Ocala Personal Injury Lawyer
At Musleh Law Firm in Ocala, Florida, we are ready to handle even the most complex personal injury, workers’ compensation and wrongful death cases. You deserve the vigorous and successful representation that we strive to offer. We stand up for injury victims and their families, never shying away from taking on powerful, well-connected interests that stand in their way. Contact our Ocala personal injury lawyers today to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our attorneys.
Experienced Personal Injury Representation
Throughout our years of practice, our attorneys have represented more than 2,400 accident victims in North Central Florida, including victims of:
- Swimming and drowning accidents
- Slip and fall accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Defective products
- Dog bites
- Neck, back and spine injuries
- Brain and head injuries
Motor Vehicle Accidents Representation
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, it is important to have our experience on your side. We handle motor vehicle accident cases involving:
- Car accidents
- Truck wrecks
- Motorcycle accidents
- Boating and personal watercraft accidents
What To Do If You Are Injured
What to do in case of an auto accident:
- Obtain the name, address, telephone number, insurance company and policy number of the at-fault driver.
- Gather names, addresses and telephone numbers of all witnesses. (Law enforcement personnel sometimes fail to obtain this information).
- Take pictures of all physical damage to your vehicle including damage to the frame, interior and trunk.
- Notify your insurance company.
- Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance company without consulting an attorney regarding your rights and obligations under Florida law.
- Receive immediate and consistent medical care in order to properly document your injuries.
What to do when you are injured on the job:
- Report the accident to your supervisor immediately. (You may be prevented from recovering Workers’ Compensation benefits if the accident is not reported within 30 days).
- Demand that your employer complete an accident report.
- Request that your employer provide you with immediate medical care. (You must receive medical care from a physician authorized by the employer or its carrier).
- Advise the physician of all your physical injuries and complaints from the accident. (Oftentimes injuries that you deem small at first may ultimately cause you the most problems.
- Do not allow 365 days to elapse between visits to your employer/carrier authorized physician. Failure to obtain this authorized treatment within 365 days of the last visit might result in dismissal of your Workers’ Compensation claim and prevent receipt of further benefits.
Were you injured at work?
If you were injured on the job due to negligence, our lawyers can handle your workers’ compensation claim in addition to any third party negligence claim stemming from your injuries, such as injuries attributable to a dangerous product or harm caused by someone besides your employer or a fellow employee.
Compensation In A Personal Injury Case
If you have suffered harm through the negligence of another party, you have the right to claim compensation for your financial losses, pain and suffering, and other economic and noneconomic losses.
At this critical time in your life, you may be wondering & quot;What’s my claim worth?& quot;. That question can only be answered after careful investigation and analysis, because every personal injury case is unique. When you choose Musleh Law Firm in Ocala to handle your case, you can be assured that we will do everything we can to maximize the compensation you receive.
Call us today at 352-732-0600 for a free consultation with a lawyer.
What Types Of Compensation Are Available In A Personal Injury Case?
Generally speaking, you may be entitled to the following compensation:
Primary medical care — This includes the costs of an emergency room visit, hospital stay, remedial care, physical therapy, chiropractic care, diagnostic studies such as MRIs and x-rays, and surgery.
Future medical needs — Depending on circumstances, this could include costs for your physician, physical therapy or chiropractic care, psychological treatment, prescription medications and transportation costs. If you have suffered disfigurement, you may also be able to obtain compensation for cosmetic surgery or scar revision treatment.
Long-term care — If you require long-term care in a residential care facility, we will seek compensation for your costs, adjusted for anticipated inflation.
Lost income — We will seek damages for your past and future lost wages, the income you have lost during your recovery period, plus loss of future earnings.
Pain and suffering — With your assistance and input, we will seek damages for your pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.
We Seek Maximum Compensation In Every Case
At Musleh Law Firm, all personal injury, wrongful death and workers’ compensation cases are undertaken on contingency. This means you don’t pay an attorney fee unless we obtain results for you. We are dedicated to helping every client recover to the fullest extent possible. When representing you, our attorneys will work diligently to build a strong and successful case designed to obtain the best possible result.
Florida Personal Injury FAQs
Below you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions the personal injury lawyers at the Musleh Law Firm hear most often as we help Ocala car accident victims get compensation for their severe injuries. If you have other questions or if you or a loved one has been hurt in a crash in Ocala, call our office for a free consultation on your claims.
If I was looking at my phone when another driver ran a stop sign and hit me, would I still have a claim against them for their negligence?
There are times when a car accident is not 100% the fault of just one driver. While the driver who hit you was negligent in running the stop sign, it’s possible you could have avoided the crash or some of the damage had you been paying more attention and seen the driver coming. Even if you were partly to blame, however, you might still be able to recover from the other driver if you were seriously hurt by their negligence. Florida law allows you to recover for another’s driver’s negligence, but your recovery will be reduced in proportion to your own negligence. A common tactic of the insurance companies is to try and place as much of the blame as they can on you to reduce the amount they have to pay. Part of our job in these cases is defending you against unfair claims of negligence while proving the other party’s fault.
