In every case, King & Markman, evaluate the medical records and undertakes research of medical literature, consulting with experts and physicians in multiple specialties, as necessary, to determine (a) if there was negligence and (b) whether the negligence caused the injury. Because our firm has investigated and litigated cases in numerous areas, many potential claims involve issues with which we are already familiar. In some cases we may engage experts in engineering or accident reconstruction to help in determining the possible merits of a claim.

If you have been injured, do not discuss your injury or the way it happened until you have consulted with one of our lawyers. Your statements might be incomplete or taken out of context and may be harmful to your claim at a later date. Do not sign any papers or agree to any settlement, as this may affect your right to pursue your claim against others who may be at fault for your injuries. Always seek competent legal advice first. At King & Markman, there is no charge for personal injury consultations.

No. At King & Markman, P.A., we will meet with you to discuss your injury and your case free of charge.

In personal injury actions, King & Markman is paid no fee unless we are successful in obtaining money for your injuries. King & Markman handle personal injury claims on a contingent fee basis. This means that the legal fee is a percentage of the amount recovered, and there is no fee due unless and until money is actually collected for you.

There are certain expenses, such as costs of medical records, court costs and expert witness fees, involved in bringing a personal injury claim. Once King & Markman have evaluated your claim and determined it to be well-founded, we will advance expenses associated with your case and have them reimbursed at the end of the case. You owe us nothing unless we win your case.

Surprisingly, your claim will not require a great deal of your time, unless it goes all the way to trial. After the initial interview, King & Markman will do most of the work for you. In the typical personal injury case, you would be required to come to the office two or three times to answer written and oral questions about what happened to you. Aside from these questions, which are a routine part of the court process, very little of your time will be required to get the case ready for trial. The final trial preparation process will, however, require more of a time commitment.

You will not have to go to court unless your case cannot be settled and must be tried. Because of the many factors involved, it is impossible to predict whether your particular case is one which will be settled or one which must be decided by a jury.

Almost all personal injury claims are defended by insurance company lawyers and paid by insurance, so the person or corporation you sue will not have to pay any money out-of-pocket. A personal injury claim is a civil case, not a criminal case, and the defendant will not go to jail because of the claim. However, one of the reasons our personal injury system exists is to make people more careful, and that can be a positive effect that your case can have on the person you are suing.

It is important to consult a lawyer as soon as you are aware that you have been injured, because there are statutes of limitations which prohibit the bringing of old claims, and because it is easier to gather information about a recent injury. However, even if you were injured some time ago (and especially if the injured person is a minor or disabled from bringing an action on their own), you may still be able to bring a claim. Talk with a lawyer to get more information.

If you are injured through the fault of someone else, you are entitled by law to compensation for your injuries. This compensation is available not only for expenses you have already incurred, but for losses you will suffer in the future. If you or someone in your family is severely injured, this compensation can protect against changes in family situations, so that the injured person's future is secure. Also, by bringing a claim you may be able to prevent similar injury from happening to someone else.

Yes, in many cases. You may be entitled to be compensated for your medical bills regardless of whether or not they have been paid. (However, your health insurance company may claim reimbursement from you if any of your compensation represents bills that the insurer has paid. This is called "subrogation.") In addition, you may be entitled to compensation for many other aspects of your injury, such as lost earning capacity, scarring or disfigurement, future medical expenses, and pain and suffering.

The value of your claim depends on a wide variety of factors, such as the severity and permanency of your injury, the amount of your medical expenses, the liability of the defendant, and whether the case is to be tried or settled. It is impossible to estimate the value of a claim until the case has been fully investigated from all aspects, and sometimes its valuation may fluctuate depending on developments during the course of the litigation. You should be wary of anyone who tries to tell you the value of your claim at an early stage. After we have completed a thorough investigation of your case, we are in a position to offer you our opinion as to the value of your claim. If the insurance company offers to settle your claim, we will discuss the proposed settlement with you, and give you our advice about whether to accept the amount offered. Of course, the ultimate decision to accept an insurance company's offer of settlement or to allow a jury to determine the value of your injuries is always up to you.

The initial evaluation of a claim usually takes a month or so, except for medical malpractice claims, which may take three to six months. After a lawsuit is filed, the length of time depends on how crowded the court calendar is, and whether the insurance company is willing to resolve the claim before trial. Most cases take between one and three years to complete.

At King & Markman, we have lawyers who are admitted to all the state courts in Florida, Georgia, and New York. We also practice in the Federal Court, Middle District of Florida.