Item: Flaxman Law Group
Rating: 5
Author: Clara Barman

Mistakes You May not Realize You’re Making with Your Car Claim

Published on: April 23, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Being seriously injured in a car crash in Tamarac or any South Florida community can be devastating. You may be in significant pain and you may have the stress of having to take time away from work. You may also need to fill out insurance forms, make claims, and deal with doctors’ appointments as well as health concerns.

In this type of situation, it is easy for mistakes to be made, especially if you are unfamiliar with the injury and claims process. Some of the most common mistakes that people make after a serious car accident and injury include:

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Why Legal Concerns Are Rarely a Do-It-Yourself Solution

Published on: April 21, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

If you want to paint the kitchen in your Homestead or Florida home, that can be a do-it-yourself project. All you may need are a few cans of paint, some tarp, and some paint brushes. While there are lots of projects that are easy for the handyman, it’s important to keep in mind that legal issues and legal questions are not a DIY fix.

It is troubling that there are many videos, books, and articles suggesting that anyone can act as their own legal representative in insurance cases, legal claims, and injury cases. While it is true that you are not legally obligated to hire an attorney in these situations, trying to do it yourself can be an expensive mistake.

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How Much Do Serious Injuries Really Cost?: Part One

Published on: April 14, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

If you have been injured in a car accident in Homestead or in any incident in Florida, you will need to decide how much your injuries will cost. You will need to evaluate insurance or settlement offers, and that’s difficult to do that unless you know how what the total costs of your injuries will be. If an insurance carrier is offering you $10, 000 will that cover all your medical treatment, lost income, and car repairs?

The problem is that many injured Homestead and Florida residents end up underestimating their injury costs and accepting insurance money that does not cover their long-term expenses. In this situation, the injured person may run out of money. This can be incredibly stressful and even harmful to the patient’s health – especially if they can no longer pay for the medical treatment they need.

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Should You Deal with Insurance Companies Yourself?

Published on: April 9, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Insurance companies may tell you that their insurance process is simple and easy. There are books out there that claim to tell you how you can file your own claim without going through an attorney. This has created a lot of confusion among plaintiffs, and left many to wonder whether they need legal advice or a Florida or Hollywood injury lawyer after a serious injury.

The simple answer is “yes.”

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Police Focus on Car Accidents Involving Uninsured Motorists in Hialeah

Published on: March 24, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Drivers without insurance have been a problem in Florida for some time, and Hialeah police announced recently that they would be cracking down on motorists who do not obey insurance coverage laws. Experts say that the average Florida driver pays about $400 extra a year due to drivers who fail to get any insurance at all, and police point out that drivers without insurance or valid licenses are often behind hit and run accidents in Hialeah and other communities.

Last month, police in the community checked the validity of insurance cards when pulling people over for traffic violations. It’s not something that police often do, since it requires calling insurance companies to verify whether a driver’s insurance policy is valid and up-to-date. The checks revealed a number of drivers without insurance and some without valid licenses. One man handed police fake insurance information and admitted that he purchased his insurance card in a parking lot.

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High Medical Costs and Insurance Coverage: How the Gap Hurts Hollywood and Florida Drivers

Published on: March 19, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Many car insurance policies offer $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection for injuries and medical care for drivers injured in car collisions. Many drivers pay substantial amounts for their policies and so often assume that in the event of a car crash in Hollywood or their communities their insurance provider will take care of them.

In many cases, it is a rude awakening when they discover that $10 000 in coverage will cover only some imaging scans and will not even cover the diagnostic testing after a serious car accident — much less treatment.

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Study Suggests that Florida Car Accident Survivors Have the Worst Protections

Published on: February 12, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

According to a recent study by WalletHub.com, Florida is the worst state to be in a car accident. The website ranked states by issues such as rates of uninsured drivers and legal protection. The study found that 23.8 percent of Florida drivers are driving without insurance. It also concluded that coverage requirements for Florida drivers are low.

In Florida, motorists only need $10 000 of property damage liability and $10 000 for personal injury protection coverage on their insurance in order to drive legally in the state. According to WalletHub.com and the insurance industry, Florida does require bodily injury coverage but many motorists opt not to pay for it.

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Personal Injury Cases Drop in South Florida

Published on: January 20, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, car-related personal injury claims have declined across parts of Florida over the past four years, but South Florida has seen the largest declines in the number of claims. In the first three months of 2020, personal injury claims amounted to 3.5 per 100 vehicles but declined to 2.5 per 100 vehicles for the first few months of 2014.

Part of the reason may be due to efforts to curb car insurance fraud. However, part of it may also have to do with reduced payments for plaintiffs. According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, the average amount paid per bill for medical costs declined by 14 percent in Florida between 2011 and 2014. In South Florida, that amount declined 28.7 percent.

