Steinger, Greene & Feiner is a local law firm with experience representing people just like you who need a Port St. Lucie personal injury lawyer. You can rely on our trusted team of lawyers to provide prompt and professional legal representation at every step of your case from start to finish.
We have the experience and resources to negotiate and litigate with insurance companies and large corporations to protect our client’s rights. We will work tirelessly to deliver the best result possible and will not charge you any fee unless and until we win your case.
Insurance companies hope to make low offers to injured persons who an experienced personal injury attorney does not represent so they can avoid paying what a case is truly worth. Many people do not think they need a lawyer unless they are sure they are going to court. However, the early stages of developing and settling a case are just as critical to a successful outcome as a trial. You need the assistance of a local injury lawyer, and the team at Steinger, Greene & Feiner is ready to talk with you today.
Why You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer
Most people associate needing a lawyer with appearing in court for a trial or legal hearing. In-court representation is indeed a critical part of what a personal injury lawyer does for a client, and outstanding trial advocacy improves a lawyer’s ability to effectively protect clients in many other ways.
The truth is that you need a personal injury attorney to fight for your rights as early as possible after your injury. The process of building a successful personal injury case for settlement or trial has many essential steps, and a quality local lawyer is vital to every part of the process.
Florida law imposes statutes of limitations on injury claims, and a personal injury lawyer should begin work on the essential steps in building a case as soon as possible.
Collecting and Assembling Medical Evidence
Your injurance claim lawyer will gather your medical records and bills to establish the amount of damages suffered and the nature of your injuries.
Accident Investigation
An accident attorney will carefully investigate an accident scene and all the involved circumstances. That evidence includes accident and police reports, corporate reports kept by potentially liable companies, photographs and video of the scene, witness testimonies, and all available physical evidence.
Expert Testimony
Legal cases often require the assistance of expert witnesses to establish liability or to prove the amount of damages suffered. Your lawyer will gather and prepare the necessary expert testimony to prosecute your case.
Some examples of expert testimony include:
- Medical opinions. A doctor may be needed to establish a medical opinion on disability, future expected medical needs and expenses, and related issues. Doctors are also often needed to render opinions about the medical work provided by other doctors or healthcare professionals.
- Accident reconstruction. Some experts can provide opinions about how an incident occurred and technical issues related to establishing the fault of the party who caused an injury.
- Vocational opinions. In some cases, an expert’s opinion is necessary to provide evidence of how an injury will impact a person’s future ability to work and enjoy life.
Legal Research and Preparation of Settlement and Court Documents
A local Port St. Lucie personal injury lawyer will carefully research the laws that apply to each case’s particular circumstances. The attorney will use that information to draft effective legal arguments to support efforts to settle your case for maximum compensation or to make successful arguments before a judge or jury if court appearances are necessary.
Personal Injury Cases We Handle At Steinger, Greene & Feiner
Personal injury law generally refers to any legal case in which a person suffers a serious accident or injury because of the negligence or intentional action of another person, business, or corporation.
Steinger, Greene & Feiner handles all types of types of personal injury claims in which a person has been harmed or killed. Our team of experienced injury lawyers in Port St. Lucie has the knowledge, skill, and resources to handle all injury cases.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
We handle all types of motor vehicle accidents, including:
- Car Accidents: Serious injury can result from any type of car accident. We have extensive experience with rear-end collisions, head-on collisions, side/T-bone accidents, and every other sort of car crash resulting in injury.
- Truck Accidents: Truck accidents require specific legal expertise and intimate knowledge of multiple federal regulations in addition to state law. We handle accidents involving tractor-trailers, commercial trucks, delivery trucks, and every type of large vehicle.
- Motorcycle Accidents: Riders and passengers on motorcycles can suffer catastrophic injuries resulting from accidents or collisions with cars or trucks. We have experience developing the facts essential to settling and litigating motorcycle cases.
- Bicycle Accidents: Bicycle riders can be protected by or regulated by special laws and ordinances from city to city.
- Pedestrian Accidents: We handle cases in which pedestrians have been struck by a vehicle of any kind and injured.
- Boating and Watercraft Accidents: There can be special legal considerations for these types of cases, depending on where they occur and the types of vessels involved. We handle all water-related injury cases.
- Aviation Accidents: Special federal and state laws interact in injury cases involving aircraft accidents. We handle injury cases arising from commercial or private aircraft accidents.
