Articles Tagged with Palm Beach injury lawyer

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Florida has one of the worst track records for safety of its bicyclists and pedestrians. Talking to a Palm Beach injury lawyer as soon as possible following bicycle accidents or pedestrian accidents is important to begin building a case that maximizes your chance of obtaining fair compensation against the negligent drivers who inflicted harm. Palm Beach injury lawyer bicycle accidents pedestrian accidents

Of the 394,000+ crashes reported in Palm Beach County last year, 10,300 were pedestrian accidents and 8,400 were bicycle accidents, according to the FLHSMV. Of the 3,400 people who died in Palm Beach traffic crashes in 2023, bicyclists comprised 227 of them, while pedestrians accounted for 790. Bicyclists and pedestrians are far more likely than other road users to be seriously hurt or killed when they’re in a crash (compared to other motorists). It’s also exponentially more likely that the drivers involved in pedestrian and bicycle accidents will leave the scene in a hit-and-run.

Investigators conclude a myriad of causal factors in these cases, including distracted driving, speeding, failure to yield or impaired driving. But almost always, it comes down to driver error. And even if the bicyclist or pedestrian was partially at-fault, they can still pursue compensation, so long as their percentage of comparative fault doesn’t exceed 50%. (Even if a bicyclist or pedestrian is half responsible for the accident, they can still collect damages on the other 50% from the at-fault driver – which can be a substantial sum considering how many result in serious consequences like traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, broken bones and internal organ damage.)

Avenues of Compensation in Florida Bicycle Accidents and Pedestrian Accidents

Injured bicyclists and/or pedestrians have a few potential avenues they can pursue for compensation.

The first is PIP, or personal injury protection coverage. As outlined in F.S. 627.736, is no-fault protection that provides up to $10,000 in coverage (80% of medical bills and 60% of lost wages up to that $10,000), regardless of who was to blame. The nice thing about PIP is you don’t have to prove negligence. You may be able to collect PIP from the driver’s policy or your own. Even though you weren’t in a car at the time of the incident, your own PIP car insurance will likely still consider the incident a coverable offense if you were struck by a motor vehicle. Continue reading

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Millions of residents, vacationers, and business visitors in Florida rely on ridesharing services like Uber. The company itself reports contributing $1.1 billion in gross state product to Florida’s economy – and that doesn’t even include the UbeEATS branch of the business. But those who rely on Uber and other rideshare services should understand how the state’s new comparative fault standard may impact their Palm Beach personal injury claims.

Let’s start by explaining what comparative fault is, and how it’s changed in Florida in the last year.Florida Uber accident lawyer Palm Beach

Comparative fault in principle is the idea that everyone should be responsible for his or her own wrongdoing. So if you’re injured in a car accident caused by a drunk driver but your injuries were exacerbated by the fact that you were speeding, the drunk driver would not necessarily be 100% liable to pay for your damages. A finding of comparative fault proportionally reduces damage awards to whatever extent the plaintiff is responsible for their own injuries. So if there is a finding of 20% comparative fault due to your speeding, you can only collect up to 80% of your total damage awards.

Different states have different rules about how comparative fault is applied. Prior to last year, Florida followed a pure comparative fault model. That means that even if you were 99% at fault for your own injuries, you could still collect the remaining 1% of damages from the other at-fault party. Obviously that wouldn’t be an ideal scenario, as it would dramatically reduce your damage award. But the idea with a pure comparative fault model is that a person who is 45% responsible for causing an accident shouldn’t be off the hook completely simply because the person hurt was 55% responsible. Continue reading

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In a Florida criminal case, if you intentionally destroy/tamper with evidence, it can be a third-degree felony. But what if it’s a civil case? Palm Beach injury lawyer evidence

Anyone who files a Palm Beach injury lawsuit will soon come to understand the pivotal role of evidence. A fact can be 100 percent true, but virtually meaningless without concrete proof. More weight will always be given to assertions supported by strong evidence, as opposed to one side’s word versus another’s.

If evidence central to a civil case is destroyed, it’s called spoliation, and it doesn’t even have to be intentional for the court to impose sanctions. As for the exact penalty, the consequences depend on:

  • Who had control of the evidence.
  • Whether the possessor/controller was a party to the civil case and in some way benefited from its loss.
  • The extent to which the loss of that evidence prejudiced the other side in its ability to prove/disprove pivotal facts.
  • If the person/organization was a non-party to the case, whether they owed the duty – by contract, statute, or timely-served preservation/discovery request – to preserve the evidence.

