When Do I Need a Golf Cart Accident Lawyer in Palm Harbor?

Insurance companies pay out billions of dollars each year to compensate victims of personal injury incidents. To get a claim approved for compensation to pay for the financial losses experienced from a personal injury case, you have to submit persuasive physical evidence, as well as receive legal support in the form of witness accounts that back up your version of events.

Although filing an insurance claim appears to be a straightforward process, you have to remember that insurers are in the business of making money. This means you must submit a claim that leaves no doubt in the mind of an insurance adjuster that you deserve just compensation for your injuries.

An experienced Palm Harbor golf cart accident lawyer can help you submit an insurance claim that receives the approval of an insurance company.

Identify the Party Responsible for Causing You Harm

With the help of a golf cart accident attorney from Morgan & Morgan, the first step for filing an insurance claim is to identify the responsible party. The responsible party can be the driver of another type of motor vehicle or the manufacturer of the golf cart that broke down and caused your injuries. Identifying the manufacturer of the golf cart that caused you harm can be difficult to do unless you work with an experienced Palm Harbor golf cart accident lawyer.

Send a Notification Letter

Another reason to contact a personal injury attorney after a golf cart accident is to have your legal counsel act as the intermediary between you and an insurance company. The first form of communication involves sending a notification letter that informs the insurance company you are filing a claim. After receiving your notification letter, the insurer assigns an adjuster to manage your claim.

Reservation of Rights Letter

A Reservation of Rights letter sent by the insurance company verifies the reception of your claim, as well as explains how the insurer plans to investigate it. Language in the letter should include a sentence or two that explains the possibility of your claim getting denied. The insurance company might request a recorded statement from you, as well as ask you to sign a medical release form.

Collect and Organize Evidence

The collection of evidence phase of the insurance claim process is when your legal counsel provides the most support. You should gather physical evidence, such as photos of the scene where the golf cart incident occurred. The insurance company wants to review copies of your medical records, especially the results of diagnostic tests. If law enforcement arrived at the scene of the golf cart incident, sending a copy of the formal police report should contain the physical evidence you need to build a strong claim.

Demand for Compensation

Your Palm Harbor golf cart accident lawyer calculates a value for the compensation you need to recover from financial losses. Special compensatory damages pay for economic losses, such as medical expenses and the damage done to personal property. General compensatory damages pay for intangible costs such as pain and suffering, which includes recovering from mental anguish and emotional distress. If your personal injury attorney can prove negligence, you might qualify to receive punitive damages.

Negotiations

You should expect the insurance company to propose a settlement offer that is lower than what you demand for compensation. This is the point when negotiations start to reach a middle ground for a financial settlement. Your Palm Harbor golf cart accident lawyer presents a counteroffer to initiate negotiations. If you cannot reach a settlement after a series of counteroffers, the next step in the process involves preparing to litigate your case in front of a civil court judge.

How you react after a golf cart accident goes a long way in determining the success of an insurance claim or even a civil lawsuit. The first thing you want to do is position the golf cart out of harm’s way and ensure everyone at the scene has not suffered any serious injuries. If you sustained a serious injury, you should seek immediate medical care to stabilize your symptoms. Otherwise, remain at the scene of the incident and complete the following steps.

Contact Law Enforcement

Contacting law enforcement accomplishes two important things. First, the officers responding to a call for help conduct an investigation that eventually leads to the submission of the official police report. The official police report includes physical evidence and a conclusion made by law enforcement as to whether negligence played a part in causing the personal injury incident. Second, the arrival of law enforcement removes some of the burden you face when gathering and organizing physical evidence.

Speak With Witnesses

Although law enforcement has arrived at the scene of a golf cart accident, you should still take photos of the scene and collect other types of physical evidence for your Palm Harbor golf cart accident lawyer to review. The most important role you have after a golf cart accident is to get the names and contact information of every witness. Hand over the names and contact information of witnesses to your personal injury attorney. Witness accounts provide legal support for the physical evidence gathered at the scene of the golf cart accident.

Contact Your Insurance Company

Contacting your insurance company after a golf cart incident lets the insurer know that you plan to file a claim. At this point, you do not want to provide details of your injuries or what caused them until you speak with a Palm Harbor golf cart accident lawyer. You simply want to start a file with an insurance company that eventually includes your claim for compensation.

Speak With a Personal Injury Attorney

Although there is not a specific point in the personal injury claims process for you to speak with an attorney, contacting one right after a golf cart accident represents the best time to initiate the insurance claim process. The goal is to schedule a free case evaluation that allows a golf cart accident lawyer in Palm Harbor to examine physical evidence and receive the names and contact information of witnesses.

One important note: Refrain from discussing a golf cart accident with witnesses until your lawyer has met with them to discuss the specifics of your case.

You have decided to hire legal counsel to help you build a strong insurance claim and possibly a civil lawsuit. Now, your attention should turn to finding the right one to represent you.

Networking

Asking for recommendations from friends and family members remains the most effective way to find the most qualified golf cart accident lawyer in Palm Harbor. Networking can reduce the amount of time you spend interviewing potential candidates. If you cannot receive any leads for legal counsel from members of your inner circle, expand your network to include neighbors, attorneys, and professional colleagues. Asking a lawyer who practices another type of law can be a trusted source for you to find the best golf cart accident attorney.

Florida Bar Association

The Florida Bar Association provides helpful resources on its website that include a large database of attorneys practicing law in the Sunshine State. Simply visit the Find a Lawyer page and input criteria into the search boxes to narrow your list of potential candidates. You can search by region, as well as the type of legal practice. Typing “Golf Cart Accident” as the type of legal practice should return a shortlist of experienced Palm Harbor, Florida lawyers.

Online Client Reviews

Online client reviews on sites such as Yelp and Google can confirm your selection of the right golf cart accident lawyer in Palm Harbor. When you read the client reviews of Morgan & Morgan, you should identify common phrases like “transparent fees” and “responsive communicator.” We also have received favorable feedback from the Better Business Bureau (BB), which has awarded us its highest reputation rating of A+.

You have a limited amount of time to file an insurance claim and a civil lawsuit. Florida has established the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit at four years. Although four years seems like more than enough time to build a persuasive case, you should act with a sense of urgency by immediately contacting a Palm Harbor golf cart accident lawyer.

Schedule a free case evaluation with a personal injury attorney from Morgan & Morgan to start the insurance claim process.