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 Should I Do If I am Hit by a Drunk Driver?
If you are hit by a drunk driver then the first thing you need to do is seek medical attention. You should always immediately call 911 or law enforcement to report the incident, and if you believe the other driver is under the influence then you need to tell the law enforcement officers when they arrive on scene. Law enforcement officers are trained to detect whether or not someone is under the influence of alcohol, and if you tell them that you believe the other driver is under the influence then they will conduct their own investigation. They will also document their findings in their police report, so make sure you notify the officer on scene after you received medical attention.
The next thing you should do is contact a lawyer. Like every car accident case, you will benefit from having a lawyer in a car accident case involving a drunk driver. There is a good chance you will be contacted by the at fault driver’s insurance company shortly after the accident. Oftentimes, the other driver’s insurance company will try to get you to settle the case, or they will try to establish that the crash was not a result of their driver being under the influence of alcohol. It’s extremely important that you speak to a lawyer before having this conversation because you could seriously limit the amount of your financial recovery by saying the wrong thing. For instance, if you told the other drivers insurance company that you “don’t feel that bad” and you are willing to settle the case for $5,000.00 if they fix your car, then you may never learn that the insurance company was really willing to pay you $50,000.00. If you don’t have the experience to value a case or the understanding of legal process surrounding a car accident, then you can end up hurting your case more than helping.
Also, your lawyer will investigate the claim to determine whether or not other parties are liable under a dram shop claim. In some situations, if you are hit by an intoxicated person who is coming from a bar or nightclub then you will be able to move forward with a dram shop claim. Dram shop laws impose a duty on a bar or nightclub to monitor the patrons that they are serving alcohol. Dram shop laws also make it unlawful for the bar or nightclub to serve a patron that is already intoxicated. A dram shop claim is based on the premise that the bar or nightclub provided too much alcohol to the person that hit you. While dram shop claims are more rare and harder to prove than a regular car accident claim (you will be required to prove that the person who hit you was actually intoxicated and that they became intoxicated at the bar or nightclub in question), it is important that you discuss your case with an attorney that understands the different claims available to you.
The next thing you should do after speaking to your lawyer is start your follow up treatment. Receiving medical treatment is oftentimes the most important step in healing and getting back to some sort of normalcy after sustaining an injury in a car accident, so make sure you to 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 because insurance companies oftentimes 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 you are 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, but the treatment phase usually last around 3 months to 5 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 demand for settlement or move forward with a lawsuit.
Lastly, stay involved in the criminal case. Your attorney can help you with this, but you should stay in contact with the prosecutor who is prosecuting the DUI case arising out of the person that hit you. Oftentimes, you will have a say in how the DUI case is resolved, and you don’t want to agree to allow the person to plea to a lesser charge because that could impact your personal injury claim. At the Law Office of Matthew C. Williams, we represent our clients as victims in criminal cases and we advocate to the prosecutor on their behalf, but if your lawyer won’t do it for you then you need to do it yourself. It’s that important.
If you have been involved in an accident or hit by a drunk driver then you should contact The Law Office of Matthew C. Williams to determine how to move forward with your case. The other driver’s insurance company will oftentimes claim you are at fault, argue you were intoxicated yourself, or they will deny any liability until you are willing to settle for less than your case is worth, but with the help of Attorney Williams, you will have the same resources, financial backing and experience that the insurance companies have, and you will never feel alone in your fight for justice.
The Law Office of Matthew C. Williams focuses primarily on car accident cases and we take pride in having a personal relationship with our 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 drunk drivers, 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 C. Williams a call to find out what your case is worth today.
by Matt WilliamsCan I File a Personal Injury Claim Against a Bar or a Nightclub if I am Attacked or Sexually Assaulted in the Club?
