Accident victims are entitled to compensation for their injuries when they’ve been hurt through no fault of their own. Most likely they’ve been injured in an automobile accident, since that is the No. 1 accident. They also could have been injured when a neighbor’s dog came onto their property and bit them. Perhaps they slipped on a wet spot on the floor that a store failed to clean up in a timely manner. Doesn’t matter. As long as someone else was the cause of the accident, either through negligence or recklessness, the victim is entitled to compensation under Florida law.

The compensation includes medical expenses, both past and future if the injuries are long-term, lost wages if the victim was unable to work, and household expenses if the victim had to hire someone to clean her house or cut the lawn. Victims also may be eligible for punitive damages where the at-fault party was deemed reckless.

Getting this compensation can be another matter and may require assistance from an Orlando accident attorney. Liability insurance companies habitually balk at making reasonable settlements to accident victims. They may try to force victims to settle claims before treatment is finished, because once the claim is paid, the victim can’t seek more money for additional treatment. Fortunately, Florida has a four-year statute of limitations, which gives victims plenty of time to heal from their injuries.

An Orlando accident attorney can be a victim’s best friend when it comes to dealing with insurance companies. He deals with difficult insurance companies, so victims don’t have to. He puts together the victim’s claim package, making sure it is complete with medical records; police, physician and employer reports, and photographs, among other documents. Once this package is submitted to the insurance company, the lawyer negotiates the settlement, not allowing the victim to settle until a fair and reasonable offer has been presented. Since the attorney works on a contingency fee, there is incentive to get victims the highest award possible; the more he recovers for a victim, the higher his own payday is.

People injured in accidents that were not their fault owe it to themselves to consult with an accident attorney. The consultation is free, so there’s no reason not to call to find out what their rights are under the law.

Diez-Arguelles & Tejedor, Orlando’s Top Personal Injury Attorney and Lawyer.