by Matt WilliamsWhat Is Uninsured Motorist Coverage and Should I Have It in Florida?
Uninsured motorist coverage protects a policyholder who is involved in an accident with an at-fault driver who does not have any liability coverage. Simply put, uninsured motorist coverage will protect you if you are hit by another person that does not have insurance. Along those same lines, underinsured motorist coverage protects a policyholder who is involved in an accident with an at-fault driver whose liability limits are too low to cover property damages or medical expenses.
All drivers in Florida are required to carry some level of personal injury protection (PIP). PIP is insurance that covers the policy holder’s own medical bills when they are injured in a car accident, regardless of who is at fault (i.e., if you get into an accident then your PIP will cover the costs of your own medical bills regardless of who was at fault in the accident). PIP covers up to $10,000 in medical costs related to injuries that the policy holder sustains in an accident, but PIP will not cover more than $10,000 in bills.
If you have more than $10,000 in medical bills then the at fault driver may cover your bills if they have liability coverage, but not all drivers have liability coverage. In fact, one in every eight drivers in the United States does not have insurance, so chances are you may be hit by someone who has no insurance. In a situation where your medical bills are more than $10,000 and the at fault driver has no insurance, you will be responsible for paying your own medical bills out of pocket; which is why you should have uninsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage covers you when the at fault party does not have enough insurance to cover your bills, lost wages and/or your pain and suffering.
In Florida, you can have uninsured motorist coverage for bodily injury claims or property claims, but you are not required to have either one (I still highly recommend having uninsured motorist coverage for both property and bodily injury). If you are involved in an accident you can end up with tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills, you can be forced to stop working and you can be stuck with thousands of dollars in automobile repairs. If you are saddled with bill and unable to work, you credit score will be impacted, your financial stability will be disrupted and you could be forced into bankruptcy. Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage can help cover lost wages and medical bills for both you and any passengers in your car, and uninsured motorist property damage coverage can help pay for vehicle repairs so you don’t have to pay out of pocket. Underinsured motorist coverage works the same way; your policy will cover you in the event the other driver does not have enough insurance to cover all of your medical bills or property damage.
If you have been injured in a car accident then you should contact the Law Office of Matthew C. Williams to discuss your rights and determine whether or not you need to file a claim using your uninsured or underinsured motorist policy. You can also give us a call if you haven’t been in an accident and you just have questions about the pros and cons of adding uninsured or underinsured coverage to your policy. Depending on the facts of your situation and the facts of your case if you have been in an accident, we may be able to hold the at-fault driver or vehicle owner accountable for their negligence and/or find other individuals or companies that may be liable in your case.
There are many benefits to retaining a lawyer after you were injured in a car accident, or when you are deciding what kind of insurance coverage to purchase on your vehicle. Attorney Williams and his legal team focus primarily on personal injury matters and they take pride in having a personal relationship with their clients. Attorney Williams treats his clients like family because he knows what they are dealing with is always more than just a case, and he refuses to let adjusters, defense lawyers, or big insurance stand in the way of getting his clients what they deserve. He obtains results for his clients and he’ll do the same for you, so give The Law Office of Matthew Williams a call to find out what your case is worth today.
by Matt WilliamsCan I Sue a Business if Their Employee Gets into a Car Accident with Me?
Yes, you can file a personal injury claim against another driver that hits you, but you may also be able to file a personal injury claim against the company they were working for if they were on the clock or driving a company vehicle at the time of the crash. It’s best to speak to an attorney to determine whether or not you should file suit against the driver and the company, or just the driver, because there are a number of factors to consider when determining who to sue.
Employers can be held liable for their employees’ negligent acts in a number of situations. Generally, employers are not responsible for their employee’s negligence when the employee is driving to or from work; however, if the employee is driving to work with the intent to use the car or complete tasks for their employer while at work then the employer may be liable for the accident. For example, if a pizza delivery man is driving to work and gets in an accident then the pizza company he works for may be held liable for the accident since the employee was driving to work where they were going to use their car to complete their work. On the other hand, if a McDonald’s cashier got into a car accident on the way to work then McDonald’s would not be liable since the McDonald’s cashier is not required to bring their car to work.
