Car Accident Attorney in Tallahassee

Unless you live in Mobile, Alabama, or New Orleans, Louisiana, it is unlikely you will find yourself driving through Tallahassee when traveling to Florida. The city isn’t located on any of the main highways that travelers usually take to visit the state. But that doesn’t mean that Tallahassee is a city without traffic.

Tallahassee is the capital of Florida and is located just spitting distance from the Gulf of Mexico. It is home to an international airport, several tourist attractions, and some of the most beautiful lake land in the country. Millions of people live in and visit this city every year.

Furthermore, the city, while lovely, is not particularly friendly to foot traffic. It is a sprawling city that stretches several miles in every direction. And if you want to venture down to the Gulf of Mexico for a day at the shore, it’s at least a 20-minute drive.

As you might expect in a city with this much vehicle traffic, accidents are common in and around Tallahassee. If you’ve been involved in one of these accidents, hopefully, it was minor and without injuries. 

But if you were injured, you need the assistance of car accident lawyers in Tallahassee, FL, from Morgan & Morgan to help you get compensation.

We understand that after getting injured in a car accident, you’re in pain and dealing with stress. While we can’t take away your pain, we can help relieve your stress by getting you the money you need to pay your medical bills. 

Contact us today to schedule a free case evaluation with one of our experienced car accident lawyers in Tallahassee, FL.

Car Accident Lawyers in Tallahassee, FL, Explain What to Do if You Are Injured in a Car Accident

It almost goes without saying, but the first thing you should do if you have been injured in a car accident in Tallahassee is to call 911. Tallahassee has several hospitals within the city limits, and you should expect emergency services to arrive quickly.

But whether medical personnel arrive quickly or take some time, you should remain still while you wait. You may be tempted to get out of your car and talk to other people involved or look at the damage to your vehicle. Don’t make that mistake.

If you have been seriously injured, any movement could worsen that injury. Not only does this risk your health, but it could also hurt your ability to win compensation from your insurance company. Your insurer might argue that it wasn’t the accident that caused your injuries but instead your actions after the crash.

The only reason you should move is if it’s dangerous to remain where you are after the accident. In that case, you should move as little as possible to get yourself out of harm’s way.

Once you have been cleared to move by medical personnel, then you can freely walk around the accident scene to examine your car and speak to others.

Be Careful Who You Speak to and What You Say

Once medical personnel have arrived, you will need to start answering questions. This is important for protecting your health but can also be a trap if you aren’t careful. When speaking with medical personnel, honestly answer any questions about your injuries, but try not to provide details about the events of the accident.

This is the policy you should follow with anyone you speak to at the accident scene, including:

• Police officers
• Potential witnesses
• Your insurance company
• Other drivers or passengers

Only speak to people if you have a reason to speak with them. And then make sure that you only talk about topics that relate to that purpose.

Thus, when speaking to other drivers, your side of the conversation should only involve sharing contact information. You are required to share this after a car accident. But no matter how tempting, you should not discuss anything else, especially not how the crash occurred.

Similarly, while it’s a good idea to collect the contact information of any witnesses, don’t let them draw you into a conversation about fault. Even if it sounds like they’re likely to support your eventual claim, that is a dangerous conversation to get involved in.

Your trickiest interaction will be one you have with any police officers that arrive to document the accident. You should follow their instructions, but you aren’t required to provide a statement without legal counsel present. Give the police your contact information and let them know you will make a statement once you have a lawyer.

This is also the perfect time to contact the car accident lawyers in Tallahassee, FL, at Morgan and Morgan. We may not be able to send a representative to the scene of the accident, but we can schedule a free case evaluation for you and give you some basic advice to help you file your insurance claim.

File an Insurance Claim

You should file your insurance claim before you leave the scene of the accident. This may not be possible if your injuries require immediate attention. But if you don’t find yourself en route to the emergency room, don’t leave before you have begun the claims process.

You should collect as much information as possible before starting your claim. In addition to getting the contact information mentioned above, you should also take pictures of the accident scene and the condition of your vehicle.

Assuming you have a smartphone, you will be able to upload these pictures for the insurance company when you make your claim. Similarly, you should upload pictures of all the contact information documents you have. This will speed up the process and prevent a lot of follow-up calls or emails.

Because Florida is a no-fault state, you should file the claim with your auto insurance company, regardless of who you believe was at fault for the accident. This is even true if you live in another state. The laws of Florida take precedence over the laws of your home state in this instance.

Finally, if you have already spoken with car accident lawyers in Tallahassee, FL, from Morgan & Morgan, you should advise your insurance company when you file the claim. This will let them know that you expect to be represented by an attorney and that they shouldn’t try to contact you when your lawyer isn’t present.

Don’t Skip Your Morgan and Morgan Appointment

When you call us, we schedule a free case evaluation at your earliest possible convenience, taking into account your medical situation. Unless your injury prevents you from attending the meeting, you should make every effort to come see our attorneys.

During the initial meeting, we will evaluate your case and determine whether we can help you get compensation from your insurance company. Regardless of whether we take your case, we will map out your options and help you decide how to proceed with your insurance claim.

If we choose to take your case, our attorneys will get started right away. The sooner we get to work, the more likely you will get the maximum compensation. Additionally, if we represent you, it should reduce your stress and let you focus all your energy on recovering from your injuries.

How Car Accident Lawyers in Tallahassee, FL, Can Help You Get Money

Insurance companies are corporations. That means their main goal is to make money for their investors. They earn money by receiving premiums from people who purchase their services. And one of their biggest expenses is paying policyholders when they have a legitimate claim.

The more your insurance company can minimize that expense, the more profit it makes. Therefore, it has every reason to try to pay you as little money as possible when you file an insurance claim.

This is why you need a lawyer representing you. The insurance company has an army of lawyers and agents working day and night to minimize how much it pays in compensation. It doesn’t have anything against you personally, but as soon as you file a claim, you end up in its crosshairs.

And if you aren’t represented by an attorney, denying your claim or paying you less than you deserve will be easy for them. The insurance company has almost complete control of every step of the process, including:

• Investigating the accident
• Approving or denying the claim
• Determining how much compensation they owe on approved claims
• Making decisions on any appeals

Furthermore, the insurance company also has significant control over how long each step of the claims process takes. It can often badger you into dropping your claim or accepting a token payment just by prolonging the process beyond the limits of your patience.

Our car accident lawyers in Tallahassee, FL, have the experience and knowledge to fight back against your insurance company. For example, we use independent investigators to collect evidence about the accident to ensure that the insurance company doesn’t unfairly deny your claim.

Additionally, because we have handled thousands of similar cases in the past, we can accurately determine the true value of your case. If the insurance company tries to offer you less than you deserve, we will know it and can prove that it’s a lowball offer.

This puts us in a good position to negotiate a fair settlement offer. Typically, the insurance company will be more likely to negotiate in good faith if you are represented by an attorney because they’re aware that you are ready and willing to file a lawsuit.

Finally, we understand that you can’t afford delays when you are waiting for money to pay your medical bills. And while insurance companies may try to use delays as a tactic to minimize your compensation, we won’t let them. If it gets out of hand, we will take legal action against them to force them to move more quickly.