Serious car accidents can impact every area of your life, from finances to relationships, even your physical and mental health. In the aftermath of a car accident, you may miss work to attend physical therapy, struggle to arrange rides while your damaged car is repaired at the mechanic, and try to cope with the chronic pain of a severe injury.
If you have been injured in a car accident and another driver’s negligence upends your life because they caused severe or permanent injuries, you have the right to seek compensation for the damages you have sustained with the help of a personal injury attorney.
While you are struggling to handle the myriad of damages you have suffered to your finances and quality of life as a result of a car accident, insurance companies are prepared to diminish the value of any claim you may pursue. The best way to protect your right to compensation is by seeking out a West Palm car accident lawyer who has the legal insight, resources, and work ethic to successfully reclaim the damages you are entitled to.
At Keller, Melchiorre & Walsh, we understand the hesitation to get entangled in a complicated legal dispute with a powerful insurance company, especially if you are in the midst of a painful recovery. That is where we come in. We have used our hard-earned legal expertise to recover millions of dollars worth of damages for injured car accident victims in West Palm Beach for the past decade, and we are prepared to dedicate the same effort to your claim.
Our ability to consistently recover fair settlements has earned us a word-of-mouth reputation based on recommendations from former clients. We will not shy away from going to trial and will leverage our history of success in court in our negotiations. KMW’s background in trial experience makes us uniquely qualified to succeed both in and out of the courtroom.
KMW Legal invites you to take advantage of a free, no-obligation strategy session to discuss the process of filing a car accident lawsuit and what damages you may be eligible to recover. We look forward to hearing your story so that we can determine the best approach to recovering a settlement that accurately reflects the losses you have suffered as a result of your car accident.
In 2021, there were 24,850 car accidents in Palm Beach County, resulting in 15,196 injuries and 207 fatalities. While some of these car accidents were likely caused by unavoidable circumstances like dangerous weather or simple human error, the majority were caused by other drivers who did not exercise the appropriate level of caution.
Negligent drivers who fail to fulfill their duty of driving safely to their fellow road users can be held liable for their recklessness when they engage in negligent behavior like ignoring posted speed limits, becoming distracted by a text, or are too impatient to yield the right of way.
Many of us are guilty of occasionally diverting our attention away from traffic in order to send a text message on a smartphone, adjust the air conditioning, scan the radio, or have a conversation with a passenger. While brief distractions may seem harmless, it only takes a fraction of a second to miss a yellow light turning red or a pedestrian darting out into an intersection. Factor in adverse weather conditions that compromise visibility or flood roadways, and the chances of an already-distracted driver being able to safely stop or maneuver around traffic are slim.
Numerous studies have confirmed that drowsy drivers operating on minimal sleep are similarly impaired as those driving drunk. Fatigued drivers can often miss important traffic cues, with tragic consequences. This can lead to a drowsy driver sideswiping a motorcycle while attempting to merge, misjudging the space they need to come to a complete stop and rear-ending stalled traffic, or drifting out of their lane and causing a deadly head-on collision.
More than a quarter of fatal Florida car accidents involved a driver with a BAC level above the legal limit of 0.08, which excludes accidents involving drivers who were under the legal limit but nonetheless impaired. Alcohol inhibits communication between brain cells, causing impaired drivers to exhibit delayed reactions and poor judgment skills.
Drunk drivers may speed or travel well below the posted limit, make abrupt turns or stops, and drive outside their lane. Other road users may be unable to avoid sustaining an injury from an impaired driver, even if they know how to spot drunk drivers.
It is not uncommon to become frustrated by stop-and-go traffic, or a driver who cut you off. However, when frustration spills over into aggression, angry drivers may begin speeding, tailgating, ignoring turn signals, or taking other risks that significantly increase the chances of a car accident occurring.
Failing to observe traffic laws also happens without the involvement of road rage. Many people run red lights, fail to yield, and disobey other traffic rules purely out of a disregard for the safety of others. This often leads to accidents ranging from t-bone accidents when someone runs a red light to rear-end accidents caused by a driver that was driving way beyond the speed limit.
State and local governments are typically responsible for designing and routinely maintaining infrastructure, including public roads. When they are negligent in this duty, issues like large potholes can cause drivers to veer out of their lane, or road debris left in the path of traffic may puncture tires and cause a multi-car pile-up. Damaged or missing signage, lights, and guardrails can also create hazardous conditions for drivers.
Drivers are responsible for keeping their vehicles in good working order. This includes things like replacing worn brake pads, fixing safety recalls, and monitoring tire pressure. If a driver causes an accident because they missed a car in their blind spot due to a broken mirror, they may be considered negligent in a civil lawsuit.
For example, if a negligent driver has failed to replace burned-out headlights and failed to detect a bicyclist in their path, they may be held accountable for the injured cyclist’s medical bills and lost wages if they decide to file a car crash claim with a West Palm Beach attorney.
