VERO BEACH CAR ACCIDENT LAWYER

Vero Beach Auto Accident Lawyers

A Vero Beach Car accident should never happen. All drivers should take necessary precautions and look out for the other driver. This means drivers shouldn’t speed, should keep their eyes on the road, they should be sober, and should be fully awake. Just one Vero Beach car accident can end or change a victim’s life in an instant. Drivers who don’t act responsibly should pay for all the injuries and harm they cause.

To see a map of Vero Beach and the latest Vero Beach car accidents so you know which roads to avoid, try this link.  Information about Indian River County roads and highways can be obtained from the Indian River County – Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (flhsmv.gov)

At Lulich & Attorneys, our skilled Personal Injury Lawyers have the experience and resources to help you get justice. We work with investigators and traffic reconstruction experts (when necessary) to determine how the accident happened and who is responsible. We work with your employers and physicians to verify all your lost income and your full medical condition. In many Vero Beach car accident cases, we settle with the insurance company. If the insurance companies are not being fair, we’re ready to try your case before a jury of your peers.

Click here to read our Free Car Accident Guidebook.

How often do car accidents happen?

According to Safer America, in 2019, 38,800 died in US car accidents. More than ½ of those who died were involved in a one-vehicle car crash. Half of those killed were the driver. Passengers accounted for 17% of the deaths. Pedestrians accounted for 16 % of the people killed in car accidents. The risks of a vehicle crash were highest for teenagers who accounted for 233,845 car accident injuries in 2015.

In 2015, seniors (65 and older) accounted for 18% of all deaths and 10% of all injuries.

What are the basic insurance requirements for car owners in Vero Beach?

Florida requires that car owners have the following two types of insurance – each in the minimum amount of $10,000.

• Personal Injury Protection (PIP). This insurance covers your necessary and reasonable medical bills up to the policy limits – regardless of fault.
• Property Damage Liability (PDL). This coverage applies to any damage to your vehicle or the cost to replace it – also, regardless of fault.

All Vero Beach car owners should carry much more than minimums. Just one night in a hospital can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Most new vehicles cost $20,000 and more.

Car owners should also buy:

• Bodily insurance. This pays for the pain and suffering, medical bills, and lost wages of victims – if you cause a Vero Beach car accident.
• Uninsured/Underinsured (UM/UIM) insurance. This coverage pays your pain and suffering, medical bills, and lost wages – if the other insurance coverages aren’t enough.
• Comprehensive damage. This pays for damage to your vehicle other than damage to a collision. It generally covers fire, theft, vandalism, and other causes

Generally PIP insurance covers:

• The car owner
• Any household relatives who are injured while driving or as passengers
• Any passengers in the vehicle
• A bicycle rider or pedestrian who is struck by your vehicle

Bodily insurance coverage generally covers the owner of the car and any driver the owner permits to use the car – though exceptions may apply.

When should you get a Vero Beach accident lawyer?

You call an experienced Vero Beach car accident lawyer as soon as possible after an accident for many reasons. A skilled and respected car crash lawyer will:

• Send investigators to the scene of the accident. It’s important to examine the road conditions as nearly as possible to the time of the accident. Investigators will take pictures and videos of the accident site. They’ll examine exactly how many lanes there are, where the turn signals or traffic signs are, and many other road conditions. Investigators will also examine the vehicles (yours and any other vehicles) to determine where the damage is. Often the location of the car damage and the severity of the damage indicate who is at fault for the accident. Investigators will also speak with witnesses while the events of the car accident are fresh in their minds.
• Review your medical priorities. Our Vero Beach accident lawyers will review the hospitals you visited – such as Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital We’ll discuss the doctors you’re seeing. In some cases, we may direct you to other physicians depending on your injuries. We’ll also explain who pays for your medical bills initially. In some cases, we’ll work out arrangements (through a letter of protection) with your health care providers to defer payment until your case settles or there’s a verdict.
• Explain that it’s critical not to discuss settlement with any insurance companies. Insurance companies will try to offer a quick settlement. You should leave any settlement discussions to your Vero Beach personal injury lawyer. Once you settle your case, there’s no do-over. An experienced car accident lawyer doesn’t begin to discuss settlement until the full status of your medical problems is known. The lawyer also will explain who is responsible for your accident. In many car accident cases, defendants other than the driver may be liable for your injuries.
• Conduct discovery. In almost every car accident case in Vero Beach, your lawyer will submit written questions to all the defendants and review the written questions that are sent to you. The lawyer will set up depositions (oral questions) of the defendants and witnesses to get their version of the accident on the record. We’ll also request any relevant documents such as copies of the insurance policies for each defendant.

Lawyers perform many other tasks depending on how the accident happened, your injuries, and many other factors.

What steps should you take after a car accident in Vero Beach?

