St. Augustine Car Accident Lawyers
Car Accidents & Auto Accident Injuries in Florida
When you are injured in a car accident, it can be extremely difficult to get back on your feet. Suddenly, you find yourself facing mounting medical bills while simultaneously trying to keep up with everyday expenses while you are out of work due to your injuries. In many cases, physical pain and emotional suffering compound these serious financial hardships, making the recovery process that much more difficult.
At Canan Law, we provide compassionate, personalized, and aggressive legal representation for auto accident injury victims in St. Augustine and throughout Northeast Florida. With more than 60 years of collective experience, our St. Augustine car accident attorneys understand the many nuances involved in these types of cases, particularly when you have sustained serious injuries. We can help you understand your legal options and help you fight for fair compensation in the wake of your auto accident.
If you were injured in a car crash or another type of motor vehicle accident, contact Canan Law at (904) 849-2266 for a free consultation.
Common Car Accident Injuries
Due to the large size and weight of most motor vehicles, as well as the immense speeds at which they travel, cars often cause extensive damage when they collide with other automobiles, bicyclists, pedestrians, and fixed objects. Unfortunately, this means that auto accident victims often sustain severe, life-threatening injuries.
Some of the most common car accident injuries include:
- Accidental amputation
- Back injuries
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Concussions
- Contusions (bruises)
- Cuts, scrapes, and lacerations
- Internal bleeding
- Neck injuries
- Organ damage
- Paralysis
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Torn ligaments, muscles, and tendons
- Slipped discs, herniated discs, and ruptured discs
- Whiplash
These and other serious injuries can lead to lasting impairments, lifelong disfigurement, and devastating disabilities that leave victims unable to return to work, care for themselves, or go back to what was once a normal life.
At Canan Law, we understand the far-reaching impact car accident injuries have, which is why our St. Augustine auto accident attorneys fight for maximum compensation for our clients. When we accept a case, we conduct an exhaustive investigation into what happened, often working alongside various industry experts, such as accident reconstructionists, medical professionals, economists, and others. This allows us to not only determine who was at fault for the accident and who is liable for your damages but also the true extent of your injuries and the impact they have had and will have on your life.
Steps to Take After a Car Accident
After a car accident, emotions and adrenaline run very high, and it’s easy to forget what you need to do next. Although it may be difficult to think on your feet, here are a few important steps to ensure your safety and to get your case off to the right start:
Physical Safety Checks:
If you, the other driver or any passengers were injured, call 911 immediately. If you or someone else is seriously injured, make sure you or they don’t move – stay still and wait for the emergency workers to help when they arrive. Get anyone who isn’t seriously injured off of the road and onto a sidewalk or shoulder away from traffic.
Get Police Involved:
If there is significant damage to either vehicle or any injuries to report, call the police. After they arrive, ask for a report and retain any names or badge numbers of the officers who came to the scene.
Exchange Info and Identify Witnesses:
Get the following information:
- the other driver’s name
- the other driver's phone number
- the other driver’s license number
- the other driver's license plate number and basic information about their insurance
Always be polite and cooperative, but don’t apologize or admit fault. Florida is a no-fault insurance state, so fault isn’t crucial to admit for insurance purposes anyway. At this point, it’s good to get any witnesses’ information and ask them what they saw and if other similar accidents happen in the area.
Notify Insurance:
Call your insurance agent or leave a message and let them know truthfully what happened – be clear about the facts and provide any details that may have led to the accident. Do not lie to your insurance company, as they can later drop you or deny any coverage for the accident. Ask for your police report, review it and be sure to give it to your insurance company to review, too.
Take Photos and Record Details:
Take photos of the damage to your vehicle as soon as you can after the accident – some insurance companies allow you to take photos and upload them to a mobile app to record your accident and report it. Get details about the time, streets/intersections, weather conditions, if it was light out or dark, debris in the road or any other obstacles or conditions that may have contributed to the accident.
Why You Need to Contact an Attorney as Soon as Possible
Securing legal representation from a car accident attorney after an accident is not just prudent but often necessary to safeguard your rights and interests. A knowledgeable attorney can help you navigate through the complex legal landscape, negotiate with insurance companies, and ensure you receive fair compensation for your injuries and damages.
Here are the top three reasons why you may need a car accident attorney:
- Negotiating With Insurance Companies: Insurance companies aim to minimize their payouts. They have teams of skilled negotiators and lawyers who might use complex jargon and tactics to persuade you to settle for less. An experienced car accident attorney knows how to counter these tactics, negotiate on your behalf, and fight for what you rightfully deserve.