Premises Liability
Property owners are legally obligated to ensure that their businesses or private properties do not present unreasonably dangerous conditions. We handle all types of cases against negligent property owners, including:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Injury caused by inadequate security
- Dog bites and animal attacks
- Elevator, escalator, and stairway accidents
Medical Malpractice
All healthcare professionals are legally obligated to treat every patient according to the standard of care recognized for a given medical treatment in the professional medical community. When doctors, nurses, or other healthcare professionals make errors that cause personal injury, the law allows for recovery of damages in appropriate cases.
We handle all types of medical malpractice cases, including:
- Surgical errors
- Birth errors
- Medication errors
- Missed or delayed diagnoses
- Hospital staff negligence
Products Liability
We handle cases in which defective products injure persons. Manufacturers can be liable for dangerous consumer products, medical products, pharmaceuticals, or industrial equipment.
Workplace Accidents / Workers’ Compensation
We handle claims for work-related injuries, including industrial, construction, and office injuries.
Wrongful Death
Death can result from the injuries suffered in any of the types of cases we handle. Florida law has special requirements for how cases are managed and settled under injury and probate laws. We handle all types of wrongful death cases on behalf of the family and loved ones of persons killed by another’s negligence.
Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
Nursing homes and related care facilities have a legal duty to protect residents from injury due to the negligence or willfully harmful conduct of their employees and agents. We handle nursing home cases involving neglect, malnutrition, and physical or emotional abuse.
We handle the following cases in Port St. Lucie:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Boating accidents
- Slip & fall
- Brain Injury
- Spinal Injury
- Dog bites
- Medical malpractice
- Product recall
- Workers’ compensation
- Wrongful death
- Birth Injury
- Social Security Disability
Our Port St. Lucie Personal Injury Lawyers Serve the Following Areas
- Stuart
- Jensen Beach
- North River Shores
- Golden Gate
- Fort Pierce
- Vero Beach
- Port Salerno
- Florida Ridge
- Palm City
- Fort Pierce South
What To Do After an Injury in Port St. Lucie
You can substantially help your personal injury case by taking a few measures to protect your rights and the evidence before you have consulted with experienced personal injury lawyer in Port St. Lucie.
Of course, the first step after any accident or injury is to ensure safety. If possible, move to a safe location, assess yourself and others for injuries, and determine if first aid and a call to 911 are needed. In any event, you should report the accident. For motor vehicle accidents, that means calling for police assistance, and for slips and falls, reporting the incident to a store or property manager.
Always seek medical attention for any injury, even if it seems minor at the time. Medical professionals conduct necessary diagnostic and other tests to assess your condition correctly. Go to all medical appointments and follow the instructions of your doctor.
Keep a personal diary of all medical treatments and how you are feeling and recovering day to day. Also, write down your personal recollection of how the accident occurred and everything you did on the day of the accident to the best of your ability. This personal record can be extremely valuable in helping your personal injury attorney understand and develop your case.
If possible, preserve evidence by taking photographs and videos of the accident scene, your injuries, and all property damage. Take down any information you have regarding witnesses to the accident or persons who have knowledge about the case.
Be cautious if an insurance company or any responsible party attempts to settle with you quickly. You should consult with an insurance claim lawyer before you settle any case.
Florida Personal Injury Laws
Florida personal injury laws vary by case type, but each involves proving four core elements: duty of care, breach, causation, and damages. Depending on the type of accident, specific rules and challenges arise. Attorneys are crucial in navigating these complexities.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Under Florida’s no-fault system, PIP insurance covers part of your expenses regardless of fault. However, for more serious injuries, you may seek compensation beyond PIP limits by pursuing the at-fault driver, which requires demonstrating the injury meets the serious injury threshold. In truck accidents, the involvement of federal trucking regulations adds another layer of complexity. An attorney can help gather essential evidence, including expert testimony, to maximize your claim.
Premises Liability
Florida law requires property owners to maintain safe conditions. In slip and fall cases, proving the owner knew or should have known about a dangerous condition is crucial. The burden of proof now rests on the injured party. Attorneys can help gather the necessary evidence to build a solid case.
Medical Malpractice
In Florida, a claim must show that the healthcare provider breached the accepted standard of care. A medical expert must also confirm the negligence before a lawsuit is filed. Damage caps may limit non-economic compensation in some cases. Attorneys ensure compliance with these regulations and secure expert testimony.
Product Liability
In product liability cases, plaintiffs don’t need to prove negligence but must show the product was defective and caused harm. An attorney can facilitate expert involvement to prove the design or manufacturing flaw responsible for the injury.
Wrongful Death
Florida’s Wrongful Death Act allows families to seek compensation for a loved one’s death due to negligence. These cases require navigating both personal injury and probate law.
Attorneys play a crucial role in managing evidence, negotiating with insurance companies, and advocating for maximum compensation.
