Deerfield Beach Car Accident Lawyer

Car Accident Lawyers Serving Deerfield Beach

Shiner Law Group provides those in Deerfield Beach with legal assistance following a car accident, helping them be justly compensated for any injuries, property damage and other related damages that occurred as a result of it. Speaking with a Deerfield Beach car accident lawyer could be the difference between a successful recovery and enduring prolonged financial and emotional distress.

Why You Should Hire Shiner Law Group

Our car accident lawyers in Deerfield Beach understand how significant the impact of a car accident can be, and we treat each of our clients like family as we work diligently on their case. We take charge of the legal situation, including communicating and negotiating with insurance companies. Our team also helps our clients navigate past-due bills and the impacts that this accident has had on their employment and other aspects of their lives.

Two of the most significant advantages that utilizing the resources and experience that Shiner Law Group offers is our extensive knowledge of state and local laws as they relate to car accidents and our knowing how to interact with insurance companies in a manner that helps you be fairly compensated for what occurred.

We will also spend a considerable amount of time investigating and gathering evidence related to your car accident to help solidify your case.

In addition, note that we offer those we work with the Shiner Free Guarantee. This is a contingency fee, meaning that we are only paid if your case is successful.

You can reach out to us 24-7, and we will get you individualized attention from our team of lawyers and professionals. If you are hesitant for any reason, do not be. We offer no-obligation consultations, so there is no risk or cost to you to take advantage of that meeting.

Where Do Accidents Often Occur in Deerfield Beach?

Of course, an accident is possible anywhere in Deerfield Beach, but there are a few areas that tend to be more prone to them than others. Examples include, unsurprisingly, some of the city’s busiest thoroughfares, such:

• Interstate 95
• U.S. Highway 1
• State Road A1A
• Southwest 10th Street
• Hillsboro Boulevard

What Are the Different Types of Car Accidents?

There are numerous types of car accidents that occur in Deerfield Beach.

One that happens relatively often is a rear-end collision, which takes place when a vehicle is rear-ended by the one behind it. In Florida, the presumption is that the person in back, the one doing the rear-ending, is at fault. However, if you are the individual who rear-ended another vehicle and there is a reason why you should not be held liable for that action, we will help prove that.

Head-on collisions are not as common but tend to be severe when they do occur as two vehicles being driven at high speeds crashing into each other head-on will usually cause a tremendous amount of damage and severe injuries to those in them.

A type of car accident that is often unexpected is a T-bone collision. That is because the person who got hit will often be looking ahead and not realize that a collision is about to happen to their side until it is too late. This kind of accident takes place more often at intersections than it does anywhere else.

A single-car accident that sometimes occurs in Deerfield Beach is a rollover, which results in a car ending up on its side or upside down. This is one of the more dangerous types of accidents as it has a high fatality rate. Rollovers tend to occur when the driver turns more quickly than is safe when taking the vehicle’s speed, road conditions and other factors into account.

In addition, note that car accidents can happen in numerous types of settings, as varied as highways and parking lots, and involve several factors, such as a hit-and-run situation, underinsured and uninsured drivers and self-driving cars that did not perform as expected or as safe as desired, that could prove relevant to your case.

What Types of Injuries Do Auto Accident Victims Suffer?

Our Deerfield Beach car accident lawyers understand how extensive car accident injuries can be. They have the potential to be severe enough to result in lost limbs, a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, paralysis and death. Other examples of possible injuries include broken bones, soft tissue damage, whiplash, burns, concussions, organ damage and herniated discs.

What Are Some of the Most Common Causes of Car Crashes?

Accidents can be caused by any of a number of factors, but there are some that are more common than others.

Dangerous driving is one. This can be done through speeding, tailgating, driving through a red light and changing lines without checking the driver’s blind spots. A related factor can be a driver texting, otherwise interacting with their phone or being distracted in other ways, such as turning to talk to someone in the back seat or even looking at another accident – i.e. rubbernecking.

Another unfortunately common cause of car crashes is someone being under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

What to do After a Car Accident in Deerfield Beach

It is important to be as thorough as possible after a car accident if you are able to do so; of course, getting necessary medical attention for yourself and others in the immediate aftermath of an accident should take priority over everything else.

Besides receiving any urgent medical attention necessary, the first thing that you should do is contact the police and remain at the site of the accident until they arrive. Once they do, tell the officer what happened, remembering that Florida’s “accident report privilege” allows you to do so without having it used against you later.

That said, note that any breath, urine or blood tests that are administered there are not protected by that privilege. Neither are the officer’s observations of the scene or any conversations with those who were not involved with the accident.

