Broken ribs are among the most common types of injuries that occur in car crashes. If a collision caused you to strike the steering wheel or dashboard, or if the impact caused your seatbelt to constrict your chest, you may have been left with one or more broken ribs. The condition can be extremely painful. Broken ribs can make it difficult to move. Even breathing can be a struggle. Broken ribs can also damage internal organs, which may result in serious and potentially life-threatening complications.
If you broke your ribs in a car accident, you may be unable to work because of your injuries. You may have an ever-growing stack of unpaid bills not only for medical care but also for regular household expenses, such as your mortgage. Once you have recovered, you may be able to return to your job, but the bills may continue to pile up in the meantime. If a broken rib tore or punctured a vital organ, you may have undergone surgery. You may have a long road to recovery, and the bills for the operation and follow-up care may be staggering. The physical pain from your injuries, the difficulty getting around, the inability to work, and the financial stress may be taking a toll on you mentally and emotionally. You may be feeling frustrated, and you may be eager for life to get back to normal. Your relationships with members of your family may be straining because of the fallout from the injuries you suffered in the collision.
A West Palm Beach car accident lawyer may be able to help you seek justice. You may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine may be able to file a West Palm Beach personal injury lawsuit on your behalf. Call us today at (800) 747-3733 to speak with a member of our staff.
Who Was Liable for the Accident?
Our team can review the police report to find out what happened and whether the officer gave either driver a ticket or a warning for violating a traffic law. We can also interview you, anyone else who was in your car at the time of the crash, and any witnesses who saw what happened. If a surveillance or cellphone camera recorded the collision, we can review that footage to gather more information.
The other driver may be liable if he or she drove above the speed limit, operated a vehicle while intoxicated or distracted, changed lanes without signaling, or violated another law. If you were negligent in some way, you may share liability for the crash.
How Can an Attorney Help You Seek Compensation?
Florida is a no-fault state when it comes to car insurance. That means that you must seek compensation for your medical expenses and other financial losses through your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage on your own insurance policy, regardless of who was at fault for the accident. Your personal injury protection will pay up to the amount of coverage you selected. PIP coverage does not provide compensation for pain and suffering.
If you have “serious” injuries, as defined by Florida Statutes § 627.737, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver who caused the collision. If you do so, you may be able to pursue a financial award that will cover medical expenses and lost income that exceeds your personal injury protection limits. You may also be able to seek compensation for pain and suffering.
A West Palm Beach broken ribs caused by a car accident lawyer may be able to help you seek compensation for expenses that your PIP insurance will not cover. The team at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can review available information related to the collision, investigate further if it is not clear who was liable, review your medical bills, learn how the injuries you suffered in the crash have affected your life and may continue to impact you in the future.
If the other driver was liable, we may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against that individual. Our team can often negotiate a settlement on behalf of an injured client and avoid a lengthy and costly trial. If we are unable to come to an agreement with the other side, however, we will go to court to seek a financial award that we believe will fairly compensate our client.
If you were partly liable for the crash, you may still be entitled to compensation because of Florida’s comparative negligence law, Florida Statutes § 768.81. A financial award that you would have been entitled to if you had not shared any blame for the accident can be reduced by your percentage of fault. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine at (800) 747-3733 to learn more.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
Figuring out who was liable for a car crash can be complex. In many cases, the two drivers or eyewitnesses give differing accounts. A West Palm Beach broken ribs caused by a car accident lawyer can sort things out and determine who was responsible. If you are entitled to financial compensation, the team at The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can file a lawsuit against the other driver.
You do not have much time to act. In Florida, the statute of limitations to file a personal injury lawsuit is four years, according to Florida Statutes § 95.11(3). You may think that you have plenty of time, but our team may need months to gather and sift through the evidence and figure out who was liable. Once we have done that, we will need time to prepare and file a lawsuit.
While all of that is going on, you may continue to incur medical bills. Without your income, your family may fall farther behind on your regular living expenses, and the stress may continue to build.
The sooner you contact the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, the sooner our team will be able to get to work for you. Call our office today at (800) 747-3733 to discuss your case with a member of our staff.
We Can Help.