Since the 1980s, Florida courts have repeatedly held that when physical evidence is lost, misplaced, destroyed, or otherwise made not available AND it fundamentally prejudices the other side’s chance to pursue/defend a claim, courts have the authority (and broad discretion) to impose sanctions. These can include:

  • The legal presumption that key facts pertaining to that evidence would have benefitted the other side.
  • Dismissal of the claim (when the plaintiff is the spoliator).
  • Granting default judgment in favor of the party prejudiced by the loss of that evidence.

Types of Spoliation in Palm Beach Injury Lawsuits

There are two basic types of spoliation: First-party and third-party. Continue reading

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In the aftermath of a Southeast Florida car accident, there’s no requirement that you MUST hire a Palm Beach personal injury lawyer with a claim for damages. But there is strong statistical evidence that doing so will significantly improve your odds of prevailing with full and fair damages. Palm Beach injury lawyer

One analysis published by the Insurance Research Council a few years ago revealed lawyer-represented crash victims received damage awards that were on average 3.5 times higher compared to those who didn’t hire a lawyer.

This supports much of the previously-established data on this issue.

In a 2010 empirical evidence study published in the peer-reviewed Seattle Journal for Social Justice, researchers conducted meta analysis of other studies dating back decades on how access to a lawyer impacts the outcomes of civil cases – including personal injury claims. What they found was:

  • In every study reviewed, “lawyered-up” claimants were far more likely to win. (Exactly how much more likely varied from study-to-study, with most ranging somewhere from 20 percent higher to 4 times higher.) Part of this might be explained by the fact that civil lawyers tend to take on more meritorious cases. But then again, that’s one of the many benefits you get with hiring a Palm Beach injury lawyer: Confidence that you aren’t wasting your time because you’ve got a case worth pursuing.
  • To minimize the influence of the merit-based argument, another study involved civil lawyers providing their services at random to a group of sample litigants. The outcomes in their cases were then compared to those of similarly-situated (but non-represented) litigants. Those who had lawyers were 4.4 times more likely to win than those who represented themselves.
  • Another analysis concluded that in higher complexity civil cases (including serious personal injuries, medical malpractice, and wrongful death), plaintiffs represented by attorneys were 40 percent more likely to win.

Why Does Hiring a Palm Beach Injury Lawyer Make Such a Difference?

Some of the researchers’ theories about why hiring a lawyer makes such a difference in case outcomes: Continue reading

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The vast majority of successful Palm Beach personal injury cases end in a settlement, as opposed to a trial. Trials are time-consuming, expensive, and sometimes traumatic for plaintiffs and their loved ones. But how are these settlements actually paid out? personal injury settlement Florida

Let’s start with the fact that if you hire an experienced injury attorney, you might not even need to file a lawsuit. Settlements can be reached by mutual agreement at any time – whether there’s a lawsuit or not.

Let the Negotiations Begin

You will probably need to submit a claim to the other party, but that’s not the same as a formal lawsuit. Skilled attorneys can sometimes negotiate favorable pretrial settlements within just a few weeks – possibly even days – without every stepping foot in a courtroom.

If those negotiations are failing and the defendant is refusing to pay you fair compensation, then it’s time to file a lawsuit. Under Florida’s new statute of limitations outlined in F.S. 95.11, you have a 2-year deadline in which to file your case. (Up until this March, it was 4 years.)

That said, settlement negotiations can continue all the way up to trial – and even at any point prior to a verdict. Ideally though, they’ll conclude sooner than later and in your favor.

Although the Palm Beach personal injury claim is technically against the individual who was allegedly negligent in causing the harm, negotiations typically involve insurance companies and their attorneys. That’s because it’s probably ultimately going to be the insurer who pays out the claim.

But even once you reach a settlement, the insurer isn’t automatically going to just cut you a check. The insurer is going to want to protect themselves and their client from any future claims of liability. Before paying up, the insurer will want you to sign a final release. It’s really important that you read over the terms of this release before signing anything. These documents can contain language that can come back to haunt you – particularly if you have latent injuries OR there are other defendants from whom you might still be seeking accountability. The final release stipulates that you forever waive your right to pursue this case in exchange for the agreed-upon payout. It’s not uncommon for these releases to include language that you agree to forfeit your right to make future claims for this incident against any party. If there are other defendants with cases still pending, you really must be careful about this.

