Your life can change in a moment due to the impact of catastrophic injuries. Suddenly, you may find that you can no longer enjoy the activities you once did, that you have lost your independence, or that you cannot handle your usual work responsibilities, all because of the damages you sustained in an accident. If you suffered a spinal cord injury, amputation, or loss of one of your senses due to the negligence of another party in Tallahassee, you might deserve compensation. Dolman Law Group can help you determine who bears liability for your injuries and what compensation you may deserve. Contact a Tallahassee Catastrophic Injury Lawyer for your free consultation.
Table of Contents
- Tallahassee Catastrophic Injury Victims
- Compensation for Catastrophic Injuries in Tallahassee
- Common Catastrophic Injuries in Tallahassee
- Fighting the Insurance Company After Catastrophic Injuries in Tallahassee
- What to Do After Catastrophic Injuries in Tallahassee
- Contact a Tallahassee Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Today
- Tallahassee Catastrophic Injury FAQs
Dolman Law Group: Helping Tallahassee Catastrophic Injury Victims
Catastrophic injuries often change the entire course of your life. Not only can they leave you with massive medical bills ahead of you, but they may also result in severe challenges for the rest of your life. At Dolman Law Group, we understand the extent of the challenges that catastrophic injuries may represent. We aim to help our clients maximize the compensation they can recover for those injuries as much as possible.
Take a look at some of our past results.
- $5 million for catastrophic car accident burns
- $3.85 million for a truck accident resulting in brain injury
- $3.2 million for a truck accident resulting in brain injury
- $1.4 million for a motorcycle accident that resulted in multiple severe injuries
While those results cannot guarantee the results in your catastrophic injury claim, at Dolman Law Group, we fight to help our clients recover maximum compensation for the severe damages they may have suffered due to catastrophic injuries.
Connect With Our Attorneys
At Dolman Law Group, we aim to make our personal injury attorneys as accessible as possible to our clients. We understand the many difficulties often associated with dealing with catastrophic injuries, and we aim to make the legal process as easy on our clients as possible. We offer free initial consultations to help make it easier for catastrophic injury victims to connect with us.
We can also offer virtual consultations to clients who may struggle to get to the office in person. Furthermore, we offer accessibility at all times so that you can keep up with what happens in your case and feel supported as you manage the difficult legal process ahead of you.
Seek Solid Results
At Dolman Law Group, we pride ourselves on offering a small-firm feel while going after the big-firm results you need after a catastrophic injury. We have the resources to go after big businesses and insurance companies, and we fight aggressively to help our clients recover the compensation they deserve for their catastrophic injuries.
If you suffered catastrophic injuries in a Tallahassee accident, do not try to handle your claim on your own. Dealing with the insurance company can cause unnecessary stress, and trying to handle your claim alone could mean that you ultimately minimize the compensation you can recover. Instead, let us help you manage the challenges associated with your injury claim.
Compensation for Catastrophic Injuries in Tallahassee: What to Expect
When you suffer catastrophic injuries, your entire life changes. Often, those injuries will involve lifelong expenses, including increased medical bills and multiple challenges as you contend with your new limitations. What compensation can you expect from those injuries?
Ultimately, at Dolman Law Group, we cannot guarantee the compensation you will recover for your injuries. Catastrophic injury compensation may depend on what type of injuries you sustained, what financial losses you faced due to those injuries, and what specific challenges you may have to contend with after your accident. However, we can help you look at your actual financial losses and the compensation you should reasonably pursue for those losses.
Medical Costs
The medical bills associated with a catastrophic injury can prove astronomical. You will likely end up with substantial initial medical bills as you pursue emergency treatment for your injuries, and you may also have ongoing medical costs that last for the rest of your life.
If you suffer a spinal cord injury, for example, you may have a long-term stay in the hospital and numerous procedures in the initial year after the accident alone. Then, as you continue to pursue treatment, you may face tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills each year, depending on the extent of your injuries.
At Dolman Law Group, we help our clients review the full medical bills they have faced due to their catastrophic injuries and review the medical costs they anticipate seeing in the future. Then, we help our clients include those high medical expenses as part of a compelling claim that establishes the losses they have faced.
Lost Income
Catastrophic injuries often substantially impact your income, both immediately after the accident and in the months and years that follow. Immediately after the accident, you may find yourself unable to work because of your injuries. You may end up stuck in the hospital or unable to get back to work as you deal with the challenges caused by your injuries.
Unfortunately, your journey back to work may not be easy. Many catastrophic injury victims find they must spend a long time recovering before returning to their usual job responsibilities. In many cases, catastrophic injuries can permanently prevent you from performing regular job tasks. For example, suppose that you suffered a brain injury in your accident.
