Were you hurt in an accident in Sawgrass, FL? Was the accident caused by someone’s negligence? If so, you may be entitled to compensation. This compensation can help pay for medical bills, lost wages, and even emotional suffering.
A Sawgrass personal injury attorney at Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers can help you with a legal case. We have over 80 years of combined experience handling personal injury cases.
Our Sawgrass personal injury lawyers fight every day to hold people accountable for their negligence. Contact the Sawgrass, Florida, office to set up a free consultation today.
How Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Accident in Sawgrass, FL
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers can help you recover money after an accident in Sawgrass, Florida. We will take the lead on filing insurance claims or pursuing a lawsuit on your behalf.
Our team has recovered tens of millions of dollars for our clients since 2012. We have received numerous accolades and recognitions, including the Martindale-Hubbell 2021 Platinum Client Champion Award, Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers in Florida, and Florida Trend’s Legal Elite.
When you trust us with your case, our Sawgrass personal injury lawyers will:
- Investigate the cause of the accident
- Identify everyone responsible for contributing to the accident
- Calculate your damages
- Explain the law and your rights
- Keep track of important deadlines
- Request and review medical records
- File insurance claims
- Negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf
- Consult with expert witnesses
- File a personal injury lawsuit
- Represent you at all court hearings
You will personally work with a Sawgrass personal injury lawyer to strategize about how to win your case. Call us to get started today.
What Is My Sawgrass Personal Injury Case Worth?
The value of your Sawgrass personal injury case is made up of your damages. Damages are the most common remedy in civil cases.
Usually, the worse the accident and your injury, the more money you will recover. However, that is not always the case.
When calculating your case value, the following factors will come into play:
- The type and permanence of injury
- The prognosis for recovery
- The length of recovery (including rehabilitation and physical therapy)
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional suffering and mental health
- Cost of medical bills
- The effect on your earning potential and ability to work as before the accident
- The impact of the injury on your quality of life
- Loss of companionship or a loved one (in a wrongful death case)
You should be candid with your lawyer about how you have been impacted by the accident and your injury. Sometimes, plaintiffs are entitled to more money than they expect. A lawyer will estimate your damages based on their experience handling similar cases.
What Kinds of Damages Are Available to Accident Victims?
Sawgrass accident victims can request economic damages and non-economic damages. In certain cases, a plaintiff may be entitled to punitive damages. However, that is far less common.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are actual financial losses. These losses may have already happened or are going to happen with reasonable certainty in the future. Economic damages are a direct result of the accident or the injury.
Common economic damages in accident cases include:
- Cost of ambulance or emergency medical services
- Surgery
- Follow-up doctor visits
- Pharmaceuticals
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation
- Medical devices
- Mental health treatment
- Property damage
- Lost wages
- Lost future earning capacity
Some people will have economic damages that are not included on this list. For example, if an injury prevents someone from caring for their children or cleaning their house, they may get money to pay to outsource these services.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are intangible losses. They are often emotional or related to a plaintiff’s quality of life. This type of loss is hard to calculate but can be very lucrative. For some people, it may be the most significant portion of their settlement or award.
Examples of non-economic damages include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional suffering
- Anxiety, depression, or PTSD caused by the accident
- Permanent disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship
- Inconvenience
There are a few different ways that the court can calculate your non-economic damages. A lawyer will walk you through the different methods so that you can understand what to expect financially.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are meant to punish a defendant for bad behavior. They are not tied to a plaintiff’s losses. That’s why punitive damages are far less common than compensatory damages.
To have a claim for punitive damages, the plaintiff must show that the defendant acted intentionally when they caused the accident or that they were grossly negligent. This means that they were aware that their actions had a high likelihood of hurting you or that they had a conscious disregard for a risk to human life or the safety of others.
In most cases, the defendant’s behavior won’t rise to this level. However, a lawyer can help you understand if they apply in your case and pursue punitive damages if they do.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Sawgrass Personal Injury Lawyer?
You won’t know how much your Sawgrass personal injury lawyer costs until the end of the case. This is because most personal injury lawyers charge a contingency fee. A contingency fee is an agreement that the plaintiff will pay the lawyer only if the lawyer recovers damages.
If the lawyer recovers damages, then the lawyer will take an agreed-upon percentage. If the lawyer doesn’t recover any damages for the plaintiff, then they aren’t paid anything.
This agreement benefits plaintiffs who are struggling financially. They won’t need to pay a lawyer out of pocket to access legal services. Instead, the lawyer’s services are always affordable because the cost comes directly from the damages recovered.
Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for an Accident In Florida?
Ultimately, this question depends on the type of accident, and how you are seeking compensation.
If you are filing an insurance claim, after a car accident for example, then you may be able to recover damages regardless of who is at fault. That’s because Florida has no-fault insurance laws. The plaintiff will first file a claim with their own insurance company and is entitled to payment, even if they are responsible.
If you are filing a personal injury lawsuit, then you can recover compensation as long as you are 50% or less responsible for causing the accident. If you are more than 50% responsible, then you cannot recover anything.
If you are less than 50% responsible, then you will recover damages proportionate to the defendant’s share of responsibility. This is called modified comparative fault.
We’ll Fight To Recover Compensation for All of Your Injuries
It doesn’t matter if your injuries are simple, complex, minor, or severe. Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers is committed to recovering every dollar to which you are entitled.
Some of the most common types of injuries that we see after a Sawgrass accident include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Head trauma
- Organ damage
- Crush injuries
- Amputation and broken bones
- Spinal cord and nerve damage
- Paralysis
- Severe burns
- Chest injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Whiplash
Even though we have worked with clients experiencing these types of injuries, we know that every case is different. Our lawyers will consult with your doctors and review medical records to ensure that we understand the impact of the injury. That’s how we make sure that we have recovered full compensation in your case.
Common Types of Personal Injury Cases in Sawgrass, Florida
We work with clients who have been hurt in all different types of accidents.
Some of the most common types of personal injury cases in Sawgrass, FL, include:
- Car accidents
- Brain injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Golf cart accidents
- Medical malpractice
- Motorcycle accidents
- Nursing home abuse
- Pedestrian accidents
- Slip and falls
- Truck accidents
- Uber accidents
- Wrongful death
Thanks to our years of experience, Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers have many different practice areas. If you have experienced an accident that isn’t included on this list, we may still be able to help. Give us a call to learn more about your options.
How Do I Prove Negligence After an Accident in Sawgrass?
Proving negligence can be tricky. Just because someone has made a mistake doesn’t necessarily mean that they were negligent.
In general, every negligence case has four different elements:
- Duty of care: The defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care
- Breach of duty: The defendant breached that duty
- Causation: The breach caused the accident and injury
- Damages: The plaintiff experienced damages
Essentially, proving negligence means proving that someone acted unreasonably. They didn’t use the same level of caution that an ordinary person would use in the same circumstances. That behavior then caused an accident that hurt someone.
You must provide evidence to prove each element of negligence. If you can prove each element by a preponderance of the evidence, then you may win your case.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Florida?
In Florida, you typically have two years to bring a personal injury lawsuit. If you fail to bring your claim before the statute of limitations expires, you may be barred from recovering damages.
Contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to ensure your rights are protected.
Contact Our Sawgrass Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
If you are ready to talk, contact the Sawgrass personal injury lawyers at Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers. Our attorneys are available to hear about your case and provide legal advice during a free consultation. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can get started on your case in Sawgrass, FL.
