How to Claim Compensation for Leg Injuries After a Car Accident

Leg injuries can have a profound impact on your life, from your job to your overall quality of life. If you’ve suffered a leg injury after a car accident in Fort Lauderdale, you may be able to recover compensation. Typically, your personal injury protection (PIP) is the first place you can claim compensation, but if your injuries are severe, you may also be eligible to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. A Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer can fight for fair compensation.

Compensation for Leg Injuries From Car Accidents

Drivers in Florida are required by law to have personal injury protection (PIP) insurance policies with a minimum coverage of $10,000. PIP protects drivers after an accident, but there are limitations to the coverage.

Under a typical PIP, your insurance provides the following benefits up to your policy limits:

• 80% of bills for necessary medical care
• 60% of your lost wages 

Unfortunately, these limits often aren’t enough to cover more serious injuries.

A leg injury from a car accident can involve long-term or permanent impairment. Common injuries include fractures, ligament tears, nerve damage, or amputations. Treatment may involve surgery, physical therapy, prosthetics, and assistive devices like braces or wheelchairs. The financial burden of ongoing care often far exceeds what PIP covers.

Your PIP benefits also do not compensate for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering. This is why it’s essential to evaluate whether your injury qualifies for legal action under Florida’s threshold for serious injury. If it does, a third-party claim can provide broader financial recovery.

How to Claim Compensation From a Third Party

When that is the case, you may be able to file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit against a negligent driver. With this claim, you may be eligible to recover compensation for losses like:

• Permanent disability
• Scarring and disfigurement, such as the loss of a leg
• Medical costs for both current and future medical treatment related to your injury
• Emotional distress
• Physical pain and suffering
• Lowered quality of life
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Home modifications
• Mobility aids
• Lost income
• Diminished earning capacity
• Property damage

Your Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer will negotiate on your behalf. They may consult with medical or financial experts to demonstrate the long-term effects of your leg injury. Our goal is to recover the maximum compensation you deserve with your accident claim.

However, for a successful claim, you must prove how the other party was negligent and that it led to your leg injury.

In cases involving catastrophic leg injuries, vocational experts may also be brought in to assess how your condition will affect your ability to return to work or pursue future employment. Their reports can strengthen your claim for diminished earning capacity.

Additionally, if your injury affects your ability to drive or care for dependents, you may qualify for additional damages related to transportation assistance or the cost of in-home care services.

Proving Negligence in a Car Accident

Proving negligence means showing how the driver behaved carelessly. Some negligent actions include:

• Driving while texting or talking on the phone
• Driving while under the influence
• Speeding
• Failing to obey traffic signs

Your lawyer can conduct a thorough investigation into the car accident. They can gather evidence to support your claim, such as:

• Witness statements
• Police reports
• Surveillance footage
• Driver records, if the at-fault party was a commercial driver
• Blood alcohol testing reports
• Expert testimony
• Medical records

It’s important to note that some evidence may be time-sensitive. For example, witness memories can fade. Additionally, you are under a statute of limitations. Per Florida Statutes § 95.11, you typically only have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit.

Your attorney may also secure black box data or onboard vehicle diagnostics, especially in cases involving commercial vehicles. These digital records can help prove speeding, erratic driving, or mechanical failures at the time of the crash.

Accident reconstruction experts can analyze photographs of the accident scene, vehicle positions, and skid marks. These specialists may testify to the severity of the impact and how it aligns with your injury claims.

Long-Term Impacts of Leg Injuries After a Crash

A leg injury can interfere with your independence, employment, and mobility. Recovery timelines can span months or even years. Some individuals never fully regain function, requiring permanent lifestyle adjustments.

Amputations, for instance, often result in additional complications such as phantom pain, infection, or the need for multiple revision surgeries. Prosthetic limbs may need to be replaced every few years, adding to the long-term financial burden.

For athletes, manual laborers, or individuals in physically demanding careers, leg injuries can bring their jobs to a halt. Compensation must account not just for immediate lost income but for long-term financial stability.

Mental health issues often arise alongside physical trauma. Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder are commonly reported among crash survivors, especially those facing life-altering injuries. Your legal team may work with mental health professionals to include these effects in your claim.

Choose a Legal Team With a Track Record of Results

At the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato, we are dedicated to helping injury victims pursue the justice and compensation they deserve. Our Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys understand how severe a leg injury can be and how deeply it can affect your quality of life.

Our case results include:

• $3.85 million for a truck rollover injury
• $5.25 million in a wrongful death truck accident
• $2 million for a pedestrian crash injury
• $925,000 for negligent security resulting in long-term injury

We tailor our legal strategies to meet the specific needs of each client, consulting with top medical experts, life care planners, and economic analysts. From accident reconstruction to pain journals, we gather comprehensive documentation to support your case.

Our firm works on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay nothing upfront, and we only get paid if we win compensation on your behalf.

Contact an Accident Attorney About Your Leg Injury in Fort Lauderdale

If you’ve injured a leg in a car accident and another party was at fault, you may be able to recover a fair settlement to address your losses. A Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer from the Law Offices of Wolf & Pravato will take on the entire legal process for you.

Our injury lawyers require no upfront costs, and you only pay us if we recover compensation. Contact us today for a free initial consultation at (954) 633-8270.