St. Petersburg Car Accident Attorneys
Helping Injured Floridians Get Their Lives Back on Track after a Negligent Car Accident
Car accidents can be stressful and scary for anyone involved. Jones Law Group would like to help take the weight off of your shoulders and help you with your lawsuit so you can focus on recovering from your accident. When it comes to negotiating with insurance companies and providing solid evidence in court, you need an experienced attorney on your side.
Aside from the number of car accident claims we have handled for our clients, we are also an award-winning law firm. Jones Law Group is proudly awarded Best Car Accident Lawyers in St. Petersburg by Expertise.com.
For a free consultation with our award-winning car accident law firm, feel free to contact us online.
Causes of St. Petersburg Car Accidents
Human error is the most common cause of car accidents. Human error, otherwise known as negligence, refers to an act that occurs when a person isn’t taking proper care in what they’re doing—in this instance, driving.
Negligence can look like any of the following:
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence
- Aggressive driving or speeding
- Running red lights or stop signs
- Failing to check blind spots
- Incorrectly merging
- Failing to use blinkers
- And more
How does a car accident claim work?
It is imperative to maximize damages incurred and take into account other aspects of how your car accident has impacted your life. This includes loss of income, out-of-pocket expenses, medical bills, and your inability to perform essential duties while injured.
It’s necessary to interview all witnesses present at the scene of the car accident, gather photographs of property damage for all parties involved in the incident, and perform a background check on the defendant to establish precedence.
It’s also important to obtain medical records from before and after the car accident. This serves to create a clear picture of the full extent of injuries that were inflicted. We also seek to procure cell phone records and review them to determine if phone use is the cause of the accident.
In the event that we proceed to litigation, we retain a selection of competent experts to assist in presenting your injury case. At every step of the process, we have assembled the best possible team to advocate for you and to secure the compensation that you are entitled to.
What should I do after I’m in a car accident?
The first thing you should do after you’re in a car accident is immediately check on everyone in the vehicle. Has anyone suffered injuries? Is there any immediate danger or potential for further injury?
Once you’ve assessed the situation and moved to safety, call 911.
Exchange information with the other parties involved in the crash and keep the conversation constructive. Information you should obtain from all other parties should include:
- Names and driver’s license numbers
- License plate numbers
- Insurance information
Be sure to take pictures of the scene to keep a detailed record of what happened. Photographs should be of any visible bodily injury on yourself or any of your passengers and any property damage. All official documents, particularly police reports, should be collected and kept safe. Finally, contact your insurance company and report the car accident to them.
How to Establish Liability in a Florida Car Accident Case
In order to establish liability in a car accident case, you’ll need to prove that the at-fault party acted with negligence and that their negligence directly caused the accident and, therefore, your injuries. This is a multi-step process, including the following:
- Establish that the alleged at-fault driver owed a certain duty of care. This one is simple, as all drivers owe this care to one another. When you get behind the wheel of a car, you’re agreeing to drive safely, and not engage in any negligent acts, like texting or drinking.
- Establish that the at-fault driver breached their duty by engaging in negligence. Negligence can look like texting while driving, speeding, driving under the influence, running a red light, etc.
- Use evidence to prove that the accident (caused by their breach) directly caused your damages.
- And lastly, prove that you have incurred actual damages as a result of your injuries.
Common Car Accident Damages
When involved in a car accident, there can be many damages incurred. These can be economic in nature, like medical expenses, property damage, and lost wages. Non-economic damages have the potential to be long-lasting and can take a devastating emotional toll.
Medical Bills
After a car accident, you may be stressed about the amount of medical debt you may have accumulated. Your health insurance may cover some of the debt, but it’s unlikely that it will cover all of it.
Thankfully, you can recover damages for this debt and more. Just be sure to save any bills that you receive so you can claim them in your lawsuit. You may also be able to recover damages for any therapy you receive, whether it’s physical therapy or mental therapy.
Other types of medical damages include ambulance rides, surgery costs, specialist visits, medical equipment, changes to your home for medical equipment, and more. If you’re uncertain whether or not something will be covered, just talk to your doctor and/or lawyer.
Lost Wages
You may be out of work for some time because of your injury. Because of this, you may be able to receive compensation for any wages that you lost when you were in the hospital or receiving treatment. You may also be compensated for your loss of earning capacity in the future or any future wages you may lose because of your injury.
Property Damage
It’s unlikely that your car accident will be accompanied by property damage to a building or someone else’s property. The property we’re speaking of here is your own car.
