Mr. Jenkins has represented hundreds of people injured in automobile related accidents. If our office represents you in a motor vehicle accident we take immediate action when you retain us, as we do in all our cases. We will have our investigators take photographs of the damaged vehicles involved, the crash scene and/or your injuries immediately. Mr. Jenkins, as he does in almost all our cases, will go to the accident scene himself in order to gain a better perspective of how the accident occurred.

Our sincere desire it to make sure that you receive the best medical care from providers so that you have the best chances of making a full recovery. Documenting our files with how you progress with your medical recovery may become very important in bringing a successful claim against the person or company that caused your injuries at a later time. We will call you routinely to check on your progress as your case progresses. We ask our clients to keep a daily diary of how their life is affected by the injury or injuries. In Florida, for someone to have a claim for damages from an auto accident for pain and suffering, a person must have a permanent injury from the crash. We know how to work with doctors who will, after at least six months of treatment, provide you with a medical impairment rating, otherwise known as MMI. Once you reach MMI it may be time to make an informal demand on the insurance carrier to pay you under their insured’s policy.

Many times cases are settled without filing suit. However, often times the carrier will not pay the appropriate amount for damages you incur and the case must be litigated and sometimes taken before a jury to obtain an appropriate award.

Florida is known as a “no fault” insurance state; in other words, this means that each party, irrespective of who caused the accident, is responsible for their own damages up to $10,000. However, the at fault party is responsible for damages in excess of this amount up to and, at times, beyond the limits of their various coverages under their insurance policies. Some people, who have considerable assets, also have “umbrella policies” that may provide money if the insured person’s damages are in excess of their auto policy insurance limits. In Florida, in most cases, a person has four years from the date of the negligence to file a lawsuit to recover for damages. Many other states have different statute of limitations and do not require a permanent impairment before one can bring a claim. (E.g. Alabama).

Call us at (850) 434-9304 or contact us online to discuss your legal options. Mr. Jenkins can be reached after hours at his home office at (850) 474-4182.