If you were injured in a side-impact accident in Sarasota, Florida, you might be entitled to seek financial compensation. You could receive compensation for your medical bills, lost income from time missed at work, and more.
A Sarasota side-impact collision lawyer from Distasio Law Firm can help you gather evidence and bring a strong claim or lawsuit against the liable party. Call our office today for a free case evaluation with an experienced auto crash attorney.
Recoverable Medical Expenses in a Side-Impact Accident
Side-impact collisions or “T-bone” accidents occur when a vehicle strikes the side of another vehicle. The force of the impact is often concentrated in the passenger or driver area of the vehicle. Because of this, injuries caused by side-impact collisions are often severe.
If you were hurt in a side-impact wreck in Sarasota, you could recover financial compensation for the medical expenses resulting from your injuries with the help of a lawyer. You could be compensated for costs related to:
- Physician appointments
- Emergency room treatment
- Ambulance transport
- Hospitalization
- Surgery
- Diagnostic imaging tests (X-rays, MRIs)
- Occupational therapy and other rehabilitative care
- Medications
- Medical devices
- In-home care
You Could Be Compensated for Lost Wages Due to Missing Work
Recovering from a T-Bone accident usually results in some time off from work. If your injuries are severe, you will have to miss a considerable number of days while you are healing from your wreck.
You may be able to recover compensation for the lost wages you suffered due to missed work. You may also receive compensation for future lost wages if you must miss work in the future for follow-up medical care or ongoing treatment.
The term “earning capacity” is used to refer to a person’s ability to work and earn wages. If the collision has left you disabled or otherwise reduced your ability to work, you could receive compensation for your reduced earning capacity.
Reimbursement for Vehicle Repair Costs
Side-impact collisions often result in major damage to the vehicle that is struck. Your vehicle may need considerable repairs, or it may have been totaled. Florida’s no-fault insurance laws require drivers to seek compensation from their insurers after a vehicle accident.
If your expenses exceed your coverage amount, you may be able to recover the rest from a claim or lawsuit against the liable driver with the guidance of a Sarasota sideswipe accident attorney. It can be challenging and time-consuming to figure out when you should file a claim, but our dedicated legal team can answer any questions you may have and help you evaluate your claim.
Awards for Non-Economic Damages
Being hurt in a side-impact crash does not only cause monetary damages. It also causes significant mental suffering. Through a personal injury case, your committed T-Bone accident attorney in Sarasota recover financial compensation for your non-economic damages as well.
Non-economic damages for which you could receive compensation for include:
- Loss of functioning or disability caused by the accident
- Disfigurement caused by burns or scars
- Loss of life enjoyment
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional and mental anguish
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Proving Negligence in a Side-Impact Collision
There are four main elements in any personal injury case: duty, violation of duty, injuries, and damages. To win your car accident injury case and recover financial compensation for medical bills, property damage, and other losses, you will need to demonstrate that the following components are present:
- The at-fault party, usually another driver, owed you a duty of care. Drivers automatically have a duty to drive with caution and regard for the safety of others.
- The at-fault party violated the duty of care by driving in a way that placed others in danger.
- You suffered injuries because the driver violated their duty.
- Your injuries incurred damages, such as medical expenses and lost wages.
A diligent side-impact collision attorney with Distasio Law Firm in Sarasota can help you gather evidence to show each of these components in your case. Our team can use police reports, medical records, witness accounts, photos or video footage of the accident, and forensic evidence like skid marks and vehicle debris.
Call our legal team for a free case evaluation.
We Can Help You Identify the Liable Party
In many side-impact cases, the liable party is the driver who hit the injured party. However, the liable party could be:
- A government entity that failed to maintain the roads or traffic signals
- A manufacturer of a defective vehicle part
- A commercial company, such as a delivery company or trucking company
- Another party whose negligent conduct caused the accident
Distasio Law Firm can help you identify the liable party and hold that party accountable.
Wrongful Death Caused by a Side-Impact Collision
If your loved one died because of injuries sustained in a side-impact collision, we know that legal action cannot bring back your loved one. However, a wrongful death lawsuit may help you accomplish two important things:
- Holding the negligent party answerable for the loss of life
- Recovering compensation for the harm caused by the accident
A wrongful death lawsuit is brought on a deceased person’s behalf by a representative. Typically, a surviving spouse, child, or parent brings a wrongful death claim.
According to Florida Statutes § 768.21, you could receive compensation for:
- Medical and funeral expenses
- The value of the lost services and support that the decedent provided
- The decedent’s lost income, employment benefits, or other income the estate might have earned
- The loss of the decedent’s affection and companionship
- Mental and emotional pain suffered by parents who have lost a child
Injury Cases Have a Set Deadline in Florida
It is important not to delay your lawsuit because Florida has a deadline called the statute of limitations for personal injury cases. The state generally allows injured parties to file their lawsuit within two years per Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a).
Wrongful death actions must be filed before the two-year statute of limitations expires per Florida Statutes §95.11(4)(d). There may be additional deadlines as well that you can discuss with your Sarasota lawyer.
A Sarasota Side-Impact Attorney from Our Firm Can Help You
If you or a loved one was injured in a side-impact accident, you could hold the liable party accountable and receive compensation in a personal injury case. A Sarasota side-impact collision lawyer with Distasio Law Firm can help you identify the liable party, find evidence, build your case, and advocate on your behalf.
Call us today for a free case assessment.
