If you have been injured following an unexpected accident in Hialeah, Florida and believe that it was an avoidable error on the part of someone else, you may be entitled to file a personal injury claim against the at-fault party.
This is not an easy process and you must be sure of your facts and follow the state government’s established procedure for filing a claim. Talk to an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as you are able to do so.
Selecting a Personal Injury Attorney in Hialeah
Hialeah has a large number of suitable lawyers who are able to provide legal help in personal injury cases. There are 100 or more listed as personal injury specialists. It is always best to select a lawyer to help you that has personal injury experience and who has a license to operate in the state.
Typical Injuries in Hialeah
Hialeah experiences many potential accidents every day. Not every accident leads to an injury, however some accidents are more likely to cause injuries than others. Traffic accidents tend to cause more serious accidents as well as fatalities than other common accident types.
Truck accidents are probably the most dangerous as the consequences of a collision are more severe than they are with a smaller vehicle. Truck accidents may be caused by fatigue, distracted driving, speeding, aggressive and intimidating behavior, intoxication or by defects in any one of the truck’s essential components.
Other injuries in Hialeah may be caused by slip, trip and fall accidents which can happen anywhere where the environment is not kept safe and secure for people to use.
Medical negligence, dog bites and defective products such as malfunctioning electric appliances are also common reasons for a personal injury lawsuit in Hialeah.
The Personal Injury Claim Process in Florida
Florida law imposes strict limits on claims for compensation. These time limits are quite generous compared to other states. Claims against a private entity such as the driver of a truck that hit you have four years from the date of the injury and even claims against a government entity have three years.
In practice, it is preferable to file a claim with a lawyer’s help as soon as recovery from your injuries allow, rather than wait too long.
Florida has a pure comparative negligence rule that allocates compensation according to the percentage blame of the plaintiff. For example, if you have claimed a total of $12,000 but it is decided that you were 20% to blame yourself, you will only receive 80% of what you claimed.
Car accidents are handled differently in Florida as are workplace injuries. The latter are almost exclusively compensated by your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance which disallow a personal injury claim.
Car accident injuries and damage to the car in Florida are principally compensated by your own insurance policy. Florida is a no-fault state for car accidents. Compensation does not depend on you proving that someone else was at fault.
However, if your injuries are particularly severe, you may still be allowed to sue the person at fault through a private personal injury lawsuit but you will then have to prove negligence.
In all personal injury cases, the claim must be filed through the appropriate civil court that handles the amount of damages you are claiming. In Hialeah, this would be the Dade County District Court.
This is located at E 6th Street, Hialeah and is open from 8 a.m.to 4 p.m. weekdays for initial enquiries. Most civil courts in Florida now require electronic filing of claims.
Use a Free Claim Evaluation to Find a Suitable Personal Injury Attorney
It can be very stressful dealing with a personal injury claim. Claims are usually more likely to succeed if an experienced personal injury lawyer handles the case.
Their expertise when dealing with intimidating insurance companies, for instance, is extremely helpful and they will also alert you to the possibility of exceeding the state’s time limits if you delay your claim for too long.
