Each year, tens of millions of tourists travel to Miami, Hollywood, and the rest of South Florida. In fact, the state saw 87.3 million people arrive as tourists in 2011 alone. In addition to tourists, snowbirds are people who decide to purchase a second home or vacation home in Florida to take advantage of the warm weather during the winter months. Each year, millions of people arrive in Florida during the winter months from the Northeast United States and from Canada. They stay a few months before returning home.
For most snowbirds and tourists, Hollywood and the rest of South Florida provide a temporary and exciting place to visit or stay. Unfortunately, some visitors each year are injured on visits to Florida. A serious injury can affect your stay, leave you with high medical bills, and cause confusion and concern. If you’ve been injured in Florida but aren’t from the state, what can you do?
Know your rights when visiting Florida
There’s good news. When you visit Florida – whether you’re from the United States or from another country – you get to take advantage of Florida personal injury laws in the event that you are injured by someone’s recklessness or negligence. This means that if you’re in a car accident involving an at-fault driver from Florida or if you are injured due to a business’s negligence, you may have a claim in Florida courts.
Unfortunately, even though you’re protected by Florida laws, it does not mean that the process is simple. In many cases, you may not know where to turn if you’ve been injured. If you’re renting a car while in Florida, you may not be sure about your rights or about the coverage you have on the rental vehicle. You may not be familiar with local medical facilities. Where can you find a good doctor? How can you figure out what coverage you have for your injuries, property damage, and other losses?
Why you need a local attorney if you’ve been injured
If you’re visiting Florida or live in Florida part time and you are injured due to someone’s negligence or recklessness, you’ll want to hire a Florida personal injury attorney in Hollywood or the community where you were injured. A local attorney can represent you in Florida courts, even after you have healed enough to return home. A local attorney is also familiar with the local laws and local courts governing your cases. He or she can advocate for you, help you find a local rental car, medical clinic, doctor, and the other resources you need. Once you go back home, your local attorney can keep you informed about the status of your case.
If you’d like to speak to a personal injury attorney anywhere in South Florida about the injuries you sustained while visiting the area, contact Flaxman Law Group. We would be happy to set up a free, no obligation case analysis to help you understand whether you have a claim and what you can do to get your life back on track after a serious injury.