Before filing a lawsuit in a Fort Lauderdale personal injury case, it’s important to understand a couple things about personal injury law. For example, an injured accident victim may need to file a claim with an insurance company before filing a lawsuit. An accident attorney fort lauderdale fl should be hired to provide assistance during this time. For example, a person involved in a car accident they didn’t cause will most likely need to negotiate a settlement with the other party’s insurance company.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim with the At-Fault Driver’s Insurance Company
When a person files a claim regarding their accident injuries, they place the at-fault driver and their insurance on notice. After the claim is filed, the accident victim must finish all their medical treatment. This includes completing all physical therapy. This will allow their attorney to request all medical bills and records from all of their client’s treatment providers.
Sometimes the at-fault party is either underinsured or uninsured at the time the accident occurs. This can complicate the situation for an accident victim. This means they can’t file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company. They may have to file a claim with their own insurance company.
What is a Demand Package in a Personal Injury Case?
Typically, once an accident victim has finished their medical treatment, their attorney can assess how much money to demand from the at-fault party. This demand is commonly known as a settlement demand package. This package includes all economic and non-economic damages an accident victim may be owed because of their injuries.
Economic damages include medical bills, property damage and lost wages. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering and mental anguish. This demand settlement package is sent to the at-fault party and/or their insurance company to give them an option to avoid going to court.
If the at-fault party choses, they can decide to enter into negotiations. This means they accept the demand package or offer a counteroffer. A counter offer will be lower than the demand package. That doesn’t mean the accident victim’s attorney can’t get more money for their client.
If negotiations fail, the accident victim has the option to pursue the case in civil court. In court, their attorney proves their case against the at-fault party. If successful, the accident victim receives damages. The damages are called a jury award.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney in Florida
Whenever a person is involved in a personal injury accident, they should seek medical attention. Always document their injuries and provide a detailed update on their health status. It will be used later to determine damages. The second thing an accident victim must do is contact a personal injury attorney. At every step of a personal injury case, an attorney is needed for legal guidance. Having an attorney during a personal injury claim is the difference between getting bills and other damages paid and getting a less than acceptable offer