Why should you use an attorney with 30+ years of experience?
It’s important to use an experienced attorney because insurance companies and adjusters are fully aware of which attorney has experience and which attorney does not have experience.
Their objective is to minimize the loss to the insurance company, so they would much rather deal with an inexperienced attorney, so they can pay out less for your injuries than with one that is experienced.
If you hire the DZ Firm, will you work directly with Dan Zohar?
Yes.
While many of the larger firms have you deal with junior associates instead of their top associates, that’s not the case here. You always work directly with Dan Zohar.
If you’re in a car accident, should you speak with the insurance company directly?
When you are involved in an automobile accident, it is very important that you do not speak with the insurance company directly.
Keep in mind that it is the objective of the insurance company to minimize the loss to the insurance company.
Therefore, the insurance adjusters are going to do everything in their power to get you to make statements that would not be to your benefit.
What should you do if you’re in a car accident?
- Call 911 and notify law enforcement of the accident. Let them know if there are any serious injuries at the scene.
- Take as many photographs with your cell phone of the scene and all of the vehicles involved in the accident.
- Get the names and telephone numbers of any and all witnesses to the accident.
- Seek immediate medical attention (if you need it). Under Florida law, you have 14 days from the date of your automobile accident in which to start your medical treatment. If you don’t start medical treatment within 14 days of the accident, you are going to lose certain benefits – important benefits – that you would otherwise be entitled to.
- Call your own insurance company and notify them of the accident. You are legally and contractually obligated to do so.
- Call Dan Zohar!
Why should you hire Dan Zohar?
He’s been practicing law in the Tampa Bay area for over 30 years, and he’s represented over 3,000 clients.
Most importantly, he only represents victims of accidents and does not represent the insurance industry.
What is comparative negligence?
Negligence is the failure of an individual to take proper care, and as a consequence, he/she causes harm or damage to another individual.
But in Florida, there is something called “comparative negligence” which enables you to still have a case even if law enforcement doesn’t find either party at fault. It allows a percentage of fault to be assigned to both parties in situations where it’s more 50/50.
For example, here’s a case that Dan Zohar has handled: Someone runs a red light, and a disagreement ensues. One person says, “I had the green light,” and the other person says, “No, I had the green light.” There are no independent witnesses. There is no video surveillance of the accident. So whose word are you going to take since it’s one word versus the other? Comparative negligence helps similar cases.
If you’re hurt in a car accident, what kind of damages can you seek?
You can seek damages for personal injuries, property damage, medical bills incurred, and lost wages.
What makes Dan Zohar better than other personal injury lawyers in Tampa?
He was raised in the Tampa Bay area, and he grew up in the Tampa Bay area. He’s been practicing law for over 30 years and has an established track record of success. Most importantly, all he handles are personal injury cases while other attorneys handle personal injury cases as well as divorces, wills, and everything else under the sun.
What if you can’t afford a lawyer?
Dan Zohar works strictly on a contingency fee basis which means that if he doesn’t get a recovery for your injuries, you owe him absolutely nothing. You have no financial risk for his attorney’s fees unless he makes a recovery for your personal injuries.
In Florida, is there a time limit for filing a lawsuit?
Yes, generally speaking, for a personal injury lawsuit, it’s four years from the date of the accident.
What is Dan Zohar’s approach/philosophy to winning cases or is it always different?
It varies on a case-by-case basis. It depends on the facts, liability, damages, and insurance coverages available for each case.
What can you expect from beginning to end when you hire Dan Zohar? What’s the legal process?
When you first call, Dan Zohar will ask you basic questions about the accident:
- How did it happen?
- Was anyone cited by law enforcement?
- Did you go to the hospital? If so, were you transported by ambulance?
- What’s the extent of the property damage to both vehicles?
Next, he will schedule an appointment to meet you – either at his office, your home, your place of work on lunch break, etc.
After you retain him, you will then be treated by a doctor for your injuries for two main reasons – your health and legal standpoint. (If you don’t have a doctor, he will happily recommend one to you.) In Florida, state law requires that you be treated by a doctor because you first have to sustain a permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability before you’re entitled to make a monetary recovery for your injuries. The doctor must first establish the full extent of your injuries arising from the accident.
Once you’re done with your treatment, you and Dan Zohar will gather all of your medical records and medical bills to prepare a demand package (or a settlement package) and forward it to the insurance company. After the insurance company reviews the demand package (it usually takes about 30 days), they’ll start to make settlement negotiations.
When they make an offer of settlement, Dan Zohar will let you know, and then you’ll discuss the offer with him and decide whether it’s sufficient or insufficient. The ultimate decision as to whether or not to accept or reject the offer of settlement is yours since you’re the victim and injured party.
If you accept the offer of settlement, the insurance company will send the release and settlement proceeds usually within 1-2 weeks of acceptance of the offer, and you will receive your net settlement proceeds about 7-10 days thereafter.
If you reject an offer of settlement, you and Dan Zohar will try to convince the insurance company to increase their offer. And if you are unsuccessful in doing that, you may proceed with filing a lawsuit.
How much money can you expect to win?
While Dan Zohar can never tell you outright what your monetary recovery will be since it varies on a case-by-case basis, there are some determining factors for the value of the claim:
- Liability – Who’s at fault for the accident?
- Extent of property damage – Since many people are of the opinion there is a direct correlation between the extent of the property damage and the extent of the injuries, this is an important one.
- Insurance policy limits – What type of coverage did the at-fault party have and what type of insurance coverage does the victim/the client have with his/her own auto insurance?
- Severity of the injuries – This is definitely the most important factor since, for example, a broken leg is worth more than a sprained ankle as far as damages are concerned.
How long does it usually take to resolve a case?
Each case is different, but for the most part, the more severe the injuries, the longer the case will take to complete. (It also depends on the victim as a 20-year-old will usually recover faster than a 75-year-old under similar circumstances.)
For example, if someone sustained a soft-tissue type of injury like a strain or sprain, but didn’t break any bones or herniate any discs, then the medical treatment part of it lasts about 4-6 months and an additional 2-3 months after that to get the case resolved.
But when the injuries are more severe and the victim has to undergo surgery, the case gets more complicated. When that happens, the medical treatment aspect alone can last 1-2 years. Or, for example, if 6-12 months after the accident, the victim’s not responding favorably to conservative treatment – like physical therapy – and MRIs show a herniated disc where surgery is recommended, that will drag everything on for another 6-12 months until he/she receives surgery and recovers from it.
Most importantly, Dan Zohar will wait until the doctor has completed his/her job before he proceeds because he never wants to settle a case prematurely. He’ll never send a demand package to an insurance company while his client is still being treated because he won’t know the full value of the claim at that point. And if he sends it prematurely, his client could ultimately receive less than he/she deserves.
What happens if you lose your case?
If you lose your case, you do not owe any attorney’s fees or costs. Dan Zohar works strictly on a contingency fee basis, which means he only gets paid if he makes a recovery for your injuries.