Have you been injured in an accident in West Palm Beach, FL? You may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and other damages.
The West Palm Beach personal injury lawyers at Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers can help you recover the money you deserve. Contact us at (561)-556-7873 to schedule a free consultation.
Our attorneys have almost three decades of experience in personal injury cases. We’ve recovered tens of millions for injured clients. We’re ready to put our tried-and-true strategies to work on your case.
At Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers, we work on contingency; you won’t pay any attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you first.
Table of Contents
Why Hire Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers To Handle My Personal Injury Case?
A West Palm Beach personal injury lawyer can help you maximize the value of your compensation. When you hire Hollander Law Firm, you will get:
- Experience and results. Our founding attorney Gregg Hollander has over 28 years of practice in personal injury matters. He’s recovered tens of millions for clients throughout Florida. Insurance companies will pay attention when you have us on your side.
- Award-winning representation. Gregg Hollander has been recognized by top legal organizations for his outstanding representation of clients. He’s earned an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, a 10.0 rating from Avvo, and a 10.0 rating on Justia — the highest possible rating for each. You can trust that he knows how to make the most of your case.
- A chance to focus on healing. You deserve a while to rest after your tragedy. Unfortunately, that can be difficult if you are also trying to pursue a personal injury claim. We can handle all the legal aspects of your situation, so you can focus on resting.
The stakes are high after an incident. You may have unexpected medical expenses; you may lose wages while you recover. You may wonder how you are supposed to support yourself and your family if you can’t work.
Fortunately, you may be able to recover compensation if someone else is responsible for your mishap.
Contact us to get started. We’re standing by to help with your demand.
Visit Our West Palm Beach Law Office
Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers
319 Clematis St Suite 203
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
(561) 556-7873
Representing Injury Victims For +28 Years
Gregg Hollander has been a fierce advocate for injured victims in South Florida for nearly three decades. He strives to help victims of all types of accidents.
Indeed, he’s recovered millions for individuals and families injured in motor vehicle wrecks, medical malpractice, workplace accidents, nursing home abuse cases, and other incidents.
Gregg knows how overwhelming an unexpected injury or incident can be. That’s why he provides compassionate, client-focused representation from day one.
He helps clients identify all of their legal options for recovering compensation and calculates the value of their case, so they leave nothing out.
Don’t go with just any lawyer. You deserve experienced representation. Contact us to get started with your case.
Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?
You may have an injury case if someone injured you and you suffered damages (monetary losses). Therefore, if another person caused your motor vehicle crash, slip and fall, or other negligence-based accident.
You may also have a strict liability claim if you were injured by a dog bite or defective product.
You must have suffered damages to be eligible to submit a personal injury claim. A West Palm Beach personal injury lawyer can help you establish whether you have a case. They will help you explore your options and identify possible liable parties.
West Palm Beach, Florida Accident Statistics
West Palm Beach is a great place to live and vacation. However, it has its share of accidents and dangerous roads. In 2021, Palm Beach County experienced 24,739 motor vehicle crashes. These accidents killed 204 people and injured over 15,000 more.
Preliminary data for 2022 suggests Palm Beach County is on pace for a similar number of accidents. There were 10,542 crashes as of June 2022. These crashes have resulted in 100 fatalities and over 6,350 persons injured.
Palm Beach County also has a high number of workplace accidents; injured workers filed over 4,500 workers’ comp claims in 2020.
Injuries Resulting From Negligence
There are many different types of injuries that can arise after an accident.
Some injuries are more common than others, depending on the type of accident.
The most common injuries resulting from negligence are:
- Head injuries and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones and fractures
- Nerve damage
- Soft Tissue Injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Eye injuries
- Burns
- Degloving
- Amputation
- Deep vein thrombosis
- PTSD and psychological trauma
- Catastrophic injuries
If you were injured, you may be entitled to compensation. Get in touch with us to know more about your legal rights.
Was I Partially Responsible For the Accident?
Sharing fault for your accident may affect your claim. However, it will not prevent you from recovering compensation.
