Motorists have a legal obligation to follow the rules of the road and drive their vehicles safely, so they don't injure others with whom they share the road. Negligent drivers who fail to uphold their legal duty often cause minor and major traffic accidents. Tampa motor vehicle collisions come with high costs for those involved. In addition to the pain from bodily injury, many face high medical treatment costs, lost income, and emotional distress after a serious traffic accident.
If you have been injured in a Tampa motor vehicle collision, Florida law permits you to take legal action against the party responsible for the accident and your injuries.
The skilled legal team at Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, understands the challenges you face in the coming weeks and months, and we are here to help. Our Tampa motor vehicle collision attorneys can review the circumstances of your case and determine if you have a viable claim against another party to recover damages related to the accident and your injuries.
Why Choose Holliday Karatinos for Your Tampa Motor Vehicle Collision Claim
Recovering from your injuries requires focusing on rehabilitation, leaving little time to deal with insurance companies and the tactics they use to avoid payouts. The skilled Tampa personal injury attorneys at Holliday Karatinos have more than 50 years of combined experience advocating for victims of negligence and communicating with insurance companies.
Our team has extensive experience settling, negotiating, and litigating motor vehicle accident claims in Tampa.
The lawyers of Holliday Karatinos are leaders among personal injury lawyers who teach law and give seminars to other lawyers. Their continued engagement in the broader legal community keeps them abreast of the law and how it applies to personal injury cases, including those involving Tampa motor vehicle collisions.
The firm's dedication to community engagement, client advocacy, and professional excellence has led to many awards and accolades. Best Attorneys of America has awarded the prestigious “Best Attorney” Lifetime Charter Member to James Wayne Holliday. Ted Karatinos is a lifetime Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum® and has contributed various pieces to Barrister Magazine, The Young Lawyer, The Federal Lawyer, and The Florida Bar Journal. Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, has also received national recognition from Super Lawyers and The National Trial Lawyers Association.
Our firm is committed to helping injured victims of negligence seek justice and recover the maximum amount of damages for their injuries. Our efforts have resulted in tens of millions of dollars in settlements and jury awards since 2006.
We take pride in providing personalized and tailored attention to each client. However, we also have the financial resources to take on any viable claim. Our team can handle the details of your Tampa motor vehicle collision case while you concentrate on healing from your injuries.
Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, has offices conveniently located in Brooksville, Inverness, and Lutz for Tampa residents who need to meet with us, but we serve clients throughout Florida. You’ll find our Lutz office right off North Dale Mabry Highway, where it meets Sunlake Boulevard.
We understand injuries and other life circumstances might make it challenging to meet for a free consultation. If you cannot travel to us, we offer convenient virtual meetings. Contact us online or by phone today to discuss your Tampa motor vehicle collision, how your injuries affected your life, and your next steps forward.
Compensation in Tampa Motor Vehicle Collision Claims
If you sustain injuries in a Tampa traffic accident due to negligence, Florida law permits you to seek compensation for economic and noneconomic losses for your injuries. Each claim has different underlying facts that add to or detract from the compensation and the type of compensation someone might receive if they win their case.
Common damages that victims of negligence might receive in a settlement or jury award provide compensation for:
- Medical expenses, including ambulance service, emergency room treatment, hospitalization, diagnostic tests, medication, doctor visits, surgery, and follow-up care
- Estimated future medical treatment costs when a Tampa motor vehicle collision leads to a permanent injury that requires more treatment and ongoing care
- Rehabilitation expenses related to specialized treatment with physical therapists, occupational therapists, mental health professionals, and other specialists who help crash victims cope with the physical and emotional aftermath of their injuries
- Lost income from time away from work due to injury, hospitalization, and rehabilitation
- Lost future income for those who cannot return to work because of a permanent injury
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment
- Scarring and disfigurement, especially when a victim must undergo an amputation or suffers severe burns
Factors that impact how much compensation and the type of compensation an accident victim receives include:
Nature and Severity of Injury
The most severe injuries usually result in higher compensation for traffic crash victims. Additionally, injuries of a specific nature, especially those that cause deformation or leave a permanent scar, often lead to higher settlement amounts and jury awards. For example, someone who must have a leg amputated is likely to receive more compensation than someone who breaks their arm in a Tampa motor vehicle collision.
Total Amount of Economic Loss
The economic loss someone incurs because of a collision and injuries makes up a large portion of their claim. Economic losses refer to tangible losses, like medical expenses and lost income, that lawyers and insurance companies can add up quickly. Someone's total economic loss strongly correlates with the severity of their injuries. Severe injuries force people to take more time away from their job and accumulate higher medical treatment costs.
Long-term Prognosis
Traffic accident victims who may not recover fully typically receive more compensation. The aftermath of a permanent injury can include various things that increase the value of a claim, including massive pain and suffering, scars, and a lifetime of lost income.
An experienced Tampa motor vehicle collision lawyer from Holliday Karatinos can evaluate your case, gather relevant evidence, and consult with experts to determine the amount and types of damages that apply to your claim.
