Car Accident Lawyers

When someone else causes a car accident, and you are injured because of their negligence or recklessness, you may be eligible to bring a personal injury claim to request compensation. A settlement award or jury verdict can provide the money you need to pay medical bills and other accident-related expenses while lessening the impact your injuries will have on your life going forward.

However, successful car accident claims require experienced legal representation to achieve the best results. A dedicated car accident attorney at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, can fight to recover the maximum amount of compensation possible to help you address your injuries, pay your expenses, and meet your future goals.

Reach out to the experienced auto accident attorneys at Dolman Law Group for a free consultation. During this no-obligation meeting, you can ask questions, and we will explain your rights and how the legal process works. Call us at 833-552-7274 (833-55-CRASH) or fill out the simple contact form for your free case review.

We Are a Car Accident Law Firm That Actually Litigates Injury Claims

Insurance Companies Don't Want to Pay Your Claim. We'll Fight For Your Future

Dolman Law Group has a successful history of litigating car accident claims for thousands of injured accident victims. We only represent people who are injured by someone else's actions, and we are not afraid to litigate a claim if the insurance company won't play fair.

Unlike most other personal injury law firms, our Head of Litigation, Stan Gipe, is recognized as a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer. This designation from the Florida Bar affirms Stan is an expert in the field of civil litigation, and it shows in the substantial verdicts he has received for our clients. Our founder, Matthew Dolman, has also served as lead counsel in over 1,000 personal injury lawsuits. Combined, Stan and Matt have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for Floridians injured in accidents.

Why Our Litigation Track Record is Important

In the past few years, our skilled personal injury lawyers have resolved 27 individual cases for $1,000,000 or more for clients who sustained serious injuries. We know the insurance business is all about risk mitigation, and insurance carriers must evaluate the financial risks they face. When they know a law firm will eventually settle every case for whatever offer is on the table to avoid going to court, these big corporate insurance Goliaths won't make a fair offer. 

At Dolman Law Group, our goal in every case is to recover the maximum compensation for our clients within the available insurance coverage. Insurance carriers know our firm and how our legal team handles every personal injury case we accept. We will never settle your claim for an unreasonable amount.

The one thing an insurance company hates the most is spending money. These are giant for-profit corporations that must answer to shareholders. When an insurance carrier acts unreasonably, our car accident attorneys make them spend more money defending the claim.  We have no qualms about filing a lawsuit and forcing the insurance company to hire and retain lawyers and expert witnesses to defend a serious injury claim.

All insurance carriers keep detailed notes on the lawyers and law firms they encounter. As a result. we believe our law firm's claims are taken very seriously and we receive better settlement offers for basic car accident cases than other firms get. If this holds true for injury claims related to minor car accidents, someone who suffers severe injuries and financial losses will certainly benefit from working with the tenacious legal professionals at Dolman Law Group.

Do I Need an Auto Accident Lawyer?

We'll Protect You From the Insurance Companies

Some general truths apply to all motor vehicle accidents. No matter how you are injured, every car accident victim is vulnerable to insurance company tactics if they don't have a skilled attorney representing them. Insurance carriers like State Farm, GEICO, Progressive, and many others are mega-corporations that make a ton of money by effectively keeping costs low and profits high. They offer as little as possible in car accident settlement negotiations by employing aggressive claims adjusters and attorneys who try to poke holes in what may otherwise appear to be a clear-cut insurance claim.

Insurance companies know which attorneys and law firms will go to trial and which will settle quickly and leave money on the table. To properly protect yourself against the insurance companies' deep pockets and experienced lawyers, it is essential that you work with a car accident lawyer who has extensive experience handling car crash cases.

We Can Determine Every Party Who's at Fault

Assigning fault after an accident is not always easy. Sometimes, multiple people or businesses may be responsible for causing an accident that leads to serious injuries. For example, a few years ago, National Transportation Safety Board officials ruled that the Tesla lithium-ion traction battery was partially responsible for a fiery crash that killed two teenage boys. The crash occurred when the 18-year-old driver of the Tesla lost control of the vehicle while driving at 116 miles per hour. The crash resulted in the death of the driver and his front-seat passenger. Both boys were days away from graduating from high school at the time of the accident.

The NTSB ruled that high speed was the primary cause of the crash, but the battery contributed to the severity of the crash, as it caught on fire due to crash damage. Our auto crash attorneys understand how to dig deep and determine if someone besides the other driver can be held liable.

While this is an extreme case, it illustrates that you may be eligible to recover compensation from several parties after an accident injuring you or a loved one. Call the compassionate car accident lawyers at Dolman Law Group to ensure your legal rights are fully protected. We will listen to you, fully investigate your unique circumstances, and see how we can protect your rights and recover the compensation you deserve.

