Destin Personal Injury Lawyer

If someone else was at fault for the accident that caused your injuries, you might have a personal injury case.

Sometimes accidents happen, and there are no significant financial losses. In that case, you may not have grounds for a lawsuit. The only way to know for sure is to consult an attorney.

Most injury lawyers in Destin will provide you a free consultation. So there’s nothing to lose in talking to a lawyer to see if you might have a case.

Hiring a lawyer after an injury can be one of the most important decisions you make after an accident, for the following reasons:

Stand on Equal Footing

Insurance companies are big and powerful. They have lots of resources. They’re known for playing hardball. They may outright deny your claim. Or they’ll give you an insulting offer. Having an experienced attorney in your corner can keep you from getting pushed around.

Experts to Back You Up

Proving your case isn’t always straightforward. Personal injury cases often require medical experts to prove the extent of your injuries or financial experts to testify about lost past and future wages. Without these, you could get much less than you deserve. 

You’ll Be Blamed

Adjusters love to blame the victim. It’s just part of doing business for them. We’ll push back when they try to pin the blame on you as an excuse for not paying up.

You Need Time to Rest

Doctor appointments. Maybe repairing or replacing your vehicle. Emotional stress. You’re wiped out after an accident. The most critical thing you can do is take care of yourself and get better. Let us take care of fighting for your right to compensation.

It’s simple: because you shouldn’t have to pay for someone else’s carelessness. Any accident can cause an unexpected financial burden. Your insurance provider may not pay everything you owe. In addition to medical bills, you may be forced to take time off work because of to your injury.

If someone else caused your accident, they should be held financially responsible for your pain, suffering, and inconvenience.

You’re more likely to get the compensation you deserve with the help of a qualified lawyer. According to one study, you might get as much as 3.5 times more money by having an expert represent you.

Whether your case can be handled through a claim with an insurance company or needs to be fought in the court system, Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers can help.

Injuries due to falls are responsible for most emergency department (ED) visits in Okaloosa County, making up nearly 30% of all non-fatal ED visits.

In 2022, Okaloosa County was the location of 3,632 motor vehicle crashes. These collisions resulted in 21 fatalities and over 2,200 injuries. Statistics for the county show that there were 120 motorcycle crashes that year. Another 163 accidents involved pedestrians and bicyclists.

The county continues to see hit-and-run accidents, with 790 such accidents in 2022. Seventy-five accidents involved intoxicated drivers.

As of October 2023, the county has experienced almost 2,300 auto accidents. These collisions have claimed the lives of 24 people and injured another 1,500 individuals.

If you’ve been hurt, don’t underestimate the value of your losses. Let us help you fight for the compensation you need after an accident.

The experienced attorneys at Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers advocate for all injured victims and their families.

Car Accidents

Destin was at the top of a recent list of small cities in our state where you’re most likely to be involved in a fatal DUI crash. Deadly or not, we know the devastation a car accident can take on you and your family. We can take over the overwhelming task of dealing with your insurance claim so you can take the time you need to recover. Or, we’ll take your case to court if necessary. We have a proven record of success.

Truck Accidents

Crashes involving big rigs are some of the most devastating because of the size and speed involved. They’re also some of the most complex. The truck driver and the freight company may be two different entities. Maybe another company is responsible for truck maintenance. The truck accident might involve road defects. We’ve seen it all. We’ll get to the bottom of what happened and find out who owes you money for turning your life upside down.

Boating Accidents

It’s no surprise that Florida is #1 in the country for registered watercraft. Unfortunately, Florida also leads the nation in boating accidents. Damages including injuries, deaths, and property damage due to boating accidents topped $13 million in Florida in 2020. We know all the complexities that go along with boating crashes. Don’t miss out on the compensation you deserve. Let us fight for you.

While these are some of the most common accidents we see, we handle all types of personal injury incidents across the state.

We also represent clients in cases involving:

• Bicycle accidents
• Uber & Lyft accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Wrongful death
• Slip and fall
• Other premises liability
• Defective products
• Dog bites
• Construction accidents
• Workplace accidents, and more

We focus exclusively on personal injury law. We’ll give your case the personal attention it deserves. You’ll have access to an attorney throughout your case (you’ll likely even have their personal cell phone number). Our law firm puts you first.

You must file your lawsuit in Florida within two years after your injury. If you’re filing a wrongful death suit, you must also file within two years. The deadline may differ slightly depending on the nature of your claim.

For your sake, don’t wait.

The longer you wait, you risk:

• Forgetting decisive details that support your case
• Not being able to reach cooperative witnesses
• Insurance providers arguing that your injuries were caused after the accident

It’s much easier to prove a case while details are fresh in your mind and before you lose motivation.

Some of the factors that affect the value of a personal injury case include:

• The severity of your injuries
• Whether your injuries are temporary or permanent
• Whether you were at fault
• The amount of lost wages due to your injuries
• Whether you can return to your same job
• Whether anyone else depends on your income

Catastrophic and fatal injuries typically bring higher awards. Our experienced injury lawyers will fully evaluate your circumstances to put you in the best position to receive all of the compensation you deserve.

