Rehoboth Beach is the epitome of a tale of two cities in that during the winter, it is a quite small city on the banks of the Atlantic Ocean that has a modest population of slightly more than 1,000 people. However, it is a completely different place once the calendar turns to the summer.
After Memorial Day weekend, the city’s population swells to more than 25,000 people as tourists and summer renters descend on the small town to enjoy its many beaches, restaurants, and amusement park. The increased population overwhelms the local streets and Route 1A, which is the main entry way into the city.
With alcohol flowing through many bars and breweries, a seasonal amusement park, and added congestion on the road, accidents and injuries are going to occur. When they do, be sure you have a seasoned lawyer experienced in personal injury on your side who will protect your rights and help ensure you are compensated for any injuries you suffer or protect you from having to pay for someone else’s injuries.
What Compensation Am I Owed for My Car Accident Injuries?
When you sustain injuries as the result of a car accident, you have an easy option to recoup the economic losses that you sustained. Like many states, Delaware is a no-fault state, meaning that you can recoup your medical expenses and lost wages through your car insurance’s personal injury protection (PIP). Unlike many other states, this provision does not prevent you from filing a personal injury claim against a liable driver for non-economic expenses.
The compensation you receive from your PIP insurance will continue until one of three conditions occurs. Those conditions are:
- Two years elapses since the car accident.
- You have reached the limit of your PIP, which is usually about $15,000.
- An insurance-approved doctor said you no longer need either medical treatment or you can return to work.
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How Can I File a Personal Injury Claim after My Car Accident?
Even though you can utilize your PIP insurance to recoup your lost expenses, you are not prohibited from filing a claim against any liable driver for their role in the accident. In this suit, you can seek non-economic expenses such as pain and suffering and other charges.
The first thing to know is that you have a two-year limit from the day you had your accident or from the day you were diagnosed with injures to file a claim against a liable driver. Although it may appear to be a significant amount of time, it can move quickly, and you should not waste time. Once that window closes, it will not matter how severe your injuries are; you will not be able file a claim. A personal injury lawyer will keep an eye on the clock to be sure you file any claim on time.
When it comes to the compensation you receive from this suit, you may not get the full amount you are expecting because Delaware follows the modified comparative negligence rule. That means that all parties involved in a car accident are responsible for paying a least a portion of the overall award.
A judge will hear the facts of the case and assign a percentage of responsibility to all the drivers who are involved. Then everyone will be responsible for paying that percentage of the overall amount awarded. Everyone involved is eligible to receive compensation unless the judge rules that they bear more than 50 percent of the responsibility.
What Are Common Causes of Car Accidents?
There are several dangerous conditions that exist in and around Rehoboth Beach that can lead to a car accident. In most instances, they involve driver error and can be easily avoided by being more conscious when you drive and watching out for bad drivers. A few of the more common causes of car accidents include the following:
- Drunk driving: There are several bars, breweries, and restaurants that serve alcohol in the area, and many people like to go out at night and have a good time by drinking. Unfortunately, when they do that, they often get behind the wheel of a vehicle. When you drink, your senses are not as sharp as they should be, and you fail to react to things as quickly.
- Poor road conditions: Encountering potholes, poor lighting, or inadequate signage can lead to car accidents. A car could avoid one hazard and hit an oncoming vehicle, or another road condition can cause two cars to make contact with each other.
- Distracted driving: Driving in a busy area such as Rehoboth Beach can be difficult, particularly if you are new to the area and do not know where you are going. You might be watching for a parking space or searching for some restaurant. Regardless of the reason, you are not paying attention to the road and thus liable to ignore something in front of you that can lead to an accident.
- Broken car parts: Not every accident is the fault of the driver. The vehicle itself could have problems that can lead to an accident. Faulty brakes or bad steering parts can lead to an accident that a driver is attempting to avoid.
