West Palm Beach Personal Injury Attorney
It was not long ago—the early 20th century—that the fatality rate due to accidental injuries was higher than that of many diseases. In fact, since 1900, unintentional injury fatalities have dropped by 53 percent, according to research. Because of various safety laws, motor vehicle accident features, and traffic enforcement, serious injuries and traffic fatalities have plummeted. Even the roads in the 1970s were a much more dangerous place than they are today, thanks to lawyers and litigators who fought to change the law and protect victims. However, the world we have created is an imperfect one in terms of traffic safety. In fact, in recent years, we have seen worrying signs that things are going in the wrong direction. In both 2016 and 2017, over 40,000 Americans died in traffic collisions, according to CNBC. Texting, speeding, aggressive driving, and distracted driving are all on the rise, and the new generation of car safety features is not enough to prevent the hundreds of thousands of unnecessary injuries that are being thrust upon the victims of these careless drivers. Injuries in other areas, such as nursing homes, are also on the rise due to understaffing and poor federal oversight. Injured victims deserve compensation, and our experienced
West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys assist clients in all of the following types of personal injury cases:
DETERMINING LIABILITY
In order to be compensated for your injuries, you must be able to determine liability: who was at fault. In traffic collisions, a police report will generally outline the potentially negligent parties, but law enforcement does not always get it right, and insurance companies are always up for an argument despite what the accident report says. An experienced attorney will help determine liability, and find the proof necessary to ensure your lawsuit sticks.
FLORIDA’S COMPARATIVE NEGLIGENCE DOCTRINE
Comparative negligence—the degree to which the plaintiff is liable for causing the incident—can have a dramatic impact on the value of your claim. It works as such: Driver A is tailgating behind and slams into the back of Driver B, causing a spinal cord injury for Driver B. Driver B’s total damages amount to $1 million. However, Driver B was texting while driving, and is found to be 40 percent at fault for the crash. Driver B’s liability is therefore 40 percent, while Driver A’s liability is 60 percent. Driver B can only sue for 60 percent of their damages, which is $600,000.
CALL OUR WEST PALM BEACH PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS AT HALE LAW
No matter how your injury was caused, or how serious your injuries are, you deserve to be compensated by the at-fault party. Call our West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys at Hale Law today at
1-800-800-1414 for a free consultation.