If you’ve been injured in Sarasota due to someone else’s negligence, recognizing when to hire a personal injury lawyer makes the difference between a fair recovery and being left with unpaid bills and stress. The five signs you should consult a lawyer after being injured in an accident include: (1) You suffered serious or long-term injuries, (2) Liability is unclear or disputed, (3) The insurance company is delaying or denying your claim, (4) You’re outright being blamed for the accident, or (5) You’re overwhelmed by medical bills and complex legal paperwork.
Read on to learn more about each of these signs, what to expect during the claims process, and how the experienced team at Dannheisser Injury Law support you every step of the way.
1. You’ve Suffered Serious or Long-Term Injuries
Understanding the severity of your injuries is the first step in determining whether you need outside legal help. If your injuries require hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, or have long-term effects on your daily life, you likely need a personal injury lawyer. Florida law allows victims to recover compensation for both economic and non-economic damages—including medical bills, lost income, future care costs, and pain and suffering.
Our experienced personal injury attorneys work with numerous expert witnesses, including medical experts, life care and planning experts, and accident reconstructionists, to document the complete impact of your injuries, project future costs to include medical care and lost income earning capacity, and build the strongest case possible to combat any downplaying by the insurance company and defense attorneys about the value of your case.
2. The Insurance Company is Delaying or Denying Your Claim
One of the clearest signs you need legal help is when the insurance company either won’t pay or is dragging its feet in responding to you during the claim’s process. Tactics like stalling, making lowball offers, or outright denying valid claims are common strategies used to pressure injured victims into settling quickly and for less than they’re owed.
Our Sarasota personal injury attorneys at Dannheisser Injury Law know how to push back, having spent the past 30 years dealing with insurers and defense counsel. From the outset, we handle all communications with insurers to protect you from bad faith practices and negotiate aggressively to ensure a fair result. Under Florida’s bad faith insurance laws, insurers can be held accountable for unfair claim denials (Florida Statutes § 624.155).
3. Liability is Unclear or Disputed
Florida follows a comparative fault system under Florida Statutes § 768.81, meaning your compensation can be reduced by the percentage amount that you’re found partially at fault for the accident. For instance, if you are found 30% at fault for a car accident for whatever reason, the amount of your financial recovery will be reduced by 30%.
In complex cases, such as multi-vehicle accidents, slip and falls, or product liability injuries, it may not be immediately obvious who is legally responsible. If you are being blamed for the accident or there’s any dispute over fault whatsoever, you very likely should contact a lawyer immediately. At Dannheisser Injury Law, we offer free consultations or case reviews and will provide our honest, thorough assessment of your situation in that first call. If we mutually agree that you need an attorney and retain Dannheisser Injury Law, we then investigate your accident thoroughly, gather as much evidence as possible like surveillance footage and witness statements, work with forensic experts to establish liability and defend your rights, and file a lawsuit on your behalf to begin the financial recovery process.
4. You’re Being Blamed for the Accident
Even when it’s not your fault, do not be surprised if insurance adjusters or defense counsel try to assign partial or full blame to reduce their client’s liability and ultimately the amount of payout required by the at-fault insurance company. As discussed earlier, insurance adjusters work for for-profit insurance companies whose goal it is to drive as much profit to their shareholders as possible.
To counter these tactics by insurance adjusters and opposing counsel, our personal injury lawyers gather medical records and evidence and craft legal arguments that protect your claim. We know how to build persuasive cases that minimize or entirely eliminate your share of fault, especially when dealing with complex or high-stakes injury cases in Sarasota and surrounding areas.
5. You’re Feeling Overwhelmed or Unsure of Your Rights
From managing medical appointments and car repairs to missing work and dealing with insurance paperwork, the aftermath of an accident can be emotionally and financially exhausting. Add in complex legal procedures and statutes of limitations—like the two-year deadline to file personal injury claims in Florida as of 2023—and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
Having a lawyer takes the burden off your shoulders. We handle every aspect of your case while you focus on healing. And at Dannheisser Injury Law, we operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case. We only get paid if you get paid.
The Value of Hiring a Sarasota Personal Injury Lawyer Early
Timing matters. The sooner you hire an attorney after your accident, the better your chances of securing full compensation. Critical evidence can be lost, witnesses’ memories can fade, and insurance companies may take advantage of the delay to devalue your claim.
Early legal representation will help you:
- Avoid costly mistakes in paperwork or statements to insurers
- Get access to top medical specialists and experts
- Navigate Florida’s complex personal injury laws
- Preserve all legal deadlines, including notice requirements for government claims
Why Choose Dannheisser Injury Law?
With over 30 years of courtroom-tested experience in Sarasota and surrounding Florida counties, Dannheisser Injury Law has helped countless victims navigate complex personal injury claims and recover millions in compensation. We offer personal attention, responsive communication, and an unwavering commitment to justice.
Whether you were injured in a car accident, slip and fall, nursing home incident, or any type of serious accident, our team is here to protect your rights.
For more details on all of the types of cases that we handle, visit our Practice Areas page.
Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
If you’re seeing any of the above signs after an accident—serious injury, denied claims, being blamed, unclear liability, or just feeling overwhelmed—it’s time to consult with a personal injury attorney. You don’t and very well shouldn’t have to navigate this alone.
Call us today at 941-365-7600, live chat with our team on our website, or complete our quick contact form for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
Your recovery deserves the full protection of the law—and that starts with the right legal team.