Liens & Bills to Be Paid

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One of the questions people ask themselves after an accident is whether they truly need to hire an injury lawyer or if they can get by filing the claim on their own. Palm Beach injury lawyer

First thought that comes to our minds is the old adage about how you could probably pull your own tooth if you had to – but wouldn’t you rather a dentist do it?

Of course, some of it depends on the severity of the situation. Are we talking a baby tooth or a root canal?

Still, we know the lines are somewhat ambiguous as to when it’s a good idea to hire an injury lawyer, when you may be fine to wing it, and when your case is pretty much doomed if you don’t have one.

The good news is that most South Florida injury lawyers provide free initial consultations. This can go a long way in helping you make an informed choice about whether a case is worth pursuing and if you need a professional legal advocate’s help. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to talk to a couple of different lawyers at the outset, just to get a few different perspectives on the basics of your case viability, value, and difficulty level.

In addition to injury severity, other factors pertinent to deciding whether it’s wise to hire a Palm Beach injury lawyer: Continue reading

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Palm Beach motorcycle accident lawyerWhen it comes to pursuing financial compensation for motor vehicle crashes, those involving motorcycles are unique in several respects. But one thing that is the same whether we’re talking about a Florida motorcycle accident or a car accident is that you can still recover monetary damages even if you were partly to blame.

As our Palm Beach motorcycle accident lawyers can explain, it comes down to a legal doctrine called pure comparative fault (also sometimes referred to as pure comparative negligence or contributory fault).

Outlined in F.S. 768.81, the idea is basically that someone whose negligence causes injuries should only be financially responsible for their own percentage of fault. Lots of Florida crashes involve multiple negligent parties responsible by varying degrees for what happened. When there are multiple defendants, each one might be assigned only a portion of the blame – and they’re only liable to cover their fair share of the damages. If it’s the plaintiff who is partly to blame for the accident or exacerbating the injuries, their payout will be reduced in proportion to their own fault.

While lots of other states cut off the possibility of a payout if a plaintiff is somewhere between 49%-51% responsible for their own injuries, Florida (currently) doesn’t have any such rule (though state lawmakers have been considering enacting one at the behest of insurance lobbyists).

That means that if you’re injured in a South Florida motorcycle accident and it was 99%  your fault, you can still collect 1% damages from the other at-fault party. Of course, that’s not an ideal outcome. Let’s say your damages were $100,000 and you can only collect 1% of damages. That’s only $1,000 – probably not worth the trouble of pursuing a claim. But this shows why the question of comparative fault is so fiercely contested in crash cases.

Florida Motorcycle Accident Statistics

South Florida has long been a popular destination for bikers, particularly with annual events like Bike Night Broward, Daytona Bike Week, Palm Beach Bike Week, etc. But the state has also historically had some of the highest rates of fatal motorcycle accidents in the country.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, motorcycle accident deaths are 29 times more common than those involving car occupants (when factoring vehicles miles driven). Motorcyclists just don’t have the same physical protection as others on the road, and they’re less likely to be seen and respected by other drivers. They’re also more susceptible to weather and road conditions, though the majority of fatal motorcycle crashes occur when the weather is reported as “clear.”

In 2020, nearly 5,600 people died in motorcycle crashes throughout the country, accounting for 14 percent of all motor vehicle deaths. In Florida, there were 550 motorcycle accident deaths reported in 2019. There are 590,000 registered motorcycles in Florida – not to mention that hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to the Sunshine State annually specifically for the great weather and long, flat stretches of open road.

According to an analysis by the U.S. Department of Transportation, motorcycle crash causation factors include:

  • Roadway design or maintenance issues
  • Unsafe acts by the motorcycle operator
  • Other drivers operating too close to motorcycles
  • Alcohol impairment (both in motorcyclists and other drivers)
  • Motorcyclist inexperience
  • Other drivers’ inattention (70 percent involved an inadequate visual “traffic scan” by the other driver)

Special Considerations for Florida Motorcycle Injury Claims

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When it comes to filing a Florida personal injury lawsuit, the “when” sometimes matters just as much as the “what.” That’s because with very few exceptions, there are strict time limits – known as the “statute of limitations” – in which claims can be filed.Florida injury lawsuit statute of limitations

