Tampa Personal Injury Lawyer

No one should have to suffer injuries for someone else’s poor judgment. However, you can pursue compensation through a personal injury claim or lawsuit when you get hurt by someone’s negligence. One of our Tampa personal injury lawyers can help you go after compensation for these losses.

Our team can go over your legal options, build a case for you, and be with you through every step of the process. We offer free, confidential consultations to prospective clients where they can get their questions answered and decide what steps to take next.

We Handle All Types of Tampa Injury Cases

We help injured people in many types of personal injury cases. Here are examples of cases we have handled:

• Car accidents
• Slip and fall injuries
• Medical malpractice
• Bicycle accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Product liability
• Pool accidents, drownings, and near-drownings
• Boat collisions and other boating accidents
• Nursing home abuse and accidents
• Dog bites
• Wrongful death
• Defective product accidents
• Construction accidents
• Premises liability cases
• Bus, truck, and RV accidents
• Pedestrian accidents

Our team has extensive experience with various cases and is ready to help.

Liable Parties in a Personal Injury Case

You may think you know who caused your accident or injury. However, liability can be complicated in any personal injury case. We can help you in situations such as:

• Distinguishing between an at-fault and liable party: There is a difference between the person who directly caused your accident or incident and the person or entity responsible for compensating you. For instance, a trucker may have caused your accident, but a trucking company may ultimately be responsible for paying you.
• Multi-party liability: Depending on the details of your case, one or more parties could ultimately be responsible for paying you. We will identify each liable party in your case and request compensation after determining their role in your injury case.

These complications can be challenging, but you don’t have to. We will ensure that the appropriate party is responsible for your injuries and hardships.

When You Share Fault for Your Injury

You can seek compensation from a negligent party even if you share a percentage of fault for your injury. You don’t have to hold back from seeking legal help with your injury case if you think you may have contributed to the incident somehow.

However, per Florida Statutes § 768.81, the insurance company could reduce your compensation based on your fault for the incident. For example, if your award is $100,000, but you are found 30% responsible for your role in the incident, your award would be reduced to $70,000.

Again, do not let this dissuade you from pursuing a case. We can help you show that the other party was primarily responsible.

What We Have To Prove To Win a Personal Injury Case in Florida

To recover compensation, we must prove the other party was responsible for the accident by establishing the components of negligence. Without these elements, it will be challenging to prove that negligence occurred. We will work to show that the defendant:

• Owed you a duty of care: For example, if we are suing the other driver in a motor vehicle accident case, we have to show that the law imposes a duty of care on the driver. Everyone who operates a motor vehicle owes other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians a duty to drive cautiously and obey the rules of the road.
• Breached their duty of care: It is considered negligence when someone breaches their duty of care. If you were stopped at a red light and a drunk driver plowed into your car, drunk driving violates the duty to obey the road rules and drive cautiously.
• Caused your injuries through negligence: The defendant’s negligence must have caused the harm. Therefore, if you suffered physical injuries from a collision, the facts of your situation could satisfy the requirement of causation. In the DUI accident example, the defendant’s negligent act of driving while impaired caused the collision that injured you.
• Caused you to suffer damages: You should be compensated for damages that result from a personal injury, such as medical bills and lost income. Your case will determine the damages you can request from the liable party.

Helpful Evidence To Have

Since connecting someone’s careless action with your incident is crucial, we employ several types of evidence to achieve this goal. This could include:

• Photos of your injuries, the scene, possible causes of the accident or signs of negligence, and context
• Video footage from traffic cameras, security cameras, or bystanders
• Eyewitness reports from strangers, friends, family, and authorities
• Expert testimony from doctors, researchers, economists, actuaries, and other specialists

Some evidence may be specific to your type of case; for instance, medical malpractice cases like surgical errors or birth injuries can depend on expert testimony and second opinions. Dog bite cases may require digging into past complaints about the animal and witnesses to its aggressive behavior. Phone records may play a crucial role in a distracted driving case.