The state of Florida utilizes pure comparative fault rules to allocate fault in accidents involving more than one party. If you share fault for your accident, these rules will reduce your compensation to account for your portion of the blame.
For example, suppose you suffered $100,000 in damages after a driver runs through a red light and hits your car. Now, suppose a jury finds you 10% at fault because you were speeding. You will only be able to recover $90,000 of your damages (90%) due to Florida’s contributory fault rules.
A West Palm Beach personal injury attorney can help if you were partially responsible for your accident. They can guarantee you still get your fair share of damages from the at-fault party.
What Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
The value of your case will depend on several factors, for example:
- The severity of your injuries
- The extent of your past and future medical treatment
- Your lost wages and diminished earning capacity, if any
- The pain and suffering you’ve experienced
- Available insurance coverages
- Whether you share blame for your accident
- The strength of your evidence
Unfortunately, no attorney can tell you what the value of your case is before analyzing the circumstances of your accident.
Generally, the more serious your injuries, the more your claim is worth. The best way to determine the precise value of your damages is to speak to a personal injury attorney.
Florida Personal Injury Statutes of Limitations
You won’t have an unlimited amount of time to place your claim. Florida imposes a statute of limitation that determine the deadline by which you must file.
These statutes help encourage injured victims to file their claims in a timely manner, while evidence is still fresh and witnesses are still around.
Most personal injury cases in the state of Florida have a statute of limitations of four years. You must present your claim within four years of your accident, or your claim will be barred. The clock starts running on the date of your accident.
Not all claims have a four-year limit. Medical malpractice and wrongful death cases have a two-year statute of limitations. Cases against government entities can have an even shorter limit. You should talk to an attorney to know the statute of limitations in your situation.
Why Should I Hire a West Palm Beach Personal Injury Lawyer?
Hiring a personal injury lawyer often increases the compensation you’ll receive in a claim or lawsuit.
Here are just a few reasons to have an experienced attorney advocating for you:
- Level the playing field: Insurance providers and other formidable defendants are used to fighting claims and implementing tactics to undervalue and deny them. A lawyer will fight back and ensure that you’re on equal footing and receive the fair compensation you deserve.
- Access to leading experts: A skilled attorney has access to different experts, such as accident reconstructionists, financial specialists, medical professionals, and more. These experts may be pivotal to proving the extent of your damages and how your wounds impact your life.
- You’ll be blamed: Defendants will try to blame you for causing the accident to limit their monetary liability. We’ll push back to make sure that you get the money you need.
- You need to rest: After an accident, you’re likely dealing with pain and emotional trauma. Let us handle your legal fight so that you can focus on recovering and resting.
Contact us for a free appointment to see how we can help you get back on your feet.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?
Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay them nothing unless they win a favorable settlement or verdict.
When you enter into an attorney-client relationship, you’ll agree upon a percentage (usually between 33-40%) that the lawyer will take from your awarded damages.
This allows injury victims to benefit from effective legal representation without worrying about whether they can afford the attorney’s services. It also gives attorneys an incentive to fight to maximize the compensation they recover on your behalf.
Proven Personal Injury Case Results
The award-winning West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys at Hollander Law Firm have been fighting for victims since 1996. We’ve secured tens of millions on behalf of our clients – and we have the results to back it up.
We have a proven track record of success, and our results speak for themselves:
- $4.5 million wrongful death outcome following the perforation of a coronary artery during a catheter angiography and delay in diagnosis and treatment.
- $4.3 M auto crash settlement after a commercial vehicle ran a stop sign, striking our client’s SUV and causing spinal harm resulting in paraplegia.
- $3.85 M forklift accident verdict in favor of our client.
- $2.4 M wrongful death outcome after a fatigued driver veered across the highway median and collided with two 18-wheelers, killing the rear-seat passenger instantly.
- $2 million medical malpractice verdict after our client suffered brain damage because of an obstruction in her tracheostomy tube.
With nearly three decades of combined experience, our compassionate attorneys are dedicated to getting the compensation our clients and their families deserve after devastating accidents. Reach out to us to determine the best path forward. We represent people across South Florida.
