What To Do When
You’ve Been Injured in a Car Accident
Authored By:
Jeremiah Jaspon
This resource is provided by
Jaspon & Armas, P.C. 301 South Orlando Avenue Winter Park, FL 32789 (407) 513-9515
Visit us online at http://www.orlandoautoaccidentattorney.com/
Auto Accident Resources &
Information
As a service to our clients, we have put this guide together to provide detailed information about what to expect when you or someone you know are involved in an auto accident in Orlando.
What To Do After A Car Accident
Seek Medical Treatment As Soon As Possible
Seek Legal Counsel As Soon As Possible
Do not speak to the insurance companies without consulting with an experienced car accident attorney first
Begin Consistent Medical Treatment
If You Have to Miss Work
Keep Track of Mileage for Doctors Visits
Don’t Miss Scheduled Doctors Appointments
Keep A Diary of How the Accident Has Affected You
Keep All Paperwork Related to the Accident
Common Mistakes to Avoid After an Accident
Auto Accident Compensation
Time Spent in the Hospital
Doctor Bills
X-ray and Specialist Bills
Wheelchairs, Crutches, Braces and More
Loss of Income
Future Loss of Income
Damages to Your Car
Loss of Consortium
Mental & Physical Pain & Suffering
Auto Accident Frequently Asked Questions
What is No Fault Insurance and how does it affect me?
My loved one was killed in a car accident. What can I do?
What does PIP Insurance provide after a car accident?
Seek Medical Treatment As Soon As Possible After An Auto Accident
Seek medical treatment immediately after an auto accident in the Orlando Area! It is vital to your case that you are seen by a doctor as soon as possible. Ideally, it is best for your case if you are taken by ambulance to an emergency room and treated. This is an indication to the insurance company that your case is serious and usually translates into a bigger settlement or jury verdict down the line.
Many people do not feel that they are in severe pain after an accident…due to the adrenaline rush after the accident. The next day, however, the adrenaline has worn off and the pain has set in. In the event that you do not go to an emergency room right after the accident, we would advise you to either take yourself to the emergency room when the pain has set in, or go to your general practitioner if you can get an appointment immediately. Again, not only is this a smart thing to do for your health, it is also a wise thing to do for your case.
Remember, the insurance companies want to pay you as little as possible and will use anything they can against you. If you do not seek
attention immediately after an accident, inevitably they will argue that point against you to suggest that the injury was not severe and that you should not be compensated as much as you would deem fair.
Remember, the insurance companies are in the business of making profits. Therefore, it is their job to pay you as little as possible. Do not give them any ammunition that they can use against you…get medical treatment immediately!
Do Not Speak To The Insurance Companies Without Consulting With An Experienced Auto Accident Attorney First
The insurance companies are in the business of making a profit. That means that they want to pay you as little as possible when dealing with your claim. They will use every tool at their disposal to pay you a minimal amount. One of the tools they attempt to use is to get a
recorded statement from you before you hire an attorney. That way, they can lock you into a statement that they will use against you in the future. They will ask leading questions, questions that are unclear and improper questions to bully you into saying something you probably wouldn’t say if an attorney was by your side. Please don’t let this happen to you.
Hire an attorney before you speak to an insurance company about the facts of your case.
It could mean the difference between you getting thousands of additional dollars or not getting nearly what you could be entitled to.
Begin Consistent Medical Treatment After A Car Accident
Even if you have a high tolerance threshold for pain, it is not in your best interests to avoid treatment. It is best for your case if you begin treatment immediately. Often times, the insurance companies will use your lack of treatment against you to suggest that you weren’t really in any pain or your injuries weren’t really that serious. They tend to take your case more seriously, and consequently offer you more money usually, if you begin a treatment regiment immediately after an accident.
It is also important to tell your doctors everywhere that you are experiencing pain the first time you meet with them. It has been our experience that the insurance companies will suggest that since you didn’t disclose your injuries to your doctors after the accident that they may not have originated from the accident and therefore their insured is not responsible for paying for them. Again, the insurance
companies will attempt to argue everything they can to pay you as little as possible. They are in the business of making profits and will do everything in their power to maximize their profit margins. That means they want to pay you as little as possible.
Remember, hire an attorney as early as possible to be there to make sure you get every dollar that you may have coming to you. Call the attorney as Jaspon & Armas, P.A. for a free consultation about your rights. Remember, we only get costs and fees if we get a positive recovery in your case.