Common Types of Crashes Our Auto Accident Attorneys Handle

Many different situations can pose a risk of injury or even death, depending on the circumstances. Factors can include:

• How fast the vehicles were going
• Whether the occupants were wearing seat belts
• Whether the collision involved a:
  • truck accident,
  • pedestrian accident, or a
  • motorcycle accident
• The size difference between the cars and objects involved in the collision

Some of the more common types of auto accidents include:

Head-on collisions: While head-on collisions account for a very small number of accidents across the nation, they involve a comparatively high number of fatalities due to the violence of these accidents. The danger of head-on collisions lies in the speed at which each vehicle travels. The forward motion of the vehicles when they collide increases the energy of the impact.

Rear-end accidents: Rear-end accidents are commonly caused when the following vehicle is traveling too close to the lead vehicle and cannot to stop safely when the lead vehicle suddenly stops or slows. While rear-end accidents are often considered minor, there are around 1.7 million rear-end collisions in the U.S. each year, accounting for around 1,700 deaths and half a million injuries.

T-bone collisions: This accident most commonly happens at intersections when one vehicle fails to yield the right-of-way to another vehicle. T-bone collisions tend to be particularly dangerous for occupants sitting on the side of the struck vehicle due to a lack of protection on the sides of its structure.

Sideswipe accidents: Sideswipe accidents occur when a vehicle fails to maintain its own lane, drifting or swerving into another traffic lane, or when one driver attempts to change lanes without ensuring that the lane they are merging into is clear.

Chain reaction crashes: Often, a two-vehicle crash occurs, and the impact of the collision causes one of the vehicles to crash into a third vehicle. Many vehicles may be involved in interstate accidents, commonly known as a pileup.

Single-vehicle accidents: A study revealed that—while most drivers worry about being killed in an accident with another vehicle—the most common type of car accident, which results in more than half of all traffic-related fatalities, is the single-vehicle crash.

What Can Cause an Auto Accident?

There are many reasons why car accidents happen, mostly related to human error and negligence. Here are some of the top causes of collisions:

Speeding: In one recent year, speeding killed more than 12,000 people nationwide, making it one of the most deadly causes of car accidents. Speeding involves not only exceeding the posted speed limit but also driving too fast for roadway or weather conditions. Speeding is so dangerous because it reduces the time a driver has to perceive a danger on the roadway. This increases the distance that the vehicle needs to come to a safe stop or avoid a collision and reduces the effectiveness of the vehicle’s protective features, such as seat belts, airbags, and steel frames.

Distracted driving: Distracted driving poses a major hazard to others on the roadway. There are three types of distractions:

• Manual distractions cause the driver to take their hands from the wheel.
• Visual distractions draw the driver’s eyes from the road.
• Cognitive distractions take the driver’s attention away from the task of driving.

Texting is one of the worst examples of distracted driving because it results in all three types of distractions. Other common causes of driver distraction include other cell phone use, such as email or social media; eating or drinking; adjusting the vehicle or stereo controls; visiting with other occupants in the vehicle; or external distractions, such as billboards, people in other cars, or rubbernecking past other accidents.

Alcohol impairment: Drunk driving results in more than 10,000 deaths a year. In the U.S., a person dies in an alcohol-related crash every 48 minutes, and the cost to society of alcohol-related accidents is around $44 billion a year. Alcohol impairment produces deficits in many skills a person needs for the safe operation of a motor vehicle, including the ability to track moving targets, steer and brake effectively, respond appropriately to emergency driving situations, and concentrate.

Fatigued driving: Drowsy driving presents many of the same impacts on a person’s skills needed for driving. While any driver is at risk of drowsy driving, long-haul truck drivers, shift workers, and those who suffer from sleep apnea are especially prone to the hazards of driving while fatigued. The effect of this condition is often extreme drowsiness, even if the person gets a healthy amount of rest.

Confusion/getting lost: Drivers who are lost or who have missed their turn tend to make more errors, such as changing lanes without ensuring that the lane they’re changing to is clear or turning the wrong way onto a one-way road.

Defective car parts: In the above article regarding the 2018 Tesla accident in Florida, the battery on the vehicle was found to have increased the severity of the crash. Manufacturers and distributors of auto parts are legally required to ensure that those parts are safe for use when used as instructed on the product’s label. Those who fail to do so can be found liable for the injuries and deaths that result from the part’s malfunction.