Yes, you can file a personal injury claim against a bar, nightclub or lounge if you are attacked, sexually assaulted, or injured while you are there. In most cases, lawsuits arising out of a fight or assault at a nightclub are based on negligence. In other words, you can sue the bar or nightclub for failing to take reasonable steps to keep you safe and protect you from foreseeable harm. In some cases, you can also file a dram shop suit against the bar or nightclub for serving the person who assaulted you too much alcohol. Here is a breakdown of the two claims:
Bars and nightclubs, like every business in Florida, have a duty to protect their patrons from foreseeable harm. Given the fact that bars and nightclubs are in the business of serving alcoholic beverages to patrons, fistfights, physical altercations and sexual assaults may be foreseeable depending on the type of establishment it is. For instance, fights, assaults and altercations are probably foreseeable at a local nightclub on a college campus that is known for fights and inebriated students every weekend. A club like that should have security or bouncers on the premises because fights are foreseeable; however, fights are probably not foreseeable at a local restaurant serving mimosas on Sunday morning where there has never been any altercation before. Using our nightclub example from above, the local nightclub should probably have an off-duty police officer present, they should install cameras and they should pat down their patrons to make sure people aren’t bringing weapons onto the property. All of these steps should be taken by the local nightclub to keep their club safe, especially if they know fights or assaults have occurred in the nightclub in the past. If you were injured in the nightclub in the above example and they didn’t have security then you would have a strong negligent security claim to bring against the nightclub. Even if the club had some level of security, you can still move forward with a negligent security claim based on the club having inadequate security. Either way, you should contact an attorney immediately if you are injured while visiting a bar or nightclub to determine whether or not the establishment’s security was adequate.
In some situations, if you are attacked by an intoxicated person in the club then you will be able to move forward with a dram shop claim. Dram shop laws impose a duty on a bar or nightclub to monitor the patrons that they are serving alcohol. Dram shop laws also make it unlawful for the bar or nightclub to serve a patron that is already intoxicated. A dram shop claim is based on the premise that the bar or nightclub provided too much alcohol to the person that attacked you. While dram shop claims are rarer and harder to prove than negligent security claims (you will be required to prove that the person who attacked you was actually intoxicated and that they became intoxicated at the bar or nightclub in question), it is important that you discuss your case with an attorney that understands the different claims available to you.
If you have been attacked or sexually assaulted in a bar or nightclub then you should contact The Law Office of Matthew C. Williams to determine how to move forward with your claim. Nightclub owners and managers will oftentimes claim you are at fault, argue you were intoxicated, or they will deny any liability until you are willing to settle for less than your case is worth, but with the help of Attorney Williams, you will have the same resources, financial backing and experience that bar owners and nightclubs have, and you will never feel alone in your fight for justice.
The Law Office of Matthew C. Williams focuses primarily on negligent security matters and we take pride in having a personal relationship with our 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 nightclub owners, 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 C. Williams a call to find out what your case is worth today.
by Matt WilliamsHow Much Money Can I Get Paid After Being Shot on Someone Else’s Property?
Unfortunately, people are injured in shootings every day. In most cases, the shooter is held criminally responsible for the shooting. In some cases, the owner of the property where the shooting occurred is held liable in civil proceedings for failing to provide adequate security. How? In Florida, property owners and property managers are required to protect individuals on their property from foreseeable third-party crime. That being said, if a property owner or property manager fails to warn you about potential third-party crime, or if they fail to protect you from third party crime, and you are shot, then you should speak to an attorney at The Law Office of Matthew C. Williams about your situation. There is a good chance Attorney Williams can recover money for your injuries.
The exact amount of money that you receive after being injured in a shooting depends on a few factors. The extent of your injuries, your medical bills and the property owner’s insurance policy limits are the three most important components in determining how much money you’ll receive (in most cases businesses have a commercial general liability policy with a $1 million policy limit). Future medical costs, pain and suffering, and how much time you missed from work will also be considered in determining the amount of compensation you’re eligible for. Some people question why the property owner is responsible for a shooting committed by someone else, but the property owner had a legal duty to protect you from the shooting. Also, the purpose of receiving money after a shooting is to “make you whole” again, or to put you back in the position you were in before the shooting. In most cases, making you “whole” is nearly impossible, so the money you receive is supposed to get you back to a place of normalcy like the shooting never happened.
The extent of your injuries is always a major factor in evaluating a negligent security claim, but the exact value of injuries can be difficult to calculate since everyone’s injuries are valued differently. For example, a shooting involving a young Olympic athlete who remains in the hospital for 2 months and can never walk again without assistance will be valued differently than a shooting involving a young man who is grazed in the arm and does not have permanent injuries. That is true because the Olympic athlete’s earning capacity will be diminished much greater than the other young man’s earning capacity. It is also true because the Olympic athlete’s past and future medical costs will be higher, and because the Olympic athlete had to endure much more pain and suffering. Obviously, the young man who was grazed would still receive compensation for his injuries, but the Olympic athlete would likely be able to recover far more for his or her damages given the differences in their injuries.