Missing Work and PIP Insurance After An Auto Accident
Your PIP insurance is a good tool for you if you use it to its full capacity. For instance, it will pay up to
$10,000.00 (ten-thousand dollars) for your medical bills, missed work, and mileage relating to the accident. If you miss work, it will pay 60% of your usual salary with proper documentation. You will have to show that you normally work x hours at a certain amount per hour, but have had to miss work because of the accident. Documentation from your employer is key to making sure that you get the proper amount of money. Also, always document your mileage to and from the doctor’s office because you can be compensated out of your PIP for that as well. Remember, there is a
maximum of $10,000 available through your PIP insurance. It is a good tool for you to use as you recover from your injuries.
Keep Track Of All Of Your Mileage To And From The Doctors Office After An Auto Accident
Every penny counts, especially after you were injured in an accident and missing work. That is why it is important for you to keep track of every mile that you drive to and from your doctors’
offices. Although you are not compensated much per mile, it starts to add up over time. Keep track of the mileage on a sheet of paper and submit it to your insurance company. They should send you a check compensating you for each mile driven. Keep in mind that this money will come out of your
$10,000 in PIP coverage that also covers your medical bills and missed work. It is important to have an attorney by your side who can guide you through the process, deal with the insurance companies and fight to get you every dollar that you may be entitled to. Call the attorneys at Jaspon
& Armas, P.A. for a free consultation today!
Do Not Miss Doctors
Appointments After You Have Been Involved In A Car
Accident
When you hire an attorney to handle your injury case your only job, as it pertains to the case, is to get treatment. If you miss a scheduled appointment with your doctor the doctor will note it in the records. Eventually, the insurance companies will get their hands on these medical records and look over them with a fine toothed comb. If they see that you are missing your doctor’s appointments they will inevitably use it against you to offer you less money than you may be entitled to. They will argue that you aren’t as injured as you are asserting since you aren’t going to your appointments.
Inevitably, they will offer you less money as a result of these missed appointments.
Remember, insurance companies are in the business of making a profit and they are looking for
every little nugget they can use against you to pay you as little money as possible. Do not provide them with anything that they could successfully argue against you with either your attorney in settlement discussions or with a jury if the case goes to trial.
After An Auto Accident Keep A Detailed Diary of How the Accident Has Affected You
Pain and suffering is not something that the insurance company can see and touch. Rather, it is something that needs to be explained to them. For this reason, it helps your case if you can explain to them all of the normal day to day things you used to be able to do and cannot do now… or, cannot do easily now. That is why we ask our clients to keep a diary of how this injury has affected their activities of daily living. In many instances this will help improve the value of your case and will help us at the negotiating table. This also will show the insurance company that you are not just a file on their desk, or a claim number, rather you are a real person who has gone through a painful experience and you deserve to be compensated fairly.
Keep All Paperwork Related To The Auto Accident
Auto Accident cases usually turn into huge stacks of documentation. By the time you hire an attorney, you probably have already received medical records, medical bills, documentation from the insurance companies, police reports, etc. In order to help your attorney it is important to bring all of this documentation to your attorney. This will make their job a lot easier and help the case go quicker and smoother.
Common Mistakes to Avoid After a Car Accident
The first thing to remember after an Orlando Area Car Accident is, do not give a recorded statement to the at fault insurance company. They will try to ask you questions in such a way that they will try to use your answers against you in the future. It is vital to your case that you first speak to and hire an experienced Orlando Auto Accident Lawyer. Let your attorney look at your case and make an informed decision as to how much contact, if any, there should be with the at fault insurance company. The amount of compensation you could receive in your case may be drastically affected based upon doing these two things immediately after you are injured.
Also, make sure that you get medical attention. Do not try to be a hero. If you are hurting please go and get yourself checked out by a medical professional. We have seen too many instances where I had a legitimately injured client who tried to be a hero and see if they would get better on their own without the need for a doctor. Trust us, if you wait too long to seek treatment the
insurance companies will attempt to paint you as somebody who wasn’t truly injured in an accident and, based on that, will try to give you as little money as possible.
Remember, the insurance companies are in the business of making profits and the less they pay you the greater their bottom line is at the end of the year. It is important that you don’t go it alone against a big insurance company. Hire the attorneys at Jaspon & Armas, P.A. to fight for you and protect your interests.
Compensation For Time Spent In the Hospital After Being Involved In A Auto Accident
As most people are painfully aware, time spent in the hospital can not only be a scary proposition, but a very costly one as well. As hospital costs soar, it is vitally important to make sure that you are not left footing the bill. It is not uncommon for only 1 night spent in the ER to cost upwards of
$30,000 or more. The truth is that if somebody else’s negligence put you in the hospital then you have the right to seek compensation from the negligent party. That is why it is so vitally important to your case to hire competent counsel as soon as possible to protect your interests throughout the duration of your case.
