Were you injured in an accident in Vero Beach, FL? Call Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group for a free consultation as soon as possible. An experienced Vero Beach personal injury lawyer can help you recover the maximum compensation you deserve for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other injury-related losses.
Between us, we have over 50 years of experience in personal injury law. Since we opened our doors, we’ve recovered $250+ million for injured clients and their families. Our legal team is ready to fight for the full range of damages you’ve suffered due to your injuries.
Call our law offices in Vero Beach, Florida, to schedule a free consultation today at (772) 758-1966. We’ll put the full weight of our experience to work as we fight for the full compensation you deserve.
Why Should I Hire Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group To Handle My Vero Beach Personal Injury Case?
Filing a claim with insurance can be overwhelming enough. The thought of handling a lawsuit can seem impossible. Hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer in Vero Beach can be critical to getting the money you deserve.
That said, your legal representation should help, not make things more difficult. At Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group, we believe in taking a personalized approach to every case. We always take the time to get to know you and your situation. That way, we’re in the best position to fight for a fair compensation award.
Our Vero Beach personal injury attorneys have been consistently recognized by top organizations in the legal industry. Our accolades include a Super Lawyers rating and an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. We’ve also earned a place on the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
When you hire us, you’ll have a trusted lawyer to:
- Conduct a full investigation into the circumstances of your injury
- Locate the evidence you’ll need for your insurance claim
- Identify your losses and determine how much your case is worth
- Work closely with respected experts who can strengthen your case
- Develop the arguments to fend off any allegations that you share fault
- Negotiate for a full insurance settlement
- Fight to protect you in court if necessary
For years, clients like you have trusted our team to help them recover the compensation they deserve. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help with your case.
Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?
Generally speaking, you may have a valid personal injury case if someone else caused your injuries. Most personal injury claims are based on negligence. However, you could have a valid case if the other party is subject to strict liability laws.
For example, you may have a valid claim if:
- Another driver caused a car accident, and you suffered injuries
- Someone else’s dog bit you
- You were injured while using a defective consumer product
- You slipped and fell down a flight of stairs on someone else’s property because the handrail was broken
An experienced attorney can help you determine whether you have a case. Because most lawyers offer free case reviews, there’s no risk in calling to learn about your legal options.
Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Insurance companies hire teams of well-trained insurance adjusters and defense attorneys to protect them.
When you have an experienced personal injury attorney in your corner, you’ll have your own team to:
- Level the playing field by using their resources and experience to strengthen your claim
- Provide access to respected experts in various fields who can testify about complicated aspects of your injury case
- Protect you from any allegations that you were responsible for your own injuries
- Handle the heavy lifting with respect to the insurance claims process and legal issues while you dedicate your time to making a successful recovery
Insurance companies deal with injury victims like you every single day. They know exactly how the claims process works–because they actually created it. They also understand the tactics that can work to undervalue your claim.
Fortunately, experienced attorneys also know how insurers work. With a lawyer by your side, you’ll be much more likely to walk away with a full settlement. Hiring a lawyer tells the insurance adjusters that you’re serious and won’t settle for less.
We Handle All Personal Injury Cases in Vero Beach, FL
Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group is a leading personal injury law firm. We have the experience and skills to handle all types of personal injury cases. If you were injured, you can count on our team to help you recover the money you need and deserve.
Examples of the types of personal injury claims we handle include:
Car Accidents
Over 250,000 people were injured in crashes across the state of Florida in 2023. 1,488 injuries and 19 fatalities were reported in Indian River County alone. If you were hurt in a collision, it’s important to understand your legal rights before you make any decisions about your case. Our trusted Vero Beach car accident lawyers are here to fight for you every step of the way.
Truck Accidents
Accident claims involving large semi-trucks and big rigs can be much more complicated than your typical car accident claim. You’ll probably have to stand up to a trucking company and commercial insurance carrier. Multiple parties may share blame. These parties are already searching for evidence to deny or undervalue your claim.
On top of it all, truck accident injuries tend to be much more serious than auto accident injuries. You deserve an experienced Vero Beach truck accident attorney to fight for you. You can count on our team to help you fight for a full and fair settlement.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle riders are vulnerable to devastating injuries in a crash. While wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of serious brain injuries and death, the results can still be life-changing. Your injuries are likely painful and expensive. Our Vero Beach motorcycle accident attorneys are here to help you fight to recover compensation from anyone who contributed to the crash.
