(When) Do you have to call the police after a minor car accident?

The process following an automobile collision can become frustrating, drawn out and confusing. Not taking the proper steps when involved in an accident could leave you exposed to complications and delays in the different processes following the crash. Contacting the police after any collision is one of those very important and necessary steps. Think of it this way, if you were involved in a fight but nobody was around to witness the fight, the explanation of this fight would end up being a “he said” “she said” argument. With no independent witnesses around to confirm the accounts fight, the two parties could essentially endlessly argue that the other side was at fault.

What To Do After A Personal Injury Accident?

Being in an auto accident can be a scary situation for most people. There are many things that go through your mind such as does the person that just hit me have adequate insurance, do I have adequate insurance, what do I do about my vehicle, should I call the police? It is always best to call the police immediately after an auto accident. Even if the other party tells you that they want to work out the damages with you directly and do not want the police involved, you should always call the police to protect yourself and your interests. If you do not have a crash report documenting your accident, it is hard for the insurance companies to determine liability, especially if the other party who hit you does not accept fault or changes their story when speaking with the insurance adjusters. This could result in time-consuming and costly lawsuits later down the road. Usually, a police officer can determine who is at fault from interviewing all parties involved in the accident and any independent witnesses that saw the accident happen. Police officers can also sometimes determine liability based on where the damage is to each vehicle.

How do I choose a car accident lawyer?

After an auto accident or a slip and fall, you may have several questions and find yourself searching the internet for answers. The internet is full of answers, some not as accurate as others. You may also find yourself discussing your claim with a friend or family member who may have their own input, which again may not be accurate information. Each personal injury claim is unique and some are more complicated than others. This is the number one reason why you should never rely on the information from someone who is not an expert in the personal injury field. Family members and friends like to help but their situation may have been greatly different than yours so what happened with their claim may not be applicable for yours. The only way to really know how to move forward with your claim is to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney who can discuss your claim and your situation to see what the best plan of action would be.

Port Charlotte Car Accident Attorney

After experiencing an accident in Fort Myers, the last thing you want is to have an attorney at hand that doesn't know how to represent you adequately. You want a reputable Fort Myers law firm that will fearlessly fight to acquire maximum compensation on your behalf. That is precisely what Trial Pro, P.A. does. Our Fort Myers lawyers hold a strong reputation for winning cases, and we do everything in our power to deliver the results you're expecting.

Trial Pro P.A. is proud to advocate for car accident victims all over the state of Florida, including our office in Port Charlotte. Our dedicated experienced personal injury attorneys handle a range of legal matters, from employment disputes to auto accidents claims. We can use our knowledge and legal skills to help you not only achieve a favorable outcome, but relieve the legal burden from your shoulders as well. Our entire team understands how challenging and confusing litigation can be, which is why we are here for you through every step of the process. Serving all areas of Florida including Orlando, Cape Canaveral, Bay Hill, Buena Ventura Lakes, Manatee County, Rattlesnake and more!

Knowledgeable Port Charlotte Auto Accident Lawyers Who Know How to Succeed In Tough Claims

Are you searching for a Car Accident Attorney near you? If you are injured or hurt, we recognize you may not have the ability to visit our offices. If you're unable to come to us, we can come to you!

Trial Pro, P.A. represents Floridians in a variety of personal injury law matters. Our practice areas include all forms of personal injuries; automobile collisions, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death cases, slip-and-fall accidents, truck accidents, construction injuries and workers' compensation accidents. With offices in Orlando, Tampa, Naples, Brevard County, Melbourne and Fort Myers. Trial Pro, P.A. provides strategic advice and counsel to people in areas like Conway, Eustis, Sanford, Gateway, Labelle, Bonita Beach and across Florida. Get in touch with our law firm for a completely free and confidential assessment of your case.

