People experience accidents every day in Hialeah on the road, on the water, at the grocery store, or even at the doctor’s office. These accidents usually occur due to someone else’s negligence. When someone is negligent in causing your injuries, it’s crucial to contact a Hialeah personal injury attorney to ensure that you receive fair compensation for your recovery.
A Hialeah personal injury lawyer helps get you the compensation you deserve to pay for your medical bills, any ongoing medical treatment, lost wages, property damage, and physical and emotional injuries for a Hialeah car accident or other event that causes serious bodily injury.
How common are accidents in Hialeah?
Miami-Dade County is home to Hialeah. According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) agency, there was a total of 65,143 crashes in Miami-Dade county in 2019 alone. Additionally, 31,698 injuries resulted from those crashes. The agency further categorized the data into types of accidents, including:
- Motorcycle crashes: 1,023
- Pedestrian crashes: 1,644
- Bicyclist crashes: 828
- Other non-motorist crashes: 680
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported 95 boating accidents in Miami-Dade County in 2020, resulting in 68 injuries off the road and on the water. Most Hialeah accidents involving cars specifically occur on roads with heavy traffic, like Northwest 27th Ave., Okeechobee Road, and Northwest 79th St.
What does a Hialeah personal injury law firm do?
A Hialeah personal injury law firm advocates for an injured party’s rights to receive compensation after an accident. To do so effectively, a lawyer meets with the injured party, analyzes their case to determine whether the claims meet the standard for negligence, develops and organizes evidence, conducts interviews, and enters into negotiations with the opposing party’s insurance company.If the parties cannot agree and settle through negotiation efforts, then the attorneys at Ward Law are also prepared to provide you with legal representation in the courtroom via a civil lawsuit. Because of the complexity of the law and the high stakes of the situation, you must contact a personal injury lawyer to help walk you through the difficult process to increase your chances for a satisfactory outcome.
Types of Personal Injury Cases
Common types of personal injury cases that the attorneys at Ward Law have experience handling include:
- Truck Accidents: Truck accidents often occur due to distracted driving, impaired driving, negligent supervision, and many other negligent actions. Truck accidents can result in catastrophic injuries and damages based on the immense size and weight of commercial vehicles.
- Motorcycle Accidents: Motorcycle accidents are hazardous and can lead to severe injuries. These accidents can involve hit-and-runs, reckless driving, parking lot collisions, and rear-end collisions.
- Auto Accidents: Car accidents can always lead to devastating injuries. Whether the type of accident you’re involved in is a rear-end collision, head-on collision, T-bone accident, bicycle accident, or pedestrian accident, these traffic accidents cause hundreds of thousands of injuries each year. It’s important to note you should never leave the scene of an accident. Not only is it a crime, but the evidence you can obtain from the accident scene can be helpful when filing a claim in the Hialeah area. Hialeah car accident lawyers understand the complexities of this type of personal injury lawsuit and will fight to receive fair compensation from the responsible party.
- Head-On Collisions: Head-on collisions are especially dangerous and often lead to more severe injuries. When two cars collide head-on, there’s an increased chance of ejection of either driver through the windshield. Being thrown from a vehicle not only leads to serious injuries but can often be fatal.
- Product Liability: Companies have an obligation to keep the end-user of their product safe. When a product you purchase causes you injuries when used under normal conditions, you may be able to seek compensation. Common product liability lawsuits involve defective or dangerous medical devices, car parts, tools, and other equipment.
- Premises Liability: Property owners have a duty to keep their premises safe. When they fail to do so, the injured party can potentially hold them liable for any injuries sustained when legally accessing the property.
- Medical Malpractice: Doctors and medical professionals owe their patients a duty of care not to cause any additional injuries during treatment. If a medical professional injured you due to negligence, you may be entitled to compensation.
The Ward Law Group handles hundreds of personal injury cases in Hialeah involving various injury claims. When another person’s negligence causes your injuries, you should consult with a personal injury attorney to learn about your legal rights. Do not trust insurance companies to provide you with a fair settlement offer.
Common Injuries in Hialeah Personal Injury Lawsuits
Common injuries that the clients of the Ward Law Group have experienced include:
- Bruising
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Brain injuries
- Concussions
- Whiplash
- Damage to internal organs
- Blindness or deafness
- Paralysis
- Soft tissue injuries
- Malnutrition
- Depression and anxiety
- Infections
- Burns
Personal injury victims can also experience emotional distress, pain and suffering, and death. If someone else’s negligence caused you to suffer any of the above injuries, then you may be entitled to compensation for your damages. You don’t have to fight for fair compensation alone after a serious accident.
Who is liable for my injuries in a personal injury case?
Florida is a no-fault state, meaning if you sustain injuries in an accident, you must first reach out to your own insurance company to cover your expenses, up to $10,000. For damages that exceed $10,000 or that are permanent, including death, you can contact the at-fault party’s insurance company or access their personal assets to pay for your injuries or related costs.Hialeah Fatal Car Accident
If the damages exceed the limits above ($10,000), then you can handle the claim the same as you would in an at-fault state, meaning that many parties can be potentially liable in your personal injury case. For instance, in a three-vehicle collision, the at-fault parties can share responsibility. Also, if any drivers are operating a vehicle while on the job (e.g., commercial truck drivers), the employer can be potentially liable.
