PINELLAS COUNTY PERSONAL INJURY

Saint Petersburg Florida

How to avoid errors before a pinellas county personal injury attorney is at your side

Any time an individual in Pinellas County suffers personal injuries—whether from a car accident or medical or dental malpractice—every action from the moment of the accident and throughout the legal process can affect the outcome of the claim.  All too often, accident victims make critical errors that harm their ability to pursue full and fair compensation when the negligent acts of others caused their injuries.  Your Pinellas county personal injury attorney Tom Woodruff offers valuable advice to accident victims in Pinellas County to ensure they protect their rights to compensation for their injuries.

Key factors in protecting your rights

All accident victims need to understand enough about the law to avoid the following common errors:

  • Admitting fault:  Although Florida contributory negligence law allows you to pursue compensation even if your own carelessness contributes to an accident, your claim can be reduced by the degree to which you were at fault.  If others are present at the accident scene, keep the conversations focused on any business at hand.  Do not discuss the accident, and never admit fault to anyone other than to the personal injury attorneys in Pinellas County representing you.
  • Not obtaining available evidence:  If you have the opportunity to take pictures of damaged items, injuries, and the accident scene—or if police reports are available—you need to obtain these important pieces of evidence.  Similarly, you need to retain medical diagnostic reports and receipts for everything from doctor visits to purchases of over-the-counter pain medication to support your claim for the full costs associated with your injuries, and they can be particularly critical in medical malpractice claims.
  • Destroying evidence:  You should focus solely on retaining evidence—not destroying it—so do not discard anything related to the accident, including packaging and instructions from dangerous products that may have caused your injuries.  And do not arrange for repairs until your personal injury attorneys instruct you to do so.
  • Attempting to handle your own claim:  Aside from accidents that result in little more than cuts and bruises, virtually every claim can benefit from the advice and support of an experienced personal injury lawyer.  Attorney Tom Woodruff has broad experience providing the full range of support for his clients—from offering valuable advice prior to filing insurance claims to litigating on their behalf before a jury.

Contact an experienced personal injury attorney

Serving clients in Pinellas County and throughout the west coast of Florida, attorney Tom Woodruff has an exceptional ability to understand the complex problems injury victims and their families are dealing with and help guide them toward a fair settlement or award.  Contact us now to schedule your free initial consultation.  Begin protecting yourself and your family today.