Were you injured in an auto accident in Tampa Florida or the surrounding cities? If so, you need an experienced Tampa car accident attorney to protect your rights and fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.
Here is what you need to know:
- Find the auto accident attorney in Tampa today—Distasio Law Firm is here to guide you every step of the way.
- How Distasio Law Firm can help you get compensation.
- How Distasio Law Firm can help hold those who are responsible accountable.
- How our Tampa car accident lawyers can help you today.
At Distasio Law Firm, our team of Tampa, FL, car accident lawyers are committed to holding negligent drivers and individuals accountable, ensuring our clients get the financial recovery and peace of mind they absolutely need.
You don’t have to suffer through this on your own; let us help you right now.
Why Partner with Us?
- Proven results with millions recovered for accident victims
- Over 33 years of experience handling care accident cases
- Board-certified civil trial lawyer Scott Distasio—an expert in trial law
- Personalized legal representation with direct communication
Don’t wait—not only do you not deserve prolonged suffering, but hesitation could lead to overwhelming complications later on. Contact our Tampa auto accident attorneys today so we can start your case immediately!
Need Car Accident Lawyer in Tampa? Reach Out to Experience the Distasio Difference
When you search for the best Car Accident Lawyer in Tampa, FL, you need a firm with experience, credibility, and a track record of success. Here’s what makes Distasio Law firm the right choicefor your case:
Extensive Experience in Auto Accident Cases
Scott Distasio has over three decades of experience handling car accident injury claims in Florida. His expertise in investigating, negotiating and taking cases to trial ensures you have the best legal representation.
Highly Rated and Highly Recognized Legal Expertise
Not all car accident attorneys in Tampa have the right credentials to back up their claims. Scott Distasio holds an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating for ethics and legal ability. He is also Board Certified in Trial Law by the Florida Bar, a distinction earned by less than 1% of all Florida attorneys.
Former Clients Are Willing to Endorse Our Lawyers Client Testimonials and Proven Results
Satisfied clients speak volumes about an attorney’s dedication and skill. At Distasio Law Firm, we have helped clients recover significant recovery, including:
- $1,490,000 for a bicyclist injured by a car
- $1,000,000 for a car driver hit by a truck
- $480,000 for a rear-end collision
- $225,000 for a T-bone accident
Willingness to Take Cases to Trial
Most auto accident lawyers in Tampa focus only on the settlements. At Distasio Law, we’re different. We are committed to making those who do wrong take responsibility and ensuring you get the support and justice you need, whether that means settling or going to trial.
Distasio Law Firm: Your Best Car Accident Attorneys in Tampa, FL
Most car accident law firms are settlement mills. They rarely file lawsuits and never go to trial.
At these law firms, each attorney handles so many accident cases that they do not have time to speak to their clients. They do not need to get you the most money for your case. They try to convince you to take the first settlement offered so they can move on to their next case.
The insurance companies know this and offer less money to these law firms. The result is that if you hire one of these law firms, there is a good chance you will not get full value for your auto accident case.
At Distasio Law Firm, we put your interests first.
We are not a settlement mill. You will speak directly with your attorney about your situation. Of course, we will do everything possible to settle your case as soon as possible, but sometimes, it’s not in your best interests to do so.
At Distasio Law Firm, we have the financial resources, the desire, and the know-how to fight the insurance company on your behalf to get full value for your case. If it makes sense to hold out for more, and that is what you want to do, we will do so. We will do that if it makes sense to file a car accident lawsuit. If it makes sense to go to trial to let a jury decide your case, and that is what you want to do, we also know how to do that.
In fact, Scott Distasio is a board-certified civil trial lawyer—a distinction held by fewer than 1% of all Florida lawyers. This designation makes Scott Distasio an expert in trial law. That does not mean your case will go to trial. 95% of all cases settle. But it does mean that insurance companies will offer more for your case because they know that Distasio Law Firm has the financial resources and expertise to go to trial if your case needs it.
At Distasio Law Firm, we also represent the following types of vehicle accidents, among others:
- Passenger vehicle accidents
- Truck accidents
- Uber and Lyft accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Head on accidents
If you were in a hit-and-run accident or you find out the opposing party is uninsured/underinsured, you may still have options to fight for the compensation you deserve. Our legal team can review your legal options and read over your insurance policy to see what steps we can take to recover your financial situation potentially.
What You Should Do After A Car Accident Injury?