Bicycle Accidents
Riding a bike is a great way to get around Vero Beach. Unfortunately, the roads in Florida weren’t really designed to keep bicyclists safe. Sharing the roads with large, heavy, and fast motor vehicles can be incredibly dangerous for bicyclists. Our Vero Beach bicycle accident lawyers are here to help you recover the full financial compensation you need and deserve.
Construction Accidents
Construction accident injury claims can be complicated. Workers’ compensation is supposed to cover a portion of your losses regardless of fault–but the workers’ comp laws in Florida don’t make it easy to recover fully. You may not know that you could have the right to seek additional compensation under Florida personal injury laws. Our Vero Beach construction accident lawyers are here to help with any challenges you’re facing.
Slip and Fall Accidents
You shouldn’t have to worry about dangerous property conditions every time you visit a business, a friend’s home, or even a public building. Property owners in Florida have certain responsibilities. When they fail to maintain their premises in a safe condition, they can be liable if others are hurt due to hazards. If you fell on someone else’s property, our Vero Beach slip and fall accident lawyers can help you fight for every dollar you deserve.
Wrongful Death
Some injuries are so serious that the victim cannot survive. That doesn’t mean their right to seek justice from the responsible parties simply disappears. Instead, surviving family members can take legal action and file a claim. While your family is grieving, you can count on our Vero Beach wrongful death lawyers to fight for the compensation you need to protect your future.
Other Practice Areas
Our attorneys in Vero Beach also handle personal injury claims involving:
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bus accidents
- Uber and Lyft accidents
- Boating accidents
- Swimming pool accidents
- Workplace accidents and workers’ compensation
- Negligent security
- Dog bites
- Defective products
- Medical malpractice
- Nursing home abuse and neglect
- Assault and violence
- Brain damage and catastrophic injuries
If you were involved in an accident, reach out to our team for a free consultation.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. That means they only charge attorney’s fees if they’re able to recover compensation in your case.
If they fail, you don’t owe any money. If they win, you pay a pre-agreed percentage of your settlement or verdict. Usually, that percentage is between 33% and 40%. Your lawyer can provide more concrete information during a free case evaluation.
What Damages Are Available to Vero Beach Accident Victims?
In broad terms, two primary types of compensatory damages are available under Florida personal injury laws: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages are your financial expenses and losses. In the end, they should make you “whole” again.
Some examples of the types of economic damages you may have suffered include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages if you missed time at work during recovery
- Lost future earning potential if a long-term injury will impact your future earnings
- Physical therapy, rehabilitation, and specialized treatments
- Medications and medical devices
- Nursing assistance
- In-home assistance
- Home and vehicle modifications
- Property damage
Non-economic damages compensate for losses that are much more personal; they could include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and trauma
- Depression
- PTSD, fear, and anxiety
- Diminished quality of life and loss of enjoyment of life
- Physical disfigurement or scarring
- Loss of a spouse’s companionship
Punitive damages are a third category of damages. They aren’t meant to compensate the victim for their losses. Instead, Florida courts award punitive damages where the evidence proves that the defendant’s acts deserve punishment.
How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
All injury claims are unique. Even when the circumstances are similar, the results are never exactly the same. As the victim, your losses are unique and personal. Still, there are some common factors that will always impact a victim’s case value.
When assessing your claim’s value, our team will analyze:
- Your current financial losses, including medical care, lost income, property damage, and more
- Whether you’re expected to make a full recovery or suffer a long-term disability
- How the injury will impact your future earning capacity
- Your expected need for ongoing medical treatment, rehabilitation, and assistance
- How your quality of life has suffered due to the injury
- Your physical pain and suffering
- Whether the insurance company has legitimate evidence that you were partly at fault
- Available insurance coverage and the terms of the policies
- Whether the accident exacerbated any pre-existing conditions
Do not expect the insurer to hand over a full settlement automatically. Insurance companies will work hard to avoid paying the maximum amount available. Instead, call a lawyer who can help. Often, expert opinions can provide critical evidence to prove the value of your losses.
What If I’m Partially At Fault For the Accident?
Your compensation will be reduced if you were even slightly responsible. Under Florida law, you lose your right to financial recovery entirely if you were more than 50% responsible. Share less blame, and your compensation will be reduced to account for your percentage of fault.
If the other side is blaming you, you shouldn’t simply accept the allegations. Finger-pointing is a common insurance tactic. If they can pin the blame on someone else, they can reduce the amount they have to pay.
