Were you injured in a motor vehicle accident involving an RV in Clearwater, Florida? Was it due to another individual’s negligence or wrongdoing? If so, you may be able to pursue compensation for your resulting losses, including medical bills and pain and suffering.
A Clearwater recreational vehicle accident lawyer at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers can help.
Our legal team boasts over 300 years of combined legal experience. We established our legal practice in 1955 – making us the Tampa Bay area’s first personal injury law firm. We’ve secured over $675 million for our clients due to our skills, experience, and dedication to the legal profession. We handle any kind of injury matter like Clearwater commercial vehicle accidents, taxi accidents, Clearwater truck accidents, motorcycle accidents and more.
Contact our Clearwater attorneys at (727) 796-8282 or connect with us online to schedule a free consultation. We’re available 24/7 to take your call.
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How Our Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Recreational Vehicle Accident in Clearwater, FL
Florida is home to over 1,100 RV parks and campgrounds. Accordingly, it’s a popular destination for people who want to take a road trip and sightsee in a recreational vehicle. Unfortunately, more vehicles on the road will inevitably lead to more accidents.
If you’ve been hurt in a recreational vehicle accident, our Clearwater personal injury lawyers want to help you get the financial recovery you need.
When you hire our personal injury law firm, our attorneys will handle all aspects of the legal process, including:
- Explaining your legal options and answering all questions to ensure you understand your rights
- Investigating what caused the RV accident and who’s to blame
- Gathering evidence, including opinions from medical experts and accident reconstructionists, as necessary
- Identifying and calculating all of your accident-related damages
- Negotiating with insurance companies and protecting you against lowball offers
- Representing you at trial if we cannot reach a reasonable settlement
Do you want to learn more about the advantages of creating an attorney-client relationship? Contact our law office today for a free case evaluation with an experienced recreational vehicle accident attorney in Clearwater, Florida.
What Is a Recreational Vehicle?
Under Florida law, a recreational vehicle is designed to serve as a temporary living space for travel, camping, and other recreational activities. It may have its own motor or be towed by another vehicle.
Examples of recreational vehicles (RVs) include:
- Camping trailers (campers or caravans)
- Truck campers
- Motor homes
- Travel trailers
- Fifth-wheel trailers
- Teardrop campers
- Pop-up campers
- Camper vans
- Private motor coaches
The Clearwater RV accident attorneys at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers can help, no matter what type of vehicle was involved.
What Causes Most Recreational Vehicle Crashes in Clearwater, FL?
Like other car accidents, most recreational vehicle collisions are caused by someone’s negligence, whether it was the RV driver or another motorist.
Examples of common forms of negligent driving behaviors include:
- Speeding or driving the vehicle too fast for conditions
- Inexperienced RV drivers or motorists
- Distracted driving
- Reckless driving
- Driving under the influence (DUI)
- Dangerous turns and lane changes
- Drowsy driving
- Disobeying traffic rules
- Overloaded or improperly loaded trailers
- Failure to properly attach a trailer, leading to runaways
- Failure to maintain or inspect a vehicle or RV components
Regardless of how your crash happened – whether by driver error or something else – our Clearwater recreational vehicle accident attorneys can help.
We’ve handled all types of motor vehicle accident cases, including those involving:
- Rollover accidents
- Head-on crashes
- T-bone collisions
- Highway crashes
- Parking lot accidents
- Rear-end collisions
- Intersection accidents
- Hit & run accidents
- Single-vehicle accidents
- Accidents caused by defects in the RV
- Road defects
Call our experienced auto accident attorneys today to see how we can help with your Clearwater RV accident claim.
How Much Is My Clearwater Recreational Vehicle Accident Claim Worth?
Before negotiating with an insurance company or accepting any settlement offers, you need to know what your personal injury case is worth. Once you sign an agreement, you cannot ask for more compensation later, even if you discover a new accident-related injury.
The value of your RV accident case in Pinellas County will depend on multiple factors, including:
- The nature and severity of your injuries
- The long-term effects of your injuries, including permanent disability or impairment
- The pain and suffering and emotional trauma you’ve endured
- Your medical expenses, loss of earnings, and other financial losses
- Your ability to continue working in the same capacity as before the RV crash
- Whether you are partially responsible for the auto accident
- The availability of insurance
The insurer will want to settle your insurance claim as quickly as possible. However, don’t just accept the first offer – it’s likely way less than what you actually deserve. Our Clearwater car accident lawyers will help you put an accurate dollar value on your case.
