Auto Accident Attorney Pinellas Park
Have you been seeking the help of a Car Accident Lawyer in Pinellas Park? Did you know that the City of Pinellas Park is the epicenter of auto accidents in Pinellas County due to its location. It is in the middle of the county and there are many congested roads that contribute to high accident numbers. If you have traveled on US 19, Park Blvd, 49th St, 66th St, or on Bryan Dairy Rd, you know what I mean.
Pinellas Park is also one of the most dangerous areas in the county for auto accidents because of the volume of commuter traffic. The roads are extremely congested during morning and evening rush hour as workers travel across and through the City of Pinellas Park. When you add a high number of visitors who are unfamiliar with the roads or elderly drivers to the mix, the roads get even more dangerous. With all of these contributing factors, Pinellas Park auto accidents are common. Rear-end collisions at stop lights and T-bone collisions at intersections and at turns are the most common.
We are accident injury attorneys and have handled countless claims from accidents in Pinellas Park over the years. If you have been injured in an accident, we hope that you will contact us immediately. Our goal in every claim is to help you get better and then recover compensation for you and your family.
What Steps Should You Take After an Auto Accident in Pinellas Park?
The following are some important tips and advice for you to take if you have been involved in an auto accident:
Contact Law Enforcement
Hindsight is always 20/20, but when in doubt, always call the police. Many people involved in collisions with minor property damage either don’t want to wait for the police or may even feel sorry for the other driver. Now, the police may not report to every accident, but you should always try. If the police do not come to the scene, you are completely at the mercy of that person and their insurance company. Getting the police to perform an independent investigation and determine fault is crucial to avoiding liability problems down the road.
Document the Scene
Pictures after an auto accident are priceless. Always take pictures at the scene of the location of the vehicles and of the people involved. Once you get home, take more detailed pictures of the damage.
Get Witness Information
Names, phone numbers and addresses of everyone who was involved in the accident or saw the accident are crucial. In many cases, witnesses stop and then leave before the police arrive. When that happens, those witnesses are lost forever. If the police reported, you cannot rely on them to take down this information in the accident report correctly. Always try to protect yourself and obtain as much information as you can.
Get Immediate Medical Attention
One of the biggest mistakes that people make after an auto accident is delaying medical treatment. Not only do you delay getting treatment for your injuries, but the insurance companies will also devalue your claim for every day that you wait. My advice is that if you feel like you might need to go to a hospital, then err on the side of caution and go. If your injuries do not rise to that level, get to an Urgent Care. You should call the Urgent Care in advance to make sure that they can treat auto accident injuries. Then, you should set up an appointment with a specialist in auto accident injuries-not your primary care doctor or family doctor. If you need suggestions of specialists that are located near you, my office can help provide some suggestions.
Report the Claim but do not Give a Recorded Statement
You have an obligation in the contract with your own insurance company to report the incident within a reasonable amount of time and to cooperate with their investigation. However, if the other insurance company has admitted fault, you may only need to contact it regarding the damage to your vehicle. If you have any injuries, you should not give a recorded statement before speaking with a lawyer. You have no obligation to speak to the other insurance company and an auto accident attorney can advise you about who and what to say.
What Are The Benefits to Hiring a Pinellas Park Auto Accident Attorney?
After a Pinellas Park auto accident, you will likely be bombarded by calls from insurance adjusters. Once an attorney is hired, all communication from the insurance companies will then go through the lawyer’s office.
The attorney will find insurance coverage, assist in the investigation and set up the claim. Once the treatment has concluded, the attorney will present the information in the form of a demand.
Perhaps the most important thing that an attorney can help you with is the medical management of your claim. People know that they have been injured and what pain they are feeling, but to equate that to money is more challenging. Insurance companies used complex equations to value claims and your attorney will know what records and findings need to be presented to maximize the value of your claim.
How Quickly Do I Need to Hire an Auto Accident Attorney?
My advice is to get an attorney involved as soon as possible. The first few days after an auto accident is the most important time during the entire process. During this time frame, the accident must be investigated, insurance coverage determined, and the medical treatment must be arranged. If you are contacted by an insurance company and offered money before you have spoken to a lawyer or before the company even knows the extent of your injuries, assume that they are trying to buy you off for much less than your case is worth.
How Much Does an Auto Accident Attorney Charge?
Auto accident attorneys charge differently than other types of attorneys. Auto accident injury claims are handled on a contingency basis. That means that the lawyer charges a percentage of the money that is recovered for you. You do not need to put any money down or pay a retainer. If no money is recovered, then you don’t owe the lawyer anything. Therefore, there is virtually no risk to hiring an auto accident attorney.
The Florida Bar has set forth limits on the amount of money that auto accident attorneys can charge. The standard fees are 33.3% for cases that settle without a lawsuit and 25% for claims against a government or state agency. For every case that we handle, we ensure that our clients make the final decision and are happy with the amount of money that they are receiving “in their pocket” after the payment of attorney’s fees and medical bills.
Please Contact Us For a Free Consultation Immediately 727-381-2300
We are your personal injury attorneys in Pinellas Park. Let’s face it all types of accident happen far too often. Because our office is nearby, we are familiar with how to handle these claims. We are experienced and compassionate attorneys who will always keep your best interests as our priority. If you have been injured in an auto accident in Pinellas Park, please contact us immediately for a free consultation 727-381-2300.
