Gainesville moves at a fast pace. Busy roads, growing neighborhoods, and a steady flow of visitors all add to the energy of the city—and its traffic. With more cars, buses, and commercial vehicles sharing the streets, crashes can happen in an instant.
A Gainesville car accident lawyer can help you understand your options and take the next steps toward securing compensation for your injuries.
Steven A. Bagen & Associates, P.A. has fought for Gainesville’s injured for more than 40 years, garnering hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and awards for our clients. Contact us today at (800) 800-2575 to see how we pursue the best possible results for you.
Why Choose Steven A. Bagen & Associates, P.A. for Your Gainesville Car Accident Lawyer
Choosing the right advocate can shape the entire direction of your recovery. When you have a lawyer who listens, guides you, and stands up for your rights at every step, the process feels much more manageable because a car accident attorney calculates the full value of your losses and protects you from accepting less than you deserve.
Our team has a long track record of helping people through some of the hardest moments of their lives, and we bring that same commitment to every case we accept. You deserve steady, determined support that protects your future and helps you move forward with confidence.
A Legacy of Success in Florida
The attorneys at Steven A. Bagen & Associates, P.A. have more than 100 years of collective experience, creating a formidable wealth of knowledge and experience for our clients. Our extensive background contributes to our 99% success rate in securing favorable outcomes.
We Know the Gainesville Community
Our firm understands Gainesville’s unique traffic patterns, and that knowledge helps us build stronger cases for the people we serve. Serious collisions can happen anywhere, on I-75, Highway 441, or University Avenue.
A crash near The Oaks Mall or in a crowded downtown parking garage can leave someone facing painful injuries and unexpected challenges.
We stand with clients throughout the entire Gainesville area, from Haile Plantation’s residential streets to the busy roads surrounding the University of Florida.
Our Commitment to You
We believe open communication and genuine client focus create the foundation for a strong legal partnership. At Steven A. Bagen & Associates, P.A., your legal team manages every part of your car accident claim so you can focus on healing.
When you’re ready to take the next step, call our office at (800) 800-2575 for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
How Can a Gainesville Lawyer Help After a Car Accident?
If you suffered injuries in a car accident, you may assume the liable driver’s insurance company handles your claim effectively. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. Insurers are businesses, who make money by minimizing what they pay out on claims, which is why a car accident lawyer can help you protect your rights and pursue the compensation you’re entitled to.
An experienced Gainesville car accident lawyer calculates the true value of your claim, considering your medical bills, lost wages, long-term costs, and personal suffering.
In many cases, car insurance companies do not give victims the compensation to cover the full cost of their injuries. Instead, you may have to fight to get compensation after your accident. Let the skilled lawyers at Steven A. Bagen & Associates, P.A. handle the battle.
Some of our past results include:
- I-75 Rear-End Collision: We secured a $3,500,000 recovery for a woman who was struck from behind after she slowed her vehicle for congested traffic on Interstate 75.
- DUI Truck Accident: Our firm obtained a $2,500,000 award for our client who suffered severe injuries caused by a semi-truck driver operating with a blood-alcohol level four times the legal limit.
- Negligent Driver Sideswipe: We recovered a $1,600,000 settlement for a client who sustained a significant back injury when a negligent driver sideswiped his vehicle.
- Distracted Driving Wrongful Death: Our attorneys secured a $1,125,000 award for the the family of an elderly individual on their way to church when a distracted driver killed them in a high-speed rear-end collision.
- Semi-Truck Crash: We secured $1,000,000 for our client who was seriously injured on a rural highway when a semi-truck pulled out in front of them.
Our prior successes illustrate our experience but don’t forecast the result of any future case. The specific facts and legal circumstances of your claim dictate its value.
Our Gainesville car crash attorneys can evaluate the conditions that led to your crash, provide advice about your case’s value, and fight for compensation on your behalf.
Seeking Compensation for Your Injuries
Florida law requires Gainesville car accident victims to initially seek compensation from their own personal injury protection (PIP) policy. Registered drivers in the state must purchase a policy providing at least $10,000 in PIP coverage.
This policy pays for reasonable medical treatment and a portion of wage loss. Once this policy’s limits run out, or if the injuries meet the state’s serious injury threshold, a person can file a claim against the at-fault party.
The serious injury threshold in Florida includes injuries that result in significant and permanent loss of bodily functions or permanent injuries within a reasonable degree of medical probability. Significant scarring, disfigurement, or death also meets this threshold.
A comprehensive claim seeks compensation for:
- Medical Expenses: The at-fault party is responsible for the cost of all your medical care, including emergency transport, hospital stays, surgery, and physical therapy.
- Lost Income: We calculate the full value of the wages, salaries, and benefits you lost while you were unable to work during your recovery.
- Reduced Earning Capacity: If your injuries prevent you from returning to your former job, you can pursue damages for this long-term financial loss.
- Pain and Suffering: Our firm seeks financial recovery for the physical pain and emotional distress your injuries and the difficult recovery process caused.
- Loss of Life Enjoyment: You may recover compensation when your injuries prevent you from participating in the hobbies, family activities, and social events you once valued.
- Property Damage: This covers the cost to repair your vehicle or, if it was declared a total loss, provides funds for its replacement value.