Handling All Personal Injury Cases in West Palm Beach
We handle all injury cases, including the following practice areas:
Car Accidents
With the abundance of beaches, shops, restaurants, and tourist attractions in Palm Beach County, traffic congestion is inevitable – and so are car accidents.
Whether you were in a fender bender or head-on collision, our West Palm Beach car accident lawyers are ready to help you get the compensation you deserve. Florida’s auto insurance requirements can be complicated, and you may have many avenues for compensation. Speak to us today if you got into a car accident.
Truck Accidents
Collisions with semi-trucks can cause debilitating injuries that impact your life forever. Unfortunately, because of the size and weight of these big rigs, passenger vehicle occupants often suffer the worst harm in a truck accident.
You don’t have to take on insurers and trucking companies alone. Reach out to our personal injury attorneys and let us help you secure the financial recovery you need and deserve.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents can cause traumatic brain injuries, especially when the rider isn’t wearing a helmet. If you were involved in a motorcycle collision due to someone else’s negligence, you deserve compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and mental anguish.
Our West Palm Beach motorcycle accident attorneys are well-equipped to handle your claim and fight against defendants and insurance companies that want to undervalue your compensation. Call us to get started.
Medical Malpractice
You expect to receive exceptional medical services when you trust a healthcare provider to provide care. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the right, and a healthcare professional may give substandard medical services that cause more damage.
If you’ve been the victim of medical malpractice, you require a West Palm Beach medical malpractice attorney on your side to fight hospitals, insurers and healthcare providers, and others. We’ll help you hold the responsible parties accountable.
Catastrophic Injuries
A catastrophic injury can include TBIs, spinal cord damage, amputation, internal organ damage, and severe burns. These injuries can happen in any type of accident, for example truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, slips and falls, and construction accidents.
While you focus on your recovery, let us get you compensation to repay you for your medical bills, ongoing therapy costs, future healthcare expenses, and suffering. Call our West Palm Beach catastrophic injury attorneys today.
Nursing Home Abuse
You expect your loved one to receive compassionate, diligent care when you place them in a nursing home. However, nursing home abuse is all too common and can include physical abuse, psychological abuse, sexual assault, financial exploitation, and neglect.
If you or your loved one has been a victim of abuse in a long-term care facility, speak to our nursing home abuse lawyers in West Palm Beach, FL for assistance.
Wrongful Death
Losing a family member in an avoidable incident is devastating. While money won’t bring them back, it can help you handle the economic and emotional losses you suffer because to their absence.
If you lost a loved one due to someone’s negligence, our West Palm Beach wrongful death attorneys can help you submit a wrongful death claim and recover compensation for your burial and funeral costs, loss of companionship, and loss of financial support.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Did you slip and fall on someone else’s property? Whether you fell in a grocery store, restaurant, or amusement park, we can help you recover reimbursement for your medical bills and suffering. Property owners must maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition. If they fail to do so and you get hurt because of a dangerous condition, you deserve to be compensated.
And More
Other cases we handle include:
- Bicycle accidents
- Product liability
- Aviation accidents
- Boating accidents
- Cruise ship accidents
- Bus accidents
- Construction accidents
- Electric scooter accidents
- Birth injuries
- Child injuries
- Brain injuries
- Dog bites
- Uber & Lyft accidents
- Recreational vehicle collisions
- Assault injuries
If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence, call us today or visit our blog to learn more.
Why Do People File Personal Injury Claims?
Someone may file a personal injury claim to recover compensation for medical treatment, lost wages, and emotional trauma caused by the accident and their injuries.
When someone causes a mishap or harm to another, they should be held financially accountable for the resulting damages.
A personal injury claim makes a victim whole again and allows them to hold the defendant liable for their negligence or intentional misconduct. It may also deter the defendant from engaging in similar conduct that could harm others in the future.
What Types Of Damages Are Available in a Personal Injury Claim?
An injury victim can recover economic damages for their monetary losses, such as:
- Past and future doctor expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Out-of-pocket costs, such as transportation to and from the doctor’s office
Victims may also be entitled to get non-economic damages to cover their personal, difficult-to-value losses, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- PTSD, anxiety, or depression
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress
- Scarring or disfigurement
In rare cases, punitive damages could be available to punish the defendant for intentional misconduct or gross negligence.
