Personal Injury Lawyer

Florida’s personal injury laws present significant challenges for accident victims seeking fair compensation. 

The state’s laws contain intricate provisions and specialized requirements that demand professional legal guidance, particularly in high-stakes cases involving wrongful death, medical negligence, or life-altering injuries.

Important Considerations for Injury Claims:

1. Strict Legal Deadlines: Missing filing deadlines can permanently bar your claim, regardless of its merits. These time-sensitive requirements make immediate legal consultation essential.
2. Procedural Complexities: Numerous technical legal hurdles exist that typically require an attorney’s expertise to overcome. Attempting to handle these matters without representation often proves unsuccessful.
3. Sophisticated Opposition: Well-funded corporate and insurance interests have successfully influenced legislation that creates additional obstacles for injury victims. This imbalance becomes particularly apparent when individuals attempt to negotiate directly with insurance providers.

Our legal team brings decades of specialized experience to these challenges. We possess:

• In-depth knowledge of Florida’s evolving personal injury statutes
• Proven strategies for countering insurance company tactics
• Resources to build compelling cases for maximum compensation

By entrusting your case to Bill Bone Law Group, you gain advocates who understand how to effectively navigate this complex system while protecting your rights at every stage.

When someone’s careless actions cause harm to others, Florida’s legal system provides a path to compensation.

Our state’s laws require all individuals to act with appropriate regard for the safety of others in their daily activities. This legal responsibility, known as the “duty of care,” forms the foundation of personal injury claims.

Proving Your Personal Injury Case

Injury victims seeking compensation must demonstrate four key elements:

1. Duty – The other party had a legal obligation to act in a safe manner
2. Breach – The other party violated their duty through careless actions
3. Causation – The negligent behavior directly led to your injuries
4. Damages – You suffered actual losses due to the incident

Building a strong case requires thorough investigation and evidence gathering. Medical reports, accident reconstruction, witness statements, and expert testimony often play crucial roles in establishing these elements.

The complexity of proving negligence underscores why having experienced legal representation matters. 

A skilled personal injury attorney can help identify all responsible parties, preserve critical evidence, and build the strongest possible case for maximum compensation.

Florida’s personal injury laws are complex and nuanced, but we’re here to guide you every step of the way:

• Modified Comparative Negligence: Florida’s modified comparative negligence (with 51% bar rule) reduces damages if you’re partly at fault; over 50% fault bars recovery.
• Statute of Limitations: You have two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit, with exceptions for medical malpractice or minors.
• PIP Law for Vehicle Accidents: Florida’s no-fault law requires that you seek medical treatment within 14 days of the accident for Personal Injury Protection (“PIP”) benefits.
• Punitive Damages: In general, punitive damages are capped at the greater of three times compensatory damages or $500,000.

Yes! Florida operates under a modified comparative negligence system with a 51% bar rule. While many states use the term “comparative negligence,” Florida law refers to this as “comparative fault.”

This legal framework assigns a percentage of fault to each party involved, including the injured person (plaintiff) and any defendants. 

The amount of compensation a plaintiff can recover depends on their degree of responsibility for the accident.

How It Works:

• If you are 50% or less at fault, you can still recover damages, but your compensation will be reduced by your assigned percentage of fault.
• If you are 51% or more at fault, you are completely barred from recovering any compensation under Florida’s 51% bar rule.

Example:

Suppose a jury awards $1 million in damages but finds the plaintiff 50% at fault for the accident. The plaintiff’s damage award is reduced by their assigned percentage of fault (50%) for a final award of $500,000 ($1,000,000 minus $500,000 = $500,000).

However, if the plaintiff is deemed 51% or more at fault, they receive nothing.

Florida allows injury victims to pursue compensation only if they are no more than 50% at fault. If fault reaches 51%, recovery is completely blocked.

Not all personal injury attorneys are created equal. While many lawyers handle accident claims, relatively few possess the courtroom experience and litigation skills necessary to take cases to trial. 

The Bill Bone Law Group stands apart as seasoned trial attorneys, a distinction that matters when fighting for maximum compensation.

Insurance companies assess which attorneys will actually take a case to court—and adjust their settlement offers accordingly. 

When facing a lawyer with a proven trial record, insurers know unreasonably low offers could backfire, potentially resulting in substantially higher jury awards. This leverage helps ensure fair settlement negotiations from the start.

However, many personal injury lawyers never go to trial. Insurers track these firms closely and often extend lowball settlements, knowing there’s no real risk of litigation. 

Without trial capability, attorneys have limited power to demand full value, even when settlements are blatantly inadequate.

The Hidden Cost of ‘Settlement-Only’ Lawyers

Lawyers who avoid trials may secure some compensation, but often far less than what clients truly deserve. Consider:

• No trial threat = weaker negotiating position – Insurers insist on minimal offers, expecting eventual acceptance.
• Rushed resolutions – Some attorneys prioritize quick settlements over maximizing recovery. That is, it’s simply a “numbers game” to them. 
• Undervalued claims – Catastrophic injuries demand aggressive advocacy, not just paperwork.

BillBone Law Group rejects this approach to the practice of personal injury law. Our litigation expertise ensures that insurers take every one of our claims seriously—because if a fair settlement isn’t offered, we’re prepared to fight in court.