Port Orange Personal Injury Lawyer

Have you or someone you love been hurt in an accident in Port Orange, Florida? Knowing what to do next can be difficult, especially when you’re facing medical bills, loss of income from being off work while recovering, and seemingly nonstop pain and suffering. You deserve compensation from whoever caused your injuries, and Zimmet & Zimmet can help you get it.

Since 1975, our firm has been dedicated to helping accident victims in Port Orange and beyond get the money they need for injuries that weren’t their fault. What’s kept us in business for five-plus decades? Our commitment to our clients. While other firms look at accident victims as just another case number, we treat our clients as people who need our help. We see them as our neighbors, because they are. That’s why we get to know our clients and their families, understand their concerns, and learn their goals. Armed with this knowledge, we can provide them with the guidance and advice they need in order to make the best decisions for themselves.

Don’t wait to put our 50-plus years of experience and our commitment to excellence to work for you. Contact Zimmet & Zimmet today for a free consultation with a Port Orange personal injury lawyer, and let’s get to work right away.

Why Should I Hire a Port Orange Personal Injury Attorney?

Life is hard enough after a serious accident without the headache of a personal injury case, too. At the same time, preparing a lawsuit and negotiating with insurance companies may be the only way to get you the money you need to move on with your life. How do you assert your rights while keeping your sanity? You turn to the team at Zimmet & Zimmet.

While you rest, recover, and spend time with your loved ones, we’ll do the hard work of:

• Investigating the incident to determine who’s to blame
• Identifying all potential sources of compensation, including available insurance policies
• Consulting experts as necessary to calculate the fair value of your claim
• Negotiating for a settlement that pays you without the need to ever step foot in a courtroom
• Preparing for trial and going to court if litigation becomes the best way to assert your rights.

Throughout the process, we’ll always treat you with the compassion, respect, and understanding you deserve. In addition, when you hire Zimmet & Zimmet, you pay no upfront attorney’s fees. Instead, our law firm is only paid upon securing compensation in your case. You have nothing to lose and plenty to gain by contacting a Port Orange personal injury attorney with our firm today.

How Do I Know If I Have a Personal Injury Claim?

You know you’ve been injured, and you know you’re dealing with bank account-draining expenses, but how do you know if you have a viable personal injury claim? You could be entitled to compensation if:

• You suffered actual, tangible harm
• Someone else behaved carelessly, intentionally, or with some other legal fault
• The harm you suffered was the direct result of that other party’s behavior
• The harm you suffered can be addressed through financial compensation

When you meet with us, we will ask you about what happened and review any evidence you can bring to us. After doing so, we can give you a better idea about your prospects. Contact Zimmet & Zimmet today and ask for a free consultation.

What Damages Could I Be Entitled to in a Personal Injury Case?

Depending on the nature of the case, an accident victim could be entitled to personal injury compensation for their:

• Medical expenses covering healthcare-related costs stemming from the injury, such as emergency room visits, surgical procedures, medications, durable medical equipment, and any necessary follow-up care or rehabilitation
• Lost wages accounting for the income the injured person was unable to earn due to their injury, including future lost earnings if the injury impacts their ability to work in the same capacity as before
• Pain and suffering, referring to both the physical pain and the emotional distress the victim experiences as a result of the injury, including long-term trauma, discomfort, and a reduced quality of life
• Property damage reimbursement for the cost of repairing or replacing items damaged in the accident, such as vehicles, personal belongings, and other tangible assets
• Loss of consortium, which is the loss of companionship, care, and emotional support the victim provides to their close family members

There are complex laws that surround finding other sources of recovery beyond the at-fault parties’ insurance policy. It is extremely important to hire an experienced lawyer who not only understands how to find other sources of recovery but will leave no stone unturned during the investigation to find them. Many times this is the difference between no recovery and recovering millions of dollars.

Can I Still Get Compensation If I Was Partly to Blame for My Injuries?

Florida law acknowledges that accident victims who are not more to blame for their injuries than other at-fault parties can still recover compensation. Under the comparative fault rule, a court may assign each party involved in a personal injury lawsuit a percentage of fault based on how their actions led to the victim’s injuries. The victim may recover compensation so long as they are not more than 50 percent to blame. However, each percentage of fault reduces their compensation in kind. So, an accident victim found to be 25 percent at fault for their injuries would have their recovery reduced by that 25 percent.

The comparative fault rule applies directly to lawsuits, not out-of-court settlements. However, insurance companies make their decisions based on what they think would happen in court. If the at-fault party’s insurer thinks you were partially to blame for the accident, it will reduce the settlement figure accordingly.

This dynamic is why it’s so important to work with an experienced personal injury attorney. They know how to investigate an accident thoroughly, recover proof that the other party was to blame, and maximize your compensation accordingly. Without a lawyer’s help, you might be unable to assert your rights — and recover fair compensation — to the fullest.

How Long Do I Have in Florida to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

Florida law imposes a two-year statute of limitations on personal injury lawsuits based on negligence. If someone else’s carelessness led to your injuries, you have two years from the date the incident happened to file suit against them. While certain circumstances could increase the time you have to take action, don’t put your right to compensation at risk. Instead, get in touch with a personal injury lawyer in Port Orange immediately so we can get started on your case.

How Long Does a Typical Personal Injury Case Last?

A number of factors can affect how long it takes to resolve a given personal injury case, including:

On the short end, a relatively simple case with clear-cut fault could last just a few months. On the longer side of things, a complex case with multiple at-fault parties, each attempting to limit their liability, could take a year or longer. A lawyer from Zimmet & Zimmet can give you a better idea of what to expect after reviewing your case carefully.

What Must Be Proven in a Personal Injury Claim?

Lawyers can bring personal injury claims under a number of different legal theories, each with a different set of elements they must prove in order to win. Most personal injury suits allege negligence on the part of the at-fault party, arguing that they did not behave carefully enough given the circumstances. In order to win such a case, your lawyer would need to prove:

• That the other party owed you a duty of care
• That the other party violated that duty in some way
• That you suffered injuries for which you can be compensated
• That your injuries were the direct result of the other party’s violation of their duty to you

Your lawyer could also build your case on the theory of negligence per se. Under this theory, your lawyer argues that the other party broke a law meant to keep you safe, in which case their negligence can be presumed. For example, they might show that the other driver was texting while driving in violation of Section 316.306 of the Florida Statutes.

Another common theory of fault is strict liability, which may apply to cases involving defective products or dog bites. In these cases, a lawyer would show that the other party committed a certain action that makes them inherently liable for injuries absent other factors. For example, if a vehicle parts manufacturer releases an airbag that deploys suddenly without warning, that company is likely strictly liable for any injuries drivers suffer as a result.

What Are Common Personal Injury Cases?

Practically any situation in which one person causes another person harm can result in a personal injury case. That said, some of the most common types of personal injury cases include the following:

What Types of Injuries Happen Due to Personal Injury Accidents?

Depending on the nature of the personal injury accident, victims can suffer injuries like the following:

Contact a Port Orange Personal Injury Attorney Today

Have you been injured in an accident in Port Orange, Florida? If someone else was to blame, the team with Zimmet & Zimmet will fight to have them compensate you fully and fairly. Contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced Port Orange personal injury lawyer, and let’s discuss your next steps together.