Every year, millions of people come to Florida for vacation. No holiday trip is perfect, but a car accident can do more than ruin your vacation. It can leave you with a long-term disability or even take away the life of one of your loved ones.

Whether you get hit by a dangerous driver in your home state or while driving a rental car on I-95 in South Florida, you may be entitled to complete compensation for things like medical bills, the wages you lost by being unable to work, pain and suffering and more. However, the fact that you live out of state can complicate the situation. In almost every case, you will need an attorney who is licensed to practice in Florida. Since every state’s torts laws are somewhat different, your lawyer should be someone who is familiar with how personal injury claims work here in the Sunshine State.

Were you driving your own car, or not?

Another potential wrinkle is the vehicle you were driving when the crash happened. Unless you drove to Florida for vacation, you were likely driving a rental car. Or you might have been in the passenger seat of a taxi or rideshare vehicle from a company like Uber. Either way, these circumstances might potentially add another party who failed to respect your safety. For example, the rental company might have failed to inspect and maintain the brakes on your vehicle, causing you to lose control and crash. Or if you were injured in a wreck while riding in a rideshare, the driver might be responsible for your injuries.

Even if you live far away from Florida, getting reasonable compensation in a lawsuit in this state is still possible. Litigation cannot take back what happened on your vacation, but it can help you move on from your experience.