Traumatic brain injury can interfere with a patient’s focus and concentration, making it very difficult for the patient to take care of any work tasks that require sustained focus. Severe traumatic brain injury may interfere with the patient’s memory, including both short-term and long-term memory. Furthermore, those injuries may make it very difficult for the patient to control normal emotional reactions, which may make it difficult for the person to deal with people.
As a result, the victim may find it difficult or even impossible to return to work.
At Dolman Law Group, we look closely at all the wage losses you have experienced due to your injuries. This review covers whether you have the potential to return to your job in the future or whether your injuries may permanently prevent you from working in your previous field or position.
Pain and Suffering
In addition to the financial challenges frequently associated with catastrophic injuries, many patients notice immense emotional challenges related to their injuries. Catastrophic injuries frequently mean a high loss of independence.
That lost independence can cause a great deal of frustration for many patients. Not only that, catastrophic injuries may lead to increased depression, anxiety, or PTSD. In addition, many patients with catastrophic injuries suffer from long-term, daily physical pain. As part of your claim, you can include those non-financial losses.
At Dolman Law Group, we help our clients go over all the challenges they may face and include them as part of a compelling, comprehensive claim.
Tallahassee Catastrophic Injuries
Tallahassee may have some challenges that increase the overall risk of catastrophic injuries.
High Drowning and Water-Related Injury Risk
Tallahassee sees a lot of hot days over the summer, which many people choose to alleviate by engaging in water play and sports. Those water sports, however, may pose several unique safety challenges. Poorly-maintained pools, water parks, and other facilities may have a high risk of causing drowning injuries. In addition, people using water parks and other areas may face an increased risk of head injury or fall injuries, especially if the owners do not maintain those areas properly.
Considerable Tourist Traffic
The Tallahassee area sees a great deal of tourist traffic, with millions of visitors coming to the area every year. Often, vacationers have lower-than-usual regard for overall safety, which means they may engage in riskier behavior. On the streets of Tallahassee, that general disregard for safety can also have a heavy impact on everyone else in the area.
Common Catastrophic Injuries in Tallahassee
Catastrophic injuries in Tallahassee include those that will cause permanent or long-term damage to the victim and limitations that will stick with the victim after the accident.
Injuries may include:
- Brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Limb amputation
- Loss of sight or hearing
- Severe burns
Accidents can occur in a variety of ways. Auto, construction, and premises liability accidents may make up a high percentage of incidents throughout the Tallahassee area.
Fighting the Insurance Company After Catastrophic Injuries in Tallahassee
Following catastrophic injuries in Tallahassee, the insurance company may make your life much more difficult than necessary as you attempt to recover compensation for your injuries. Despite clear liability on the part of the covered party, the insurance company may try to deny the total compensation you deserve and, ultimately, need to help move you toward your recovery. You may have difficulty convincing the insurance company to accept full liability for its covered party’s actions, or the insurance company may try to deny the full extent of your injuries.
The insurance company may also try to push you to accept an overall low settlement offer that fails to reasonably reflect the damages you sustained in the accident and the compensation you deserve for injuries that will remain with you for the rest of your life.
At Dolman Law Group, we understand the difficulty that catastrophic injury victims often face when dealing with the insurance companies that control the payments they ultimately receive. We aim to reduce the stress associated with those situations as much as possible. We work with our clients to maximize the compensation they can recover while dealing with the complex obstacles insurance companies may throw in their way.
What to Do After Catastrophic Injuries in Tallahassee
After an accident involving catastrophic injuries, you likely found yourself reliant on other people to report the accident and take care of evidence collection at the scene while you sought medical treatment. As you start to recover, however, you may need to take charge of your ultimate recovery and your ability to recover compensation for your injuries.
By following these key steps, you can often help protect yourself and increase the odds that you will recover the compensation you deserve.
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Matthew Dolman, Tallahassee Catastrophic Injury Lawyer
Talk to an attorney before you talk to the insurance company that covers the liable party. The insurance company may trick you into accepting less than you deserve, especially since catastrophic injuries often mean a big payout. A lawyer can help guide you through that process and help ensure you do not miss out on the compensation you may deserve.
- Document your recovery. Keep a journal detailing the challenges you may have faced on your recovery journey. Take photos of your injuries, if relevant.
- Keep a file with all your medical bills and any pending ones you may need to pay. Your catastrophic injury claim may rely heavily on the cost of your medical treatment.
- Follow the instructions issued by your medical care providers and keep up with your treatment plan. While the road to recovery may be long and difficult, your effort to follow your doctor’s instructions can show good faith and help increase your ability to recover compensation after your accident.
