Personal injuries, whether caused by car accidents, workplace accidents, or other accidents, can be quite serious and can have a lasting impact on a victim’s lifestyle. Some injuries, such as brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, for example, can lead to permanent injuries that affect a victim’s ability to work or lead a normal life. In addition, even smaller injuries can wreak havoc on a person’s lifestyle and finances. The costs of lost income and treatment options can be overwhelming. The price of renovating a home to accommodate a permanent injury can easily reach tens of thousands of dollars.

If an accident was caused by someone’s recklessness or injury, Florida law provides a system through which victims can recover more quickly. This system uses the law to ensure that victims have adequate compensation to pay for lost income, medical treatment, and other expenses. Compensation can often mean the difference between full recovery and complications, since compensation often allows a victim to get better medical treatment.

Unfortunately, many victims are reluctant to even learn more about filing a claim that the law gives them every right to file. Insidiously, many companies make victims feel guilty about filing claims and some victims are made to feel greedy or unreasonable if they want to even seek legal help. The truth is, however, that the law gives us all a right to be free from injuries and damages caused by others. If someone’s recklessness or negligence has caused an injury, by law that person may be held financially responsible for some of the injuries and damage they have caused.

Also, there is nothing greedy about seeking legal recompense for an injury. The legal does not simply hand out cash for injuries. Rather, Florida law is designed to help victims return, as much as possible, to the state they were in before an accident. For example, if you have sustained a spinal cord injury and have been left unable to walk, the legal system will provide you with the money for treatment, rehabilitation, services, and other products that will allow you, as much as possible, to lead a lifestyle that is similar in quality to what you had enjoyed before. For example, if you can still get around with the help of a wheelchair, a legal claim can help you pay for the expense of a wheelchair so that you can enjoy mobility again. This is far from greedy.

One problem is that many victims have some misconceptions about filing legal claims after an injury. Many people assume that they are “suing” a company or person. In fact, a lawsuit usually affects an insurance provider rather than an individual. For example, if you have been injured on a friend’s property, you are not taking a friend to court. Rather, an attorney will work with your friend’s insurance provider to reach a settlement. In many cases, the situation will not even reach a court room and will instead be settled out of court.

Perhaps the biggest mistake many victims make is not getting legal advice before they make decisions that could affect them for life. If you have been injured, you should always speak to a qualified attorney before you sign anything. There is no obligation if you speak to an attorney and get legal advice, and some experienced personal injury attorneys in Florida offer free initial consultations, so that you can learn about your options at no cost.