What if You’re From Another State, but Were Injured in Florida?

Here in Florida, we get a lot of visitors, both for pleasure and business. But if someone visiting or vacationing here is injured here in Florida, and they eventually return home, they may find themselves in a situation where they cannot sue the negligent defendant in whatever state they are from–they must come here, to Florida, to file the lawsuit.

If you are from out of state, and then find yourself having to bring a lawsuit here in Florida, you may have one of a number of concerns. The good news is, many of these concerns aren’t as bad or difficult, as they may at first seem to be.

Travel, Attendance and Cost

Many people are worried about the travel involved in a lawsuit, and having to attend court-related events in Florida–whether because of work or expenses or kids or all of these, they simply cannot go back and forth between their home state, and Florida, to handle the demands of a lawsuit.

But today, many of the hearings or depositions where your attendance may be required, can be done remotely from where you are. And many injury lawsuits even settle, long before any such event or activity that would require your personal attendance, even happens.

Using a Local Attorney

Many people are also concerned that they can’t use their own local hometown lawyer to handle their case, if that lawyer isn’t licensed here in Florida.

While that is true, your hometown lawyer can get temporarily licensed here in Florida, and work with a Florida personal injury attorney, to co-counsel on your case. This allows you the benefit of the lawyer you’re comfortable with at home, as well as an experienced local attorney here in Florida, who knows Florida law, and the court system.

Strategic Benefits

In some ways, suing in Florida might benefit you more strategically, than suing a negligent Defendant in your own state. Florida jurors understand how people in Florida get injured. For example, jurors in Florida are more likely to understand injuries caused by, in, or around, pools or beaches, than a jury from, say, Montana or Vermont might.

Trying to Discourage You

Many Defendants, when they realize that you have a Florida accident, but you live in another state, will purposefully try to “lowball” you with a settlement offer that is far less than the value or worth of the injury, or less than the compensation that you need.

They often assume that you, because you’re from another state, won’t bother to get a local attorney, or that you will see suing in Florida as being “too difficult.” They are trying to make it sound and seem more difficult, to deter you from moving forward with your claim or lawsuit.

Don’t let them do that–get a local attorney here in Florida, that’s used to working with out of state victims, that can help you in your case.

Schedule a consultation with our Tampa personal injury lawyers at Barbas, Nunez, Sanders, Butler & Hovsepian today to see if you can be compensated if you were injured in Florida, but live in another state.

Source:

floridabar.org/rules/upl/upl002/