Were you or a family member injured in a car crash in Palm Bay, FL? You may be entitled to recover significant compensation from the at-fault party. An experienced Palm Bay car accident lawyer at Norden Leacox Car Accident And Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight to recover fair compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other trauma. Contact our law offices at (321) 334-3819 to schedule your free consultation.
Our lawyers put over 75 years of experience to work in every case we take on. We’ve already used our skills to recover tens of millions of dollars on behalf of injury victims like you. You can count on us to fight for every dollar you deserve.
How Can Norden Leacox Car Accident And Personal Injury Lawyers Help Me Recover Compensation After a Car Crash in Palm Bay?
You may deserve significant compensation if your Palm Bay car accident wasn’t your fault. However, you have the burden of proving you deserve to be compensated. That usually involves an insurance battle. When you’re recovering from a serious injury, dealing with the insurance red tape can be extremely overwhelming.
At Norden Leacox Car Accident And Personal Injury Lawyers, our Palm Bay personal injury attorneys have decades of legal experience between us. We know what you’re up against, and we understand what it takes to win. Most importantly, we already have a proven track record of success when it comes to winning personal injury cases–so the insurance companies are sure to take us seriously.
When you hire our team, you’ll benefit from attorneys who will:
- Provide you with support and guidance at every stage of the legal process
- Conduct our own investigation into the crash
- Identify every party who shares blame
- Put our negotiating skills to work as we fight for a fair insurance settlement
- Prepare to fight for you before a judge and jury if necessary
You deserve the strongest legal representation possible after a crash. After all, the insurance companies have teams of lawyers who are hired to downplay the extent of your injuries. To get the legal guidance you deserve, call our Palm Bay personal injury lawyers for a free case review today.
Why Should I Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
After a serious car crash, you’re likely struggling with painful injuries. Your medical treatment may be ongoing. You might even still be in the hospital. You should be using the energy you have to recover from your injuries.
That said, it’s still important to start the legal process soon after an accident – doing so greatly increases your chances of recovering a full settlement. Hiring a car accident lawyer is the best way to protect yourself.
An experienced attorney will:
- Collect evidence to support your case
- Determine who is liable for your injuries
- Invest resources and hire experts to prove your case
- Defend you when you’re blamed
- Handle all paperwork, insurance communications, and negotiations
- Force the insurance companies to take your case seriously
Many victims take a quick settlement deal because they don’t understand their legal rights. Others take the money because they don’t want to deal with insurance companies. When you hire a lawyer, you give yourself the best chance of recovering the maximum compensation you need and deserve.
How Much Money Can I Recover by Filing a Car Accident Claim?
Every victim’s situation is unique. While putting a dollar value on a serious injury is difficult enough, it’s impossible to know the value of your personal injury case without a detailed understanding of the facts.
Because no two cases are the same, the value of a car accident case can vary significantly from one case to the next.
Many factors are relevant to your case value, including:
- The types of injuries involved
- Whether you’re expected to make a full physical recovery
- The cost of your medical treatment to date
- Whether you will need long-term or ongoing medical care and rehabilitation
- Your expected future expenses
- Whether you can continue working
- Whether you will experience a reduction in earning capacity once recovered
- How the injury has impacted your quality of life and life expectancy
- Whether you share blame for the accident
- The types of insurance benefits available to you
- The evidence that can be used to establish liability
More serious injuries tend to result in higher costs. These cases also tend to be worth the most. However, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to take the insurance company’s assessment at face value. Instead, hire an experienced car accident attorney who can look out for your best interests.
How Long Do I Have To File a Personal Injury Lawsuit After a Car Accident in Florida?
Every state has a deadline for filing a lawsuit after an accident and injury. The statute of limitations in Florida personal injury cases is only two years. You must file a lawsuit within two years of the accident or forfeit your right to damages completely.
While some exceptions to the general rule exist, they’re rare. It’s always best to seek legal advice sooner rather than later. Your lawyer can start the legal process while you’re focused on your recovery.
What Types of Damages Can I Recover in a Car Accident Lawsuit?
If your personal injury case is successful, you can recover compensation for economic damages and non-economic damages. In rare cases, punitive damages may also be available.
What Types of Economic Damages Can I Recover in Florida?
Economic damages compensate for the financial losses you have experienced due to the accident and injury.
While the specific damages can vary from case to case, common examples are:
- Current medical bills
- Estimated future medical expenses
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy
- Lost wages
- Reduced future earning potential
- Medications and medical devices
- Nursing care
- In-home assistance
- Vehicle repair costs
- Other types of property damage
- Miscellaneous out-of-pocket expenses
The goal is to make you “whole” again–at least as far as your bank account is concerned. Any type of financial loss you have experienced due to the injury should be covered.
What Types of Non-Economic Damages Can I Recover in Florida?
Not all costs associated with an injury have a clear financial value. That doesn’t mean they’re any less important. In fact, these are the types of losses that can potentially haunt you for years to come.
These costs are your non-economic damages and might include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Loss of consortium
Florida doesn’t have a cap on the amount of non-economic damages you can recover. However, the value of these losses is often tied to the value of your economic damages.
