If you’ve been in a car accident in Lakeland, FL, you may be entitled to damages. At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, our Lakeland car accident lawyers can fight for the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
For 25 years, our personal injury lawyers have helped clients hold responsible parties accountable for their injuries. Likewise, we’ll do everything we can to advocate for your rights after an injury. We will work tirelessly to secure a significant financial award to help cover your financial losses, including medical bills, lost wages, and more.
Contact our law office to arrange a free consultation. Give us a call at (727) 787-2500 and we’ll go over your case and discuss the options available to you.
How Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Crash in Lakeland, Florida
Car accidents can take a toll on all areas of your life. Your physical injuries are likely not your only troubles. The emotional and financial impact cannot be underestimated.
At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, our personal injury lawyers understand that a car accident can be traumatic. You should not have to navigate the legal system alone.
This is why it’s critical to have an experienced, established personal injury law firm working on your side. Our attorneys have over 60 years of collective legal experience and are Board Certified in civil trial law. We want to put our expertise behind your case.
When you hire our Lakeland personal injury attorneys to represent you in your car accident, our firm will immediately get started on the following:
- Meet with you to hear your side of how the accident happened
- Investigate the details surrounding the accident
- Gather and review evidence, including police crash reports, medical documents, photo or video surveillance footage, statements by witnesses, and our own examination of the accident site
- Consult with experts to assist in your case, such as accident reconstructionists, medical professionals, automotive specialists
- Negotiate with insurance companies to get you the best possible offer
- If the insurance company denies your claim or tries to lowball you, we’ll take them to court
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers operates on a contingency fee plan, which means you pay nothing unless we’re able to secure a financial award for you. Over the course of our practice, we’ve won more than $100 million for injury victims just like you.
Give us a call to speak with our understanding team of legal professionals. We have an accomplished, talented staff who know how difficult it can be to share the details of an auto accident. You can rest assured you’ll be in a safe and welcoming environment when you meet with our car accident lawyers in Lakeland, Florida.
How Common Are Car Accidents in Lakeland, Florida?
The state of Florida is known for the high rate of motor vehicle accidents across its roads and highways. In fact, six of the top ten most dangerous roadways across the country are located in Florida.
In 2020, Florida saw 339,905 traffic accidents across the state. In Polk County, which includes Lakeland, FL, there were 11,208 motor vehicle accidents.
The Polk County numbers in 2020 included:
- 119 fatal crashes, resulting in 130 deaths, and
- 4,808 non-fatal injury crashes, resulting in 7,446 injuries
Narrowing down to the city of Lakeland, FL, the latest fatal car accident data shows the following for Lakeland from 2016-2019:
- Total fatal crashes: 86
- Fatalities from crashes: 98 (multiple fatalities from single crashes)
These Lakeland and Polk County numbers, combined with accident data across the state, have put Florida among the top states in the nation for motor vehicle accidents.
Where Do Most Car Accidents Happen in Lakeland and Polk County?
There are a number of reasons some intersections and stretches of highway are more dangerous than others. It could be due to crumbling road conditions, lighting, the width of the road, or speed limits, among many possibilities.
The following intersections in Lakeland and the Polk County area are considered especially deadly:
- U.S. 98 North and Griffin Road
- Memorial Boulevard and North Florida Avenue
- Memorial Boulevard and Massachusetts Avenue
- West Edgewood Extension and South Florida Avenue
- Parkview Place and North Florida Avenue
These intersections are deemed dangerous based on the number of accidents and fatalities the locations see every year.
What Is My Lakeland, Florida Car Accident Case Worth?
Determining the worth of your case is hard to do without a thorough review of the accident and evidence. However, there are a number of factors that have a significant impact on the total amount of compensation you’re likely to receive.
The following factors will come into play in calculating a financial award:
- Vehicle malfunction (e.g., airbags, seat belts, brakes, steering)
- Severity of injuries
- If the other driver was under the influence
- Income loss during time off
- Division of blame
Our Lakeland car accident attorneys will consider all possible avenues to maximize your total financial recovery.
What Kinds of Damages Are Available to Car Accident Victims?
There are two main categories of damages: economic and non-economic. The categories compensate for different types of injuries.
Economic damages compensate a personal injury victim for definable costs that come with a price tag. Non-economic damages compensate for the toll the accident can take on your life, such as with emotional and mental impact. Depending on your case, you may be entitled to damages in both categories or just one.
Economic damages include:
- Medical bills
- Current Lost wages
- Future medical expenses
- Diminished future earning capacity
- Renovation accommodations (e.g., ramp, grab bars, door width)
- In-home medical or nursing care
- Medical equipment such as crutches, braces, or wheelchairs
- Physical therapy
Essentially, economic damages are ones that can be proven with financial costs and receipts.
Non-economic damages are not as simple to calculate, and typically include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Inconvenience
- Loss of companionship
- Shame and embarrassment
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of limbs
- Reduction in quality of life
At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we carefully consider all these damages in seeking compensation on your behalf. Don’t hesitate to call today to speak with our Lakeland car accident attorneys at no charge.
Can I Recover Compensation If I’m Being Blamed For a Car Accident in Florida?