Car accidents can certainly occur to anybody unexpectedly, and once they do, the results may be wrecking, involving disastrous traumas or even wrongful death. In many major wrecks, victims may require extensive hospital stays, rehabilitative professional services, a number of surgical procedures or even lifespan care. Less severe crashes can at the same time traumatically impact one's quality of life, producing complications which in turn include working with insurance adjusters, getting a rental vehicle and fixing your own car or truck.

Similar challenges may also include lost wages due to missing work and choosing the right specialist to see and dealing with health care expenses. Quite a few insurance companies do not cover these bills or compensate accident victims reasonably. When this happens, the experienced Port Charlotte car accident lawyers at Trial Pro can help.

Every year millions of americans are harmed, in some instances fatally, in automobile crashes. In 2011 only, well over 2.2 million people were injured or hurt in the approximated 5,338,000 police-reported automobile traffic accidents and 32,367 killed in collisions involving vehicles, pickups traffic collisions, choppers collisions, pedestrians accidents, and motorcycle riders. An average of 89 people died every day in automobile wrecks in 2011-- approximately one just about every 16 minutes. In 2011, 4,432 pedestrians were killed and 69,000 were injured or hurt in car collisions in the United States, representing 14 percent of all mortalities and 3 percent of all folks injured in auto accidents. Typically, a pedestrian is killed in an automobile collision almost every 119 mins, and one is injured every 8 mins. If you have been injured or hurt in an automobile accident, either as a car driver, a passenger, or a pedestrian, you may be entitled to monetary settlement for your personal injuries and financial loss. An experienced automobile and truck collision attorney at law in Port Charlotte will safeguard your rights over the course of the legal process.

Persons injured in an auto traffic collision have the right to be paid for their personal injuries and damages. If you or a loved one found yourself in a vehicle wreckage, you may be hurt, you can have questions with respect to what to do next, and you may not even realize where to start. Auto collisions can present challenging issues, even more so when numerous vehicles are involved. These particular upsetting, perplexed, aggravating, and quite expensive scenarios require a thoughtful, sincere, and skilled law firm with substantial strength of character. Our Port Charlotte auto traffic collision attorneys have a proven record of obtaining outstanding results for folks who have been injured or hurt in motor vehicle accidents, workplace injuries and various other personal injuries.

Need to File an Auto Insurance Claim after an Auto Accident? Talk with our Expert Port Charlotte Auto Accident Attorneys Call us As soon as possible for your free initial evaluation - 800-874-2577

Our accident lawyers go the extra mile to make sure personal injury claims are processed rapidly and properly so that our clients are ensured a successful route to recovery. Our Port Charlotte injury lawyers have successfully represented injured drivers and passengers in virtually every imaginable car traffic collision scene. From head-on wrecks, rear-end impacts, chopper wrecks, intoxicated driving injuries, hit and runs, public transportation traffic collisions, rollover collisions, accidents with rider-share cars, perhaps even uninsured and under-insured motor vehicle accident claims.

Across the country, and specifically in FL, car accidents are among the primary causes of impairment and death. Car accidents take place in a wide range of ways and the wide array of personal injuries suffered in these accidents is virtually limitless. Because of this, it is greatly important that the lawyer which you hire possesses the expertise and resources needed to properly resolve the specific aspects of your claim.

What is Automobile Negligence?

Automobile negligence is essentially the failure to operate a vehicle in a proper and safe way. Distracted driving is referred to as nearly anything that causes you to take your eyes off the road or your hands off of your steering wheel. You have a responsibility of proper caution when you get behind the steering wheel to drive a car the speed limit, keep your eyes on the roadway, steer clear of distractions and stop for all traffic control devices. Florida Statute 316.1925 states "Any person operating a vehicle upon the streets or highways within the state shall drive the same in a careful and prudent manner, having regard for the width, grade, curves, corners, traffic and all other attendant circumstances, so as not to endanger the life, limb, or property of any person. Failure to drive in such manner shall constitute careless driving and a violation of this section". Anybody arrested for careless driving may possibly be punished by penalties, points on your driver license, or quite possible suspension of your driver license. A careless driving charge is a civil traffic offense in the State of Florida ; however, a reckless driving charge is a criminal traffic offense. Florida Statute 316.192 states "Any person who drives any vehicle in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving". A reckless driving charge can be punishable by minor jail time and fines. If you are accused of reckless driving involving a fatality or serious bodily injury, this can possibly be punishable by substantial jail time, huge fines and restitution to the injured parties relatives. Failure to apply due care while manipulating an automotive vehicle has serious implications as you could be setting not only your own life in danger but the entire lives of all those around you.

