If you were injured in a catastrophic accident due to someone else’s negligence, you could be entitled to financial compensation in a personal injury lawsuit. Contact a Lakeland catastrophic injury lawyer at Thomas C. Grajek, Attorney At Law, who can help at (863) 999-9000.
When accidents happen in Lakeland, Florida, the results can be severe and devastating. A catastrophic accident is one that can permanently change your life and make it hard to return to the lifestyle you once enjoyed. It only takes one moment to change your life forever.
You’ll need trustworthy and knowledgeable legal help to maximize your personal injury claim. Thomas C. Grajek, Attorney At Law is a Lakeland, FL, personal injury law firm with experience helping clients recover financially after they suffer serious injuries in a catastrophic accident. Contact our law office today to schedule your free consultation.
How Thomas G. Grajek, Attorney at Law, Can Help You After a Catastrophic Accident in Lakeland
After a catastrophic accident in Lakeland, Florida, you could be overwhelmed by the physical and emotional trauma involved. You will also face medical bills, lost income, out-of-pocket costs, and other expenses due to the accident. Holding the at-fault party responsible for your damages is a job an experienced Lakeland personal injury lawyer can take on for you.
A Lakeland personal injury attorney will carefully investigate the facts of your accident and take action for you.
Some steps our law office can help you with include:
- Meeting you for a free consultation to talk about your legal rights and options;
- Investigating the accident and details involved;
- Gathering evidence, including police reports, photos, video footage, and physical evidence to support your claim;
- Negotiating a potential settlement with insurance companies on your behalf;
- Filing a personal injury lawsuit when insurers won’t offer a fair settlement;
- Fighting for you through every step of a personal injury lawsuit;
- Taking your case to trial when needed
At Thomas C. Grajek, Attorney At Law, our Lakeland catastrophic accident lawyer will stand by your side and fight for the payment you deserve after a devastating accident. Contact our law office today, and we’ll schedule a free consultation for you with a Lakeland catastrophic accident attorney.
How Much Does Hire a Lawyer in a Lakeland Catastrophic Accident Case Cost?
In a catastrophic accident case, lawyers will usually work on a contingent fee basis. This means you are not required to pay attorney’s fees upfront to get quality legal help. Under a contingent fee arrangement, your attorney will collect a percentage of the overall financial award once your case is successfully resolved.
Your personal injury lawyer in a catastrophic accident case may also advance the costs involved with the insurance claims process and obtaining evidence for your claim. A lawyer may also hire experts, file court papers, and handle other tasks involved with your case without requiring you to pay costs upfront. These costs connected to your case will ultimately be paid by your final financial award when your case is settled.
In a contingency case, you are not required to pay attorney’s fees if you do not win your case. You risk nothing, then, by asking a personal injury lawyer for help and setting up a consultation. Attorney Thomas G. Grajek will gladly meet with you and talk about the facts of your case and potential legal options.
What Is a Catastrophic Accident?
Catastrophic accidents are those resulting in injuries that significantly disrupt a victim’s life. These accidents can happen in a number of different ways, and almost anyone can be affected.
Catastrophic accidents can include:
- Car accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Slips and falls
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Construction accidents.
When these or other types of accidents cause severe injuries that impact your future, you could be entitled to compensation from whoever was at fault. Catastrophic accidents normally require serious medical help, multiple treatments and surgeries, long-term rehabilitation, home medical equipment, and other forms of medical care. Catastrophic injuries can also cause you to miss work and even reduce your future earning potential. In some serious cases, a catastrophic accident can cause permanent disfigurement, disability, or wrongful death.
What Are Common Injuries in a Catastrophic Accident?
Catastrophic accidents can cause many injuries, but some are more common than others.
Frequent injuries caused by negligence in a catastrophic accident include:
- Fractured bones
- Concussions
- Skull fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Soft tissue damage
- Loss of vision or hearing
- Loss of limbs
- Permanent disfigurement
- Paralysis
- Wrongful death
If you were injured in a catastrophic accident, you could suffer ongoing pain, mental anguish, lost income, reduced quality of life, reduced future earnings, permanent disability, and other devastating consequences from the accident. Your personal injury lawyer will seek to address the full scope of your injuries and damages after a catastrophic accident in Lakeland, Florida.
