Reeder & Nussbaum, P.A.

Normally an automobile accident involves both property damage to the vehicle(s) and injuries to the individual(s) involved. The property damage and personal injuries are two separate claims with the insurance company and are settled, or paid, from two difference types of insurance coverage. When the property damage claim is settled it is intended to cover only the damages to the vehicle. When the personal injury claim is settled it is intended to cover the injuries sustained by an individual, which likely will include past and future medical bills and pain and suffering. The personal injury claim settlement may also include past and future lost wages. The insurance company usually requires the execution of a release in exchange for settling a property damage claim or a personal injury claim. Therefore, it is important to consult with an attorney before executing a release of one’s rights. (Also, please see previous answer to this question).

After an accident, an individual typically has multiple claims for damages, including a claim for the property damage to the vehicle, loss of use of the vehicle while it is inoperable, loss of wages, bodily injuries, medical bills, pain and suffering, future medical bills, future lost wages, loss of enjoyment of life, as well as potential additional claims depending on the circumstances of the accident and the injuries. The claims for property damages and loss of use of the vehicle are normally handled separately from the injury, pain and suffering, and lost wage claim. Determining the property damage and loss of use claim are normally fairly straightforward: the cost to repair the vehicle. The value of a claim for injuries, pain and suffering, and lost wages is discretionary. There is no set formula for determining the value of these claims. Attorneys that deal with these types of cases daily do a much better job maximizing recovery for the client.

Investigating an accident should start at the scene. Calling the police. This way all the involved parties, the vehicle and the passengers are identified. All witnesses should be secured and identified and their contact info obtained. If the police are there, witnesses need to be identified to the investigating offices. Skid marks measurements and photographs of the vehicle and scene are very important. At times, the vehicle black box can come into play as well, particularly when the accident involves a commercial vehicle or truck. Some vehicle are equipped with cameras that can be accessed and provide footage of the crash. Finally, cameras may be present at businesses around the scene of the accident and asking them if any provide coverage for the place where the crash occurred is a good idea. All of these things need to be done quickly and professionally to ensure the most information is obtained. The longer time passes, the more information that can be lost.

Negotiating a settlement following an auto accident requires careful consideration and should not be attempted without first consulting an attorney. Seriously. There are numerous types of claims (property damage, bodily injury, lost wage, etc.) that a person may have against the at fault driver or their insurance company. Plus, often times there are additional coverages under your own policy that can further compensate you following an accident. It is important to know which coverages apply to your case and to pursue a claim for any and all benefits you may be entitled to prior to settling your case. Once a case is settled there likely will be no further payment made by the insurance company regardless of any subsequent circumstances, including newly discovered injuries, medical bills for ongoing medical treatment, or additional lost wages.

Normally an automobile accident involves both property damage to the vehicle(s) and injuries to the individual(s) involved in the accident. The property damage and personal injuries are two separate claims with the insurance company and are settled, or paid, from two difference types of insurance coverage. When the property damage claim is settled it is intended to cover only the damages to the vehicle. When the personal injury claim is settled it is intended to cover the injuries sustained by an individual, which likely will include past and future medical bills and pain and suffering. The personal injury claim settlement may also include past and future lost wages. The insurance company usually requires you to execute a release in exchange for settling a property damage claim or a personal injury claim. Therefore, it is important to consult with an attorney before executing a release of one’s rights in regards to either of these types of claims.

The lack of insurance from the person who caused the accident can make things difficult sometimes. But there are many details that sometimes get overlooked: we try to look for insurance from other available sources, such as if the owner of the vehicle was different than the driver of the vehicle; or perhaps they were within the course and scope of their employment. There is also the possibility of obtaining underinsured motorist benefits, if available. Please feel free to give is a call and we would be happy to talk over these things with you. I'm at 727-521-2889. - Marc Nussbaum

They are wonderful caring and professional. I would recommend them 💯,%

If you or your loved one is pregnant and involved in an accident, it is extremely important to seek medical treatment immediately. Even if the pregnant woman is not feeling any pain from the accident, medical treatment should be sought as soon as possible to assure the pregnancy was not affected by the accident. This can either be done at the woman's OB/GYN or at the emergency room, but must be done immediately. Unfortunately, accidents do have the potential to cause complications with a pregnancy, including a potential miscarriage, which is why immediate medical evaluation and treatment is so important.