Speeding, drowsy driving, and road rage are other problems that arise when driving around Rehoboth Beach. These are all dangerous forms of driving that you should avoid. Be sure you get adequate sleep, and ensure you are calm when you decide to drive. If you see this behavior out on the road, you should avoid it.
What Can Rhoades & Morrow Do to Help Me?
At Rhoades & Morrow, we provide skilled legal representation to all our clients who have suffered injuries from the negligent actions of others. Although we will help those involved in car accidents, there are other clients we want to help as well, including those facing the following issues:
- Catastrophic injury: These types of injuries can be the result of different accidents and leave you permanently disabled. We can help you obtain compensation to help with your long-term care and loss of livelihood.
- Defective products: A defective product can occur because of the way it is manufactured, designed, or marketed. If you are injured because of a faulty product, we will file a products liability claim with the entity along one of these areas.
- Medical malpractice: No matter how you have been wronged by a doctor or hospital, our firm will help you recoup what you have lost. Our firm manages a variety of medical malpractice cases, including birth injury, failure to diagnose cancer or serious illness, failure to identify and treat heart attack, stroke or blood clots, surgery mistakes, medication and laboratory errors, and failure to disclosure important information about a disease or treatment.
- Motorcycle accidents: These are potentially one of the more devastating types of accidents, given the vulnerability of the driver. Motorcyclists have a right to the road as much as cars, and if a driver causes an accident that led to your injuries, they should be held accountable.
- Nursing home abuse: There is nothing more disgusting than the abuse of the most vulnerable in nursing homes. If your loved one has unexplained injuries, experiences medication errors, has fallen or wandered off because of lack of safety measures, or shows other signs of inadequate care such as bedsores, dehydration, or malnourishment, it could be a sign of nursing home abuse, and we will help you seek legal action.
- Pedestrian and bicycle accidents: Especially in a beach town such as Rehoboth Beach, bike riding and walking are popular activities. However, given the already congested streets especially in the summer, bicyclists and walkers could be prone to accidents, especially when drivers fail to heed them any mind. However, they are still entitled to the road and drivers can be held liable if they get into an accident with a bike rider or a pedestrian.
- Premises liability: A property owner has an obligation to ensure that the building they own, regardless of it being a private or commercial building, be free of hazards. When a person has an accident and sustains an injury on someone else’s property because the owner did not maintain their legal responsibility, we will hold them liable for that by filing a premises liability lawsuit.
- Truck accidents: Given the size of these massive machines, injuries sustained in truck accidents can be devastating. However, determining liability might not be as easy as blaming the driver. Truck accidents are caused by a variety of factors, and outside parties might share in the liability. Our law firm will investigate the cause of the accident and help sort it out.
- Work injuries: When you are hurt at work, your medical bills and lost wages should be covered under Workers’ Compensation. Unfortunately, there are certain companies or their insurance that are not as forthcoming as needed. We will represent you with these companies to be sure they pay what they owe you. We will also evaluate your case to determine if you have grounds for a third-party liability case.
- Wrongful death: When a loved one dies because of the fault of another, that is a tragedy beyond words. Adding to that pain is if this loss has a devastating effect on your finances. We will file a wrongful death claim against the party whose actions led to the accident that cost your loved one their life.
Rehoboth Beach Personal Injury Lawyers at Rhoades & Morrow Fight for Clients Who Have Been Injured by Others
If you or a loved one has sustained an injury because of someone else’s negligence, reach out to the Rehoboth Beach personal injury lawyers at Rhoades & Morrow. Regardless of the injury or circumstance of your accident, our experienced legal team will be there for you to help you receive the compensation for which you are entitled. Contact us online or call any of our three numbers: (302) 427-9500, (302) 600-1107, or (302) 422-6705 today to schedule your free evaluation. Located in Wilmington, Bear, and Milford, Delaware, we serve clients in Middletown, Dover, Milford, Lewes, Rehoboth, Elsmere, and Seaford, Delaware.