At our firm, we obtain evidence that establishes a link between the other person’s negligence and your pain. Our team’s combined experience can help you hold the correct negligent party responsible and get adequate compensation.

Damages You Can Recover After an Accident

Accident victims often ask how much they can receive for their case. A personal injury case depends on each individual’s experience. We cannot say how much your claim is worth without talking with you and evaluating your case.

Therefore, what you can recover will depend on the specific facts of your case. Common damages in personal injury cases can include:

• Economic damages
• Non-economic damages

These two categories contain specific types of compensation you can receive, all matching your experience.

Financial Damages

This compensation is more concrete than non-financial damages because it covers losses that directly impact your body and wallet. You could recover:

• Medical costs, including necessary short and long-term care: This involves emergency room treatment, physical therapy, surgeries, hospitalizations, medication, visits to a doctor or specialist, and in-home care.
• Lost income if your injuries caused you to miss work: We can help you recover lost wages, tips, commissions, gigs, and other benefits.
• Reduced earning capacity: If you have to change jobs or work for lower pay because of ongoing incapacitation, this can be part of your case.
• Disability, if your injuries are so significant that you cannot work in the future: We can help determine if disability may apply for the short term or long term.

Non-Economic Damages

While economic damages are for concrete losses, non-economic damages are the ones that affect your quality and enjoyment of life. These damages can include:

• Pain and suffering, if your injuries caused you serious physical pain and other hardships: This is often correlated to the severity of your injuries.
• Scarring and disfigurement if your appearance changes because of your injuries: You may have permanent scars from burns, lacerations, and other physical trauma.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), if you are facing painful flashbacks and emotional trauma related to the injury or accident: We can prove that you were diagnosed and PTSD has impacted your life.

Non-economic damages are subjective for a reason. Your non-economic damages should reflect your unique experience with the pain, frustration, and trauma of being unexpectedly injured.

We can also help you seek compensation for losses related to a wrongful death case if you lost a loved one. This could help you seek compensation for funeral and burial expenses and loss of income.

How We Determine the Value of Your Damages in a Claim or Lawsuit

Every case is unique, but there are standard procedures our personal injury attorneys use when determining damages. We’ll gather the documents necessary to prove the dollar value of your medical expenses, lost wages, and other tangible losses. A tangible loss usually comes with some type of documentation, like a receipt or an invoice.

For your intangible losses like pain and suffering, PTSD, and loss of enjoyment of life, we calculate the amount based on your tangible losses and the facts of your claim. You cannot assume everyone hurt in a personal injury case will get the same amount of money.

For instance, two people riding in the same car can have different injuries, resulting in different compensation amounts. Therefore, there are typically a few main factors that influence the amount you can seek in a claim or lawsuit, including:

• The severity of your injuries
• The cost of your medical care
• The impact of your injuries on your life and ability to work

Some injuries, like traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, are worth more and can result in a larger settlement.

How an Attorney From Our Team Can Handle Your Tampa Personal Injury Case

By working with our personal injury attorneys, you can focus on your health and well-being. Our team can:

• Evaluate your case
• Investigate the facts
• Gather the evidence to prove your claims
• Talk to all parties involved
• Explain terms and deadlines
• Calculate the fair amount of your damages
• Negotiate a fair settlement
• Litigate on your behalf and take your case to trial, if necessary

Our injury lawyers serving Tampa can work directly with the insurance company, so you don’t have to. Once you hire a personal injury lawyer, the insurance company does not need to contact you. If an insurance adjuster contacts you, redirect them to your lawyer.

We Can Handle the Toughest Parts of an Injury Case

Some injury cases may seem more straightforward than others. For instance, if you were hit by a drunk driver while crossing the street, you may think you will receive a settlement or award easily. Unfortunately, we have seen that even seemingly clear cases for compensation can be challenged or denied.