Your first priority after a car crash is to seek medical care – either at a local emergency room or with your local family doctor. You need to seek prompt medical care for two reasons. First, the sooner you see a doctor, the sooner he/she can make a diagnosis and prescribe the treatments you need to start your recovery. The second reason is that if you don’t seek prompt medical care, the insurance company will argue that your injuries just aren’t that serious.

At the accident site, you should exchange contact information such as your name, address, phone number, and insurance carrier with the other drivers. You’ll need to cooperate with the police when they arrive at the scene. The Vero Beach police will normally ask for your driver’s license, car registration, and insurance information. They’ll also ask you what happened – which means you need to be careful not to admit you were partially at fault in any way or that you’re not in any pain if you are hurting. You should also keep any information your receive from any of the other drivers. If there are witnesses, you should try to get their contact information.

You should take out your smartphone and take pictures of the accident site and any damage to all of the vehicles. If you’re bleeding or hurt, you (or a passenger in your car) should take photos of yourself. The photos should show how horrible you look not how pretty or handsome you look.

You should notify your insurance carrier about the accident. Your carrier has the right to know there was an accident so they can conduct their own investigation.

Car accident victims should contact their Vero Beach attorney as we discussed earlier.

What does a Vero Beach car accident lawyer do?

There are many things respected Vero Beach car crash attorneys do to fight for injury victims and to earn their fee. Some of these tasks include the following:

• We advise clients about their initial duties after an accident. These duties begin with seeking medical care. If you haven’t spoken with your insurance carrier, we make the call to the carrier for you. The carrier, in turn, may call you directly.
• We explain how the litigation process works. Our Vero Beach car accident lawyers have a strong track record of success negotiating settlements with insurance companies. When necessary, we’re ready to try your case before a jury. The cases don’t settle on their own. Many cases don’t settle until all the preparation work has been done, your medical problems have stabilized, and the interrogatories and depositions are complete. We guide you through the initial complaint and pleadings, the discovery process, the motion process, any arbitration, the settlement negotiation, and the trial.
• Our lawyers identify who is responsible for the accident. Often the owners of the car, if different from the driver, are responsible. Many other defendants may also be responsible. Once we know who may be liable, we notify and negotiate with the liability insurance carriers.
• We work with your medical team. This work includes obtaining medical reports that fully diagnose your injuries, identify the treatments, identify all your pain and suffering, and detail your likely prognosis when the treatments are complete. We also obtain all the medical bills for all your treatments including hospital stays, doctor visits, therapy sessions, medications, and medical devices.
• We work with you and the people in your life to show just how traumatic the injuries are. We detail your physical pain and emotional suffering.
• We conduct discovery as explained above to fully understand the facts surrounding the car accident and your injuries.

Our lawyers understand how the negotiation process works. There’s a time to start the negotiation process. There’s an art to negotiating. Often the final settlement occurs after several offers and count-offers.

If the case doesn’t settle, we prepare your case for trial. This includes reviewing the state laws that apply to car accident cases. Preparation includes sessions with you so you can anticipate the questions that the defense lawyers will likely ask. Preparation includes identifying what evidence needs to be presented, who will testify, and what exhibits will be introduced.

Why does a Vero Beach motor vehicle accident happen?

Common types of driver negligence include:

• Driving while intoxicated. Drivers who have a high blood alcohol level are likely to have slow reaction times, likely to fail to see emergencies, likely to swerve into other lanes, and be a constant danger. Man drunk drivers also speed.
• Distracted drivers. Drivers who are distracted don’t focus on the road, don’t respond to emergencies well, and often have one or both hands off the wheel. The most dangerous type of driver distraction is texting while driving.
• Tired drivers. Drivers who don’t have enough rest are a danger to themselves and others.
• Drivers can cause a car crash if they driver over the speed limit or drive too fast for weather and traffic conditions.

Driver negligence also includes:

• Reckless driving
• Not merging or passing the correct way
• Not being ready for bad weather such as a high sun

Manufacturers of defective car parts such as tires, airbags, and steering columns may be strictly liable for a car crash. Vendors of alcohol may also be liable if intoxication is the cause of the Vero Beach car accident.

What are the various types of Vero Beach car accidents?

Some car accidents are more likely to be fatal than others. Many times, the way a car accident happens is indicative of how the crash occurred. We represent car accident victims in all kinds of accidents including:

• Head-on accidents. Here, the fronts of both cars collide. These crashes are often fatal. They generally occur because a driver enters the wrong lane because the driver is drunk or distracted.
• Rear-end accidents. Here, a driver who is stopped (such as when he/she is waiting for a red light) is struck in the rear by a distracted driver. The driver in the rear is almost always responsible. Common injuries include whiplash and soft-tissue injuries.
• These car accidents involve the sides of both cars colliding. Common causes include improper passing or improper merging.
• Broadside-collisions (also known as T-Bone collisions). In this type of crash, the front of one car strikes the side of the other car. The driver of the car whose front is damaged is often responsible. These accidents can be fatal or cause catastrophic injuries.
• Single-car crashes. In these very common crashes, the passenger has the right to file a claim against the driver. Common causes include speeding, driver distraction, and drunk driving.
• Multi-car pileups. These accidents are generally due to some type of chain reaction. These cases require skilled Vero Beach lawyers because they involve many plaintiffs and many defendants.

