Car Accident FAQs

Simple car accident cases with clear fault and minor injuries can settle in three to six months. More complicated situations, those including serious injuries, disputed liability, and multiple parties, often take 12 to 24 months or longer, particularly if a lawsuit gets filed.

Yes, and it’s strongly recommended. Insurance companies may try to minimize what they pay, drag out the process, or shift some blame onto you under Florida’s comparative negligence rules. A lawyer may help you manage the back-and-forth with the insurer, make sure your claim accounts for all your damages, and keep you from settling for less than the case is worth.

Most car accident lawyers in Florida, including Gordon & Partners, work on contingency. You don’t pay anything up front and owe no legal fees unless the attorney actually recovers an award, settlement, or verdict on your behalf. The fee is then a percentage of whatever you receive through a settlement or verdict.

You have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Wrongful death claims tied to a car accident also carry a two-year limit, starting from the date of death. The sooner you act, the easier it is to preserve evidence.

You can, but a police report makes the process significantly easier. It creates an official record of what happened, identifies everyone involved, and usually includes the officer’s take on fault. Without one, you’ll need to lean on medical records, witness statements, photos, and other evidence to build your case.

There’s no standard number. It depends on the severity of your or your loved one’s injuries, total medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and available insurance coverage. Minor injury claims might settle for a few thousand dollars. Whereas cases involving spinal cord damage, traumatic brain injuries, or other serious harm can reach six or seven figures.

Move to safety and call 911. Then, get medical attention even if you feel fine; some injuries take hours or days to show symptoms. Exchange information with the other driver, photograph the scene and vehicle damage, and get contact details from witnesses. Let your insurance company know what happened, but don’t give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer before talking to an attorney.

You generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit in Florida. Separately, if you want to use your PIP benefits, you must get medical treatment within 14 days of the crash. Waiting to see a doctor can also hurt your claim because the insurance company may argue the injury was not caused by the accident.

If you’re found partially at fault, the rule makes it so your compensation drops by your percentage of blame., If you’re 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing. If you are 50% or less at fault, you can still recover damages, but your payout is reduced by your exact percentage of fault.

Contingency fees in Florida typically run between 33% and 40% of the total recovery amount. The percentage may still likely depend on whether the case resolves before or after a lawsuit is filed. Costs such as medical record fees, expert witness fees, and court filings may also be paid out of the settlement. Always ask about fee structures during any initial consultation with an attorney to avoid surprises.