Personal Injury Lawyer In Tampa, FL
Florida Personal Injury Attorneys Serving Injured Claimants and Plaintiffs in Tampa
Serious and life-threatening injuries happen much too often in Tampa because of someone else’s negligence or reckless behavior. From accidents involving cars and trucks to collisions affecting motorcyclists and bicyclists, serious personal injuries occur more often than you might think. According to Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), more than 401,000 motor vehicle crashes occurred in the state in 2021, and there were a total of 3,739 fatalities and nearly 253,000 injuries. In the Tampa area alone, nearly 19,000 people suffered injuries in accidents, and there were a total of 272 fatalities in Hillsborough County in 2021. Car and truck occupants, as well as motorcyclists and bicyclists, were injured and killed in those collisions.
Were you injured in an accident in the Tampa area? One of the experienced Tampa personal injury lawyers at Carman and Bevington can speak with you today about your options for seeking compensation after a serious injury in an accident.
Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle for Clients in the Tampa Area
At Carman and Bevington, we represent clients in many kinds of personal injury cases, such as:
- Car accidents;
- Truck accidents;
- Motorcycle accidents; and
- Bicycle accidents.
If you were injured because of another party’s negligent act or omission, you should seek advice from an injury attorney in the Tampa Bay area as soon as possible to find out more about filing a claim for financial compensation.
Steps to Take After a Tampa Motor Vehicle Accident Involving Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles, and Bicycles
To protect your right to seek compensation after sustaining an injury in an accident, you should take the following steps:
- Document the scene where your injury occurred with various photographs;
- Ask for witness contact information;
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible to ensure that any injuries are properly addressed in a timely manner; and
- Contact an experienced lawyer to begin working with you on your case.
Understanding No-Fault Insurance in Tampa, Florida, and Accident Claims
Florida is a no-fault state for auto insurance purposes. What does this mean for you after an accident and injury? After many types of collisions, including car and truck collisions, anyone who has been injured must initially seek compensation through their own no-fault insurance, which is known as personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. PIP coverage in Florida covers the policyholder, members of their household, and most vehicle occupants or passengers who do not have their own PIP coverage. To file a lawsuit based on Florida’s no-fault law, the injured person who plans to file a lawsuit must meet a “serious injury” threshold in order to do so. In short, you must be able to prove that your injury is serious enough, according to Florida law, to allow for a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party.
The no-fault requirements in Florida do not apply in the same way to motorcyclists or bicyclists or pedestrians who are injured in collisions with other vehicles or as a result of another party’s negligence. Accordingly, most motorcyclists or cyclists who are injured in Tampa do not need to meet the serious injury threshold in order to file a lawsuit and may be able to move forward immediately with a civil claim against the liable party.
Frequent Injuries in Tampa Accidents
Many different types of injuries can give rise to successful personal injury claims in the Tampa area, including but not limited to the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs);
- Spinal cord injuries (SCIs);
- Back and neck injuries;
- Contusions;
- Bone fractures of varying severity;
- Cuts and lacerations, including facial lacerations;
- Traumatic amputations;
- Internal bleeding;
- Organ damage;
- Vision loss; and
- Scarring and disfigurement.
How Comparative Fault Can Affect Your Tampa Personal Injury Case
Will you still be able to recover compensation for your losses if the at-fault party alleges that you are also partially to blame for the accident or for the seriousness of your injuries? Florida has a pure comparative fault rule, which means that a plaintiff in a civil lawsuit can recover damages even if the court determines that plaintiff is partially at fault. Regardless of whether the plaintiff is only 1% at fault or up to 99% at fault, that plaintiff can still recover. However, the plaintiff’s recovery will be reduced by their percentage of fault.
Tampa Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Claims
Under Florida law, most personal injury lawsuits based on a theory of negligence must be filed within four years from the date of the injury. The clock on the statute of limitations will start to tick on the date that you were injured. From that point, Florida law gives you four years to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party or parties. Although four years might seem like a significant amount of time, it can take extensive effort to go through the insurance claims process first and to obtain the necessary evidence you will need to win your lawsuit. As such, you should begin working with a lawyer as soon as possible on your case.
If you fail to file a lawsuit within four years from the date of your injury, Florida law will consider your claim to be time-barred and your compensation options will be limited. By seeking advice from a lawyer quickly, you can ensure that your claim will be filed in a timely manner.
Contact an Experienced Tampa Personal Injury Attorney Today
If you or someone you love recently sustained injuries in an accident, it may be possible to file a claim for compensation. Depending upon the specific facts of your case, you may be eligible to file a negligence claim against a careless or reckless motorist who caused serious injuries in a collision involving a car, truck, motorcycle, or bicycle. Nobody should have to worry about suffering serious injuries in an accident because of another party’s negligence, but these types of accidents and injuries occur with some frequency in Florida.
Our firm can help you to seek the compensation you need and deserve. Do not hesitate to get in touch with one of the aggressive Tampa personal injury attorneys at our firm. Contact Carman and Bevington today to learn more about the various types of personal injury cases we handle in the Tampa area.