Compensation For Doctor Bills and Expenses After Being Involved In A Auto Accident
When a person is injured in a car accident, through no fault of their own, it is common to have to visit multiple doctors throughout the course of the treatment and recovery. When the doctors bills begin to pile up it can create tremendous stress on both the injured and also on their families. As you can imagine, the very fact that they have sustained an injury and must take time away from work and family to visit doctors is already stressful enough.
That is why it is so important to hire an attorney who will be by your side from the beginning and helping you deal with the bills, the insurance
companies, and all of the stress and headaches associated with it. We will help you get the money that you are legally entitled to help pay for your medical bills.
Compensation For X-ray and Specialist Bills After A Car Accident
X-rays, MRIs, pain management specialists, etc…
These and potentially many other necessary health management tools may be required after being injured due to somebody else’s negligence. You will find that these bills can become quite costly and the bills add up in a hurry. The stress associated with being injured in an accident can be overwhelming by itself without the additional stress of dealing with expensive medical specialists bills as well. That is why it is so important to hire the right attorneys as soon as you can to help protect your interests and alleviate a little bit of the stress from you and your loved ones shoulders.
Compensation For Mobility and Support Items After A Car Accident - Wheelchairs, Crutches, Braces and More…
When you have been so severely injured due to somebody else’s negligence that they need to use a wheelchair, crutches, braces, or any other device to move around and live life then you are certain to have mounting medical bills. These and other devices have become so costly that most people are unable to pay out of pocket for them. As these bills begin to pour into your mailbox it is important
to have aggressive attorneys on your side that can help you deal with all of it from the beginning.
Compensation For Loss of Income After A Car Accident
When you have been injured due to somebody else’s negligence, and have lost income as a result, you have the right to recover that money from the injured party. In the most severe cases, you may not be able to work for the rest of your life. That is why, under Florida law, you have the right to recover any loss of income (now or in the future) which resulted from the negligent party’s actions. In order to ensure you get everything you are entitled to under Florida law, it is vitally important that you hire the right attorneys from the beginning to zealously represent your interests.
Compensation For Future Loss of Income After A Car
Accident
When you have been injured due to a car accident that is not your fault, and have lost income as a result, you have the right to recover that money from the injured party. In the most severe cases, you may not be able to work for the rest of your life. That is why, under Florida Law, you have the right to recover any loss of income (now or in the future) which resulted from the negligent party’s actions. In order to ensure you get everything you are entitled to under Florida law, it is vitally important that you hire the right attorneys from the beginning to zealously represent your interests.
Compensation For Damages To Your Car After An Accident
When you have been in a car accident the damage to your vehicle is an issue that must be dealt with immediately. Most people only have one vehicle and they depend on that vehicle to get them to doctor’s appointments, work, school, and drop off the kids, etc. It is vital to your life and livelihood that you get your car back on the road as fast as possible. For this and many other reasons, it is important to contact the attorneys at Jaspon &
Armas, P.A. immediately after your accident. We can help you deal with getting your car repaired, getting fair value for the damages to your vehicle, getting a rental car, etc. Our goal is to take on these headaches for you so you can focus on the important things…your health, your family, and your job.
Compensation For Loss of Consortium After A Car Accident
If you are the spouse of an injured person, the parent of a minor who was injured due to somebody else’s negligence, or if you are an unmarried dependent, then you may have the right to seek compensation from the person who injured your loved one. Usually, it is not only the injured person who has been harmed by someone else’s negligence but also the family members as well.
That is why it is important to have attorneys on your side that will fight to seek the compensation that other members of the family may also be entitled to… not just the injured person.
Compensation For Physical &
Mental Pain and Suffering After A Car Accident
Physical Pain & Suffering
If you have suffered a permanent injury or have scarring from an accident due to someone else’s negligence, then you are entitled to receive compensation for the physical pain and suffering you have endured. You are not only entitled to receive money for past pain and suffering, but you can also receive money for future pain and suffering as well. You can be sure that the insurance companies’ high priced attorneys are going to attempt to argue that you are not permanently injured (even when it is clear that you are permanently injured). That is why it is so
important to have a competent attorney fighting for you, side by side, at every step of the litigation process.
