Pensacola, the western-most city in Florida’s panhandle, is home to glistening beaches, beautiful landmarks, and rich cultural history. Many have come to Pensacola to enjoy the sights and vibe of such an arresting, beautiful city. However, the dangers of negligent driving behavior can still affect the people of Pensacola and lead to catastrophic car accidents.
Distracted, drunk, and reckless drivers can cause car accidents that lead to expensive damages, such as medical bills, property damage, and mental anguish. A Pensacola car accident lawyer can use their local experience to inform your legal counsel and help you recover compensation for car accident damages. The car accident lawyers at The Russo Firm have spent decades helping Pensacola car accident victims and can use their experience and expertise to assist with your car accident claim.
Why Choose The Russo Firm for Your Pensacola Car Accident Claim?
Following a Pensacola car accident, you need someone in your corner that can help with the claims process, understand the pain you’re going through, and listen to what you want while developing a legal counsel plan. At The Russo Firm, we prioritize our client’s wants and needs to develop a plan that caters to them. You have an intimate understanding of the damages you’ve suffered, and we will work with you to help you recover compensation for your damages.
Our experienced car accident lawyers can do that by keeping up constant communication with you, checking in along the process to see how you’re feeling. We also use our experience helping other Pensacola car accident clients to see what damages you could possibly suffer down the line and ensure those are addressed in any car accident settlement or award. Contact The Russo Firm today to see how our car accident lawyers can help you with personalized attention and legal counsel catered to your needs.
The Russo Firm Case Results
You can receive compensation for a car accident claim through a settlement or court award. You will have to negotiate a settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company, which can be a difficult task as an insurance company will do anything in its power to limit your potential settlement. One potential tactic they can employ is offering a lowball early settlement in hopes you desperately need money and will take less to settle the claim.
The car accident lawyers at The Russo Firm have seen this tactic numerous times over decades of serving Pensacola clients. They see right through it and can help you negotiate a fairer settlement by collecting tangible information proving the at-fault party’s negligence. They can negotiate a fair settlement or represent you in court if a settlement cannot be reached.
At The Russo Firm, we have a proven track record of earning fair compensation for our clients. The following are some of the case results we have earned for clients:
- $3.3 Million for a Drunk Driving Car Accident
- $2.4 Million for Medical Malpractice Misdiagnosis
- $2 Million for Trucking Accident That Caused Wrongful Death
- $1.75 Million Product Liability Jury Award for Crushed Hand
- $650 Thousand Automobile Accident Jury Award for Reconstructed Knee
Florida Car Accident Laws
The Florida statutes govern laws about car accidents in all Florida cities, including Pensacola. It adds uniformity to the aftermath of car accident claims, making it so every city shares rules to avoid confusion. Car accident claims that occur in Pensacola, Orlando, Miami, etc. all have the same rules.
The following are some of the laws about car accidents, insurance, and filing a car accident claim:
- Florida is a no-fault state, meaning all drivers must purchase personal injury protection (PIP) insurance to cover up to $10,000 of 80% of medical bills and 60% of lost wages
- Drivers must contact the police if they were involved in a car accident that caused an injury, death, or at least $500 worth of property damage
- You may pursue compensation for car accident damages that exceed insurance coverage by filing a fault-based claim or lawsuit (Florida Statute 627.737)
- The statute of limitations for Florida car accident claims is four years (Florida Statute 95.11)
- Wrongful death car accident claims have a statute of limitations of two years
- Florida operates under comparative negligence, which means a court will assign a percentage of blame for each party that will be subtracted from any settlement or award
Where Do Pensacola Car Accidents Commonly Occur?
Pensacola is a part of Escambia County, the westernmost and oldest county in Florida. According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department, Escambia County had 6,608 car accidents, 77 car accident fatalities, and 4,138 auto crash injuries in 2021.
Despite its reputation as an easygoing vacation spot, Pensacola has been the venue of many car accidents over the years. Pensacola drivers should be wary of distracted, drunk, and reckless drivers that can cause automobile accidents through their negligence.
The following are some of the most dangerous roads and intersections for car accidents in Pensacola:
- Interstate 10
- U.S. 98
- U.S. 29
- Pine Forest Road and Wilde Lake Boulevard
- Highway 97 and Highway 92
- East Gregory Street and North 9th Avenue
Causes of Pensacola Car Accidents
There are some causes of car accidents outside of a driver’s control, like a defective car part. However, the driver has control of the car, and anything they do to create danger by driving it poorly can cause a car accident. Even car accidents caused by poor road conditions and adverse weather can come down to negligent drivers if they do not drive safely enough to mitigate risk.
Negligent driving behavior is when a driver operates their vehicle without the safety of the others on the road in mind. Some of these negligent driving behaviors can come from a driver being distracted, inebriated by drugs and alcohol, or unfocused on the road in front of them.
The following are some of the negligent driving behaviors that can cause a Pensacola car accident:
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Road rage
- Ignoring road rules
- Speeding
- Drowsy driving
- Not using turn signals
Types of Pensacola Car Accidents
The type of car accident you are involved in determines how many cars were involved in the accident and where your car was struck. Your car can be hit on the front, back, or sides, each of which can cause a different level of impact to the driver. For example, a car hitting your trunk can cause whiplash, but it is unlikely to hurt your fingers.