If the events that gave rise to a claim occurred too long ago, we say that the case is “time-barred.” In Florida, time limits on filing a personal injury lawsuit are outlined in F.S. 95.11. The time window for filing a lawsuit may be longer or shorter depending on the:

  • Type of tort claim. Most Florida personal injury claims (those involving bodily injury resulting from some type of accident) have a 4-year statute of limitations. However, claims for medical malpractice and wrongful death must be filed within 2 years. In some instances, an administrative notice of intent to file a claim might be required much sooner. Florida civil claims for sexual abuse have a 4-year statute of limitations, though the clock doesn’t begin ticking until the last alleged incident of abuse.
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We all know distracted driving is deadly, claiming more than 3,100 lives a year, according to the NHTSA. And yet, rideshare drivers have something of a built-in distraction with the need to multitask on the road. They rely on a driver app that must be checked constantly for customers, directions, mileage, and payments.West Palm Beach car accident lawyer

A precedential South Florida product liability lawsuit slated for an upcoming trial alleges a ridesharing app creates an unreasonable danger that puts the public at risk of injuries. Although the case stemmed from a South Florida car accident, it’s filed as a product liability lawsuit on the basis of strict liability. In the legal world, a personal injury lawsuit alleging strict liability allows a defendant to be held legally responsible for the outcomes of their actions – regardless of whether the person was at-fault or negligent.

The upcoming Florida rideshare injury lawsuit, pending in the Palm Beach Circuit Court, accuses Lyft, a California company, and its Florida subsidiary, of creating/using an app is unreasonably dangerous and distracts drivers to the extent it causes crashes. In this particular case, the January 2019 crash on State Road A1A resulted in another driver suffering substantial and lasting brain injuries.  The victim was leaving work at a local resort when the Lyft driver allegedly struck her at an intersection. She spent more than a month in the hospital after the crash, and for a time after that, required 24-aid and attendant care. She also underwent extensive occupational therapy, physical therapy, and other specialty care.

Hertz is also named in the injury lawsuit, as a partnership between Lyft and Hertz allows rideshare drivers to rent Hertz rental cars for their rides.

The original complaint notes that drivers are required to constantly monitor their apps for financial gain (obtaining rides that generate revenue). In addition to a claim of strict liability defective design, plaintiffs allege direct negligence in hiring an independent contractor.

Are Florida Rideshare Drivers Inherently More Distracted?

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As Palm Beach personal injury lawyers, our clients are those who have been impacted by the negligence or wrongdoing of others. However, we have occasionally heard of incredulous third-party defendants who wonder how they could possibly be held liable for someone else’s misdeeds. But there are quite a few instances in Florida injury law wherein statute allows for vicarious and third-party liability. Car accident cases may be among these. West Palm Beach injury lawyer

In general, there are three ways third parties can be liable for Florida car accidents:

  • Drunk driving accidents. In drunk driving accidents, third parties, such as bars or social hosts, can be held legally responsible per F.S. 768.125, if they either served alcohol to the impaired driver prior to the crash – knowing they were either under the age of 21 or habitually addicted to alcohol. This is called “dram shop liability.”
  • Employers of negligent drivers. If a tow truck driver is on the job and runs a red light, crashing into another car and causing serious injuries, the tow truck driver’s employer may be held liable – even if the company technically did nothing wrong. Employers can be held vicariously liable for the negligence of their employees if the workers were acting in the course and scope of employment at the time of the incident. This is based on a legal doctrine called respondeat superior, which is Latin for “let the master answer.”
  • Vehicle owners. This is where we sometimes hear the question, “Can I be sued in South Florida if someone else wrecks my car?” And the answer is: Yes. Florida is a little unique in this because of its recognition of the dangerous instrumentality doctrine. Basically, it was established in the 1920s by the Florida Supreme Court that motor vehicles are recognized as inherently dangerous instruments. As such, if you own one and you allow someone to use it (with express or implied permission) and that person goes on to operate it in a way that is negligent and causes harm to others, YOU can be held legally responsible. This is another example of vicarious liability for someone else’s negligence. However, it only applies if you have given that driver permission. If someone steals your car and then wrecks it, you would not be vicariously liable in that instance.

Sometimes, vehicle owners can be found directly negligent too – even if they weren’t operating the vehicle. As our Palm Beach personal injury lawyers can explain, there may also be grounds for negligence as well. Continue reading

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