If you have never been seriously hurt in a car accident before, you probably don’t know much about how a personal injury claim works in Palm Beach County. You might have a lot of questions. Here are the answers to some common questions about personal injury law and the process of getting compensation for your injuries.
What kinds of damages can I seek?
A serious bodily injury can be very expensive. In Florida, the law puts the types of harms personal injury victims experience into two categories: economic (or special) damages, and non-economic (or general) damages.
Essentially, special damages include things you can easily put a dollar figure on, such as your medical bills and the wages you lost because you were too hurt or disabled to work. General damages refer to damages that are just as real, but harder to calculate, such as the pain and suffering you have gone through due to the other driver’s negligence.
Should I delay medical treatment until my case gets resolved?
No. You should seek medical attention as soon as possible so you can get an accurate diagnosis and begin treatment. This also starts a record that will be useful evidence to show the insurance company, and, if necessary, the jury.
I might have been partly to blame for the crash. Can I still collect damages?
Florida is a contributory negligence state. You can still collect compensation in a personal injury lawsuit as long as the jury does not find that you were mostly responsible for your injuries. However, your award will be reduced based on your contribution. So, if the jury finds that the defendant was 90 percent liable and you were 10 percent liable, the amount of damages it awards you would be reduced by 10 percent.
For more detailed answers related to your specific claim, a conversation with a personal injury lawyer would be helpful.