Distracted Driving Accident Attorneys in Florida
Drivers have a legal duty towards others who share the road to operate their vehicles safely. This includes following the rules of the road but also using common sense. Distracted driving accidents are one of those gray areas because not all driving distractions are intentional or illegal.
For example, eating a sandwich while driving is not illegal, but it can lead to an accident if a driver has to react to traffic or a road hazard and they don’t have both hands on the wheel. Other times drivers clearly break the law by texting and driving. In both examples, drivers put others at risk for severe accidents and injuries.
Severe accident injuries leave victims with emotional distress and financial burden on top of their physical pain. If you were injured in a Florida distracted driving accident, you shouldn’t have to deal with the economic aftermath of your injuries when someone else is responsible. Fortunately, you can take legal action. Florida law permits you to bring a lawsuit against the distracted driver responsible for your injuries.
The Florida car accident attorneys at Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, have the knowledge and resources to help injured people hold those who caused them harm accountable. Our team can review the facts of your case and determine if you have a viable distracted driving claim.
Why Choose Holliday Karatinos for Your Florida Distracted Driving Claim
After suffering injuries in a Florida distracted driving accident, you need to focus on recovery and rehabilitation. Healing from your injuries needs to be your top priority, leaving little time to deal with insurance carriers and the strategies they employ to avoid financial liability. The legal team at Holliday Karatinos has more than 50 years of collective experience helping injured people and dealing with insurance carriers.
The skilled Florida distracted driving attorneys at Holliday Karatinos have ample experience in the settlement, negotiation, and litigation of car accident claims, including those involving a distracted driver. Our lawyers not only practice the law, but their status in the legal community makes them leaders in personal injury law. The legal team at Holliday Karatinos remains active in the legal community, giving seminars on personal injury law to other lawyers and teaching law school to aspiring attorneys.
The firm’s commitment to client service, community engagement, and professional excellence has resulted in statewide and national recognition for its efforts.
James Wayne Holliday has been awarded the prestigious “Best Attorney” Lifetime Charter Member by Best Attorneys of America. Ted Karatinos is a lifetime Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum® and has contributed various pieces to Barrister Magazine, The Young Lawyer, The Federal Lawyer, and The Florida Bar Journal.
The firm has also received accolades from Super Lawyers and The National Trial Lawyers Association, and they consistently warrant an outstanding rating at Avvo.com.
Holliday and Karatinos are dedicated to helping injured accident victims seek justice and recover the maximum compensation for their injuries, recovering tens of millions of dollars for clients since 2006. We pride ourselves on offering personalized attention to our clients, but we also have the financial resources to take on any case. Our team can handle your Florida distracted driving claim while you focus on recovering from your injuries.
Our main office is conveniently located off Suncoast Parkway on Cortez Boulevard in Brooksville. However, we serve clients throughout Florida. We like to meet prospective clients in person for a free consultation, but sometimes this isn’t possible because of injuries and other life circumstances. If you cannot travel to one of our offices, we can come to you or hold a virtual meeting. Contact us today online to discuss your distracted driving accident and receive your free consultation.
Compensation in Florida Distracted Driving Accident Claims
If you suffer injuries in a car accident because of a distracted driver, Florida law entitles you to seek compensation for economic and noneconomic losses related to the accident and your injuries. Each accident claim has different facts and circumstances that impact the amount and type of damages someone could recover in a claim.
Some of the most common damages awarded in settlements and jury verdicts in distracted driving accident cases compensate accident victims for:
- Medical treatment costs, including ambulance transport, emergency room treatments, hospitalization, surgery, x-rays, lab tests, prescription medication, and follow-up visits
- Estimated future medical expenses when a Florida distracted driving accident causes a permanent condition or injury that requires ongoing treatment and care
- Rehabilitation costs for specialized treatment like physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and mental health services
- Lost income from missing work because of injuries and recovery
- Lost earning capacity for Florida distracted driving accident victims who cannot return to their job or business or seek future employment because of their injuries
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment
- Loss of consortium
- Scarring and disfigurement
Factors that impact the type and amount of compensation someone receives from an accident injury claim include:
- Nature and severity of injuries. Those who suffer the most severe injuries typically receive more compensation than those with lesser injuries. The same is true if someone suffers an injury that leaves a scar or deformation in a highly visible location. For example, it’s likely someone with a permanent scar on their face from an accident would receive more compensation for their injury than someone with a broken wrist.
- Total economic loss. The total amount of economic loss an accident victim incurs typically increases with the severity of their injuries. Severe injuries require more medical treatment and force people to take more time off work, losing a massive amount of income. More economic loss typically translates into a larger settlement or jury award.
- Chances of full recovery. Those who suffer a permanent condition or injury typically receive more compensation because they have to deal with the consequences of their injury for life. Some suffer scars, others lose limbs, and those who cannot work receive more money because they receive compensation for lost earning capacity.
An experienced Florida distracted driving attorney from Holliday Karatinos can review the facts of your case, gather medical records and documents, and consult with experts to advise you on the amount and types of damages that apply to your Florida distracted driving claim.