Likewise, if an employee gets into a car accident while they are working or completing a task for their employer then their employer can be held liable for the employee’s actions. For instance, if the pizza delivery man from the example above got into an accident while he was in the process of delivering a pizza then the pizza company can be held liable for the driver’s negligent acts. An employer can also be held liable for negligent hiring if an employee gets into a car accident while working for the employer. In those situations, you will be successful in bringing a negligent hiring claim if you can prove the employer knew the employee had a history of bad driving and the employer still hired the employee to drive.
Regardless of who you are involved in an accident with, your health should always be your number one priority after an accident, so make sure you call 911 and receive immediate medical care if necessary. Once you’re in good health, contact an attorney immediately to determine what your next step should be. Your attorney can speak to you about the value of your case, who is liable in your case and whether or not you can sue the other driver’s employer. Oftentimes, employees are not in uniform or they don’t disclose that they were working at the time of the accident, so it’s important for you to speak to an experienced attorney who has the resources to investigate the individuals involved in your case to determine who can be held liable for your damages. It’s also important for you to speak to an experienced attorney to determine whether or not the driver’s employer is liable because employers generally carry far greater amounts of insurance than an individual driver. If the other driver’s employer is liable, then there will probably be substantially more insurance money available to cover the damages in your case.
If you have been injured in an auto accident, call the Law Office of Matthew C. Williams. We can represent you in your car accident claim and answer any questions you have about the process of filing a personal injury claim or determining who is liable. Attorney Williams treats his clients like family because he knows what they are dealing with is always more than just a case, and he refuses to let adjusters, defense lawyers, or big insurance stand in the way of getting his clients what they deserve. He obtains results for his clients and he’ll do the same for you for you, so give The Law Office of Matthew Williams a call to find out what your case is worth today.
by Matt WilliamsWhat Is the Process if you Sue Someone After a Car Accident?
Car accidents are unexpected, scary, and they have the potential to be life-changing. Anybody who is injured in a car accident may find themselves filing a personal injury claim. When you meet with a lawyer, your lawyer should go over the facts of your case. They should take the time to explain the process of pursuing a personal injury claim. They should answer any questions you have about filing a claim after a car accident. The Law Office of Matthew C. Williams helps car accident victims recover compensation for their injuries. We can help you understand what steps to follow after a car accident.
Your number one priority should always be your health, so make sure you call 911 and receive immediate medical care if necessary. Receiving medical treatment is frequently the most crucial step in healing and getting back to some normalcy after sustaining an injury in a car accident. Make sure you receive treatment as recommended and follow up with your chiropractor, physical therapist, or orthopedic specialist as recommended. It’s also important to continue receiving treatment if you still have symptoms. Insurance companies frequently look at a lack of treatment as an indication that you are no longer injured.
Your attorney will begin requesting copies of your medical records and billing while receiving treatment for your injuries. The length of your treatment will depend on the extent of your injuries and the number of specialists that you are referred to. Still, the treatment phase usually lasts around three months to five months. Once your condition has stabilized enough for your doctors and specialists to draft final reports detailing their opinions regarding your injuries and your future medical care, they will send the final report to your attorney, and your attorney will draft a settlement demand.
The demand for settlement is a settlement offer to resolve your personal injury claim. It will include your doctor’s reports, medical bills, and the amount of money your attorney predicts you will need for future medical bills. The insurance company oftentimes responds back with a counteroffer, and both parties negotiate back and forth until the case is resolved or negotiations come to a stalemate. At some point, a final offer will be received, and it will be your decision as to whether you accept that offer or reject the offer and move forward with a lawsuit.
If the case is not settled, then a lawsuit will be filed (in some cases, your attorney will file the lawsuit and forgo the pre-lawsuit negotiations). Once a lawsuit is filed, the discovery process is initiated. Discovery allows both parties to question the other side about the incident or any factors surrounding the incident. The discovery process includes interrogatories, requests for copies of documents, and depositions, and it can last for months and sometimes even years. Both parties have to produce some of the most common items during a lawsuit, including copies of their driver’s license, tax returns, medical documents, treatment records, mental health records, and employment records. This is because all of that information may become relevant when filing a claim involving bodily injury, lost wages, or mental anguish.
