Accidents Involving Alcohol

It is incredibly frustrating for victims and their family members to know that Florida drunk driving crashes are preventable.  For example, the driver could have asked a friend to drive, taken a taxi or public transportation, spent the night at a hotel or at the home of a friend.  Drunk drivers choose to drive drunk and are therefore negligent when they get behind the wheel.  Drunk drivers also break the law when they operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher.

The injuries resulting from drunk driving accidents can be catastrophic and are often fatal. Colette Heck is a car accident lawyer have successfully litigated catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida and have the experience necessary to maximize the amount of compensation our clients receive.

Drunk or intoxicated drivers have slower response times, fall asleep more easily while driving and often lose control of their vehicles, weaving between lanes and crossing into oncoming traffic.  Too often they drive their vehicle off the roadway and strike pedestrians on adjacent sidewalks or bike paths. Drunk driving accidents also tend to occur at night when visibility is low and involve high speeds, so that victims may not be able to see the drunk driver coming, or have little time to react.

Victims of drunk-driving accidents and their family members may be able to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit against the drunk driver and sometimes others in order to receive compensation for their injuries.  They can recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, disability or for the emotional and financial loss suffered when an accident results in the death of a family member.  In certain situations, punitive damages may also be recovered.

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Wear Your Seat Belt!!!

It is a dangerous myth that today’s modern cars with functioning airbags have eliminated the need to wear seatbelts. Airbags are specifically designed to be used in accordance with a belted occupant. In fact, an airbag can become dangerous if it goes off against an unrestrained occupant. Additionally, airbags offer little to no help to those involved in rear-end, side or rollover crashes. Colette Heck will battle on behalf of the injured. Often the greatest challenge in litigating car and truck cases in Florida is not always who caused the accident, but rather if the injured qualifies for any recovery under Florida’s motor vehicle law.

It can be a critical mistake to think people do not need to wear a seatbelt if they are just driving around the corner. Studies have proven that a person has a 400% greater chance of surviving an accident if they are properly seat belted. Florida Statute S316.614 details the rules regarding the use of safety belts. Florida law requires that anyone driving a car, pickup truck, truck or van on a Florida road must wear a seatbelt. This law applies to front seat passengers too. Failure to wear a seatbelt is considered a non-moving violation and is punishable by a $30.00 fine plus $6.00 in court costs. If the driver is under 18 years of age, each passenger must wear a seatbelt as long as the car, truck, pickup truck or van is moving.

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Alcohol & Accidents

Not all alcohol-related car accidents involve a driver who is legally drunk. Alcohol has a measurable impact on a driver's reflexes and decision-making at levels below .08 blood alcohol content (BAC). We have extensive experience in car accident cases. We know how to investigate an accident and prepare your case to demonstrate why you are entitled to full compensation. We have an excellent record of verdicts and settlements for victims of all types of motor vehicle accidents, including those where alcohol was a factor.

There are many ways to show that the driver who caused your accident was behaving negligently. A driver who is speeding or checking a cellphone is driving negligently. A driver who is impaired by alcohol is driving negligently. If the driver who caused your accident is convicted of DUI/DWI, that is certainly evidence of negligent driving. With or without a criminal conviction, Colette Heck can help you present the strongest possible case to get you the compensation you deserve.

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Colette Heck is a Trusted Attorney

Being involved in a serious car accident can be among the most trying times in a person’s life. Some will be left dealing with medical bills and lost wages. Others will face months or years of rehabilitation, disability, long-term care and pain and suffering.

At Colette Heck Law, we will work with investigators and other professionals to determine the causes of your accident and who is responsible. We will then assemble the team best able to fight for the maximum compensation your case deserves under the law.

If you are dealing with the aftermath of a car accident, your choice of law firms can have a dramatic impact on the outcome of your case and the long-term financial well-being of you and your family. Colette Heck has been a member of the Florida bar since 1998 and has earned the reputation of being a trusted attorney.

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Personal Injury Statue of Limitations

Deadlines for Filing an Injury Lawsuit in Florida

Like every other state, Florida has a statute on the books that sets a deadline for the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit in civil court against the person or business that might be legally at fault for your injury. This law is called a statute of limitations.

Under Florida's statute of limitations for personal injury cases, you have four years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit in Florida's civil courts (this law can be found in Florida Statutes Annotated section 95.11). If you don't file your case within this time window, the court will very likely refuse to hear it at all. In rare cases, you may not “discover” that you actually suffered harm for some amount of time after the incident that caused the injury, and in those instances the lawsuit-filing window will be extended.

For injury claims against a city, county or state government, the time limit is three years.

If you're filing an insurance claim or lawsuit over an accident or injury, you'll need to be familiar with the laws that might affect your case.

Contact Colette Heck Law today.

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