While you are at that scene, take photos of your car, other vehicles that were involved in the accident and any property damage that occurred. Also take pictures of skid marks or any other details that could potentially provide more insight into what caused the accident. Keep in mind that it is always better to take more photos than you think you may need as you would rather have unnecessary ones than need photos that can no longer be taken.

If your injuries were not severe and have not been attended to yet, obtain any medical care that you may need, providing auto insurance information if necessary.

Be wary of communicating with both your own insurance company and ones connected with other people who were involved with the accident until you speak with a Deerfield Beach car accident attorney. There is no “accident report privilege” or similar law that will protect you in those situations.

Also avoid discussing your accident or posting images or videos related to it on social media.

Contact that attorney.

Keep in mind that the statute of limitations for your accident is two years. This is a reduction on the four-year timeline that had been the case prior to it changing on March 24, 2023. In nearly all situations, this clock starts when the accident occurs.

How Can an Auto Accident Attorney Help Me?

A car accident lawyer in Deerfield Beach can help you in many ways.

One of the most important features that Shiner Law Group offers is our ability to effectively deal with insurance companies. Most notably, you should not accept an offer to settle from one until you first speak with an attorney.

The reasons for that are numerous, but perhaps the most important one is that insurance companies will almost always initially provide a lowball offer, often attaching pressure to that. Sometimes, that pressure is indirect as the insurance company knows that you may be struggling financially as a result of the accident and want to get access to money as fast as possible and may be more likely to accept a much lower amount than what you deserve.

And keep in mind that insurance companies are usually focused on their own bottom lines, not on ensuring that you are fairly compensated for what happened to you.

Another way that we can help you is through our extensive knowledge of the 50% modified comparative negligence law that is on the books in Florida and how that can influence your case.

Most notably, if you are judged to be more than 50% responsible for the accident, you cannot receive any compensation whatsoever. Conversely, if you are 50% responsible or less, you are eligible for compensation.

What that compensation will be is impacted by what percent you were responsible for the accident with your being eligible for full compensation if you were not responsible for it at all – i.e. 0% responsible.

We also know how to get cases settled before they hit the courtroom, which is preferred as long as you are fairly compensated as court costs can eat into the amount that you are ultimately given. That said, we do also have a tremendous amount of experience in the courtroom and are ready to represent you there, to fight for you there, if that is necessary to ensure that you are properly compensated.

When Should You Report a Car Accident to Your Insurance Company?

Simply put, you should report your car accident to your insurance company as soon as possible.

If you do so prior to speaking with a car accident lawyer in Deerfield Beach, only provide information that is essential for the insurance company to know, such as the time and location of your accident.

The exact timeline allowance that is applicable to this situation depends on your insurance company’s policies.

What Should I Do if the Insurance Company Asks Me to Sign a Release?

Do not sign a release until you have spoken with an attorney. If you do sign it on your own, you might end up not being fairly compensated. Even if the release features what appears to be a fair or even an excessive amount, it is important to see the big picture, including years down the line, and an attorney can help show that picture to you.

In addition, a release could involve you awarding the insurance company the rights to your medical records – i.e. a medical authorization release. This can mean that it will learn about your medical history as well as about injuries that you sustained directly connected with the accident.

How Much Money Will I Receive as a Result of My Car Accident Case?

Although we cannot tell you exactly how much money you will receive once your car accident case is settled, we can give you an estimate of it after carefully evaluating what happened before, during and after the accident.

That said, we can share now some of the major factors that will influence that figure. These include the severity of your injuries, both short and long-term, if you are suffering from anxiety, depression or PTSD as a result of that car accident, the cost of your medical care, right now and in the long run, any impact on your ability to do your job to the level that is expected and how much your actions before and during the accident may have contributed to it.

Loss of consortium, meaning the loss of companionship with a loved one, can also impact this figure. You may be eligible for more money if a loved one lost their life as a result of this car accident.

Property of yours that was damaged during the accident may also result in reimbursement.

Punitive damages could be applied as well, which can increase this amount significantly. The intent behind punitive damages is to help ensure that the negligent person will not act this way again after they had done something that was especially harmful and negligent or reckless. One example could be someone driving at two or more times the speed limit prior to crashing into your vehicle.

Is it Necessary To Drive to Your Office To Be Represented?

Do not worry about driving to our office in order to be represented by our Deerfield Beach car accident attorneys. We can interact with you electronically, including with Docusign, which allows you to enter a legal agreement with us without being physically present at our office. If this is desired, just let us know. We would be happy to make this process as easy of one as possible.

Regardless of if you would like to come to our office or would prefer to instead communicate with us in electronic ways, we will be glad to give you a free consultation regarding your car accident. Call our office at (954) 999-9900 or fill out our free case evaluation below.