Car Accident Lawyer in St. Petersburg, FL

How a Car Accident Lawyer in St. Petersburg, FL Can Help

Florida law requires drivers to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage on their insurance policies to help an injured victim seek necessary medical treatment after an accident. It is important to have an auto insurance policy with adequate insurance coverage, including uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, to ensure better financial protection in case the at-fault driver lacks sufficient coverage. Your insurance provider plays a key role in the claims process, as you must contact them to report the incident and access your benefits. This PIP coverage provides $10,000.00 worth of benefits to cover 80% of the victim’s medical bills and 60% of their lost wages. This PIP coverage is considered “No-Fault” insurance because the injured victim can utilize it no matter who caused the accident. However, take note that the PIP coverage does not pay 100% of the injured victim’s medical bills and lost wages. Additionally, an injured victim’s medical expenses and lost wages often exceed the PIP benefits of $10,000.00. Therefore, an injured victim must make a claim against the negligent party to be made whole.

An injured victim may have a claim for the following:

• Property damage: repairs or replacement costs for your vehicle
• Lost wages: income you have missed due to recovery
• Transportation costs: travel to and from doctor appointments
• Current and ongoing medical expenses: hospital bills, prescriptions, and follow-up care
• Pain and suffering: physical discomfort resulting from your injuries
• Permanent disability and disfigurement: long-term impairment affecting daily life
• Household help: assistance for duties you can no longer perform on your own
• Emotional distress: psychological impact of the accident
• Wrongful death: losses when a car accident results in a fatality
• Other costs: any additional expenses directly related to your injuries

The painful consequences of a motor vehicle collision make it vital to contact a trusted attorney about your claim as soon as possible after experiencing an accident. Insurance companies aggressively defend car accident claims, often relying on insurance adjusters who may use tactics to minimize payouts or dispute liability. An experienced St. Petersburg car accident lawyer can counter these tactics, advocate for your rights, and help ensure you receive the monetary compensation you deserve. Therefore, it is necessary to hire an experienced car accident attorney to navigate the complexities of insurance claims and settlements, ensuring you receive fair monetary compensation.

The car accident claims process involves several steps, including dealing with insurance providers, negotiating with insurance adjusters, and potentially filing a lawsuit. Securing a fair settlement is crucial, as it should accurately reflect your damages and injuries. Skilled attorneys help clients recover monetary compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and other losses, ensuring they do not settle for less than what they deserve.

Common Causes of Car Accidents in St. Petersburg

Car accidents in St. Petersburg can occur due to various reasons. Florida car accidents often result from different causes, and understanding these causes is crucial for determining legal responsibility and seeking monetary compensation. Depending on the circumstances surrounding your car accident, your case might only require negotiation by a skilled St. Petersburg car accident attorney on your behalf. Yet, in other situations, your case may have to go to trial. Personal Injury cases can be quite complex due to the laws involved. The injured victim must prove four essential elements for their claim to be successful:

The driver of the vehicle owed a duty to the injured victim. The driver of the other vehicle breached that duty. This breach of duty caused damage to the injured party. The injured victim then must prove their damages.

You must prove these elements for all types of car crashes that happen in Florida. Some of the most common causes and types of car accidents in St. Petersburg include:

Accidents on the Freeway

Some of the most serious accidents one can experience occur on a major freeway. The combination of high-volume traffic, elevation changes of the roadways, vehicles prone to rollover like SUVs, and high speeds can create a devastating impact. These impacts can cause serious injuries that could leave you permanently injured or can even cause death. In such cases, understanding the process and implications of a car accident lawsuit is crucial for seeking monetary compensation for injuries, as car accident lawsuits play a key role in holding liable parties accountable.

Head-On Car Accidents

Another potentially fatal type of accident is a head-on collision. These occur when a driver swerves into oncoming traffic or out of their lane to avoid another driver making sudden maneuvers. One might run into a guardrail or streetlamp when trying to swing around traffic in an aggressive move. Even medical conditions, like stroke or a heart attack, have debilitated motorists who crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with other vehicles or objects head-on.

Lyft and Uber Accidents

While ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft are convenient ways to get around, accidents can still occur. To know how to properly handle these situations, one should contact a car accident lawyer.

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of car accidents in St. Petersburg. It can include texting, talking on the phone, eating, or any other activity that takes a driver’s attention away from the road. Even a momentary lapse in focus can lead to devastating consequences, making it important to identify at-fault drivers in these situations.

Speeding

Excessive speeding significantly increases the risk of a car accident. Speeding reduces the amount of time a driver has to react to potential hazards, making it more difficult to avoid a collision. The faster a vehicle is traveling, the more severe the impact and resulting injuries can be.

Drunk Driving

Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is a leading factor in car accidents in St. Petersburg and throughout the United States. Drunk driving severely impairs a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle safely, increasing the risk of an accident. The consequences of drunk driving can be catastrophic, often resulting in serious injuries or fatalities.

