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Collisions at intersections are among the most common causes of accident-related injuries in Florida. In many cases, these accidents happen when one driver runs a stop sign. If you suffered serious injuries when you were hit by a driver who ran a stop sign, you have clear legal rights—but it will be up to you to prove it. This starts with hiring an experienced Fort Myers car accident attorney with Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. to represent you.

While there are several potential ways to prove that the driver who hit you ran a stop sign, the evidence that is available in any particular case depends on the circumstances involved. In all cases, it is important to investigate promptly, as you will need to preserve the available evidence before it disappears.

5 Steps to Prove the Driver Who Hit You Ran a Stop Sign

Were you seriously injured in a car accident at a stop sign in Florida? If so, here are five key steps for seeking the financial compensation you deserve:

1. Hire an Attorney to Represent You

The first key step is hiring an experienced Fort Myers car accident attorney with Spivey Law Firm to represent you. While you are not legally required to hire an attorney, there are several important reasons to have an experienced attorney on your side.

Hiring an attorney to help you seek full compensation for a car accident at a stop sign does not cost you anything out-of-pocket. In these types of cases, attorneys represent their clients on a contingency-fee basis. This means that you do not have to pay any upfront or monthly legal fees. With contingency-fee representation, your legal fees are deducted from your compensation award at the end of your case (if your case is successful). Otherwise, you owe nothing.

2. Conduct an On-Scene Investigation

Once you hire an attorney to represent you, your attorney’s team, which may include investigators, attorneys, and expert engineers, may conduct an on-scene investigation. The purposes of this investigation are twofold: (i) to preserve any forensic evidence at the scene of the accident; and (ii) to determine where else evidence might be available. Some examples of forensic evidence that might be available at the scene of the accident to prove the other driver ran a stop sign include:

• Vehicle debris
• Tire marks
• Gouges in the road
• Leaked vehicle fluids
• Damaged signposts
• Damaged guardrails
• Damaged vegetation

These truly are just examples. Forensic evidence can take a variety of other forms as well, and your attorney will not know what is available until he or she sends an investigator to the scene. Since all of these forms of evidence can disappear (or be repaired), it is important to conduct an on-scene investigation as soon as possible, and the team at Spivey Law Firm will ensure this happens.

3. Gather Evidence from Other Sources

Along with gathering forensic evidence at the accident scene, your Spivey Law Firm attorney may need to gather evidence from various other sources as well. Other forms of evidence that may be available to prove that you are entitled to full compensation for the accident include:

• Traffic or surveillance camera footage (this could show that the other driver ran the stop sign before hitting your vehicle)
• Photos or videos from the accident scene (these could show the location of each vehicle after the crash)
• Dash camera footage (these could show the exact vantage points of the respective drivers)
• Vehicle inspection reports (these could show the point of impact and the speed each vehicle was traveling at the time of the collision)
• The other driver’s GPS and “black box” data (these could show that the other driver did not apply the brakes before the crash)
• The other driver’s cell phone records (these could show that the driver was distracted when he or she ran the stop sign)
• The other driver’s social media posts (these could show that the driver was distracted or contain an after-the-fact admission)
• The other driver’s receipts (these could show that the driver was drinking before the accident)

These are just a few examples. From the other driver’s employment records (if he or she was working at the time of the accident) to eyewitness testimony, various other forms of evidence may be available as well. After preserving any forensic evidence at the accident scene, your attorney’s next priority will be to identify any and all other sources of evidence to prove liability.

4. Present Your Evidence to the Insurance Company

After gathering the evidence, the next step toward proving your legal rights is presenting the evidence to the insurance company. The insurance company you need to contact depends on the circumstances of your car accident and the coverage available. If you have a claim based on running a stop sign, your options may include:

• Filing a claim under the other driver’s liability insurance policy (if the driver has this optional coverage);
• Filing a claim under your uninsured/underinsured motorist policy (if you have this optional coverage), and/or,
• Filing a claim with the other driver’s employer’s insurance company (if the other driver was working at the time of the accident).

Your attorney at Spivey Law Firm can determine which claim (or claims) you are eligible to file, and then your attorney can deal with the appropriate insurance company (or companies) on your behalf.

5. Go Through the Insurance Claims Process

Once you have the evidence you need and you have filed your claim (or claims), you will then need to go through the insurance claims process. From convincing the insurance companies to accept liability to proving how much you deserve to recover, this also requires experienced legal representation. When you hire an experienced Fort Myers car accident attorney with Spivey Law Firm to represent you, your attorney will negotiate for a favorable settlement on your behalf, and your attorney will help you decide whether to accept any offers that are on the table.

Hit at a Stop Sign? Schedule a Free Consultation with a Fort Myers Car Accident Attorney Today

Do you need to know more about proving your legal rights after being hit at a stop sign in Florida? If so, we encourage you to contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. today. To speak with an experienced Fort Myers car accident attorney for free, call us at 239-337-7483 or toll-free at 888-477-4839, or contact us online at SpiveyLaw.com now.