Nonetheless, we put what we have seen and experienced to work for you. We will deal with all the common complications and tough aspects of a case for you. For instance, we will handle situations where an insurer:

• Offers you a lowball settlement amount: It is common to receive a low initial offer that may not cover all your costs and losses associated with the injury. We can negotiate fair compensation.
• Pressures you to accept a settlement soon after the accident: An adjuster may try to sway you with an attractive initial offer, but this may be before you even know the full consequences of the accident. We can review all offers and take the pressure off you to decide before you’re ready.
• Claims that you were more at fault than you were: You may face claims that you played more of a role in the incident or accident than the facts indicate. We will prove who was liable based on the evidence.
• Claims that your pain isn’t as severe as it is: Sometimes, even with serious injuries, you may have to push back against claims that you don’t require any more treatment or other challenges. We can prove your injuries’ true nature, prognosis, and medical needs.

You may deal with other complications beyond these issues, but we have experience with many forms of personal injury claims and denial tactics.

Why You Should Choose Our Law Firm

We are proud to serve victims of injury in Tampa and across Florida. When you work with our team, you can expect the following:

• Your initial consultation with us will be free.
• You’ll receive your attorney’s phone number and be in constant communication.
• We will respond to your questions promptly and keep you in the loop.
• If you need help scheduling medical appointments, we will help.
• If you need assistance with arranging vehicle repairs, we will assist.
• We work based on contingency, meaning you pay nothing upfront.

We want to make it possible for anyone to obtain the legal representation they need to protect their rights, especially if they have wrongfully suffered damages. We also realize finances are tight after our clients have suffered catastrophic injuries and damages; our goal is to alleviate financial stress, not contribute to it.

Working on contingency allows us to shoulder the financial risk of fighting on your behalf while you focus on healing from your accident. If we win your case, we recover an agreed-upon percentage of your award. We will explain this payment arrangement in a free consultation.

What You Can Do To Protect Your Case’s Value

You can take several steps to protect your right to seek compensation from a negligent party. As a personal injury victim, you should consider doing the following:

Gather Evidence

You can keep records for your case and then pass them along to your legal team. You may want to collect information such as:

• A car accident report, if you were in a crash
• Witness contact information, if anyone saw the incident that caused your injury
• A pain journal to document the course of your injuries
• All receipts, invoices, and records of all accident-related expenses you have paid or are responsible for paying
• Photographs, video footage, and a wide range of other evidence can help you prove your case

Be Careful About What You Say

Make sure that you do not give the insurance company a recorded statement without the prior approval of your personal injury lawyer. The claims adjuster can twist your words to mean something you never intended, which can decrease the value of your claim.

We strongly recommend that you allow our experienced team to speak to the insurance company on your behalf. This helps you avoid saying something that could hurt your case.

Review Your Case with Our Team

You can learn more about what your case may be worth, what damages you could seek, and what legal options you have available. We can help you understand the potential of your case as a claim or lawsuit.

Act Quickly To Meet Important Deadlines

According to Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a), victims generally have four years to file a personal injury lawsuit for compensation. If you file a wrongful death case, you have two years. The two-year deadline also generally applies to medical malpractice cases in Florida and nursing home abuse cases.

There may be exceptions to these deadlines, and you could have more time. A Tampa personal injury lawyer can tell you if one applies to your case. Your case may require more investigation and cause a delay.

We advise you to get started early on your case to capture important evidence and to get the maximum compensation. Certain crucial forms of evidence can disappear soon after the accident, but if you contact our team in time, we can start building the best case. You must file before the deadline, or you won’t be able to recover financial compensation.

Contact Us To Get a Personal Injury Lawyer on Your Side

A Tampa, FL, personal injury lawyer from the Law Offices & Anidjar and Levine will handle every aspect of a case for you and help you through the legal process. We can protect you from the insurance company’s tactics and be the aggressive representation you need.

The sooner you get our lawyer on board to handle your claim, the sooner you can seek a fair settlement. Call or fill out the contact form on our website to get a free consultation with an accident lawyer from our personal injury law firm today. With Anidjar & Levine, you don’t have to be alone in your case.