Fault is a critical issue when seeking damages after a car accident in Lakeland, Florida. In some cases, the insurance company may argue that you were responsible for the accident in which you were injured.
Florida adheres to a “modified comparative fault with a 51% bar” approach to assessing compensation. That means you can recover compensation as long as you are 50% or less responsible for the Lakeland car crash. However, your award will be reduced by your apportioned fault.
For example, if you were 25% responsible for the accident, your total claim will be reduced by 25%. If you were 51% responsible, you’ll be unable to recover any compensation.
It’s in the insurance company’s financial interest to lay blame for the accident at your feet so they can reduce or eliminate their liability.
This is why having a law firm like Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers can make a difference. We know the insurance company’s tactics and have successfully beaten them at their own game time and time again. We’ll keep them honest and force them to make a reasonable settlement offer.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation For All Of Your Crash-Related Injuries
Our Lakeland car accident lawyers will work hard to make sure you’re compensated for all of your injuries, no matter what they are. Some injuries are not easily visible. So, no matter how minor you think your accident was, always be sure to get checked out by medical professionals. This will also prevent insurance companies from trying to claim that any injuries you discover later were not caused by the accident and are therefore not covered.
We’ve seen all kinds of injuries over the years, but the most common are:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Whiplash
- Broken bones
- Bruising/Contusions
- Herniations and ruptured discs
- Closed head injuries
- Burns
- Organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Scrapes and cut from shrapnel and other projectiles
Your medical expenses could be significant, depending on the type and severity of your injuries. We know the strain this puts on your finances. You can trust the Lakeland personal injury attorneys at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers to maximize your financial award to cover the cost of treatment and recovery.
What Causes Most Car Accidents in Lakeland, Florida?
Car accidents everywhere tend to occur for similar reasons. Our experienced lawyers have seen it all in terms of why accidents occur.
Here are a few of the causes we see most often:
- Driving while drunk or on drugs
- Speeding
- Fiddling with the radio
- Reaching for dropped items like a phone
- Texting or using the phone while driving
- Potholes and other road conditions
- Distracted driving
- Tailgating
- New or inexperienced drivers
- Mechanical failure
- Construction and detours
- Weather conditions
No matter the cause of the accident, we will fight hard to ensure you don’t shoulder any more of the blame than you should. Our goal at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers is to limit any reduction of your total compensation claim.
Representing Clients in All Types of Car Accident Cases
Over the course of our personal injury practice, we’ve represented car accident victims involved in all types of collisions.
A few examples:
- Hit and run accidents
- Sideswipe accidents
- Truck accidents
- Rear-end collisions
- T-Bone crashes
- Motorcycle accidents
- Head-on collisions
- Crashes involving multiple vehicles
- Single-vehicle accidents
- Accidents involving uninsured drivers
Our established lawyers have handled these and many more scenarios, including fatal crashes involving wrongful death. The value of hiring a well-established law firm is that there’s very little that surprises us. We’re familiar with all kinds of car accident cases.
What Does Florida’s No-Fault Insurance Mean For Me After A Car Wreck in Lakeland?
Florida is a no-fault state. This means that no matter who is at fault in a car accident, drivers must first seek redress from their own insurance companies. Every driver’s no-fault insurance coverage must include personal injury protection or PIP.
PIP covers economic damages, such as medical bills and lost income. But it doesn’t cover non-economic losses such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, or loss of enjoyment of life. However, there are two exceptions that clear the path for you to get such non-economic damages through a third-party claim against the other driver.
These exceptions are:
- If your injuries meet state-determined criteria for seriousness, including permanent or significant loss of bodily functions and permanent or significant disfigurement.
- If your injuries do not qualify as “serious” but nonetheless exceed the $10,000 PIP coverage requirement
Vehicle damage is another loss not covered by PIP and can be included as part of a claim against the other driver.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Car Wreck in Florida?
Florida law limits the amount of time you have for filing a lawsuit. This limit, called the statute of limitations, helps increase the likelihood that evidence remains preserved and witness’s memories remain reliable. In the state of Florida, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases, such as car accidents, is two years from the date of the accident.
Florida law used to give car accident victims four years to file their lawsuits. However, it was revised on March 24, 2023, reducing the amount of time to take legal action. If your Lakeland collision happened after this date, you likely have two years to file your claim.
It’s always best to get started on your case sooner than later. Building a strong case can be a long process. So, leaving yourself ample time to get through any possible hurdles gives you an advantage. Additionally, insurance companies are often more likely to settle if they see that you have a solid case that you’re prepared to take to court if necessary. They don’t want to risk a large award in court and will do whatever they can to make you an offer you’ll accept.
If your accident happened while you were driving for work-related purposes, you may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits through your employer. The workers’ compensation system has its own set of rules and deadlines, so getting started sooner will allow you to meet the requirements of that process as well.
Contact Our Lakeland Car Accident Lawyers For a Free Consultation
At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we approach every case with passion and a commitment on behalf of our clients. We treat every client like family, and we make ourselves available to you 24/7.
Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers operates on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront costs or fees. If we don’t win, you don’t pay. It’s as simple as that.
Give us a call today to speak with our Lakeland car accident lawyers. Let us show you why we’re the right firm for you.