Medical bills are objective and can be easily calculated, but damages for pain and suffering are extremely subjective. Using our example above, the Olympic athlete and the other young man man will likely recover different amounts of compensation for damages arising out of pain and suffering at the time of the accident since they experienced vastly different injuries. They also had and will have different experiences with how long the pain lasted, how much they continue to suffer and how much they plan to rehabilitate their injuries. The Olympic athlete in our example may require multiple surgeries and physical therapy in the future as he or she attempts to learn to walk/run again, while the young man who was grazed may decide to never seek any follow up treatment. Even when injuries are similar in nature, damages for pain and suffering or future medical costs may be drastically different.
The Law Office of Matthew C. Williams has recovered millions of dollars for clients injured in shootings, and we can help you recover a significant amount of money if you were injured in a shooting as well. If you have been injured in a shooting or some other situation, then you should contact The Law Office of Matthew C. Williams to determine how much compensation you can receive for your injuries. Insurance companies will oftentimes dispute liability, argue your injuries are not as bad as they seem, or they will delay their case until you are willing to settle for less than your case is worth, but with the help of Attorney Williams, you will have the same resources, financial backing and experience that the insurance companies have.
The Law Office of Matthew C. Williams focuses primarily on negligent security matters and we 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 C. Williams a call to find out what your case is worth today.
by Matt WilliamsWhat Should I Do After a Slip and Fall?
Slip and falls are usually unexpected, embarrassing and painful. The last thing anyone wants to do after falling is continue reliving the incident, but here are some steps you should take immediately after falling that may be helpful for you and your attorney in the future.
One of the most important things you need to do is seek medical treatment for your injuries. Oftentimes, the pain you experience immediately after a slip and fall is minimal, but in most cases the pain increases over time. Despite how you initially feel, seeking immediate medical treatment for your injuries is important because it prevents defense lawyers and insurance companies from later arguing that your injuries are superficial or exaggerated. It also documents the fact that you actually have injuries and helps prevent the value of your case from decreasing. You also need to follow any recommendations you receive from your medical provider. If you don’t follow recommendations and/or complete follow up treatment then the value of your case will decline, so make sure you seek medical treatment and follow all of the recommendations that you receive from medical professionals.
If you do not go to the emergency room via ambulance, then you also need to do everything you can to document the incident with the landlord, property owner or store manager before you leave the property. Even if you are taken to the emergency room via ambulance, you should report the incident to the landlord, property owner or store manager over the phone as soon as possible. You also need to make sure the person who you report the incident to documents your slip and fall on some sort of incident report form. Also, do everything you can to get a copy of the incident report or the accident report after the incident is reported. Insurance companies do everything they can to avoid paying out a claim, and taking steps to report the incident can prevent defense lawyers or the insurance company from denying the incident ever happened.
In addition, you should take as many pictures as you can of the area where you fell. You should take pictures from different angles and you should obtain video footage if you can. Your attorney may not be able to obtain surveillance from the store or business, so the photographs and footage that you record may end up being the only visually documentation of the incident that anybody has. Without photos of a wet floor, unsecure floor mat or other dangerous condition, the insurance company will oftentimes deny that there was any substance on the floor in the first place. That being said, take as many phots as you can before the conditions change.
Furthermore, you should try to find out how long the dangerous condition that you slipped on was on the ground. The longer the condition was there the stronger your claim is against the landowner or businessowner. Along those same lines, if the dangerous condition was not there long and the landowner or businessowner was not aware of the dangerous condition then they may not be liable for your injuries, so finding out how long the dangerous condition was present can be helpful as well.
Also, obtain witness information if there are other witnesses present. These witnesses can help verify the fact that you fell, the fact that there was a dangerous condition on the ground and the fact that you did not fall on your own. If you don’t obtain contact information for witnesses who are present then your lawyer may never be able to contact them again.
Last but not least, contact your lawyer. While you don’t always have to call a lawyer the same day you are injured, it’s important to contact a lawyer as soon as possible so your lawyer can take steps to preserve evidence and document your injuries before that information is no longer available. You also want to avoid running into an issue with the statute of limitations as it applies to your slip and fall. The statute of limitations puts a limit on the amount of time that you have to file a lawsuit arising out of your slip and fall. In Florida, if you are injured in a slip and fall then you have four years from the date of the incident to file a lawsuit. If the lawsuit is not filed within that four-year period then you will not be able to move forward with your lawsuit.
If you have been injured in a slip and fall or trip and fall, then call the Law Office of Matthew C. Williams today. We can represent you in your slip and fall claim and we can answer any questions you have about the process of filing a personal injury claim in Florida. We can also talk to you about the value of your case. 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 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.