Englewood Car Accident Lawyer

Why You Need an Experienced Car Accident Attorney in Englewood

Between questionable tactics and considerable resources, insurance companies have a distinct advantage in car accident claims. They’re familiar with the complexities of liability determination and documentation and have resources that victims lack. An experienced car accident attorney can help you bridge that gap.

A well-resourced law firm can more effectively compete against large insurance companies.

Your attorney will:

• Explain to you the dos and don’ts of car accident insurance claims
• Prevent delayed payments and denied claims
• Fight against pressure to settle quickly

With reliable legal assistance, you’ll have a better chance of receiving fair compensation.

The Insurance Company’s Advantage

Insurance adjusters work to protect their employers’ interests, not yours. They may use tactics like:

• Offering a quick settlement before the extent of your injuries is revealed
• Disputing whether your injuries occurred in the car accident
• Blaming you for your injuries
• Delaying the process to encourage you to drop your claim

Insurance companies often attempt to undercut victims who lack legal representation. A car accident lawyer in Englewood can level the playing field.

How Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, Protects Your Rights

The legal professionals at Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, can take the reins in the fight to protect your rights.

We offer the following services:

• Case investigation
• Evidence collection after a car accident
• Car accident settlement negotiation
• Trial preparation

We have a large team and extensive resources, and we’ve been using them to assist clients like you in Englewood and the surrounding areas of Sarasota and Charlotte counties for over 40 years.

Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, is a firm you can trust. We’re dedicated to aggressive, client-focused advocacy, and clear communication. Our Englewood car accident attorneys take every case on a contingency fee basis and offer free legal consultations, which can make all the difference in cases like yours.

Common Causes of Car Accidents in Englewood

Every car accident is different. Our familiarity with varying types of crashes helps us get exceptional results.

Distracted Driving and Texting

Englewood is a laid-back community where some people may think it’s okay to check a text or answer the phone while driving. Unfortunately, it only takes a second of inattention to cause a distracted driving accident.

Impaired Driving and Drunk Drivers

Florida strictly enforces its DUI laws because any amount of alcohol can result in a devastating drunk driving accident. Alcohol impairs judgement and reflex speed starting with the first drink. Because of this, DUI accidents often result in catastrophic injuries and traumatic losses for families.

Drowsy Driving

Fatigue has an almost identical effect on brain chemistry as alcohol. This means that drowsy driving accidents often result in similarly terrifying crashes as drunk driving accidents.

Florida car accident statistics reveal that drowsy driving resulted in over 5,000 crashes in 2023. This is partially due to snowbirds entering and leaving the state every six months.

Common Car Accident Injuries in Englewood

Accident victims can suffer a wide range of injuries in car accidents. Because even “minor” car accident injuries can have long-term effects requiring ongoing treatment, the only way to determine the severity of a bodily injury is to seek immediate medical attention.

Whiplash and Neck Injuries

Whiplash occurs when the head whips forward and backward violently, straining the soft tissues in the neck. It’s a subtle injury that often isn’t immediately apparent.

Broken Bones and Fractures

Recovering from even the mildest fractures typically takes several months. During this time, you may be unable to work or only perform restricted duties. You’re also likely to face ongoing medical costs. That means broken bones can also be financially painful without legal assistance.

Head and Brain Injuries

A brain injury can be both physically and emotionally devastating. Traumatic brain injuries often result in permanent changes to personality, memory, and the ability to perform everyday activities. Without strong representation, you could receive inadequate compensation to recover from and adapt to the effects of this type of injury.

Spinal Cord and Permanent Injuries

Spinal injuries from car accidents are frequently life-changing injuries that result in permanent disability. You may need compensation for long-term medical care and a lifetime of lost income.

After suffering a devastating spinal cord injury, you deserve the maximum possible compensation. A skilled spinal cord injury lawyer from Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, can take steps to help you obtain it.

Types of Car Accidents We Handle in Englewood

Every car accident case has unique legal considerations. At our law firm, we handle both common and severe types of accidents.

Our experience with the full spectrum of vehicular collisions is important. We understand the legal considerations present in your case and will address them before they harm your ability to recover fair compensation.

