Did you suffer an injury in a car accident on Gall Boulevard? Perhaps you slipped on a wet floor in the Walmart Supercenter in Carole Acres? Or maybe you got into a serious motorcycle crash on Old Lakeland Highway? No matter where you suffered an injury in Zephyrhills, you deserve help from an experienced Zephyrhills Personal Injury Lawyer.
Every year millions of people suffer injuries in a variety of accidents. From car crashes to slip and fall accidents, these accidents can significantly impact your life and your future. In a fraction of a second, you can find yourself suddenly facing a lifetime of pain and suffering and disability. When this happens, it is important to know that you do not have to suffer alone. After all, the law is on your side.
Florida’s liability laws allow injured accident victims to seek compensation from the responsible person or entity. Whether it’s a drunk driver or a negligent property owner, you have rights after an injury accident.
Unfortunately, most insurance companies do not want to pay you after an accident. And if they must pay you, they want to pay you as little as possible. To do this, they will try to get you to accept a quick settlement. These settlements offer just a small percentage of what you need to truly recover. They will offer you this settlement quickly and pressure you into signing by using a “take it or leave it” approach. Never sign anything without first speaking to an experienced Zephyrhills personal injury lawyer at Nicoletti Accident Injury Lawyers.
Experience Matters in Zephyrhills
Injured accident survivors in Zephyrhills need a law firm in their corner with extensive knowledge of both Florida law and the Zephyrhills community. At Nicoletti Accident Injury Lawyers, our Zephyrhills personal injury lawyers understand the issues that accident victims in Zephyrhills face.
Founder and managing partner Nicolette Nicoletti grew up just down the street in New Port Richey, Florida. She returned to her hometown to help residents there obtain justice after serious and debilitating injuries. This experience and knowledge help her offer accident victims a unique and different level of legal assistance.
In addition to our experience in the community of Zephyrhills, our lawyers have extensive experience winning complex accident cases. We have the resources needed to tackle these complex cases—and win. In fact, our successful track record is just one reason why so many Zephyrhills injury accident survivors choose us to represent them.
Here are just a few of our most notable cases.
- $3.68 million for an injured survivor after a truck accident
- $3.3 million for an injured survivor who suffered orthopedic fractures in a truck accident
- $2 million for an injured survivor who suffered RSD after a rear-end car accident
- $1.7 million for a traumatic brain injury survivor after a car accident
- $1 million for a traumatic brain injury survivor after a car accident and bad faith
Past results do not guarantee future results. Yet, when you suffer an injury in an accident in Zephyrhills, you can rest easy knowing you have an experienced and aggressive law firm in your corner from the beginning. This can give you the peace of mind you deserve after a serious injury accident.
Types of Injury Accidents in Zephyrhills
The sunshine state is not all beaches and Spring Break partying. Florida is a dangerous state. Motorists in Florida have an increased chance of suffering an injury in a crash because Florida is the third most dangerous state in the country.
In Zephyrhills, residents can suffer injury in numerous ways. Whenever another person, entity, or business acts negligently, they can—and should—accept responsibility for their actions. This means they should compensate you for your injuries, damages, and losses. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. Insurers fight very hard to avoid paying injured accident survivors what they truly need and deserve. That is why you need a Zephyrhills personal injury lawyer in your corner.
At Nicoletti Accident Injury Lawyers, our Zephyrhills personal injury lawyers have successfully won cases and negotiated settlements for survivors who suffered injuries in a variety of accidents, including:
- Car accidents. In Zephyrhills and Pasco County, approximately 7,500 crashes occur every year. These accidents result in nearly 100 deaths and over 6,200 injuries. Accidents in Zephyrhills can cause serious and catastrophic injuries that can adversely affect an accident survivor’s entire life.
