Personal Injury Attorneys
| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Weston Personal Injury Attorneys | , ,

How to Deal with Uninsured Driver Accidents in South Florida

Consider Buying Uninsured Motorist Coverage

Most of us pay our auto insurance bill the same way we pay our electric bill. We couldn’t imagine not having electricity – you can’t live without air conditioning!

But many people drive all over south Florida every day without having insurance coverage. How Many?

Unfortunately the Insurance Information Institute says Florida ranks very high for uninsured motorists. Here is the breakdown:

Weston Personal Injury Attorneys

Our law firm has been dealing with victims of automobile, motorcycle, and truck accidents since 1992 and we have dealt with countless cases where one or more drivers have not had proper insurance.

If you are in an accident and the other driver does not have insurance it is best if you have included Uninsured Motorist Coverage in your policy. If you don’t have that coverage all is not lost – there are often other ways to pursue compensation for injuries and damage. Every case is different and it’s best to let an experienced personal injury attorney review your particular situation.

Many people think of auto insurance as only covering damage to the car. Auto insurance can also cover you for being sued as a result of causing an accident, or for injuries you sustain during an auto accident. If you have traditional health insurance, it may or may not cover all your medical bills.

If your household is a high income earner or you have more than $250,000 in assets, talk to an insurance agent about an umbrella policy. An umbrella policy provides additional liability limits, which will help to protect your financial future. Umbrella policies are very affordable. In Florida, an umbrella policy that will provide an additional $1 million of liability insurance is a possible consideration.

We are not insurance agents, but we know from experience that while quality coverage may cost more, it is well worth it in many situations.

Questions? We’re here to answer them. Call us 7 days a week at (954) 356-0006

  • Fort Lauderdale and Weston Personal Injury Attorneys
  • Lazarus and Lazarus
  • 954-356-0006
Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorneys
| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorneys

Ten Things to do After a Car Accident – Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorneys Lazarus and Lazarus

Fort Lauderdale Car, Truck, and Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

Click Here to Download an Accident Checklist

There are some things we don’t like to think about, like having an accident. We think that accidents only happen to “someone else” and we go about our day. The truth is that the car insurance industry statistics say that a driver will file a claim for a collision every 17.9 years. It’s true that careless drivers are likely to be involved in more accidents and careful drivers will probably have less, but some day a careless driver may crash into you while you’re sitting at a stop sign. What will you do?

Steps to Take After a South Florida Car Accident

You should keep this list where you can get to it quickly because we are all likely to be a bit flustered after an accident and forget.

  1. Stop! Never leave the scene of an accident, even a minor one. You can be charged with leaving the scene of an accident if you do.
  2. Call for Emergency Help. If anyone seems to be injured, even slightly, call for paramedics. Internal injuries can be serious even though they can’t be seen. The best thing is to get people medically checked out right away.
  3. Protect the Scene. Make sure one accident doesn’t turn to two by trying to get out of the way of other traffic, turn on flashers, and use road flares if you have them.
  4. Call the Police. Often people will try to exchange insurance information and deal with the situation later but this has often proved to beFort Lauderdale Car, Truck, and Motorcycle Accident Attorneys a bad decision. Have the police document the incident and it may help in the future.
  5. Take Notes. Observe everything around the accident and write down the details. License plates, the address, names of witnesses. Anything you see that might help later should be recorded right after the accident.
  6. Take Pictures. If you are able to take pictures, take many. Get views of damage to vehicles and damage to you if you are injured.
  7. Exchange Information and Cooperate with the Police. Answer the questions you are asked, but do not admit any fault. Never speculate about things that may or may not have contributed to the accident.
  8. Keep a File. Keep all information related to the accident in a central location like a file folder or an envelope. All your notes, police reports, everything. Documentation is important and people often tell us “I threw that out, didn’t think it was important.” Everything is important.
  9. Report the Accident. Call your insurance company and tell them what happened. Sometimes an insurance company will offer to “cut you a check” soon after an accident but that may preclude any further claims. Speak with an attorney first.
  10. Protect Your Rights. An automobile, motorcycle, or truck accident is an unfortunate and sometimes tragic event that hopefully you never have to deal with. If you do it’s very important to follow a course of action that protects your rights to compensation for your injuries, damages, and pain and suffering. Have the phone number of an experienced accident attorney stored in your phone and call.

The Law Firm of Lazarus and Lazarus has been advising clients about accidents in south Florida for over 20 years. Every step you take should be thought out and planned to protect your rights, and we’ll help you if that time comes. Call us at 954-356-0006 and we’ll respond to your questions and concerns immediately.

Weston Florida Injury Attorneys
| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Weston Personal Injury Attorneys | , ,

Maximizing the Value of Your Auto Accident Insurance Claim

Personal Injury Attorneys in Fort Lauderdale and Weston, Florida

 

You May Only Have One Shot to Get What You Deserve

Many motor vehicle accident claims follow a pattern like this:

The victim calls the insurance company and reports the incident. The insurance company responds with their assessment of the damage to the vehicle, offers a check, and says they’ll pay the medical bills later when they are final.

That process often results in a completely unacceptable settlement and people later have regrets.

Most drivers shop for insurance based on cost. They read the benefits like collision and injury coverage as bullet points but don’t understand the details. They may see that the company will allow for a rental car during repairs but they don’t know for how long.

We have two tips at this point:

Before an Accident

Be meticulous when shopping for car, truck, or motorcycle insurance. Read the fine print and ask questions – then consider costs. Always read the entire policy first and buy the best insurance you can afford.Weston Florida Injury Attorneys

 After an Accident

Once again, read the fine print or better, have an experienced personal injury attorney help you. This is where you will want to maximize the value of your settlement. Insurance companies don’t enjoy paying large claims and they’ll avoid it.