While your auto insurance may be able to cover some of the damages, you may be left with a high deductible to pay. In some cases, you may need to replace your car entirely. This compensation can help you to purchase a new car if need be.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering can be hard to calculate, as each car accident injury and the case is completely different from one another. This number will be determined by the jury based on the evidence, your accident, and the presentation of your case by your attorney.
Pain and suffering is given to victims as injuries can often change their life in a stressful way. Injuries can lead to mental health problems, and in some serious cases, victims may even be disabled after their accident.
Permanent Loss and Disability
Permanent disability refers to any case in which the victim of a car accident is left disabled by the accident. This means that they are not able to return to work due to the injuries they sustained. Permanent disability is an incredibly hard thing to adjust to, and this compensation helps to ease the burden on the victim.
Wrongful Death
When someone is killed because of another person’s negligence or intentional action, this is referred to as wrongful death. Wrongful death lawsuits are separate from criminal lawsuits and criminal charges. Wrongful death lawsuits can be filed by children, a spouse, or a parent of an underaged child.
Common Injuries from a Car Accident
Some common injuries from a St. Petersburg car accident include:
Whiplash
Whiplash is a type of neck injury that is very common in car accidents. It’s caused by the rapid back-and-forth motion of the neck that occurs when a car is jolted from any direction. Whiplash is a mild injury but can be a symptom of more severe injuries as well.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries are defined as damage to ligaments, muscles, and tendons. Contusions, sprains, and strains are common soft tissue injuries. These injuries are caused by sudden trauma, such as a blow or a fall. Even with appropriate treatment, these injuries may still require an extended period of time to heal.
Head and Traumatic Brain Injuries
Car accidents are one of the most common causes of traumatic brain injury (TBI). This type of injury occurs when the head is struck or strikes an object. TBI can also occur when an object penetrates the skull. TBI can range from mild to severe but should always be looked at by a doctor. Severe TBI can lead to coma, unconsciousness, brain death, or even fatality.
Broken Bones
Fractures are common injuries in automotive accidents. Speed and sudden deceleration or jarring impact of a collision are capable of causing extensive harm. As such, broken bones are very common. Even if a broken bone doesn’t require extensive surgical intervention to heal properly, it can still limit someone’s ability to work or do the things they enjoy until the bone is fully healed.
Internal Bleeding
If you hit or are hit by an object at high speed, it can damage blood vessels inside your body and cause internal bleeding. For example, if you were involved in a car accident, you may incur internal bleeding due to the force of the impact. Internal bleeding is one of the most serious consequences of trauma.
Usually, the bleeding results from obvious injuries that require immediate medical attention, but internal bleeding may also occur after less severe trauma and can be delayed by hours or days. Some internal bleeding due to trauma stops on its own. If the bleeding continues or is severe, surgery is required to correct it.
Neck and Back Injuries
Neck and back injuries are one of the most common injuries caused by car accidents and, unfortunately, one of the most serious. Damage to any part of the spinal cord or nerves at the end of the spinal column often causes permanent changes in strength, sensation, and other body functions below the site of the injury.
Many scientists are optimistic that advances in research will someday make the repair of spinal cord injuries possible. Research studies are ongoing around the world. In the meantime, treatments and rehabilitation allow many people with spinal cord injuries to lead productive, independent lives.
Emotional Trauma
Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the general population. There are approximately six million auto accidents in the United States annually, resulting in over 3 million injuries.
According to a National Institute of Mental Health study, 39.2% of survivors of serious motor vehicle accidents develop PTSD. Additionally, 53% of the sampled survivors also met the criteria for major depression.
Understanding Insurance in Florida
By Florida law, all drivers are required to have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) as a part of their automobile insurance coverage. In the event of an accident, PIP pays for your injuries regardless of who is at fault. You must report the accident to your insurance company immediately. They will make a fault determination upon receiving all relevant information.
If the extent of your injuries exceeds what your insurance policy is able to cover, you may have the right to sue for additional damages.
How long do you have to file a car accident lawsuit in Florida?
According to the Florida statute of limitations regarding car accidents, you have four years from the date of the accident to file. However, it’s in your best interest to file as soon as possible while the details of your case are still fresh in your mind.
However, an experienced car accident attorney will be able to work on your case even if the statute of limitations is almost up. With connections to local experts, law enforcement, and medical teams, it’ll be easy for Jones Law Group to acquire all of the records and information they need to build your case.
Contact an Experienced St. Petersburg Car Accident Attorney Today
If you have been in a St. Petersburg car accident, schedule your free consultation with the experienced attorneys at Jones Law Group today and see how our dynamic team of professionals can best represent you. We can be reached by calling 727-571-1333, filling out our online contact form, or by using our Chat feature below.