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Car accidents see you and your loved ones suffer the consequences of someone else’s negligence. You don’t have to let irresponsible roadway behavior go unanswered, though. If you want to take action against a negligent driver, you can collaborate with a Lehigh Acres car accident lawyer.
Viles & Beckman offer their personal injury attorneys’ expertise to anyone in need of representation after a car accident. You can discuss the extent of your needs during an initial case consultation. There, we can calculate to what compensation you may be entitled.
What Are The Statue of Limitations for Car Accident Claims in Florida?
If you want to take legal action after a car accident, you need to file a car accident claim. What’s more, you need to submit a claim and all of its relevant information within Florida’s statute of limitations. According to Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a), you have four years to establish:
- Who you want to hold responsible for your car accident
- What kind of negligence that party engaged in
- How that negligence resulted in your losses
- What the financial value of your losses is
Fail to bring this information to a county clerk within Florida’s deadline, and civil courts can outright deny your right to compensation for your car accident.
Expect More, Receive More: Legal Support That Feels Like Family
Car Accident Victims Can Request Financial Support Based on Accident Losses
Keep track of the bills you accrue as you recover from your car accident. You can use those bills later on as evidence of the expenses affiliated with your losses. When you include receipts and other evidence alongside your car accident claim, you can request compensation in return for the cost of your recovery. This compensation can cover your:
- Medical bills
- Essential at-home assistance
- Property damage, repair, and replacement
- Lost wages and/or opportunities to work
- Wrongful death and funeral expenses
You can work with a car accident lawyer in Lehigh Acres to estimate the value of your non-economic damages, too. We use multipliers to help you include pain and suffering and/or emotional distress among your losses.
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A Lehigh Acres Car Accident Lawyer Can Hold Other Parties Liable
To assign liability for your car crash, you need to name an individual, institution, or similar party in a legal claim. More specifically, you need to use a legal claim to indicate that you have evidence of a relationship between your losses and another party’s negligent behavior.
The evidence you present in your initial claim should highlight that aforementioned relationship. With that in mind, consider working with an attorney to investigate the scene of your accident for:
- Bystander testimony
- Physical debris indicating negligence
- Photo or video footage of your accident
You can also request police reports and expert witness testimony when assigning liability for your losses. Our attorneys can bring all your case’s relevant information together to ensure it reaches a county clerk within Florida’s statute of limitations.
Company Motorists Versus Private Motorists in Civil Court
You can hold several different parties accountable for a car accident in civil court. How you address those parties changes depending on what role they took on at the time of your accident, though.
If the person who caused your accident was driving a personal vehicle on their own time, they’re considered a private motorist. If you want to bring a complaint against these parties, you need to name an individual in your civil complaint.
Comparatively, rideshare drivers, truck drivers, and corporate drivers can all operate vehicles on company time. If you’re hit by an on-duty driver, the company that party works for can take responsibility for your losses. You can subsequently name the company in your complaint. Negotiations and trials can then address the company as a whole.
Contesting the Role of Independent Contractors in Car Accidents
Some businesses anticipate that their drivers may be reckless on the road. That’s why these businesses often categorize their drivers as independent contractors. Independent contractors don’t benefit from the same protections as full-time employees. In many cases, businesses won’t extend any protection to these parties unless they fulfill specific conditions.
With that in mind, a company may try to refute your request for compensation by claiming that the driver who caused your accident was an independent contractor. In these cases, you can work with an attorney to address that employee’s standing.
Businesses can misrepresent their employees’ roles for their own legal and financial benefit. If you can submit evidence of that misrepresentation in civil court, however, you may still have the chance to bring your car accident complaint against the broader institution. If you can’t, you must name the individual driver as liable for your losses.
Click To ContactCar Accident Claims Allow Victims to Control Their Path to Compensation
When you file a car accident claim, you get to decide how you want your case to play out. So long as a county clerk approves your suit, you can arrange out-of-court negotiations or a car accident trial.
Car accident trials break down into five parts: discovery, opening statements, examination, closing statements, and verdict. This process tends to be lengthy. That said, trials let you contend with an uncooperative defendant without having to sacrifice any of the compensation you believe you deserve.
Negotiations, comparatively, tend to resolve more quickly than trials. Lehigh Acres, FL, car accident lawyers can represent you throughout this process. That said, you may have to compromise when requesting compensation for your losses.
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Overcome Auto Accident Losses With An Experienced Car Accident Lawyer in Lehigh Acres
A car accident doesn’t have to take you off of the road forever. When you meet with a car accident attorney in Lehigh Acres, FL, you can recover damages for both your economic and non-economic losses. Viles & Beckman are prepared to represent you in either negotiations or a civil trial.
If you’re not sure where to begin your car accident claim, don’t worry. You’re not alone. You can schedule a case consultation to discuss how best to proceed with your complaint. Contact us online or by calling our office to set a date with our attorneys.
Call or text (239) 334-3933 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
