With nearly 8,000,000 cars on the road in Florida, car accidents will happen. But most car accidents are avoidable when drivers make appropriate decisions.
Unfortunately, the inappropriate actions of another may have left you with serious injury, medical bills, an inability to work, or much worse. In these cases, you may be able to file a car accident claim in Ruskin to win compensation.
The car accident attorneys at Florin|Roebig law firm can offer guidance and support to car accident victims throughout this process to recover those losses.
Common Causes Of Car Accidents In Ruskin
As one of the leading causes of personal injury in Ruskin, car accidents can lead to serious injury, property damage, and even wrongful death. When someone acts or fails to act in a responsible manner to prevent that loss to another, that’s called negligence. Negligence can come in many forms that lead to car accidents.
Some of the most common causes of car accidents include:
- driving while under the influence
- distracted driving
- speeding
- not yielding the right of way
- running stop signs
- not maintaining their vehicle (e.g., bad brakes, busted tail light, non-functional windshield wipers)
- road rage
- skipping across lanes
When you work with car accident lawyers in Ruskin, they will explore whether any factors like these may have led to the incident. If negligence was involved in the car crash, that information could be used to support your claim.
Factors That Affect Car Accident Claims
Filing a car accident claim in Ruskin can seem like a very straightforward process. But there are many factors to consider that may influence how well your claim performs once it reaches the eyes of defense attorneys, the other party, the jury, and other participants in the U.S. legal process.
Some of these factors include:
- the extent of injuries
- how many injuries occurred or how many people were injured
- any lives lost
- where those injuries occurred
- whether property was also damaged
- how those injuries affected personal lives
- how those injuries affected finances
- how those injuries will affect the future
- whether doctors expect a full recovery
- statute of limitations
- comparative negligence
The statute of limitations in Florida is four years for personal injury claims. You only have this amount of time to file your claim with the courts. Should you miss the deadline, you may not be able to recover any losses.
Your claim will also be viewed under a principle of Florida law known as comparative negligence. This concept recognizes that when two or more parties are involved in some kind of incident, there may be negligence involved, and more than one party may share fault.
The more negligent the other parties are, and the less negligent you’re found to be, the more compensation the other parties potentially have to pay out for your losses.
It’s one of the jobs of defense attorneys to shift some of their client’s negligence (blame) onto you because it saves their client money. One of the very critical roles of your own car accident lawyers in Ruskin is to keep this from happening.
After you have received appropriate medical care, one of the first things you should do is contact car accident attorneys who will work from the start to keep the blame where it belongs, so you recover the most damages.
How Much Compensation Can You Win?
Depending on various aspects of the car accident, there could be significant compensation coming your way. Car accident lawyers evaluate the details of your claim to estimate what this compensation might be.
Some of the factors they will consider when determining your settlement offer include:
- the types of injuries and where those injuries are
- how that injury affected various aspects of your life
- what that injury has actually cost you financially
- what an injury will cost you for the rest of your life
Your car accident lawyers in Ruskin will use the unique factors in your case to tell a story that the other party, jury members, and others can relate to. Whether in a courtroom or over a settlement table, it’s these compelling stories that win substantial settlement offers for car accident cases.
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Types Of Damages Awarded In Car Accident Claims
Understanding the types of damages awarded in car accident claims will ensure that you appropriately list your actual losses, not just the ones which are easy to calculate, like medical expenses or lost wages.
A car accident claim in Ruskin might include the following as it applies to the individual case:
- medical bills
- therapy bills
- mental therapist bills
- lost wages, job, and/or career
- certain home expenses
- loss of companionship (e.g., a person from the accident is left indefinitely in a coma, leaving a spouse, children, siblings, parents, etc. without that companionship)
- loss of enjoyment (e.g., someone who regularly motorbikes for fun can no longer engage in the activity, losing something that gave them great personal pleasure)
- pain and suffering
- emotional distress
- punitive damages (punishing damages beyond what can be justified based on actual losses)
Auto Accident Rates In Ruskin
Founded on the shores of the little Manatee River, Ruskin is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County. As of 2020, the population is 25,640 but quickly growing with people moving from the Tampa Bay area. Like other parts of Florida, Hillsborough County can have its fair share of unsafe driving conditions. Ruskin experienced these traffic accidents in 2021:
- 20,643 total accidents this year, including automobiles, bicycles, and motorcycles.
- 13,842 people reported injuries after their accident. This number has also risen since 2020.
- Of these accidents, 162 resulted in death.
- Of these accidents, 11 were the result of alcohol and/or drug consumption.
Ruskin’s Worst Intersections
While no roads can guarantee 100% safety, there are roads in Hillsborough County that Ruskin residents should proceed with caution. Be sure to obey any and all traffic laws. These are Ruskins most dangerous intersections in Hillsborough County.
- Shellpoint Road and 24th Street: A new intersection, this multi-lane road has already been responsible for several accidents.
- 6th Street SE and East College Avenue: This intersection is dangerous because it is the convergence of two heavily trafficked roads. The combination of high traffic street and a busy avenue can create high-speed congestion and the potential for serious accidents. Additionally, the intersection is known for having high pedestrian traffic, creating an even higher risk of accidents.
- US-41 and 19th Avenue: Near the Walmart Supercenter, this intersection experiences heavy traffic and vehicle congestion because it is a major intersection for surrounding residential and commercial areas. Additionally, drivers may not be familiar with the signals and how to navigate the intersection, and it can be hard to determine who has the right of way. Finally, there have been numerous accidents reported at this intersection including one fatality in 2018.
List Of Car Accident Lawyers Serving Ruskin
You have the right to file a car accident claim in Ruskin without representation. Given the complexities of the claim-filing process and how these details may impact the outcome, working with car accident attorneys can be a smart move.
The car accident attorneys at Florin|Roebig law firm work with people like you all over the U.S., but they’re right here in Florida and serving the Ruskin area.
Some of our personal injury lawyers who can help you file a car accident claim in Ruskin include:
- Wil H. Florin, B.C.S.
- Tommy D. Roebig, B.C.S.
- John J. Hart
- Chad K. Florin
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Find Help Filing A Car Accident Claim
If you or a loved one have suffered financial and personal loss because of a car accident, the legal system supports your efforts to claim damages by filing a car accident claim in Ruskin.
With over 30 years of experience and a track record of winning big for clients, the team of car accident attorneys at Florin|Roebig is ready to assist. Please contact our office to schedule a free consultation.