Car Accident Lawyers in Tampa Bay
Were You Injured in an Auto Accident in Florida? Call Our Car Accident Lawyers in Tampa Bay for Help
Car accidents and other motor vehicle crashes are one of the most common causes of personal injuries and wrongful death in the United States. According to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), almost 39,000 people are killed and almost 2.3 million are seriously injured in traffic accidents each year in the United States. Right here in just Florida, each year there are over 3,300 fatalities, over 15,600 incapacitating injuries, and almost 197,000 other injuries caused by traffic accidents. Many of these injuries cause significant physical and emotional damages to not just victims, but to the entire family who also feels the emotional and financial repercussions. This is why if you or a loved one were seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident, call our car accident lawyers in Tampa Bay for help.
Here at Dumas & Sanclemente, our compassionate lawyers offer victims and their families a FREE consultation to learn more about your rights to compensation after a serious personal injury accident such as a motor vehicle accident. We are dedicated to helping our community and those injured by the reckless, careless, and outright negligent actions of another person, business, or government agency. Despite our compassionate for victims and their families, we are tough and aggressive trial lawyers who fight to hold defendants and insurance companies liable for the damages that they cause. To learn more about our services, call to schedule a FREE consultation with our bodily injury law firm.
Common Causes of Car Accidents in Florida
There are many different causes of motor vehicle accidents in Florida, with most causes being due to carelessness, recklessness, or pure negligence by another driver or drivers on the road. This means that most car accidents that occur in Florida are entirely preventable with the proper duty of care. Some of the most common causes of car wrecks in Florida include the following:
- Distracted driving, such as using a cell phone to text or call someone
- Speeding
- Failure to yield to the right-of-way
- Speeding
- Failure to use appropriate caution in inclement weather
- Drunk driving
- Drugged driving
- Failure to stop at a red light
- Failure to stop at a stop sign
- Inexperienced drivers
- Improper left turns
- Aggressive driving
- Following too closely
- Fatigued driving
- Mechanical failures
- Other causes of motor vehicle wrecks that our skilled car accident lawyers in Tampa Bay, FL can handle for you.
Common Injuries in a Car Accident in Florida
While some individuals involved in a car accident may sustain little to no injuries, other people are not as fortunate. Unfortunately, victims often sustain serious injuries in Florida car accidents.
The most common injuries victims sustain in auto accidents in Florida include the following:
- Spinal cord injuries or SCI (i.e. paralysis, quadriplegia, or paraplegia)
- Broken bones or fractures
- Internal organ damage (i.e. damage to the lungs, liver, kidneys, or spleen)
- Amputation or loss of limb
- Traumatic brain injuries or TBIs (concussions, coup-contrecoup brain injuries, diffuse axonal TBIs, brain bleeds)
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Back injuries including the need for a lumber fusion
- Neck injuries including the need for a cervical fusion
- Loss of vision or hearing
- Knee injuries
- Hip injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Other injuries caused by car accidents in Florida.
Damages for Victims Injured in a Car Accident in Florida
Victims involved in a car accident in Florida may be entitled to recover damages if another driver either caused the harm. The purpose of damages is to replace what was loss monetarily as a result of the car accident. Examples of damages that victims of Florida car accidents are often eligible for include the following:
- Past and current medical bills
- Future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost future earnings
- Past pain and suffering
- Future pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium, such as loss of relations with a spouse, interactions with children and family
- Equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers or prosthetics
- Vehicle and home modifications (i.e. modifications to a car that will allow the victim to drive independently, a chairlift for their home, etc.)
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Nursing and rehabilitation coverage
- Property damage
- Punitive damages in rare and exceptional cases, and
- Other damages for victims injured in car accidents in Florida.
Damages for Families of Victims Killed in Florida Car Accidents
Sadly, as statistics above demonstrate, far too many people die every year in car accidents as a result of negligent drivers. This is perhaps the most severe personal injury as it is irreversible and permanent. The death of a loved one, especially due to a wrongful death greatly affects all members of the victim’s family. Family members of a victim injured in a car accident should always talk to a lawyer in order to protect the family’s rights.
Family members of victims killed in Florida car wrecks may be able to recover damages for the loss of their loved one. Florida law allows families to fight against at the driver who took the life of their loved one.
Common damages that families of victims may be entitled to include the following:
- Medical bills
- Funeral costs
- Burial costs
- Emergency service transportation
- Pain and suffering of their loved one prior to their passing
- Loss of wages that the family depended on as income
- Punitive damages
- Property damage
- Loss of consortium and loss of society, and
- Other damages family members of victims may be eligible for under Florida law.
How Our Lawyers Can Help You
Being involved in a car accident or losing your loved one due to a car accident can be devastating and overwhelming. If you were injured in a car accident, you may just be focused on your recovery, while if you lost your loved one in a car wreck, you may be focused on trying to figure out how to pay all of the expenses that come along with the loss of your loved one such as funeral and burial expenses.
Regardless of whether you were injured or your loved one was wrongfully killed in a Florida car accident, our experienced lawyers are here to help you and your loved ones to recover the compensation you deserve. While seeking council from a lawyer may not be the first thing on your mind, we strongly encourage you to talk to a lawyer today to learn how we can protect you and your loved one’s rights, and recover you the compensation you deserve. Our car accident lawyers will work with you and for you by doing the following after you or your loved one were injured in a car accident:
- Handle your insurance claim – From the moment you contact your insurance carrier, they will try to work against you to minimize your losses and push liability to you—yes, even your own insurance carrier. Do not try to handle filing a claim by yourself, especially when you are seriously injured. Right after an accident, call our car accident lawyers in Tampa Bay to have us make contact with the insurance carrier and handle your claim to ensure your rights are protected.
- Investigating the accident – Investigating the accident is an essential part of working to recover you the compensation you deserve. Determining fault is not always clear, and evidence often must be collected to prove fault. Determining fault is a vital part of recovering the full amount of compensation that you deserve. Evidence we may obtain includes pictures of the scene of the accident, physical evidence, video footage, police reports, witness statements, and anything else that can help to recover you the compensation that you are entitled to
- Proving damages – Victims injured in a car accident or family members of victims killed in a car accident often are eligible for something called damages. Damages are provided to help compensate any losses that you or your loved ones sustained. In order to gain the full amount of compensation that you are entitled to, you must prove the full extent of the losses you suffered. We will work to prove damages in order to cover any financial cost incurred as a result of the accident.
- Negotiating your case or filing a lawsuit – we will aggressively and zealously advocate for a settlement with the insurance carriers and defendants. However, if a settlement cannot be reached, we will protect your legal remedies in court by commencing a lawsuit and handling your case from filing through trial and appeal.
Injured in a Motor Vehicle Accident in the Tampa Bay Area? Call Our Car Accident Lawyers in Tampa Bay for Help
If you or a loved one were seriously injured in a motor vehicle accident occurring in the Tampa Bay Area, please call our experienced car accident lawyers in Tampa Bay to schedule a FREE consultation. Our skilled staff and compassionate team can help you and your family recover compensation for your injuries after a motor vehicle accident in Florida. To learn more, please call 844-400-2667 or use our convenient “Contact Us” box available here to send us a message.