Have you been involved in an accident resulting in an injury in or near Gainesville, Florida? As your Gainesville personal injury lawyer we can answer any questions you may have. With extensive experience handling Gainesville injury cases we assist in resolving your property damage, finding you medical care, and ultimately making a recovery for your pain and suffering. While other firms may accept any case that walks through their door, your Gainesville injury lawyer practices exclusively in negligence cases that cause bodily injury to you. You concentrate on your physical and emotional recovery, our Gainesville personal injury lawyer concentrates on your financial recovery. If you have questions call our injury law firm today for free, we guarantee if we do not make a recovery for your personal injury case, you owe us nothing.

Find A Doctor

Getting you the medical care you need to recover is our top priority. As your Gainesville personal injury lawyer, we work with the doctors to make sure that you receive the best care available.

Get Your Property Fixed

Although you are entitled to be reimbursed for your losses, getting what's owed can be a struggle. Your injury lawyer does the heavy lifting required to get you compensated.

Receive Your Settlement

While you focus on recovering, your Gainesville injury lawyer works on every other aspect of your case from filing a claim to ultimately demanding a settlement for your pain and suffering.

Source: https://www.flhsmv.gov/

1. What To Do Following An Accident That Causes Injuries

If you were involved in a car accident, attempt to move your vehicle to a safe place to avoid any further accidents with other cars and be aware of your surroundings then call 911. Check yourself and any passengers you have for any injuries, if someone is hurt either administer first aid or seek help from potential witnesses that may be able to help.

If you were involved in a slip and fall accident resulting in injury, it is very important to document the scene of the accident. Take photos and demand the business writes up an incident report that you get a copy of. The burden of proof is on us to show the business was negligent and failed to provide you with a safe environment as a patron.

When you call 911 be sure to report the license plate number of the driver that hit you and closely examine the nearest street intersection to where your accident happened for a car accident and the business location if it is a slip and fall. If there are any injuries request an ambulance be immediately dispatched to the scene of the accident to provide aid for any injury. When in doubt err on the side of caution and request paramedics to the scene of your accident.

Many times following an accident people enter into a state of shock, you must do your best to remain calm and make rational decisions. Tragically, we have had cases in which following an accident our client became unaware of their surroundings and stepped out into oncoming traffic.

2. Call The Police

Often times following an accident the parties will come to a verbal agreement not to call the police, this is one of the biggest mistakes my clients make. It is common for injuries to show in the days following an accident in Gainesville. I have had clients retain my services after not reporting an accident that caused an injury and often times the defendant either gave my client incorrect information or has since changed their story, now calling my client as the at fault party.

When this happens it is an uphill battle in establishing liability for the injury and often times the insurance companies rely upon the police to report to establish some sense of responsibility. Without this important document the very best my clients can usually hope for is 50% recovery based on the insurance companies not knowing who is at fault.

While not every accident needs to be reported, Fl. Stat. § 316.065 instructs any accident in which there is bodily injury or property damage in excess of $500 or more must be reported to the local police as soon as possible.

3. Document The Scene

Immediately following your car accident or slip and fall and calling the police, take a photo of the other vehicle that captures their license plate number clearly or the surrounding environment that caused your slip and fall injury. The second biggest mistake my clients make include not documenting the scene of the accident in an effective way to support their claim.

Countless times my clients have experienced hit and run scenarios in which the person that hits their car then leaves the scene of the accident. Without either quickly taking a photo of the other driver’s car or having a dash cam that recorded the incident, my clients often have no recourse unless they carry uninsured motorist coverage.

Include a photo of the driver if possible when applicable, sometimes a vehicle is later found from these hit and runs however the driver is never identified. If we can locate both the driver and the vehicle we may be able to make a recovery from either of these.

4. Exchange Insurance Information

After calling the police and capturing an image of the other persons vehicle and license plate, get out and speak with the other driver if doing so is safe. You should exchange insurance information and make sure to either take a photo of their insurance card or write down legibly the name of the company, the policy number, the name of the insured driver, and the type of vehicle that is insured.

Be sure to check that the coverage date listed on the proof of insurance is valid and not expired. If it is expired there is a chance the person has a different insurance policy or no insurance at all.

