Tampa Car Accident Lawyer

Florida is in the midst of a decades-long trend of increasing car crashes, with more wrecks happening every year and out of proportion to the modest increase in registered vehicles and licensed drivers in the state. In 2021, Florida saw 401,540 crashes involving 683,869 drivers; that’s an average of 1,100 crashes per day, more than occurred in 2020 and comparable to the pre-pandemic level of 2019. These accidents resulted in 3,741 fatalities, 16,826 incapacitating injuries, and 236,145 other injuries. The numbers are particularly bleak in the Tampa Bay area, with Hillsborough County ranking third in the state for having the most car accidents and Pinellas County ranking seventh.

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the vast majority of Florida car accidents occur on dry roads in clear weather, with no debris on the road, and mostly during daylight hours. They happen because drivers operate their motor vehicles in a careless or negligent manner, fail to yield the right-of-way, fail to keep in the proper lane, exceed the posted speed or drive too fast for conditions, operate their motor vehicles in an erratic, reckless or aggressive manner, and act in countless other negligent ways. Everybody makes mistakes, but there is no excuse for careless driving when other people’s lives are at stake. Justice demands that negligent drivers be held accountable when they cause accidents that result in injury or death to other drivers, passengers, pedestrians, or cyclists in their path.

The personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at Florin Gray have dedicated their legal practice to helping automobile accident victims get the medical care and compensation they need after being struck by negligent drivers. We put together a legal team with the right set of skills and knowledge to handle the issues in your particular case, so we can successfully recover the compensation you need and deserve. Call our experienced Tampa car accident lawyers today if you have been hurt in a Tampa Bay car accident, or if you have lost a loved one in a fatal crash.

Compensation for Car Accident Victims in Tampa

Many car accident victims can benefit from their Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance when they’ve been hurt in a crash. PIP provides medical and wage loss benefits to accident victims without regard to who was at fault. For most people, obtaining PIP benefits is a fairly simple and straightforward process. Unfortunately, the benefits offered under a PIP policy are limited and never fully meet a crash victim’s needs. This no-fault insurance only pays for 80% of a person’s medical expenses and 60% of their lost wages, and it doesn’t pay anything toward pain and suffering. Also, PIP benefits are only available if you seek medical attention within 14 days of the crash, and benefits are capped at $2,500 unless you had a certified “emergency medical condition,” in which case total benefits are limited to $10,000.

For minor accidents, applying for PIP benefits is the only recourse accident victims have; they cannot sue the at-fault driver. This law is purposely meant to limit lawsuits and the larger payouts insurance companies would be liable for if they had to face litigation. However, Florida does provide an exception to no-fault benefits for accident victims who suffered a serious injury in a crash. A serious injury is defined in the law as one of the following:

a significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function,
significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement, or
a permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability

If you suffered a serious injury as defined above, then you can pursue a claim against the negligent driver instead of settling for no-fault benefits. If successful, you can recover the full amount of your medical expenses and lost wages, plus compensation for your pain and suffering and other legal damages. Recovering this compensation, however, requires more than just filing a claim for benefits. Instead, you’ll have to be able to prove that the other driver was negligent and responsible for causing the crash. You’ll have to prove what your injuries and damages are and that the negligent driver caused them. This can be a daunting task to complete, especially if the insurance company is disputing their driver’s liability, blaming you for the accident, or arguing your injuries are less severe than you claim or happened in some other way.

This is where having an experienced car accident attorney on your side can be invaluable. At Florin Gray, we have decades of experience helping accident victims successfully recover compensation from negligent drivers and their insurance companies. We understand what it takes and know how to prepare and present a strong case that convinces the insurer to settle for an appropriate amount or convinces a judge and jury if your case goes to trial. Our comprehensive auto accident legal team handles all types of car accident claims in Tampa, including:

Distracted driving accidents
Hit by a drunk driver
Collisions involving Uber and Lyft drivers
Speeding
Stop sign accidents
Hit by an uninsured driver
Hit-and-run car accidents
Head-on collisions
Rear-end collisions
Side-impact crashes
T-bone crashes
Rollover accidents

Contact Florin Gray Today

If you have been injured in a car accident in Tampa, or if you lost a family member in a fatal crash caused by a negligent driver, the injury attorneys at Florin Gray can help you get justice and compensation by holding the negligent driver accountable for the damage they’ve caused. Call our experienced Tampa car accident lawyers today.