Dealing with catastrophic injuries can be incredibly difficult. While a lawyer cannot make your physical recovery easier, a catastrophic injury claim can provide you with much-needed funds that may make it easier to manage your expenses.
Do You Need a Tallahassee Catastrophic Injury Lawyer?
If you suffered catastrophic injuries due to another party’s negligence in Tallahassee, you need a Tallahassee catastrophic injury attorney to help you fight for the compensation you deserve. Dolman Law Group can help. Contact us at (866) 467-0943 to learn more.
Tallahassee Office
2707 Killarney Way, Suite 205
Tallahassee, FL 32309
(866) 467-0943
What Our Clients Have to Say:
“Chad Robinson always responded immediately whenever I had questions or concerns. He worked hard to make sure I received what I deserved.”
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Michelle Dorn
December 19
Client Testimonial
“AMAZING and understanding attorneys! Did great on my case and I highly recommend Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA for anyone that has been injured in an accident!”
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Koralis R.
Jan 2020
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How much does hiring a Tallahassee catastrophic injury attorney cost?
At Dolman Law Group, we understand that catastrophic injuries often bring equally catastrophic medical expenses. You may find yourself wondering if you can even afford to hire a lawyer. As a result, we take several steps to help make legal assistance more affordable to our clients.
First, we start with a free consultation to review the initial information about your injuries and claim. Next, we work with many of our catastrophic injury clients on a contingent fee basis. You will not have to pay upfront for attorney’s fees; instead, you will pay out of a percentage of the compensation you recover as part of your claim.
Considering the cost of legal assistance following Tallahassee catastrophic injuries, consider whether you can afford not to hire a lawyer. Without a lawyer on your side, the insurance company may not take you as seriously as you deserve.
You may find yourself fighting to get reasonable compensation for your injuries or the insurance company denying liability for the accident altogether. Furthermore, you may miss out on evidence related to the party that caused your accident, or you may have difficulty establishing all of the compensation elements you deserve.
At Dolman Law Group, many of our clients find that by working with us, they ultimately recover more compensation than they could have recovered on their own, even after considering their legal fees.
How do I know who bears liability for a catastrophic injury in Tallahassee?
To determine who bears liability for your catastrophic injury in Tallahassee, you may need to ask several critical questions about your accident, including how it happened, who may have contributed to it, and your injuries. At Dolman Law Group, we help our clients go over all the details of the accident to identify all parties that may share liability for the incident. This can help you pursue compensation from each party that may share liability.
We look at several key questions.
Who bore a duty of care to you at the time of the accident?
A “duty of care” includes any reasonable duty to protect someone or to ensure that they do not suffer unnecessary injury. For example, property owners may bear a duty of care to ensure that their properties offer a safe experience for anyone who visits. All drivers on the road bear a duty of care to other drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.
How did the party or parties that contributed to your accident violate the duty of care?
A violation of the duty of care may include any dangerous or reckless decision that puts others in danger. Often, catastrophic accidents occur due to simple negligence. The liable party may not deliberately do something that puts someone else in danger but may neglect to take care of things that could prevent danger to the other party.
A driver who chooses to get behind the wheel while intoxicated or to engage in multiple distractions while driving may commit a deliberate act of recklessness.
On the other hand, a property owner that fails to take care of needed maintenance on the property may still bear liability for the incident but may commit a more passive act of negligence that can lead to catastrophic injuries.
How did that act of negligence contribute to your injuries?
To establish that the other party bears liability for your injuries, you will need to show that the act of negligence contributed directly to your injuries. You will need to clearly show that the negligence caused you to get into an accident, which led to your catastrophic injuries. For example, if you suffer injuries in a car accident, you might show that a distracted driver’s negligent attention to the road contributed directly to your injuries.
If you have questions about who likely caused your accident or whether other parties may have contributed to your accident, working with a lawyer can offer the best information about your rights and needs.
Who has to pay my medical bills following catastrophic injuries in Tallahassee?
As you recover from catastrophic injuries, your medical bills may add up quickly. Emergency care for catastrophic injuries alone can cost thousands of dollars. As you recover, you may have increased medical needs that you need to continue to consider.
For example, you may have ongoing occupational or physical therapy if you suffer a spinal cord injury. You may need a wheelchair, which you may have to replace several times throughout your lifetime.
Those medical bills can create significant financial strain, especially if your catastrophic injuries prevent you from working after the accident. Unfortunately, as the injured party, you must make arrangements to cover your medical expenses. However, you may have several options that can make getting the treatment you need for those injuries easier.
Use your medical insurance.
Whether you carry private medical insurance or go through your employer, your medical insurance can prove critical to paying for your medical expenses and managing the ongoing cost of care. After catastrophic injuries, you may want to look carefully at what your medical insurance covers, both in terms of what immediate coverage it may provide now and what coverage you may need in the future.