This is often the point following a car accident where the other driver requests to not report an accident for fear of having their insurance premiums increase. While the person that hit you may seem nice enough at the scene of the accident, never agree to this. I have had countless clients agree to not reporting a car accident where the person that hit them agreed to pay for all damages. after finding out how much the repairs are actually going to cost, they then go back and dispute liability or attempt to pay for a smaller portion of the damages.

5. Get a Copy Of Their Driver’s License

After obtaining all insurance information, do not forget to request a copy of the driver’s identification. It is often best to simply take a photo to prove who it was that hit your vehicle. In the event the other driver refuses to provide their ID to you, wait until the police arrive at the scene and they will request a copy to put in their report.

Remember, if it appears that the driver may leave the scene of the accident take a photo or video of them as soon as possible.

6. Take a Video Leading Up To The Car Accident

It is a good idea to retrace your steps following an accident by recording the scene of the accident on your phone. Take a short video in which you can narrate exactly what took place and how the accident happened. Remember to be aware of your surroundings when you do this as to not impede traffic or cause another injury. Always act in a safe and responsible way. If you are unable to do this have a friend or family member go back to the location of the accident and do this for you!

7. Take Photos Of The Cars

After taking a short video showing how and where the car accident happened, document the damages to both your vehicle and the defendants. They say a photo is worth a thousand words and getting high quality photos of both cars involved in the accident can mean the difference between winning or losing your case.

Many times the insurance company will determine liability based on photos of an accident. Be sure to document the area’s damaged of each vehicle and save these photos for your lawyer when to speak with them.

8. Wait For The Police To Arrive

Depending on what part of town your accident happens, either the local police department, the sheriffs office, or the highway patrol will be dispatched to the scene of your car accident. Response times can vary greatly from just a few minutes to a few hours. While it may seem like a large inconvenience now, waiting for them is paramount to your case.

If you do not wait for the police to arrive at the scene of your car accident, they may not do a full report documenting your accident. Even worse, if you do not stay and the other driver does, the police may create a report only on the word of the other driver.

9. Get a Copy Of The Driver’s Exchange Of Information

After the police come to the scene and take statements from both you and the other person involved in the car accident, they will not give you a full report. Instead they will provide you with what’s called an exchange of driver’s information in which will list the names of both drivers, the vehicles they were driving, the names of any insurance carriers and policy numbers, any passengers in either vehicle, and the location and date of the accident.

Make sure there are no errors in the driver’s exchange of information. It is not uncommon for there to be typos or errors in a report including the date or names of drivers. As your car accident lawyer we can get this fixed later down the road however it is always better to have it corrected at the scene of the accident.

10. Speak To Your Gainesville Personal Injury Lawyer Before Anyone Else

Finally, once you have completed documenting the scene of the accident and received your exchange of driver’s information from the police, call your Gainesville personal injury lawyer before anyone else. We will be able to collect all of the information you obtained and conduct a thorough investigation into any and all coverages that may apply to you.

If needed, we will negotiate on your behalf to resolve your property damage and find you any medical attention you may need. As your injury lawyer, we know what it takes to properly develop a case to maximize any recovery to you. We also know what may harm your case and lower it’s value. When you call our Gainesville personal injury lawyer we will handle every aspect of your case. You concentrate on your physical and mental recovery, we will concentrate on your financial recovery.

Our Gainesville personal injury lawyer practice exclusively in the realm of accidents resulting in injury, if you have been involved in an accident and have questions reach out today for a free consult either by phone or in person. Our Gainesville personal injury lawyer takes a personal approach to every case and ensures your questions are answered accurately and quickly with the experience and professionalism you need.

You may be entitled to a number of different coverages following an injury in the Gainesville area. Our Gainesville personal injury lawyers make recoveries on the following type of claims that may be available to you including:

• Emotional Anguish & Suffering

• Child care Costs

• Loss of Sense

• Physical Therapy

• Medical Expenses

• Physical Pain & Suffering

The Law Office of Logan T. Lawrence will perform a thorough case analysis following an accident and investigate all types of coverages that you may be entitled to whether they are categorized as economic or non-economic damages. You can rest assured that if there is anything available, we will find it.