If you have been in a car wreck in Tampa, or any other city in Florida, and you are experiencing pain in any part of your body, the first thing you should do is:
- Seek Medical Attention! Even if your injuries aren’t immediately apparent. See a doctor as soon as possible.
- Report the accident. Call the police to document the crash.
- Gather Evidence. Take photos, collect witness statements, driver info, and keep all your medical records.
- Contact us – The sooner you get legal representation, the better your chances of securing what you need.
We can’t stress the importance of getting medical attention as soon as possible. If you can get to a healthcare provider on the day of the car crash, you should do so. This is important not only because you will get the care you need but also because if you don’t the insurance company will later claim you were not hurt in the car accident.
Instead, they will take the position that something must have happened to you between the time of the auto accident and the time you went to the health care provider. If you are in pain from a car accident and you have not yet been to the doctor, do not worry. All is not lost. Go to a hospital emergency room, a walk-in clinic, or a doctor immediately to document your injuries. At Distasio Law Firm, we know what evidence will convince the insurance company that the auto accident caused your injuries.
It is also essential to hire the right auto accident law firm as soon as possible after the car crash. Over time, evidence disappears, memories fade, and it becomes harder and harder to prove your case. When you call our accident attorneys in Tampa, we must preserve this evidence. We can help make sure photographs are taken to document the damage to the vehicles involved and document your injuries. We can also interview the witnesses now, so we do not have to rely on their memories later.
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What Damages Can You Collect After a Car Accident?
The kind of damages you can collect after a car accident in Florida will vary depending on how the car accident affected you personally, such as whether it caused you bodily injuries, extensive financial setbacks, and emotional pain. In general, medical expenses, lost wages, and non-economic damages such as pain and suffering might be available if you hire our Tampa car accident lawyers.
Other factors may also affect what kind of damages you can claim, such as whether you are filing an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit, whether you qualify to file a wrongful death claim or lawsuit for a loved one’s death, and whether you were partially at fault for the car accident.
Below are some damages you may be able to claim.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are generally easier to calculate because they have monetary value and can be backed by financial documents. Your lawyer can help you gather materials to calculate the total amount of financial damages you sustained since the car accident occurred, which might include:
- Medical treatment costs, including emergency costs
- Post-treatment costs, such as for physical rehabilitation
- Out-of-pocket costs for your injuries, such as paying for crutches, bandages, and prescription medications
- Vehicle-related expenses, such as repair costs or the cash value of the vehicle if it got totaled
- Loss of wages due to your injuries or lack of transportation
- Costs for services needed due to limitations from your injuries, such as cleaning and childcare services
- Reduced earning capacity
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages do not have a strict financial value because these losses are more subjective. Florida Statutes §627.737 limits what kind of non-economic damages a plaintiff may be qualified to demand compensation for. These losses may include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental and emotional anguish
- Inconveniences you experienced due to your injuries from the accident
- Scarring and disfigurement or any significant changes in your appearance
- Permanent injury, disability or loss of bodily function
Wrongful Death Damages
If you lost a loved one in a car accident, you might be able to file a wrongful death claim or lawsuit on their behalf. Florida Statutes §768.21 describes which surviving persons may qualify for wrongful death damages and the kind of damages they can pursue.
If you are the surviving spouse, child, or parent of the decedent or the decedent’s personal representative, you may be entitled to collect damages for:
- Funeral expenses, including costs for burial or cremation services
- Loss of earnings since the date of death
- Medical expenses related to the decedent’s fatal injuries
- Loss of support and services from the decedent
You may also be entitled to collect damages since their passing.
Comparative Fault
Florida is a comparative fault state, meaning if the plaintiff is found partially at fault for the car accident that caused them damages, this might affect how much compensation they are legally entitled to collect. According to Florida Statutes §768.81, a plaintiff’s compensation award may be reduced by their percentage of fault. In addition, sometimes a plaintiff’s fault may completely bar them from recovery.
After a car accident, contact Distasio Law Firm to see if you might qualify to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit against the at-fault driver or any other party potentially involved. Our Tampa car accident attorneys have been serving clients in Florida more than 31 years, and we would love to extend our services to you.
You Must File by the Statutory Deadline to Claim Damages
Regardless of which damages you are entitled to collect after a car accident, to collect these damages via a lawsuit, you must file your case by its statutory deadline, which differs if someone was injured or killed in the accident.
