Car Accident Lawyer

Your car accident attorney at Jacksonville’s Law Offices of Robert Carl Davis understand the significant challenges accident victims often face in obtaining compensation for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.

A automobile accident can easily wreck your entire day and quite possibly your life. More than simply damaging your automobile, a car crash can give you serious, debilitating injuries, deprive you of the ability to work or appreciate the things you once did and even cost the life of someone you love.

Our car accident lawyers have successfully handled thousands of auto personal injury cases. We have recovered millions for the people whose existence happen to be affected by another driver’s carelessness.

When we accept your case, you can be confident of your auto accident attorney’s expertise and our legal firm’s strategies in the suitable handling of every element of your case – ranging from engaging with insurance adjusters to settlement agreements to mediation to preparation for a court litigation.

Types Of Car Accident Cases We Handle

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates there are roughly 400,724 police-reported car accidents in Florida during 2018. Of this, about 2,877 people die and nearly 253,843 people are injured.

This means almost 8 people dye in traffic collisions in Florida every day.

This has a State economic cost in the millions, including lost work productivity,emergency medical services, medical expenses, legal and court costs, property damage, workplaces losses, and insurance administration expenses.

When we factor in the caliber of life valuations – the intangible benefit that results particularly from serious personal injuries or wrongful deaths – that federal figure rises to almost $840 billion.

Over a recent 10-year time span, the NHTSA counted nearly 28,000 traffic fatalities in Florida. A notable number of those incorporated motorcyle drivers and pedestrians.

The Florida Executive Office of Public Safety and Security reports the state has an annual average of:

•  395,785 total crashes
• 165,940 serious injuries
• 3,176 deaths

Car accidents are a leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and 24.

As for injuries, violent car accidents have been associated with:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Broken bones
• Lacerations
• Burns
• Permanent scarring/disfigurement
• Amputation
• Internal organ damage
• Paralysis
• Muscle strains/whiplash

These types of injuries can be life-altering. While you focus on physical recuperation, our emphasis will be on assisting you to recover financially.

Causes of Jacksonville Car Accidents

Most traffic deaths are caused by the carelessness of one or more individuals, businesses or federal government agencies. On the subject of driver negligence, the NHTSA reports:

• Virtually one-third of fatal accidents include a Intoxicated Driver.
• Driving to fast kills an average of 9,300 individuals a year.
• Distracted Driving kills about 3,200 people annually.
• Approximately 850 people die a year due to Drowsy Driving.

 Each of these actions is the result of a conscious decision. Even if driver never means to hurt anybody, the choices to speed, drive impaired or avoid attention from the road has serious and quite often lethal consequences for which in turn they must be held accountable.

 In these cases, you may have the option of trying to find compensation from that individual’s insurance provider and possibly other people whose carelessness might have also contributed to the injuries or losses in question.

• The at-fault driver was on-the-job at the time of the crash.
• An active and poorly-configured construction zone contributed to the crash.
• A defective vehicle/ vehicle part contributed to causing the crash or exacerbating the resulting injuries.

 In the mean time, we may seek to hold government agencies accountable when:

•  Government employee / contractor was carelessly operating a car or truck.
• A road or roadway has been defectively designed/ improperly taken care of.
• Dangerous conditions on the roadway persisted in spite of the agency’s actual or constructive knowledge of it.

 The takeaway at this point is that a majority of accidents are avoidable. Our Jacksonville car accident attorneys are always meticulous with our endeavors to assist our clients in obtaining the total compensation in which they are entitled.

There are two basic ways car accidents are handled in this country: Fault vs. No Fault.

In “Fault” states, drivers can take one another to court for compensation regardless of the severity of their losses. In “No Fault” states, those involved in crashes can’t pursue injury claims in court until certain criteria are met.

 Florida is a “No Fault” state, as such all drivers are required to maintain “personal injury protection,” also known as “PIP.”

What this means is drivers are required to maintain a minimum amount of auto insurance coverage in anticipation of a crash.

Then if a collision does occur, a person must first file a claim with his or her own auto insurance company for personal injury protection and other benefits.

If a crash victim would like to file a legal case against a driver outside of this no-fault system, the individual will have to prove they sustained:

• At least $2,000 in medical bills and,
• Accident-related injuries which include broken bones, considerable loss of ability to hear or vision or some significant level of disfigurement.

If your case satisfies this threshold, there are several kinds of claims we may pursue, including: 

• Personal injury
• Wrongful death
• Product liability
• Insurance bad faith

Your lawyer will be able to help you ascertain early on which potential causes may be applicable in your case.

Do you share some of the blame for the crash? Let’s say you share 40% of the blame for the crash and you are suing the other driver. If your actions are deemed by the court to be 40% negligent then your recoverable damages will be decreased by 40%. Florida operates under a “pure comparative negligence” standard.

The comparative negligence standard was adopted in 1973. The rationale behind the policy is that not all crashes are black and white in nature. Many times accidents are due to negligent behavior by more than one party. As such it is most equitable to portion out the blame accordingly.

 What Insurance Is Required In Florida?

Florida law requires all drivers to carry a minimum amount of insurance – and it should be noted the rates in the Florida fall below the national average.

• PIP (personal injury protection): $10,000 per person, per crash
• Property damage PDL: $10,000 per crash

Uninsured motorist coverage (UM), protects you when you are injured by another motorist who possibly doesn’t have insurance or who are not identified (example: hit and run).

The law doesn’t require under-insured motorist coverage (UIM), but it’s an excellent idea to get it. Under-insured motorist coverage will reimburse if your losses exceed the level of the at-fault driver’s insurance policy. Considering that most motorists only carry the minimum amount of insurance coverage and lots of serious crashes may lead to considerable losses, having good UM/ UIM coverage is essential, since it gives your automobile accident attorney yet another viable method of compensation on your behalf.

We understand how a car accident can affect your life. We are committed to helping you obtain the financial compensation necessary to get on with your life.

Contact the Law Offices of Robert Carl Davis today for a free and confidential consultation.

There’s never a fee for our personal injury cases involving an auto accident in Jacksonville FL and the surrounding counties of Duval, St. Johns, Clay and Nassau unless we win.

— We Fully Expect To Win If We Take Your Case —