If you were recently involved in a car accident that was not your fault, you may worry about how your driving record will impact the claim. Could your insurance company accuse you of playing a role in the accident because you were at fault in a previous accident? This is possible, but an experienced car accident injury lawyer will help you set the record straight. How Might Past Driving Incidents Impact Your Claim? Your driving record consists of traffic violations, accidents, points on your license, and other driving-related events from the past few years. Insurance companies generally have access to this record, as they need it to determine your insurance premiums. It may also come up during the investigation process for a car accident. Past incidents on your driving record might impact your insurance claim in a few ways. Suspicion That Injuries Are From a Prior Accident If you were involved in another recent accident, this will show up on your driving record. The insurance company may suspect that the injuries you are claiming in this accident were actually from the previous crash. The adjuster…Read More
Car accident police reports serve as vital evidence for insurance claims and lawsuits. But they aren't always error-free. Officers create them quickly at the scene, and they may not take the time to double-check their accuracy. If you find an error in your police report, correcting it is important to the success of your claim. Common Errors in Police Reports Police reports might contain either factual or subjective errors. Factual errors pertain to the facts of the crash, such as: Your name and contact information The other driver's information The makes and models of all vehicles The date and location of the accident Contact information for anyone who provided witness statements While you may not think it is necessary to correct a typo in your name or address, doing so is a good idea. It ensures the car accident police report is a trustworthy document that the insurance company feels confident using as part of its investigation. It also prevents those errors from carrying over into other claim-related documentation. Meanwhile, subjective errors might include opinions about how the accident occurred that you disagree with. For…Read More
Taking legal action after a car accident is probably an event you never anticipated. Yet the accident happened, and now you have significant expenses piling up. Seeking compensation for damages from the at-fault driver is an important step in moving forward from this traumatic event, but you may be unsure of what to expect from the legal process. While every car accident lawsuit looks slightly different, below is a typical sequence of events. You File and Serve a Complaint on the Defendant The car accident lawsuit process generally starts after you have submitted an insurance claim for your accident damages. If the insurer offers sufficient funds to cover your medical expenses and other associated costs, you won't need to take legal action. But if their offer is insufficient or your expenses exceed the policy limits, you may decide to take legal action to increase your payout. You will initiate the lawsuit by filing a complaint with the civil court and having it “served” (i.e., officially delivered to) the defendant. The complaint details why you are filing the lawsuit. The defendant, which is usually the insurance…Read More
Dashboard cameras, or “dashcams,” are becoming increasingly popular among drivers across the U.S. These cameras record the road ahead of and/or behind the driver. They serve as valuable evidence in accident cases, often completely dispelling disputes from the at-fault driver. Should you put a dashcam in your car? Explore a few compelling reasons to install a dashcam and potential downsides to consider. Strong Reasons To Put a Dashcam in Your Car If you’ve ever been involved in a car accident, you probably thought, “I wish someone caught that on camera!” Having video footage of an accident can be incredibly helpful. Dashcam footage shows the exact events that led to the crash, clearly displaying the at-fault driver’s role in it. You can submit this evidence with insurance claims to streamline the payout process. Aside from this essential reason, you may consider installing a dashcam for a few other purposes: You can catch other drivers’ accidents on camera. If you witness a crash, you will be able to pass over dashcam footage to the drivers involved and aid their accident cases as well. You will have evidence…Read More
A Runner is NOT a Hit & Run. Have you ever been harassed right after you were involved in a vehicle accident? In the legal profession we call these people Runners. Accident Runners are the people who will call you the very next day after you’ve been involved in an accident. They are able start calling you right after your accident by acquiring your name and contact information illegally, not following Florida guidelines about contacting accident victims. Florida law states that attorneys must wait 60 days before they can get your accident report prior to contacting you. Don’t be fooled by these Accident Runners telling you they will find you the best attorney and doctor for you to get a better outcome for your accident case. These Runners are acting illegally and are just trying to refer your case to attorneys and doctors who will pay them in order to get your case. Call a personal injury attorney you can trust, call Fenstersheib Law Group, 24/7 at 800-TELLROBERT or visit TellRobert.comRead More