The impact of a car accident on a driver or passengers can compound if multiple cars are involved in the auto crash. Some high-speed car accidents can cause widespread impact, leading other cars to crash as well or swerve out of the way to avoid impact. Secondary collisions can result in widespread impact, fires, and destruction of the area around the collision.
The following are some of the types of Pensacola car accidents:
- Rear-end collision
- Sideswipe accident
- Head-on collision
- T-bone accident
- Multi-car crash
- Rollover accident
Severe Injuries Caused by Pensacola Car Accidents
Car accidents can impact a driver and passenger and lead to severe injuries caused by blunt force trauma, penetrating trauma, whiplash, collision with hard objects, and crushing impact from being caught between two heavy objects. Severe injuries can change the way a person lives their life, as they can cause intense pain, organ failure, and mobility issues that make everyday tasks more difficult.
The following are some of the types of severe injuries that can result from a Pensacola car accident:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Knee injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Facial injuries
- Internal injuries
If you were involved in a Pensacola car accident and suffered a severe injury, your insurance will likely not be able to cover the full cost of your medical bills. A car accident lawyer can help you file a car accident claim in an attempt to recover compensation for damages caused by a negligent party.
Liability in a Pensacola Car Accident Claim
The liable party in a car accident claim is the one whose negligence led to the car accident. In most cases, that will be a driver whose negligent driving behavior causes the car accident. However, a car accident may seem like the fault of a driver, but it can actually have to do with the car itself. If a defective car part leads to a car accident, a designer, manufacturer, seller, or distributor can be held liable in a product liability claim.
The following are some of the parties that can be held liable in a car accident claim:
- Drivers
- Designers
- Manufacturers
- Sellers
- Distributors
- Employers
- Car maintenance technicians
- Government entities
What to do After a Pensacola Car Accident
The aftermath of a car accident can be a stressful time, with you having to deal with the pain of your injuries, the property damage caused to your car, and the emotional scars. You may make some mistakes as you try to grapple with what has happened.
There are certain steps that you should take after a car accident to increase your chances of receiving compensation by following Florida laws and showing the severity of your injuries. Receiving medical attention and collecting evidence can help your physical health and your potential for compensation.
The following are some of the things you should do after a Pensacola car accident:
- Contact law enforcement
- Receive medical attention
- Take pictures and videos of the car accident scene
- Contact your insurance company
- Do not admit responsibility
- Move your vehicle out of the way of traffic, if possible
- Exchange contact information with other drivers and witnesses
- Collect essential records to prove your case
- Contact a Pensacola car accident attorney
- File a Pensacola car accident claim
Filing a Pensacola Car Accident
If there is a liable party whose negligence led to your car accident damages, you can file a car accident claim with their insurance company to pursue compensation. Florida operates under the theory of negligence, which means you will have to prove the following:
- The negligent party owed you a duty of care
- That duty of care was breached
- You received severe injuries and damages from the car accident
- The breach of duty of care led to the damages you are pursuing compensation for
You cannot just assume a person committed a negligent action that led to your damages; you must prove it with tangible evidence. A Pensacola car accident lawyer can help you collect evidence to prove your case, including photos and videos of the accident, medical records, police reports, witness statements, and car accident reconstructions.
What Damages Can You Pursue After a Pensacola Car Accident?
You can pursue damages for your losses caused by a car accident through a personal injury car accident claim. You will need compensation to cover your current damages and any that can arise from car accident injury complications later in life. Your car accident lawyer can consult with medical experts to determine what those costs might be.
The two most common types of personal injury damages are economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages, like medical bills, lost wages, and property damages, are those with a monetary value attached. Non-economic damages, like pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of consortium, are those that are intangible and reflect how your life changed for the worse because of the negligence of the at-fault party.
The following are some of the damages you can pursue in a Pensacola car accident:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Disability costs
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Mental anguish
How Can a Pensacola Car Accident Lawyer Help With Your Car Accident Claim?
Car accident victims do not have the experience in car accident law to handle claims effectively. They can do it alone, but doing so can limit the amount of compensation they can receive. Without proper education and experience, they may not be able to handle steps in the claims process correctly, possibly hurting their ability to recover damages.
An experienced car accident attorney can solve this issue with their experience and expertise. They have seen it all before when it comes to car accident claims and can use that experience to handle your claim properly. They can employ techniques built over years of working on car accident cases to help negotiate with insurance companies and help you receive fair compensation for your car accident damages.
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Pensacola Car Accident Claim
At The Russo Firm, we have experienced car accident attorneys that have helped clients in Pensacola for decades. When you hire one of them, you are hiring a loyal, dedicated defender looking to use their resources, local knowledge, and extensive experience to maximize your potential compensation. They will keep in constant communication, shape the legal action plan around your wants and needs, and always keep you up-to-date on how the car accident claim is developing.
All personal injury victims can contact The Russo Firm for help in pursuing compensation. If you suffered severe damages from a Pensacola car accident, contact us at (850) 466-1900 or leave a message on our online contact page.