Lack of maintenance: A poorly maintained vehicle is a dangerous vehicle. Certain parts can malfunction due to a lack of maintenance and cause the driver to lose control of their vehicle. Tires are one of these parts. When a tire blows, it causes the vehicle to pull dramatically to the side where the blowout occurs. Additionally, the tire pieces can create a hazard to other drivers by either striking other vehicles or producing debris on the roadway. Disabled vehicles on the side of the road are also hazardous, as they distract other drivers.

Common Injuries Our Car Accidents Attorneys Handle

Nearly every part of the body can be injured in a car accident, depending on the circumstances of the crash. These serious injuries can be life-threatening and life-altering. The dedicated car crash lawyers at Dolman Law Group have experience handling cases involving these injuries and more:

Brain injuries: Motor vehicle accidents are one of the top causes of traumatic brain injury due to a sudden jolt or blow to the head. Brain injuries can result in death or permanent, life-changing injuries. Depending on the severity of the injury and the portion of the brain that was damaged, those living with brain injuries may experience deficits in memory, coordination, communication, and movement.

Spinal cord injuries: Spinal cord injuries, along with brain injuries, are among the most serious and life-altering. The spinal cord extends from the base of the skull all the way to the lower back, near the waist. The higher up the injury occurs, the more serious the injury.

Damage to the cervical spine may result in tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, which is loss of sensation and function to all limbs, the chest, torso, and pelvis. Injuries occurring lower on the spine, in the thoracic or lumbar region, may result in paraplegia, which is loss of function and sensation to the legs and pelvis. Currently, there is no cure for spinal cord injuries. Prompt medical attention and thorough treatment are key in retaining as much function below the injury as possible.

Broken bones: Broken bones can lead to loss of function in a limb and chronic pain. They can even place the patient at risk of infection if the bone protrudes through the skin or internal damage if the jagged fragments of bone contact internal organs, as is often the case with broken ribs.

Burns: Hot metal, caustic chemicals, and the potential for a vehicle to catch on fire following an accident all make burns a common injury for car accident victims. In addition to producing scarring, which may require skin grafts to repair, burns also increase the risk of infections and can cause impaired breathing if the burn is located near the airway.

Soft tissue injuries: Whiplash is a type of soft tissue injury that is often considered “minor.” However, patients who suffer whiplash and other soft tissue injuries often struggle with chronic pain long after healing.

Amputated limbs: In severe crashes, an individual may lose a limb torn or crushed by jagged, heavy metal. Limb amputations may also occur when treating the injury medically, in cases where the limb is too damaged to repair.

What Type of Lawyer Handles Car Accidents?

Any licensed attorney in your state can technically take on a car accident claim. However, a lawyer focusing on personal injury cases involving motor vehicle accidents will be your greatest asset after a devastating crash. A personal injury lawyer with negotiating and trial experience understands the complexities of these cases and how to recover the most money for your injury.

Do I Really Need an Auto Accident Attorney?

Yes, particularly following an automobile collision resulting in severe injuries such as fractured bones, disfigurement, limited use of a body part or function, or disability. Crash victims with these injuries should partner with a seasoned personal injury attorney to ensure they are compensated to the maximum degree.

A car accident injury attorney will advocate for you after you are injured in a vehicle crash and protect your legal interests against individuals and entities who might try to deny or impede your rights. For example, the at-fault driver's insurer and aggressive defense attorneys usually hope to pin “fault” on the accident victim instead of admitting their own responsibility.

During what can be a difficult and confusing period for you and your family, attorneys provide an impartial, rational perspective. They can help you make informed decisions in a timely manner despite the emotional and financial challenges you are also facing.

Finally, an experienced car accident attorney is your representative while pursuing your legal right to justice and a fair outcome. Whether through negotiated settlements or verdicts after jury trials, your dedicated injury lawyer is committed to the best possible resolutions under your circumstances. The sooner you partner with a car accident lawyer after an accident, the sooner they can start protecting you and your right to receive the compensation you deserve.

How Do I Find the Best Car Accident Lawyer Near Me?

Although it's challenging to know whether a car crash lawyer is reputable and a good match for you, it's worth taking the time to investigate your options. You can learn about prospective lawyers by looking online at law firm websites and by searching for legal licensing information. When reviewing a law firm's website, be sure to read client reviews and testimonials to learn how prior clients were treated and more about their experience with the firm's lawyers. Also, take a look at case results to see what types of cases the firm handles and how successful it has been.

Car accident lawyers are licensed by the state where they practice, and this is who grants the lawyer their bar license. In most states, the licensing is managed by the state bar or the state bar association. In 44 states and Washington D.C., you can search the online database to more easily determine whether an attorney is licensed and active, has no past infractions, and is in good standing. You can search the American Bar Association's database as well.

