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Accidents are a common occurrence in Orange County, including Winter Garden, with an average of 87 car crashes a day in 2019. Most accidents don’t result in serious injuries, but in 2019, about half of the accidents in Orange County resulted in injuries to drivers or passengers.
An auto accident could impact your life long after the incident is over. You may need money to cover ongoing bills, including medical bills, mortgage and rent, and family needs. Laws regarding car accident claims can be complex. Florin|Roebig’s experienced car accident lawyers in Winter Garden can help you to understand your rights and guide you through the car accident claims process.
Common Causes Of Car Accidents In Winter Garden
Some automobile accidents are unavoidable, the result of bad weather and acts of nature. Mechanical problems can also lead to some crashes. However, the majority of accidents can be avoided, because they are caused by driver negligence and inattention.
Driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is one primary source of driver negligence leading to accidents. Texting and driving is another source of negligence behind the wheel. It became illegal in Florida in 2019 and a primary offense, along with a fine, in January 2020.
Young, inexperienced drivers have a higher risk of being involved in auto accidents. Nearly 1,000 teen drivers ages 15 to 17 were involved in car crashes in Orange County in 2018.
Other common causes of accidents in Winter Garden include:
- road rage, reckless driving, and speeding
- driver error and failure to heed traffic rules and signs
- road debris or potholes and flooding
- animals on the roadway
- failure to heed bicycles, pedestrians, or golf carts
Drivers may also be impaired by prescription medication, or they could be driving while ill or impaired by a lack of sleep.
Reasons To File A Car Accident Claim
If you live in Winter Garden and are in a car accident, you should first pull off the roadway to a safe location, and then seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Florida law specifies that you must report any accident to local law enforcement immediately if there are any injuries or there has been more than $500 in estimated damage to vehicles or property.
You have rights as well as obligations in a car accident in Winter Garden. You do not have any obligation to speak with insurance company representatives beyond the obligation you have to report the accident to your own insurance company.
One way to protect your rights after an accident is to file a car accident claim. A car accident claim will start the process of helping with medical bills, replacing lost income, and paying for your family’s needs. Filing a car accident claim is the first step in recovering from an accident.
Factors That Affect Car Accident Claims
Car accident claims in Florida are affected by the amount of property damage that may have been suffered, including vehicle repair or “totaling” a vehicle if repairs are impossible or too costly. Any injuries to drivers, passengers, or others involved (bicyclists, pedestrians) will also affect the claims process, damages, and awards.
An auto accident claim is a type of personal injury claim. States limit the time that people have to file personal injury claims under legal statutes. The statute of limitations in Florida to file any type of personal injury claim is four years from the date an accident or injury occurred.
Florida’s doctrine of comparative negligence also influences auto accident claims. Comparative negligence means that the degree of negligence people involved in an accident have will be determined through the claims process. Each driver will be evaluated to find out if they have any responsibility or were negligent.
If an accident claim award is made to a driver who has been found partially (or completely) negligent, the award will be reduced by the percentage they are deemed responsible.
How Much Compensation Can You Win?
The amount of compensation you could receive from a car accident claim will vary depending on how serious the property damage and injuries were. Car accident attorneys are experienced in understanding the complex factors that can influence how much compensation you could win.
Car accident claim awards are intended to help you to recover from injuries you may have suffered in an accident. They are also intended to pay for property damage, including vehicle repair or replacement. In general, the greater the amount of property damage, and the more severe the injuries that have been suffered, the larger the amount of compensation you could win.
Types Of Damages Awarded In Car Accident Claims
The categories of damages in auto accident claims help determine how much compensation can be paid. Car accident attorneys are experienced in understanding the impact an accident could have on your life.
Florida car accident damage categories can include:
- property damage to vehicles or other property
- medical care, including hospitalization and surgery
- psychiatric care and counseling
- prescription medication
- rehabilitation and occupational or physical therapy
- reimbursement for time off work
- replacement of earnings for self-employed and business owners
- emotional pain and suffering
At times, the claims process may allow for “punitive damages.” This type of damage award isn’t common, but it represents a financial amount that is intended to punish a person involved in an accident who has been extremely careless or negligent.
Car Accident Rates In Winter Garden
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, drivers in Orange County were involved in nearly 32,000 accidents in 2019. Together, drivers, passengers, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists in Orange County, including Winter Garden, suffered over 22,900 injuries in 2019.
Check out these facts:
- The FLHSMV reported 167 fatal crashes in the county in 2019, leading to 177 deaths.
- Orange County motorists were involved in 498 accidents with bicycles, leading to 9 fatalities.
- The FLHSMV reported a total of 14,611 injury crashes in 2019 in Orange County.
- Road accidents with pedestrians have been increasing in Florida, and Orange County experienced 685 pedestrian-involved auto accidents in 2019, including 53 fatalities.
- Out of 7,884 hit-and-run accidents in Orange County in 2019, 1,988 injuries were suffered, and 13 deaths.
- Orange County averaged between 2,000 and 3,000 accidents a month in 2019.
List Of Car Accident Attorneys Serving Winter Garden
Finding the right attorney to represent you in your car accident claim can help to protect your rights and ensure you’ll receive the compensation you are entitled to receive.
Florin|Roebig’s team of car accident attorneys include the following highly skilled lawyers and others:
- Wil H. Florin, B.C.S.
- Tommy D. Roebig, B.C.S.
- Chase P. Florin, B.C.S.
- Nicholas S. Costantino
Find Help Filing A Car Accident Claim
Since 2010, Florin|Roebig has received U.S. News & World Report’s recognition as one of the “Best Law Firms in America” each year. Florin|Roebig’s board-certified Civil Trial Lawyers and other legal specialists have obtained over $1 billion in case awards for injured plaintiffs to date.
Since the firm’s establishment in 1985, Florin|Roebig has been committed to fighting to protect the firm’s clients who have suffered personal injury or property losses. Get in touch with Florin|Roebig today for a free, no-obligation consultation regarding your car accident claim in Winter Garden.