Failure to Yield

Failure to yield to other drivers or pedestrians can cause car accidents. This can include failing to stop at a stop sign or red light, or failing to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. Such negligence can lead to dangerous collisions, especially at intersections.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving includes aggressive behaviors such as tailgating, weaving in and out of lanes, or running red lights. These actions not only endanger the reckless driver but also put other road users at risk. Reckless driving can result in serious injuries or fatalities and often requires legal intervention to address the consequences.

Accidents on Buses or Public Transportation

Due to the increased carrying capacity of public transportation, when accidents do occur, they can affect many more people at once. Issues such as identifying parties at fault and liability when public entities are involved can be tricky to mitigate without the help of an experienced car accident attorney who can guide victims through the legal process and assess the value of their cases.

Wrongful Death

Florida continues to rank among the deadliest states for traffic fatalities in the country. This reality emphasizes the fact that it is not always possible for everyone to survive a car accident. Families that lose someone this way should contact an experienced wrongful death lawyer right away to get the case reviewed.

Hit-and-Run Collisions

Florida consistently reports tens of thousands of hit-and-run crashes every year, making it one of the worst states for this type of collision. A hit-and-run collision involves a vehicle striking another car, person, or object, then fleeing the scene for whatever reason. Many times, they flee because they do not want to be caught and face the consequences of their wrongdoing. If you are a victim of a hit-and-run collision, you should immediately contact an experienced St. Petersburg car accident lawyer to pursue the monetary compensation you deserve.

Seek Medical Attention Immediately After a Car Accident

It is not uncommon for victims to experience an inevitable level of shock as their bodies naturally cope with the force and impact of a crash. Many car accident victims do not realize the severity of their injuries until the damage has emerged, sometimes hours, days, or even months after the accident occurred. For example, traumatic brain injuries are a type of serious injury that may not be immediately apparent after a car accident.

That is why it is critical for car crash victims to seek medical attention as soon as possible. “Silent” injuries can be traumatic and cause long-term health issues if they are not treated effectively. Early treatment of your car crash injuries is the key to your future health and well-being. If you need to file a personal injury claim in St. Petersburg, FL, seeking immediate medical attention is necessary for a strong case.

Silent injuries can rapidly turn serious, and in some instances, become fatal. Physical therapy is often an important part of ongoing treatment and recovery after a car accident.

Internal Bleeding

The trauma that a high-impact car crash has on the body can lead to damaged organs and internal bleeding in blood vessels. A collision force often involves blunt trauma, where a body part collides directly with an object at high speed, causing blood vessels to crush and tear.

The most common causes of internal bleeding are:

• Head trauma
• Injuries near the heart and lungs
• Damage to the spleen or liver

“Talk and Die” Syndrome

After blunt head trauma, car accident victims may appear fine, able to walk and talk normally. Neuroscience professionals warn that even seemingly mild head injuries need careful monitoring, as they may lead to “talk and die” syndrome, a condition where initial clarity hides serious internal bleeding within the skull. This bleeding, often accompanied by a skull fracture, can escalate quickly, causing swelling and severe complications. Without timely treatment, this injury can become fatal, making early detection and medical evaluation essential.

What to Do After a Car Accident in St. Petersburg, FL

Although auto accidents are a daily occurrence, nobody expects to be involved in a crash when they leave their home for the day. Car crashes are extremely common in places like St. Petersburg, where residents and visitors rely on driving a vehicle as their primary means of transportation. Seasonal tourism increases traffic density on roads near the beaches and downtown entertainment districts, while afternoon thunderstorms during the summer months create slick road surfaces that contribute to additional collisions. Yet, accident victims are often taken aback when they end up in a crash and are rarely confident about what their next steps should be. Hiring a St. Petersburg car accident attorney is crucial after experiencing a car accident, as they can effectively advocate for injured clients against insurance companies, ensuring that claims are valued fairly and maximizing potential monetary compensation.

Frank P. Marsalisi understands many of the thoughts and feelings that victims go through after being involved in an accident because he has worked with so many victims over his career. While he can obtain the information he needs to build a strong case, there are a few post-accident tasks you can complete to help boost your claim. In some cases, if insurance coverage is not enough to cover your damages, it may be necessary to file a personal injury lawsuit to seek full monetary compensation.

Seeking Medical Treatment

If the negligence of another party caused your accident, you could be entitled to monetary compensation under Florida State Law. While it is important to file your claim quickly, your first priority after a crash should always be to seek medical treatment from a qualified physician.

This will not only provide you with the best chance at making a full and speedy recovery but will help support your injury claim significantly. Receiving medical attention right away is essential evidence that you were injured. Timely and professional medical documentation will help link your injuries directly to the crash, making it more challenging for an insurance company or at-fault party to claim that your damages were triggered by something other than the accident.

Remember to acquire a copy of your medical records so that you have personal documentation detailing your treatments after the crash and the progress of your recovery. These are critical pieces of evidence in Personal Injury claims. Hiring a St. Petersburg car accident attorney can significantly impact the monetary compensation you may receive, as many attorneys offer free consultations to assist you in navigating the complexities of your claim.