Rear-End Collisions

What causes most rear-end collisions? Ordinarily, some form of tailgating or reckless driving. Rear-end collisions usually occur when the driver in the rear fails to react in time to the driver in front braking, placing the liability on the following driver. Drivers in the front vehicle often suffer whiplash due to the force of the collision.

Head-On Collisions

Head-on collisions are typically the most serious type of car accident, often resulting in death or lifelong injuries. In a head-on crash, the speed of both vehicles massively increases the force of impact.

Thankfully, these types of accidents are relatively rare. They’re most likely to occur due to drunk driving, where an impaired driver may accidentally swerve into oncoming traffic.

Side-Impact and T-Bone Accidents

Nearly all side-impact accidents (also known as “T-bone” accidents) occur at intersections. They’re usually speeding car accidents that happen when a driver runs a red light or stop sign.

Drivers and passengers are particularly vulnerable to injuries in these collisions because car doors have significantly less structural integrity than other parts of the vehicle.

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle riders are extremely vulnerable to injuries or death from motorcycle accidents. Other than the limited safety gear they wear, they have almost no protection from the impact of a vehicle or the road.

Our lawyers have ample experience with the debilitating injuries common in these accidents. This allows us to accurately assess the impacts and value of motorcycle accident claims.

Truck Accidents

Truck accidents present challenges that other types of accidents don’t. Commercial vehicles are subject to federal regulations that can impact liability. Moreover, your attorney needs to be familiar with commercial liability laws to get you fair compensation.

These cases are also complicated by the severity of the injuries they cause. Trucks are so large that they often cause life-threatening harm in accidents that would otherwise be relatively minor. We know how to handle these specialized cases to obtain comprehensive damages.

What To Do if You’ve Been Injured in a Car Accident in Englewood

Most drivers know what to do after a car accident in principle, but they don’t know how specific choices will affect their ability to get compensation.

There are steps you should take while you’re still at the accident scene, and other steps you should take after leaving. By focusing initially on immediate priorities and then taking timely action on further considerations, you can protect your right to fair compensation.

Immediate Steps at the Accident Scene

Before doing anything else, you must prioritize your safety. Start by moving your vehicle or yourself (if your car is inoperable) to a safe location. After that, you should focus on the following steps:

• Call 911 and request emergency services for a car accident.
• Exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver.
• Document your injuries and the accident scene with photos or videos.
• Gather identification and contact details for all witnesses.
• Ask the responding police officers for information about how to obtain a copy of the official police report.

This is also the best time to contact a lawyer to schedule a free consultation.

After Leaving the Accident Scene

The first thing you should do after leaving the accident scene is head to an emergency room or urgent care facility.

The medical evaluation you received at the accident scene was cursory — you’ll need to undergo a full examination at a medical facility, both to protect your health and to generate critical medical records. Preserve all records and hand them over to your lawyer promptly.

You should also notify your insurance company of the accident within 24 hours. Preferably, wait until you have legal representation to avoid saying something to an insurance adjuster that could hurt your claim.

Protecting Your Legal Rights

The next few weeks can be filled with pitfalls if you don’t have reliable legal representation. Various parties may try to get you to sign away your rights, and your insurance company might offer an early lowball settlement. Avoid these traps by consulting with a lawyer.

There’s no risk in meeting with an attorney. Your initial consultation is free, and most lawyers take car accident claims on a contingency fee basis, meaning you’ll only pay attorney’s fees if they handle your case successfully.

Your attorney will review all aspects of your car accident case, guiding you through the insurance and legal processes. The sooner you hire one, the more compensation you’re likely to get. Conversely, delaying could cause you to run afoul of the statute of limitations, potentially costing you thousands.

Act quickly — reach out to Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, today.

How To Determine Fault in Englewood Car Accidents

Determining liability and negligence in a car accident case is critical, especially if your case involves injuries that meet Florida’s serious injury threshold.

The burden of proof falls on both parties in a dispute, and insurers and attorneys rely on evidence to determine fault. Evidence like police reports, witness statements, and video is typically used to substantiate various assertions.

Evidence Used To Establish Liability

The more evidence you have to support your claim, the more likely you are to be able to prove that another party is liable for your injuries. Our investigative team focuses on gathering the following types of evidence:

• Police reports, which indicate the responding officers’ initial opinion about fault
• Witness testimony, which can corroborate your account
• Photos or videos showing injuries or vehicle damage
• Accident reconstruction reports that use physical evidence to determine what caused a crash

Our team collects evidence promptly and preserves it until it’s required in insurance negotiations or courtroom proceedings.