Instead, call an experienced accident lawyer who can investigate, examine the evidence, and help you fight back.
Personal Injury FAQ
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After an Accident in Florida?
Every state has deadlines for filing a personal injury lawsuit. These deadlines are known as the statute of limitations. If you fail to file your lawsuit within the allotted time frame, you lose your right to pursue compensation from the at-fault party.
Florida law typically gives you two years to take legal action. The two-year period starts to run on the date of your injury.
As with any rule, there are some exceptions, but they are rare. It’s always better to seek legal advice as soon as possible after you suffer an injury. Otherwise, you risk missing the deadline and forfeiting your right to damages.
What is Negligence, and How Do I Prove It?
Negligence is the legal concept involved in most personal injury cases. In plain terms, someone is negligent when their actions are careless or reckless. Even if they didn’t intend to harm someone, they can be held liable for their conduct.
From a legal perspective, you must prove the following four elements to recover damages:
- The defendant owed you a legal duty of care
- They somehow breached their duty through some act or omission
- That breach of duty was the direct and proximate cause of your injury
- You suffered damages, or some type of identifiable harm, due to the breach of duty
Accident victims have the burden of proof in personal injury cases. You must prove each of these elements by a “preponderance of the evidence” standard. That means it’s more likely than not true that the defendant’s acts amounted to negligence.
What Types of Evidence Do I Need to Prove My Claim?
The evidence that you’ll need to prove your case depends on how you were injured and the laws that apply in your case.
While you’re recovering, your lawyers will be working to gather the strongest evidence possible, which could include:
- Police reports or accident reports
- Medical records
- Testimony from your doctors
- Video surveillance footage of the accident
- Physical evidence from the accident scene
- Receipts, pay stubs, and other documentation to establish your financial losses
- Employment records and policies
- Traffic citations issued in connection with a motor vehicle accident
- Inspection and maintenance records
- Testimony from experts in accident reconstruction, finance, vocational rehabilitation, and other specialties
Building a personal injury case can be complicated. Remember that you don’t have to handle this process alone.
Having an experienced attorney representing you can be incredibly valuable when it comes to recovering full compensation for your injuries. We know how to locate the evidence you need and assemble it in a way the insurance company will take seriously.
Will My Personal Injury Case Go to Trial?
Trial is really only a last resort in a personal injury case. Both sides know that trials are extremely unpredictable. They’re also messy and tend to be expensive and time-consuming.
Typically, your lawyer can resolve your case through settlement negotiations with the insurance company and at-fault party. The insurer might accept that they’re liable. Your lawyer can then present the evidence and negotiate for a fair settlement.
That said, going to court might become necessary if:
- The insurance company refuses to acknowledge that they’re responsible for your costs
- The insurer is refusing to offer an acceptable settlement
- Multiple parties share blame for the same accident and injury
- You, as the victim, want to get justice in a public forum
Most victims would prefer to get money in their hands without the cost of trial. Most insurance companies don’t want to risk an unpredictable jury verdict. Still, the threat of a trial should always be on the table. If your lawyer doesn’t have much success in the courtroom, the insurance provider’s motivation to negotiate for a full settlement is limited.
How Long Will My Personal Injury Case Take?
There’s really no way to know how long any given personal injury claim will take. The facts of your case will dictate the time it takes to settle or reach a jury verdict.
Personal injury claims involving relatively minor damages and moderate injuries tend to settle the fastest. You’ll already have a good idea about the value of your losses. Some cases are resolved within a matter of months or even weeks.
Cases involving serious injuries take longer. It will take time before you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI). Once you reach MMI, your doctors will have a better idea about how the injury will impact your future. That information is critical to ensuring that all of your future losses are accounted for in a settlement.
Cases that go to trial also take much longer. While filing a lawsuit can jumpstart the insurance settlement negotiations, if your case actually goes to trial, you’ll have to deal with the court’s schedule. The discovery process will also be necessary. Cases involving trials can sometimes take a year or more to reach a final verdict.
Contact Our Experienced Vero Beach Personal Injury Lawyers For Legal Help
If you were injured due to someone else’s actions, you may deserve compensation. That said, insurance companies often dispute and undervalue injury claims. Sometimes, those disputes are aggressive and overwhelming.
An experienced Vero Beach personal injury attorney at Graves Thomas Rotunda Injury Law Group can help. Reach out to us for a free initial consultation to discuss your legal rights and options. It’s never too early to call.