If you or a loved one is injured, your first priority should be to seek medical care and focus on your recovery.
The personal injury claims process can be frustrating and could cause the added stress of dealing with property damage, gathering your medical records, and lost wages.
At Frankl Kominsky, our legal team will help relieve your stress by starting a personal injury claim for your bodily injuries and property damage, setting up a car rental in Port St. Lucie, gathering medical records, interview witnesses, and requesting police reports to establish a claim against the at-fault party.
We will handle all communications with the responsible party and the insurance company.
When one is injured in an accident, the at-fault party's insurance company may try to reach out for a recorded statement to potentially lessen the value of your claim or may offer a quick and easy settlement without offering to completely cover medical treatment, lost wages, or property damage.
If you find yourself injured in an accident, due to the negligence of another party, you may be able to pursue a personal injury claim. You should consult with a personal injury attorney for guidance and to review your legal options on how you want to move forward.
At Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers, we pride ourselves on providing diligent legal representation and superior client services. Each client has an entire team of legal professionals working on their behalf and offers 1-on-1 attention and care. We have over 600 verified client reviews, attesting to great competitive customer services. We have gotten over $200 Million in Accident & Injury Settlements to our deserving clients. We have over 40 years of combined Legal Experience by our team of professional injury lawyers.
St. Lucie's Statute Of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims
Florida Statute of Limitations section 95.11(3) (a) applies to plaintiffs suing in Florida on a civil action founded in negligence (which includes nearly all plaintiffs with a personal injury case based on a Personal Injury). It holds that plaintiffs have two years from the date of the accident within which they are permitted to file their claim. Failing to meet this deadline will likely result in the court dismissing your lawsuit.
What You May Choose to do After a Personal Injury Accident
- Call the relevant authorities (911) and let them know of the accident. They will send paramedics and the police your way who will perform the necessary investigation and talk to witnesses. Any evidence will be collected, and a police report of the accident will be formed, which you or your lawyer can collect from the nearest Port St. Lucie Police Department.
- Seek Immediate Medical Care from a qualified medical professional. A thorough checkup by the medical staff is crucial to ascertain the extent of your injuries and determine what treatment is applicable. The nearest Port St. Lucie Hospital can be reached at (772) 408-5871.
- Keep a journal or record of your injuries, medical treatment, and how the injury has impacted your life. Document the smallest changes in your wounds, and how it is affecting or limiting your lifestyle
- Find an experienced personal injury lawyer for a Free Consultation. Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers have an experienced team of personal injury lawyers who will try to get you the justice you deserve.
What NOT to do After a Personal Injury
- The at-fault party's insurance company may contact you to get a recorded statement. You should refuse to do so without first consulting with your lawyer.
- Do not try to negotiate a settlement offer without speaking to a personal injury lawyer.
- Don't neglect your injuries or fail to seek medical treatment by a qualified doctor or medical professional. The very first thing to do is get a proper medical checkup. You should do this even if you think there are no serious injuries
- Do not post the information about the accident or your injury on Social Media accounts. There is no need to disclose any information whatsoever anywhere from where they can be used against you by the defendant's lawyer.
Most Common Injuries Following an Accident
Any accident can result in various types of injuries. You are lucky if you manage to escape with mere surface wounds and injuries, but many are not so lucky. You will find cases with the following kinds of injuries.
Cuts, Scrapes, and Bruising
Almost every accident will leave you with some marks to show that you have been involved in an accident. Minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises are easily treatable and heal quickly. Make sure you don't lose too much blood with such wounds and get proper care for it.
Head and Brain Injuries
Head and brain injuries are common in slip and fall accidents or vehicular crashes. Head and brain injuries can be very damaging and might require major surgeries. Brain injuries might affect all functions of your body.
Broken or Fractured Bones
Bones may be fractured, dislocated or crushed due to the impact of the crash, slip from a ladder, or being pinned down by heavy industrial machinery. While slight fractures and breakage can be healed, if the bone has sustained serious damage, it might be beyond repair, and might leave you disabled.