Tampa Motor Vehicle Collisions and No-fault Insurance
All residents of Florida who register a vehicle must carry a minimum amount of auto insurance, including $10,000 of no-fault personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, to comply with the state’s insurance requirements. Even if you are certain another party is responsible for your Tampa motor vehicle collision and injuries, you need to file an insurance claim under your PIP policy before you bring a lawsuit against another party.
Florida is one of several no-fault states; fault does not matter immediately after a traffic crash. Once a collision happens, each driver must file a claim with their auto insurance carrier to collect benefits from their mandatory PIP policy.
In Florida, PIP insurance benefits cover 80 percent of necessary medical treatment costs and 60 percent of lost income from salary or earnings. Still, it does not cover pain and suffering, reduced quality of life, loss of consortium, and other noneconomic damages related to traffic accidents.
The benefit of Florida's no-fault insurance coverage is to help people with immediate costs after an accident without having to deal with whose to blame. People can repair their vehicles, pay for medical treatment, and return to work after a minor accident. However, medical expenses and lost income after a traffic crash quickly use up a $10,000 policy.
Once you exhaust your PIP policy benefits, a team member from Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, can help you step outside Florida’s insurance system and fight for additional compensation for your Tampa motor vehicle collision and associated injuries.
Types of Injuries in Tampa Motor Vehicle Collisions
Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, helps traffic crash victims who have suffered various injuries. Some injuries might not be severe enough to warrant a lawsuit, but it’s always in your best interest to consult with an attorney to determine the best course of action for your situation.
Examples of injuries that often lead to legal action after a motor vehicle accident include:
- Broken bones. If a Tampa motor vehicle collision leads to multiple broken bones or complex fractures, especially those that require surgery, medical treatment costs and lost income are often high enough to justify bringing a lawsuit.
- Traumatic brain injuries. Traffic crashes commonly cause traumatic brain injuries (TBI), sometimes leaving people with lifelong struggles related to permanent brain damage.
- Back and neck injuries. Motor vehicle collisions, especially those that occur at high speeds, cause various back and neck injuries, including bulged discs, fractured vertebrae, soft tissue damage, and other injuries.
- Amputation. Motor vehicle accidents can pin legs and other appendages under a steering wheel or seat. Other situations can also crush limbs, forcing doctors to amputate to save someone’s life.
- Burns. Sometimes traffic crashes result in fire or explosion. Both situations put those involved at risk for severe burns that leave scars, even after cosmetic surgery.
Fighting the Insurance Company After a Tampa Motor Vehicle Collision
Insurance providers protect profits by avoiding big payouts whenever they can. If an auto insurance company cannot deny an accident injury claim, they employ every strategy possible to reduce the claim’s value.
Once you or another party responsible for the accident files a claim with an insurance company, they assign a representative to investigate the accident and the claim. After completing the investigation, the adjuster will determine whether to approve the claim. However, they will search for evidence that justifies approving a lower amount.
Hiring a Tampa motor vehicle collision lawyer ensures you will get the maximum compensation possible for your claim. Lawyers protect their clients from insurance companies and their aggressive tactics.
Sometimes insurance companies try to get claimants to sign waivers to release their entire medical history. They also prefer to take recorded statements, so they can comb through interviews to find ways to reduce the value of a claim. Lawyers also ensure insurance companies only get the information they legally need to process a claim.
What Steps Do You Take After a Tampa Motor Vehicle Collision?
Focus on your health and recovering from your injuries after suffering injuries in a traffic crash. However, receiving maximum compensation for your injuries requires you to follow some simple steps.
Following these steps make it more difficult for an auto insurance provider to deny or devalue your claim:
- Comply with your medical treatment plan. You must keep all appointments and follow your doctor’s orders. Insurance carriers have grounds to downplay injuries when patients do not make every effort to recover from their injuries.
- Keep proof of economic loss. You must prove your losses when you make a legal claim against another party. Save copies of medical bills, payroll information that shows income loss, and any other relevant receipts you can share with your attorney.
- Order a copy of the official crash report.
- Keep a journal documenting the way your injuries have impacted your life. You can record a video journal or keep a written journal. Both options help you convey noneconomic losses to your lawyer and other relevant parties.
Bring everything you save to your initial consultation with a Tampa personal injury lawyer. This allows them to evaluate your case and determine if you have a viable claim. You should also provide your lawyer with any information you collected immediately after your Tampa motor vehicle collision, such as witness contact information, photos, and videos.
Contact a Lawyer After a Tampa Motor Vehicle Collision
If you suffered injuries in a Tampa motor vehicle collision, you could have a viable claim to recover damages. Contact a lawyer as soon as possible to learn the best course of action for your situation.
Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, has the knowledge and resources to help you during this difficult time. Contact our team today online or call us at (813) 868-1887 for your free consultation, where you can discuss your accident and how your injuries have affected your life.