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Cracking Down on Insurance Fraud and Uninsured Drivers in Hollywood and Florida

Published on: June 27, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Uninsured and underinsured drivers in Hollywood and Florida are a serious problem. In the event of an automobile crash, insurance is meant to help pay for property damage, car repairs, and injury. When a person is in a traffic collision with an uninsured driver, it becomes harder for the injured party to secure compensation for their injuries. In addition, uninsured and underinsured drivers can also raise the insurance rates for all motorists.

Authorities have also noted that uninsured drivers may contribute to hit and run crashes in Hollywood and other parts of Florida. Quite simply, when drivers know that they have done something wrong – such as driving drunk or driving without a license or without insurance – they may have a legal or financial incentive to leave the scene of an accident.

According to the Insurance Research Council, close to 24 percent of Florida motorists do not have car insurance, even though having this type of coverage is mandatory in the state. In fact, Florida is one of the top five states in terms of regions with the largest number of uninsured motorists.

The problem is so significant that Hollywood police are working with the National Insurance Crime Bureau to crack down on drivers who are driving with no insurance or fraudulent coverage. Insurance company agents have shown Hollywood police how to recognize fake insurance documents and police will be holding more traffic stops to put the information to use.

When drivers are caught without insurance or with fraudulent coverage, they can face criminal charges and other penalties. A motorist caught with expired insurance, for example, can be given a citation. Someone driving with falsified insurance documents can be charged and arrested.

Since uninsured and underinsured drivers are such a problem in the region, now is a good time for drivers to check their insurance coverage – before a car or truck crash in Hollywood occurs and that coverage is needed. If you are a motorist, take the time to:

1) Check to make sure that your insurance is valid and paid in full. In some cases, drivers are on the road without insurance inadvertently. They may allow their policy to lapse or may forget to make a payment. You don’t want to be in a car accident only to find that there is something wrong with your policy, so take steps now to ensure that everything is in place.

2) Read your insurance policy. In some cases, insurance law issues in Hollywood and other Florida communities occur because policy holders don’t understand their insurance policies. In many cases, insurance paperwork is not very user-friendly or simple to read, but making the effort is important if you want to understand your policy. If you have questions or don’t understand the terms of your insurance, contact your insurer – it is their job to explain your coverage.

3) Shop around for a better rate. If it has been a few years since you have compared rates or if you think your credit rating is better now than it was when you last applied for insurance, it pays to check to see whether you can get a better deal.

4) Get additional underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage on your policy. With the extra money you save by getting a better rate, invest in good underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage for your car insurance. With so many drivers in Florida driving without adequate insurance, this coverage is your best defense if you are ever in a collision with one of these drivers.

5) Get the most injury protection you can afford. Keep in mind that if your insurance is not enough, you may end up paying out of pocket for some of your expenses or you may find yourself sued by passengers or drivers injured in the crash.

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Unraveling Deadly Multiple-Car Crashes in Miami and Other Cities

Published on: February 25, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Pile-ups on the highways and streets of Miami and surrounding areas tend to make the news. Not only do these multiple-car collisions stop traffic and create dramatic pictures on the evening news, but these accidents also often cause catastrophic injury.

In many cases, multiple-car car and truck collisions in Miami start innocently enough: one car hits another. Usually due to a number of factors, though, the accident quickly turns potentially deadly as the second car careens into another and then possibly into other vehicles. There are many reasons why a simple car accident leads to a pile-up:

•Poor road design or bad road conditions
•Poor visibility or weather conditions
•Heavy traffic or tailgating
•Drunk or distracted driving
•High speed
No matter what causes a pile-up, this type of accident can be deadly. If the accident has occurred due to high speeds or high force, the impact of the crash can be immense, leading to serious injury. Even if this is not the case, the multiple impacts can mean severe injuries, especially multiple head injuries or soft tissue injuries. Imagine that you are in your car when it is rear-ended, for example. Now imagine that the car is hit again because there is an additional impact. Each time there is an impact, you are jolted, increasing your risk of injury.

Multiple-vehicle truck and car collisions in Miami are also deadly because it can be harder for emergency personnel to get to all injured passengers. Some passengers may become trapped in their cars and surrounded by other cars, making it necessary to use the Jaw of Life or other emergency procedures. Emergency crews responding to the scene may also be overwhelmed by the number of injured passengers, meaning that it can take some time to get to all injured persons. This can mean some delays in getting necessary treatment.

Once the accident scene is cleared up and the injured are taken to hospital, these cases are no less challenging. In multiple-car collisions, there are usually multiple liable parties, multiple plaintiffs, and several insurance companies involved. Figuring out what happened and going through the insurance process can be that much more complicated and difficult.

One thing that makes these accidents even more complex is that they do often result in soft-tissue injuries, which are well-known for being hard to diagnose in many cases. One challenge with whiplash, soft tissue injury, and the type of chronic pain that can come from rear-end accidents in Miami is that it can take a long time – sometimes weeks – for symptoms to develop. In many cases, there are few diagnostic tests to prove that an injury has occurred, and this can make it harder for an injured person to prove that they have an injury caused by the accident – and injury that is causing them debilitating pain. Of course, that can make it harder to secure compensation for the injuries.

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