Personal Injury & Car Accidents

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The first question we often get in Broward County Personal Injury and Car Accident matters is, “Do I have a case?” To find that out, it takes only one simple phone call to (954)951-3351 for your free consultation. The Law Office of Sean Clayton, P.A., based in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and West Palm Beach, is prepared to handle matters throughout the State of Florida. Our firm has over ten (10) years of collective experience handling different types of Personal Injury cases, including Automotive Accidents, Negligence, Trucking Accidents, Premises Liability (i.e. Slip & Falls/Trip & falls), and more. If you’ve been injured in Broward County, we stand ready and able to help you make decisions as to how to pursue your Personal Injury claim and protect your rights. We can tell you what you need to do, what treatment might best benefit you, and what strategy should be employed to maximize your recovery for the injuries suffered by you because of someone else’s negligent acts. 

When you contact the law office of The Law Office of Sean Clayton, P.A., we will immediately get to work to determine if a viable case exists. Every Personal Injury case has to have three components present in order to work in your favor – there must be good liability, a source of recovery (usually insurance), and injuries. While we hope that our clients are ultimately made well, we also recognize that there are times when the injuries are significant, and, in some cases, even catastrophic, and that’s where the law steps in. Some of the things that we look at, in evaluating your case, include:

• The extent of your injury or illness
• Hospital stays
• Past and future surgeries
• Scarring or permanent damage to your health
• Future medical needs
• The accident evidence
• Who was at fault, i.e., who caused your injuries
• Is there a source of recovery

You should also be aware that there is a limited amount of time in which to file your Personal Injury claim, called a “statute of limitations.” It is important to act promptly. Time is even more important if you were in an automobile accident, because you must seek medical treatment within fourteen days in order for your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) to begin covering the bills incurred for your medical treatment. While you are treating, we will handle the hassle of completing all necessary paperwork and dealing with insurance companies. Your job is to simply get better.

REMEMBER – YOU PAY NOTHING UNLESS WE RECOVER FOR YOU

In representing, our clients, we pay all costs associated with your case, regardless of whether the case is in litigation, or whether it’s being disposed of in a pre-litigation setting. We only get paid back if we make a recovery for you. In short, if you don’t get paid, then we don’t get paid. 

In addition to our criminal law defense practice, we have handled a large variety of injury cases, including, but not limited to:

• Car Crashes 
• Drunk Driving Victims 
• Motorcycle Accidents 
• Securities Arbitrations 
• Food Poisoning 
• Slips, Trips, and Falls 
• Negligent Security 
• Dog Bites 
• Pedestrian Injuries 
• Nursing Home Abuse 
• Many, Many, More 
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We recognize that there are some people who fear that attorneys are too expensive. There are others who simply don't trust lawyers. The Law Office of Sean Clayton, P.A., treats all of our clients with respect. Our attorneys and staff work with you for every step of the way, and we keep you informed as the case progresses.

Sometimes, injured parties may choose to handle their own Personal Injury cases and they do not hire an attorney. If that is the case, things usually get worse before they get better. We see too many instances where an unrepresented party has fallen victim to insurance companies' "settlement” policies. There are a variety of strategies that insurance companies will try in order to make sure the money stays in their pockets, most of which act to your detriment.

Most often, insurance companies will try to get you to accept a quick settlement, which they claim to be fair. Sometimes, the words “property damage” are in larger print, making you believe that you are settling only the property damage portion of your claim. We have even seen instances in which the insurance company came to visit injured parties who were still in the hospital, under the effects of medication, and really unable to make sensible decisions. 

While fast settlement may seem to be the way to go, it will oftentimes result in grossly insufficient value being attached to your Personal Injury case. Despite the persuasive techniques being utilized by the insurance companies to induce you to forgo seeking professional advice in the matter of your case, you have to remember that the mail goal of that insurance company employee is to save his or her company money by convincing you to accept a cheap settlement. 

Some of the persuasive suggestions you may hear could something along the lines that all of the money being offered is yours, with nothing going toward attorney fees. Again, the use of this tactic by insurance companies is little more than an attempt to take advantage of you by offering you less money than you deserve. The insurance company may believe that you could be desperate for a check because of bills to pay and lost earnings due to your missing work. Too often people take the low settlements insurance companies offer in fear that they won't receive any more. You should never agree to a settlement before having a better idea of future medical bills, knowing how much work you will miss, and hiring a lawyer.

Remember, that while insurance companies are experts on the claim process, they also recognize the fact that you do not possess such expertise. They do know every trick in the book, and they will succeed in getting the better of the vast majority of non-represented, injured parties. The best way to combat the insurance company’s advantage is to retain a highly-skilled and well-experienced firm like The Law Office of Sean Clayton, P.A.  Needless to say, if you have an experienced attorneyby your side, you have a much better chance at getting the compensation you deserve.

If you happen to find yourself in an accident or other injury situation in which you suffered harm as a result of someone else’s negligent acts, there are some things that you can do in order to protect your claim: 

• Do not sign any papers until you talk to a law firm and learn your legal rights. 
• Do not speak  to anyone who calls you about your case or injury until you’ve sought legal advice.
• Never allow an insurance company to record you "for accuracy purposes."      Chances are they'll use it against you later, and it may hurt your case. 
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If you think you have a Personal Injury case in Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and Palm Beach County contact The Law Office of Sean Clayton, P.A., for a no obligation, free legal consultation. We can explain your legal rights and what to do next—at no cost to you. Our telephone number is (954) 951-3351.