Tampa Personal Injury Lawyer

Negligence is the basis of most personal injury claims, including those involving motor vehicle accidents, slip and falls, workplace accidents, and other incidents. It means that someone has failed to act as a reasonable person under the circumstances and caused harm to another.

Negligence has four legal elements you must prove to establish your right to compensation:

• Duty of care – The defendant must have owed you a duty of care to act in a certain way. For example, motorists must obey traffic laws and drive safely to prevent accidents. Property owners must maintain safe premises.
• Breach of duty – The defendant breached the duty by doing or failing to do something, such as speeding or failing to clean up a spill.
• Causation – The defendant’s breach of duty must be the direct and legal cause of the accident. For example, the speeding driver didn’t stop in time to avoid an accident.
• Damages – You suffered damages for which the court can compensate you, such as medical expenses or lost income.

Your lawyer can identify and preserve evidence to help you establish your negligence claim, such as accident reports, medical records, witness statements, video surveillance footage, expert testimony, and more. We will pursue a maximum recovery on your behalf.

Most Hillsborough County personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. They do not ask for any upfront payment for their services. Instead, they receive a percentage of the compensation they recover on your behalf through a fair settlement or jury award.

If they are unable to recover compensation, you do not owe anything for their legal services.

This payment arrangement allows you to get quality representation without worrying about the cost. We will explain our contingency fees in further detail during your initial case review.

Florida’s statute of limitations is two years for most personal injury lawsuits. That means you will typically have two years from the date of your accident to take legal action.

However, there are some exceptions to this deadline.

The rules surrounding legal filings can be complicated, so it’s best to consult a knowledgeable injury lawyer to learn the deadline that applies to your particular case. Reach out today to preserve your rights.

Every case involves unique details and characteristics, so there is no average amount of money to expect for a personal injury case.

Some factors that can affect your claim’s value include:

• The type of accident
• The identity and number of at-fault parties
• The insurance coverage available
• The extent of your injuries
• Whether your injuries caused permanent disabilities
• The value of your economic damages
• The extent of your pain and suffering
• Whether your case settles or goes to trial

The best way to learn about the potential value of your claim is to contact a personal injury attorney. We can accurately assess your damages and fight for every dollar you deserve.

Each injury case is different. The amount of time it takes to resolve one may vary substantially with the time it takes to resolve another.

Some factors that can affect the timeline of your personal injury case include:

• The type of case
• The severity of your injuries
• Whether multiple defendants are involved
• The willingness of the opposing party to settle your case for a reasonable value
• How clear liability is
• Whether your case settles or goes to trial
• How long it takes you to reach maximum medical improvement

A lawyer can review your case and give you a better idea about the potential timeline you can expect.

Accident victims may have the right to pursue compensation for their economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages are direct financial losses you incur because of the accident, such as:

• Medical expenses
• Property damage
• Lost wages
• Out-of-pocket costs

Non-economic damages are less tangible losses, such as:

• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Emotional distress
• Loss of companionship
• Reduced quality of life

Our experienced personal injury attorneys can evaluate your case to determine the damages you can claim.

Florida uses a modified comparative negligence rule with a 51% bar to financial recovery. As long as you are not found to be more than 50% at fault for the accident, you can still receive compensation. However, your damages will be reduced in proportion to your degree of fault.

For example, if you are 10% to blame for the accident, your damages will be reduced by 10%.

The insurance company may use this rule against you to lower your payout. Don’t let them get away with it. If the opposing side is pointing fingers at you, contact our attorneys right away. We’ll protect you from unfair allegations of shared fault.