Often times we have clients come to us and want to know if they can sue more than one person at a time for their injuries. In that state of Florida, there is something called “pure comparative negligence” which involves the judge or jury looking at all the evidence of a case and deciding what percentage of blame each party holds. This meaning all of the defendants and sometimes even the plaintiff is assigned a percentage of blame based on the details and circumstances of the case.
Once the judge or jury has determined the percentage of blame for each person or entity involved, they will then determine the total costs of the damages to be awarded for the plaintiff’s injuries. After that number has been decided the judge or jury will enter a judgement for each liable party to pay the plaintiff a percentage of the judgement. If one person is determined to be 50% liable then they will have to pay the plaintiff 50% of the money the plaintiff is entitled to.
Due to this law in Florida, liability if often heavily debated in personal injury cases. If a defendant can assign even a small percentage of blame to the plaintiff then that will save the defendant money.
If you have any questions about your Florida personal injury case or how to deal with an accident that involves more than one person being at fault, please call us at 407-254-4901 or text us at 407-644-4444. We are always happy to offer a no-obligation, free consultation to discuss your case with you.
