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Experienced Fort Myers Car Accident Attorneys
Don’t Deal With the Insurance Company Alone. Call Viles & Beckman Today!
Automobile accidents happen in the blink of an eye. They are incredibly disruptive to one’s life, emotionally traumatic, and often cause accident victims significant pain. Some car accidents are serious enough to cause devastating injuries, long-term pain and suffering, and even wrongful death.
At Viles & Beckman, our Fort Myers personal injury lawyers understand how frustrating and difficult any car crash experience can be. During our more than 40 cumulative years in the practice of law, we have helped countless car accident victims in Fort Myers and throughout Southwest Florida.
If you have suffered injuries in a car accident caused by another party’s negligence, Florida law entitles you to seek compensation for damages related to your injury in civil court. You shouldn’t have to shoulder the financial burden if it wasn’t your fault. Contact our Fort Myers car accident lawyers now for a free consultation about your accident claim.
Advocating for Those Injured in Car Crashes Since 1995
- 100% No Obligation.
- Free Honest Case Review.
- No Fee Until We Win.
The firm’s continued dedication in advocating for their clients has led to the recovery of millions of dollars from negotiated settlements and court-awarded damages. It’s impossible to guarantee results because each case has distinctive characteristics, but our team will advocate for you, and do our best to build a strong case against liable parties to obtain the best outcome for your individual situation.
The legal team at Viles & Beckman has more than 40 years of experience helping injured clients recover the compensation they deserve for losses related to car accidents and injuries caused by negligent parties.
Holding Negligent Drivers Accountable for Causing the Crash
It is essential from the start that you are not responsible for the costs of someone else’s carelessness. Even when the at-fault party doesn’t mean to harm anyone, victims may be able to recover financial compensation because they were injured.
Car accidents can occur for many reasons, but most are preventable. Traffic collisions are often a result of the negligence of one or more drivers. Some negligent driving behaviors that often lead to accidents include:
Speeding
01
Drivers are in a hurry to reach their destination. Maybe they are impatient or running late. In any case, speeding causes severe, sometimes fatal, accidents. Speeding drivers put others in danger because they are more likely to lose control of their vehicles.
Drowsy Вriving
02
Driving without proper rest remains a problem for Florida drivers. Fatigued drivers have slow reaction times and impaired senses, affecting vision and spatial perception. Drowsy drivers can fall asleep at the wheel and cause catastrophic and fatal accidents. Shift workers, professional drivers, and those with untreated sleep disorders pose the most risk to other drivers on the road.
Driving While Impaired
03
Although driving under the influence typically involves alcohol, drug use also impairs Florida drivers. In either case, unwinding on the weekend, having a few drinks after work, celebrating a holiday with alcohol or drugs, or enjoying too much wine at dinner results in too many drivers choosing to get behind the wheel. The most dangerous aspect of using alcohol and drugs is the fact that they affect each person differently. While drivers might think they haven't had enough to impair driving, they are often wrong. This mistake can lead to deadly collisions.
Distracted Driving
04
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) defines distracted driving as “anything that takes your hands off the wheel, your eyes off the road, or your mind off driving.” Drivers must be focused on the road to see and react to other vehicles and hazards. Distracted drivers cause accidents. Some examples of driving distractions besides cell phones include eating, adjusting climate controls or the radio, daydreaming, personal grooming, interacting with passengers, or watching another event outside of the vehicle.
Tailgating
05
Impatient, careless, and inexperienced drivers often follow other vehicles too closely. Driving instructors recommend leaving a two- to four-second gap between cars. Those who tailgate don't allow enough space or time to react to a vehicle that needs to turn or stop quickly, which often results in rear-end collisions.
Fatal Car Accident Statistics in Lee County, Florida
How were you injured?
We understand the frustration of dealing with an injury and the financial fallout that comes with expensive medical bills. Losing your ability to work after an injury and being pressured or ignored by the insurance company is something no one should go through. No matter how you were injured, a Fort Myers personal injury lawyer from Viles & Beckman can help you recover your losses.
Car Accidents
Car Accidents
Car accidents happen in the blink of an eye. They can be incredibly disruptive to one’s life and require a significant amount of time and money to recover comfortably. We can help.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle Accidents
A peaceful joyride cruising around on your motorcycle can come to an end if a careless driver causes a motorcycle accident. A Fort Myers motorcycle accident lawyer can obtain the compensation you need for your full recovery.