Before your case gets to trial, the court will order both parties to participate in mediation. Mediation is a dispute resolution process where the mediator, a neutral third party, facilitates a discussion between you and the other side in an attempt to reach a voluntary settlement. In many cases, a voluntary mediation occurs at some point during negotiations before a lawsuit is filed. Even when that happens, most courts will require both parties to go back to mediation at some point after the lawsuit is filed but before trial to try to reach an agreement to resolve the matter. Your attorney will sit with you in a room during the mediation, and the attorneys from the other insurance company will be in another room. The mediator will go back and forth between rooms negotiating the case. No mediator can order a settlement between the parties, but a majority of cases resolve at mediation.
While most cases resolve at mediation, if the case does not resolve, then the case will proceed to trial. A trial can take more than a year to take place, and the burden is on your lawyer to prove that the other driver was negligent. Your lawyer will also have to prove the amount of damages you are owed. At trial, you, the other driver, police officers, or doctors who examined you may testify, and the defense will be entitled to put on their case as well. After presenting evidence, a jury will decide whether or not the other driver was negligent and whether their negligence caused your injury. The jury will also decide what amount of damages are appropriate.
If you have been injured in an auto accident, call the Law Office of Matthew C. Williams. We can represent you in your car accident claim and answer any questions you have about the process of filing a personal injury claim in Florida. Attorney Williams treats his clients like family because he knows what they are dealing with is always more than just a case. He refuses to let adjusters, defense lawyers, or big insurance stand in the way of getting his clients what they deserve. He obtains results for his clients, and he’ll do the same for you, so give The Law Office of Matthew Williams a call to find out what your case is worth today.
The Law Office of Matthew Williams is headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida, and focuses primarily on the North Florida areas.
by Matt WilliamsWhy You Need a Lawyer After a Car Accident in Tallahassee, Florida.
You should always contact a lawyer after you’ve been injured in a car accident. Even if you don’t think you are seriously injured, you should still call an attorney to discuss the accident, your injuries and your rights when dealing with insurance companies.
The first benefit of having a lawyer is the actual relationship you have with your lawyer. When you meet with a lawyer, your lawyer should go over the facts of your case. They should take the time to explain the process of pursuing a personal injury claim. They should answer any questions you have about pursuing your claim. The relationship you have with your lawyer is significant. Once you establish that relationship, there is a good chance that you will feel more confident and comfortable pursuing your personal injury claim.
The second benefit is the experience and knowledge your attorney brings to the table. Your insurance company has adjusters and lawyers who begin working on your case immediately. Their adjusters and lawyers are trained by the insurance company, and they work hard to minimize your claim and any potential money they owe you. They have years of experience handling car accident claims, and they’ll be able to take advantage of your lack of training when negotiating a resolution to your case.
The insurance company will often reach out to you and offer you a small payment for your injuries in the days immediately following the car accident. In most cases, if you accept the payment, you will waive your right to pursue any further claim. You need to speak to a lawyer before you accept any payments or settlements from an insurance company. Having a lawyer levels the playing field. In almost every case, having a lawyer increases the compensation you are offered by the insurance company.
Suppose your medical bills exceed the coverage limits of your policy. In that case, you may be required to seek compensation from the other driver’s insurance company. Their adjusters and lawyers are also well trained. Having an attorney to represent you through the bodily injury claim process in Florida can help you receive a higher settlement and protect you from costly mistakes and help obtain a faster payout. An attorney can help with the accident investigation. They can help with your records’ organization for presentation to the insurance company, and your attorney can use their expertise to help determine your case’s value. Your attorney’s understanding of negotiations and experience with the rules of evidence, courtroom procedures, and the local jury pool’s characteristics can also play a major factor in the amount of compensation the insurance company is willing to offer you.
There are many more benefits to retaining a lawyer after your car accident. Still, it’s not just important to choose any lawyer; it’s essential for you to choose the right lawyer. The Law Office of Matthew Williams, in Tallahassee, Florida, focuses primarily on personal injury matters in the North Florida area. They take pride in having a personal relationship with their clients. Attorney Williams treats his clients like family because he knows what they are dealing with is always more than just a case, and he refuses to let adjusters, defense lawyers, or big insurance stand in the way of getting his clients what they deserve. He obtains results for his clients, and he’ll do the same for you, so give The Law Office of Matthew Williams a call to find out what your case is worth today.