Proving Who Is Legally Responsible for Causing Your Injury
To obtain compensation for your injuries, your Gainesville car accident lawyer must show that someone else was liable for the crash that caused the injuries. Your lawyer proves liability in a car accident case by showing the following elements existed, making it essential to contact a lawyer early so the evidence is preserved and properly presented.
The process of proving fault requires evidence that shows:
- Duty: The at-fault party had a duty to drive safely and legally to prevent physical harm and property damage to others.
- Breach: The driver breached this duty by engaging in unsafe or illegal behaviors, such as speeding, distracted driving, or driving under the influence of alcohol.
- Cause: This breach resulted in the car accident that caused your injuries and made you incur expenses and other impacts.
The Types of Gainesville Car Accidents
Not all car accidents are created equal. Many accidents are more severe due to the speed of the vehicles when they collide. A head-on collision, where the front of two cars collide, poses a high risk of fatalities because of the increased direct force.
Other common types of car accidents include:
- Broadside Collisions: Often referred to as T-bone accidents, these occur when the front of one vehicle collides with the side of another, typically in intersections.
- Rear-End Collisions: These are the most common type of intersection accident, typically occurring when a following driver is distracted or following too close.
- Sideswipe Accidents: This type of crash is often the result of a driver failing to ensure a lane is clear before moving into it.
- Rollovers: This dangerous accident type has a high likelihood of catastrophic injuries or death and can occur if a driver turns the wheel sharply or an obstacle trips the tires.
- Single-Vehicle Accidents: While only one vehicle is involved, victims outside the car, such as pedestrians or bicyclists, may suffer injuries in addition to the driver.
The Most Common Causes of Gainesville Car Crashes
The vast majority of motor vehicle accidents result from human error. A driver’s poor judgment or unsafe actions behind the wheel often leads to serious collisions on Gainesville roads, reflecting how most car accidents happen when someone fails to act responsibly or pay attention.
A police report can help identify the primary cause, but an experienced Gainesville auto accident attorney performs a deeper investigation into all contributing factors.
Many crashes in Gainesville happen due to:
- Impaired Driving: Operating a vehicle after consuming alcohol or drugs severely degrades the skills needed for safe driving, including the ability to brake effectively, maintain lane position, and exercise good judgment.
- Excessive Speed: Driving faster than the speed limit on roads like University Avenue or Archer Road reduces a driver’s time to perceive and react to a hazard, and it significantly increases the force and severity of a crash.
- Distracted Driving: Any activity that pulls a driver’s focus away from the road, such as texting, adjusting controls, or interacting with passengers, is a primary cause of preventable accidents.
- Aggressive Driving: This includes a range of dangerous behaviors, such as tailgating, making improper lane changes to evade traffic, and running red lights at busy intersections.
- Drowsy Driving: A driver who is fatigued from a lack of sleep, certain medications, or long hours on the road experiences deficits in reaction time and awareness similar to those caused by alcohol.
- Failure To Yield: Many serious collisions occur when drivers disregard the right-of-way, such as pulling out into oncoming traffic or failing to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
FAQ for Gainesville Car Accident Lawyer
Did a Driver on the Clock Cause Your Accident?
If a person driving for work causes an accident, their employer may also be liable. These workers may include a truck driver, a delivery driver, or even a driver out on an errand for his employer.
An attorney can help evaluate the employer’s policies and how they may have contributed to the accident, which may give you a better idea of whether the employer shares liability.
Did a Mechanical Failure Contribute to Your Accident?
Mechanical failures, from tire blowouts to locked steering, can spell serious trouble on Gainesville roads, particularly along I-75. If a mechanical failure causes your accident, liability could fall on the vehicle owner for poor maintenance, the manufacturer for a defect, or a mechanic for improper repairs.
Did You Have an Accident With a Drunk Driver in Gainesville?
Driving under the influence is a reckless choice that often leads to devastating accidents. If a drunk driver caused your injuries, you can hold them accountable through a personal injury claim.
In some situations, you may also be able to pursue punitive damages, which are intended to punish the wrongdoer.
Florida doesn’t hold bars, restaurants, or liquor stores liable for providing alcohol to guests over 21. However, Florida’s dram shop laws hold entities that offer alcohol to a habitual offender or a known alcohol addict liable if that individual causes an accident.
How Does a Gainesville Car Accident Lawyer Establish Negligence?
A Gainesville car accident lawyer establishes negligence by collecting and analyzing evidence. We use the police report, witness testimony, photos from the scene, and expert analysis to reconstruct the accident. This proof enables us to construct a compelling case demonstrating that the other driver was at fault.
What Is a Statute of Limitations for Filing a Car Accident Claim in Florida?
In Florida, the statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits is two years from the accident date. You must file a lawsuit within this deadline, or you likely cannot obtain compensation for your injuries.
Let Us Protect Your Rights
A Gainesville car accident lawyer can be one of your most valuable assets when pursuing fair compensation. Call one of our attorneys to learn about your options and how we can help your case. For a free consultation, contact Steven A. Bagen & Associates, P.A. at (800) 800-2575.
Gainesville Office
6241 NW 23rd Street, Suite 300
Gainesville, FL 32653
Phone: (352) 570-5765
Downtown Gainesville Office
111 SE 1st Ave, Suite 150
Gainesville, FL 32601
Phone: (352) 268-1883