We always caution people not to rush into a fast settlement because once a case is “settled” you may never have the chance to go back and obtain compensation for

  • Future Medical Complications
  • Inadequate Repairs
  • Delayed Actions from Other Parties
  • Hidden Damages
  • Expenses that Were Paid but not Reimbursed

We know how to conduct an extensive review of every insurance policy to make sure our clients receive every dollar that is due to them. We also make sure others involved in an accident pay what they are responsible for and if necessary we go to court to get justice.

We’re here to answer your questions with a free consultation in person or online. Just call 954-356-0006 and you’ll connect directly with Gary or Arleen Lazarus.

Impaired Driver Accident Attorneys
| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorneys, Fort Lauderdale Injury Attorneys, Personal Injury Attorney | , ,

What to Do If You Are in an Accident Involving a Drunk Driver

Impaired Driver Accident Attorneys

New Infrastructure Bill Hopes to Prevent Drunk Driving Accidents and Injuries

Serious accidents are always difficult to investigate, but when an impaired driver is involved they are an even larger challenge because that means there is a criminal element to deal with and often the offender leaves the scene.

It’s important to understand what you should and should not do if you are involved in an accident and you believe another driver is impaired. Police recommend you do not try to detain a drunk driver from leaving the scene but call 911 and give the best description of the car and the driver you can. They will search for and hopefully find the driver.

Personal Injury Attorneys Fort LauderdaleDrivers who run afoul of the Florida Statutes covering impaired driving have for years found themselves ordered to install special equipment in their cars as a condition if they want to drive. It is a system that screens them with a breathalyzer-type device to make sure they don’t have alcohol in their system.

This year the U.S. Congress is attempting to pass a large infrastructure law that will include a requirement for U.S. automakers to install special equipment to sense if the driver is impaired. Read Car & Driver Article – Known as the Drunk Driving Prevention Technology Provision, it would not be the type of system known previously which involves blowing into a tube, but would involve some type of sensory technology. We can only hope it cuts down on drunk driving accidents.

Fact: In every state, it’s illegal to drive drunk, yet one person was killed in a drunk-driving crash every 52 minutes in the United States in 2019.  

The Law Firm of Lazarus and Lazarus has been helping drivers who are injured by impaired drivers since 1992. We work with the police and with insurance companies to make sure the rights of our clients are protected and that they receive the maximum compensation allowed by law for their damages and injuries.

If you are involved in any type of accident it is smart to seek the advice of an experienced Personal Injury Attorney. Our consultations are free and completely confidential. We’re available 7 days a week at 954-356-0006.

Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Attorneys Lazarus and Lazarus | 954-356-0006 | Offices in Fort Lauderdale and Weston

Uber and Lyft Accident Attorneys
| Arleen Lazarus | 0 Comments | Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorneys |

What to do After an Uber or Lyft Accident – Fort Lauderdale Accident Attorney

Protect Your Right to Compensation for Injuries

People who use one of the popular rideshare services like Lyft and Uber are usually traveling for business, on vacation, or out for a night on the town so they aren’t thinking about getting in an accident.

The laws that cover insurance for all drivers, including rideshare services are always evolving state-by-state. Uber and Lyft provide insurance to their drivers and riders when the drivers are logged into the app, but some drivers who may give rides “off the clock” may not be covered. It’s always prudent to make sure you book your ride through the app and that your driver is legitimate.

Uber’s U.S. Safety Report includes information about

  • Motor Vehicle Fatalities
  • Fatal Physical Assaults
  • Sexual Assaults

The report does not have information about accidents involving injuries and this data is difficult to track down but through news reports we know they do happen.

A horrible accident that occurred on July 24, 2021 caused 5 fatalities and was reported by the New York Times. One victim was an Uber driver, and 3 passengers were also killed as well as another driver. One passenger was injured, and at this time it’s too early to know who or what caused the crash.

Any person, involved and injured in any accident should, after attending to all injuries, immediately contact an experienced and qualified personal injury attorney. Accidents must be thoroughly investigated as soon as possible so it can be determined the cause and extent of injuries and damages. Victims should be examined by physicians to make sure there are no hidden injuries which may manifest later and cause pain and problems.

The Law Firm of Lazarus and Lazarus has extensive experience dealing with rideshare accidents and we understand how to recover compensation from those at fault so our clients can recover physically, emotionally, and financially.

We’re available at 954-356-0006 for a free consultation to answer your questions confidentially.

Fort Lauderdale Uber and Lyft Accident Attorneys Lazarus and Lazarus – 954-356-0006

Neck Injury Personal Injury Attorney
| Gary T. Lazarus | 0 Comments | AUTO ACCIDENTS, Uncategorized

Injuries Resulting From Low-Impact Collisions

Low Impact does not Mean Low Injury

You may remember from science class in school that there were some very smart people throughout history who gave thought to things we “normal” people don’t think about. One such person was Sir Isaac Newton, and his theories about gravity, motion, and optics profoundly impacted the study of physics and are involved in our daily life.

Your elbow bumps a cup of coffee on your desk, and it falls to the floor. We don’t think about it, but Newton’s observations and theories of gravity and motion explain exactly what happened and why.

You’re sitting in your car at a red light and someone strikes you from behind. The laws of physics are involved here as your body is thrust forward, you experience sudden stress to your neck, shoulders, hips and head.

Newton looked at simple occurrences in life and reasoned that there must be a way to calculate the forces of nature using scientific methods. In the case of a moving object striking an object at rest, he reasoned correctly that two factors are important to determine the force (F) of the impact, and those are speed, or acceleration (a) and the weight, or mass (m) of the moving object.

Read more “Injuries Resulting From Low-Impact Collisions”