AUTO ACCIDENTS

Jacksonville Auto Accident Lawyers

There are many things that an insurance company won’t tell you after a car accident. One is this: The fact that the other driver received a ticket for the accident cannot be used to prove fault in a Florida court. Without other evidence of fault, the insurance company for the other driver could (and probably will) say you were partially at fault for the accident and reduce the amount it pays you.

At The Howell Law Firm in Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beach, Florida, our lawyers offer a free initial consultation to meet with you and provide you with information that every Florida car accident victim should know. We will do this at no charge and with no obligation to hire us.

In Florida, you can collect compensation if you are partially (or even mostly) at fault for the car accident. However, your recovery will be reduced by any percentage by which you were at fault. Therefore, it’s important to collect and preserve evidence of fault such as statements from witnesses, photographs of accident scenes and photographs of vehicle damage.

Don’t Sign Any Insurance Documents Without Legal Advice

One thing that insurance companies will do after an auto accident is ask you to sign documents without explaining the consequences of doing so.

One document they may ask you to sign is an authorization for the insurance company to directly contact your doctor (and even doctors you saw before the car accident) to get your medical records. Medical information should not be provided directly to the insurance company without your having an opportunity to review those records. This information may be inaccurate and may even have nothing to do with the accident.

The insurance company may also ask you to sign a release. Signing a release can result in you forfeiting your right to any further compensation for your injury. You should not sign a release until your medical treatment is completed, your doctor has done a final evaluation report, and an attorney has told you the amount of money you should be entitled to as a settlement.