Truck Accidents
Truck Accidents
Large trucks are different than smaller vehicles; a collision can have catastrophic consequences. Understand your rights if you or a loved one was involved in a truck accident.
Catastrophic Injury
Catastrophic Injury
Catastrophic injuries generally result in the need for a lifetime of medical treatment and care. Work with a team you can trust to make sure you get exactly what you need for your recovery.
Wrongful Death
Wrongful Death
Surviving family members can file a lawsuit against an at-fault party for funeral costs, lost wages, and other damages for the loss of their loved one. We are sorry for your loss.
Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian Accidents
A pedestrian is rarely at fault in an accident and is often seriously injured. Victims will likely have the right to file for significant financial compensation to help with their recovery.
Trips, Slips and Falls
Trips, Slips and Falls
A fall of any sort can result in life-altering injuries that leave victims struggling to return to their quality of life. The worst part is that these accidents are often preventable. We’re here to help.
Workplace Accidents
Workplace Accidents
The process for workplace accidents can be complicated and stressful when it comes to medical care, time off work, insurance, and more. Professional representation is key.
Uber & Lyft Accidents
Uber & Lyft Accidents
Traffic accident and fatality rates have seen a sharp increase due to the presence of rideshare services in Fort Myers. We can help determine who is responsible for your Fort Myers rideshare accident injuries.
Bicycle Accidents
Bicycle Accidents
Even with the best protective gear, riders are vulnerable. Accidents, often caused by negligent drivers, can result in serious or fatal injuries. Seek justice and compensation for your injuries.
Injury Types
Infection
Broken bones
Eye injury
Abdominal injuries
Post-Traumatic Stress
Nerve damage
Auditory or visual impairment
Skull fractures
Internal Bleeding
Polytrauma
Knee injuries
Severe lacerations
Emotional Distress
Florida Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Insurance Coverage
Under Florida’s no-fault insurance laws, drivers registering a vehicle must carry a minimum of $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP) coverage and $10,000 of property damage liability (PDL) coverage.
Florida residents must file a claim under their PIP coverage before seeking compensation from the other driver or their insurance company when a car accident occurs in Fort Myers or elsewhere in Florida.
Being involved in a moderate to severe car accident often quickly meets or exceeds policy limits. Once this happens, you can seek compensation for damages from the other driver and/or his insurance carrier. Your Fort Myers car accident attorney will guide you through this process.
The skilled Fort Myers car accident attorneys at Viles & Beckman have experience dealing with insurance companies, investigating accidents, and helping clients recover damages for their injuries. Let a qualified attorney handle the details of your case.
Florida Car Accident FAQ
If you have recently been in a car accident in Southwest Florida, you might feel overwhelmed and unsure about what actions you should take. Below, we provide answers to frequently asked questions about car accidents in Florida for you to review so you can find the right path for your circumstances.
Do I Have to Report a Car Accident to the Police?
Under Florida Statute 316.066, certain car accident scenarios require law enforcement to file a police report. They include:
- Any crashes involving bodily injury
- Any crashes resulting in one or more fatalities
- Any crash where a party leaves the scene of the accident
- Any crash involving a party who has been driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
- Any crash that requires a wrecker to remove a vehicle from the scene of the accident
- Any crash involving a commercial motor vehicle
- Any crash where property damage obviously exceeds $500
If any of these have happened in your case, contact 911 to summon the police so you can report the accident. If you cannot report to the police, you have ten days to make a report afterward.
How Do I File a Crash Report After a Car Accident?
If your car accident was serious enough, it’s likely that emergency response teams, including local police or the Florida Highway Patrol, came to the scene to help, investigate, and complete a full accident report.
Yet, situations occur where you might not have the opportunity to file a report with law enforcement immediately. In these cases, you can self-report online or by mail to the Crash Records Department in Tallahassee or contact your local FHP Troop Station.
When you self-report, you must complete a “Driver Report of Traffic Crash” form to submit online. You can also self-report minor accidents to ensure you have a record of the event. Even minor accidents can cause injury and property damage.
