Newberry Car Accident Lawyer
Car accidents can cause severe injuries and significant financial expenses. If you or your loved one was in a crash, you may find yourself wondering where to turn. You can find the help and support you’re looking for with the personal injury attorneys at Meldon Law.
Our firm has fought for the injured and their families since 1971. We view serving clients as more than a job; it’s a calling. Our Newberry car accident lawyers are here to inform, empower, and guide you through your personal injury case with the goal of achieving the maximum compensation possible. Call (352) 373-8000 to learn more during a free consultation.
Our Family-Owned Firm Fights for Injured People in Newberry
The days and weeks following a car accident can be overwhelming and confusing, especially if you suffered a serious injury. You likely have questions and concerns about how you will pay for your medical treatment and other expenses––all while being unable to work and support yourself.
Meldon Law can explore your options for seeking full and fair compensation. We will take on your fight like it’s our own, leaving you free to focus on your health or caring for your injured family member.
Our car accident attorneys in Newberry know how to:
- Investigate your auto accident
- Collect case-related evidence
- Identify the at-fault parties and prove negligence
- Identify your damages and pursue compensation through every available avenue
- Manage paperwork, deadlines, communications, and other case details
- Protect your rights and aggressively negotiate for the maximum possible compensation
- Prepare your case for civil court and represent you at trial if necessary
Meldon Law CARES About Our Clients and Community
Law firms come and go, but we have endured for more than 50 years. Our success is rooted, in part, in our deep commitment to the people and communities we serve. Those who come to us for help are not only clients, but they’re also our friends and neighbors.
We give back to Alachua County and the surrounding areas through our Meldon Law Cares initiative, Veterans Making a Difference program, and Meldon Law Scholar-Athlete Scholarship. When it comes to those who seek our legal help, we care, and these principles guide everything we do:
- C – Compassion
- A – Accountability
- R – Reliability
- E – Excellence
- S – Success-driven results
Recovering Car Crash Damages in Newberry, Florida: What to Know
Florida follows a no-fault insurance model. Under this system, drivers must first turn to their personal injury protection (PIP) insurance for compensation. The advantage of PIP is that you do not need to prove another party caused your injuries. Coverage applies regardless of who is liable for the collision. The disadvantage is that it may only cover some of your losses.
According to Florida Statutes § 627.736, PIP provides the following (up to your policy’s limits):
- Medical benefits. You can recover 80 percent of your accident-related medical treatment costs. Recoverable expenses include all reasonable and necessary care, including ambulance transportation, hospitalizations, doctor’s visits, surgeries, rehabilitative services, and prosthetics and medical devices. You must seek initial treatment within 14 days of your wreck to ensure your benefits.
- Disability benefits. PIP pays for 60 percent of your lost wages and lost earning capacity if you cannot work because of your injuries. Disability benefits also provide compensation for hiring help with household services (such as cleaning, childcare, and cooking) that you can no longer perform.
- Death benefits. If your loved one suffered a fatal accident, their PIP will provide death benefits to cover their end-of-life expenses.
You Could Recover Accident Damages Beyond Your PIP Coverage
If you have a severe car accident injury, you may exhaust your PIP coverage. When this happens, you can recover compensation from the party whose reckless or wrongful actions caused your crash. The benefit of pursuing a third-party claim or lawsuit means lawyers can seek damages not paid by PIP, including the following:
- The total value of your medical treatment. We can seek full compensation for your medical bills, so you do not pay out of pocket for injuries you did not cause. In addition, we can pursue the cost of alternative treatments your PIP may not cover, such as chiropractic care and acupuncture.
- The total value of your lost income, earnings, and benefits. We can recover all of your lost income, not just a portion. We can also recover compensation for lost employment benefits and other earnings like tips and bonuses. Finally, we can seek the full value of your lost earning capacity if you cannot return to work.
- Personal property damages. Our attorneys can seek the cost of repairing your vehicle or its replacement value if it’s a total loss.
- Pain and suffering. With a personal injury claim or lawsuit, we can pursue non-economic damages for physical pain, emotional suffering, mental distress, and inconvenience caused by your accident and injury.
- Wrongful death. We can assist your loved one’s personal representative with recovering wrongful death damages on behalf of qualifying beneficiaries. Compensation may include the awards listed above. Survivors can also seek awards for their mental pain and suffering and the loss of their family member’s support, services, guidance, and companionship.
We Have Achieved Significant Results for Previous Car Accident Clients
We have a reputation as a force to be reckoned with – both inside and outside of the courtroom. Our Newberry car accident lawyers will tirelessly pursue all the PIP and personal injury compensation available to you and your family. We have helped many motor vehicle collision victims get positive case results, including:
- $1.5 million for a client injured in a T-bone accident
- $500,000 for a client hurt in a head-on collision
- $450,000 for the victim of a rear-end collision
- $350,000 for a client injured in a high-impact crash
These outcomes don’t guarantee results in your case. Yet, they testify to our quality of service and our commitment to client success.
How Long Does a Car Accident Settlement Take?
You do not want to rush into accepting an auto accident settlement until you understand the scope of your medical treatment and what it will likely cost – now and in the future. Therefore, resolving a car accident case can take time, and if the insurance company plays hardball, negotiations can get drawn out.
However, you must file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit before Florida’s statute of limitations expires. Failing to do so will likely result in the court refusing your case, which will also reduce your insurance bargaining power.
You have two years from your accident or loved one’s death to file suit, according to recent changes established by HB 837/SB 236. Previously, the law allowed four years. We can help you get started before it is too late.
Our Attorneys Can Prove Another Party Is Financially Liable for Your Accident Losses
Securing personal injury compensation requires proving another party’s negligent or wrongful behavior caused your crash. Most often, the liable party in a motor vehicle accident case is one of the involved drivers. However, depending on the circumstances of the collision, a vehicle manufacturer, roadway owner, or driver’s employer may be financially responsible.
Our car accident attorneys in Newberry know the steps necessary to build a solid case establishing fault. We can:
- Visit the scene of your crash, collect evidence, and take photographs
- Locate available dashcam or surveillance footage of your accident
- Interview eyewitnesses
- Obtain police reports, medical records, and other relevant documents
- Work with experts who can assist with complex and technical issues.
Some cases have multiple at-fault parties. In these circumstances, the court or the insurance company will assign each party a percentage of responsibility. Those liable will pay awards accordingly. So, for example, if you have $100,000 in damages, and one party is 30 percent at fault, they pay $30,000. If another party is 70 percent liable, they pay $70,000.
However, another change made by HB 837 is that victims found more than 50 percent liable for an accident can no longer seek compensation. This is important because insurers and opposing parties may try to place blame on you to avoid paying what they owe. Our lawyers can defend you against allegations made in this vein.
We Handle Many Types of Vehicle Collisions
Our experienced and compassionate Newberry personal injury lawyers manage cases involving the following:
- Truck, bus, and commercial motor vehicle (CMV) accidents
- Motorcycle collisions
- Pedestrian and bicycle accidents
- Rideshare accidents
- Taxi accidents
- Crashes involving uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) drivers
- Drunk driving accidents
- Hit-and-runs
Contact Meldon Law for a Free Car Accident Case Consultation
Meldon Law’s commitment to serving clients with compassion and integrity has kept us fighting for the injured for over five decades. Let our Newberry, FL, car accident lawyers put their knowledge and experience behind getting the money you need and deserve.
Call (352) 373-8000 to begin a free consultation. We have team members available 24/7 to help you get started on your case. We work on contingency, meaning we charge nothing upfront or out of pocket, and we only collect a fee once we obtain compensation for you. Connect with our lawyers today.
