance companies all have legal teams on staff, and you shouldn’t face them on your own. Get the help you need by finding an advocate who will work tirelessly to get you the money you deserve.
Through this attorney directory service, you may also find other attorneys who can assist with other legal matters beyond car accidents. When you are hurt as a result of someone else’s careless behavior, the law allows you to fight back, though it helps to have someone aggressively advocating for what is fair and just.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pompano Beach Car Accidents
The following questions and answers are meant to give you a general idea of how these may relate to your situation, but keep in mind that each case is unique.
For specific legal advice about your accident, contact an experienced car accident lawyer in Pompano Beach as soon as possible. CarAccidentAttorney.com can connect you with an experienced lawyer in your area for a free consultation regarding your car accident case.
What should I do if the at-fault party does not have insurance or refuses to give me their information?
If the negligent party does not have insurance or refuses to give you their information, you should still file a police report and call your insurance company. As a Florida resident, you are legally required to have purchased uninsured motorist coverage or underinsured motorist coverage, and these policies may apply in this case. You will need to speak with your insurance adjuster or contact a law firm to learn about how this works.
Do not try to negotiate with the other driver on your own, as this could lead to a dangerous confrontation or may come back to complicate your insurance claim down the road.
What if the other driver’s insurance company offers me a settlement?
It’s in your best interest to only accept settlements or sign documents after first speaking with an experienced Pompano Beach car accident lawyer. The insurance company will likely try to lowball you or deny your claim altogether, and they are not looking out for your best interests.
It may seem like a cash injection will help with your financial issues after the accident, but once you accept a settlement, you will have waived any future rights and will not be able to seek more compensation if it turns out you need it later on.
Should I give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company?
No, you should not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. Anything you say in this statement can and will be used against you to deny or lower your claim. Instead, refer the insurance company to your lawyer and have them handle all communications going forward.
What if I was partially at fault for the accident?
In some cases, both drivers may be at fault for an accident. Even if you were partially at fault, you may still be able to seek compensation through Florida’s doctrine of Pure Comparative Fault. Under this rule, each driver is assigned a percentage of fault for the accident, which will be used to determine how much compensation each driver is entitled to.
For example, if you are found to be 20% at fault for an accident that caused $10,000 in damages, you would be able to seek $8,000 in compensation from the other driver. This is a fair rule, but insurers will attempt to use it to their advantage by pinning any additional fault on you to reduce their obligation. A Pompano Beach car accident attorney can help you fight back against these tactics and get the compensation you deserve.
What if I am hit by a driver who is not from Florida?
If an out-of-state driver hits you, it may be more complicated to file a claim, as the other driver may need insurance that is valid in Florida, or they may try to leave the state before you can file a claim. In these cases, you may need to file a lawsuit to get the compensation you deserve.
An experienced car accident lawyer will know how to handle these complicated cases and will be able to guide you through the process step by step.
What if I am hit by a driver who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol?
If a drunk driver hits you, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver, as well as any bars or restaurants that served them alcohol before the accident. NEVER attempt to take matters into your own hands. Call the police so the at-fault driver can be cited for impaired driving, which will be helpful for your personal injury case.
You may also be able to seek compensation through Florida’s dram shop laws, which hold bars and restaurants liable if they serve alcohol to a minor or someone who is already drunk. If a drunk driver has hit you, call an experienced car accident lawyer right away. These cases can be complicated, so even if the cause of the crash is undeniably clear, fighting for the money you deserve may not be so simple.
Should I accept the settlement that the insurance company has offered?
No, you should not accept the first settlement offer from an insurance company — at least not without consulting with a lawyer to review the offer and investigate your situation. These offers are almost always too low, and if you accept the offer from the insurer, you will be required to waive your rights for any future legal action. This is why victims are encouraged to seek an attorney to represent them from the start during the claims process to get the fair treatment and proper settlement that they deserve.