You're headed home from work, caught in the unavoidable traffic nightmare that is Interstate 95 at 5 PM when BAM! Your vehicle is hit from behind! According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles thus far in 2019, approximately 70,534 motor vehicle accidents with injuries have occurred in Florida, and 3,699 of those were in Duval County alone. You just became a statistic.
What now?
Due to the rush of epinephrine from your body's sympathetic nervous system you are in fight or flight mode and you panic. You may not feel the pain from injuries right away. Upon inspection, the damage to your vehicle is minimal. You and the at fault driver choose not to call the police and take a quick picture on your smartphone of each other's car insurance information and continue on your way. Bad choice, you should always call the police. A police report will be helpful in the future should the driver that hit you decide that somehow his/her vehicle striking yours is now your fault. Additionally, you should always seek a medical evaluation after an accident. Unfortunately, you will figure out why tomorrow morning.
Your poor choices come to light the next morning when attempting to get out of bed and you are greeted by the overwhelming pain, stiffness and spasms in your neck and back. You are in so much pain you realize there is no way you can go to work. Questions begin to swirl around your mind – how can I get this pain to go away? Will I get in trouble for missing work? How will missing work effect my financial situation? Should I go to the ER, a chiropractor or my primary care physician? Don't let a car accident turn your life upside down. Let Philip Kinney and Benjamin Moore help you resolve this issue.
A list of common misconceptions about car accidents:
- Insurance companies are going to be fair and just when providing compensation for economic and non-economic damages.
-
- Insurance companies are required to compensate you for injuries. However, the have a vested financial interest in paying the smallest amount possible.
- You don't need an attorney to evaluate your case
-
- You don't perform your surgeries, do you? And when you get sick do you see a doctor? You need a professional who is experienced, capable and well versed in the law to handle your case.
- You are guaranteed compensation for your injuries.
-
- According to the Insurance Institute, a 2015 study said that in Florida 26.7% of the drivers on our roads are UNINSURED! Meaning they have no money to go after should they cause a motor vehicle collision with injuries. If you couple this with not carrying an Uninsured motorist policy, there is no available monies for compensation.
- Attorneys are expensive.
-
- Yes, attorney's can be expensive. However, our attorney's work on a contingency fee basis. This means we take on all the risk, costs and man power up front. We only get paid when you receive compensation. Furthermore, at Kinney & Moore, you don't get an attorney, you get a team of professionals willing to help you through the process.
At Kinney & Moore, we would like to be your resolution to this hardship. We have a knowledgeable team of attorneys and legal professionals who will navigate you through the overwhelming process, fight for you against the insurance company and provide you with the justice you deserve, nothing less. If you find yourself in this situation, please give us a call at 904-642-4111 and let us fight for you.