Preventable accidents occur every day in Pompano Beach. Whether the accident is an auto accident, a work-related accident, or a negligent act, you may be entitled to compensation. When these accidents happen, it is crucial to contact a Pompano Beach personal injury attorney to ensure you receive full financial compensation for the injuries that you sustained. Ward Law’s Pompano Beach personal injury lawyers work to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve to cover all expenses related to an accident. These expenses include medical bills, lost wages, emotional distress, and other damages resulting from a preventable injury.
Common Accidents in Pompano Beach
According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles agency, there were more than 41,000 crashes on roadways in Pompano Beach’s Broward County in 2020. Of those crashes, 23,671 resulted in injured people. The crashes are broken down into five main categories:
- Car crashes: 38,525
- Motorcycle crashes: 657
- Pedestrian crashes: 1,083
- Bicyclist crashes: 716
- Other non-motorist crashes: 133
Further, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported 22 boating accidents in Broward County in 2020, resulting in 16 injuries.
What types of cases do personal injury lawyers handle?
Personal injury lawyers handle several types of cases and personal injury lawsuits that relate to negligence. Negligence occurs whenever someone acts carelessly or recklessly or completes an intentional act that injures another person. Negligence can occur in a variety of contexts, ranging from car accidents to medical malpractice. It is vital that you contact a personal injury attorney who has experience working on cases related to the specific type of injury that you suffered. The Pompano Beach personal injury attorneys at Ward Law Group, PL have experience working on cases involving:
- Car Accidents: Causes of car accidents that result in personal injury include distracted driving, drunk driving, reckless driving, sending a text message, going a long time without sleep, defective car parts, and many different types of traffic accidents.
- Boating Accidents: Boating accidents, while not as common as car accidents, occur very often in the Atlantic Ocean and the surrounding bodies of water. The most common factors that contribute to recreational boating accidents include reckless boating, inexperience, intoxication, improper maintenance, and extreme weather conditions.
- Bike Accidents: Bicycles share the road with larger vehicles. Bicyclers are in danger of serious injury, even if they follow the rules of the road. Common causes of bicycle accidents include reckless driving, texting while driving, drunk driving, and road rage accidents.
- Lyft/Uber Accidents: Whenever you pay for the services of Lyft or Uber, you are also paying for the safety of your trip. Due to the complexity of the ridesharing employment agreements, things can get complicated when you are injured during a ridesharing trip. Ward Law legal services has experience settling cases involving road-rage accidents, impaired driving, and distracted driving during a rideshare.
- Pedestrian Accidents: Pedestrian accidents involving a car and a pedestrian are frighteningly common. Because of the disproportionate forces, pedestrians often suffer severe injuries when these accidents occur. Some of the common causes of these accidents include aggressive driving, distracted driving, and drunk driving.
- Nursing Home Abuse: Some of the more common forms of nursing home abuse include physical abuse, neglect, financial abuse, abandonment, resident-on-resident abuse, sexual abuse, self-neglect, failure to supervise, unlawful restraint, forced exercise or labor, and withholding water, food, or care as punishment.
- Bus Accidents: Some common types of bus accidents include rollover accidents, impaired driving, school bus accidents, T-Bone accidents, defective motor vehicle parts, and head-on collisions.
- Slip and Fall Accidents: Slip and fall accidents occur whenever an individual falls in an unsafe environment. Some common factors that create a hazardous environment include poor lighting, uneven floors, wet floors, torn carpeting, dangerous staircases, and cluttered walkways.
- Medical Malpractice: Doctors and nurses are supposed to take great care of you. Medical malpractice results from some form of negligence or lack of knowledge from a medical care provider. Some common causes of medical malpractice include injuries resulting from surgical errors, misdiagnosis, anesthesia errors, healthcare worker fatigue, and more.
- Wrongful Death: If you believe someone else’s negligence caused your loved one’s death, then you may be entitled to compensation. Ward Law handles wrongful death cases resulting from medical malpractice, defective products, work-related accidents, car accidents, and more.
- Premises Liability: Property owners typically have a duty to keep their land and buildings safe for visitors. Unsafe premises may put you at risk for severe personal injuries. Some of the most common premises liability cases that Ward Law handles include slip and fall accidents, retail store liability, animal and dog bites, negligent or inadequate security, and more.
The Ward Law Group has handled hundreds of personal injury cases for clients in the Pompano Beach area involving the types of cases listed above and others. Although your case might seem simple, it is essential to have an experienced team of legal experts behind you every step of the way. The Ward Law Group has nearly a decade of experience handling these cases and ensuring their client’s rights are protected.
What should I know about personal injury claims?
As described above, there are many different kinds of personal injury claims. Sometimes, they coincide with each other—for example, a slip and fall claim and a premises liability claim often coincide. Even if you are somewhat at fault, you can still pursue a claim and receive partial damages, depending on how the responsibility for the accident is allocated between you and the other parties.
In most instances in the United States, whenever you file a personal injury claim, you will often be dealing with the other party’s insurance company. Insurance companies can be challenging to deal with and negotiations require legal expertise. Negotiation is important because most personal injury claims settle before reaching trial or court.
Because of the complexities of the law, who you choose to represent you for personal injury cases matters. The attorneys at Ward Law Group have almost a decade of experience handling personal injury claims. Moreover, the founding partner, Gregory Ward, once represented insurance companies. This experience allows him to understand how insurance companies operate and what aspects of a personal injury case create or diminish the value.