Multiple Party Liability

In many accidents, several parties may be partially at fault. For example, all of the following parties may bear partial responsibility for a crash:

• The drivers
• Their passengers
• The manufacturer of a vehicle part
• Government agencies responsible for road maintenance

Our attorneys identify all liable parties before taking action. When multiple parties play a role in an accident, Florida’s comparative negligence law allows you to seek partial compensation equal to each party’s percentage of fault, as long as you’re 50% responsible for your injuries or less.

Car Accident Compensation and Settlement in Englewood

If we accept your car accident case, our team will employ an aggressive compensation strategy to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. Every case is different, so the car accident settlement you receive may be very different from the one that someone involved in a similar accident receives.

During your free consultation, our lawyers will explain the types of compensation you’re eligible for, which may include the following:

Economic Damages

Economic damages are intended to repay concrete financial losses. These losses must be documented to prove to the insurance company or jury that you suffered them.

Common economic damages include:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Vehicle damage
• Future medical treatment costs
• Lost earning capacity
• Any other bills associated with your injuries

Clear documentation is essential for calculating and supporting an argument for maximum economic damage. That’s why we stress the importance of preserving all relevant records after a car accident.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages differ considerably from economic damages. They provide repayment for the pain and suffering and emotional distress the accident has caused. The value of these impacts is subjective — you can’t produce a receipt showing the harm you’ve suffered due to a hurt back or lingering emotional trauma.

You can only receive non-economic damages in cases where another party is liable for your injuries. Thus, your attorney needs to make a compelling case that the other party was at fault.

The value of non-economic damages is typically calculated as a multiple of the available economic damages. This makes evidence of financial losses all the more important.

While there’s no definitive list of non-economic damages, they typically include:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish
• Permanent disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment or diminished quality of life
• PTSD
• Loss of consortium

Generally, the more severe your injuries, the more compensation you stand to receive.

Factors Affecting Settlement Amounts

How much are most car accident settlements? As a rule, the value of your settlement will increase in relation to the severity of your injuries. While trials usually result in higher compensation than settlements, they also take much longer.

Other factors that may affect how much your settlement is worth includes:

• How soon you hire an attorney
• Florida’s PIP rule
• The resources of the law firm representing you
• Insurance limits
• How much evidence is available

Your lawyer’s contingency fee will also affect the overall amount you receive in a settlement. However, since there’s no upfront payment, you can decide how to approach your case without any risk.

The Statute of Limitations for Florida Car Accident Claims

The moment you’re injured in a car accident, a clock starts ticking on the time you have to initiate your claim. Florida’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims limits the time you have to claim against the at-fault party or their insurer.

Per the statute, you have two years from the date you’re injured or discover your injury to start the legal process. If you file a lawsuit after the time limit runs out, the court will dismiss your case, and you’ll lose your right to seek compensation.

This also affects the time you have to complete an insurance claim. If the statute of limitations runs out, the insurance company has no obligation to pay your claim or settle with you. This makes it vital to act quickly after a car accident.

By taking advantage of a free legal consultation with our firm right away, you can prevent the statute of limitations from running out. Our attorneys work swiftly, being mindful of key legal deadlines throughout the process.

Why Choose Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, for Your Englewood Car Accident Case?

Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, has been serving the Englewood community for over 40 years. All six of our experienced car accident attorneys are licensed and in good standing with the Florida, Hillsborough, and Clearwater Bar Associations.

We’re dedicated to improving the lives of our clients with a commitment to personalized service, contingency fees, and free consultations. Our legal team has an impressive record of obtaining large settlements and verdicts for injured clients. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.

FAQs

Contact Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, Today for Your Free Consultation

Why do past clients line up to give us glowing testimonials? Because we have a reputation for improving the lives of our clients in Englewood.

You can’t afford to delay after a severe injury. Between Florida’s statute of limitations and mounting medical bills, it’s crucial to act quickly. At Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys, we make taking legal action stress-free. There are no upfront fees, and we offer a commitment-free consultation to all prospective clients.