Mental Pain & Suffering
If you have suffered a permanent injury or have scarring from an accident due to someone else’s negligence, then you are entitled to receive compensation for the mental pain and suffering you have endured. You are not only entitled to receive money for past mental pain and suffering, but you can also receive money for future mental pain and suffering as well. A physical injury often causes mental anguish as well. For instance, if you can no longer do things you could do before the accident that would be an instance in where you are suffering mentally as well as physically. The law in Florida says that you are entitled to receive compensation for that also. You can be sure that the insurance companies’ high priced attorneys are going to attempt to argue that you are not
permanently injured (even when it is clear that you are permanently injured). That is why it is so important to have a competent attorney fighting for you, side by side, at every step of the litigation process.
What Is No Fault Insurance and How Does It Affect Me?
Basically, no-fault insurance is when your insurance contract covers your losses up to a certain level.
No state is a pure no-fault state, which would mean that you couldn’t file a suit to seek further damages in an accident or other incident where that person was at fault. Fortunately, depending on your circumstances, you still have the legal right to file a suit to seek compensation for pain and suffering in the state of Florida. It is best to speak with an attorney to determine whether you qualify.
My Loved One Was Killed In A Car Accident. What Can I do?
The insurance companies will attempt to get a recorded statement from you immediately after your accident. When they do that, they have locked you into your statement and will most likely try to use it against you as the case progresses.
They get the statement from you as soon as possible hoping that you have not hired an attorney to represent you. Sometimes it is a good idea to give the insurance company a recorded statement and sometimes it is not, it all depends on the specific facts of your case. Remember, no two accidents are the same and you should have an experienced attorney by your side who can take a serious look at your case and help decide the best course of action for you in order to maximize the value of the case. Remember, the insurance
companies are in business to make profits and they will use every trick in the book to attempt to pay you as little as possible. It is always a good rule of thumb, especially in an accident case where timing can be crucial, to have an attorney by your side immediately after your accident.
What Does PIP Insurance Provide After A Car Accident?
Florida PIP Coverage Information
Under Florida law, if you own a private passenger automobile, there is a minimum PIP coverage required. It provides a total limit of $10,000 for each person injured in a covered car accident. In includes the following:
1. A Medical Expense Benefit Which Pays 80% of all Reasonable Expenses Incurred for Necessary Treatment
2. An Income Loss Benefit Which Pays 60% of Lost Wages
3. A Loss of Services Benefit Which Pays 100% of Loss of Services
4. A Death benefit of $5,000
Our Commitment
Jaspon & Armas, PA is a family owned law firm. The Orlando personal injury law firm was started by brother and sister lawyers, Jeremiah Jaspon and Andrea Armas. Both attorneys began their legal careers as criminal defense trial attorneys; however, they immediately began to represent the injured and their family members after they tragically lost their own niece who was killed in a car accident as a result of the negligence of another driver. Since that tragic event, the attorneys at Jaspon & Armas, PA have been fighting diligently to represent those who have been injured in all types of vehicular accidents in the Orlando area and throughout the state of Florida. Jaspon and Armas are dedicated to assisting and comforting both the injured and their family members during the difficult times following a tragic accident.
The firm’s own experience in dealing with the pain of losing a loved one, helps them understand first-hand what their clients are going through. It is that experience that drives them to pursue every dollar that their clients may be entitled to. Call for a free consultation with one of the attorneys.
WE MAKE THE FOLLOWING COMMITMENTS TO OUR CLIENTS:
1. TO MEET FACE TO FACE WITH OUR CLIENTS THROUGHOUT THE CASE
2. TO ALWAYS RETURN OUR CLIENTS PHONE CALLS 3. TO HAVE AN OPEN AND HONEST RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CLIENTS
4. TO GET TO KNOW OUR CLIENTS WELL…WE FEEL THAT THE BETTER WE KNOW AND UNDERSTAND OUR CLIENTS, THE BETTER WE CAN BRING VALUE TO THEIR CASE.
5. TO TELL OUR CLIENTS THE TRUTH ABOUT THEIR CASE…BOTH THE GOOD AND THE BAD
6. TO NOT GUARANTEE A RESULT…IF ANY ATTORNEY GUARANTEES A RESULT THEN THEY ARE NOT ONLY BEING UNETHICAL BUT THEY ARE ALSO BEING UNTRUTHFUL. THE FACT IS NO ATTORNEY CAN GUARANTEE A RESULT…
7. WE GUARANTEE THAT WE WILL ALWAYS ADVOCATE ZEALOUSLY FOR OUR CLIENTS AND WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE THEIR BEST INTEREST IN MIND AT EVERY STAGE OF THEIR CASE
8. TO TRY TO MEET AND EXCEED OUR CLIENTS’
EXPECTATIONS OF A PERSONAL INJURY LAW FIRM.
OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR CLIENTS IS THE LIFE BLOOD OF OUR LAW FIRM