According to the National Safety Council, the estimated comprehensive cost of an evident car accident injury is $345,000. For disabling injuries, the damages can surpass the million-dollar mark. A driver or passenger who sustains severe crush injuries and head trauma from being rear-ended could easily require an organ transplant as well as extensive dental work and cognitive therapy, causing their costs to skyrocket. Even relatively minor injuries can have significant impacts on car accident victims. Car wrecks often cause:
Car accident survivors may suffer from debilitating chronic pain, making them incapable of returning to a job where they need to be on their feet all day or maintain focus on their work. Even if injured car accident victims are able to make a full physical recovery, their mental health may suffer as a result of intense mental trauma inflicted by the accident, severe scarring, or loss of quality of life. A lawyer in West Palm Beach could account for any injuries and losses in a vehicle collision claim.
Damages are the losses that you suffer as a result of accident injuries. These damages can vary in nature involving financial losses like medical bills or lost wages and even intangible losses like the loss of romantic relationships or loss of enjoyment of life in certain cases.
For a variety of reasons, it can be difficult to evaluate the true economic scope of your damages in the immediate aftermath of a car accident. Some injuries may increase the risk of serious complications from treatment or even activate or exacerbate underlying health conditions, compounding medical debt. A practiced car accident lawyer in West Palm Beach will have the skills to properly anticipate the costs you may incur and factor them into your settlement claim appropriately. The following are common damages that car accident survivors seek compensation for in car wreck claims:
Injured drivers who work jobs that require them to be mobile or handle sensitive machinery may find themselves needing a new career path and home renovations to accommodate a walker or wheelchair. After being forced out of a job and burdened with medical bills or losing a loved one, severely injured drivers may even become depressed.
No two car accidents are exactly alike, meaning that your needs may differ because of your chosen career, household responsibilities, and prior lifestyle. A capable lawyer will be able to guide you through the process of determining what damages may be applicable to your situation.
If you have been injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be wondering why you need a car accident attorney in West Palm Beach if you have Personal Injury Protection coverage for your car, as required by law. Person Injury Protection benefits do provide some coverage but may be inadequate to fully handle the scope of damages you suffered in a car accident.
Even relatively minor injuries, like broken bones, can easily exceed the $10,000 cap for medical bills provided by PIP coverage and necessitate longer recovery periods than the lost wages provision covers. In order to recover compensation for more severe injuries and property damage, as well as pain and suffering, you will likely need to file a car accident claim.
If you choose to pursue compensatory damages in a personal injury lawsuit, you will be going up against an insurance company looking to pay out the absolute minimum amount possible in damages. Powerful insurance companies have deep pockets and legal teams trained to extract every penny possible from negotiations to protect their profits, which means you need a capable car accident lawyer on your side to protect your claim.
The West Palm Beach attorneys at Keller, Melchiorre & Walsh, our decade of practicing injury law has made us experts at assessing car accident liability and negotiating with insurance companies. When another driver’s negligence is in question, you do not want to take any chances when it comes to protecting your ability to recover medical bills, lost wages, car repair costs, and emotional damages.
We will review police incident reports, collect witness statements, and amalgamate all available evidence to craft a strong claim that incorporates all relevant damages. KMW Legal offers our clients access to our network of resources and our counsel on any statements insurance companies may request.
You can also depend on us to advocate for your best interests through the car accident claims process without expecting a hefty upfront payment. Our team does not collect our contingency fee until after we have successfully recovered a fair car accident settlement on your behalf. In other words, we do not get paid until you do, and our fee consists of a percentage of your settlement. This system reassures our clients that we are invested in the process from day one.
The lawyers of Keller, Melchiorre & Walsh have devoted a decade of service to West Palm Beach’s 117,415 residents. We have supported many clients whose lives were devastated by the negligent actions of irresponsible drivers, capitalizing on our knowledge and work ethic to recover the costs of medical costs, property damage, and lost wages, as well as pain and suffering.
KMW Legal has built our firm from the ground up, working relentlessly to establish ourselves as the go-to car accident attorneys in the West Palm Beach area. Our clients know that they can depend on us to provide expert advice that pertains specifically to their needs.
After a catastrophic car accident, many victims struggle to stretch their budgets to meet basic expenses because negligent parties like a distracted driver who ran a red light or an impatient motorist ignored the speed limit. We know how stressful it can be to keep up with new medications or physical therapy while juggling work deadlines and bill collector inquiries.
That makes seeking compensation for damages through a car accident claim all the more important. The chances of you successfully recovering fair damages are heavily influenced by the lawyer you choose to represent you. At Keller, Melchiorre & Walsh, our clients rely on our straightforward approach and eye for detail to secure maximum compensation in car accident lawsuits.
KMW Legal will not pressure you to settle for less than a dime of what you deserve just to claim a settlement victory. We have the respect of our peers and clients alike for our compassion and diligence, which has allowed us to deliver impressive settlement results. Reach out to our West Palm Beach car accident lawyers today to schedule a no-cost, no-commitment strategy session to get informed about your next legal steps to rebuilding your life after a vehicle collision.
