Personal injury refers to bodily or psychiatric harm due to someone else’s actions. It’s an exceptionally broad category of the law that can apply to anything from vehicular collisions to sexual harassment. Some personal injuries are accidental, while others are a deliberate attempt to assert power or control over the victim.
If you’ve suffered an injury at the hands of another, personal injury lawyers in Cocoa Beach may be able to help. Instead of attempting to be your own attorney, you have access to a trusted advisor who can make smart decisions on your behalf. From filing paperwork to presenting evidence, you get practical assistance during a critical time.
However, the most important gift an attorney can give you is the opportunity to get some space and distance from what happened. This can be the key to focusing on the difficult job of recovery. Florin|Roebig is here to give you the facts, so you can decide whether you need an attorney for your claim.
Car Accidents And Other Incidents That Lead To Personal Injury
Car accidents are one of the biggest causes of personal injury in Brevard County, where Cocoa Beach is located. In the county, there were 9,056 total crashes on the road in 2017, resulting in 6,505 total injuries.
These numbers don’t tell the full story of personal injuries in Cocoa Beach, though. Incidents range in terms of both type and severity. Some incidents of personal injury are minor. For example, maybe you ate a shrimp dinner that wasn’t properly cooked all the way through.
In this case, you could have had a mild stomach ache due to food poisoning, but you believed it to be indigestion. This may be easy to ignore, but others are much more severe.
Here are four types of incidents that can to a personal injury in Cocoa Beach:
- Surfing and Water Sports Injuries: Cocoa Beach is a renowned surfing destination, which can lead to injuries from collisions with other surfers or surfboards, and accidents due to rough sea conditions. Florin|Roebig would meticulously document the circumstances of the incident, including weather conditions and crowd density. They would consult with water sports safety experts to demonstrate a lack of proper warnings or oversight by local businesses offering surfing lessons or equipment rentals. Demonstrating negligence or failure to ensure safety could lead to substantial compensation for the injured parties.
- Space Industry Related Accidents: Proximity to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Kennedy Space Center might expose residents and visitors to unique risks, such as debris from space launches or accidents during space industry-related tours. Florin|Roebig would investigate such cases by gathering evidence from aerospace safety experts and analyzing the protocols followed by space entities. They would argue that inadequate safety measures or warnings were provided, aiming for a significant settlement or jury verdict due to the unusual and high-risk nature of the injuries.
- Wildlife Interaction Injuries at the Beach or Parks: Cocoa Beach’s natural habitats can lead to wildlife interactions that cause injuries, such as encounters with jellyfish or stingrays at the beach. Florin|Roebig would look into the measures taken by local authorities or tour operators to warn and protect beachgoers. They would build a case based on negligence in maintaining safe environments at these natural attractions, potentially securing large compensations for medical treatments and emotional distress.
- Boardwalk and Pier Accidents: Cocoa Beach Pier is a busy area where slip and fall accidents or structure-related injuries could occur due to poor maintenance or overcrowding. Florin|Roebig would collect evidence including maintenance records and witness statements, and hire experts to testify about the expected safety standards for such popular public spaces. Demonstrating that the pier’s management failed to meet these standards could result in a significant compensation package for the injured victim.
What To Know About Personal Injury Claims
Your first instinct after a personal injury claim may be to work directly with the negligent party or through their commercial or auto insurance. However, as tempting as this may be, it’s important to consider the long-term consequences.
A personal injury can potentially last the rest of your life. Even relatively small car accidents can result in chronic back or shoulder pain. An insurance company or out-of-court settlement may only offer you a small fraction of what you rightfully deserve. The first thing you should do (after seeking a medical opinion) is to speak with a personal injury lawyer.
Even a brief conversation can reveal certain details that you may not have originally considered. For example, Florida courts judge your case based on comparative negligence. This essentially means that two people may share fault for the incident, even if one party is only considered 10 percent at fault, while the other person shoulders the rest of the blame.
Types Of Damages Awarded For Personal Injury Claims In Cocoa Beach
In the case of personal injury, you can file for the following direct damages:
- medical expenses including chiropractors, physical therapists, specialists, prescriptions, and follow-up visits
- any professional help needed during recovery, such as a full-time nanny or professional cleaning services
- lost income or wages due to your recovery. You can also file for future wages that you would have earned had you not been injured.
- loss of income for a spouse. For example, if they needed to miss work to take care of you or visit you in a hospital.
You can also file for damages that are not directly related to financial loss:
- Victims can request financial compensation for mental distress caused by the accident. Known as pain and suffering, an attorney can help you determine how much to file for.
- Some judges will grant a victim punitive damages as a punishment to the at-fault party. This is only done if the personal injury was not an accident (e.g., the other person was intentionally trying to cause the event).
How you calculate and structure your damages will have a lot to do with your compensation package. An attorney will consider not only your direct losses, but they can also help you estimate what your future losses are. For instance, if you suffer from chronic pain for the rest of your life or if you need to change career paths due to your injury (or give up your career altogether), this will greatly impact your claim.
Knowing What Your Claim Is Worth
A personal injury claim in Cocoa Beach is not solely measured by money. While many are filing for the financial resources they’ll need during recovery, some will file to bring the at-fault party to justice. This may be the only way to ensure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to someone else.
No matter why you choose to file or what you’re requesting, a personal injury lawyer can tell you more about the most likely outcome of your case. Their professional experience can help you decide whether to bring your claim in front of a judge.
If you’re wondering what your settlement will entail, you should know that the judge will consider the full ramifications of what happened to you because of your accident. From your financial situation at the time of the event to the psychological trauma you endured every day thereafter, the more severe your injuries (and their consequences), the more you’ll likely be awarded.
Having the right professional legal experience by your side can be the key to presenting the facts and highlighting the ones that matter. A well-structured and well-reasoned case can make the judge see it from your point-of-view, and an attorney can be the best intermediary to connect you with the decision-makers in the court.
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Do I Need To Hire A Personal Injury Attorney?
You are under no obligation to hire a personal injury attorney as you are free to represent yourself in a Cocoa Beach court. People will generally hire a lawyer because they need to focus on their recovery rather than fighting with paperwork or court officials. It’s all too common to see cases thrown out on a technicality, something an attorney will foresee far in advance.
There are no guarantees, but a personal injury attorney is often your best chance at getting all of the compensation you deserve.
List Of Personal Injury Lawyers Serving Cocoa Beach
When you need excellent legal representation, it’s important to find a team of personal injury lawyers with experience, skills, and resources. Our team of attorneys at Florin|Roebig has been serving areas throughout Florida for more than three decades and won millions of dollars in settlements for our clients.
We know personal injury law and we can give you the best chance at recovering compensation for your claim by using our knowledge and expertise to file a strong claim on your behalf.
Florin|Roebig is proud of our team serving Cocoa Beach, which includes the following attorneys as well as others:
- Wil H. Florin, B.C.S.
- Tommy D. Roebig, B.C.S.
- Shaun M. Cummings
- Luca G Esposito
- Chad K. Florin, M.B.A., LL.M.
We Are Nationally Awarded Lawyers
Reach Out For Help With Your Personal Injury Claim
If you need professional advice to file your personal injury claim, it’s in your best interest to find an experienced lawyer. There are no clear-cut answers when it comes to personal injury because every situation is different, but Florin|Roebig is here to help you decide whether to file, what damages to file for, and how much to request in damages.
We do everything possible to ensure you get what you need both now and in the future. Learn more today by contacting us for a consultation to discuss your claim.