For example, following catastrophic injuries, you may need to learn more about whether your insurance will cover a stay in an extended-care facility or whether your insurance company might offer help with in-home care. Evaluate how much physical or occupational therapy your insurance company will pay for.
Look at whether you have specific out-of-pocket maximums for a calendar year and which providers you can use for in-network coverage. All those details may make a huge difference as you manage your finances after a catastrophic accident.
Check for PIP coverage after an auto accident.
If you suffered catastrophic injuries in a car accident, your personal injury protection insurance might assist with your immediate medical expenses. While Florida PIP insurance provides only 80 percent coverage for the first $10,000 in medical costs, assuming that you carry minimum PIP insurance, that can help cover the initial cost of your medical bills and give you some breathing room. At the same time, you can figure out your options for managing your finances in the aftermath of a catastrophic accident.
Use the funds from an injury claim.
A catastrophic injury claim in Tallahassee does not require the liable party to pay your medical bills directly. It does, however, often provide compensation for the damages you may have suffered because of the accident, including the cost of your medical expenses. When you receive compensation through an injury claim, you can use those funds to cover the costs associated with your medical treatment. Sometimes, your medical providers may allow you to delay some payments until you receive the funds from your catastrophic injury claim.
Do I really need a lawyer for a Tallahassee catastrophic injury claim?
After a catastrophic injury claim, you may feel that your situation makes your right to compensation clear. You sustained severe injuries and deserve compensation for those injuries. You may even have clear evidence that the other party caused your injuries or an admission of guilt from the other party.
You may assume that the claim process will go relatively smoothly and that you will get the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Unfortunately, things may not work out as well as you had hoped. The insurance company may fight hard to reduce the compensation you ultimately recover for your injuries,
Working with a lawyer can help streamline the process and make it easier for you to get the total compensation you deserve.
A lawyer focuses on your rights and your best interests.
When you work with an attorney, you know that the attorney will remain focused on your best interests, not the insurance company’s bottom line. As a result, you can feel much more confident about the compensation you will recover and that the attorney will help ensure that your rights remain the top consideration in your claim.
A lawyer can help ensure you know how much compensation to expect for your injuries.
Often, the victims of serious accidents struggle to determine how much compensation they should reasonably expect for their injuries. As a result, they may end up accepting a settlement offer that fails to reflect their full right to compensation. At Dolman Law Group, on the other hand, we make sure our clients receive comprehensive support that details the full compensation they should expect for their injuries.
A lawyer can support your negotiations with the insurance company.
Frequently, simply having an attorney on your side can make a huge difference in your ability to recover the compensation you deserve from the insurance company. Insurance representatives tend to take claims more seriously when you have a lawyer representing your interests. Furthermore, a lawyer can help take some of the stress out of the claim process by handling many of the interactions with the insurance company on your behalf, which may help you feel more confident about the outcome of your claim.
If you must go to court, having a lawyer on your side can be essential.
Most injury claims settle out of court. However, catastrophic injury claims may have greater odds of going to court because of the extreme nature of the injuries suffered in the accident and the substantial compensation you may need to move forward with your claim. An attorney can help present your case to the court in a way that can help you maximize your results.
I got a settlement offer from the insurance company after my Tallahassee catastrophic injury. What should I do about it?
A settlement offer from the insurance company may sound like an easy end to your catastrophic injury claim struggles. That offer does not seem to include as much compensation as you might have hoped, but it does offer some financial compensation that can help you move forward with life after your claim, including taking care of your medical bills. Should you accept it?
Before accepting any settlement offer, have an attorney look at the offer and review the compensation you should expect from your injury claim, particularly if you feel the offer does not reflect the full compensation you may deserve. An attorney can help you determine whether you should accept an offer or continue negotiating for further compensation.
How long does settling a catastrophic injury claim in Tallahassee take?
Catastrophic injury claims can be particularly complicated. Your attorney may recommend that you begin the initial investigation period that will help you lay out evidence regarding liability for your accident. They may also caution that you do not move forward with your claim until you have had a chance to recover from your injuries.
Your doctors may need six months or more to offer an accurate assessment of what your recovery will look like. You also want your injury claim to include compensation for any medical bills arising from complications.
Furthermore, your attorney and the insurance company will need time to thoroughly investigate the claim, negotiate a settlement, and arrive at an agreement that fits the needs of both parties. Frequently, catastrophic injury claims require multiple rounds of negotiation as your attorney fights to help you maximize your compensation. It may take several months or even years to arrive at a settlement agreement for catastrophic injuries.
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