"At our firm, our mission is to help our clients through their legal difficulties cost effectively and efficiently as possible, while minimizing the amount of stress on their lives."

Matthew Rheingans, P.A. was founded in 2003 as a firm dedicated to civil and criminal litigation. We are located conveniently in downtown Venice on the corner of Harbor Drive and Venice Avenue West, directly across the street from the post office and City Hall.

 

PRACTICE AREAS

AUTOMOBILE/MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS

SLIP AND FALLS

PREMISES LIABILITY

WRONGFUL DEATH

DUI RELATED INJURIES

• WHAT IS A PERSONAL INJURY?

  • When you are physically or emotionally injured or your property damaged by another's actions, you may be entitled to recover monetary compensation for that person's conduct. This area of law is also called tort law.

• WHAT IS A TORT?

  • Black's Law Dictionary defines a tort as "A civil wrong, other than breach of contract, for which a remedy may be obtained, usually in the form of damages".
  • There are intentional torts, such as battery or defamation of character.
  • There are torts involving someone's negligence, which is that person's failure to observe a legal standard of care owed to another.
  • There are quasi-torts, which are actions for which a person is held legally responsible even though that person did not commit the act. Examples include when a employer is held liable for an employee's conduct
  • Typically, the most common tort action is one involving another person's negligence, or their failure to observe a legal standard of care owed to another person. (i.e., automobile accident or injury occurring on someone's property called premises liability)
  • In order to recover for negligence, there are three components that must exist:
    1. A legal duty must be owed to the person trying to recover
    2. There must have been a breach of that legal duty
    3. That breach of duty must cause damages
  • The duty that is owed may depend on circumstances of the case, such as in premises liability cases, but often it is general standard of care to act reasonable and prudent in light of the circumstances.
  • You may be able to recover damages for lost earnings, lost earning capacity, past medical expenses, future medical expenses, pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium for your spouse and children, to name a few.
  • You can recover these damages through either negotiating a settlement with an insurance company pre-suit or through a lawsuit and trial.

• WHAT TO DO IF I AM INJURED?

  • If you are physically able, immediately take notes of how the accident happened, any defects in equipment such as bald tires, non-working headlights, or a poorly lit area.
  • Immediately take down the names, phone numbers and addresses of all witnesses.
  • Immediately take pictures of the accident location, pictures of your injuries, pictures of the other person's car if automobile accident.
  • Go to your family physician immediately or to the emergency room and give the physician a complete report of the accident. (Err on the safe side!! There are many injuries which you may not feel immediately but have an onset days or weeks after an accident).
  • If you are physically able, talk to the police officer at the scene calmly.
  • DO NOT GIVE ANY WRITTEN OR RECORDED STATEMENTS.
  • Immediately contact the offices of Matthew Rheingans, P.A. for a FREE CONSULTATION.
  • Contact YOUR OWN insurance company to report the accident and ask your insurance company to open up a PIP claim for your medical care

• AS MY CASE PROGRESSES...

  1. Do not talk with anyone besides your attorney about your case. You may be contacted by an insurance company who will ask you to speak about the accident or the injury. You should not talk to that insurance adjuster as your statements can later be used against you in settlement negotiations or trial. You may talk to your insurance company regarding a property settlement if your car is damaged, but should not give statements regarding your personal injury case. DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING from an insurance company unless you know what it is. Many times an insurance company will have you sign a broad release that will preclude you from pursuing a personal injury claim. If you are not sure what you are signing, contact the offices of MATTHEW RHEINGANS, P.A.
  2. Follow up with recommended treatment and care.
     Go to each appointment as scheduled and do all recommended treatment. This is the only way you will get better and this is the only way to preserve evidence of your medical care.
  3. Keep accurate records.
     Keep all records received from your insurance companies, such as Explanation of Benefits (EOB's), any bills received directly from doctors, hospitals or other medical providers, any out-of-pocket losses such as insurance or prescription co-payments and deductibles, a detailed diary of your physical limitations and events or activities in which you were unable to participate because of your injuries, keep all casts, braces, crutches, prescription bottles and/or other items related to your treatment and care.

• STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS

  • You have a limited amount of time in which to file a lawsuit. If you fail to file a lawsuit in this time, it is barred. Therefore, it is imperative that you contact MATTHEW RHEINGANS, P.A., as soon as possible to preserve your rights.

Personal Injury
Civil Litigation
DUI

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