HAD AN ACCIDENT? KNOW THE WHY, HOW AND HOW BEFORE HIRING AN ATTORNEY

June 1, 2022 By Martin Hoffman

With billboard ads on every Florida road and TV ads running every 10 minutes, figuring out if you need an accident lawyer, finding the right one, and figuring out how much it will cost can be purr-fectly confusing.

After 40 years and thousands of clients, we’ve tried to answer these key questions:

Before Hiring an Accident Attorney: Why? Who? and How Much?

WHY? Do I really need an accident lawyer?

“I got an offer from the insurance company and I get to keep it all…so why do I need an accident attorney?”

You don’t. Just remember that when it comes to insurance companies, they are not your friend and you are not in good hands.

The insurance company makes their (generous) profit from charging you the most for insurance and paying you as little as possible. And they have a lot of lawyers on their payroll. Hiring an experienced accident attorney to fight for you levels the playing field.

It all comes down to a matter of dollars and cents:

From a national study of accident payouts:

Even after the average 32% attorney fee, accident victims ended up with net payouts that were nearly three times higher, on average, than what those unrepresented received.

These results aren’t surprising. Accident attorneys know what it takes to build a solid personal injury claim, gather evidence, and deal with insurance adjusters.

WHO? Who should I hire?

With the proliferation of accident attorney ads, finding the right attorney for your case can be confusing. Every firm has Google reviews, tons of client testimonials, and has settled million-dollar claims (well the good ones anyway).

So how is anyone supposed to find the best accident attorney to represent them?

After representing thousands of claimants for close to 40 years, our advice is to ask for referrals from trusted contacts and check out the reviews and their results. But when done, pay attention when you make that first call or come in for your free consultation. Here are some tips to consider:

Did you speak with an attorney or a ‘client specialist’? (a cute name for an intake operator/salesperson)
Did you find out the name of the attorney that will represent you? (Some firms assign an attorney only after you sign)
How long did the attorney speak with you?
Did you get the sense that he/she was rushing you to sign the retainer agreement without getting all the facts?
Did the attorney listen to you, ask questions, gather information or did they seem to speak from a script?
Did the attorney give you an honest assessment of your claims worth or were you made to feel as though you hit the jackpot?

Pay attention to your initial take on the firm. If you feel as though you were rushed, pushed through a system, or couldn’t even speak with an attorney, keep looking.

And always call at least 3 attorneys* before making a decision.

AND HOW MUCH?

PLEASE DON’T BE SWAYED by Attorneys Who Tell You ‘It’s Free’ or “You Only Pay If We Win’!

Accident attorneys never charge a fee in Florida. Your attorney gets paid only when and if you win your case. You will not pay for medical records, court costs, or expert witnesses.

It’s really that simple.

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* Then call Hoffman, Larin & Agnetti P.A. at 305-653-5555 or email us at [email protected]. With close to 40 years of fighting for accident and medical malpractice victims in South Florida, we know what it takes. 95% of cases settle before going to court but we are trial attorneys and we will do whatever it takes to get you the best result.

Experience and Results matter!

5 DOS AND DON’TS IF YOU’RE IN AN ACCIDENT IN FLORIDA

May 19, 2022 By Martin Hoffman

bicycle accident attorneys florida

May 20th is Bike to Work Day in the USA. Fresh air, great exercise ..fantastic idea..until you are sideswiped and wind up in the ER or out of work for a few weeks. Not surprisingly: according to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department, there are an average of 650 crashes per day and this number goes up in the summer months.

If you’ve been in an accident, take a deep breath and remember these critical tips:

5 TIPS TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU’VE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT

Tip #1: DON’T TALK TO ANYONE.

Yes, you should call the police and then your insurance agent to give them the facts of the accident. DO NOT tell them how you are feeling or that you’re ‘ok’. Your insurance company is not your friend and you are certainly not in good hands. Their purpose is to raise your rates and payout as little as possible on your claims. Don’t give them information that they can use against you.

And PLEASE don’t share anything about your accident on social media! Why? Read how your Facebook post or Tik Tok video can cost you here.

WHO SHOULD YOU CALL AFTER YOU’VE BEEN IN A CAR ACCIDENT?

January 19, 2022 By Martin Hoffman

You’ve been in a car accident, you’ve made sure everyone’s ok and you called the police. Now, you’ve been told that the next call should be your insurance company, maybe even the other party’s insurance company. And you’re tempted to post, snap, tweet ot pin photos of your accident to reassure everyone that you’re ok.

WHAT SHOULD(N’T) YOU DO?

THINKING OF LENDING YOUR CAR? GUESS WHO MIGHT GET SUED IF IT’S IN AN ACCIDENT?

December 8, 2021 By Martin Hoffman

BEFORE HANDING OVER YOUR KEYS, READ ON:

Holidays are here, kids coming home from college, family and friends coming to sunny South Florida or your employee needs to run an errand. All of them ask to borrow your car. Being the nice person you are, you hand over the keys.

Not so fast.

Before you go out and loan your vehicle to a friend, family member, child, or employee, make sure you understand what Vicarious Liability is, how it works, and whether you are protected in case the borrower wrecks your car- or someone else’s.

“Vicarious liability,” is the legal term that means that a vehicle owner may be held liable for a car accident even if the owner was not the one driving the vehicle at the time of the accident.

Examples of Vicarious Liability

There are several examples in which the law could assign fault to a non-driver of a car, truck or motorcycle accident.

BEEN INJURED? 5 RULES ABOUT POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA

October 21, 2021 By Martin Hoffman

YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS CAN RUIN YOUR ACCIDENT CASE!!

You’re in an accident and to reassure your friends and family, you go right to Facebook and post that you’re fine. Maybe you take some photos for Instagram, perhaps with a selfie of you smiling to show you’re ok, or shoot a TikTok showing you walking around the accident scene.

Do you know who is scouring your social media sites (which are never really private)? The defendant’s insurance companies and their lawyers! And every post, tweet, snap, etc you post during or after your accident can be used in a court of law.

5 RULES OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO FOLLOW AFTER AN ACCIDENT

RULE #1: NOTHING IS TRULY PRIVATE

Your privacy settings do not ensure that your information is protected. Friends who tag you might reveal a picture of you that might be interpreted against you. You have no control over who tags you. If your privacy settings are not particularly restrictive, an investigator could locate some of your account’s content. Your name and email address or place of employment will make it easy for an investigator to pinpoint your account and start monitoring it.

And don’t think you can post and then delete. The Wayback Machine and others like it can find anything that was ever posted.

RULE #2: PHOTOS CAN TELL THE WRONG STORY.

You go to your nephew’s 1st birthday party and even though you are in pain, or have difficulty getting up out of the chair, your friend posts a photo of you picking him up to give him a birthday hug. Maybe, just one time for a family wedding you push yourself to wear those pretty heels and you take a TikTok to share the joy of dancing with the bride.

HAD AN ACCIDENT? KNOW THE WHY, HOW AND HOW BEFORE HIRING AN ATTORNEY

Before Hiring an Accident Attorney: Why? Who? and How Much?