The damages you recover will depend on the circumstances of your situation and the severity of the injuries you sustained.
How Can an Injury Lawyer Help Me After an Accident?
If you choose to get a lawyer to represent you, you can expect them to:
- Thoroughly investigate your accident, how it happened and who caused it.
- Handle all communications and negotiations with the insurance company or other opposing party.
- Enlist the help of leading experts to build your case and prove the extent of your injuries.
- Fight against allegations of unfair blame and other tactics that serve to undervalue or deny your claim.
- Litigate in court if the opposing faction refuses to offer a fair settlement.
One of the first things you do after an accident should be to speak to an experienced lawyer for a free claim review. They’ll evaluate your situation and determine if you have a valid claim for damages.
Having an attorney usually yields a higher financial award for injured victims.
What is Negligence and How Do I Prove It?
Most claims are based on negligence, meaning that the defendant acted unreasonably and caused harm to the plaintiff.
The four elements of negligence are:
- Duty of care: Most individuals owe others a duty of care to act with a reasonable degree of caution to avoid causing harm. For example, drivers owe others sharing the road a duty of care to follow traffic regulations and drive safely to avoid causing a collision.
- Breach of duty: A defendant breaches their duty of care when they fail to act reasonably under the circumstances. For example, if a driver is reading news on their phone while sitting in traffic and rear-ends someone, they’ve breached their duty of care.
- Causation: The defendant’s actions must have directly caused your injuries, and these must have been a foreseeable result of their conduct. For example, a distracted driver rear-ends you, causing whiplash. This was a direct result of the accident, and it’s a foreseeable result of distracted driving.
- Damages: You must have suffered injuries due to the accident. If you were rear-ended but didn’t suffer any type of physical damage, you likely will not meet this element.
Our attorneys will gather evidence to prove every element of negligence.
What is a Personal Injury Case?
A personal injury case is a legal dispute that arises when a defendant intentionally or negligently causes harm to another person. The harm can manifest itself as physical wounds and psychological trauma.
The injured victim will generally file a claim with the applicable insurer first. If negotiations fail, the victim can file a lawsuit, which may involve court appearances.
Filing a claim gives parties the benefit of pretrial discovery, which allows each party to gather evidence and determine the strength of each other’s claims.
Discovery tools include:
- Depositions
- Requests for admission
- Requests for production of documents
- Interrogatories
The parties may settle at any stage before trial. Our attorneys are fierce negotiators, but we’ll be ready for trial if necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will My Case Go to Trial?
The majority of times, you will settle before reaching trial. However, whether your case will ultimately go to trial will depend on the facts and circumstances of your situation.
Not all cases that make it to court will reach trial. Bringing a case to court enables you to participate in the discovery process, which could unearth valuable proof to help bolster the value of your deman. That evidence could be enough to convince the other side to offer a better settlement offer.
Our attorneys are here to fight for your best interests, whether that means taking the case to trial or not. Reach out today for assistance.
What Should I Do After an Accident?
Here are a few quick things to do in the aftermath of an incident:
- Collect evidence. Take down the contact information of the other persons involved, including insurance information. Take photos and video of the scene if possible; anything that could help document your harm.
- Stay at the scene. Leaving the scene could reduce the value of your claim or even prevent you from pursuing it.
- Contact the authorities. Depending on the seriousness of the accident, this could be required by law. Calling 911 is usually the best course of action.
- Make no statements of blame. Do not make any statements of blame to anyone, as this could reduce your case’s value significantly.
What you do after an accident could heavily impact your case for compensation down the line.
You should also speak to a lawyer as soon as possible. An attorney can provide you with guidance in real-time.
Who Could Be Liable For My Injuries?
In most cases, there’s a liable party to pursue compensation from. Examples of liable parties include, but are not limited to:
- Careless drivers
- Truck drivers and trucking companies
- Property Owners
- Governmental entities
- Businesses
Depending on the facts of your situation, one or more of the above parties could be liable for your injuries.