In choosing The Law Office of Logan T. Lawrence we promise that all you need to do is concentrate on recovering emotionally and physically following an injury, we will concentrate on your financial recovery. Our legal team will:

• Discuss your case with you on a frequent basis including after hours if necessary

• Assist in obtaining you a rental car if yours was damaged in a car accident

• Handle the property damage portion of your claim at no cost to you

• Help find an appropriate doctor for your injury medical care

• Consistently keep you informed on important case updates

• Hire the experts needed to build your case if necessary on our dime

• Handle all of the paperwork from the insurance company on your behalf

• Negotiate medical bills with your doctors, putting every dollar saved back into your pocket

• Comprehensively gather evidence to build the strongest case possible for you to maximize recovery

• Demand the maximum possible amount available for your injuries all while never charging you a fee unless we win

If you have been the victim and have seriously injured or hurt from the negligence of another we have answers to your questions. Give The Law Office of Logan T. Lawrence a call today to find out what our car accident lawyers can do for you.

Our Gainesville personal injury lawyer exclusively handles cases involving an injury to you. We have the experience necessary to build the strongest possible case for your losses to ensure a complete recovery when it comes time to demand a settlement. Our injury lawyers know the value of every injury through years of practice and we can guide you to the best ultimate outcome for your individual circumstance.

Whether you have been hit by a car or have become the victim of a business failing to provide a safe environment for their patrons, our Gainesville personal injury lawyer knows how to maximize your claim. With decades of combined experience, our firm provides the best legal representation available on a personal scale.

Our firm doesn’t have to maintain a high advertising budget like some larger firms so we do not have the pressure to settle cases quickly to keep up with that demand. Some firms may rush building a case missing important facts that could double or triple the value of an injury. We take the time required to build the strongest case for recovery for all our clients.

We value our approach and many times our clients get to speak directly to their personal injury lawyer when they call. From the cases we have taken from other large firms, our clients tell us they never even spoke to their injury lawyer 6 months into their case.

We know how insurance companies work and we know how to work your case for the maximum settlement. We know the tactics and tools they attempt to use against someone involved who has been injured and we use that to your advantage. Here is what you can expect when you call The Law Office of Logan T. Lawrence for help following an injury in Gainesville:

1. A Free Consultation - Set up a time to speak with one of our highly qualified car accident lawyers at no cost to you.

2. The Opportunity to be Heard - Even if the insurance company is blaming the accident on you our experienced attorney, Logan Lawrence, esq., wants to hear your side

3. Complete Case Investigation - We analyze every aspect of your case and do a thorough back ground check for any possible recovery.

4. Medical Assistance - If you need help finding a medical professional following your accident, we can help.

5. No Fee Guarantee - If we conclude our investigation and are unable to make a recovery for you, you never owe us a dime.

We know how demanding and stressful an injury can be, put our Gainesville personal injury lawyer to work in helping ease the financial burden an accident may bring to your life. Our injury lawyers will work tirelessly in finding a resolution for your claim and help pay for any outstanding medical bills through a settlement for you. You concentrate on your physical and mental recovery, our persona injury lawyers will concentrate on your financial recovery. If the insurance adjusters refuse to extend a reasonable offer to fully cover your bills and outstanding balances for pain and suffering our all-star team of trial lawyers will be ready to drag them into the court room.

According to Forbes, the average American will be involved in a car accident every 17.9 years. If you think that Covid slowed down car accidents, you may be in for a surprise. The U.S. traffic death rate’s at the highest it’s ever been in almost 100 years according to a new article by the National Safety Council authored in 2021.

With more than 400,000 reported car accidents in 2019 alone, Florida is home to one of the most accident prone population of drivers causing injury. If you have been involved in a car accident you will likely have many unknown issues you face including establishing liability, building a claim to support your side of the story and documenting the accident through photos and video. If you have suffered an injury you will also likely want to seek pain and suffering damages. Insurance companies often attempt to minimize pain and suffering claims by making initial offers around $500 in return of you signing a waiver to prohibit any future recovery you may be entitled to. By following these 10 critical steps after an accident you will be more likely to build a stronger claim for all your losses:

With so much information going around, it’s no wonder most people don’t understand what type of insurance they have following a car accident. Below we go into the basic types of insurance and break them up into three categories; Coverage That Protects Those You Hurt, Coverage That Protects You When Hurt, and Coverage That Protects Your Property following a car accident.