Not every accident is a clear-cut fender bender or a devastating head-on collision. In fact, many accidents involve multiple vehicles, sometimes of different types. These multi-car accidents can also be some of the most complicated accidents to recover personal injury compensation from in Florida, as it is not always immediately clear who is at fault, and multiple parties may blame each other for the accident and thus, your injuries. How Do You Determine Who Is At Fault After A 3-Way Rear-End Collision? One of the most common types of multi-car accident is the three-way rear-end collision in which one car runs into another which causes the second one to impact a third one. In a three-way rear-end collision in Florida, determining fault typically depends on the circumstances of the wreck. However, general principles of fault in rear-end collisions can be applied to multi-car collisions: Rear Vehicle: In most cases, the vehicle at the back is presumed to be at fault for crashing into the car in front. Florida law generally assumes that the driver of the rear-most vehicle (the last one) is responsible for maintaining…Read More
What Are The Different Types Of Head Injuries Commonly Caused By Automobile Accidents? Depending on the nature and severity of the impact, a head injury can be mild or traumatic. A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that can occur from a sudden blow or jolt to the head. Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) is a severe form on brain injury due to widespread damage to the brain nerve fibers. There are also contusions, skull fractures, and intracranial hemorrhage, all of which vary in degree of severity. However, one of the most common head injuries as a result of an auto accident is whiplash. Are Head Injuries Immediately Apparent Right After An Automobile Accident? Yes, head injuries that are immediately apparent usually involve some form of visible trauma or sudden change in consciousness. However, internal bleeding or other head injuries may have delayed symptoms. How Long After An Automobile Accident Can A Head Injury Surface? It really depends on the severity of the head injury. While some injuries manifest themselves immediately, like pain from whiplash, other injuries may only become apparent hours or even…Read More
In this article, you can discover… The first steps you should take immediately after a car accident in Florida. Why medical attention is so important after a car accident. The digital and written evidence you need to collect following a car accident. What Should You Do Following A Vehicle Accident In The State Of Florida? The first step you should take if in an auto accident is to call the police and make a police report. This is important for future documentation as the other driver can sometimes remember things differently or forget key details. Getting immediate medical help is also important, even if you can’t feel any pain at first. This will help you secure prompt documentation of any injuries and will allow you to follow up with doctors if the pain becomes noticeable days or weeks later. This also holds true if facing an accident with an uninsured driver; call the police, get official documentation of the accident, take photos of the property damage and scene, and seek medical attention right away. What Should You Do If Your Loved One Was Catastrophically Injured…Read More
A 5-Step Guide For Florida Car Accidents Each year, tens of thousands of car accidents happen in Florida. From West Palm Beach to Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and beyond, the Sunshine State is bustling year-round. Some drivers are headed to business meetings, some are hurrying home for the day, and others are vacationing, which means they’re even more likely to be distracted while driving in an unfamiliar place. When it comes to safety on Florida roads and highways, this combination of locals and tourists can become a recipe for a car crash disaster. Most people assume it’ll never happen to them… until it does. This article is meant to prepare you for that dreaded event that occurs when you least expect it: an auto accident that leaves you physically injured, financially strained, and stressed out. Crucial Steps To Take In The Aftermath Of A Florida Car Crash 1) Call for help. Even if you don’t immediately see or feel an injury, it doesn’t mean you haven’t sustained one. The same goes for anyone else at the scene. The health and safety of everyone involved should be the…Read More
Throughout the United States, someone is hurt every two minutes – and someone dies every half hour – as a result of an alcohol-related accident. During the Holiday Season, the odds for drinking and driving accidents increase exponentially. The concept that just a couple of drinks are not a big deal is a myth: according to a University of California San Diego research study, people driving even with a blood level alcohol as little as 0.01% in their system are at risk of being involved in accidents that may cause injuries which are much more severe than in those accidents where alcohol is not involved. This lead the researchers to conclude that there is no level of alcohol that can be considered safe for driving a motor vehicle. So do yourself (and your loved ones) a favor this Holiday Season – if you drink, don’t drive. That advice is good not just for this holiday season, but for the entire year! If you suffer injuries in an accident due to a negligent driver’s drinking and driving, call Fenstersheib Law Group, P.A., Your Accident Experts at…Read More