No-fault Insurance in Florida Distracted Driving Accidents
Florida requires everyone who registers a vehicle to carry minimum amounts of insurance, including $10,000 of personal injury protection (PIP) coverage to comply with the state’s no-fault insurance laws. Even though it’s obvious to you that a distracted driver caused your injuries, you need to go through the proper insurance steps before you file a lawsuit.
Florida is a no-fault state, which means they do not immediately care about fault in a car accident. After an accident occurs, each person needs to file a claim with their auto insurance provider against their PIP policy. Florida’s PIP insurance covers 80 percent of medical expenses and 60 percent of lost salary or wages from work, but it does not cover pain and suffering and other noneconomic damages that people suffer in Florida traffic accidents.
Florida’s no-fault insurance is intended to help people with the immediate costs of an injury without having to delve into liability issues. It helps people get their cars repaired, get medical treatment, and get back to work quickly when minor accidents and injuries occur. However, $10,000 does not go very far when a severe accident occurs.
Once you meet or exceed your PIP coverage benefits, an experienced Florida distracted driving lawyer can help you step outside the no-fault system to fight for additional compensation for your distracted driving accident injuries.
Types of Injuries in Florida Distracted Driving Accidents
Holliday Karatinos advocates for accident victims who have sustained various types of injuries. Examples of injuries that could give rise to a Florida distracted driving lawsuit include:
- Fractures. Minor breaks might not warrant hiring a lawyer, but multiple broken bones or complex fractures, especially those requiring corrective surgery, can lead to a personal injury claim.
- Brain injuries. Traffic accidents are among the top causes of traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Those who suffer from a TBI sometimes face chronic issues with cognitive function because of permanent brain damage.
- Neck and back injuries. Traffic accidents, especially those that occur at high speeds, put the body in a wide range of unnatural positions that can cause herniated discs, fractured vertebrae, and other injuries throughout the spinal column.
- Amputation. In severe traffic accidents, drivers can get their legs pinned under the steering wheel, passengers can get their legs pinned under a seat, and various other situations can crush one or more limbs, forcing a life-changing amputation.
- Internal injuries. The impact of a car accident sometimes leads to broken ribs, organ damage, and internal bleeding, especially when they occur at high speed. Internal injuries can cause permanent organ damage and sometimes lead to death.
- Burns. Sometimes car crashes include fires or explosions, putting anyone involved at risk for severe and painful burns that leave permanent scars even after corrective surgery.
Fighting the Insurance Company After a Florida Distracted Driving Accident
Auto insurance carriers rack up profits by avoiding financial liability whenever possible. If they cannot deny a claim, they do what they can to devalue a claim and make the smallest possible payout.
Once you or the distracted driver that caused the car accident files a claim with the driver’s insurance provider, the company assigns an adjuster or representative to investigate the claim and decide whether to approve the claim. The insurance carrier will gather as much evidence as they can, looking specifically for ways to deny or devalue the claim.
Hiring a Florida distracted driver attorney is crucial to protect the value of your claim. A lawyer can protect you from the questionable strategies insurance companies use and ensure the carrier only gets the relevant information they need to process the claim. For example, they often ask people to sign a waiver to release medical records and try to obtain someone’s entire medical history. A lawyer will make sure they only have access to records related to your Florida distracted driving accident.
What to Do After Suffering Injuries in a Florida Distracted Driving Accident
Recovering from your injuries needs to be your top priority after a distracted driving accident, but protecting the value of your claim is the key to receiving the most compensation for your injuries.
These guidelines can prevent an auto insurance company from denying or devaluing your claim:
- Follow all doctors’ orders and don’t miss appointments. Failing to comply with your treatment plan can give the insurance company a reason to argue your injuries aren’t as serious as you claim.
- Keep copies of economic loss related to the distracted driving accident, including medical bills, receipts, and payroll information, so you can share them with your lawyer.
- Request a copy of the official crash report.
- Keep a daily written or video journal to document the ways your accident injuries have affected your life physically, emotionally, and economically.
Provide everything you save to your attorney during your initial meeting, so they can evaluate your case and determine the viability of your claim. Additionally, provide your attorney contact information for witnesses, photos, videos, and any other evidence or information you might have collected immediately after the accident.
Contact a Florida Distracted Driving Accident Attorney Today
If a negligent driver injured you in a Florida distracted driving accident, contact our Florida personal injury attorneys as soon as possible to review your claim. Holliday Karatinos has the experience and resources to help you seek justice and fight for compensation for your injuries. You should not have to deal with the financial aftermath of severe injuries when someone else harmed you.
Contact Holliday Karatinos Law Firm today online to share the details of your Florida distracted driving accident, or call us at (352) 597-0009 for your free consultation to learn more about how we can help you.
Client Testimonial
"Attorney James Holliday is the best attorney I have ever worked with. I went to him after an auto accident and I was impressed with his knowledge of the situation and judgement on how to proceed. In the end, Mr. Holliday was able to obtain full compensation. He was also a pleasure to work with."
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Barb C.
Read more of our Google Reviews!
