When you or someone you love has been injured because of someone else’s negligence, you may have a personal injury case on your hands. Keller, Melchiorre & Walsh is a team of award-winning, results-driven Florida personal injury lawyers.
For any questions about your potential personal injury case, or to schedule a free consultation with a skilled attorney, give us a call.
The term “personal injury” refers to an accident that is caused by the negligence of another person. If a person was acting with negligence, that means that they didn’t act with proper care. For example, when you get behind the wheel of a vehicle, you owe everyone around you a certain level of care. You won’t text, drink, or otherwise do anything that would put other people in harm’s way.
There are many different types of personal injury cases. Here are the ones that we can handle.
The attorneys at Keller, Melchiorre & Walsh have experience handling various types of personal injury cases in Flordia, all with different results. From catastrophic injuries and wrongful death to minor injuries and smaller settlements, we can handle it.
Florida is known for its wild stories of Florida man, hot weather, and the happiest place on earth. Unfortunately, amidst all that chaos, the state is also known for being one of the most dangerous places for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.
On top of that, there are 12.6% more unintentional injuries in Florida than in the United States as a whole. There are also 28% more motor vehicle accident injuries, 49.3% more pedestrian accident injuries, 6.5% more falls in people ages 65 and up, and 96.4% more drownings.
In 2020, there were a total of 341,399 motor vehicle crashes in the state of Florida, with 3,098 of those crashes resulting in a fatality. Approximately 12,462 of those crashes caused incapacitating injuries, and 127,705 caused other injuries. While motor vehicle accidents are definitely in abundance in the state of Florida, they’re not the only personal injury accident that occurs here.
When it comes to medical malpractice, Florida is 8th in the nation for the number of claims per one million residents. One study showed that in the United States, approximately 13% of doctors admitted to being sued for malpractice at some point in their careers.
When it comes to workers’ compensation claims, Florida is seeing a decrease in fatal deaths as a result of workplace injuries. In 2020, there were 275 fatal work injuries, a 10% decrease from 2020.
In the past few years, Florida’s population has been increasing. From 2021 to 2022 there was an increase of 1.9%, making Florida the fastest-growing state that year. While a larger population can mean a lot of great things for the state of Florida, it can also lead to an increase in personal injury accidents.
With more people on the road, motor vehicle accidents are sure to increase. With more people in the hospitals, there may be more medical errors. With more people in stores, it may take longer to clean up messes, resulting in a slip and fall accident. The more people there are, the more accidents and injuries there will be.
Personal injury accidents are caused by negligence, but what does that actually look like? Here are some of the most common causes of different types of personal injury accidents that happen in Florida.
Common causes of car accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, and motorcycle accidents include:
Truck accidents can be caused for the same reasons, but may also be caused by a third party such as a trucking company or manufacturer. With this in mind, common causes of truck accidents include:
Negligent security refers to any accident that occurs because of a security issue. For example, if someone injurs themselves or is injured by another person because of the lack of security in a building or area, this could be considered negligent security. Causes of negligent security injuries include:
Like with negligent security, slip and falls often occur because of a hazardous condition in a business. Causes include:
Injuries from personal injury accidents can range from mild to severe. Injuries may be a slight inconvenience or a major life change. At Keller, Melchiorre & Walsh, we recommend hiring a Florida lawyer for all types of personal injuries, even minor ones. You never know how an injury may evolve in the future. The unfortunate truth is that even a minor injury could leave you with lifelong pain.
The most common types of injuries caused by personal injury accidents include:
Alongside physical injuries, accidents can also take a toll on one’s mental health. Anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are both common after an accident. For example, for someone involved in a car accident, getting behind the wheel again may be scary. Or for someone who was a victim of medical malpractice, going to the doctor could be difficult.
Not only that, but the sudden change to one’s quality of life can be difficult to deal with. This may result in mental health issues like depression.
After you are involved in a personal injury accident, it is okay to feel stressed or overwhelmed. However, there are a few steps that you should take if you can.
First and foremost, if you arere severely injured, you should always go to the hospital immediately. The following steps are only for those who are well enough to stick around at the scene of the accident.