Internal Bleeding
Internal bleeding is especially dangerous because it can often be tricky to detect. Outwards, the victim may seem fine, but the internal bleeding might kill him in a few hours. A detailed medical checkup is necessary to ascertain that there is no internal bleeding, and to immediately curb it if there is.
Whiplash
Whiplash is caused by the sudden jerk of your head and neck muscles because of a great and sudden impact. This is usually observed in vehicular accidents where the impact of the crash makes the head of the victim move forward in a quick and sudden movement. It can damage the muscles in your neck, but it usually heals just fine after months of wearing some braces to support your neck.
Herniated Discs
Discs from your spine can move out of place, causing significant pain and limiting movement. These herniated discs require surgery for correction.
Injuries to the Hip, Knee or Elbow
Injuries to the hip, elbow, and knee are common and can be very painful. They might require a while to recover and can limit the mobility of the victim.
Injuries to the Spine
Spinal cord injuries are pretty serious as the spine contains nerves that control a lot of functions in our bodies. Not only will cognitive functions be affected, but spinal cord injuries can even render people disabled and unable to sit up or walk on their own for life.
The amount in damages you recover will also depend on the kind of injuries you bear and the severity of them. Be sure to have a personal injury lawyer on fighting for you before pursuing legal action against the at-fault party.
Personal Injury Claims: Types of Damages You Can Pursue
The severity of your personal injuries can range from mild to critical. Depending on the gravity of your condition, you may pursue damages for different losses. Here are some of the common types of damages you can try to recover in a personal injury case.
- Past and Future Medical Care and Treatment
Your medical expenses can include everything from the immediate hospital bills and surgical operations costs to long term care facilities. Depending on what kind of injury you have sustained, the costs will vary. It might be slight cuts, burns, and scrapes, or it could be a major surgery on your spine. The medical bills, along with supporting devices such as wheelchairs and walkers, and other long-term care items, can be substantial.
- Lost Wages and Loss of Future Income
Due to the injury, the victim might not have been able to work for some time. The earnings to himself and his household might have come to a halt. Even after the initial treatment, patients might be shunned to a long period of bed rest or might require physical therapy to get back to their normal routines.
Some might be unable to work in the capacity every again. The damages should accommodate this and pay up enough to sustain the family or individual and provide some financial safety for people already going through trying times.
- Pain and Suffering
The pain and suffering the person goes through in the wake of the accident or injury might be deeper than an observer could imagine. Besides the physical pain from the injury, there is a lot of mental anguish involved too. The accident might give the victim PTSD or other mental disorders, too, that would probably take more time to recover from than the physical injuries. Some might not be lucky enough to make a full recovery and will be left with a physical disability for life, which is very taxing on your mental health too.
- Property Damage
If the injury or accident caused harm to your house or other belongings such as your vehicle, in a car crash. The damage to your property and the costs associated with getting it fixed must be borne by the individual or corporation whose recklessness and negligence caused the damage.
- Home Renovation for Accessibility
Severe accidents and injuries to the spine, leg, and neck might leave people with permanent disabilities. Resuming a normal, independent life with a disability would require several renovations to accommodate the disability, such as ramps, stairlifts, hand controls in cars, etc. The damages must take into account these factors when calculating a compensatory amount.
A dedicated personal injury lawyer serving Port St. Lucie will not only try to guide you about the legalities of how to file a personal injury lawsuit but will also strive to get you the most in compensatory damages to make up for the pain and injury the at-fault party caused you. Let us help with:
Start Your Free Personal Injury Consultation Today
We believe in keeping clients in the loop and make it a point to update them with their case specifics through regular, routine calls and emails. We also offer our a contingency fee arrangement where you don't have to pay up unless we recover. We know court cases can be complicated and a financial burden, especially when you're dealing with your own personal injuries.
Frankl Kominsky Port St. Lucie personal injury lawyers are available to serve Port St. Lucie. Call (561) 800-8000 to start your free consultation today, or reach out to us online.