What To Do If I Was Injured at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens in Downtown Jacksonville
Suffering an injury at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens can be unsettling. You may have a personal injury claim, but claims don’t enforce themselves. You have to be proactive in pursuing yours. Making all the right moves after your accident can safeguard your health, your rights, and your finances.
Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Seek medical attention as soon as you can after the accident for both medical and legal reasons. Your health comes first. Go to the hospital if you suffered any impact, even if you don’t think you were injured. The symptoms of some medical conditions, such as whiplash and traumatic brain injuries, take time to manifest.
The fastest way to destroy your personal injury claim is to unreasonably delay seeking medical treatment.
Report the Incident
Report the incident to management and ask them to prepare a written report. A police report can also be helpful, even though they are generally inadmissible in court. Both of these items can serve as useful evidence during settlement negotiations.
Document Everything and Preserve Evidence
Keep all correspondence you receive concerning your accident. Photograph anything that might help clarify liability. You should even take photos of the sky if the weather was involved in your accident.
Photograph your injuries, and get the contact details of any witnesses. Identify the location of any cameras that might have recorded your accident. Get a copy of your medical records when they become available.
Do Not Admit Fault
Some people say “I’m sorry” just to be polite. Don’t do this, and don’t say anything else that the defendant or an insurance company could characterize as an admission of fault. The aftermath of an accident is no time to be exceptionally polite.
Understand Premises Liability Law
Your claim will likely be based on premises liability. Florida property owners and managers must keep their premises safe for guests. When they fail in this duty, they can be held financially accountable for resulting injuries.
Slip and fall accidents, for example, frequently generate premises liability claims. Although you probably need a lawyer to help you, the more you understand about the underlying law, the better.
Be Mindful of Deadlines
The most important deadline you need to remember is the statute of limitations to file a lawsuit. In Florida, this deadline is usually two years after the date of the accident. Certain exceptions apply (such as if you were a minor at the time of the accident). Talk to your lawyer about the applicable deadline(s), and make sure not to miss anything.
Consider Settling Out of Court
The vast majority of personal injury claims are settled out of court. Even cases that reach the lawsuit stage seldom go to trial because parties can agree to withdraw the lawsuit right up to the moment that the jury announces the verdict. Most of the time, both parties would prefer to settle a claim–it’s just quicker and easier that way.
Don’t worry about your negotiating skills – your lawyer can handle negotiations from start to finish. Your lawyer cannot accept a settlement agreement on your behalf without your permission.
Prepare a Plan
Work with your lawyer to prepare a strategy for enforcing your claim. One strategy is to seek a settlement, file a lawsuit if negotiations stall, and then take advantage of the pretrial discovery period to gather evidence that can enhance your bargaining position.
Consult a Jacksonville Personal Injury Attorney If You Were Injured at the Cummer Museum
If your injury is more than just a minor scrape, you are probably going to need an experienced personal injury attorney to help you demand the compensation you deserve. A lawyer is essential if you suffer a catastrophic injury.
Don’t worry about money. Personal injury lawyers charge legal fees based on a contingency fee arrangement. If you lose, you pay nothing. Schedule a free initial consultation with a Jacksonville personal injury lawyer as soon as you can.
For more information, please contact the Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra personal injury law firm of Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers at the nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.
We serve Duval County, St. Johns County, and its surrounding areas:
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Jacksonville
9471 Baymeadows Rd #105,
Jacksonville, FL 32256
(904) 396-1100
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Downtown Jacksonville
121 W. Forsyth St. #170,
Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 822-4225
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Ponte Vedra
480 Town Plaza Ave #130,
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32081
(904) 675-1167