Get Maximum Compensation with Our Lake City Personal Injury Lawyer
Personal injuries exacerbate the physical, mental, and financial stress you deal with each day. Now, in addition to your day-to-day tasks, you must add “heal from a serious condition” to your ever-growing list of obligations. Even the thought of adding “file personal injury claim” could prove overwhelming. Yet, you have options in a time like this. You have the support of Meldon Law.
You could pursue compensation for economic and non-economic damages after another party’s negligence hurts you. A Lake City personal injury lawyer can investigate your claim, file your case, and advocate for what you need.
Our Lake City Lawyers’ Personal Injury Practice Areas
If another party’s actions or omissions led to your injuries in Lake City, you could have grounds for a personal injury claim or lawsuit. Our practice areas include:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Drunk driving collisions
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Wrongful death
- Dog bites
- Slip and falls
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
Don’t stress if you don’t see your specific case outlined above. We want to hear your story and explain your options anyway. You could have grounds for a claim or lawsuit if another party caused your injuries.
With Our Lake City Law Firm, You Get a Personal Injury Attorney by Your Side
Meldon Law first started serving injured people in 1971. Since then, we’ve managed thousands of injury claims, some stemming from intentional acts, others resulting from unfortunate accidents. And if you wish to seek justice and financial damages for your losses, our accident lawyer in Lake City can aid you in pursuing this. When we take on your case, you get more than our lawyers’ insights; you get the experience of a law firm with more than 50 years of legal experience.
Our attorneys work with you to:
- Account for all of your losses and prepare a strong claim
- Investigate the accident to identify negligent acts and liable parties
- Act as the conduit between you and all involved parties
- Communicate frequently, sharing all information to keep you fully informed
- Negotiate a full and fair compensation settlement with the insurance company
- File a personal injury lawsuit and represent you in court if the insurer refuses to cooperate
We Make Affording a Lawyer Easy
Meldon Law has always supported injured claimants on a contingency-fee basis. You don’t pay a dime throughout the course of our partnership. A part of your settlement pays for our attorney’s fees, and you don’t pay anything if your case doesn’t yield damages.
Meldon Law CARES About Your Personal Injury Case in Lake City
As noted, our Lake City personal injury attorneys have represented thousands of injured clients. We’ve successfully recovered millions of dollars in settlements and court-awarded damages for victims of car and truck accidents, premises liability cases, and other scenarios in which personal injuries have occurred.
Meldon Law CARES. For you, as an injured claimant, this means that you can expect:
- C– Compassion. The insurance company doesn’t know what you’re going through––but we do. We put ourselves in your shoes when building your case, ensuring that we account for every factor in your claim’s value.
- A– Accountability. Not only do we intend to hold the other party accountable for your losses, but we hold ourselves accountable for your case’s outcome.
- R– Reliability. Need a question answered? Curious about your case’s progression? You can rely on us to provide all answers to your questions. You can also trust that we’ll prioritize your legal goals above all else.
- E– Excellence. Meldon Law prides itself on offering exceptional legal representation to everyone. Our client testimonials and case results showcase our commitment to quality legal service.
- S– Success driven. When we take on your personal injury case, we have one goal: securing the compensation you need. We’re proud to share that we’ve done just that for many clients.
These are the standards to which we hold ourselves. We wouldn’t dream of offering anything less.
We Uncover Liability for Your Personal Injury Claim in Lake City
To pursue appropriate compensation for your losses, we must first identify who is responsible for the events that led to your injury. The liable party (or parties) in a personal injury case will vary depending on the type of accident, its cause, and who was involved.
In any case, we must prove they owed you a duty of care to act reasonably. For instance, if you suffered injuries in a collision, an investigation could show that a drunk driver caused the crash and owes you financial recovery. In another situation, if you slipped and fell on another party’s property, the property owner could owe you compensation.
You don’t have to worry about sorting out issues regarding fault and liability on your own. Instead, the team at Meldon Law will handle it. If more than one party has liability for your losses, we have no problem holding each of them accountable.
