FAQs About Personal Injury
Personal injury claims can be complicated. This is why it is in your best interest to work with an experienced personal injury lawyer to pursue compensation for your damages, rather than attempting to pursue your claim on your own.
When you first meet with a personal injury lawyer to discuss your claim, arrive ready to ask questions and discuss your claim specifically. Below are five common questions personal injury victims ask during these consultations. Use these to jumpstart your conversation with an experienced personal injury lawyer.
What Kind of Accident Can I File a Personal Injury Claim After?
Any time you are injured in an accident caused by another party’s negligence, you have the right to seek compensation for your damages through a personal injury claim. A few examples of accidents that can cause an injury and lead to a personal injury claim include:
- Car accidents;
- Slip and fall accidents;
- Theme park accidents;
- Dog bites;
- Motorcycle accidents; and
- Injuries caused by defective consumer products.
What Damages Can I Seek Compensation to Cover?
Through your personal injury claim, you can seek compensation for the following damages:
- Your medical expenses. These include your hospitalization costs, your prescription medication costs, the costs of any medical devices you need during your recovery, and doctor appointment costs;
- Your lost wages. These include the wages you cannot earn while you are out of work to recover and missed advancement opportunities; and
- Pain and suffering damages. These are the intangible damages that can occur after an accident, such as reduced quality of life, the need for in-home domestic help or transportation aids, psychological counseling to manage mental anguish after an accident, and over-the-counter medical needs.
Are there Damage Caps in Florida?
For most personal injury cases, there are no damage caps in Florida, which means that injured victims can seek as much compensation as they need to cover their damages. When a claimant also seeks punitive damages, payment meant to punish the negligent party, he or she can only recover up to three times the amount of his or her compensatory damages or $500,000, whichever is greater.
What is the Statute of Limitations for a Personal Injury Claim?
In Florida, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is four years from the date of the accident. Once this date passes, the victim cannot file a personal injury claim to seek compensation. In cases where the victim does not discover his or her injury until weeks, months, or even years after it occurs, he or she may be able to extend this window of time and file a claim.
What Do I Need to Support my Personal Injury Claim?
A successful personal injury claim needs evidence that demonstrates not only that the negligent party breached his or her duty to protect the victim from harm, but that this breach directly caused the victim to suffer an injury and subsequent damages. Evidence to support a personal injury claim can include:
- Photographs of the accident scene;
- Medical bills;
- Documents showing lost wages; and
- Eyewitness testimonies of the accident.
Draper Law Office Can Help you Seek Compensation for your Personal Injury Damages
Contact Draper Law Office today to set up your free, no-obligation consultation in one of our Central Florida offices. We have offices in Orlando, and Kissimmee, to conveniently serve all prospective clients. Call us today at 866-767-4711 to start working with a member of our team.