- Understanding Legal Proceedings: Car accident claims can involve intricate legal procedures and paperwork. An attorney who is well-versed in car accident law can help you comprehend these processes and ensure that all legal protocols are correctly followed, increasing the chance of a favorable outcome.
- Estimating the True Value of Your Claim: It can be challenging to calculate the true value of your claim, considering future medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other non-economic damages. A car accident attorney has the expertise to accurately estimate the value of your claim, ensuring you are not short-changed.
Choose a Team with a Thorough Understanding of the Law
If you or a loved one sustained serious injuries in an auto accident, our seasoned car accident attorneys in St. Augustine have the knowledge, resources, and experience to help determine liability. This allows us to fight for the compensation you need to pay for auto accident-related damages, including your medical expenses and lost wages.
Whether you need help filing a PIP claim or believe you have a lawsuit against a negligent driver, auto defect manufacturer, or another party, Canan Law is ready to fight for you. We have handled more than 250 jury trials and have secured countless favorable settlements and verdicts for our clients. In addition to representing injured individuals, we also have experience handling wrongful death matters for spouses and relatives who have lost loved ones in fatal auto accidents.
Compassionate & Understanding Representation
Our car accident lawyers in St. Augustine understand what you are facing. We feel compassion for what our clients are going through and truly care about protecting their rights and helping them get back on their feet. At Canan Law, we are ready to thoroughly assess your case—large or small—and fight for what you are entitled to receive under the law.
We have over 60 years of combined legal experience litigating motor vehicle accidents and other personal injury cases and have recovered awards for clients in St. Augustine, St. Johns County, and throughout Northeast Florida. We offer free initial consultations and contingency fees to all personal injury clients. This means that you do not pay any upfront or out-of-pocket expenses; we only collect attorneys’ fees when we successfully recover compensation for you.
Use our convenient and simple online form or call our office at (904) 849-2266 to set up a complimentary consultation. We are available to assist you 24/7.
Our legal team specializes in a wide variety of practices and we are ready to fight & advocate on your behalf.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Liable for Car Accidents in Florida?
The precise cause of a car accident is not always immediately evident. Sometimes, it is the fault of one or both drivers. It could be the manufacturer of the car or maker of the safety equipment. It could even be the entity responsible for designing or constructing a defective roadway.
In Florida, fault does not always play a role in car accident claims. In fact, because Florida is a no-fault state, you could be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses and lost wages even if you were to blame for the accident. The no-fault system allows you to recover compensation after a car accident through your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, which is a mandatory form of insurance in Florida.
However, to be eligible for PIP, you must seek medical attention for your injuries no more than 14 days after the accident. Additionally, it’s important to note that PIP does not cover all damages after an accident. In fact, it only covers up to 80% of your medical expenses and 60% of your lost wages—and it does not cover non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering, at all.
What Are “Serious Injuries” in Florida?
To go outside the no-fault system and bring a car accident claim or lawsuit directly against the at-fault party, you will need to meet the state’s “serious injury” threshold.
In Florida, “serious injuries” are defined as those that result in:
- Permanent and/or significant disfigurement or scarring
- Permanent and/or significant impairment of an “important” bodily function
- Death
If your injuries are deemed “serious,” you could have grounds to file a personal injury claim against the driver who caused the accident. If your loved one died in a motor vehicle crash, you would be eligible to bring a wrongful death lawsuit (if all other conditions are met) under the “serious injury” threshold.
Can You Sue for Damages If You Were Partly at Fault for a Car Accident?
In addition to the no-fault system, which allows you to recover compensation through PIP coverage regardless of fault, Florida law allows individuals to seek compensation for damages if they were partly at fault for an accident under its pure comparative negligence rule. If your injuries are considered “serious,” meaning you are eligible to file a claim or lawsuit against the other driver involved, you could still take legal action even if you were partly to blame for the crash. And, because Florida follows a pure comparative negligence rule, you can sue for damages even if you were mostly to blame.
However, under the pure comparative negligence rule, your recovery will be reduced according to whatever percentage of fault you are deemed to have. For example, if you were hit by a distracted driver but you were speeding to make a green light at the time of the collision, a jury might decide you were 40% to blame. If you suffered $10,000 in damages, you would only be able to recover up to 60% of that amount, or $6,000.
Insurance companies often use this rule to limit payouts. The liable insurance company may argue that you were largely at fault for an accident, even when their policyholder was the one who acted negligently. It is important that you work with an experienced auto accident injury lawyer who knows how to fight back against these tactics and work to recover the full, fair compensation you are owed.