Jul 18, 2016 | Car Accidents, Personal Injury
Watch the video below to learn about Orlando personal injury attorney Ken McKenna’s recent case involving a car accident with a commercial vehicle. Discover why it’s important to stand up to insurance companies by working with an attorney who has the financial resources, experience, and courage to take these cases to trial. Ken McKenna is an attorney at Dellecker Wilson King McKenna Ruffier & Sos in Orlando,...
Jun 6, 2016 | Car Accidents
If you’ve been in a car accident, your phone is a helpful tool for documenting the incident and can help you should you decide to pursue a lawsuit. Before you get out your phone and follow our tips for digital documentation, remember that no matter what, first and foremost, if you are injured seek medical attention. Regardless of the course of litigation, your health and well-being is always the first priority. However, if you are able, or even if a family member or friend comes to the scene, there are a couple of actions you can take to get helpful information about the accident at the most important time. Don’t Forget Videos When you see courtroom dramas on television, attorneys have blow-ups of charts, graphs and photos for the judge and jury to view. In real life, video is a powerful tool, and is often used in the courtroom if video is available. While at the scene of an accident, it is impossible to know what information is going to be important. Therefore, capturing video of the scene is a good idea. You may capture something valuable that you wouldn’t even anticipate. Where to Point Your Lens In this era of technology, accident victims are getting better and better at taking pictures of damage to their vehicles. Frequently, insurance companies request that you send them photos of car damage. Shoot the Scene Take a couple of steps back and photograph the scene in its entirety. Also, shoot the intersection or road. Include traffic lights and landmarks in the shot. The Other Car(s) The damage to the other vehicle can...
Apr 11, 2016 | Car Accidents, Insurance
With the magazine Consumer Reports leading the way, a national movement for transparency in car insurance pricing is gaining traction. A recent Consumer Reports investigation found that insurance carriers calculate their rates using a complicated secret formula, which includes factors like credit score, use of store credit cards, and even TV providers. In the US, 47 states use this practice, including Florida. Unfortunately, when shopping for car insurance, the deck is already stacked against you. Despite the deception on the part of insurance companies, there are still ways to save money on car insurance. Here are our suggestions for trimming the cost of this important expense, while still keeping the coverage that will keep you and your family safe. Do: set money aside so you can increase your deductible. When it comes to car insurance, a higher deductible means a lower annual premium. If you raise your deductible to $500 or above, you’ll save. But you also need to have that cash readily available in your bank account if you are involved in an accident. Don’t: cut your coverage to get a better price. It’s tempting to slash your coverage to the minimums to save money, but remember: you can still be held liable for any damages that your insurance doesn’t cover. If another party sues you because of an accident, your personal assets can be used to pay for their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. By purchasing as much liability insurance as you can afford, you’re protecting yourself against a worst case scenario, which can cripple your finances far more than a car insurance premium....
Mar 28, 2016 | Car Accidents, Personal Injury
When a client approaches us with the question of whether they have a good case, we must define what it means for a case to be “good.” From our legal perspective, a good case is one in which we have a good chance of making a fair and reasonable financial recovery for our client under the circumstances of his or her case. For people injured as a result of something like a car accident, a fall, or the negligence of another person, this means a monetary settlement that can address their ongoing health complications, pay for medical expenses, loss of wages or potential future income, and overall change in life circumstances. In order to determine whether a case is good, we must pay careful attention to our clients’ stories, and fully understanding the following three factors: liability, damages, and collectability. Orlando attorney Sam King breaks each of these elements down here: The first element of a good case is a consideration of liability. “Was the other party at fault? Is someone else responsible for what happened through negligence or another act? Does the law surrounding the event make someone else legally liable? Sometimes the answers to these questions are quite clear, while other times we must conduct some more research through police reports, medical records, and consultation with the rest of our team,” says King. As many of our friends and clients in the community know, all the attorneys meet every Tuesday morning to discuss cases and offer input to each other. This collaborative process sheds light on cases and helps answers emerge. The second element is a consideration...
Mar 7, 2016 | Car Accidents, Motorcycle Accident
Bike Week, which first began in 1937, used to center around events in Daytona, but since then the festivities have spread across Central Florida. This means that throughout Bike Week, motorcyclists are taking to the open road, no longer clustered along the Atlantic but filling up roads from coast to coast, particularly along the I-4 corridor. In Florida, restaurants and retailers welcome the economic bump, but we’re also cautious about the uptick in motorcycle accidents. Typically, public safety messages are focused on motorcyclists, but those of us who drive cars and trucks need to be careful as well, especially during Bike Week when we’re likely to encounter motorcycles several times a day. Consider these tips below, and help keep the roads safe for everyone: More than 50% of all fatal motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle, and often the accident takes place when a car or truck driver doesn’t see a nearby motorcycle. Motorcycles have a narrow profile, so other drivers must pay extra attention to notice them, especially when changing lanes or turning at intersections. Motorcycles are much smaller than cars, and can appear further away than they actually are. If you’re backing out of a driveway or making a turn when there’s a motorcycle nearby, assume that it is closer than you think, and take extra precautions. If you’re counting on brake lights to indicate that the motorcycle in front of you is slowing down or stopping, think again. Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or rolling off the throttle, neither of which activate the brake light. If you’re expecting brake lights, you might not notice that the motorcycle...