Smart phone use is the number 1 cause of car or truck negligence not exclusively in Florida but in the entire nation. Over a million vehicle collisions are associated with people speaking on the cell phone and around 300,000 are linked to driving while texting each and every year all over the country. Texting is the number one root cause of distracted driver deaths in Florida according to the Fla Highway Patrol. The most frequent source of cellphone use while driving arises from teenager motorists. This alongside the lack of driving experience can prove lethal in a substantial amount of youngster driver wrecks. A few states have prohibited hand held smartphone usage for this very reason. Many big organizations also have strict rules in place disallowing their staff members from using a wireless phone while driving a company car.

Distracted drivers are extremely common in The Sunshine State as a result of the volume of travellers that visit our state yearly. A a great deal of collisions in the State of Florida are triggered by travellers paying more attention to their navigation system than the roadway ahead of them. As Florida's residents increases, so does the quantity of autos on the streets. Keeping a safe gap from the car or truck ahead of you and paying attention to the street is a fantastic solution to avoid automobile negligence. If you are following too closely and the automobile ahead of you brakes all of a sudden, you are required to be a safe enough distance away to ensure you have precious time to stop likewise. Most of auto wrecks and rear end accidents which could have easily been evaded by leaving enough space between your auto and the car or truck ahead of you. 90% of all rear end collisions lead to a citation for careless driving and a fine. A different contribution to automobile negligence is driving intoxicated. DUI is an offence in Florida triggering fines and even jail time and The Sunshine State has the highest DUI rate in the whole nation. It is unlawful to drive with a blood alcohol level at or above 0.08% and it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to operate a vehicle with any volume of alcoholic drinks in their system, despite how small.

Florida has actually put into effect a law named comparative negligence. This denotes that if you are involved in a car or truck accident where someone runs into your auto, you can ultimately be deemed partially guilty for a number of contributing reasons, including but not limited to speeding which is probably the most typical factor. If someone else merges into your lane but you were identified to be speeding and you both collide, both car drivers might be held accountable for the crash. In that claim, both insurance companies will be responsible for compensating only a portion of each claim. You may be held accountable anywhere from 1% - 99% liable for the crash, depending upon the severity of each parties negligence. Both insurance companies will decide on the amount of comparative negligence each party should be awarded and will likely proceed with partial settlement of your case based on the percentage of comparative negligence you are found to be at fault for. If you are identified to be 100% accountable for a collision, whatever if you are accused of negligent driving or not, you are permanently banned from recovering any kind of compensation.

Florida public school system have implemented several programs to help educate young drivers and to raise consciousness about the dangers of operating a motorized vehicle while using a cellular phone or being distracted period. Florida Highway Patrol has also established a variety of awareness training programs across the state to keep drives informed and safe. As technological innovations developments, car manufacturers have also started mounting hands free voice activated technology in new car or trucks. They have also designed technology to assist parents by allowing them to regulate the settings for young motorists by only enabling a set music volume, turning off the radio if the seat belt is not secured and not enabling the driver to operate any of the settings while the automobile is in motion. According to FL Highway Patrol, this new tech has definitely minimized auto negligence accidents by a fraction and with modern technology progressing, more and more lives will definitely be saved.

