Accidents cause panic and anxiety to victims and their families, especially when it comes to the cost of treatment. Some minor accidents causing minor injuries are easier to deal with, but when an accident results in traumatic injuries, the damages cause emotional and financial stress to the victims. The immediate concern is the wellbeing of the victim, which typically means they need medical attention. However, the cost of treatment is very high and unaffordable for some. Fortunately, when injured in an accident, you can recover the costs of treatment and other damages. When injured in Putnam County, a local Pomona park lawyer can get your damages awarded. Talk to the Clay County Personal Injury Attorney and find a skilled lawyer in pursuing claims.
Overview of Injuries Sustained in an Accident
Different accidents result in various injuries. Injuries also differ in severity, with some being minor while others significant, leaving the victim in a vegetative state. Compensation for both economic and noneconomic losses depends on the severity of the damages due to the injuries. However, even with this, insurance adjusters try to protect their companies from making losses and offering the least in compensation. This makes it imperative to get a local Pomona Park Personal Injury Attorney to negotiate your damages for you.
Depending on the type of accident you are involved in, you are likely to sustain some of the following injuries:
- Broken bones – when involved in a traffic accident or you slip and fall, you can sustain serious injuries that may include broken or fractured bones. These are significant injuries that will not only cost the victim money to get them treated, but they will also lose income as they heal from them.
- Traumatic head injuries – a fall from a high place or an accident on the road can result in these kinds of injuries. A motorcyclist, a cyclist, or a pedestrian are more susceptible to these injuries, especially when without protective gear on their heads. Head-on crashes and other forms of road accidents can also result in these injuries that can leave a victim with permanent damages.
- Spine or Back injuries – accidents can also result in a victim suffering significant injuries to their spine or back. The repercussions of such injuries can be paralysis either full or partial, where they lose feeling in some limbs. Total paralysis leads to the victim being confined in a wheelchair, meaning they will be dependent on others for many things.
- Amputation – some accidents can result in the loss of limbs. A body party can get severely damaged, requiring amputation, or it can get cut off from the accident scene. This will require the patient to get an artificial limb and undergo rehabilitation to familiarize themselves with the new limb.
- Disfigurement – accidents can lead to significant facial disfigurement. A victim can lose their teeth, break their nose or suffer facial burns or disfigurement requiring plastic surgery. Such injuries will result in a patient undergoing dental surgery to replace the missing teeth or other kinds of operations to get their face back to normal.
- Loss of hearing and sight – some accidents can result in the victim losing their ability to see or hear. This is a permanent type of an injury that leaves the patient not only with physical trauma but psychological trauma as well.
- Death – some victims can die at the accident scene while others succumb to their injuries in the hospital. Death may not be an injury, but it is a substantial outcome of an accident.
When you or a loved one suffers any of the above injuries, among others, they will be required to get treatment for their injuries. The victims will also experience psychological and physical pain due to the injuries. The cost of treating these injuries and even those that require extended treatment is high. This requires a victim or their family to engage a local Pomona Park Personal Injury Attorney to get them sufficiently compensated for the damages.
Likely Places Accidents Happen
As earlier stated, accidents can occur at any place and at any time. With this understanding, the state has put laws in place to protect the public from getting injured. Some of the places one can get injured are:
1. Traffic Accidents
Our roads are filled with various types of people. While some motorists are careful and exercise caution, others are reckless and negligent in their operations. Because of this, accidents are prone to happen on our roads resulting in significant injuries. When in a traffic accident, getting a local Pomona Park Personal Injury Attorney to pursue your claim is critical to getting awarded your damages. Some of these collisions are:
Commercial Vehicle Accidents
Commercial vehicles are also referred to as common carriers. These are the types of vehicles that transport goods and people for a fee or profit. The state has put laws that regulate commercial transportation in Florida. These vehicles include trucks and buses. School buses, tourists, buses, and passenger buses are all categorized as common carriers.
Despite the laws protecting passengers and regulating their operation, trucks, and buses get into accidents. These accidents may involve other road users, pedestrians, or themselves. Regardless, victims of these accidents get compensated for the damages to their bodies and vehicles.
Regular Car Accidents
Most people use regular cars to move from one place to the other. As a result, many vehicles are on the road, with some driven by inexperienced drivers, while others are experienced. Regular cars get into traffic accidents with other vehicles or road users, and pedestrians too. Various injuries, as described earlier, occur as a result and damage to their vehicles as well. Compensation from the party responsible for the accident is also responsible for taking care of the costs incurred, treating injuries, and repairing the car.
Subway and Train Accidents
Accidents do occur with trains and subways due to various reasons and sometimes do involve vehicles. When these happen, the party to blame is established and held accountable for the damages.