Compensation You Might Be Entitled
In Florida, Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance provides coverage for medical expenses and lost wages after a car accident, regardless of fault. PIP compensates up to $10,000 in medical benefits, covering 80% of medical costs and 60% of lost wages. However, if the injury isn’t classified as an emergency medical condition, the maximum payout is capped at $2,500. PIP does not cover. You may receive benefits from PIP regardless of who was at fault for the accident, but you may be eligible to also file a third-party insurance claim or personal injuy lawsuit for expenses not covered by your PIP like for pain and suffering, and emotional distress. These damages are subjective, so having a skilled attorney can help quantify them and build a case for maximum recovery.
Punitive damages can also be awarded for gross negligence, capped at three times the compensatory damages or $500,000. Compensation may be reduced under comparative negligence rules if the victim is partly at fault.
Attorneys assist by maximizing PIP benefits, evaluating the full scope of damages, and pursuing further compensation through claims or lawsuits to cover costs beyond PIP limits.
Your Rights and Legal Options
In Florida, proving and recovering compensation for a case of negligence generally requires that an injured person prove the following about a negligent person or business:
- There was a duty to exercise due care toward the injured person, and
- The responsible person or business breached that duty of care, and
- That breach was the legal and actual cause of an injury, and
- The negligent act caused damages recognized for recovery under the law.
As we’ve mentioned a bit, under Florida’s modified comparative negligence system, if you’re less than 51% at fault, the amount you can recover is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you’ve found 20% at fault, you can still recover 80% of your damages. If you’re 51% or more at fault, you cannot recover any damages. A good injury attorney can buil a strong evidence case for you and argue to minimize your share of fault.
If the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, you may rely on your Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage if you have it. This coverage can help make up the difference when the responsible party’s insurance falls short, ensuring you’re not left with unpaid bills.
Finally, the Florida state statute of limitations for personal injury claims due to negligence is two years from the date of the accident. This means that a court will likely summarily dismiss any case not filed in that period. It is essential that you begin the process of case evaluation with an experienced injury lawyer in Port St. Lucie as soon as possible after an accident-causing injury.
The Personal Injury Claims Process
When an experienced personal injury takes on your case, they will guide you through the entire claims process. Your attorney will thoroughly investigate the accident and related evidence, along with your medical bills. Crucial evidence includes medical records, accident reports, witness statements, and photos of the scene and injuries. In some cases, expert testimony, such as accident reconstruction, strengthens your claim.
Your attorney will handle all communications with the insurance company or the responsible business owner, keeping you in the loop at all times. Your attorney will negotiate a settlement according to the terms you are willing to agree to.
In the event that you cannot reach an acceptable settlement, your attorney will file a personal injury lawsuit within the limitations period and prepare for trial. That process involves filing and defending motions in court, processing discovery requests, taking depositions, and representing you personally in court. At every step of the process, your personal injury attorney works diligently to ensure you receive the maximum compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Choosing the Right Port St. Lucie Personal Injury Lawyer
If you need a personal injury lawyer in Port St. Lucie or anywhere in Florida, you should always consider the lawyers, their experience, their history in successfully representing clients in your kind of case, and their local experience in the courts of St. Lucie County and others on the Treasure Coast. Reading testimonials from past clients can help you predict your own experience working with an attorney.
Client Testimonials
507 Northwest Lake Whitney Place, Port St. Lucie
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Rachel was amazing and did everything so we didn’t have to, David was amazing and letting us know the whole process and what we were getting into. It was a pretty smooth and quick process! Thank you! -
I can’t say enough nice things about David Mitchele and his team. They were all great at keeping me up-to-date on everything that was happening with the case walked me through every step of the way.I would highly recommend David and the … More firm of Steinger,Green&Feiner.Thank you Pasquale C.
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Everyone is so nice, caring, and professional. They take the time to explain everything and make sure that you understand each step of the process. I would highly recommend this law firm to represent anyone in need of an accident attorney. … More
Speak With a Port St. Lucie Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you have been injured because of another’s negligence or willful act in Port St. Lucie or anywhere in Florida, your claim has important time limitations that apply under state law. Protect your rights by contacting the team of personal injury lawyers at Steinger, Greene & Feiner today for a free evaluation of your case with no obligation.
We have successfully recovered millions of dollars for injured Floridians and stand behind our strong track record of client satisfaction. If your accident was local, you should be represented by a local personal injury attorney who knows how to get things done in and around Port St. Lucie. We can handle every step of your case, from investigation to negotiation and settlement to a trial if necessary. Contact our insurance claim lawyers or visit our Steinger, Greene & Feiner law office in Port St. Lucie today to discuss your case and receive a free consultation.