No Fees Unless We Win

At Trial Pro, our personal injury attorneys operate on a contingency fee basis. This means our firm covers the costs of researching, constructing, negotiating and litigating your insurance claim. We do not bill you anything unless our attorneys recover compensation on your behalf. If we do not win your lawsuit, you will owe us absolutely nothing.

Our Port Charlotte injury attorneys also provide no cost assessments to evaluate the specifics of your case and establish if you have a suit. Arrange a Free Consultation

If you or someone you love has been injured as a result of someone else's negligence or neglectfulness, you need a good lawyer on your side who is familiar with the statutes and laws in Florida.

Our Port Charlotte personal injury attorneys are well-versed in personal injury litigation and have been acknowledged by our peers for our achievements. Some of our lawyers have been mentioned as Super Lawyers and notable litigators for their success in behalf of our clients.

We have recovered favorable judgments and compensations that contributed in assisting our clients recoup from their injuries or the loss of a loved one. Let us help you recover the max amount of compensation you deserve for your injuries.

Common Types auto Accidents in Port Charlotte Florida

Vehicle Rollover

These particular types of accidents are complex and violent in nature. More than any other type of crash, rollovers reflect the interaction of the driver, road, vehicle, and environmental factors. Although a vehicle’s type has a significant role in the accident, so does driver behavior and road and environmental conditions. Other factors include speed, fatigue, use of alcoholic beverages, and hazardous road conditions caused by extreme weather. According to the NHTSA, data showed that nearly 85% of all rollover-related fatalities are the result of single-vehicle accidents.

Single Car Accident

Single-vehicle collision or single-vehicle accident is a type of road traffic collision in which only one vehicle is involved. Most of these types of crashes are run-off-road collisions, collisions with fallen debris, rollovers, and collides with a stationary object such as a tree, telephone pole, or median. In the majority of cases, the driver who is operating the vehicle is responsible for the single-car crash. When property damage takes place in an automobile collision, it will typically be handled through the insurance provider.

Rear-end Collision

Collisions in which one auto strikes another car from the rear are among one of the most usual kinds of vehicle accidents. According to a report from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, rear-end collisions are one of the most often occurring kind of crash. Around 29 percent of all motor vehicle crashes are rear-end accidents. These collisions cause a substantial variety of injuries and also deaths every year. Fortunately, they are usually much less destructive than head-on crashes as well as side-impact crashes because the people in the front vehicle are further from the area of the impact, as well as these wrecks have a tendency to occur at reduced speeds. Defensive driving is a must. It's the best way to avoid getting rear-ended and also maintaining you and also your travelers safe. rear-end crashes may take place at traffic signal or stop signs, or on busy highways. The common assumption ( as well as a legal presumption in many states) is that the rear driver is at fault for a rear-end accident, but this is not generally true. In a few instances, the rear chauffeur might be able to repel the presumption and demonstrate that the front driver or another party was at the very least to some extent responsible.

Intersection - Side-impact Collision - T-Bone Accidents

These types of accidents, also called side-impact, right-angle collisions, broadside collisions or T-bone collisions, are where the side of one or more cars are collided. Intersection accidents can at the same time be catastrophic. These types of wrecks generally occur at crossways, parking lots, and also when two cars crossing a roadway. Accounting for about a quarter of passenger car passenger deaths, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The effects from a T-bone accident are extreme however can vary depending upon where the car is struck. Talk with a seasoned Port Charlotte accident attorney to deal with the one-of-a-kind elements of your case.

Head-on Collision

This type of auto accident is when the front ends of two vehicles travelling in opposite directions collide with one another in opposite directions. Being aware of traffic signs, street conditions, and staying in your lane play a critical role in avoiding these types of crashes. Head-on collisions are often extremely severe. For this reason, it is very important to contact an accident attorney in Port Charlotte Lee County FL.

Talk with a Port Charlotte accident lawyer today at 1-800-TRIAL-PRO or complete our online form to schedule a free and confidential consultation and learn how we can help you.

Port Charlotte Car Accident Attorney