FL Injury Lawyers (Home) / St Petersburg Personal Injury Lawyer

Being the victim of an accident due to someone else’s recklessness or negligence can be an overwhelmingly difficult experience, but you do not have to go through it alone. A St. Petersburg personal injury lawyer can help you navigate the complicated Florida legal system so that you may recover all the damages you are entitled to as a result of your injuries.

Having an attorney with experience in personal injury claims on your side will greatly increase your chances of obtaining the best possible outcome in your case. An attorney will be your advocate during the legal process and will assist you in preparing for trial to give you the best chance of obtaining the legal remedy to which you are entitled.

How a Personal Injury Attorney Can Help

When recovering from an accident or injury, obtaining legal assistance may not be your first priority. However, the sooner you contact a personal injury lawyer, the sooner you can take advantage of the legal protections that Florida law provides victims of accidents caused by another person’s actions.

An experienced personal injury attorney will ensure that you abide with all legal requirements in pursuing your claim so that you do not lose out on any available opportunities to recover for your injury and will allow you to focus on your physical and emotional recovery with the assurance that your attorney is actively pursuing all remedies available to you under Florida law.

They will also help you handle all the paperwork that must be filed in order to bring you claim, will communicate with insurance companies on your behalf, and will ensure that you are aware of all relevant laws affecting your case to enable you to make fully informed decisions as you negotiate any settlement offers.

Types of Cases

Our attorneys have experience in a variety of different types of personal injury cases. We can help you determine exactly what legal remedy you are entitled to if you have suffered harm as a result of someone else’s actions. The assistance of a St. Petersburg personal injury lawyer will be invaluable if you or someone you love has been the victim of any of the following types of accidents:

Injury Laws

An accident resulting in a personal injury is called a tort. Tort laws affecting injury victims in St. Petersburg are found in Title XLV, Chapters 766-774, Florida Statutes. These chapters contain rules regulating actions brought for many different types of accident claims, including dog attacks, vehicular accidents, and medical malpractice.

While an experienced personal injury attorney in St. Petersburg will be able to fully explain all the laws applicable to your specific injury, it is important to be aware of the following important laws:

Statute of Limitations

The statute of limitations is a law that limits the time you have in which to bring your claim. The time periods listed in the statute set deadlines after which you may not pursue legal relief. These deadlines will vary depending on your specific type of claim.

A personal injury lawyer can help ensure you do not miss any of the deadlines applying to your claim. This is very important, as if you miss a deadline you will lose the opportunity to collect for your injuries.

In Florida, most personal injury claims must be brought within four years from the date of the accident that resulted in the injury (Title VIII, Chapter 95, Florida Statutes). If you attempt to bring a claim outside of the time period set by the statute of limitations, the court will not have jurisdiction to hear your case, and you will not be able to recover any damages.

Even if you fear the deadline may have already passed, there are certain legal exceptions too complicated to cover here that may still allow you to bring your claim – a St. Petersburg personal injury attorney will analyze the specific circumstances surrounding your injury to determine if any of these exceptions apply in your case.

Damage Caps

Florida laws contain limits on the maximum amounts of money that certain personal injury victims may recover.

If you have suffered harm as a result of someone else’s actions, you are entitled to seek reimbursement for expenses related to your recovery. These types of monetary awards are called “compensatory damages.”

In addition to compensatory damages, you may also be able to recover additional sums of money from the person who injured you. Monetary awards not directly linked to reimbursing you for your expenses are called “punitive damages.” Punitive damages are meant to punish the person legally at fault for your injury for engaging in some particularly dangerous or reprehensible behavior.

In Florida, the law limits punitive damages for most personal injury claims to three times the amount of the compensatory damages awarded, or $500,000, whichever is greater. However, depending on your specific type of injury, other damage caps may also apply.

A personal injury attorney who understands the laws affecting recovery for personal injury claims will tailor your case so that you can seek to recover the maximum amount of damages to which you are entitled.

Benefit of An Injury Attorney

This is only a basic outline of the laws affecting all personal injury claims; there are other laws that you must understand in order to have the best possible chance of winning your case. Don’t let the complicated process of bringing a personal injury claim keep you from recovering the monetary award you deserve.

Our attorneys have extensive experience in all different types of personal injury actions and fully understand the many complicated laws affecting these claims. Contact a St Petersburg personal injury lawyer to begin the process filing your claim today.