Coverage That Protects Those You Hurt

Bodily Injury: Bodily Injury coverage can be thought of as Property Damage Liability but instead of covering the other persons car you hit, it covers their body and the resulting medical expenses associated with an injury resulting from a car accident. Bodily Injury is one of the most important coverage to have on your policy because not only does it ultimately pay for medical bills associated with a car accident for the other person, it is also what pays for the other persons pain and suffering. A recent study done by ISO, a Verisk Analystic company showed that the average property damage liability claim following an accident in 2013 was $3,231.00 while the average Bodily Injury claim was $15,443.00. The bottom line, bodies are far more expensive to repair than our cars. Without this coverage, you could be held fully responsible for these damages following a car accident. 

Property Damage Liability (Required): Property Damage Liability is a little more straightforward in comparison to personal injury protection. This coverage is designed to pay for the persons property you cause damage to when you are at fault in a car accident and vice versa. Most people carry $10,000.00 in property damage coverage in Florida. (Example) You collide with the rear of another person’s car and after getting estimates for repair, the total for his vehicles comes to $12,000.00, if you have $10,000.00 in property damage liability, your insurance should pay for $10,000.00 of the damage and you will handle the remaining $2,000.00. For a comprehensive understanding of how property damage liability works please visit Florida Statute 324.022. 

Coverage That Protects You When Hurt

Personal Injury Protection (Required): This insurance is designed to pay for up to 80% of your medical expenses following an accident caused by either you or someone else, regardless as to who is at fault in Florida. (Example) Following an accident, if you accrue $1,000.00 in medical expenses for a hospital visit or other medical care following an accident, your PIP insurance should pay $800.00 leaving the remaining $200.00 your responsibility. Generally, most people have $10,000.00 in PIP limits on their auto policies. Once your insurance has paid out $10,000.00 in benefits for medical coverage, any remaining balance is also your responsibility. If you would like even more information on what this car insurance coverage is and what it does following a car accident you can click this link for Florida Statute 627.736. 

Uninsured Motorist: I always tell my clients that this is the most important coverage to have in Florida, without a doubt. Following an accident that was not your fault Uninsured Motorist will afford coverage for damage to you when the other person does not have Bodily Injury Liability or does not have enough Bodily Injury Liability to cover the damage done to you. A recent study by The Insurance Research Council shows that Florida had the highest number of uninsured drivers in 2015, up to 26.7%. That means that more than 1 in every 4 cars you see does not have coverage. (Example) If a person hits you and does not have Bodily Injury and you do not have Uninsured Motorist coverage, there is a 1 in 4 chance that you will be stuck paying for all of the bills associated with your accident caused by another person and your attorney will not be able to make a recovery on your behalf for pain and suffering.

Coverage That Protects Your Property

Collision Coverage: This coverage helps pay to repair or replace your car if its damaged in an accident involving another vehicle or object. If you have this on your policy, it protects your vehicle after an accident. This coverage is usually needed if you are making payments or leasing a vehicle and will fix your car if the other person does not have Property Damage Liability. This coverage will not cover damage done to your property from not related to driving such as weather or vandalism. 

Comprehensive Coverage: This coverage picks up where collision leaves off and will cover any damage to your vehicle by theft, vandalism, fire, falling objects or almost anything else while the car is not in motion. It is worth noting that both collision and comprehensive coverage often have a deductible associated with them ranging from $100.00 to $2,000.00. (Example) If a hail storm damages your car and the repair shop quotes you $2,500.00 to fix the car and you have a deductible of $2,000.00 your insurance will only cover $500.00 in damages. 

GAP Coverage: This coverage is worth mentioning because I have seen countless clients stuck in a bad situation because they did not understand what GAP coverage is and what it does. This coverage will pay off any remaining balance on a loan if your vehicle is considered a total loss in an accident. It may not sound like much, but because new cars lose value very quickly when you buy a car you almost always owe more on it than it is currently worth. The insurance company only has to pay you fair market value for you vehicle, not what you currently owe on your loan for that vehicle. (Example) You bought a car two years ago and still owe $20,000.00, someone rear ended you and totaled your vehicle. Your car is worth $10,000.00 today and the insurance company writes you a Property Damage check for that amount. You still owe the remaining $10,000 to your loan provider following an accident caused by someone else and you still handle making your monthly payments even though you now do not have that car.

716 E University Ave Gainesville, FL 32606

With our law office located in the heart of Gainesville, Florida we can schedule a convenient time for you either in person or via telephone for a free consultation regarding your accident case with our Gainesville personal injury lawyer. Our experienced lawyers understand the intricate pitfalls associated with these claims and can give you the advice you need to make a successful recovery for both you and your property damage following a car accident.