With Florida as the third-leading state with the most car accidents, Doral residents commonly experience injuries from accidents. Drivers often fail to abide by their duty of care to drive safely throughout Miami-Dade County. An experienced Doral personal injury lawyer can help you receive compensation for your personal injuries after a car crash.
Whether you experienced serious injuries, broken bones, or minor injuries, contact the experienced personal injury lawyers at Ward Law for legal advice on the compensation you may be entitled to.
The Most Common Car Accidents in Doral
In 2019, three fatal accidents happened in Doral, Florida. The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department reported the following statewide statistics in 2019. There were:
- 401,867 total crashes.
- 689,474 drivers involved in crashes in 2019.
- 236,753 injuries resulting from those crashes.
- 2,951 fatal crashes.
- 521 motorcycle fatalities.
- 9,736 pedestrian accidents and 734 pedestrian fatalities.
In particular, in Miami-Dade County, there were 65,143 total crashes, 298 total fatalities, and 31,698 total injuries in 2019.
The most common types of accidents that require medical care include:
- Head-on collisions are particularly dangerous due to the combined speeds of the approaching vehicles.
- T-bone accidents happen when one vehicle perpendicularly impacts another.
- Rear-end accidents are common due to people driving too close to each other.
- Side-impact collisions can be deadly because a driver or passenger is more vulnerable to side impacts, where there is less anti-collision protection.
- Motorcycle accidents are prevalent because motorcycles can be difficult to see.
- Pedestrian and bicycle accidents are often fatal because of the speed and weight of a vehicle colliding with a pedestrian or bicycle rider.
Most recently, police officers are investigating an accident in Fort Lauderdale that left one driver dead and three other people injured. The accident happened near West Broward Boulevard and Northwest 15th Avenue. The police suspect that one of the drivers was under the influence.
Many accidents lead to injuries that require medical treatment and expensive medical bills. Further, many accidents leave victims with emotional injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or devastating losses, such as losing a family member. Insurance companies often fail to provide people with adequate settlement offers. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you receive fair compensation after any type of traffic accident.
Doral Traffic Conditions
Police reports show that most car accidents leading to severe injuries occur at specific times of the day during particular weather conditions. For example, 55.3% of accidents in Doral happened in "dark-lighted" areas. Surprisingly, 78.9% of car accidents in Doral, Florida, happened in clear weather, with just 7.9% of accidents happening in rainy weather. The month that sees the most accidents in Doral is August.
The traffic conditions that existed during an accident can be crucial information for your insurance claim. It is critical that if you experience a car wreck or any other type of auto accident in the Doral area, note all of these surrounding facts when consulting with a Doral car accident attorney.
Common Injuries Car Accidents Cause
Car accidents can lead to severe injuries and even death. Medical expenses in personal injury cases can quickly add up. Some of the most common injuries that car accidents cause include:
- Back injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Head injuries (such as a concussion)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Fractures
- Internal bleeding
- Internal injuries
- Burns
- Loss of limb
- Bruising
- Whiplash.
Besides these physical injuries, accident victims often experience emotional injuries (like PTSD) as well. These emotional injuries can also be considered when determining compensation for your damages. You should always seek medical attention after a serious accident, even if you do not feel any pain. Some injuries do not appear until later, and it is crucial to have in your medical records that you did seek medical attention to support your injury claim.
What kinds of cases does a Doral car accident attorney handle?
If you experience a car accident, you may have to go through the process of filing a personal injury lawsuit to receive compensation for your damages. Personal injury cases all have to do with the legal concept of negligence. Negligence essentially allows the injured party to potentially hold the at-fault party responsible for their damages if the negligent party failed to uphold their duty of care.
Negligence is related to all types of car accident lawsuits. The legal team at Ward Law has extensive experience with auto accidents, including:
- Car accidents
- Bus accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle crashes
- Drunk driving accidents
- Uninsured Motorists
- Uber/Lyft accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents.
Each type of accident can have catastrophic injuries. Victims deserve to have compensation to help with the recovery and healing process.
What To Do After a Car Accident in the City of Doral
A Doral car accident can be extremely overwhelming. However, there are steps you can take to help ensure you protect your legal rights.
- The first thing Florida drivers should know is to never leave the scene of an accident. This is against the law, and you could receive harsh legal penalties.
- Ensure that you and your passengers are safe. If anyone is injured, immediately call 9-1-1 so that an ambulance can take them to the hospital.
- If you are able to move your car to the side of the road, do so to prevent other cars in the surrounding area from crashing into you or the other car.
- Call 9-1-1. It is crucial to have a police report for your claim after a serious car accident. Be sure to receive a copy of the police report once it is complete.
- Exchange information with the other drivers. Individuals should always take down the other driver's name, phone number, and insurance information.
- Take notes on the accident scene, the cause of the accident, any nearby landmarks, and any damages to your personal property. Take photos of both cars, as all of this information can be used as evidence.