- Motorcycle accidents. The weather in Zephyrhills is perfect motorcycling weather all year round. This means more motorcyclists on the road in town and more motorcycle accidents. In Pasco County alone, nearly 300 motorcycle crashes occur here every year, resulting in over 25 deaths and nearly 275 injuries. Shockingly, nearly all motorcycle accidents in the area result in some form of injury or fatality.
- Truck accidents. Truck accidents are often catastrophic, especially in Zephyrhills. In Pasco County, nearly 600 truck accidents happen every year on roads in the county. These accidents result in nearly 200 injuries. Many of these injuries are life-threatening and result in permanent disability.
- Bicycle accidents. There are more bicyclists on the road these days commuting to work or just out enjoying the beautiful weather. All drivers must share the road with cyclists to avoid serious and deadly collisions. However, every year more than 150 bicycling accidents occur in Zephyrhills and Pasco County. These accidents result in nearly a dozen fatalities and approximately 150 injuries.
- Bus accidents. In Zephyrhills and throughout Pasco County, bright green PCPT buses shuttle residents and visitors around the community. The fixed bus route runs throughout East and West Pasco and along S.R. 54. These buses are large and can cause horrific accidents to pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists. When you get into an accident with a PCPT bus, you need a law firm on your side to help you collect the money you deserve quickly.
- Boat accidents. There are many boat cruises and excursions in Zephyrhills. Swamp tours, boating on Lake Gibson, and cruising around Hidden Lake are just a few of the fun ways residents can enjoy the water. When boating accidents occur, however, they can cause serious injuries and even fatalities.
- Slip and fall accidents. Slip and fall accidents can happen at any time. When they occur on another person’s property, such as in a big box store, a department store, or in an apartment complex you may suffer severe injuries, such as fractures, spinal cord injuries, and brain injuries.
- Pedestrian accidents.
- Drunk driving accidents
- Catastrophic injury
- Premises liability
- Uber accidents
Handling Insurance Companies After a Zephyrhills Accident
All states treat injury accidents differently. Florida is one of just a handful of states that operates under “no-fault” laws. This means that you must first seek to collect money from your own insurance policy before filing a lawsuit against the negligent party. All Florida drivers must purchase Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. This insurance policy provides drivers and their passengers with compensation for medical expenses after an injury accident. To collect this money, you do not have to prove fault or establish liability.
However, most PIP policies only offer accident survivors a small portion of what they may need. Once you reach your policy’s limits, you can then file a personal injury claim or lawsuit against the negligent driver or entity that caused your accident. While this may seem easy, it is not.
In fact, many accident survivors in Zephyrhills feel shocked when they realize how difficult it is to collect from their own PIP policy. Simply put, insurers do not want to pay claims if they do not have to. As such, they often delay or deny claims in an attempt to reduce their liabilities. They know that injured accident survivors need money quickly. They also know that without legal representation, accident survivors may not have the resources needed to fight and win their cases.
Time is critical after an injury accident. Not only is valuable evidence lost or destroyed quickly after an accident, but the state of Florida has strict deadlines for filing injury lawsuits. Florida Statute § 95.11(3)(a) states that injured accident survivors only have four years from the date of the accident to file a claim. However, while this is typically a strict deadline, there are exceptions. Many circumstances could extend or shorten this deadline, such as the age of the victim at the time of the accident or the type of injury suffered. As such, it is important to review your case with an experienced Zephyrhills personal injury attorney immediately—even if you believe you missed the deadline.
At Nicoletti Accident Injury Lawyers, we can help you avoid missing any critical deadlines for filing your claim. We also want to help answer your questions and support and guide you after an injury accident. We believe that everyone deserves to seek justice after an injury accident. That is why we offer all our services on a contingency basis. That means you do not pay us unless we can settle your case or win an award for you. We also offer a free initial consultation for all prospective clients. This way you can meet us and get answers to even your toughest injury questions. We will take this time to listen to you and determine the best course of legal action.
What types of tactics does the Zephyrhills insurance company use?
