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Car accidents are so common on Florida roads that they are almost mundane. Yet, for the injured victims, car crashes are anything but ordinary.
The injuries from vehicle accidents are usually painful and debilitating with long-term repercussions. But it isn’t just a brain injury or concussion that you need to worry about. Even a relatively “minor” condition like whiplash can impact your entire life—from your finances to how you accomplish your daily tasks.
At Beers & Gordon, we’ve seen firsthand the effect that a car accident injury can have on our clients’ lives. It’s why we devote ourselves to helping you achieve the full compensation you deserve for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
If you’re looking for an Orlando car accident lawyer, Beers & Gordon is the professional law firm you need to make sure that your interests are represented.
Orlando car accident attorneys David Beers and Jim Gordon have handled thousands of personal injury claims, ranging from single-vehicle accidents to 70-car pile ups and everything in between.
This extensive, in-depth experience has shown us the importance of partnering with top-notch experts—from accident reconstruction to biomechanical experts—to establish our clients’ cases, seek compensation, and get the justice they deserve.
Both David Beers and Jim Gordon are former insurance defense attorneys and bring this knowledge into every single case. With over 70 years of combined experience, our Orlando car accident lawyers understand how insurance companies evaluate claims and will use this insight to your advantage.
In addition to accident reconstruction and medical evidence, we also examine the financial aspects of your case.
If you are unable to work because of your injuries, we can work with vocational experts and even economists to establish the monetary damages you’ve experienced as a result of your loss of income. Going into such detail may take longer, but we believe it’s worthwhile in getting you the compensation you need and deserve.
Although the majority of car accident cases are able to reach a settlement, this is not always the case. If your case proceeds to trial, you will have the confidence of knowing you have an experienced, board-certified trial attorney on your side as well as 70 years of combined experience trying cases.
Nearly every case that our law firm takes to trial is done by both of our attorneys as a team, giving you unparalleled legal representation at trial. We also have an experienced litigation paralegal with over 20 years experience.
Our consultations are always free.
Most car accident victims don’t pursue a case out of greed but to achieve some form of justice from the at-fault party or the party’s insurance company. But what happens if the other driver has no (or not enough) insurance or they flee the scene? How do you seek compensation then?
Uninsured motorists and hit-and-run accidents pose a threat to every Floridian. An estimated 25% of Florida drivers do not have adequate insurance to cover them or any victims they may injure as a result of their driving.
This can be frustrating and leave you without fair compensation.
Additionally, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles estimates that about 25% of all traffic accidents involve a hit-and-run. Yes, this is against the law, but even catching an at-fault driver is no guarantee that you will receive compensation for your injuries.
If these individuals don’t have enough money to pay for insurance, it is highly unlikely they will have enough to pay for your medical bills and lost wages. Personal injury protection (PIP) coverage isn’t always enough to cover your injuries, and it does nothing to pay for property damage.
However, if you have the right coverage on your insurance policy, you can prevent having to foot the bill from your own pocket. Unfortunately, many drivers are simply unaware of their coverage options.
Uninsured motorist coverage was created for just these types of situations (yes, even hit-and-run accidents).
Unfortunately, our experience has proven that the insurance company’s primary consideration is its own financial interest. If you’re forced to turn to your own insurance carrier following an accident, this can lead to them undervaluing (or even downright denying) your claim.
Paying your insurance premiums entitles you to receive financial compensation when you file a claim, such as a car accident. But all too often, Florida drivers are shocked to find themselves fighting against the insurance company—the very people that are supposed to protect them!
At the law offices of Beers & Gordon, P.A., we take the extra steps to ensure that our clients are aware of all insurance coverage available to them. And when insurance companies place stumbling blocks in your way, we will aggressively pursue the compensation you deserve.
Less experienced accident lawyers often overlook available coverage options on your policy. As a result, they are simply unaware of the amount of compensation you’re entitled to.
Our experience working for the insurance companies has given us invaluable information that we can use to your advantage. At Beers & Gordon, P.A., we take the time to examine your policy to ensure that you benefit from the entirety of your insurance coverage options.
Every car accident case is different, so it’s nearly impossible to estimate how long yours will take to resolve.
Several factors are important for the timeline to settle the case. The nature and extent of your injuries is often the most important factor. If your injuries require months of therapy and eventually lead to surgery, it may be 6-8 months before treatment is even complete. Then, the attorney would be making the demand.
The amount of insurance coverage can factor into when a case resolves. If coverage is limited, you may get an early settlement offer.
In many cases, the timeline is not determined by you or even your attorney, but by the insurance company. In our experience as personal injury lawyers, insurance companies will frequently drag out car accident cases in an attempt to wear you down so you’ll accept an offer that is less than you deserve. Often, insurance companies will offer less than the case is worth to try to get you and your attorney to settle.