If you intend to file a personal injury lawsuit, Florida Statutes §95.11 (3)(a) generally gives you two years from the date of the accident to file your case. However, if your loved one passed away in a car collision and you qualify to file a wrongful death lawsuit, Florida Statutes § 95.11 (4)(d) generally gives you two years from the date of their death to file.
How Much Is Your Car Accident Claim Worth?
Any lawyer that tells you that your case is worth a certain amount of money is just doing so to get you to hire them.
The truth is it is rarely possible to determine the value of a case immediately after a car accident. That is because it takes time to know the extent of your injuries, the cost and type of medical care you will need now and, in the future, and how much lost wages you will experience now and in the future.
It is only after you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI) that a lawyer can begin to answer this question. MMI occurs when your doctor has treated you long enough to know and diagnose all your injuries, when your doctor can predict what medical care you will need in the future, and when your injuries have either healed or are at their best.
This usually takes about four to six months.
In Florida, the law allows a person injured in a car accident to hold the person who caused the auto accident responsible for the damages. Tampa car accident lawyers can recover compensation for the following:
Medical Expenses
You are entitled to the reasonable cost of all current and future medical care including, hospitalization, medical doctors, chiropractors, physical therapy, and surgery.
Lost Wages
If the car accident causes you to lose time from work or you must take a job that pays you less, you are entitled to recover this expense now and into the future
Pain and Suffering
This includes money for having to endure physical pain as well as money for mental anguish, disfigurement, and the loss of enjoyment of life.
Wrongful Death
When an auto accident claims the life of a loved one, spouses and children are entitled to compensation for funeral expenses and loss of life.
Common Car Accident Injuries
After an auto accident, you may be so hyped up on adrenaline that you do not immediately recognize you are injured. Over time, you may begin to experience neck pain, mid-back pain, low back pain, or pain in any other part of your body. The most common types of injuries include:
Whiplash
This injury is named after the violent whipping motion that your body goes through in a car accident. The most common whiplash injuries occur in your neck and your lower back. As the body whips back and forth, the vertebrae bang into each other, muscles tear, and the ligaments of the spine stretch. Doctors might call these injuries sprain or strain injuries.
Herniated Discs
The soft cushiony material in your spine between each of your vertebrae are called discs. The trauma can cause them to rupture and or herniate. The disc material can then touch nerves running through the spine which in turn causes pain and or numbness to radiate down the arms or legs.
Broken Bones
Body parts often hit the inside of the vehicle after the impact. The most common broken bones include arms, legs, ribs, and hands.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
In an auto accident, the head whips back and forth. This causes the brain to slam into the skull bones, causing swelling and even hemorrhaging. The long-term effects can include changes in personality, memory loss, and problems with anger management.
Shoulder Injuries
Most drivers grip the steering wheel tightly during a car crash. This causes all the energy from the impact to travel through the steering wheel, up the arm, and into the shoulder. The most common types of shoulder injuries include rotator cuff tears, bicep tendon tears, and labrum tears.
Types of Accident Cases We Handle
At Distasio Law Firm, we handle any auto accident case. The ones we see most often include:
Distracted Drivers
You know these drivers. We see them all around us on the roads. They are on the phone while driving, texting while driving, putting make-up on while driving, eating while driving, or simply not paying attention to the road.
Reckless Drivers
These drivers weave in and out of traffic and are often in a hurry. They are often speeding or driving to fast for the road and weather conditions. They simply do not care about the risks they take with the lives of all the drivers around them.
Driving While Under the Influence (DUI)
This includes drunk drivers and drivers under the influence of illegal drugs or prescription medications.
Rear-End Collision
Being rear-ended is by far the most common type of car accident. In Florida, the law presumes the rear driver is responsible for the collision.
Driving While Tired or Fatigued
These drivers are most often driving commercial vehicles like trucks, tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers, and/or big rigs. They drive too many hours in a row to deliver more loads. They become so tired while driving that their reaction time slows.
Poorly Maintained Automobiles
Some people fail to maintain their vehicles. The brakes do not work correctly, the tires blow out, or the lights do not come on at night or during braking.
Get Help Now—Free Consultation Available!
Time is limited—don’t risk missing out on the compensation you deserve. Call now for a free case evaluation with the best car accident lawyers near Tampa, FL. Learn more about Florida’s car accident process and timeline and answer questions you may have about car accident settlements.
If you’re looking for an injury lawyer, call our offices in Tampa, Wesley Chapel, or Largo for a free consultation of your legal options today. NO fee until we win!