What Is My Catastrophic Accident Case Worth?
In a catastrophic accident case, you could recover economic damages and non-economic damages in a personal injury claim.
Economic damages include your financial losses, such as:
- Medical bills
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Costs of future medical treatment
- Property damage
- Lost income
- Reduced future earning potential
Your personal injury lawyer will help you show proof of your lost wages, medical costs, out-of-pocket expenses, and even the costs of potential future medical treatment and lost earning capacity.
Non-economic damages include the psychological damage caused by a catastrophic accident. Mental distress, pain and suffering, loss of companionship with a loved one, disability, disfigurement, and other devastating long-term costs of an accident can fall within the category of non-economic damages in a catastrophic injury claim.
What Is Negligence and How Do I Prove It?
Personal injury claims after a catastrophic accident rely on the legal theory of negligence. Negligence occurs when someone fails to use a reasonable level of care and caution under the circumstances. In order to collect financial compensation after a catastrophic accident, you must prove that the other individual or entity was negligent.
The burden of proof for negligence in a catastrophic accident claim is “preponderance of the evidence”. What this means is you have to show the other party was more likely than not responsible for your injuries.
Negligence is shown by proving four separate elements:
- Duty of Care: Someone owed you a duty of care in the situation.
- Breach of Duty: The person at fault violated their duty of care to you.
- Causation: There was a causal connection between the catastrophic accident and your injuries.
- Damages: You suffered injuries as a result of all the above, reflected by medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Evidence used by your attorney will often include:
- Medical bills
- Medical reports
- Reports and testimony from medical experts
- Testimony from accident reconstruction experts
- Photos from the scene of the accident
- Video footage showing the accident
- Eyewitness statements and testimony
- Police reports
- Reports from occupational experts about your ability to return to work
The Lakeland catastrophic accident lawyer at Thomas C. Grajek, Attorney At Law will fight aggressively for your legal rights using all available evidence.
Do I Still Have a Personal Injury Claim if I Was Partially At Fault For an Accident in Florida?
Florida law allows you to recover financial compensation even if you share some fault for the accident. Under Florida’s comparative negligence law, accident victims can pursue a personal injury claim if they are not more than 50% at fault for the accident. However, your recovery could be reduced by your percentage of fault.
For example, if you were considered 25% responsible for a catastrophic accident, you can still pursue a personal injury claim. However, in this scenario, if the total financial award was $100,000, your award would be reduced by 25% to $75,000.
A skilled Florida catastrophic accident lawyer will work to maximize your share of the payout, even if you shared some percentage of fault. Even if you think you were partly to blame for an accident, do not let that stop you from contacting a Lakeland personal injury lawyer.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim in a Florida Catastrophic Accident Case?
The statute of limitations for filing a catastrophic injury lawsuit is two years in most situations.
The time period to file generally starts from either:
- The date of the accident
- The day your injuries were known or should have been known to you
- The date of death in a wrongful death claim
A skilled Lakeland catastrophic accident lawyer will help you prepare your claim and file before the deadline. Often, it is better to file sooner than later. Evidence is easier to access and witness recollections are stronger when a case proceeds closer to the date of the accident.
Contact a Lakeland Catastrophic Accidents Lawyer For a Free Consultation Today
Catastrophic accidents can happen out of nowhere and have devastating effects in Lakeland, FL. In some cases, they can lead to life-long damages. At Thomas C. Grajek, Attorney At Law, we have helped accident victims get the financial recovery they deserve after serious accidents. Call our Lakeland catastrophic accident lawyer to schedule your free consultation.
Lakeland Emergency Rooms
- HCA Florida Lakeland Emergency – 3526 Florida Ave S, Lakeland, FL 33803
*Disclaimer – we do not endorse these companies or profit from having them listed on our website.
Hospitals in Lakeland:
- Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center – 1324 Lakeland Hills Blvd, Lakeland, FL 33805, United States
- HCA Florida Lakeland Emergency – 3526 Florida Ave S, Lakeland, FL 33803, United States
- Lakeland Regional Health Grasslands Campus – 3030 Harden Blvd, Lakeland, FL 33803, United States
*Disclaimer – we do not endorse these companies or profit from having them listed on our website.