The most common approach an insurance company will take with a personal injury claim is a lowball offer of settlement. Personal injury attorneys know what a claim is worth because they handle many cases every day. They know what comparable cases have settled for and what a jury is likely to award at trial.
This knowledge allows the attorney to demand and recognize a fair settlement offer from the insurance company. On their own, an injury victim may not know what their claim is actually worth. An insurance company would know this and make a low settlement offer, pressuring the victim to settle right away.
Another tactic insurance companies love to use for personal injury claims is hiring a private investigator. In the digital age, these investigators are highly skilled at finding any information you have ever put online. Posts, pictures, tags, tweets, you name it, they will find it. It is imperative not to post anything about the accident until your case has settled, so nothing you say online can later be used by the insurance company to call into question the worth and validity of your claim.
Investigators can also track you down in person. They might follow you to your home or office, hoping to catch you on video doing something inconsistent with your injuries. For example, if your claim is for knee pain, the insurance company might try for footage of you jogging to prove that your knee isn’t really that injured.
What this all boils down to is a stranger following you (and possibly your children) to your own home and job, recording you without your knowledge. With a personal injury lawyer, insurance companies are less likely to hire a private investigator. If they do so, your attorney is in a better position to shut it down.
Investigating Your Injury Accident
From the moment you choose Nicoletti Accident Injury Lawyers to represent you after an injury accident, we will begin investigating your case. A thorough investigation often involves a team of lawyers, paralegals, and experts and includes many steps, such as:
- Examining police reports
- Meeting with your medical team
- Visiting the crash site
- Gathering evidence
- Interviewing eyewitnesses
- Utilizing accident recreation teams
- Examining vehicle damage
- Listening to your story and accident account
We leave no stone unturned because we know that one of the fastest ways to build your case is to prove liability. Investigations often show details that police reports may miss. This can lead to identifying other negligent parties and causes of the crash.
Consider this scenario!
Suppose a local Zephyrhills truck accident resulted in a fatality after a large semi-truck rear-ended a motorcyclist. At first glance, it may seem like the truck driver is solely to blame because they failed to stop in time. However, a deeper investigation uncovered a startling fact: the truck’s brakes failed. This was due to inadequate maintenance by the trucking company who skipped routine brake inspections to save money. As you can see, in this situation, multiple parties may share the blame for the accident and injuries.
Winning Your Zephyrhills Personal Injury Case
After we perform an extensive investigation, our Zephyrhills personal injury lawyers will begin building your case and negotiating with insurance companies. We work with your medical team to make sure that any settlement includes the money you need to pay for expenses both now—and in the future. After all, once you accept a settlement, you cannot go back and ask for more money, even if your injury results in complications or requires future surgeries.
The vast majority of Zephyrhills personal injury cases settle out of court. With a skilled injury lawyer on your side, your attorney can often reach a fair settlement for you. However, there are times when insurers refuse to play fair and refuse to give you the money you deserve. When this happens, our law firm can take your case to court—and win. At Nicoletti Law, our Zephyrhills personal injury lawyers are not just negotiators, we are also skilled litigators. We know the local courts and judges that will likely oversee your case, and we are not afraid to battle large insurance companies for our clients.
Zephyrhills Personal Injury FAQ
Regardless of its nature, location, or the number of individuals involved, any type of accident can be an overwhelming experience. After the initial shock of the accident and following (or sometimes amid) painful medical treatments, you must then deal with insurance claims and hostile adjusters.
You don’t have to go through this process alone. Your personal injury lawyer will handle the insurance company for you and protect your legal rights. They can also explain more about personal injury claims so you will not feel as overwhelmed by the process. Rather than going into the claims process bewildered and exhausted, the services of an attorney will give you confidence and peace of mind. What follows are some of the most common questions our attorneys get about personal injuries.
Where do accidents commonly occur in Zephyrhills?
While an accident can happen just about anywhere, there are certain places where accidents are more likely to occur.