Do I Have to Go to the Doctor After a Car Accident?
If you were in a severe car accident, you likely were transported to the nearest emergency department via ambulance soon after the crash. Yet, you might have been fortunate enough to walk away from the accident, or you were involved in a minor accident.
In the event you refused medical treatment at the scene of the accident and haven’t visited a doctor since your accident, you should seek medical attention. Some common car accident injuries don’t show symptoms for days after an accident. Yet, with a thorough medical examination, a doctor might be able to diagnose these injuries sooner.
Medical documentation of your injuries is also important for insurance claims and lawsuits. Part of avoiding a claim denial or prevailing in a lawsuit includes proving your injuries were a result of the car accident, not some previous event or accident. Your medical record provides this evidence to Fort Myers car accident lawyers, insurance investigators, and the court.
What Can I Do if an Uninsured Driver Hit Me?
Once you bring suit against another driver after a car accident, the insurance adjusters will thoroughly investigate the accident to place a value on the claim and determine liability. Insurance companies will do whatever they can to deny a claim or reduce their financial liability, especially if they know their policyholder caused the accident.
Offering an early settlement to car accident injury victims is one way insurance companies try to reduce the amount they must pay out on a claim. These early offers are meant to entice you to take the money and sign away your right to sue for compensation.
They might look attractive on the surface. Yet, if you have suffered severe injuries, like traumatic brain injury, these offers are typically far less than you deserve. Accepting an early offer is your choice, but it’s almost always in your best interest to consult with a Fort Myers car accident lawyer before you make a decision.
Seeking Damages Through a Fort Myers Car Accident Attorney
Once you've exceeded PIP limits and choose to sue for damages, you might receive compensation for various expenses and losses related to a car accident. Settlements and verdicts in your favor potentially include punitive and compensatory damages.
Florida courts reserve punitive damages, intended to punish the defendant, for rare cases of extreme negligence or intentional harm. Courts most often award compensatory damages, which might include personal injury compensation for the following:
- Medical care costs, including ambulance rides, emergency room visits, hospitalization, radiology, surgery, aftercare, and prescription medication
- Future medical costs when an injury requires multiple surgeries or extensive recovery, or when a permanent injury creates the need for long-term care
- Rehabilitation costs including physical therapy and other specialties as well as assistive devices such as crutches, wheelchairs, artificial limbs, canes, and walkers
- Lost wages for missing work due to treatment, hospitalization, and recovery
- Future lost wages when an injury prevents a victim from returning to a job, requires a reduction in hours, or requires a change in profession
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium with a spouse
- Loss of quality of life
- Any other non-economic cost that might apply to a specific case
Why Hire Our Fort Myers Car Accident Lawyers
Several reasons set our firm apart from other personal injury firms. Here’s why we think you should choose Viles & Beckman to represent you over the competition:
- Over 40 years of experience: We have championed injury victims’ best interests since 1995, and we wouldn’t use our legal abilities any other way.
- Board Certified by the Florida Bar: Florida recognizes Attorney Marcus W. Viles’s reputation for legal excellence, which is why he has earned this prestigious title.
- Free & Confidential Case Reviews: A successful case outcome starts with preparation. We sit with every client to understand their personal injury matters.
- You Pay Nothing Unless We Win: Our firm works on a contingency fee basis, so our clients don’t owe us a dime until we win their case.
Your Rights. Your Recovery. Our Responsibility.
Having been involved in a car accident, not only have you suffered the physical pain of injury and healing, but you have likely added emotional and financial stress in the aftermath of the accident. You shouldn’t have to struggle financially because of another party’s negligence; you deserve full compensation for losses related to the accident.
Our Florida injury attorneys understand this is a difficult time for you and your family, and we are here to advocate for your rights and hold liable parties accountable. Let our skilled Fort Myers car accident lawyers handle the details of your case. Contact us for a free case evaluation.
About the Author of this Page
The above information was written or reviewed by one of the attorneys at Viles & Beckman LLC who have a combined experience of nearly 60 years: Michael Beckman. The information provided in this article comes from years of experience trying legal cases outside and inside courtrooms throughout Florida along with extensive research.
Our services are available to the residents of Fort Myers, Naples, Cape Coral, and any other area in Florida.
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