Our Lawyers Investigate to Determine Liability
Even if the facts of your case seem obvious, we will investigate anyway. That’s because we need compelling evidence to convince the insurance company to settle. Evidence in your personal injury case may include:
- Photos and videos of the accident scene
- Eyewitness testimony from people who saw the incident happen
- Accident reconstruction data
- The accident report
- Forensic evidence
- Bills and receipts stemming from your losses
We encourage you to keep all information related to your case, even something that may seem minor.
Recoverable Damages in a Lake City Personal Injury Case
Your settlement could include compensation for:
Economic Damages (Your Quantifiable Losses)
Compensable economic damages include:
- Medical expenses. Settlements or verdicts might include damages for a variety of costs, such as ambulance services, emergency department visits, hospital stays, surgery, x-rays, and medication. In the event of a catastrophic injury or permanent disability, an award might also include the costs associated with long-term health care and related future expenses.
- Lost wages. Personal injury victims can recover damages for the wages lost during their recovery periods. Those whose injuries prohibit them from returning to work (or force them to reduce hours or change professions) might be able to claim lost earning capacity, which refers to future lost wages and benefits.
- Property repair or replacement. During the accident which caused your injury, your vehicle or personal property (such as a phone or laptop) may have sustained damage and require repair. If the damage was significant, you may have to replace the item or items. Those losses are compensable through a personal injury claim or lawsuit.
- General expenses. Your injuries may leave you unable to tend to your home or your family, requiring you to hire help. You may also be unable to drive and need someone to transport you to medical appointments or the grocery store. These are also recoverable expenses.
Non-Economic Damages
Unlike economic damages, non-economic damages don’t come with receipts and documents. Rather, they apply to your subjective losses, including:
- Pain and suffering. You may experience physical pain and suffering associated with your injury as you recover.
- Emotional trauma. Some accidents are so serious they cause victims to live with anxiety, PTSD, or depression.
- Loss of quality of life. Your physical injuries and pain, along with your mental anguish, may affect the quality of your life if you are no longer able to participate in activities you enjoy.
- Loss of relationship. Your injury may affect your relationships, such as your marriage. Believe it or not, that hardship is also compensable.
Our team will help determine the value of your non-economic losses before fighting for every dollar you deserve.
Wrongful Death Damages
If you lost a loved one in a Lake City accident, please accept our team’s sincere condolences. We know you are likely facing thousands of dollars in losses and unexpected expenses. Our injury attorneys can help you file a wrongful death claim and recover damages including:
- Funeral and burial expenses. Reasonable funeral and burial costs are compensable.
- Medical expenses. If a loved one required medical care for their accident injuries before they passed, those expenses are recoverable.
- Lost support and services. The cost of replacing support and services, such as childcare or yardwork, is recoverable.
- Loss of companionship and protection. Spouses can recover for lost companionship and protection.
- Loss of parental companionship, instruction, and guidance. Children can recover compensation for the loss of the parental relationship.
- Pain and suffering. Spouses and children can recover compensation for mental pain and suffering.
- Loss of earnings. If your loved one contributed financially to your household, you can recover those lost earnings.
Our team will handle every aspect of your case while you celebrate your loved one’s life.
You Have a Limited Time to Seek Damages in a Personal Injury Case
If you suffered a serious or catastrophic injury due to someone else’s negligence, you must adhere to the state’s statute of limitations. Generally, you have two years to file a lawsuit. Your filing period begins from the date of your accident. You also have two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit, where your filing period begins from the date of your loved one’s passing.
It’s vital that you file your case and its supporting documents within the applicable deadline. If you don’t, the civil court system could refuse to hear your case, leaving you with few options for recovering compensation. You don’t have to worry about the statute of limitations when you have Meldon Law on your side.
We can manage each of your case’s deadlines, preserving your right to damages.
Does Fault Matter in a Lake City Personal Injury Case?