How Long Will My Case Take?
Every case is different. Some cases settle in weeks, while others can take much longer. That said, there are a few factors important to mention that tend to impact how long a case takes:
- Willingness to negotiate. If the other faction is willing to negotiate a fair settlement agreement, that could allow your case to settle more quickly.
- Availability of evidence. The more evidence there is to prove your case, the better. An overwhelming amount of proof can allow your case to resolve faster than it would otherwise.
- Complexity of the case. For example, if the other party is a large corporation, your case could take longer to settle.
- Whether the case reaches trial. If your case makes it all the way to trial, that will take more to resolve.
What’s the Burden of Proof?
The burden of proof refers to which team in a personal injury case must present evidence to prove their allegation. The plaintiff (the injured) has the burden of proof in these cases.
In these cases, the burden of proof threshold is referred to as “by a preponderance of the evidence.” This means that you’ll have to provide enough proof to show it’s more than 50% likely your assertions are accurate and that the other side is at fault.
What Is the Personal Injury Claims Process?
The general process for a personal injury claim looks something like this:
- File an insurance claim. You’ll first file that with either your or the other party’s insurance provider.
- Establish your claim’s value. This entails determining the cause of your injuries and the extent of your damages.
- Send the other side a demand letter. You’ll then send a letter demanding compensation.
- Negotiate with the other party. Back-and-forth negotiations will then ensue. Ideally, you’ll receive a favorable settlement agreement.
- Place a lawsuit if necessary. If the other side does not negotiate in good faith, it might be necessary to bring your claim to court.
Our legal team is more than capable of handling every step in the claims process.
Do I Have to Go to the Doctor After an Accident?
In almost every situation, receiving medical attention after an accident is a good idea. Sometimes this will be obvious, if not unavoidable. But even if you aren’t suffering from an apparent injury, visiting a doctor is worth it.
Some injuries do not reveal themselves until after the incident has occurred. You’ll want to discover and document your injuries as quickly as possible after the incident, as this is vital proof to help your case for compensation.
If you wait too long to visit the doctor and it turns out you have
a serious injury, the defendant could assert the “failure to mitigate damages” defense. This is in addition to the health consequences of not visiting a doctor despite suffering from an injury.
Who Pays My Medical Bills After An Accident?
There are a number of possibilities for who could be on the hook for your medical invoices after an accident. These could be included as part of your settlement agreement or verdict from a jury. Your insurer might also pay them depending on the terms of your policy; the same applies to the other insurance agency.
The bottom line is that you should not have to pay for your healthcare bills after suffering an injury at someone else’s fault. Let our attorneys go to bat for you so that you receive the compensation you’re owed.
Contact Our Skilled West Palm Beach Personal Injury Attorneys For Legal Help
Our attorneys understand the difficult period you and your family are going through. We want you to take the break you need to rest and recover from your injuries while we handle your case for compensation.
The West Palm Beach personal injury attorneys at Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers have over 28 years of combined experience. We’ve recovered tens of millions of dollars for injury victims.
Contact us for a free consultation, and let’s get started.
What Our Clients Say About Us – Client Review
https://goo.gl/maps/nDzCyMQyWwXdt4yn9
Read more of our client reviews here.
Additional Resources
- Claim VS. Lawsuit
- How a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help if You’re Being Blamed?
- Personal Injury FAQ
- Reasons Why a Personal Injury Attorney Won’t Take Your Case
- Ultimate Guide to Hiring an Injury Lawyer
- What Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?
- What Is a Personal Injury Case?
- Will My Case Go to Trial?
Local Emergency Rooms
- Emergency Center – 5028 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33417
- Good Samaritan Medical Center: Emergency Room – 1309 N Flagler Dr, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
- Palm Beach Children’s Hospital Emergency Room – 901 45th St, West Palm Beach, FL 33407
- St. Mary’s Medical Center Emergency Room – 901 45th St, West Palm Beach, FL 33407
*Disclaimer – we do not endorse these companies or profit from having them listed on our website.
Infographic