Our legal team works with the police, investigators, and others to help determine exactly how each type of accident happens and who should be held accountable.

Should I get a lawyer when the car accident wasn’t my fault?

Yes.  The people who caused your injuries or the death of a loved one should be held accountable for the harm and the tragedies they cause.

Possible defendants in Vero Beach car accident cases include:

• The driver of the car
• The owners of the car – if they differ from the driver
• The makers and sellers of defective auto parts
• An entity that sells alcohol to a driver who then causes a car crash due to inebriation

Other defendants depending on the circumstances of the accident

The Florida Department of Transportation or other governmental agencies may also be responsible.

What medical care do Vero Beach car accident victims usually need?

In the saddest cases, a beloved family dies due to the fault of another. When this occurs, we file wrongful death claims on behalf of the family of the victim.

Common car accident injuries that usually require ER treatment, care with specialists, and extensive therapy include:

• A TBI – a traumatic brain injury
• Damage to the spine including paralysis
• Broken bones
• Internal organ damage
• Muscle damage
• Soft tissue injuries
• Back, neck, and shoulder injuries
• Amputation
• Burn injuries
• Cuts and bruises
• Ligament and nerve damage

Many victims seek emotional care with psychologists in addition to all the physical care they require.

Can you get compensation if a Vero Beach car accident was not your fault?

Car accident victims are entitled to the following damages from liable drivers:

• Payment for all their medical bills
• All lost wages and income
• Compensation for pain and suffering
• Scarring and disfigurement damages
• Loss of consortium for the victim and the victim’s spouse

In malicious or completely irresponsible cases, we demand punitive damages.

Speak with a skilled Vero Beach accident lawyer today

At Lulich & Attorneys, we have earned the respect of insurance carriers and defense lawyers for our tenacity in pursuing our clients’ claims. We guide each accident victim through the claims process.

We also represent victims of all other types of vehicle accidents.

Our Car Accident Attorneys serve Sebastian, Vero Beach, and all Vero Beach communities. The law offices of Lulich & Attorneys want you to be informed and protected! Call for your Free Consultation today! We handle all car accident cases on a contingency fee basis. You can reach us in Vero Beach at (321) 341-7263 or use our contact form to schedule an appointment.

Providing Strong Advocacy for Drivers, Passengers, Pedestrians, and Bicyclists

A car accident changes lives in a moment, and in tragic cases, it can end lives. Accidents occur on various highways and roads in and around Sebastian, Vero Bean, Fellsmere, Indian River Shores, and Orchid. If you’re on the road, you are at risk for being involved in a crash. Unfortunately, some of these accidents are caused by negligent drivers who are distracted, speeding, or failing to follow traffic rules. If you are involved in an accident, it’s in your best interest to work with an experience Personal Injury Attorney at Lulich & Attorneys. We move quickly to investigate the cause of the accident and identify everyone responsible for causing it.

Protecting the Innocent From the Negligent Drivers

If you have been injured in a car accident, having a knowledgeable Personal Injury Attorney on your side can help you get the settlement you deserve. At Lulich & Attorneys we have helped countless people who have been injured due to the negligent driving of another. Examples include:

• Driving Under the Influence
  Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a leading cause of car accidents. Drunk drivers don’t have control of their vehicles. Responsible safe drivers have no way of anticipating which way a drunk driver is going to go – making it extremely difficult to avoid an accident.
• Distracted Drivers
  Drivers who don’t have their eyes on the road, their hands on the steering wheel, and their minds on traffic conditions are dangerous. Examples of distracted driving include texting while driving, talking on the phone, eating, and looking at a GPS system.
• Speeding
  Going over the speed limit or going too fast for weather and traffic conditions is another leading cause of car accidents.
• Tired Drivers
  Sleepy drivers, especially truck drivers, pose risk to everyone on the road. They can be just as dangerous as someone who is driving under the influence of alcohol.

Personal Injury Attorneys That Get the Justice You Deserve

Being involved in a car accident is a serious matter that should not be taken lightly. There are numerous steps you need to take after a car accident. Working with a seasoned Personal Injury Attorney at Lulich & Attorneys will help guide you through each step of the litigation process. In addition to car accidents, our firm handles other types of vehicle accidents such as truck, bus, taxi, rideshare, and motorcycle. You pay nothing until we win your case.