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Auto Accidents

The Villages Car Accident Attorney
Man driving

Car collisions often leave those involved suffering from serious injuries. Despite who or what is to blame, tens of thousands of people throughout the United States are injured or killed annually in auto accidents. Regardless of the nature of your accident, whether shoddy roads or distracted drivers contributed to your accident injuries, The Villages car accident attorneys at Whittel & Melton can provide you with the reliable legal guidance you need for your accident claim in The Villages or throughout Lake, Sumter or Marion County.

Auto Accident Statistics

Auto collisions can affect any age demographic. On average, a car crash kills a person every 12 minutes in the United States. In particular, the highest risk age groups most likely affected by car accidents tend to be people between the ages of 15 and 24 and those over 75. Older drivers tend to suffer more physical injuries when involved in an auto accident than compared to younger drivers simply due to the effects of aging on the body. Research from the U.S. Department of Transportation indicates that motor vehicle accidents are the second leading cause of death in those aged 65-74. The 2009 Florida Traffic Crash Statistics Report shows that nearly 300 drivers aged 70 and older were killed in car accidents on Florida's roads. When these accidents impact those you love, it's important to consult with the The Villages car accident attorney at Whittel and Melton.

Our lawyers understand the hardships that coincide with an accident and are sensitive to the various factors that can influence your healing process. We can evaluate your case with specific laws that apply to you and provide you with the straightforward answers you need to know. Should you need medical assistance, we can get you in touch with trusted doctors and medical professionals so that you can get started towards recovery.

Common Causes of Car Accidents Explained by The Villages Car Accident Attorney

Car wrecks can occur when you least expect and leave even the most level-headed motorists overwhelmed and more than a little frazzled. After an accident, the body is filled with adrenaline which makes it difficult to calm down and can sometimes mask any serious injuries. Later, when the feeling of euphoria associated with the release of adrenaline wears off, people tend to notice severe pain to certain areas of their body and often try to ignore it. This makes even the most minor of injuries worse and could affect your compensation for a personal injury claim. This is why it is vital to seek medical attention immediately following a car accident even if you do not feel any pain right away.

At Whittel & Melton, our car accident lawyers in The Villages can handle a wide array of auto wrecks including:

Recovering Compensation After a Car Crash

We understand that money can’t restore health or bring back a loved one, but it can help alleviate some of the financial pressures so that you can focus on recovering physically and emotionally. In addition to medical bills and lost wages, injured car crash victims can also seek damages for pain and suffering and property damage. It is important to consult with a car accident attorney in The Villages, Florida immediately following a crash so that witnesses can be interviewed while they still remember the events and evidence from the scene of the accident and the vehicles can be gathered before it is damaged or erased.

Keep in mind that insurance companies often put their financial interests above yours and will likely try and get you to agree on a cheap settlement. It is never in your best interest to make any recorded statements to insurance adjusters or sign any paperwork without first speaking to a lawyer.

Understanding the Role of Your Car Accident Attorney in The Villages

When you need to recover financial compensation after an auto accident, you need to make informed decisions every step of the way. You need to take the right steps and avoid the wrong ones, and you need to feel confident that you are doing what is necessary in order to maximize your recovery.

For the vast majority of people, this means hiring an experienced The Villages car accident attorney to represent them. Here are just some of the ways an experienced attorney can help with your claim:

  • Proving Liability – In order to seek coverage beyond your personal injury protection (PIP) limit, you must be able to prove that someone else (typically the other driver) was at fault in your accident. This requires collecting evidence from multiple sources, and it requires the ability to use this evidence to prove that you are entitled to compensation under Florida law.
  • Calculating Your Expenses – If you have a claim outside of PIP, you can recover compensation for all of the expenses you have incurred as a result of the accident to date and all of the expenses you are likely to incur as a result of the accident in the future. An experienced The Villages car accident attorney can accurately calculate the amount you are entitled to recover for the current and future costs of your injuries.
  • Calculating Your Other Losses – In addition to out-of-pocket costs, Florida law entitles car accident victims to recover various other financial and non-financial losses as well. This includes current and future loss of income, emotional trauma, pain and suffering, loss of companionship, loss of consortium, loss of support and services, and loss of enjoyment of life.
  • Dealing with the Insurance Companies – If you file an insurance claim and wait to receive payment, you are not going to receive full compensation for your losses resulting from the accident. In order to assert your legal rights effectively, you need to take a proactive approach to dealing with the insurance companies, and you need to convince them of how much you are owed. An experienced attorney can do this for you while you focus on getting better.
  • Deciding How and When to Resolve Your Claim – Should you accept an insurance settlement offer? How do you know if the settlement offer reflects just compensation for your injuries? Do you need to be thinking about taking your claim to court so that you do not suffer needlessly as a result of someone else’s mistake? After a car accident, these are important questions, and in order to answer them you need to rely on the advice of an experienced attorney.

While there are many common misconceptions about recovering after a car accident, many of the most-common misconceptions have to do with the insurance claims process. Unfortunately, many of these misconceptions are perpetuated by the insurance companies themselves. While the insurance companies will help you with buying coverage and filing a claim after an accident, they will not help you resolve your claim in your favor. This is up to you, and the best way to protect yourself is to have an experienced The Villages car accident attorney by your side.

Contact a The Villages Car Accident Attorney for a Free Consultation

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a vehicular crash in The Villages or any surrounding areas, you have rights and may be entitled to recovery. The Villages car accident lawyers at Whittel & Melton are ready to help you obtain justice and due compensation. Contact us as soon as possible online or at 352-369-5334. We will fight to protect you from the insurance companies so that you are able to receive fair compensation for your injuries and damages.

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