For many, being in a severe car accident is the scariest thing they’ve had to endure in life. But often it’s what comes next that adds insult to injury. You may have medical bills or other expenses as a result of the accident. You may have even lost a loved one.
Filing a car accident claim in The Villages begins the process of getting you compensated for these losses. The car accident attorneys at Florin|Roebig are ready to assist you in claiming the compensation you deserve.
Common Causes Of Car Accidents In The Villages
In the U.S., motor vehicles continue to be one of the top causes of death, along with poisoning and falls. In 2019, nearly 40,000 people lost their lives to auto accidents. Car accidents are also a leading cause of serious injury. Why does stepping into a car so often end in an accident?
Many factors may lead to car accidents, such as:
- drunk driving
- drowsy driving
- distracted driving
- failure to follow road rules
- speeding
- not yielding
- reckless driving
- road rage
- not slowing down in inclement weather
In each of these cases, someone made an active decision to get behind the wheel or engage in unsafe behavior that could lead to the injury or death of themselves, their passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, or other drivers.
Reasons To File A Car Accident Claim
Medical bills are far from the only reason to file a car accident claim in The Villages. When someone is in an accident, they may suffer many financial and other challenges as they work to rebuild their lives. The many reasons for filing a claim reflect these challenges.
Some common reasons to file a car accident claim include:
- compensation for your whole loss, which may consist of tangible losses like lost wages and bills as well as those which are hard to measure, like pain and suffering
- holding someone accountable
- preventing similar suffering for others
- needing justice and a sense of closure to move on
- punishing a party for gross negligence
It’s vital to be open and honest with your car accident lawyers in The Villages regarding why you want to file a claim. You may have more than one reason, and those reasons may influence the strategies your lawyers use when filing your claims.
Factors That Affect Car Accident Claims
Many factors impact a person’s car accident claim in The Villages. One of the roles of your car accident attorneys is to consider the many aspects of your life and how they were affected by the accident. Florida car accidents are often life-altering in so many ways. A car accident claim should reflect the ways the accident has impacted your life.
Your claim may be impacted by:
- the extent of your injuries
- the time you had to take off work
- ways the accident affected your life and will continue to do so
- whether you can expect a full recovery
- what levels of ongoing challenges you might face
- statute of limitations
In Florida, the statute of limitations is four years if you are claiming that the negligence of another party led to injury or death. Florida law works on the concept of comparative negligence, also known as comparative fault.
This means that under the law, both the injured person and the party against which you’re filing a claim may have some responsibility. Both may have been negligent in some way. The courts may reduce the damages awarded based on the amount of fault of the injured person.
With that said, even if you believe you are partially at fault in an accident, you should still consider filing a car accident claim in The Villages, as the other party may have been more negligent. One vital role of car accident lawyers in The Villages is to make the case that the other party’s negligence is much higher than the injured person’s to maximize the damages awarded.
How Much Compensation Can You Win?
In addition to comparative negligence, the amount you may win for your car accident claim depends on several factors, such as:
- type of injury
- severity of injury
- whether you can expect a full recovery
- what finances looked like before and after the accident
- actual financial costs accrued
How much you win often comes down to the types of damages you can legitimately document and claim.
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Types Of Damages Awarded In Car Accident Claims
In order to claim damages, you will need to quantify the impact of what has happened to you. Some of this may be quantifiable in a dollar amount. Others are harder to measure but just as important. Your car accident attorneys discuss the events and ramifications with you to determine what kinds of damages you should request through the courts.
In Florida, damages might include:
- medical bills
- physical, occupational, and speech therapy
- mental health assessments and treatments if you’ve experienced significant emotional trauma resulting from the car accident
- pain and suffering
- emotional distress
- loss of career if you cannot return to your regular employment
- loss of enjoyment (e.g., an avid wilderness camper/hiker sustains injuries that mean they can never be far from emergency treatment so they can no longer camp or hike)
- loss of consortium (e.g., a wife and mother is lost in the crash, so a family no longer has the companionship or support of that person)
Car Accident Rates In The Villages
The Villages is an area of central Florida located in Sumter County. With one of the largest age-restricted communities in Florida, the area has seen one of the largest expansions of the population between 2010-2020. As it is older drivers, there are potentially more hazards, in addition to the usual obstacles any road may experience. Sumter County experienced these driving conditions in 2020:
- 1,513 total accidents this year, which is a significant decrease from 2019, most likely due to Covid-19.
- Despite this, 1,024 people reported injuries after their accident. This number has also risen since 2020.
- Of these accidents, 22 resulted in death. This also includes wrongful deaths that may impact Sumter drivers.
- Of these accidents, 3 were the results of alcohol and/or drug consumption.
The Villages Most Dangerous Intersections
While no roads can guarantee 100% safety, there are roads in Sumter County that The Villages residents should proceed with caution. Be sure to obey any and all traffic laws. Sumter has the highest median age of any county in the U.S., which potentially makes it more hazardous.
- Morse Boulevard and County Road 466: This intersection in The Villages has been known for its heavy traffic and complex traffic signals, especially during peak hours. The area has a mix of golf cart and vehicular traffic, which can lead to confusion and collisions. Additionally, the intersection has experienced issues with limited visibility due to landscaping, making it difficult for drivers to see oncoming traffic when attempting to turn.
- Buena Vista Boulevard and El Camino Real: The intersection of Buena Vista Boulevard and El Camino Real is another area with a high volume of traffic, including golf carts, pedestrians, and bicyclists. The increased traffic, combined with the speed at which vehicles travel on Buena Vista Boulevard, can contribute to accidents. Furthermore, there have been reports of unclear signage and issues with traffic signal timing, which can lead to confusion and collisions.
- US Highway 27/441 and Rolling Acres Road: The intersection of US Highway 27/441 and Rolling Acres Road sees a significant amount of traffic, making it challenging for drivers to navigate safely. The high-speed nature of the highway, coupled with vehicles attempting to turn on and off at Rolling Acres Road, can lead to dangerous situations. Also, the intersection’s design has been reported to be confusing for some drivers, which may contribute to collisions.
List Of Car Accident Attorneys Serving The Villages
If you or a loved one were injured or killed in a car accident, it’s time to file your car accident claim in The Villages before the statute of limitations in Florida runs out. While you don’t have to have a lawyer to do this, working with car accident attorneys helps you navigate the claim-filing process.
They ensure you’re adequately considering the damages you’ve incurred, and they stand by you against the legal representatives of the negligent party who will try to downplay what you’ve been through to minimize the damages awarded.
The experienced, dedicated, successful legal team at Florin|Roebig handles claims like yours all over the U.S. We have a track record of winning significant judgments for our clients in Florida, and we’re prepared to put our years of claim and trial experience to work for you.
Our car accident lawyer team includes the following professionals and many others:
- Wil H. Florin, B.C.S.
- Tommy D. Roebig, B.C.S.
- Michael L. Walker, B.C.S.
- Chad K. Florin, M.B.A., LL.M.
We Are Nationally Awarded Lawyers
Find Help Filing A Car Accident Claim
The trial attorneys at Florin|Roebig have over 30 years of experience winning personal injury and wrongful death cases like yours. We have offices around the country and ample resources to get your case resolved with the damages you deserve. Through these awards, you can begin rebuilding your life after the accident. Contact us to get a free case evaluation.