Can I recover against a negligent driver if I wasn’t wearing my seat belt?
Florida is one of a minority of states that allows the so-called seat belt defense. If the other driver can prove that you had access to a working seat belt and didn’t use it when a reasonable person would have and that your injuries would have been less severe or would not have happened had you been wearing a seat belt, then they may not have to pay you the full amount of your damages. Under Florida law, the seat belt defense can be used to show you were partly at fault for your injuries, reducing your award by the percentage of blame assigned to you.
There are a number of ways to fight the seat belt defense that an experienced car accident lawyer can raise in your defense. Instead of relying on general ideas about seat belt safety, would seat belt use have prevented your particular injuries in this specific accident? Factors such as the type of crash, the type of injury, the position of the seat, the condition of the seat belt and its position on your body can all influence how a seat belt functions in a particular crash. The burden is on the at-fault driver to prove their seat belt defense; we’ll raise appropriate objections, so you aren’t treated unfairly for a crash that wasn’t your fault.
Is the rear driver always at fault in a rear-end collision?
Usually, but not always. The car in front may not have had working brake lights, or the driver may have been distracted and reacted inappropriately in traffic. They may have even backed into you. Determining and allocating fault among drivers in an accident can be complex, even in rear-end collisions, and especially in multi-car chain reaction crashes where at least one car is rear-ended. It’s important to know that occupants in either car can experience severe head, neck or back injuries in even a low-speed rear-end collision.
Will my Personal Injury Protection (PIP) policy protect me if I’m in a motorcycle accident?
Unfortunately, Florida does not require motorcyclists to carry PIP coverage, and many insurance companies don’t offer it for motorcycles. Even if another household member has a PIP policy, you might not be able to access coverage in a motorcycle accident. Call us if you’ve been hurt in an Ocala motorcycle accident, and we’ll help you evaluate your coverage. If you don’t have a PIP policy, we’ll help you pursue a claim against the at-fault driver and recover compensation for your injuries.
Can a bar or restaurant be held liable for overserving a customer who causes a drunk driving car accident?
Under Florida’s “dram shop” law, the bar or restaurant could only be held liable if they willfully and unlawfully sold or furnished alcohol to a minor or if they knowingly served alcohol to a person habitually addicted to alcohol. It is honestly difficult to hold an establishment liable under these terms, but at the Musleh Law Firm, we fight hard to hold all responsible parties accountable and strive to get Ocala car accident victims the most compensation available after a crash.
How are pain and suffering damages calculated?
After a car accident, damages such as your medical bills and lost wages can be fairly accurately and objectively determined or predicted, but how much the other driver owes for your pain and suffering is harder to nail down. One method is to use a multiplier – typically a number between one and five – based on the severity of the accident. Once the multiplier is agreed upon, it is applied to the total amount of actual damages described above to get a reasonable amount for pain and suffering. Other methods exist as well, and many factors may go into determining the appropriate value of your claim in a settlement or jury verdict.
When are punitive damages awarded in a car accident?
By law, punitive damages are only available in cases of intentional misconduct or gross misconduct. In other words, the driver must have acted intentionally knowing of a high risk of injury or was so reckless that the driver showed a conscious indifference to the life or safety of others. It is possible that a drunk driving or hit-and-run accident exhibits the type of extreme misconduct that would warrant punitive damages. Other examples could include drag racing or intentionally driving on the wrong side of the road.
Punitive damages are reserved for extreme cases, and they must be proven by “clear and convincing evidence,” which is a tougher standard than proving negligence by a “preponderance of the evidence” in a typical car accident case. We’ll put in the extra effort to get punitive damages in appropriate cases to get justice for you and the greater Ocala community.
Have You Lost a Family Member Due to Negligence?
If you have suffered the loss of a loved one in an accident caused by negligence, your family may be able to receive compensation. We are ready to handle your wrongful death claim while providing you with the compassion and personal attention you need during this difficult time in your life.
Is Your Insurance Coverage Denying You Benefits?
You paid your premiums and you deserve to be covered in your time of need. If your insurance company is giving you the runaround, don’t take them on alone; we are prepared to represent you in an insurance coverage dispute.
Contact Our Ocala Personal Injury Lawyers For A Free Consultation
At Musleh Law Firm, all personal injury, wrongful death and workers’ compensation cases are undertaken on contingency. This means you don’t pay an attorney fee unless we obtain results for you. To learn more about how our Ocala personal injury lawyers can help you pursue the compensation or benefits you need after an accident, call 352-732-0600 for a free consultation.
