If you were involved in a wreck with an uninsured motorist in Jacksonville, Florida, you have several possibilities for recovering compensation for your injuries. An uninsured motorist accident lawyer in Jacksonville, FL, at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can help you navigate the multiple laws that govern these challenging claims and detour around the roadblocks of Jacksonville personal injury lawsuits.
When you call for your free consultation, you will learn your legal options. You are not alone, and there is help available. We offer responsive legal care and go the extra mile for our clients.
How to Pursue Compensation After an Uninsured Motorist Hits You
If an at-fault driver is uninsured, you have two options:
- Go after the uninsured driver’s personal assets or other insurance coverage. Sometimes people have umbrella liability coverage through their homeowner’s insurance.
- File a claim on your uninsured motorist coverage on your auto insurance policy. Not everyone carries this coverage on their auto policy. This optional coverage provides a valuable safety net to protect you from devastating financial losses in these circumstances.
Our Uninsured Motorist Accident Lawyer’s Help is Invaluable
A Jacksonville car accident lawyer from our firm can manage every aspect of your case. This may be an especially confusing, frustrating time as this isn’t your typical car accident involving two insured individuals. We are glad to handle everything for you while you focus on your health. Some actions we take on your behalf include:
- Collecting evidence
- Interviewing eyewitnesses
- Communicating with the at-fault driver, your insurance company, and any other party involved
- Negotiating for a fair settlement with an insurance adjuster
- Taking your case to court if the insurance adjuster refuses to offer an adequate settlement
- Hiring an accident reconstructionist and medical expert if necessary
- Calculating your damages
- Protecting your rights
You will stay updated and informed throughout the duration of your case. We can help you get your car fixed and schedule any appointments for you. We only have a limited amount of time to pursue compensation for you, so we encourage you to reach out now so we can get to work. We will endlessly fight for the compensation you are entitled to.
How to Sue an At-Fault Driver
In application, the ban on suing the driver who hurt you can be grossly unjust in some circumstances. The Florida Legislature created a clause called the “permanent injury threshold.” You can sue the at-fault driver if the accident resulted in:
- Jacksonville Wrongful death
- Permanent injury
- Significant scarring and disfigurement
- Significant loss of an important bodily function
How do We Prove the Driver was at Fault?
To establish legal liability for a motor vehicle accident, we have to collect the evidence that proves all four of these factors:
Duty of Care
Everyone operating a motor vehicle has a duty to drive safely and give full attention to driving the vehicle.
Breached Duty of Care
If the driver fails to meet the duty of care standard, it is negligence. Let’s say the driver behind you is texting while driving. Their failure to drive safely and give full attention to the road violates the duty of care and is negligence.
Negligence Caused the Accident
Because the driver looked down at their cell phone to text while driving, they did not see that traffic slowed down, and they plowed into the back of your car. The failure to pay attention to the task of driving was negligent, and it caused the crash.
Damages
The negligence must cause measurable damages. If there was no property damage and you did not get hurt, you cannot sue the at-fault driver. If, on the other hand, you suffered injuries because of negligence, the driver is liable.
What Damages Can You Recover From the Responsible Party?
The responsible party, who can be the at-fault driver or another person whose negligence contributed to the accident, can be liable for your:
Medical Bills
Every reasonable medical expense you incurred because of your injuries can fit into this category. This includes the ambulance, emergency room, hospital, surgery, diagnostic testing, your regular doctor, specialists, treatments, procedures, physical therapy, equipment, supplies, and prescription drugs.
Ongoing and Future Medical Care
With injuries significant enough to satisfy Florida’s permanent injury threshold requirements, you will likely need ongoing or future medical care. Within this category, we can include plastic and reconstructive surgery, prosthetic devices, equipment like wheelchairs, rehabilitation services, in-home nursing care, and long-term residential care at a skilled nursing facility or nursing home.
Lost Wages
With significant injuries, you will almost certainly miss work. You can get compensation for your lost earnings linked to your injuries from the wreck. Also, you can recover your anticipated lost earnings for future medical care, treatments, and recuperation.
Loss of Future Earning Capacity
Permanent injuries often impact a person’s ability to work and function. If you cannot perform your job because of physical or cognitive impairment from your injuries, you will likely suffer a decrease in the amount of income you earn. You might have to take a different job or work part-time instead of full-time. This decrease is a loss that we can calculate by working with vocational experts.
Disability
If you cannot work at all because of catastrophic injuries, you are disabled. We will add the value of this component to your total damage calculation.
Non-Economic Damages
With a severe injury, you experienced pain, mental anguish, and other damages that are challenging to value monetarily. Not to worry—we will calculate the appropriate amount for your intangible losses, which can also include physical suffering and inconvenience, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, and loss of consortium.
Do You Have to Hire a Lawyer for Your Uninsured Motorist Claim?
Florida law does not require a lawyer to handle your uninsured motorist injury claim, but it is prudent to have an attorney navigate the process for you. An uninsured motorist accident lawyer in Jacksonville, FL, can help you navigate Florida law. The judge will dismiss your case if you do not jump through all the mandated hoops.
We Operate Under a Contingency-Fee Agreement
With us on your side, you won’t have the added stress of worrying about whether you can afford our help or not. You pay nothing upon hiring us and never pay out of pocket.
You only pay us if you receive a settlement or court award, and our fees come from your winnings. You have endured enough damage by experiencing an accident and have enough to worry about. You should not have to worry about money, too.
Call us Today so We Can Begin Working for You
At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, we will explore every possible means to get you all the compensation you deserve. We will treat you with respect, listen to your concerns, and answer all your questions. We do not charge any legal fees for a consultation.
Call us today for your free, no-risk, no-obligation consultation.
We Can Help.
