Our Comprehensive Personal Injury Practice

As personal injury attorneys, a major component of the work we do involves talking to people about their injuries. We hear stories from people all across Jacksonville and know exactly the struggles our neighbors are facing when it comes to personal injury problems.

Collett Law, PLLC, is here to help. We are compassionate and experienced in all forms of personal injury law. Our clients turn to us because we demonstrate our extensive understanding of injury law by educating clients and taking on complex issues. There is no personal injury matter too complicated for us, and we will stay with you as long as necessary.

The Types Of Personal Injury Cases We Take

In personal injury cases, the stakes for you can be extremely high, and we want to be there for you. We take on cases where the most complex and serious injuries happen because we have an understanding of insurance company tactics that make the most difference.

• Severe car accidents: Car crashes are among the most common personal injury claims, and we work with those facing the greatest of injuries. People suffering from traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, disfigurement and permanent disability.
• Wrongful death cases: When a person loses their life due to negligence, families are in for immense pain and challenges for the duration. They need the help of dedicated, determined personal injury and wrongful death attorneys to secure closure and compensation.
• Motorcycle accidents: Motorcycle accidents are often much more serious than most car crashes. People on motorcycles are simply at a physical disadvantage and can get extremely hurt from even seemingly minor accidents. And because of the likelihood of serious injury, insurance companies fight these claims aggressively.
• Trucking accidents: Large trucks can cause serious accidents, but it is the complicated matters of tracing the accident back to the original fault that causes such complexity. There are many parties involved in every commercial truck accident, and it takes dedication and experience to pursue these claims.

The types of claims we pursue are not the easy ones. We’re not in this to take the easy way. We’re here to help people facing the greatest challenges of their lives recover compensation for the damages they’ve suffered.

Recoverable Damages In Personal Injury Claims

Personal injury claims are about recovering financial compensation for injuries. That financial compensation is called “damages.” The theory of this type of law relates to a legal concept called “Torts,” and a tort is – in short – a hurt of any kind. It could be a physical hurt or it could be financial or emotional. The law seeks to make you whole after damage, after a tort. But realistically, it is not possible to regrow a missing limb or bring a person back to life. The next best thing is financial compensation.

That is, the reasoning behind the damages goes even further and breaks the specific types of damage into two types:

• Economic damages: These are the easily calculable damages of medical bills, lost wages, ambulance services, rehabilitation costs and medical equipment. To make you whole, you will need to recover from your injury as much as possible. Covering the financial fallout of the injury is a major part of that.
• Noneconomic damages: The other half of the equation is the intangible costs of what you lost or suffered. These damages must address your anguish – both physical and emotional. They must address such losses as the lifelong affection of a loved one. These are much harder to calculate and are often a major component of the ultimate verdict.

In addition to the other types of “noneconomic damages,” there are also punitive damages, which are added onto a judgement by juries to punish egregious violations.

In Florida, there is no general cap on noneconomic damages, unless the claim is a medical malpractice claim. In that case, depending on circumstances, there is a $500,000 or $1,000,000 cap. That said, the amount of available compensation through noneconomic damages can meet or vastly exceed what you may secure in economic damages.

Why You May Want An Attorney For Personal Injury Claims

There is no law that says you need to retain a personal injury lawyer for any personal injury claim. You absolutely can – if you want – work directly with the insurance company. However, you are at a disadvantage in that choice. You will not have any other way to know if what you’ve been offered is all you can get.

An attorney offers you advantages that make a massive impact on your case. These advantages include:

• Understanding legal procedures: One of the leading tactics that insurance companies use – and they’ve got significant practices at it – is using dense legal language of the law to imply you deserve less compensation. Our legal knowledge and understanding of the process in Jacksonville’s courts makes those tactics completely ineffective.
• Negotiation skills: Because we are fully versed in the legal realities of the situation and understand your rights and entitlements, we can negotiate with much more confidence. Additionally, we’ve negotiated with insurance companies – and as representatives for insurance companies – many times. We have developed significant skills in this area.
• Access to resources: As lawyers, we have access to many legal resources. Our understanding of the systems allows us to pursue avenues that aren’t obvious or available to others. We can gather evidence more effectively and interview witnesses with more ease. We are extremely well-positioned to respond quickly and effectively.

The advantages of engaging a lawyer are not just what is above. Studies completed on the impact of lawyers indicate that a lawyer – even adjusting for attorney contingency fees – increases the damages taken home by claimants.

The insurance system for returning to health is not necessarily the easiest or fairest. In many ways, you’re at the mercy of a lot of forces you cannot control. Our assistance tips the balance back toward you in meaningful, fundamental ways. A fair playing field to secure the compensation you deserve.

Answering Your Questions About Personal Injury Law In Florida

You are on a long journey of recovery, and you have a lot of questions and precious few answers. But you don’t go on this journey alone, and we have the experience and legal knowledge to give you real, thorough answers. In conferences and meetings, we’ll give you answers to your most personal questions. However, for more general information, here are a few questions we get most frequently:

What is the Florida personal injury protection rule?

Florida has a “personal injury protection” (PIP) rule for insurance carriers. This means that most injuries will go through your insurer. This makes initially pursuing claims somewhat simpler. However, there are limits to coverage and several requirements.

What is 14 days of personal injury in Florida?

As part of the PIP process, you need to get medical treatment within 14 days of the accident to be eligible for insurance coverage. If you wait longer, you will not be able to secure those benefits. This is why immediate treatment after an accident is essential.

How long do you have to sue someone for personal injury in Florida?

While early, immediate treatment is essential, it can take significant time to realize you need to file a lawsuit to recover. In Florida, the statute of limitations for most personal injuries is variable. For car accidents and most other types of personal injuries, it is two years.

Care And Attention When You Need It

Our office is here to take care of you throughout your personal injury case. As former attorneys for insurance companies, we know the ins and outs of these challenging cases. We’re on your side, and we will be your advocates and confidants. All of us are at 904-644-1143 or can send an email using this form.