- Traffic accidents tend to occur in busy areas with heavy traffic, like 301, 54/Eiland Boulevard, 39, and 535 Chancey Road. They are also more likely to occur at night, during inclement weather, and any other time when drivers’ visibility is limited.
- Construction accidents commonly take place at dangerous construction sites where workers are using heavy machinery, working at heights, or have not received adequate training in proper safety procedures.
- Work accidents are likely to occur in dangerous workplaces such as warehouses, manufacturing facilities, and other locations with heavy machinery and large equipment, from the University of South Florida to Ceridian and Power Design.
- Slip and fall accidents are more likely to happen when there is low lighting, poor visibility, or when the ground is wet (possibly due to rain, a burst pipe, or another reason). Slips and falls commonly take place at shopping centers and superstores like Walmart, Publix, and Hobby Lobby.
What should I do after a Zephyrhills personal injury?
You may not know what to do immediately after an accident. The stress and confusion of an unexpected crisis can be overwhelming, so it is important to know what to do. The first step is always to determine if anyone (including yourself) needs immediate medical attention. Call 911 to request an ambulance, if necessary.
If you feel like you can leave the scene of the accident on your own, you should still get checked out by a healthcare professional as soon as possible. You may have suffered internal injuries of which you are not yet aware. For example, internal bleeding may not be immediately apparent and can quickly become a life-threatening condition if not treated right away. A doctor can diagnose such an injury by monitoring your blood pressure.
Visiting a healthcare professional after an accident is also vital to your legal claim. To prove your injuries, you must provide medical documentation that supports their existence. If you wait too long to get this evidence, the insurance company might treat your claim with greater suspicion. Their adjustor might assert that you made your own injuries worse by waiting to see a doctor and receive medical treatment. By visiting a doctor right away, you will ensure that your injuries receive the correct treatment, while at the same time protect your legal rights.
Once you have attended your immediate medical needs, you will want to hire a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Anything you say about the accident, including at the scene of the accident and in the stress and confusion of the moment, can be used against you in court to reduce your claim.
Once you hire an attorney, all communication with the insurance company must go through their office. Letting your attorney handle interactions with adjusters protects you from accidentally saying something that the adjuster could twist to lessen your claim. Your attorney will protect your legal right to compensation in many other ways, so it is crucial to hire a lawyer and get this protection as soon as you can do so.
How do I find the best Zephyrhills personal injury lawyer?
There are many injury attorneys to choose from here in Southern Florida. It is important to find a lawyer who has experience handling your particular type of accident case. Auto accidents can present different legal issues than injuries caused by nursing home neglect. Sustaining an injury while on the job entitles you to workers’ compensation coverage, and you will need an attorney with experience in handling those types of claims.
In addition to being experienced with your specific type of accident, you should also find a lawyer who has experience with your type of injuries. An attorney must understand the nature of your injuries to prove their value to a claims adjuster or jury. If your lawyer normally handles cases involving soft tissue injuries, they might not demonstrate a case involving a traumatic brain injury properly.
Why shouldn’t I settle my Zephyrhills personal injury case on my own?
You have the right to handle your own case. However, keep in mind that studies have consistently found that injury victims who handle their own claims settle for less than claims that are handled by personal injury lawyers. Many legal complications can trip up an injury victim who is not familiar with the intricacies of personal injury law.
The only incentive an insurance company has in offering a reasonable settlement is avoiding the time and expense of litigation. It is incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to take a case to trial without an attorney. Moreover, if you have an attorney from the beginning of the claims experience, the insurance company will most likely believe that your claim is headed for litigation, if necessary. This knowledge will also encourage the insurance company incentive to make a higher settlement offer.
After a Zephyrhills Accident, Will I have to go to court?
The vast majority of personal injury cases come to a settlement out of court. When you work with an experienced personal injury lawyer, you increase your chances of getting a fair settlement offer and avoiding the time and expense of litigation. As mentioned before, the insurance company needs to know that you are willing to go to court if necessary. It is the only incentive they have to make a fair settlement offer.