When it comes to recovering the full value of your non-economic losses, it’s important to have a skilled lawyer on your side to prevent the insurance company from taking advantage of you.
When Are Punitive Damages Available in Florida?
Punitive damages are only available in rare cases where a defendant intentionally hurts you or commits acts that are extremely shocking. To recover punitive damages, you must have clear and convincing evidence that the at-fault party deserves punishment. Your case must also reach the trial stage.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
Like most personal injury law firms, our accident lawyers in Palm Bay operate on a contingency fee basis. We only collect attorney’s fees if we recover compensation in your case. The fee you pay is based on a percentage of your settlement or verdict, and there’s no upfront cost.
This fee structure is useful for many different reasons. Some victims can’t afford to pay an attorney before receiving compensation for their losses. The contingency fee arrangement allows you to get quality legal representation without worrying about the cost. It also gives your attorney motivation to seek the highest settlement or verdict possible.
In your free case review, we’ll give you more information about our fee structure. That way, you’ll know what to expect once your case is resolved.
What Happens to My Compensation Award if I’m Partly Responsible for Causing a Car Accident in Palm Bay?
Florida operates under a modified comparative negligence law. You lose your right to compensation entirely if the insurance company proves you were more than 50% responsible for your own injuries.
If your share of fault is less than 51%, your settlement or verdict is reduced by the percentage allocated to you. So, if you were found to be 30% liable, you can only recover 70% of your damages from another responsible party.
Because of these rules, it’s always best to avoid discussing your case with the insurance companies without a lawyer. They may try to use your statements as evidence that you share some fault for the accident. An experienced attorney will anticipate these blame-shifting strategies and prepare to defend you.
Will My Palm Bay Car Accident Case Go to Trial?
Most personal injury cases settle with the insurance company without going to trial.
There are many reasons for this, including:
- Trials are expensive–the cost of the trial could even exceed your compensation
- Juries are unpredictable–even with strong evidence, it’s tough to know what a jury will decide
- Trials are time-consuming–it could take years to recover any money at all
- Each side will present expert testimony that will likely conflict and create doubt
Ultimately, the insurance company doesn’t want a trial any more than you do. However, there are some cases where a trial does become necessary. If there is a significant dispute over liability or the value of your case, a trial may be the only way to resolve these issues.
Our lawyers will always be upfront with you about whether you have a strong chance of recovering more money with a trial. If a settlement is advisable, we’ll also explain why. Either way, if your settlement offer isn’t acceptable, we’re always prepared to litigate your case in court.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident in Palm Bay?
The steps you take after a car wreck can significantly impact the value of your personal injury claim–and keep you safe.
After a car accident, try to:
- Move the vehicles to the side of the road if it’s safe. Remember, sometimes the damage is too extensive to move to a safer spot
- Call 911. If someone is seriously injured, the 911 operator can send an ambulance. Even if emergency help isn’t necessary, the officer sent by the Palm Bay police department will prepare an accident report that can include vital information about the crash
- Don’t admit fault. Even if you think you should apologize, admissions of fault can be used against you even if we later discover that someone else was responsible for the crash
- Exchange contact information and insurance details with the other driver
- Document the accident scene by taking photos and videos of vehicle damage, skid marks, and any obvious injuries
- Exchange contact information with any witnesses who stopped at the crash scene
- Avoid signing any insurance documents or making a recorded statement without first obtaining an experienced car accident attorney’s advice
- Seek medical attention immediately. Even if you aren’t taken to the hospital by ambulance, it’s critical to see a doctor quickly to determine whether you have suffered any non-obvious injuries. Your medical records will also be crucial when it comes time to prove you are entitled to compensation for your injuries
If you were injured, consult a personal injury attorney in Palm Bay as soon as possible. Your legal work can start fighting to recover fair compensation while you rest and recover.
Our Accident Attorneys Handle All Types of Car Accident Claims in Palm Bay
At Norden Leacox Car Accident And Personal Injury Lawyers, we have decades of experience in personal injury law. Over the years, we’ve developed the knowledge to handle any type of personal injury case.
Some examples of our car accident practice areas include:
Multiple Vehicle Crashes and Pile-Ups
Finger-pointing is a major issue in crashes involving multiple vehicles. Every driver will try to pin the blame on someone else. Our lawyers can help by collecting and evaluating all evidence that can prove you weren’t partially responsible for the crash–or minimize any blame that you do share.
Distracted Driving Accidents
In 2022, distracted drivers caused 268 fatal car accidents across the State of Florida. A total of 53,596 distracted driving accidents were reported statewide. 2,574 distracted driving accident victims suffered injuries that were classified as serious.
While driver distraction is an extremely common cause of crashes, it’s also very difficult to prove. Most distracted drivers won’t admit they were distracted. That makes it particularly important to have a skilled attorney by your side from the start.
Hit-and-Run Accidents
There were 101,759 hit-and-run accidents reported across the state in 2023. In other words, about 25% of all Florida car crashes in 2023 involved a hit-and-run. A total of 21,897 people were injured, and 262 people were killed in those crashes.
