Tampa Car Repair Injury

During a free case evaluation with one of the personal injury attorneys at Morgan and Morgan, the lawyer sitting across from you reviews your case to determine the cause of the auto collision. Knowing what caused your injuries helps your attorney decide whether negligence played a role in the vehicle collision. Although a wide variety of reasons can lead to a destructive auto crash, three causes stand out as the most common when it comes to car accidents.

Distractions

Although many states impose strict penalties on drivers who text and drive, Florida has yet to pass a stringent law that prohibits the potentially deadly practice. State law slaps a fine on first offenders that starts at $30 and can be more than $100 for an especially flagrant violation of the law. Official data released by the state demonstrates Florida does not do a good job of enforcing the law. This means drivers are not deterred from texting and driving.

If you sustained injuries because of a driver who was texting while driving, you might be able to prove the other driver committed an act of negligence. Proving negligence is the heart of every civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages. Working with one of the car accident specialists at Morgan and Morgan can help you build a strong enough case that shows the negligent act of texting and driving caused you to sustain injuries.

Driving While Intoxicated

Researchers have completed numerous studies that show drivers under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol make poor decisions and display dramatically slower reaction times. Driving while intoxicated is a clear example of negligence. However, the key is to obtain the formal police report that includes the result of a sobriety test. Like many states, Florida has established a maximum blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent. Any reading above the maximum BAC of 0.08 percent means the other driver violated a Florida vehicle operation statute.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving covers several traffic infractions. The most common types of reckless driving maneuvers include speeding and running a red light. Traveling above the speed limit on Tampa roads and highways shorten the amount of time drivers have to react. The traffic infraction also produces much stronger impacts when a speeding motorist crashes into another vehicle.

Running a red light also involves speeding, as a driver has to accelerate to try and beat the light before it turns red. This type of traffic infraction frequently causes a particularly dangerous side-impact car accident. Side-impact accidents hit the most vulnerable section of a motor vehicle. Either the driver or the front seat passenger can sustain severe, if not life-threatening injuries. 

Any type of traffic infraction that causes a vehicle collision is typically considered an act of negligence.

One of the reasons you should act with a sense of urgency by contacting a car repair injury lawyer in Tampa is to receive advice on the auto repair process. Even with the proper licenses and professional credentials, not every auto repair shop offers quality inspections that determine the cost of repairing an automobile.

A car inspector employed by your insurance company will put your vehicle through a comprehensive inspection. The inspection begins with the inspector taking photographs of the damage done to your car, including the areas of your vehicle that did not sustain damage. Shooting photos of your car can take up to one hour. The inspector wants to discover several facts. First, the inspector needs to discover the damaged parts. Second, the inspection must generate information that matches the description written in the official accident report. Third, the inspector must verify there is not any pre-existing damage to your vehicle. Finally, the inspector writes down your car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), license plate number, and the reading on the odometer.

When the time comes to repair the damage done to your motor vehicle, consult with your attorney to determine whether the insurance policy allows you to take your car to the repair shop of your choice. Despite the insurance company providing you with an estimate of the cost of repairing your vehicle, a repair shop can give you another estimate to compare with the estimate provided by your insurance company.

When you consider hiring a personal injury to handle your car accident case, you might focus on the legal support provided by a lawyer during the litigation process. However, hiring one of the experienced car repair injury lawyers in Tampa from Morgan and Morgan also can help you when the time comes to file an insurance claim.

Communicates With the Insurance Adjuster

After you hire a car accident attorney, the lawyer becomes the intermediary between you and your insurance company. If your insurance company requires additional statements from witnesses, the company speaks with your lawyer to receive the information. Having an experienced car accident attorney act as an intermediary allows you to focus on recovering from your injuries and getting property damage repaired.

At Morgan and Morgan, our car repair injury lawyers in Tampa have developed positive professional relationships with insurance adjusters working for several of the largest companies along the Gulf Coast of Florida.

Gathers and Organizes Physical Evidence

Morgan and Morgan sends a licensed investigator into the field to examine the evidence found at the scene of a car accident. Although the official police report should contain the physical evidence collected at the scene of the vehicle collision, our team of investigators digs much deeper to discover additional supporting evidence such as video camera footage and photos of tire tracks.

Gathering evidence is important for both filing a car insurance claim and litigating a case during a civil trial. The car repair injury lawyer in Tampa from Morgan and Morgan also interviews witnesses to provide support for the physical evidence collected at the car accident scene.

Determine a Claim Value

Calculating a value for your claim takes into account both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are easy to calculate because of the medical bills and property damage receipts you submit to your personal injury attorney. However, non-economic damages, which cover pain and suffering, is not as easy to calculate. Your lawyer must submit a reasonable value for your insurance claim or run the risk of the company denying your request for compensation.

To calculate a reasonable value for non-economic damages, your personal injury attorney refers to a formula that includes the value of your economic damages.

Negotiate a Favorable Settlement

A highly-skilled car repair injury lawyer in Tampa knows how to negotiate with an insurance company. Because of the positive professional relationships Morgan and Morgan have developed with insurance adjusters throughout greater Tampa, our team of personal injury attorneys is able to negotiate settlements that appeal to both parties. If you file a civil lawsuit, negotiating a settlement with the other party’s legal counsel helps you avoid a costly and time-consuming civil trial.

Despite having a personal injury attorney help you file an insurance claim, you still might receive the bad news that your insurer has denied your claim. Do not panic if you receive the dreaded denial letter from your insurance company. A Florida-licensed personal injury attorney from Morgan and Morgan can help you reverse the denied insurance claim.

Review the Insurance Policy

Insurance companies have many reasons to deny a seemingly valid insurance claim. One of the most common reasons is an insurance claim requests compensation for something the insurance policy does not cover. For example, you might receive a denied insurance claim letter because you requested compensation for medical bills that is much more than your policy permits. Your car repair injury lawyer in Tampa reviews your insurance policy to determine whether your request for compensation exceeds the valuation of compensation provided by your insurance policy.

Acquire More Evidence

Another reason insurers deny car insurance claims is the lack of compelling evidence. A car insurance claim that relies more on witness accounts than it relies on physical evidence is likely to be denied by an insurance company. Additional evidence can include more photos taken of the damage done to your automobile, as well as a detailed description of the injuries you sustained that is submitted by your healthcare provider.

Meet With the Insurance Adjuster

Your attorney might ask the insurance adjuster to meet in an attempt to find a middle ground with your claim. Negotiating a favorable settlement often takes place after an insurance company denies a claim. If negotiations fail to reach a settlement, your attorney decides whether to seek compensation by litigating your case during a civil trial.

File an Appeal

Your personal injury attorney files an appeal that includes more convincing physical evidence, as well as additional statements made by witnesses. Submitting the proper documents that contain accurate information helps boost the chances of your appeal getting approved by the insurance company. Working with one of the car repair injury lawyers in Tampa from Morgan and Morgan can help you file an appeal that reverses the denied insurance claim.

One of the reasons why victims of car accidents do not contact a personal injury attorney is the cost of handling a case. However, Morgan and Morgan operates on a contingency fee basis, which means we do not require the payment of upfront legal fees to represent you when the time comes to file an insurance claim and a civil lawsuit. We receive a percentage of the money you gain from an insurance settlement and/or a civil lawsuit.
 

Schedule a free case evaluation today to learn more about the insurance claim and civil lawsuit processes.