Florida Injury Lawyer

Car Accidents

Florida is a no-fault state, meaning you must turn first to your insurance to pay for your injuries after a car accident, irrespective of who caused the accident. However, when a certain threshold of serious injuries is met, it may be possible to sue for damages. Our firm has handled personal injury lawsuits arising out of a range of car accidents, including head-on collisions, rear-end collisions, highway accidents, and intersection accidents.

Sometimes, insurers are unwilling to pay a fair amount to car accident victims. It is critical to retain an attorney to undertake a proper investigation and make sure that evidence is preserved so that you are in a solid position to obtain a fair settlement from an insurer or obtain a favorable verdict at trial. Often, a Spring Hill injury lawyer must retain experts to reconstruct what happened or provide testimony on damages.

Motorcycle Accidents

Bikers often seem to have a higher burden of proof when pursuing compensation for injuries in an accident. Florida has a history of unjustly profiling bikers within the law enforcement community and, sadly, also within our jury system.

Suppose a careless driver hit you while you were riding your motorcycle. In that case, you need a lawyer who understands motorcycle injury cases’ legal and factual issues.

Jason M. Melton understands the difficulties that riders face. He is a Founding Member of the National Academy of Motorcycle Injury Lawyers, and he was rated a Top 20 Motorcycle Injury Lawyer in America by Biker Justice USA.

Wrongful Death

Certain surviving family members may be financially and emotionally affected if a loved one dies because of the fault of another party. Under Florida Statutes section 768.19, a wrongful death action may be brought in connection with a death caused by another party’s negligence, wrongful act, breach of contract, or default. The personal representative of the decedent’s estate may bring a civil lawsuit to recover damages for the wrongful death. The civil lawsuit is entirely distinct from any criminal charges that may be filed as well.

A lower standard of proof applies to the civil lawsuit. Even though the civil lawsuit is filed by a personal representative, any damages obtained are held in trust for the decedent’s estate and any surviving family members who are eligible to recover damages. These may include the decedent’s children, spouse, parents, and any blood relative or adoptive sibling who was partially or wholly dependent on the decedent for services or support. Our injury lawyers help Spring Hill residents and other Florida families navigate these claims.

DUI

Florida prosecutors take drunk driving seriously. Driving under the influence is a criminal charge, and it also has administrative consequences.

You can be convicted of DUI if you were in actual physical control of a vehicle while you were under the influence or if your blood alcohol concentration was .08% or more while operating the vehicle.

The type of DUI charge will determine the severity of the penalties. However, any DUI conviction can have grave repercussions for your driving privileges, and it could lead to jail time. Our firm has fought DUI charges in a wide range of circumstances, including situations that involve car crashes, bicycles, and golf carts.

Criminal Defense

All federal and state crimes must be established beyond a reasonable doubt. You should not assume that your conviction is assured, but instead, you should consult an experienced criminal defense attorney about your circumstances.

Criminal charges that we handle include assault and battery, DUI, drug crimes, weapons charges, theft, burglary, trespass, domestic violence, child abuse, robbery, homicide, sexual battery, insurance fraud, and credit card fraud. Certain crimes are punished harshly, so consult an attorney immediately. If you are convicted of drug trafficking in Florida, for example, you may face a mandatory minimum sentence of incarceration, a sentence over which the judge has no discretion.

Traffic Offenses

Many people assume that traffic offenses are not serious. If you accumulate too many of them, however, you can incur enough points on your record that your driver’s license will be suspended.

Different points are applied to various offenses. You may get six points on your record for unlawful speed with an accident. Four points may be imposed for reckless driving. If you leave the scene of an accident with at least $50 of damage, you may get six points. Speeding carries three points. You should consult an experienced attorney about whether there is a way to defeat a traffic charge, especially if you face the possibility of revoking or suspending your driver’s license.

Juvenile Crimes

If your child is charged with a misdemeanor or felony in the juvenile system, retaining an experienced juvenile crime attorney is critical. The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) emphasizes juvenile crime rehabilitation, intervention, and treatment.

However, you should not assume that your child’s case is not severe because it is in the juvenile system. Mr. Melton is a former State Juvenile Prosecutor who now provides a solid defense for children accused of crimes. He represents juveniles facing serious felony and misdemeanor charges, including drug crimes, sex crimes, cybercrimes, violent offenses, theft crimes, alcohol crimes, and DUI.

Hurricane and Storm Damage Insurance Claims

Hurricane, storm, and wind damage are issues that property owners need to anticipate and address. Often, homeowners’ insurance policies cover wind but not flooding. Accordingly, the cost of replacing your roof when it has been damaged by hurricane winds may be covered, while damage to your home’s interior may not be.

It is essential to look at your policy to understand what is covered entirely. If your claim was wrongly denied, you should consult an experienced attorney.

There are laws that are meant to protect you against poor handling of claims. Insurance companies may fail to pay claims or pay them at a minimal level in a way that is unfair to the claimant. For example, your claims adjuster might unfairly argue that damage from a hurricane resulted from flooding rather than wind. You should consult an attorney about your remedies if an insurer denies your claim or delays in paying it.

Employment Law

Florida employers must follow laws that govern each stage of the employment relationship, from hiring to termination. At Whittel & Melton, we handle lawsuits arising from wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination, retaliation, minimum wage violations, overtime violations, qui tam actions, family and medical leave, non-compete agreements, and severance agreements. We can represent you in a lawsuit for damages if your employer has violated your rights.

For example, federal, state, and local laws prohibit employment discrimination based on an employee’s membership in a protected class, and you may be able to recover damages for that discrimination. Federal anti-discrimination laws include Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), while the Florida Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination at the state level.

Retain an Experienced Florida Attorney

If you or a loved one has been hurt in an accident, contact us online or call 1-866-608-5LAW (5529) to discuss your case with an injury attorney in the Spring Hill area. If you are facing criminal charges, you also should contact us to find out what we can do to keep your record clean and protect your future.