You should always report the accident. By reporting the accident, you will memorialize certain details such as the location, timing, conditions, and more. A police report can also help to strengthen your case.
While you wait for the police to arrive, you should start by taking pictures of the scene. If it is a car accident, make sure to get shots of both vehicles, their placement, and the surrounding area. If it is a slip and fall, take pictures of the hazard that caused it and your injuries. You can also take videos and record voice memos. All of this will help us build your case.
If possible, get the contact information for any witnesses. You should also encourage them to stick around and speak with the police if they can. A witness statement on the police record that reflects your side of the event is incredibly powerful.
Once you have collected information and spoken to the police officer, you should seek immediate medical attention. Leave the scene and head directly to the nearest hospital. If you prolong medical treatment, the insurance company may try to use this against you.
After you have received medical attention (or while you’re waiting at the hospital), you should contact a personal injury attorney in Florida. Make sure you complete this step before speaking with your insurance company. Your insurance company will try to get you to accept a small settlement as soon as possible. They will take advantage of your vulnerability and prevent you from having a larger case against them in the future. By contacting an attorney first, you can save your case from damage.
The main reason to hire a personal injury lawyer in Florida is, of course, money. Personal injury accidents can be expensive, costing thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on your injury. It makes sense that you want to know just how much money you are going to receive as soon as possible. However, it can be hard to estimate your deserved compensation without taking a deep dive into your case.
Your personal injury cases’ worth depends on the amount of damages you have. Damages refer to both monetary and non-monetary losses that you experienced as a result of the accident.
Monetary losses are called economic damages and often include things like medical bills and lost wages. Non-economic damages cover your losses that don’t have a monetary value associated. This commonly includes pain and suffering, loss of consortium, loss of earning capacity, and more.
Your cases’ total worth will depend on those two types of damages. So, those with more severe injuries and thus higher damages will have a case that’s worth more than someone with less severe (and less long-lasting) injuries and, therefore, fewer damages.
Unfortunately, having an injury is incredibly expensive. Even minor injuries can rack up quickly. However, the bills really start to pile up if you have an injury that requires extensive care, such as surgeries, in-home treatment, and more. For some, these expenses can be life-long. These costs are high, but a Florida personal injury attorney Keller, Melchiorre & Walsh can get you the compensation you need to pay back your medical debts. Here are the costs of some common injuries.
The lifetime cost for a traumatic brain injury can range from $85,000 to $3 million.
A spinal cord injury can cost between $379,698 and $1.2 million in just the first year. Each additional year may cost between $46,119 and $202,032. The estimated lifetime cost of a spinal cord injury ranges from $1.7 million and $5.1 million.
The surgical treatment of a broken leg can cost anywhere from $17,000 to $35,000.
An amputation can cost between $30,000 and $60,000 for the initial hospital visit and between $43,000 and $60,000 for care over the following three years.’
It depends on the type of personal injury case. Motor vehicle accident and slip and fall victims have four years to file after the accident occurs. Nursing home abuse and medical malpractice victims have two years to file after the discovery of the abuse or malpractice.
Yes. Even if you share fault for the accident, you can still receive compensation for your injuries.
Most cases never see trial, as an agreeable settlement is reached before that can happen. However, if your case does need to go to trial, we have the experience necessary to represent you in front of a judge or jury.
How long your lawsuit will take depends on a variety of factors, such as how agreeable the insurance company is and how severe your injuries are. If you have more severe injuries, we may not want to settle until we have a better idea of what your treatment plan will look like for the years to come. Most personal injury cases in Florida resolve in nine to eighteen months.
Hiring a Florida personal injury lawyer is a no-brainer. By hiring Keller, Melchiorre & Walsh, you will have an attorney that is with you every step of the way. We will not only negotiate a settlement on your behalf and represent you, but we will speak with insurance companies on your behalf, monitor your treatment plan, and generally take the weight off of your shoulders. While we handle everything, you will get the time you need to recover without the stress of the legal process weighing you down.
Our team of lawyers has years of experience winning personal injury cases and getting large settlements for our clients. If you or someone you love has been injured in a personal injury accident, please do not hesitate to give us a call. We are eager to help you get the compensation that you deserve.
To schedule a free case evaluation, please contact us.