If you are filing a claim with your own insurer, fault does not matter. You can recover compensation for medical bills and lost wages, even if you caused the accident.
If you want to sue the other party, fault can impact whether you are able to recover compensation.
Florida operates on a modified comparative fault system. Here, if you caused most of the accident, you can’t recover compensation for your losses. This makes asserting fault and liability central in personal injury claims and lawsuits. We want potential clients to know that:
- Your portion of fault can affect how much compensation you can recover. For instance, if your damage award totaled $100,000, and you caused 10 percent of the accident, you could only recover 90 percent of your losses.
- If you caused more than 50% of the accident, the other party isn’t liable for your injuries. While you could file a claim with your own insurer (where applicable), fault would prevent you from seeking compensation beyond the liable policy’s limits.
Our team pursues financial justice for injured people. If there are issues involving fault and liability, we can manage them.
Listen to What Injured Clients Share About Our Personal Injury Team
Recently, we had the pleasure of serving Estee. When we learned about her case online, we knew that we wanted to extend a helping hand. During our partnership, Estee felt compelled to share these words:
- “I am pleased with the level of service and level of communication I’ve received so far from everyone at Meldon Law. Sheila is absolutely amazing, she is super caring and is always checking in with me and remembering what’s going on in my daily life. I feel like she has become more of a friend and a confidant . . . Angel who I must give all the credit to connecting me with Meldon Law is so genuine . . . Angel actually saw my story on Facebook and reached out to me and was comforting and reassuring about the situation I have been facing. I have recommended a couple of people to them already and I know they will do everything they can to help people who without Meldon Law might not have been able to help themselves . . . 10 out of 10.”
We’re Proud Members of the Lake City Community
Over the years, we’ve found excellent opportunities to strengthen our community ties and give back. Here’s what to know about us:
- We are the official law firm partner of the Florida Gators, and we help any student by representing them in Conflict and Conduct Resolution hearings.
- We work to educate the public on the law and individuals’ rights through blogs, books, podcasts, TV talk shows, and consumer guides.
- Meldon Law supports local organizations, plus we make ongoing donations to the Pace Center for Girls, Lubavitch Chabad Jewish Student and Community Center at UF, Catholic Charities, and MLK Jr. Commission of Florida, Inc.
- We offer our Scholar-Athlete Program for students excelling in academics and athletics.
- Veterans Making a Difference Program has joined Meldon Law and CBS4 News in recognizing and rewarding veterans who make a positive impact on their communities.
What Should I AVOID After Suffering Injuries?
There are a few things you shouldn’t do after suffering injuries in an accident. They include:
- Giving the other party’s insurance company a recorded statement. The other party’s insurer will take any opportunity to twist your words out of context and paint your case in a bad light. Your lawyer can file your claim and handle all communications, so you don’t have to.
- Sifting through settlement offers. The insurance company may offer you a settlement. If you accept, and it doesn’t fully account for your losses, you can’t ask for more money later. Our lawyers can review all settlement offers and advise you on whether to accept one.
- Representing yourself. No matter how many courtroom dramas you’ve watched, nothing can prepare you for tense negotiations or litigation. Don’t stay up at night wondering how you’ll present your case. Instead, let us take care of everything.
- Posting on social media. The insurance company can use your posts against you, even if you think your profile is private. We recommend you avoid posting photos or discussing your accident. For example, if you posted a picture of yourself smiling with family but you claim your injuries keep you from enjoying life, the insurer could claim you are exaggerating your injuries.
You should also avoid waiting too long to get medical treatment. If you wait days or weeks to get medical care, the other party may claim your injuries are unrelated to the accident. The other party can also claim you are worsening your injuries if you ignore your doctor’s orders.
Hire Our Experienced Lake City Personal Injury Attorneys Today
If you suffered an injury due to the careless or intentional act of another party, our personal injury attorneys will guide you through the legal process. When you entrust us with your case, you don’t become a client; you become a member of our family. To begin your no-obligation case review, contact us.
