Personal Injury encompasses a broad range of cases in which victims are injured either physically or emotionally by another person’s negligent or wrongful action (or inaction). All citizens are required to adhere to certain standards of behavior. If a person fails to meet these standards and their behavior leads to the injury of another that causes physical, emotional, and financial hardships, that person can be held liable for the injuries that they caused. The Rickman Law Firm works to ensure that our clients, who have suffered hardships through no fault of their own, receive the proper compensation for their injuries. In determining whether or not you may have a personal injury case, there are many factors that must be reviewed, with the three central issues focusing on liability, damages, and insurance coverage. Our attorneys are experienced with these and the relating matters and can help you determine whether or not you should file a personal injury claim
FREE CONSULTATION- If you make an appointment to discuss your case with us, you will have a free consultation with one of our attorneys.
PERSONAL REPRESENTATION- From the initial consultation to the closing of the case your attorney will work personally and directly with you. Your case will not be sent to investigators or other firms. The lawyer you hire will be the lawyer that handles your case.
CASE EVALUATION- Your attorney will do his/her best to evaluate your case during the initial consultation. However, there are many factors to be considered and it is unlikely that all of the information needed for a proper case evaluation will be present at the first meeting. Some of those factors are as follows:
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We have extensive experience representing clients with the following types of personal injuries:
Automobile Accidents
Pedestrian Accidents
Motorcycle Accidents
Boating Accidents
Wrongful Death
Catastrophic Injuries (permanent injuries, spinal injuries, head injuries)
Discrimination or Abuse (child, domestic, emotional, elder, sexual)
Slip and Fall
Dog Bites
Dangerous or Defective Products
Property Damage
Property owners are responsible for keeping their premises safe and for warning visitors of any potential hazards. People who slip and fall on another person’s property due to unsafe conditions may be eligible for compensation. The responsibilities of property owners vary depending on a variety of factors, such as whether the property was used for private purposes, i.e. a personal home, or was used for public purposes, such as a supermarket.
Dog owners are responsible for injuries that their pets cause. In most cases, the dog owner’s homeowner’s insurance handles injury claims. If an attack happens while the victim is legally on private property or while the victim is on public property, the owner is typically liable. Certain circumstances will prevent a victim from recovering compensation for their injuries, such as if the victim was intentionally and persistently antagonizing the animal.
A wrongful death suit is brought when a person dies due to the fault of another person or entity. The circumstances can vary from a car accident to a doctor’s mistake during surgery. People who depended upon the deceased for financial or emotional support may be entitled to compensation for wrongful death. If someone that you depended passed away due to the fault of another, a wrongful death suit may be a source of healing and restitution for you.
Florida law requires drivers to exercise “reasonable care” in the operation of their motor vehicles. If a driver fails to exercise “reasonable care” they can be considered negligent and can be held responsible for any damages or injuries that they cause. In order for the driver to be held accountable, the injured party must prove that it was the driver’s negligence that caused the accident. Our attorneys have extensive experience in a vast array of accident scenarios to ensure that this necessary burden of proof is met. In some cases car accidents are due to factors unrelated to the driver, while other times one or both of the drivers are at fault. For example, factors that support a driver’s negligence could be failing to obey traffic signs or signals, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or driving recklessly. Conversely, factors that are non-driver related that can contribute to an accident include automobile defects, poorly maintained roads, or malfunctioning traffic devises. After speaking with one of our attorneys, you will be able to determine if another party could be held accountable for all or part of the injuries that you sustained as a result of your accident.
Defamation is when someone says or publishes a false or malicious comment about another person that damages a person’s reputation. The two types of defamation are oral defamation, slander, and published defamation, libel. Pictures, as well as words, can be libelous. The main inquiry in a defamation suit is if the speaker had a right to make the comment. There are three main defenses for defamation lawsuits. The first defense for defamation is that what you said was true and, therefore, cannot be considered defamation. The second defense for defamation is that you had a duty to provide information, and the third defense is that you were expressing an opinion. An additional defense that can be used in limited circumstances is privilege, which is used by public officials performing their official duties, and by persons making statements in judicial or legislative proceedings. If something was falsely said about you that affects your business, trade or profession, implies you committed a crime, or claims that you have a disease, you should contact an attorney to determine whether you have a defamation suit that is worth pursuing.