Why do people file personal injury claims?
There are many reasons why people file personal injury claims. Some people file a case because the insurance company did not fully compensate the injured party for their injuries; in other instances, the party who caused the damage tries to deny fault for the injuries or damages; and sometimes, people file a personal injury claim to hold the other party liable for their negligence and the injury they caused. Filing a claim can be difficult, but you do not have to go through it alone. If someone else’s negligence causes you injuries, you can contact our knowledgeable personal injury law firm to walk you through the process—just fill out the website contact form or give us a phone call to get started.
What kind of damages can be awarded for my injuries?
In a personal injury case, a party that is found to be injured by another party’s negligence can receive damages for both economic and non-economic losses. In some cases where the other party’s actions are especially egregious, there is a possibility for punitive damages. Some of the possible economic losses include medical bills, medical treatments, lost wages from not being able to work, car rentals, property damage, and repair costs. Some of the possible non-economic losses include emotional distress, inconvenience, and loss of enjoyment of life. Punitive damages are reserved for cases where the defendant intentionally inflicted harm.
How do Florida’s PIP Insurance laws work?
The state of Florida requires all motor vehicle owners registered in Florida to purchase Personal Injury Protection. According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Agency, Personal Injury Protection “covers 80% of all necessary and reasonable medical expenses up to $10,000 resulting from a covered injury, no matter who caused the crash.” The maximum PIP insurance coverage is $10,000. Florida’s PIP covers medical costs, including medication, surgical services, hospital expenses, ambulance costs, and rehab. Florida PIP also covers 60% of lost wages subject to a $10,000 limit. Finally, the PIP also covers death benefits, which include the cost of funeral and burial expenses.
Who will pay for my damages?
If the total injury is $10,000 or less, the cost will be covered by your own PIP Insurance. If the damage exceeds $10,000, then according to Florida Law, the at-fault party is liable for the excess. Typically, the excess is paid for by the at-fault party’s insurance company.
How can I prove another party’s negligence?
To show another party’s negligence, Florida courts require proof of duty, breach, causation, and damages. There is specific evidence you will need depending on your case. This evidence will help support your particular personal injury claim. For instance, if you are making a premises liability claim, you need to demonstrate that the premises owner owed you a duty of care. This is typically established based on your relationship with the owner. The level of care depends on whether you are a guest or a customer and if the owner is trying to sell you something. Similarly, the breach and causation elements are also highly dependent on the type of personal injury case you are bringing.
In order to prove damages, you will have to show the at-fault party’s negligence caused the damages you suffered. This is sometimes hard to determine, and the at-fault party will likely argue that the negligence was not an actual cause of the injury. It is critical to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer to determine whether you can support all the elements of the case to ensure that you receive all of the damages the at-fault party’s negligence caused.
To prove that the fault party was negligent, it is essential to present evidence in the best way to support your claim. This will include showing medical records, gathering witness testimonies, and any other evidence or fact to help support your claim for compensatory damages.
What should I do if I was injured in an accident?
If you were injured in an accident, you should follow these steps:
- Make sure that you are safe by getting checked out by a doctor. Your safety is the most important thing. If you were seriously injured, you should get the necessary care to ensure you are healthy.
- Take pictures of the accident scene and obtain any witness testimonies.
- Search for an experienced attorney or personal injury firm that can help you navigate your issues. The expertise and experience of a personal injury attorney make a big difference. You want an attorney that you trust with sensitive information, has time for your case, and has a proven track record of success.
- Reach out to an experienced attorney. Seeking legal advice is extremely important to ensure that you are collecting the right evidence and not making any mistakes or concessions to the at-fault party. Some common mistakes include accepting the first offer by the opposing side’s insurance company, accepting too much responsibility, and going into a negotiation alone. Ask questions about your injury claim through free consultations for general information purposes.
Pompano Beach personal injury attorneys will guide you every step of the way to ensure that you take the proper legal action.
When do I have to file a claim by in Florida?
Under Florida Law, you must bring a personal injury claim within four years of the accident. Otherwise, it will be barred by the statute of limitations. Therefore, it is crucial that you reach out to an experienced attorney sooner rather than later.
Should I hire an experienced law firm?
Yes. An experienced personal injury attorney with years of experience can help determine whether the claim of an injured client meets all of the required elements. They can help you prove negligence, gather relevant evidence, interview witnesses, calculate damages, assess the amount of fault, and discuss settlement negotiations with the other side. Filing with a personal injury attorney who has experience can give you a sense of comfort because you know they will duly prepare for all the necessary elements.
How much does a personal injury lawyer cost?
There are no upfront fees when working with the legal team at The Ward Law Group. Instead, the price for your personal injury case is based on a contingency basis. This means that there is no retainer, and if the case is not won or settled, you do not owe the law firm any money. If you do get compensated for your injuries, the amount we receive depends on the amount you receive as compensation. By aligning goals, the lawyers work in the best interests of the personal injury victims. Legal representation by a law firm with extensive experience fighting for victims’ legal rights will greatly increase your chances of obtaining the best results.
Pompano Beach residents who have been victims of injury do not have to go through these difficult times alone. Contact Ward Law now for a free legal consultation to determine whether or not you have a personal injury claim.