Establishing Liability in a Road Accident
When an accident occurs on the roads, it can be due to many reasons. Establishing the person liable for the accident is crucial in getting your damages paid. In knowing the party responsible for an accident, it is essential to determine what caused the accident. Pursuing costs from the wrong party can result in you losing your claim and carrying the burden of the losses yourself. Some of the prevalent causes of accidents in Florida are:
- Other road users – accidents on the road can be as a result of other road users. If you are mindful of the highway, another reckless or negligent motorist can crash into you, resulting in an accident. A road user, whether driving a vehicle or riding a motorbike, can fail to yield, resulting in an accident with you.
- Drunk driving – despite it being a crime to drive when intoxicated, many motorists continue to do so, exposing themselves and other road users to the risk of an accident.
- Distracted driving – some drivers get distracted while driving, maybe when using phones, eating as they drive, or fiddling with the radio. Distracted driving is a significant cause of accidents on our roads.
- Poor road conditions – when roads are not well marked or maintained, they pose a risk to motorists. If a motorist hits a pothole or a cracked highway, they can easily crash, resulting in injuries.
- Mechanical fault – some accidents may not be due to the failure of the driver. A vehicle can develop a mechanical problem either because it was fitted with a faulty part or not fit for the road. Whatever the reason, a mechanical fault can also be a reason for accidents in Florida.
- Reckless pedestrian – although vehicle drivers owe pedestrians a duty of care, some pedestrians are careless and will wander on the road or cross at the wrong place. These actions can result in a pedestrian getting knocked down and sustaining significant injuries if not death.
- Poor weather – when the weather is unfavorable, it can cause poor visibility and slippery roads. As a result, a driver may fail to see clearly despite their best efforts, resulting in an accident.
Florida uses the pure comparative negligence law in awarding damages. This means knowing the cause of an accident that results in your injuries is crucial in seeking damages incurred. For instance, if an accident was as a result of a mechanical fault, you will need to seek damages from the part or vehicle manufacturer. In such a case, the driver is not responsible for the losses you suffer due to the accident. Your Pomona Park Personal Injury Attorney is well placed to assist you establish fault in a traffic accident.
In particular cases, the parties to blame for an accident may be more than one, or you may be found partially liable for the damages. This means that the costs you received will be proportionate to your degree of blame for the accident. For instance, if from the accident, your damages were $100,000, the jury before awarding your damages will establish if you were to blame for the accident. If confirmed, you were partially to blame for the crash; then, your losses will be according to your degree of responsibility. If the jury says you were 20% to blame for the accident, you will receive 80% in damages, and the rest 20% you shoulder it yourself.
2. Premises Accidents
You can also have an accident in a commercial or private property that will require treatment. Most people frequent commercial buildings to carry out some business transactions or for other reasons. Commercial property can be owned or leased by an entity to conduct its business. Some of these may include a clothing store, restaurant, or office complex.
Any business entity that allows people into their business premises to carry out a business transaction must keep the premises safe for their visitors. Despite this requirement, accidents keep occurring in business entities that can result in severe injuries sometimes.
The state of Florida has a premises liability law where individuals that get in an accident at a business premises can seek compensation for the damages. However, to get awarded these damages, you must prove that the property or business premises owner was negligent. Additionally, you must show that due to their negligence, you got into an accident at their premises and injured yourself. The injuries sustained, therefore, resulted in the damages that you are seeking to get awarded.
When required to prove negligence, it is not easy because you must ensure all the various elements are determined. For this reason, you need a Pomona Park Personal Injury Attorney to represent you and determine the negligence elements on your behalf.
Some of the accidents at business premises may include:
- Slipping and falling – these accidents are prevalent and can result in significant injuries. A person can slip and end up falling due to the negligence of the premises owner. Wet floors, cracked flooring or pavement, uneven stairs, or inadequate lighting are some reasons a client can fall or slip in these premises.
- Escalator accidents – many commercial buildings in Florida have escalators. Accidents can occur in escalators, although not very common. However, when they do happen, they can sometimes result in significant injuries.
- Exposure to toxins – some businesses use toxic chemicals to carry out various activities in their business premises. For instance, if a hotel uses excessive chlorine in treating their pool, it may react with some guests causing injuries. This will expose the business owner to a lawsuit seeking damages due to toxic exposure.
When an accident in a commercial premise occurs, you are also entitled to compensation. You must first inform the business manager or supervisor at the premises. This will ensure an official report is raised about the accident. Getting medical treatment for the injuries sustained is the next most crucial step. It is advisable to seek treatment even when you think the injuries are minor. This is important to eliminate other underlying injuries that you may not have realized.
Because one of the damages you will seek is medical expenses, getting a detailed check-up for the injuries is crucial in winning your claim.
Find a Lawyer Near Me
Following an accident, treatment for the injuries and recovering damages are the most important things. In Florida, despite the type of accident, you can only receive damages from the party responsible for the accident that caused you injuries and damages. Establishing the party liable for the losses is crucial in your receiving compensation. This will require you to get the services of a Pomona Park lawyer. Find an injury lawyer at Clay County Personal Injury Attorney to pursue your claims as you focus on recovery. Call us at 904-494-8242 and allow us pursue these damages for you.