This is one of the many reasons why working with a knowledgeable car accident attorney is so important. You want to be patient about the settlement process because it often takes pursuing a case in litigation to get a fair offer. Experienced attorneys are in the best position to handle your case in litigation to get the best results.
At Beers & Gordon, P.A., our attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means that we are only paid if we win your case and our fees are a percentage of your settlement amount.
We understand that your medical bills have likely placed you under a significant financial burden, so we don’t charge any upfront costs and our consultations are always free.
Every Florida driver is required by law to have at least $10,000 of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage on their car insurance. This will pay for a portion of your medical bills and lost wages following a car accident. If you purchased medical payments coverage as well, this will assist in paying for your medical treatment.
However, many accident victims find that their medical treatment far exceeds this amount. In the absence of MedPay coverage, you may have to turn to your health insurance policy or pursue the at-fault driver for the remainder of your costs.
If you don’t have an active car insurance policy, Beers & Gordon may be able to write you a Letter of Protection, which will defer the costs of medical treatment until your case is completed.
For more information, read our blog post titled “How Medical Bills Are Paid After an Accident.”
The steps you take after a car accident will have a huge impact on how your case unfolds.
First, assess yourself and any passengers for serious injuries that require immediate medical attention. If no such treatment is required, report the accident to the police. It is very important that you do not skip this step, as many car accident cases have hinged on information that appeared in the police report.
Next, take detailed photographs of the scene of the accident and speak to any eyewitnesses to collect their contact information. Getting witness contact information is critical because it is often not captured by the police.
Finally, even if you don’t think your injuries are serious, seek medical attention as soon as possible following your accident. Shock and adrenaline can mask symptoms of injuries for days or even weeks. Furthermore, you must seek medical attention within 14 days of your accident in order to use your PIP coverage.
One of the most important things to remember in your car accident case is that the other insurance company is not on your side—they work for themselves and their client.
If you plan on hiring an accident attorney (and you should!), it is in your best interests to let your lawyer do the talking. Do not provide a statement to the insurance company—either your own or the other party’s. If they contact you directly, tell them to get in touch with your attorney instead.
Do NOT accept a low settlement offer days after an accident. When you do this, you will be asked to sign a release of all of your claims. You need to see how your injuries will heal and what treatment you will need before making a decision to settle. There is a reason insurance companies are aggressive to get you to sign away your rights for a little money – because they know that are taking advantage of you.
Even if you believe that you are responsible for the accident, you should never admit fault to the other party, the police, or the insurance company. This admission will be used against you throughout your case, even if later evidence reveals that you were only partially to blame, or not to blame at all.
Although Florida is a “No Fault state,” the law also recognizes the concept of comparative negligence. This means that each individual can be assigned a percentage of blame for an accident. You never want to admit to being responsible for a crash in case the investigation later reveals, for example, that you were only 20% responsible.
As long as you seek medical treatment within 14 days of your injuries, your car insurance policy’s personal injury protection, or PIP, coverage will cover 80% of your medical bills (including prescriptions) and 60% of your lost wages.
It is vital that you continue whatever treatments your doctor recommends, as failure to do so will send the message that you are not really injured (and thus not entitled to a settlement).
Deciding whether or not to accept a settlement offer is a very weighty matter that demands the guidance and advice of an experienced car accident attorney.
To the average accident victim, a settlement offer looks like a lot of money. But just like a car salesman, the insurance company will not give you their best offer upfront.
Direct all settlement offers to your attorney, as they have a good idea of the value of your case and the compensation you actually deserve. The billboards and the internet do not give you enough information to make an informed decision. Thus, speaking to an experienced car accident attorney is important to learn if the offer being made is fair.
Vehicle accidents are incredibly disruptive to your daily life. In fact, the primary thought in your mind is probably “When will this all be over?”
We totally understand, but we caution each of our clients not to settle for an unsatisfactory resolution of their case simply because they are too tired to fight anymore. This is what the insurance companies want—to wear you down until you give in.
By working with a personal injury attorney who has experience working on both sides of the law, you increase the chances of getting a more favorable outcome for your case, without having to do all of the hard work yourself.
If you need help with your car accident claim, Orlando has no shortage of licensed professionals. But if you’re looking for a board-certified trial expert who will always put your best interests ahead of his own, look no further than Beers & Gordon, P.A.
With our law firm, you will always work directly with a car accident lawyer—not an investigator or case worker—who will give you an honest and professional evaluation of your case.
Schedule a free consultation today to see how we can help.
Contact us for a free consultation to see how we can assist you.
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