Electric scooters are popular in Florida because they are fun, relatively inexpensive, convenient, and environmentally friendly. Getting hurt in a scooter accident can cause life-changing injuries, though.
You must know what to do after a scooter injury. You might be the person riding the scooter, or you could get struck by a scooter. However you were injured, you could fight for fair compensation.
Get Medical Treatment and Protect Your Legal Rights
We assume that you already got medical attention for your injuries by the time you are reading this article. If you have not yet had your injuries evaluated and treated, though, you should do so at once. Even broken bones can take a day or two before they develop symptoms. If you have internal injuries, you could be bleeding inside and not know it.
As soon as you get emergency medical care, your next concern is protecting your legal rights. If someone else caused harm to you through carelessness, you could be eligible for financial compensation.
The at-fault party’s insurance company might discourage you from going after the money you deserve by telling you they do not cover scooter accidents. You should talk with your lawyer right away.
Find a Personal Injury Lawyer, Near Me
(855) 529-0269You Have a Deadline for Filing a Lawsuit After a Scooter Accident
In Florida, Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a) says that you must take legal action within two years of an accident or lose the right ever to hold the careless person responsible for hurting you. Negotiating with the defendant’s claims adjuster does not satisfy this requirement. The only way to satisfy the time limit, called the statute of limitations, is to file a lawsuit.
If your loved one died because of a scooter accident that was someone else’s fault, Florida law gives you even less time to take legal action. You must file a wrongful death action within two years, according to Florida Statutes § 95.11(4)(d). Two years is not much time when dealing with the grief and financial aftermath of losing a close relative.
Additional Ways Your Attorney Can Protect Your Right to Compensation
Insurance companies are multibillion-dollar corporations that make a profit by paying injured people as little money as possible. The at-fault party’s insurer will assign an entire team of professionals to get you to accept a fraction of what your case is worth. On a good day, these people can convince injured individuals that their claims are not covered at all.
When someone else hurts you through negligence, you deserve to have someone fighting on your side. Your personal injury attorney can protect you from these tactics that a claims adjuster might try to use if you got hurt in a scooter accident:
Lowball Offer
The claims adjuster will likely throw out a settlement offer early in the claims process. You can almost guarantee that the first offer will be much lower than you deserve for your losses.
Unless you work in the industry, you have no way of knowing if the offer is fair and appropriate. After you subtract your medical bills, lost wages, residual problems, and pain and suffering, the offer will look much less impressive.
Settling Too Early
Sometimes claims adjusters put pressure on injured people to accept a settlement offer quickly. The offer will look much less impressive after you subtract your medical bills, lost wages, residual problems, and pain and suffering. Pressure tactics should put you on your guard.
If you settle your scooter injury claim before finishing your medical treatment, you take a huge risk. If you go back to your doctor and find out that you need additional medical intervention, like surgery, you must pay those medical expenses out of your pocket. The insurer will not owe you any money after you settle your claim.
Blaming You for the Accident
Some claims adjusters blame the injured person for the scooter accident. If that happens in your situation, you should hang up and speak to your personal injury lawyer. Some people have walked away from an injury claim worth substantial amounts of money because they trusted the claims adjuster.
Always remember that the claims adjuster’s job is to pay you as little money as possible. The claims adjuster is not your friend, no matter how charming he might act.
Tricking You Into Missing the Deadline
Most people do not know about the time limits in Florida for filing a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. The claims adjuster knows those deadlines, though. Most likely, the date appears on your claim file.
A common strategy claims adjusters use is dragging out the negotiations in hopes that the injured person will miss the filing deadline. Once that date passes, you will not be able to hold the negligent party accountable for the harm you suffered.
These are but a few examples of the many tactics that you might encounter if you try to handle your scooter accident injury claim on your own without a lawyer.
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Call Our Team for Support After a Scooter Injury in Florida
Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers helps people who get hurt by the carelessness of others. You will work with a partner when we handle your claim. You can call us today at (855) 529-0269 for a free consultation.
Our motor vehicle and bicycle accident staff will walk you through the appropriate things to do after a scooter injury.
Call or text Chalik & Chalik
(855) 529-0269
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