Injuries caused by negligent drivers account for the majority of pedestrian injuries. Typically the most common pedestrians to be injured are children and the elderly. If you have been injured as a pedestrian by a driver who was inattentive, failed to observe speed limits, fail to yield to the right of way at a cross walk, or was negligently driving in any manner you may have a personal injury claim that is worth pursuing.
Because of the nature of motorcycle driving, motorcycle accidents often result in serious injuries or death. Our personal injury attorneys have experience handling motorcycle accident lawsuits, and understand the complexity involved in motorcycle damages and injuries. We understand the importance of getting compensation beyond medical bills and treatment but work to ensure that your bike is repaired, your gear is replaced, your customized upgrades are accounted for, and you get your bike back on the road as close to its original condition as possible.
Boating accidents come in a variety of forms including capsizing, falls overboard, collisions, sinking and flooding, fires, and propeller accidents. Often times the accidents result from inexperienced drivers, drunk drivers, boat steering malfunctioning, drivers disregard of channels, speed zones, and signal horns and boats operating without the required lights. Because of the nature of boating accidents, common damages include serious injuries to persons in and around the vessel and property damage to sea walls, docks, and other boats. It is important to consult an attorney when involved in a boating accident because there are various federal and state statutes that can affect a person’s recovery. For example, if a “seaman” (a person with an substantial employment related connection to a vessel) is injured in a boating accident, then recovery for certain damages and benefits are easier.
Catastrophic personal injuries are injuries that are devastating and permanent. They can result from a variety of different forms of negligence such as car accidents, errors made by health care providers, defective products, environmental disasters, aviation accidents, boating accidents, etc…Typically the injuries result in severely disruptive or permanent impairment to one or more bodily systems. Injuries can include, but are not limited to, brain injuries, loss of sight or hearing, spinal cord injuries, accidental amputation, severe burns, disfigurement, severe loss of mobility, and neurological disorders. Because of the drastic nature of these injuries and the staggering costs of future care, it is imperative that the injured victim obtains a recovery that truly accommodates all of his or her damages.
Manufactures are responsible to produce a product that is not defective and warns of all dangers associated with the product. If you have been injured from a defective or unreasonably dangerous product there are typically three things that you need to prove: the product was defective, the defect existed prior to the manufacturing releasing the product, and the defect caused your damages. Additionally, all manufacturers are required to warn of all dangers associated with the use of their products. If you have been injured by a dangerous or defective product, it is important to take action that ensures not only that you are compensated for your injuries, but to ensure that other consumers are not injured from the same product.
Abuse is any action that creates a substantial injury or a risk of injury. It can be verbal, sexual, or emotional in nature. The injuries that result can be permanent and continuing and our attorneys work to ensure that you receive a proper recovery to compensate your injuries. Discrimination laws are used to prevent discrimination based on race, sex, religion, national origin, physical disability, and age. Our attorneys are aware of the severe nature of injuries that can result from discrimination and the necessity of impeding it. Additionally, our attorneys are aware of the danger of the false allegations that can arise in discrimination and abuse cases. A false accusation is a direct assault to ones pride, dignity, and integrity, and sometimes these allegations can be done unintentionally, for revenge, or too gain leverage in custody proceedings. If you have been a victim of abuse or discrimination or have been wrongly accused it is important to seek legal advice to prevent further injuries from occurring.
Property damage most commonly occurs in automobile accidents, but includes any damage to your personal property done by the fault of another. Many times when damage does occur there are discrepancies between the property owner and the person who caused the damage as to the type of repairs that are needed. Problems arise when parties disagree to the true value of the property and when repairs are not made properly. We understand the importance of replacing personal property and work to ensure that the needed repairs are done to restore the property to its original condition.