Gathering Evidence

Modern-day car accident victims benefit from cell phones with high-definition cameras that allow them to take detailed photos right at the scene of the crash. If you are able to do so, try to take pictures of your damage before leaving the scene. Take photos of:

• Your vehicle
• The other driver’s vehicle
• Any other vehicles involved
• Your visible injuries
• Debris or brake marks on the roadway
• Any other property damage
• The overall scene of the accident
• Anything else you think might be relevant

You can never take too many photos after an accident because you never know what might be beneficial or crucial later.

Collecting Contact Information

Look for anyone who may have witnessed the incident, including other drivers, pedestrians, or business owners. Ask these witnesses what they saw and take notes of their story or record their account on your smartphone if you have their permission.

Do not forget to collect witness names and contact information so they can be contacted again in the future if needed.

Working With Law Enforcement

Sometimes, police are dispatched to crash scenes without a victim or at-fault driver calling them. However, most often, it is up to the victim or other driver to contact local law enforcement. Even if you do not feel like your accident was that serious, you should still call the police.

The officer who arrives on the scene will complete an official accident report documenting the scene and occurrence. This report will include any traffic citations issued to the other driver and may contain the officer’s opinion on who could be to blame for the crash.

How to Protect Your Rights After a Car Accident

After a car accident in St. Petersburg, there are a few steps to take to ensure your rights are protected, as well as to support an injury claim should you need one. For answers to common questions about what to do after an accident, review our car accident FAQs.

File a Police Report

After medical treatment, it is critical that you provide a statement for a police report. Law enforcement may be present at the scene of the accident. If not at the accident scene, you can provide a statement to the police at the hospital or in the immediate hours after your accident. Florida law requires accident victims to submit a long-form police report within ten days of the car accident. The information you provide in this report is critical documentation for a potential lawsuit that may follow.

Do Not Speak to Other Drivers

After a car accident, it is essential that you do not make any admissions to the other driver that can be used against you in the future. They may tell you that they are sorry and act concerned, or they might coerce you to admit the accident was your fault. You never know what the other driver’s motives are, so the best approach is to keep silent and wait for the proper authorities to handle it.

Do Not Immediately Settle With Your Insurer

While Florida law requires that you speak with law enforcement, you do not have to speak with the other driver or accept the insurance company’s attempt to settle your claim. Before agreeing to the final settlement amount, have your claim reviewed by an experienced lawyer in St. Petersburg, FL. Insurance companies are in the business of making money, and people who work in the claims department are aware that accident victims are often overwhelmed immediately after the accident. It is not uncommon for insurers to push for a quick settlement and use your lack of knowledge of the laws and your vulnerability to their advantage.

At Marsalisi Law, protecting our clients’ rights is our top priority. The experience of a car accident is unsettling and difficult for anyone to go through alone. Victims must face a variety of difficulties relating to their health, finances, and future well-being. Frank P. Marsalisi takes his client’s legal situations personally and is committed to obtaining full and just monetary compensation for all damages they sustain.

How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Florida?

Under Florida’s updated tort reform legislation, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims was reduced from four years to two years for accidents occurring after March 24, 2023. If your claim is not filed within this two-year period, you risk waiving your rights to monetary restitution.

Although two years may seem like a reasonable amount of time, preparing your claim can take longer than expected and the sooner you start, the better. Also, this deadline is subject to change in light of certain factors. The victim’s age, the circumstances surrounding the accident, and the type of injuries received may affect your case’s statute of limitations. Florida also now follows a modified comparative negligence standard, which means you may only recover damages if you are found to be 50% or less at fault for the accident. Working with an experienced St. Petersburg rear-end accident attorney or car accident lawyer early can help ensure your claim is filed correctly and on time.

Contact Marsalisi Law for Help With Your Car Accident Claim

At Marsalisi Law, you will find the most dedicated personal injury lawyer in St. Petersburg, Florida. Frank P. Marsalisi manages all aspects of car accident claims, including recovering monetary compensation for victims and navigating non-economic damages. Frank is here with you every step of the way during this challenging and stressful time, and he is fluent in both English and Spanish, so you can communicate comfortably in the language you prefer. Your rights and well-being are a top priority in every step he takes. With more than 16 years of experience, over 250 five-star Google reviews, and millions of dollars recovered for injured clients, Frank has the dedication and courtroom experience to handle everything from T-bone collisions to multi-vehicle pileups on the interstate.

Here at Marsalisi Law, we expect no payment unless we win. Our contingency fee basis makes it possible for you to focus on more important things, including doctor appointments and therapy visits to work on feeling better. We will take the burden of filing a claim and dealing with the insurance company off your shoulders. You do not deserve to suffer and struggle because of someone else’s negligence. Contact our office today to schedule your free consultation and start the path to financial, emotional, and physical healing. Marsalisi Law is Where Law Gets Personal!