Practice Areas Car Accidents Car Accident Injuries

Boca Raton Lawyers Representing Motor Vehicle Collision Victims

Hundreds of car accidents occur in Florida each day, and while some people are fortunate enough to walk away unscathed, many collisions cause bodily harm. Even seemingly minor crashes can cause painful injuries that are costly to treat, and people hurt in accidents can often recover compensation. If you sustained car accident injuries, you have the right to pursue damages and should speak to an attorney about your possible claims. The Boca Raton car accident lawyers at The Grife Law Firm have ample experience helping people hurt by the negligence of others seek remedies in Florida courts. If you hire us, we will tirelessly pursue a successful outcome on your behalf.

Common Car Accident Injuries

Car accidents can cause a variety of injuries, but some are more common than others. For example, cervical strain and sprain, and whiplash often occur due to rear-end collisions. Car accidents are also among the primary causes of traumatic brain injuries, which can lead to lifelong impairments or death. People involved in high-impact crashes often suffer hemorrhages, back, and spinal injuries, and fractures, the effects of which can be significant and permanent. In some instances, a collision will cause a car to leak hot fluids or catch on fire, which can cause burns, systemic shock, and infections. Many people involved in car accidents suffer scarring and disfigurement as well.

Pursuing Damages for Car Accident Injuries

People hurt in car accidents often need to undergo extensive medical treatment, which can include hospitalization, surgery, and physical and occupational therapy. In many cases, their injuries prevent them from working, either temporarily or permanently, resulting in a loss of income. In addition to significant physical pain, collisions often cause psychological harm, such as mental suffering, anxiety, and depression.

Since people injured in crashes often sustain significant economic and non-economic losses, they frequently seek to mitigate their damages by pursuing compensation from the party responsible for causing the accident via a civil lawsuit. A plaintiff in a car accident case will typically assert a negligence claim against the defendant. In Florida, proving negligence requires a plaintiff to establish a duty owed by the defendant, a breach of the duty, and harm that proximately arose from the breach. In other words, the plaintiff must show that the defendant had an obligation to conform to a certain standard of care to avoid harming others, but the defendant failed to do so, which directly led to the accident and the plaintiff’s injuries.

A plaintiff who proves a defendant’s negligence may be awarded economic damages. Florida Statute 768.81(1)(b) defines economic damages as any lost past or future income, medical expenses, and the loss of support and services. It also includes the cost of repairing or replacing damaged or lost property and any other financial harm that would not have occurred if not for the accident. In addition to economic damages, injured people may be granted non-economic damages. These damages aim to compensate for the suffering and pain caused by the accident.

It is essential that anyone harmed in an accident who wishes to pursue claims act promptly because, under Florida Statute 95.11(3)(a), lawsuits alleging negligence must be filed within four years of the date of the harm.