Sarasota Car Accident Damages Attorney

In the event that you are involved in a car accident, it’s important that you stay calm and make sure any other passengers are as well. The initial shock of the accident can leave a victim confused and unsure how to move forward. Contact an experienced car accident lawyer to ensure that you’re well represented.

After a car accident, there are two forms of damages that can be recovered: Economic or Noneconomic. For additional information or clarification of Florida car accident laws, contact a Sarasota Car Accident lawyer.

Economic damages include the compensation you receive for any monetary losses involved in your car accident. These damages are measurable and real. They can include lost earnings, lost business opportunities, costs associated with replacing damaged property, and medical expenses. Medical expenses make up most of the damages awarded and can include but are not limited to medical bills, therapy sessions, pharmacy costs, and ambulance costs. Negligence is often an argumentative factor included in car accident cases. Negligence could be not stopping at a red light, going over the speed limit, driving too close to the vehicle in front of you, etc.

When seeking economic damages, you are often brought to head with details including comparative and contributory negligence. Either of these could limit or completely reduce the amount you’re able to receive in your car accident case.

Claiming negligence in a case is similar to saying that an action done was unintentional. Contributory negligence dates back to English common law and states that if you were at all negligent in any form in your case, you can’t be awarded damages from any party. Comparative negligence is a more modern approach and is used in the state of Florida. Comparative negligence includes instances when both parties are at fault and a jury allocates fault, usually as a percentage. For instance, you could be made to pay 40% of the opposing party’s damages, and they pay 60% of yours. For additional clarification on the above legal terms, contact an experienced car accident lawyer serving Sarasota, Florida.

An experienced Sarasota car accident lawyer can also assist with obtaining noneconomic damages include any funds awarded to a victim for intangible or non-monetary losses. These damages are difficult and sometimes impossible to measure because they can’t be calculated by adding up documented bills and receipts or lost wages. Noneconomic damages can include but are not limited to pain and suffering, emotional distress, disfigurement, loss of companionship, loss related to reputation, and loss related to enjoyment of life. Previously, these awards were capped in order to prevent excessive use, but it was recently deemed unconstitutional leading to no artificial cap on the amount of money you can seek due to pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.

Punitive damages are another form of non-economic damages that you could be awarded. Punitive damages are an instrument used by the courts to punish a negligent party for generally bad conduct.

As a premier Sarasota car accident attorney we are able to confidently assess the questions and concerns of individuals who have been injured or involved in a car accidents. Contact Pallegar Law, P.A. at 941.893.5816 to schedule your free consultation today.