Port St. Lucie Car Accident Lawyers
Although our cars are more technologically advanced than ever before, car accidents remain a major problem in St. Lucie County. In 2024 alone, there were 5,666 automobile accidents in our county. In these crashes, 50 people died and 3,403 people were injured.
If you are hurt in a car accident in Port St. Lucie, you may be able to file a claim against the at-fault driver and their insurance company. Through a personal injury lawsuit, you can recover financial compensation for your medical bills, property damage, lost wages, emotional distress, and other losses. Our Port St. Lucie personal injury lawyers will fight to get you the compensation that you deserve for your losses.
From our law offices in Vero Beach, Gould Cooksey Fennell advocates for accident victims throughout the Treasure Coast region. We are committed to helping our clients get a fair settlement for their injuries, working tirelessly to get you justice. Reach out to our law offices to schedule a free initial consultation with a Port St. Lucie car accident attorney.
You Can File a Claim for a Port St. Lucie Car Accident
After a motor vehicle accident, you might be a bit overwhelmed and confused. Even if you believe that the other driver was responsible for the crash, you might not be sure what to do next. We’re here to help.
In Florida, if another person caused your accident, they can be held responsible for any injuries that result. Most often, these cases are based on negligence or carelessness. Negligence is a legal term that means a person failed to use the level of care that a reasonable person would have used in that situation.
Negligence can take many forms, including:
- Speeding
- Aggressive driving
- Distracted driving
- Failure to yield
- Running a stop sign or a red light
- Changing lanes or backing up without looking
In some cases, a government agency or even a business can negligently cause a motor vehicle accident. For example, if you crashed because a road was poorly maintained, you might be able to file a claim against the government agency that failed to take care of it. If your accident was caused by a faulty car part (such as brakes), you may be able to bring a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer of that part.
No matter what the cause of the accident may have been, if another person or party was negligent in some way, you can hold them responsible for your injuries. With the help of a Port St. Lucie car accident attorney, you can recover full compensation for your losses.
Although most car accidents are caused by negligence, there are cases where another driver causes a crash due to intentional or reckless conduct. One good example of this type of case is a drunk driving accident. In these cases, you can file a civil lawsuit against the at-fault driver, potentially in addition to any criminal charges that they may be facing.
In some cases, negligence is pretty clear-cut (such as in a rear-end accident). In other situations, it isn’t easy to determine who was at fault for an accident. Our legal team is adept at analyzing car accident cases and will work with accident reconstruction experts to build the strongest possible case for compensation.
If you aren’t sure of whether or not you have a potential claim, your best option is to contact our law firm to schedule a free consultation. We will help you understand your rights and will give you options for pursuing a claim. We can also give you a ballpark estimate of the value of your case so that you understand what may or may not be a reasonable settlement offer for your claim.
What You Should Do After a Port St. Lucie Car Accident
If you have been involved in an accident, there are a few things that you can do to protect both yourself and any potential legal claim that you may have. The first (and most important) thing to do is to seek medical treatment. Even if you don’t think that your injuries are that serious, it is always a good idea to get checked out by a doctor.
Getting medical care is important for two reasons. First, it means that you’ll get the right diagnosis and treatment for any injuries that you may have, including injuries that may not be immediately obvious to you due to the effects of shock. Second, it creates a connection between the accident and your injuries, which may be important if the insurance company tries to argue that your injuries were caused by something else.
Next, if the police arrive at the accident scene, give them a brief statement, sticking to the facts of the case. Do not tell first responders or anyone else that you are sorry or offer your opinion about what happened. The statements that you make can be used against you, so it is important to just talk about the factual details.
If you are able to do so, you should gather information at the scene. Write down the insurance info, contact information, and license plate number of the at-fault driver. You should also write down the names and numbers of any witnesses to the crash.
You should also use your phone to take photos and videos of the accident scene, the damage to your car, and your injuries. This evidence can be particularly important when it comes to building your case.
While you are still at the scene, do your best to avoid talking about the accident beyond what is absolutely necessary. If you are approached by a claims adjuster for the at-fault driver’s insurance company, do not give them a statement or talk to them.
At home, try to take notes about what you remember about the accident as soon as possible. Your memory will likely fade over time, especially after the trauma of a car accident. Making contemporaneous notes can be the best way to preserve your memory. Your attorney will use these notes as they prepare your personal injury claim.
Finally, schedule a free initial consultation with a Port St. Lucie car accident lawyer. During this meeting, you’ll get to talk about what happened in your own words. Your attorney will then offer you legal advice, including your options for pursuing a claim and an estimate of the value of your case. Talking to a lawyer can give you a better idea of how to proceed and give you peace of mind in knowing that you understand your rights.
Your Car Accident Settlement and Compensation
After a free consultation, if you decide to hire our law firm, we will start to investigate your case immediately. We will interview witnesses, review your medical records, request an accident report, and analyze photos and videos of the accident scene. If necessary, we will also consult with an accident reconstruction expert to determine who was at fault for the collision.
At the same time, we will start to put together an estimate of your losses (damages). In a car accident case, you may be entitled to compensatory (economic and non-economic) damages and to punitive damages. Compensatory damages are available in every case, while punitive damages are reserved for cases involving intentional or reckless conduct (like drunk driving accidents).
Economic damages pay for your financial losses. Examples include property damage, lost wages, reduced earning potential, medical bills, and future medical treatment. Essentially, if you have a bill, paystub, or estimate for a loss, it will probably be considered part of your economic damages.
