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Can I Handle My Own Car Accident Case in Miami?

Posted by: Jimmy De La Espriella
Category: Personal Injury Blogs

Let’s say you get in a car accident in Miami. 

Although this isn’t anything out of the blue since car accidents in Miami happen on a daily basis, it is still important to note that they are complicated to process and recover from.

Minor car accidents that result in just property damage and some minor cuts and bruises can be recovered from quickly. In most cases, a minor car accident that has resulted in minor bodily injuries and property damage is very easily solved by referring to your PIP coverage and getting the treatment from there. 

However, a major car accident in Miami can result in much more complicated procedures. Broken bones and other possibly severe bodily injuries can result in extended hospital stay and heavy medical bills. In addition to that, if your body was damaged that badly, there is a good chance that your vehicle was totaled. That is also another expense that has to be taken care of. Another addition to all these expenses is the possibility that you lose work. If you are employed and are forced to take time off because of the injuries you sustained and eventually you get laid off because of your inability to work, those expenses can possibly be financially compensated as well and must be dealt with.

Should I Handle My Own Personal Injury Case in Miami?

This all depends on you. If you are well-versed in personal injury cases and know how to deal with the adversity that will come. If you can deal with the adjusters, lawyers, and insurance companies that will try to negotiate for their own reasons and come out with your own satisfactory results, then handling your own personal injury case is a viable option. If you are unsure of whether you should handle your own personal injury case, here are a few questions to consider.

How Serious Were My Injuries?

This should be the first question you are asking yourself. If your injuries weren’t that serious and don’t require medical attention, then you could look into representing yourself. The less serious the injuries are, the less complications there could be. For example, if you had a minor car accident in Miami that resulted in just cuts and bruises and a little dent on your car, representing yourself is just fine. There will probably be less than a week of talking and negotiating before you can reach a satisfactory agreement. 

But that may not be the case for some of the people looking to self-represent. If your injuries are severe and have caused significant pain and suffering that also reflects on the receipts, the process can get complicated and difficult to deal with. The more money that is on the line (for you and the insurance companies), the harder it will be to milk your full financial compensation. This is when you may want to consult a personal injury lawyer from Miami. They can offer legal guidance that will only be beneficial to you.

When there is more money on the line (aka, there are more injuries and damages) the process can only get more complicated. Why is that? Simply put, the insurance companies will not want to pay said large amounts to resolve the case. Although they have to act in good faith and do what they can to protect and insure you, they will obviously try to cut corners in places that they can.

How Easily Is Fault Determined? 

Determining who is at fault for the personal injury accident in Miami is the most important factor. Without determining fault, there is no way to know who to point the finger at (mostly) and file the suit against. 

If your case has sufficient evidence and proof that you were not at fault and that a grand majority or all the fault can be placed on the other party, then representing yourself is a great idea. Having eyewitnesses, testimonies, and photos all help in backing up your case that it was not your fault (if the evidence naturally puts the other party at fault). 

But if the determinant of fault is all hearsay and there is no real way to determine who is really at fault but just the stories of the defendant and plaintiff, then the case can get very murky. You may be telling the truth in that the other driver was distracted or the building was poorly maintained. But the other party can easily claim that you were driving too fast or that you weren’t looking at where you were going. With all this hearsay and minimal concrete evidence, the case can get murky if you’re handling it on your own. 

A personal injury lawyer can make it easier with their guidance. Knowing the ins and outs of the law and having decades of experience, a personal injury lawyer in Miami can help you ease the complications of a major car accident in Miami.

How Much Are my Calculable Damages?

Your damages must be able to be put on paper. 

Quick disclaimer. 

I am not dismissing any of the damages that you suffer during the accident and after the accident. They are most likely 100% legitimate. However, those damages must be able to be put on paper.
Although something like pain and suffering CANNOT be calculated, medical treatment and therapy CAN be calculated through the bills and receipts. These are what is known as “special damages”. Special damages are damages that can be quantifiably added up. To specify, things such as medical bills, lost wages and earning capacity, property damage, and other financial losses that can be attributed through a number. 

Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer for Car Accident Injuries in Miami

Although it may sound like an exaggeration, car accidents in Miami almost always end up becoming a serious one with extended medical treatment (such as therapy, injections, and surgery) which result in hefty medical bills. 

If the case seems to get too complicated for you to handle, contacting a personal injury lawyer in Miami is recommended. 

With decades of expertise and hundreds of cases won, personal injury lawyers in Miami can help you get the first step in financial compensation for your car accident injuries.

Starting with a free consultation, we want to hear out what happened to you and how we can provide value. Once we determine that we can help you, our team will immediately go and start gathering evidence such as medical bills and receipts and photos to make sure that there is a strong case for you.

Remember, we don’t win until YOU win.

Author: Jimmy De La Espriella
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