Even if your attorney must file a lawsuit on your behalf, it may not be necessary for you to actually go to court. Sometimes the mere act of filing a lawsuit is enough to entice the insurance company into offering a fair settlement. If not, there is still a long pretrial process of discovery (in which the attorneys investigate the case and exchange evidence).
There are many opportunities to settle the case during this process. If your case does not come to a settlement and you go to court, your attorney will prepare you for exactly what will happen. Though the court can be an intimidating place, you’ll have a lot more confidence if you know what to expect.
Will I have to provide a deposition to a Zephyrhills Defense Lawyer?
If your lawyer files a lawsuit on your behalf, the defense attorney has the right to your recorded deposition. The deposition is an opportunity for the defense lawyer to ask you questions under oath before the case goes to trial. Your answers might help the attorneys of both sides settle the case before trial.
A deposition is a formal process, but not quite as formal and rigorous as going to trial. Your attorney will answer all of your questions beforehand and thoroughly prepare you before you sit for the deposition. A deposition usually takes place in a conference room at one of the attorney’s offices. There will be a court reporter and possibly a videographer.
After you are placed under oath, the defense attorney will then ask you questions about the case, and your attorney will have the chance to object. The process is very orderly, and it rarely becomes an emotional situation. With your attorney’s preparation and assistance, the deposition process will go smoothly.
How much will I get for my Zephyrhills personal injury claim?
Every injury case is different, and so each victim’s compensation is different.
Compensation depends on these factors, among others:
- The nature of your injuries
- The severity of your injuries
- The length of your recovery or projected recovery
- Any permanent conditions the injury left you with
- Any circumstances that exacerbated your pain and suffering (for example, a pregnant woman who can’t receive the pain relief her injuries warranted because pain medication or chiropractic care can put her unborn child at risk.)
When making a settlement offer, the defense attorney must first consider how their defendant would appear to a jury at trial.
They consider:
- Whether the defendant is a large corporation
- Whether the defendant has engaged in wrongdoing or negligence before the accident in question, such as multiple previous DUI convictions
- The defendant’s extent of negligence, such as a surgeon who amputated the wrong limb
- Whether their defendant appears honest and likable on the stand to a jury
Of course, a plaintiff must also present well in court. Your attorney must make honest assessments about:
- How honest and genuine you seem
- The likeliness that the jury will believe the defense’s claims that you are exaggerating your injuries
- Whether you took steps to reduce your pain
- Whether your losses seem plausible
These are difficult discussions to have, but they can dramatically affect your chances with a jury at trial. How the jury may perceive you directly affect the amount of the money the insurance company will offer to settle your claim. To successfully handle all of the factors and considerations that come with a personal injury claim, having the services and knowledge of an experienced personal injury lawyer is invaluable.
The Right Zephyrhills Personal Injury Lawyers for All Types of Accidents
A personal injury claim can be overwhelming for anyone, but you don’t have to face this process alone. Call Nicoletti Accident Injury Lawyers at (727) 845-5972 or contact us online for your free consultation. Our experienced Zephyrhills personal injury lawyers know how to protect your legal rights. We have helped many injury victims here in South Florida get the compensation they deserve. We will protect your legal rights and fight hard for the compensation you deserve by law.
Contact Our Zephyrhills Personal Injury Law Firm
Did you suffer an injury in an accident in Zephyrhills, New Port Richey, or any of the surrounding communities? If so, we want to be the first—and last—call you make. At Nicoletti Accident Injury Lawyers, our Zephyrhills personal injury lawyers offer compassionate legal guidance after your injury accident. We know that you need someone on your team who can fight for you during this terrifying time. Let us fight this battle for you—so you can fight for your health and your recovery. Call us at (727) 845-5972 or fill out our confidential contact form to learn more about your legal options.