Non-economic damages pay for other types of losses. They are harder to prove, but just as important when it comes to a full recovery. Non-economic damages include money for pain and suffering, emotional trauma, reduced quality of life, scarring, and disfigurement.
Punitive damages are not awarded in cases involving simple negligence. Our Port St. Lucie car accident attorneys will analyze your case and give you our opinion about whether you can seek punitive damages in your case.
Finally, if a loved one dies in a Florida car accident, you might be able to file a wrongful death claim against the at-fault party. Damages in a wrongful death case are meant to compensate you for direct financial expenses, such as funeral and burial expenses and medical treatment. They also pay for things like loss of support and companionship for surviving family members.
Once your attorney has finished investigating your case, they will draft a demand letter to the insurance company. This letter will set out the facts of the case and the reasons why the at-fault party is responsible under Florida law. It will then end with a demand for compensation.
The majority of Florida car accident cases are resolved outside of court, often through settlement. Our Port St. Lucie car accident attorneys are adept at negotiating fair settlements for our clients. It may still be necessary to file a lawsuit to protect your rights, although this does not mean that your case will go to trial.
Insurance companies are in business to make money, which often means paying out as little as possible on legitimate car accident claims. Our job as personal injury lawyers is to represent your best interests, which means getting you the largest possible settlement for your injuries. We will fight for you and work tirelessly to make sure that you get maximum compensation.
Hurt in a Car Accident? We’re Here to Help.
If you have been hurt in an auto accident, you might be tempted to accept whatever the insurance company offers as a settlement. While getting paid quickly is important, it is far more critical to get the money that you need to move forward with your life. Our law firm will take on the big insurance companies to help you get every penny that you are entitled to under Florida law.
At Gould Cooksey Fennell, we are proud to represent clients throughout St. Lucie County and the east coast of Florida. We handle all personal injury matters on a contingency fee basis, which means that you will never pay a fee unless we recover money for you. To learn more or to schedule a free initial consultation with a Port St. Lucie car accident attorney, call our law offices at 772-742-4912 or fill out our online contact form.
Related:
Detailed Medical Knowledge
Cutting-Edge Technology
Modern Trial Techniques
FREE CAR ACCIDENT CONSULTATION
- No Fee Until We Win
- $150M+ in Recent Personal Injury Verdicts & Settlements
- U.S. News & World Report Best Law Firms for 10 Consecutive Years
Our firm is here to take that burden off of our clients and handle their claim completely. We will help you get the compensation you deserve.
Notable CAR ACCIDENT Settlements and Verdicts
We’ve recovered over $150 million for our clients. These are real case results from real people who came to us for help. And we got them what they were owed.
Plaintiff was operating a small motorcycle/scooter when a 91 year old man turned left in front of him hitting him essentially head on. As a result of the collision, the Plaintiff sustained catastrophic injuries to his lower body, including snapped femurs and fractures to the spine and pelvis. After a two week trial the Indian River County jury returned an award totaling $9.381 million.
A Brevard County Jury awarded Plaintiff $6.4M against Defendant State Farm, following an accident that resulted in numerous catastrophic orthopedic injuries, including a below knee amputation of the Plaintiff’s left leg.
Plaintiff sustained numerous orthopedic injuries as a result of the negligence of a driver working for the State of Florida Department of Agriculture. At trial, the case resulted in a verdict of $5,582,776.82. Because the government’s damages are statutorily limited to $100,000 under Sovereign Immunity laws, Gould Cooksey Fennell’s Personal Injury Group was forced to fight in the Legislature for several years to pursue the passage of a Claims Bill. Ultimately a Bill was passed for 40 times the statutory limitations.
Indian River County crash resulting in significant injuries to a husband and wife. This matter was resolved prior to filing a lawsuit.
Obtained a Trial Verdict of $1.64 million dollars for injuries sustained by an 86 year old woman in a rollover auto accident on SR 60 in Vero Beach, Florida. After prolonged hospitalization, Mrs. Koebele never fully recovered and an Indian River County Jury awarded $1,170,130 for her injuries and $475,000 for her husband’s consortium claim.
Automobile crash in Vero Beach, FL resulting in cervical injury, including disc herniation to a 22 year old tennis professional.
While stopped at the intersection of US Hwy 1 and Vista Royale Boulevard, the Plaintiff’s vehicle was struck from behind with such force that the rear of his SUV was lifted off the ground and his vehicle slammed into the rear of the vehicle in front of him. As a result of the violent impact, Plaintiff sustained permanent injuries to his cervical and lumbar spine. An Indian River County jury awarded the Plaintiff $1,487,412.99.
While stopped at the intersection of 43rd Ave and 8th Street, Plaintiff was rear-ended by the Defendant, launching her vehicle into another vehicle in front of her. Plaintiff sustained permanent injuries to her right knee and cervical spine, both requiring surgical intervention in the years following the collision. After a nine day trial, an Indian River County jury returned an award of $1,259,090.73.
Indian River County jury awarded verdict against Defendant State Farm following an automobile accident where the defendant Driver was underinsured.
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Whether you were in the car, or your family member was, dealing with a car accident is an upsetting and stressful experience. Especially if there are serious injuries as a result. We understand that choosing the right personal injury attorney for your car accident is an important decision, and one that you don’t take lightly.
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