What Compensation Is Available After an RV Accident in Clearwater, FL?
Clearwater RV accident victims may be entitled to pursue compensation for the full extent of their losses, including economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are the expenses affiliated with your RV collision, which may include:
- Healthcare expenses for treatment, follow-up care, surgery, etc.
- Future medical costs for physical therapy, rehabilitation, etc.
- Counseling and specialized medical treatment
- Out-of-pocket expenses for medical supplies, travel, childcare, etc.
- Lost wages and reduced earning potential
- Property damage
You may also be able to recover non-economic damages for things like:
- Diminished quality of life
- Mental anguish
- PTSD
- Pain and suffering
- Inconvenience
- Loss of companionship
- Disfigurement
Don’t settle for less than what your claim is worth. Contact our Clearwater RV accident lawyers to ensure that we request all damages in your personal injury claim.
Common Recreational Vehicle Accident Injuries
Passengers in an RV don’t always wear a seat belt when the vehicle is in motion, which can increase the risk of severe injuries in a collision.
At Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ve helped injured auto accident victims who have suffered:
- Back injuries
- Whiplash and other neck injuries
- Concussions, skull fractures, and other traumatic brain injuries
- Soft tissue injuries, including strains and sprains
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Amputations
- Spinal cord injuries such as paralysis
- Chest injuries
- Nerve damage
- Internal organ damage
In the most extreme RV accidents, a victim can lose their life. Our personal injury lawyers in Clearwater will help you pursue a wrongful death claim if you tragically lost a loved one.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Recreational Vehicle Accident in Florida?
Most recreational vehicle accidents in Clearwater result from a person’s negligence, whether it’s driver error, lack of experience driving large vehicles, or failure to properly secure a trailer.
The plaintiff in a personal injury case must prove the four elements of negligence to demonstrate that they deserve compensation from the other party:
- The defendant owed a legal duty of care to the plaintiff (e.g., to drive carefully and follow Florida traffic laws).
- The defendant breached their duty by acting carelessly in the situation (e.g., by speeding, driving drunk, or driving while fatigued).
- The defendant’s actions directly caused or contributed to the RV accident.
- The plaintiff suffered damages as a result of the defendant’s unreasonable actions.
The evidence used to prove these elements may include:
- Police report
- Accident report
- Medical records
- Eyewitness observations
- Expert witness opinions
- Photos, surveillance, and videos of the crash
- Cell phone records
Contact our car accident attorneys in Clearwater for help gathering the proof needed to obtain a favorable settlement or court award.
What If I’m Blamed for My Recreational Vehicle Accident in Clearwater?
In a Clearwater personal injury case, all parties who contribute to an accident are assigned a portion of blame. That includes the plaintiff, who may share fault.
As of March 24, 2023, Florida follows a modified comparative fault approach with a 51% bar to financial recovery. That means you can recover partial compensation if you contributed to the incident, but only if your percentage of blame is 50% or less. Your award will be reduced by your allocated responsibility.
For example, imagine you’re found 40% responsible for the RV accident. You’d only be entitled to 60% of your award. If you were awarded $50,000, you’d only be able to recover $30,000. You wouldn’t be awarded anything if you were assigned 51% (or more) of the blame.
How Long Do I Have To File a Lawsuit After an RV Accident in Florida?
Most negligence-based cases in Florida – including those involving RV accidents – will have a two-year statute of limitations. That means you’ll have to file your claim within two years of the recreational vehicle accident date (or date of death for fatal accidents).
There may be exceptions – and failure to take legal action within the applicable timeframe will result in a denial of your claim. Contact our personal injury attorneys in Clearwater to discuss your recreational vehicle accident claim and the deadline that applies to it.
Contact Our Clearwater Recreational Vehicle Accident Lawyers for a Free Initial Consultation
If you were injured in an RV accident in Clearwater, FL, let Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers handle the legal issues while you focus on healing. We’ve got over three centuries of combined legal experience, and we’ll use it to seek the maximum compensation on your behalf.
Call today for a free case assessment to discuss your crash with an experienced recreational vehicle accident lawyer in Clearwater.
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