Obviously, hit-and-run accidents are a serious problem in Florida. While it’s a crime to leave the scene of an accident, that doesn’t stop many drivers from fleeing.
Hit-and-run cases can be particularly difficult to prove. Our experienced attorneys in Palm Bay are ready to start investigating today, so call our law firm for a free case evaluation right away.
Speeding Accidents
High speeds are a leading cause of car accidents. When high speeds are involved, the resulting injuries also tend to be much more severe. If you were involved in a car accident with a speeding driver, contact us today. Our lawyers have the tools to help you prove the other driver was speeding at the time of the crash.
Other Types of Auto Accident Cases We Handle:
Our lawyers also handle car accident cases involving:
- Rollovers
- Rear-end collisions
- Sideswipe accidents
- Head-on collisions
- T-bone accidents
- Single-vehicle accidents
- Highway accidents
- Trucking accidents and other commercial vehicle accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Intersection accidents
- Accidents involving uninsured/underinsured motorists
- Accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists
- Motorcycle accidents
- Accidents involving Uber and Lyft
If you or a family member were injured in a car accident, call our lawyers for legal representation today. We’ll make sure you understand all of your legal rights and options.
Who Can Be Held Liable for My Car Accident Injuries in Florida?
Florida has “no-fault” car insurance rules. After an accident, you can almost always utilize your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) policy, regardless of who caused the crash. However, under certain circumstances, you can escape the no-fault system and file a claim against the other driver.
For those cases, under Florida law, liability is divided between all parties who played a role in the crash. That includes negligent drivers. It can also include parties who weren’t even present at the scene of the crash.
In most cases, you must prove that someone was negligent to hold them accountable for damages, meaning:
- The defendant owed you a legal duty of care
- A breach of duty occurred
- The defendant’s breach of duty directly caused the crash
- You suffered damages
In cases involving product defects, the manufacturer may be strictly liable without proof of negligence.
Some potential examples of responsible parties in a car accident case include:
- The at-fault driver
- Employers of negligent parties, if the at-fault driver was working when the crash happened
- Manufacturers of defective safety equipment or vehicles
- Government agencies responsible for road maintenance, licensing, or oversight
- Trucking companies
- Negligent passengers
- Pedestrians or bicyclists
- Mechanics and maintenance companies
- Rideshare drivers
The identities of the responsible parties will depend on the circumstances of the accident. Identifying all contributing causes is critical to holding each and every liable party accountable for their share of the damage.
What Are Some Common Types of Car Accident Injuries?
A serious car wreck can have both immediate and long-term consequences for the victim.
At Norden Leacox Car Accident And Personal Injury Lawyers, we can represent victims who have suffered:
- Facial injuries
- Eye injuries
- Whiplash and other types of soft tissue damage
- Concussions
- Broken bones
- Nerve injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Crushing injuries
- Back injuries
- Organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Burns
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Often, the rush of adrenaline after a car accident can mask the symptoms of a more serious injury. That’s one reason why it’s always important to seek medical care quickly after a car accident.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Car Accidents in Palm Bay?
Negligence is the root cause of most car accidents in Florida. However, it’s still important to identify all underlying factors that played a role in the accident.
Some of the most common causes of motor vehicle accidents in Palm Bay include:
- Distracted driving, including texting while driving
- Speeding
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Tailgating
- Aggressive driving
- Unsafe passing
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Drunk driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Fatigued drivers
- Dangerous turns
- Hazardous road conditions
- Inexperienced drivers
- Bad weather and limited visibility
Our team at Norden Leacox Car Accident And Personal Injury Lawyers will conduct a detailed investigation into the crash when you hire us. Once we identify the cause of the accident, we can start building your case for compensation against each responsible party.
Statistics on Car Accidents in Palm Bay, Florida
Car accidents are extremely common in the Sunshine State. High speed limits, wide roads, and drivers who are unfamiliar with traffic patterns are all factors that increase the risk of crashes.
In 2023 alone, 383,599 motor vehicle accidents were reported to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). Statewide, at least 245,055 people were injured and, sadly, 3,228 people were killed in fatal car accidents.
In Brevard County alone, 6,578 people were injured in car wrecks in 2023. At least 92 people were killed. In other words, more than 18 people were injured or killed in car accidents every single day during 2023.
Contact an Experienced Palm Bay Car Accident Lawyer for a Free Initial Consultation Today
Were you recently injured in a car accident in Palm Bay? Was someone else responsible for causing the crash? Turn to an experienced Palm Bay car accident lawyer at Norden Leacox Car Accident And Personal Injury Lawyers for immediate legal assistance.
We offer free consultations, so don’t hesitate to reach out for yours today. Remember, there is a limited amount of time to take legal action, so it’s always better to consult a lawyer sooner rather than later.
Highly Rated Car Repair Shops in Palm Bay
- Brad’s Auto Service – 2520 Palm Bay Rd NE, Palm Bay, FL 32905
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- Lister’s Automotive Service – 1730 Main St NE, Palm Bay, FL 32905
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