If the injured party is partially to blame, they can still hold the other party responsible for the damages suffered due to the accident. If you’re partially at fault for the accident and thereby your injuries, the amount of damages under your claim will likely decrease depending on the amount of responsibility you share.
How can a Hialeah personal injury lawyer help with my claim?
Personal injury lawyers play a pivotal role throughout the entire legal process of a personal injury claim or lawsuit. Your lawyer can help evaluate your case to determine whether your claims are valid, and it’s likely you can prove the necessary elements of negligence. They can also help calculate your total damages and review who’s at fault and if you share responsibility for the accident. Personal injury attorneys help you gather evidence to support your claim, counsel you throughout settlement discussions and litigation, guide communications with the opposing party and their counsel, and negotiate your claim to help compensate you for your injuries.
How much compensation is my personal injury claim worth?
The monetary value of your personal injury claim is dependent on several factors, including:
- The severity of your injuries: Generally, a personal injury claim will reimburse expenses you had to pay for doctors’ visits. Also, if an injury causes an unusual amount of pain, you can seek damages for pain and suffering as part of your lawsuit. You must seek medical care and treatment immediately after suffering an injury to be sure to have a record of your condition.
- Length of injury: If you have to be out of work temporarily or you can’t return to work in the future, you can seek compensation for your past and expected lost wages.
- Emotional distress: if, as a result of your injuries, you begin to suffer depression or a lack of sleep, then you might be able to claim those mental effects of the accident as damages in your personal injury claim. Also, if you need to see a psychiatrist or undergo counseling to help you recover from your emotional symptoms, you may receive compensation for those expenses.
- Amount of fault: The amount of damages you will receive for your personal injury claim is directly dependent on the percentages of fault allocated between you and the other party. If you are not at fault, then you’re total compensation is unaffected. If you’re somewhat at fault, the other party is only liable for the percentage of fault they caused. For example, another party might be 80% at fault for the accident and resulting injuries. In that instance, the other party is only liable for 80% of the damages asserted in your compensation claim.
Who will pay for my injury claim?
The State of Florida requires registered drivers within the state to have personal injury protection insurance (PIP). PIP insurance covers 80% of all reasonable and necessary medical expenses up to $10,000. According to Florida law, if the damages exceed $10,000, the at-fault party or their insurance company is liable to cover the excess amount.
Insurance companies sometimes give you an initial offer that is significantly less than what you deserve. You should contact a personal injury attorney to help you negotiate fair compensation.
Can I file a claim if I lost a family member in Hialeah?
Under Florida law, you must initiate your personal injury lawsuit within four years of the accident. Otherwise, the statute of limitations bars your legal action, and you forfeit your right to receive compensation for your damages. You must contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible to avoid missing the legal deadline to start your case.
How long do I have to file my lawsuit?
Under Florida law, you must initiate your personal injury lawsuit within four years of the accident. Otherwise, the statute of limitations bars your legal action, and you forfeit your right to receive compensation for your damages. You must contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible to avoid missing the legal deadline to start your case.
What questions should I ask a Hialeah personal injury lawyer?
To determine whether a law firm is a good fit for you, you should ask the following questions:
- Have you handled a claim or civil lawsuit similar to mine before?
- Does my case meet the requirements for showing negligence?
- What is your experience negotiating with insurance companies?
- How many other cases are you currently handling?
- How many years have you been practicing in Hialeah?
- Past results
- Availability
- Particular types of experience
- Whether they’ve handled local issues in the past
- Authenticity they show when communicating with you
- The concern they show for your injuries and legal issue
How do I choose a Hialeah personal injury attorney?
It would be best to choose a personal injury attorney you’re comfortable with and you know will give your legal matter their full attention. Your decision should be well thought out and thoroughly researched. You can make your decision based on several factors, including:
How much does it cost to hire a personal injury lawyer in Hialeah?
Most Hialeah personal injury attorneys offer legal services on a contingency fee basis. There is no upfront cost at The Ward Law Group to retain representation for your personal injury case. Instead, we don’t get paid until you get paid. If you don’t win your case or reach a fair settlement agreement, you do not owe the law firm any money other than agreed-upon costs (e.g., court fees, expert witness fees, administrative expenses, deposition costs, etc.).If you have any questions about our fees or would like us to evaluate your case, contact us now to receive a free legal consultation. The Ward Law Group has years of experience fighting for the best interests of our clients.
When should I contact a Hialeah personal injury law firm?
You should contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible after an accident leading to an injury. A lawyer can help you determine whether your claim meets all the required elements for negligence; gather relevant evidence; interview witnesses; calculate damages; assess the share of fault; and discuss settlement negotiations with the opposing party, insurance companies, and legal counsel.