PERSONAL INJURY AND PROFESSIONAL MALPRACTICE

Suffering a personal injury can be a devastating experience. Not only does it have a significant impact on your body and well-being, but it can also jeopardize your ability to work and create financial stability. Not to mention, personal injuries can be mentally and emotionally detrimental to your family and friends. At Feiler & Leach, we believe that you shouldn't have to suffer alone and you shouldn't have to suffer in silence. Our desire is to take away the stress of legalities so you can focus on a smooth recovery.

What constitutes a personal injury?

Personal injury law involves any physical, mental, or emotional harm (or damages) done to a person as a result of another party's carelessness. Whether the negligence was intentional or not, is irrelevant. If the defendant is liable for the damages caused, you could be compensated. Another factor taken into consideration is the nature and extent of the damages. With a personal injury, the damages do not include property damage — that's a separate type of claim.

What types of injuries count as a personal injury?

There are several situations that can cause a personal injury, so it's nearly impossible to create an exhaustive list. However, there are general categories mostly every type of personal injury falls under:

• Car, Truck, Boat, and Plane Accidents

• Medical and Legal Malpractice

• Slip and Fall Cases

• Defamation (Libel, Slander)

• Dog Bites

• Assault and Battery

Are there any special laws to consider?

Florida has a no-fault car insurance law in which a driver cannot be held liable for an accident unless it resulted in serious injury. Serious injuries include permanent injuries, significant and permanent scars or disfigurement, and significant and permanent loss of a body function.

Like car accidents, dog bites and attacks also have special laws. The "one bite" rule protects owners and non-dangerous dogs (decided by the court) the first time it injures someone. However, if the person injured wasn’t trespassing the property where the bite happened, the owner could be liable.

Is there a time limit concerning how long I have to file?

Every state has a statute of limitations for personal injury claims. In Florida, lawsuits for personal injury cases should be filed within four years from the date of the accident. If you don't discover the injury within that window of time, you may still be allowed to file a suit. People who realize an internal disease or injury that didn't show symptoms right away could likely be granted permission to file after that four-year time frame expires.