Should I Consult With an Auto Accident Attorney if My Car Accident Was Minor?

Even if your crash was fairly minor, you won't know if you're getting the best settlement offer from the insurance coverage without the help of an experienced attorney. In fact, you should never accept a settlement offer without speaking to a qualified personal injury lawyer first. At Dolman Law Group, we always offer free consultations, so it won't cost you anything to learn whether your pending settlement is fair. However, it could cost you dearly if you accept an offer that doesn't cover all of your future needs.

Beyond legal help, you should always see a doctor as soon as reasonably possible, even if you do not feel or see an immediate injury. Your adrenaline rises during an accident, and you may not feel pain or realize you have a serious medical concern until that excitement has died down.

Always take advantage of a free consultation with a personal injury attorney. Reputable attorneys offer free consultations so prospective clients are aware of their options and can make the best decision without wasting their time.

Hire an Attorney From a Tough, Reputable Firm, Not a Settlement Mill

Take the time to find the best car accident attorney for your legal process. Do your research and be diligent. Some firms make money by accepting a large volume of smaller cases and settling them as quickly as possible. These are known as settlement mills. You can usually spot them by their flashy advertising.

Instead of relying on ads, do some research, read reviews, check the firms' results, and call around to find the best car accident lawyer for your needs. Finding a reputable personal injury attorney is the first step to obtaining the settlement you need to move forward.

Settlement mills do not rely on current or former clients to refer their friends and family to them, so they can afford to employ a “mill mentality” in handling their cases. Most personal injury attorneys at these firms take very few cases to trial, even if the situation requires it. Settlement mills tend to leave money on the table at the time of settlement because they are more concerned with resolving a volume of personal injury cases each month to pay their expensive advertising budget.

Remember that even an average trial lawyer is better than a settlement mill because the insurance carrier must spend money defending a case that has advanced far in litigation or goes to a jury trial. The goal of any insurance carrier is to save money, and forcing them to run up costs gets their immediate attention.

Factors to Consider in Selecting the Best Auto Accident Attorney

Some factors to consider when selecting the best car accident attorney for your case include the following.

• Does the law firm have a reputation for taking cases to trial? A law firm or individual attorney who rarely tries cases before juries and does not aggressively litigate their cases will be forced to accept the insurance company's offer, whether it is fair or not. Thus, it is essential to retain a law firm known for litigating cases, not one that poses a minimal risk to the insurance company and will often leave money on the table.
• Does the law firm have the financial resources to retain the best experts? We devote significant financial resources to our biggest and most complicated cases at Dolman Law Group. To thoroughly understand and demonstrate the harm and losses our clients have sustained, we retain nationally recognized experts to level the playing field with the biggest insurance carriers and corporate giants. Our firm has litigated car accident lawsuits against some of the biggest companies in the world, and we have the financial means to take on any corporation, regardless of size.
• Has the law firm handled and litigated catastrophic injury claims? Many law firms lack experience handling catastrophic injury claims such as traumatic brain injuries, loss of limbs/amputations, burn injuries, and other life-altering tragic events. If you have suffered a serious accident with severe injuries, you need to know whether the law firm is operating out of its comfort zone and whether it has the necessary financial resources to handle your case. Look at the lawyers' prior experience to know whether they can truly maximize the compensation for clients who will likely require lifetime care.

How Much Is My Car Accident Settlement Worth?

The value of car accident claims can vary tremendously. Injured crash victims will receive settlement offers that depend on several factors, including:

• The severity of the injury
• Past and future medical expenses
• Other damages, such as lost income and pain and suffering
• Witness testimony and the circumstances surrounding the accident
• Who was at fault
• The age of the injured party
• The effects the injury has on the victim's everyday life

Insurance companies use an algorithm to compute their suggested case value and settlement amount. Based upon this number, the company will use an insurance adjuster or attorney to offer your attorney a certain sum to settle your case.

What Damages Can You Pursue in a Car Accident Claim?

After a car accident, a victim can file a car accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company to pursue compensation for damages. These are losses associated with your accident and severe car accident injuries.

You could incur two types of damages from a car accident: economic and non-economic. Economic damages, or special damages, are those that affect someone’s finances, such as the monetary charges they incur from their injuries. Non-economic damages are intangible losses that affect a car accident victim’s mental health and quality of life.

Here are some damages you could pursue through a car accident claim:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Lost earning potential
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of parental services
• Funeral and burial costs

How Long Does a Car Accident Lawsuit Take?

