Injury Attorneys Serving Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale, Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County & Nearby Areas of Florida.
Hundreds of thousands of car accidents occur in Florida each year. With decades of experience handling car accident claims, attorney Eric Canter knows just how tumultuous, traumatic and burdensome your situation may be. Mr. Canter provides straightforward guidance. You can rely on him to give you real answers about your options and to fight tirelessly for the best outcome to your case. We offer free consultations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 561-447-4500.
- Car Accidents in Florida
- What Should You Do After a Car Wreck?
- Distracted Driving
- Preventing Distractions While You Drive
- Potential Compensation for the Accident
- Choosing the Right Attorney for Your Case
Car Accidents in Florida
There are many ways someone else’s negligence can lead to a crash. When someone is being careless, they shirk their responsibilities as a driver. Not only do careless drivers put their own lives at risk, they also endanger the safety of you and all other motorists sharing the road with them.
Some of the most common ways negligence can cause a car accident are:
- Speeding
- Drunk driving
- Drugged driving
- Texting while driving
- Distracted driving
- Reckless and/or aggressive driving
Defective motor vehicles or vehicle parts are also an example of carelessness that can lead to an accident. But in such situations, it is the negligence of the manufacturer or another party responsible for the design or manufacture of the vehicle.
What Should You Do After a Car Wreck?
After being involved in a car accident, you may be lost as to how to proceed. Your immediate actions can be the difference between you winning your case and a settlement and not receiving anything, so it is imperative to keep a level head and try to remember the following steps:
Contact the authorities – even if it’s the smallest fender-bender, always contact the police immediately. The police can help to document the scene, determine who was at-fault, maintain a safe environment, and get witness statements. Mr. Canter will use all of this information to help build your case.
Collect information from all parties involved – speak with all of the people involved in the accident, including drivers, passengers, and other witnesses. Exchange insurance information with the other drivers involved in the car wreck and take pictures of their documentation, including their insurance card and driver’s license. However, do not contact the insurance companies right away as they may try to get you to admit fault or sign documentation claiming that you won’t file a lawsuit.
Take photographs – take pictures of everything you can around the scene including license plates, damage to your vehicle, deployed airbags, signage and street signs/lights around the area of your accident, etc. The more information you provide, the more likely our attorney can help you seek compensation after the fact.
Call our car accident lawyer – before you contact your insurance company, always contact ECanter Lawyers first. Our attorney knows how to interface with insurance companies in a way that will ensure that you can still file suit if you’re interested. If you speak with the insurance company first, they may use your words against you or try to get you to admit that you caused the accident. They may also use specific language in an attempt to get you on the record saying that you aren’t injured or that you aren’t going to press charges. Insurance companies’ goals are to keep from paying out claims, so they will use anything they can against you.
Do not admit fault – if you admit that you believe you were at-fault for the accident, there may be nothing that our lawyer can do to help you file a lawsuit. Admitting fault to the other drivers involved, the police, or the insurance company can make you look like the guilty party even if the facts prove otherwise. It is always better to wait and allow our lawyer to do the talking for you.
Get evaluated by a doctor – after a car accident, there are some injuries that may take days and even weeks to manifest any symptoms. Because of this, never admit that you believe you are not hurt after an accident. Also, always visit a doctor and allow yourself to be evaluated for lingering injuries.
Never sign anything without our attorney’s advice – there will be multiple parties trying to get you to sign documentation immediately following your accident. You may be in a state of shock and not realize what you are signing. Always refuse to sign documentation even if it’s from the police or insurance companies until our attorney, Mr. Canter, can look over the paperwork.
Distracted Driving
A driving distraction is anything that takes your eyes, hands or mind away from the task of driving. The most common sources of distraction behind the wheel are:
- Texting
- Using a cell phone
- Eating
- Personal grooming
- Adjusting audio
- Adjusting GPS
- Using an in-dash infotainment system
- Looking at an accident or some other event happening outside your window
Driving requires your full attention. Most of us drive every day, multiple times a day. It’s easy for the familiarity of driving to make us lax about our attentiveness behind the wheel. But your concentration and focus is essential to doing what you can to prevent a crash.
Preventing Distractions While You Drive
You can’t do anything to prevent the behavior of other drivers, but you can do your part to prevent a crash caused by your own distraction:
- Turn your phone to silent and place it somewhere out of sight (for example, if you keep your phone in your purse, you could place it in the trunk
- If you are using your phone’s GPS, set up an auto-response app that will automatically reply to anyone trying to contact you while you are driving
- Allow yourself plenty of time to get ready so you aren’t tempted to groom in the car
- Make sure playlists, GPS routes, and anything else you would be tempted to adjust are set up and ready to go before you turn the car on
By pledging to eliminate those things that are distracting to you, you can reduce your risk of getting in a crash. If someone else causes the accident, you may be owed compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and for other damages.
Potential Compensation for the Accident
As an extensively experienced lawyer, Mr. Canter knows how to calculate damages in your case – that is to say, he knows how to look at how the car crash has affected your life, and from there determine what amount of compensation to fight for on your behalf. Some of the things that may merit a compensation award are:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Lost wages from being unable to work
- Loss of work benefits
- Diminished earning capacity
- Rehabilitation costs
- Loss of enjoyment of life
You deserve to be wholly compensated for your accident injuries. Not only do serious crashes cause significant financial losses, they can also cause stress, anxiety and mental anguish. You should not have to live with all of the fallout of your accident without at least having the opportunity to hold the responsible person accountable.
Choosing the Right Attorney for Your Case
The right attorney will fight tirelessly on behalf of you and your family. The right attorney will serve as a skilled advocate for what is in your best interest. During your consultation, Mr. Canter wants to make sure you feel confident about moving forward with your claim. He will make sure all of your questions are answered and concerns addressed. When you choose our law firm, you are choosing the following benefits:
- Decades of experience handling cases similar to your case
- Personalized, individualized attention
- Approachable, down-to-earth discussions about your claim – no technical “lawyer talk”
Mr. Canter’s approachable and straightforward style means you will always know what is happening with your case. Over his almost 25 years in practice, Mr. Canter has received numerous successful verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. He won’t stop fighting until the best results are obtained in your case.
With multiple offices throughout South Florida, attorney Eric Canter and our team are ready to stand at your side. We will even come to your home or hospital if you are unable to come to one of our offices. For a free consultation, please call ECanter Lawyers South Florida Injury Lawyers at 561-447-4500. We are proud to fight for car accident victims from Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale, Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County and all of the surrounding cities.