It depends. Most insurers prefer to settle accident claims outside of the courtroom. Why? Because it saves them money. They do not want to pay legal fees and litigation costs for cases they are likely to lose. Therefore, most personal injury lawsuits settle without the need for trial.

However, if they get the chance, insurers will try to offer you less than the full value of your case. They may undervalue your damages, accuse you of failing to mitigate damages, or even deny your claim altogether. In these situations, it may be necessary to take your claim to court. In fact, it may be the only way to obtain full compensation for your damages after your accident.

If you were hurt in an accident in Destin, the damages available include:

• Economic: to compensate you for tangible financial losses
• Non-economic: to cover losses that don’t have a specific or set cost

Economic losses can include things like:

• Doctor bills
• Property damage
• Rehabilitation costs
• Loss of wages (past and future)

Non-economic damages cover things such as:

• Pain and suffering
• Loss of reputation
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of enjoyment in everyday life activities

Many awards include some combination of damages from each category. On rare occasions, punitive damages may be available. These are intended to punish the defendant for extremely reckless conduct.

You might still be able to receive some compensation. Florida follows the modified comparative fault rule when more than one party is at fault for an accident.

This means you could still receive an award, but it will be reduced proportionally by the amount of fault attributed to you. So, sharing 30% of the blame would mean your damages would be reduced by 30%. However, you can’t recover damages if you are mostly (> 50%) at fault.

An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you fight back against allegations of fault to make sure you don’t shoulder more than your share.

A knowledgeable attorney can help by:

• Listening carefully to your story
• Conducting a full investigation of your accident
• Locating and interviewing witnesses
• Hiring medical, financial, and subject matter experts as needed
• Handling all communications with the insurance company
• Negotiate fiercely on your behalf
• Sending a top-rated trial lawyer to take your case to court, if necessary

Personal injury claims are rarely simple. Even if there aren’t multiple parties involved, proving fault and dealing with insurance companies can be overwhelming.

Most lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means they get paid only if they win. Usually, it costs anywhere from 33% to 40% of your award. Finances are tight after an accident.

You shouldn’t let the cost of a lawsuit stop you from fighting for the money you deserve.

We offer no-cost consultations to evaluate your inquiry. You pay nothing to sit down and discuss how we may be able to help you. Then, if you hire us, you don’t pay unless we win.

A few of the key laws in the Sunshine State that could affect your claim or lawsuit are:

• The statute of limitations: This establishes the deadline for filing your lawsuit.
• Punitive damage limits: These are generally limited to the higher of $500,000 or 3x the amount of compensatory damages. In specific types of cases, the limit is higher.
• Personal injury protection (“PIP”) insurance: After a crash, you’ll have to seek compensation from your own provider first. In certain cases, you might be able to file a lawsuit or submit a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance provider.

All of these laws and more can drastically affect your case, that’s why hiring a reputable personal injury attorney is so important. Our law firm focuses solely on injury cases. We deal with these laws day in and day out. We know how they can help or hurt your claim.

Negligence is a legal concept used as the basis for most personal injury lawsuits. It’s the basic notion that people should conduct themselves in a manner that doesn’t cause harm to others.

It has four main elements:

1. Duty: the defendant owed you a duty of care to act in a way not to cause you harm
2. Breach: the defendant breached their duty of care
3. Causation: the defendant’s breach caused your injuries
4. Damages: you suffered damages as a result of the defendant’s breach of duty

Think of it as a chain reaction, with each element building on the other. If someone causes damage by being negligent, they can be held financially responsible.

To prove negligence, you must prove each of its four main elements (duty, breach, causation, and damages).

You might prove it through a combination of:

• Expert witnesses to establish the duty of care
• Workplace inspection reports to prove breach of duty
• Your personal testimony to prove breach of duty, causation, or damages
• Eyewitness testimony to prove causation
• Police reports to prove causation
• Forensic evidence to prove causation
• Medical expert testimony to prove damages

Our law firm has decades of experience with all kinds of cases. And we don’t back down. We spare no resources when gathering evidence to prove your claim.

The steps you take after an accident could affect the amount of compensation you could ultimately receive.

Get Yourself Out of Harm’s Way

If you’ve been in a car accident, get safely off the road. Make sure that you and any passengers are out of the way.

Seek Medical Attention

Even if you don’t think you’ve been seriously hurt, you should get checked out by a medical professional after an accident. You’ll be shaken up after the accident and might not recognize the extent of your injuries.

Report The Accident

You may be required to report the accident to the police. Or maybe your employer, depending on the circumstances. It’s not just the right thing to do. An accident report could also provide important information to your lawyer if you decide to pursue a personal injury claim.

Be Careful With Your Statements

You’ll of course need to answer police questions honestly, but avoid making statements that indicate you caused the accident.



Also, don’t post anything to social media accounts after the accident. You can’t take those back. They could damage your claim.

Consider Consulting An Attorney

Most injury attorneys proffer no-cost case evaluations. You have nothing to lose. You could be entitled to compensation. You’ll miss out if you don’t ask.