Each auto accident lawsuit is factually different, so the time to resolve them varies depending on various factors:

• The insurance carrier(s) and adjuster(s) involved
• Past and future medical treatment
• Any witnesses involved
• Whether liability is determined or admitted

Depending on the factors above, your lawsuit may take anywhere from several months to one or two years. To learn more about how long a car accident case may take, reach out for a free consultation today.

Can I Afford to Work With a Car Crash Lawyer?

Our personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you will not pay attorney's fees unless you receive compensation for your losses. Also, since our initial case reviews are free, you will have no upfront costs if you decide to let our team protect your rights and bring an injury claim on your behalf. We will discuss the contingency fee agreement during your free consultation and before you ever commit to working with our auto accident attorneys.

How Long Do I Have to Get a Lawyer After a Car Accident?

In personal injury cases, time is of the essence when hiring a personal injury attorney because doing so is imperative to maximizing the value of your case. Much of your case comes down to the timing and nature of the treatment you receive, gathering evidence from the accident scene, identifying eyewitnesses who saw the accident, and documenting your recovery. By quickly hiring a personal injury attorney after your accident, you provide your attorney with the greatest opportunity to achieve the best possible compensation for your personal injury claim.

How Can I Maximize My Car Accident Settlement?

You can maximize your personal injury claim by working with an experienced personal injury lawyer who can:

• Find witnesses
• Document your injuries in great detail
• Keep all documents (medical records, hospital bills, insurance information, police report, witness information, etc.)
• Help you document the limitations your injury imposes on your daily life

It is equally important that you follow your medical provider's treatment plan and that you always attend scheduled appointments because doing so decreases the legitimacy of your claim to the adjuster evaluating the same.

A Car Crash Attorney Can Negotiate With the Insurance Company From a Position of Strength

One option for seeking accountability and compensation available to car accident victims and their lawyers is to negotiate with parties with legal liability for the crash (which usually also includes those parties' insurance carriers).

"Car accident attorneys carefully consider how to enter into negotiations so our client has the best chance of recovering the most money possible. We don't just wing it and hope it goes well," said Alexander Knapp, a car accident lawyer and co-counsel to Dolman Law Group.

Perhaps the most significant consideration in that regard is the lawyer's assessment of when the client's case has reached peak strength since that is usually the most advantageous moment to press the other side for maximum payment.

An Attorney Can Defeat the Underhanded Tactics Used by Insurance Carriers

Car accident lawyers and their clients cannot always dictate the terms of negotiations. Insurance companies have a bag of tricks they often deploy in hopes of minimizing the amount of money they need to spend to escape liability for an accident. One such tactic is negotiating directly with a victim before the victim has a chance to hire a car accident lawyer.

The insurance companies hope to catch accident victims at a vulnerable moment and convince them to jump at what is almost always a lowball settlement offer. Underhanded tactics like this illustrate why we believe it is crucial for accident victims to retain experienced car accident injury counsel immediately.

Dealing with aggressive insurance adjusters is much easier when all you have to say is, “Talk to my lawyer.” Letting a collision attorney take over discussions with the insurance company levels the playing field and lets you decide when your case is strong enough to press your advantage.

Not Hiring a Car Accident Attorney Costs You Money

Studies have shown that not hiring an attorney after a car accident can cost you money – potentially lots of it. Crash victims who are not represented by legal counsel tend to receive substantially less money than those who work with experienced lawyers. This is true even after legal fees are paid.

Also, those who wait to hire a lawyer may also be disadvantaged. The fact is, the older a case is when an attorney takes it, the more evidence can become stale, and the investigation will be more difficult. Witnesses' memories fade, first responders move on, and accident scenes get cleaned up. The passage of time steadily eats away at the money an accident victim might hope to recover.

You must also understand how the statute of limitations will affect your case. Every state has a law that sets the deadline by which an accident victim can file a lawsuit. If you miss this deadline, you lose your legal rights to compensation altogether. In Florida, car accident lawsuits must begin no later than two years after the accident. The same timeframe applies when a victim dies in the crash.

In other words, if you wait too long to hire a good auto accident attorney after a car accident, your claim will be worthless. Placing your case in a lawyer's hands as soon as possible also comes with the benefit of giving your legal team the additional time they need to gather the evidence needed to build a solid legal claim.

Trust the Car Accident Lawyers at Dolman Law Group to Protect Your Rights After a Car Crash

A car accident generally occurs in seconds. However, the consequences of accident injuries resulting from a car accident may last a lifetime.

Talk to a car accident lawyer at Dolman Law Group about your accident to discover if compensation is available to help pay for the enormous expenses your injuries have caused. Contact Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, for a free consultation by calling 833-552-7274 (833-55-CRASH) or by contacting us online. We look forward to helping you.