A Delray Beach Injury Lawyer Serving You
After you have been injured, there are a number of legal aspects that you need to familiarize yourself if you want to improve your chances of recovering compensation from the party who caused your injury. To help you understand each and every one of these legal aspects in more depth, reach out to a Delray Beach personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your injury has occurred.
Step One: Understanding Who Is at Fault
The first step in a personal injury case that a Delray Beach personal injury attorney can help you with is to understand who is at fault for your injuries. Sometimes, this is much more straightforward than it is in others. For example, take a car accident that was caused by a drunk driver. In this case, the drunk driver is most likely the only liable party, as the accident would not have occurred by for the actions of the driver.
In a truck accident claim, though, things can be more complicated. First of all, you will have to have a thorough understanding of how the accident occurred in the first place – was it the fault of the driver? The truck manufacturer? A cargo shipper or loader? Then, there is the issue of vicarious liability – even if it was the truck driver's fault, the truck driver's employer may be the party that is held liable.
It is important to understand that more than one party may be at fault for your injuries. Any party who acted outside of what is considered reasonable or rational behavior, or violated a law or statute, may be to blame for negligence.
What Are Compensatory Damages in a Personal Injury Case?
The next thing that you should understand is the definition of compensatory damages in a personal injury case. Essentially, this refers to the different things that you can recover compensation for. This includes:
- Income – If you have lost income due to your injuries and are unable to work, then the at-fault party may be responsible for paying for this lost income.
- Medical bills – If you have been injured, it is also likely that you have accrued medical bills. These are known as economic losses.
- Pain and suffering – Many injuries cause physical pain and mental suffering for the affected victim. Serving Delray Beach personal injury attorneys can help you to prove that you should be entitled to pain and suffering damages.
- Emotional distress – Like pain and suffering, you may have experienced emotional distress, too. In fact, you may have even developed depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder as a direct consequence of your accident.
- Loss of consortium – Loss of consortium is a term used to describe the effect that your injury has on the intimate relationship with your spouse; if it has been negatively affected, loss of consortium damages may be recoverable.
If you believe that you should be able to recover the damage types above, do not wait to call Delray Beach personal injury lawyers.
What Is a Statute of Limitations?
The last important thing that you should understand is Florida's statute of limitations. A statute of limitations is a law that places a time limit on the amount of time that you have to file a personal injury action after you incur an injury. In Florida, the time limit is four years under Florida 2015 Statutes Section 95.11.
Contact a Delray Beach Personal Injury Lawyer now
If you are ready to meet with a personal injury lawyer to discuss your claim today, call Blakeley Law Firm, P.A. to schedule your consultation now. Serving Delray Beach, personal injury lawyer Jarrett Blakeley will work hard to make sure your rights are protected! Call now to learn more.