Shoulder injuries are common in automobile accidents and often occur due to the force of a rear end collision while the driver is holding the steering wheel. If you feel shoulder pain or discomfort following an accident, it is important you discuss this with your doctor and request the doctor order an MRI of the injured shoulder. There are times when shoulder pain could be the result of an injury to a person’s neck. In that case, the shoulder pain is a referral pain, meaning the neck injury is referring pain, or radiating pain, into the shoulder. However, if you have limited range of motion in your arm due to shoulder pain, or pain in your shoulder when moving your arm, then a shoulder injury is likely the cause of the pain. Of course, a shoulder injury is also likely the cause of the pain if you did not sustain a neck injury in the accident. Once again, the only way to truly diagnose the extent of a shoulder injury, including the possibility of a torn rotator cuff, is by a MRI.

The first step is filing an insurance claim and attempting to reach a settlement directly with the insurance company. In the event the parties cannot reach an agreement on the value of the claim, then it may be necessary to take the next step and file a lawsuit. If a lawsuit is necessary, it is highly recommended that a qualified personal injury attorney file the lawsuit. The reason for that is because there are complicated and extensive rules of civil procedure and rules of evidence that apply to any lawsuit that attorneys will understand, but likely are outside the scope of a non-attorney’s or non-personal-injury attorney's knowledge and expertise. Also, in case of personal injury, there are also multiple medical bills, often from several medical service providers, that have to be accounted for. Furthermore, there are risks associated with filing a lawsuit and an attorney should fully explain those risks and consequences to the client before filing the lawsuit.

In the State of Florida, the law requires that the first source of payment for medical bills is a person’s Personal Injury Protection (PIP), also known as No-Fault, coverage from their automobile insurance policy. PIP coverage is mandatory on all insurance policies in the State of Florida. Furthermore, PIP coverage extends to anyone involved in an accident that does not own their own vehicle with insurance coverage. There are certain circumstances where there is no PIP coverage available, or there are instances when the medical bills exceed the amount of PIP coverage available. In those cases, health insurance (Cigna, Blue Cross, United, etc.) may apply and be used to pay for medical treatment. Navigating the various insurance coverages following an accident is complicated, but very important to assure no bills are missed or unpaid, thereby jeopardizing a person’s credit. Therefore, it is recommended you consult with an attorney following an accident.

Hello Missy, thank you for your question! No, at this time we are not taking mold cases. We are currently focused on injury cases involving automobiles, trucks and motorcycles.

Blood clots can certainly be caused by an automobile accident. Especially when the impact causes a part of the person’s body to strike something inside the vehicle. Bruising, swelling, and skin that feels warm when touched are all possible signs of a blood clot. However, blood clots can develop with no signs or symptoms whatsoever. Furthermore, blood clots can occur days or weeks after an accident and do not always develop immediately following an accident. Blood clots are very serious and require immediate medical attention. Therefore, if you suspect you have a blood clot, you should seek medical treatment immediately.

It is unlikely that an accident can cause scoliosis, as this is spinal condition most people are born with and may progress over time. However, it is certainly possible for an accident to aggravate a prior condition such as scoliosis. An individual is entitled to make a claim for aggravation of a pre-existing condition due to an accident, which would include a claim for all medical bills and pain and suffering due to the aggravation of the pre-existing condition. It is important that the individual’s doctor document that the accident aggravated the pre-existing condition as opposed to simply documenting the treatment of the same condition the doctor may have been treating the individual for prior to the accident.