- Contact experienced attorneys. A personal injury law firm will be able to walk you through your legal rights and provide you with legal representation. Without a knowledgeable lawyer guiding you through the process, your insurance company may try to take advantage of you and expect you to take the lowest settlement offer they give.
If you lost a loved one in a car accident, you might be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Injured victims and family members of injured victims should always take the time for a free consultation to learn about what their accident claim may be worth and whether or not they can receive protection.
What damages or injuries can I recover after a car accident?
Personal injury victims can seek both economic and non-economic damages after an accident. Economic damages are damages for any monetary losses the victim experienced due to an accident. These damages can include:
- Medical bills and expenses. This is why it is vital to have your medical record when filing a claim.
- Future medical expenses. These costs are any expected medical expenses in the future due to the injuries.
- Rehabilitation costs.
- Lost wages due to your inability to work from the accident.
- Loss of future income if you expect not to be able to work due to issues related to your injuries.
- Costs related to any property damage after an accident.
Non-economic damages are related to the pain and suffering you experience after an accident. These can be difficult to quantify, which is why it is crucial to seek legal services with experience in these matters.
What evidence do I need to prove my damages?
If you decide to take legal action or file a claim with your own insurer, the best way to prove your claim is to have evidence to substantiate your damages. An experienced Doral car accident lawyer knows who to speak to and how to get the relevant evidence.
Examples of the various types of evidence you will need to gather include:
- Medical records before and after the accident
- Medical bills from any hospital visits, doctor visits, or physical therapy visits
- Statements or documentation from doctors that prove your injuries
- Work records to prove lost wages
- Proof of future loss of income
- Expert statements
- Witness statements.
These are just a few examples of evidence that can be used to support your injury claim. A lawyer will be able to walk you through each step of the legal process and ensure you collect all of the relevant evidence to support your case.
Who can I hold responsible for my damages?
Florida law acts as a no-fault state. This means that you will first have to look to your own insurance company for compensation, regardless of whether or not you were at fault. However, this may change if SB 54 is passed, which would modify no-fault rules.
Regardless, it is always vital to be able to prove that the other driver was negligent, as your insurance may not cover all of your expenses.
To prove that the other driver was negligent, you must be able to show that:
- The other driver owed you a duty of care. All drivers on the road owe other drivers and pedestrians a duty to drive safely to prevent injuring others.
- That driver breached that duty of care. You can prove this by showing that the other driver was drinking and driving, failed to abide by traffic signals, was driving while distracted, or proved any other cause of the accident due to their unreasonable actions.
- The driver's breach was the cause of your injuries.
- You actually experienced injuries.
Again, an experienced personal injury firm will be able to explain each of these elements and how your facts apply to negligence. If you are able to prove that the other party was negligent, you may be able to seek compensation from the other driver.
How do Florida's personal injury protection (PIP) laws affect my claim?
PIP requires that each Florida driver has personal insurance protection, which will cover damages up to $10,000, regardless of who was at fault. This means that if your damages do not exceed $10,000, then you will have to file an insurance claim only with your own insurance company.
Though if SB 54 is passed, then Florida will no longer be one of the ten states that is a no-fault insurance state.
What should I do if my damages exceed my PIP coverage?
However, if your damages do exceed $10,000, or resulted in a permanent injury (such as death or paralysis), then you can seek compensation from the at-fault party. This will require filing a claim with the other party's insurance company and potentially filing a lawsuit against the individual driver.
If your own insurance company or the other party's insurance company attempts to offer you a settlement, do not accept it without first consulting with an experienced law firm. Insurance companies will often push for policyholders to accept the lowest settlement offer possible. A lawyer will help you determine what your claim is worth and whether or not you received a fair settlement offer.
What if I was partially at fault for the car accident?
Since Florida is currently a no-fault state, then you do not have to worry, as the insurance company will provide compensation for up to the $10,000 threshold. However, once you pass the threshold, Florida then turns into a comparative negligence state. This means that whatever percentage of fault the judge, jury, or insurance company believes you had, the amount of compensation you are entitled to will be decreased proportionately.
For example, if you were 10% at fault, your total amount of compensation that you are entitled to will decrease by 10%.
When do I have to file a claim or civil lawsuit in Doral?
Florida's statute of limitations to file a claim after a car accident is within four years from the date of the accident. This deadline means that you must file your claim before four years run out after the accident happened.
Should I contact an experienced Doral car accident law firm?
Yes. An experienced lawyer in South Florida can help ensure that you gather all of the relevant evidence, file your claim and any other legal documents on time, and handle all communications with the insurance companies or the other party's lawyers. You do not have to go through these difficult times alone.
Contact the experienced lawyers at Ward Law today for a free consultation or fill out our contact form to learn about your legal rights and how the attorneys at Ward Law can help you.