Ocala Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyer
Motor vehicle accidents happen every day on Florida roads and highways. When a negligent driver causes you to suffer a serious injury in a crash, you have the right under Florida law to pursue a claim against the driver or their insurance company and even take them to court if they won’t settle for a fair amount. Even though you are the victim in this situation, the burden still falls on you to prove your case. This means you need to be able to prove the other driver’s negligence and fault in causing your injuries, and you also have to prove the value of the damages you are seeking, i.e., the nature and extent of your injury, how this injury has affected your life, etc.
At the Musleh Law Firm, we are devoted to helping injury victims prove their case and get the care and compensation they need after a motor vehicle accident caused by another’s negligence. Our Ocala motor vehicle accident lawyers have been representing accident victims in Florida for more than 70 years. Attorneys Victor and Kelly Musleh have themselves represented more than 2,400 accident victims in North Central Florida. Whether your case can be settled through negotiation or a trial becomes necessary, we can help you seek justice.
Dedicated to Helping Ocala Injury Victims Pursue Compensation After a Crash
Our Ocala personal injury lawyers have experience handling a variety of motor vehicle accident cases, including:
- Car accidents
- Truck wrecks
- Motorcycle accidents
- Golf cart injuries
- Bike accidents
- Pedestrian crosswalk injuries
- All-terrain vehicles (ATV)
- Recreational vehicles (RV)
Insurance companies will do everything in their power to avoid paying up after your accident. We are prepared to go toe to toe with them in the courtroom in pursuit of the full compensation you deserve. In addition to our thorough investigative skills, you can benefit from our working relationship with experts such as engineers and accident reconstructionists.
When can I sue a negligent driver for my injuries?
Florida’s no-fault auto accident system allows you to receive compensation through your personal injury protection (PIP) policy, without having to prove the other driver’s negligence or fault. However, PIP benefits only pay 80% of your medical bills and 60% of your lost wages, and they don’t cover pain and suffering at all. Even worse, PIP benefits are generally capped at $10,000, but unless you follow strict timelines and meet the criteria for an “emergency medical condition,” you won’t be able to access more than $2,500 in PIP benefits.
Florida law does allow you to step outside of the no-fault system and sue the negligent driver for all your legal damages if you suffered a serious injury. The law defines a serious injury to include:
- Permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability
- Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function
- Death
Determining whether you have a serious injury under the law is not just a medical question; it’s a legal question too. At the Musleh Law Firm, we understand how to go about collecting the medical evidence, interpreting it, and preparing and presenting a strong case for pursuing a claim against the at-fault driver.
What kinds of money damages can I recover from a negligent driver?
In a negligence claim or lawsuit, you can recover the full amount of your medical bills, including costs you have already incurred and likely future medical expenses. You can also recover the full amount of lost wages for work you missed after the accident, during your recovery, and if you are disabled from working in the future. You can also recover for your pain and suffering, mental anguish, and the inconvenience in your life the accident has brought about. If the driver was especially reckless, such as perhaps by driving drunk or leaving the scene in a hit-and-run, you might be able to recover punitive damages as well. These damages are meant to punish the driver and serve as an example to others; the amount of punitive damages depends on the degree of misconduct involved.
What if the driver who hit me is uninsured?
This is not just an academic question. About one in four Florida drivers don’t carry insurance, and Florida frequently leads the nation in its rate of uninsured drivers. Florida law also does not require drivers to carry bodily injury insurance, so even if you are severely injured in a crash, you can’t always count on the other driver to have liability insurance to cover your injuries. If you have uninsured motorist coverage, you can file a UM claim with your insurance company to recover the full amount of your damages, up to your policy limits. Florida law allows you to purchase UM coverage in amounts equal to your BI coverage, and you can also stack your coverage across all your vehicles. We can help you pursue a UM claim against your insurance company if you are hit by an uninsured driver.
Should I give a recorded statement to the insurance company?
When you call the insurance company, they will ask for your consent to record the call. The reason they do this is to capture you making inconsistent statements or other statements that weaken your case. Whether you are talking to your insurance company or the other driver’s, the insurance company is not on your side. Instead of agreeing to a recorded call with the insurer, call us first. We’ll discuss your claim with you and position you for the best recovery.
Call the Musleh Law Firm for a Free Consultation After an Ocala Motor Vehicle Accident
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a motor vehicle accident, call the Musleh Law Firm at 352-732-0600 for a free consultation with a dedicated and successful Ocala motor vehicle accident lawyer. We won’t charge any fee until after we are successful in getting a financial recovery for you.
