Have you suffered injuries due to another party’s negligence in Largo, Florida?
You may have a legal right to pursue compensation to cover your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
The at-fault party should be held liable for injuries and financial damages.
At Distasio Law Firm, a Largo personal injury lawyer helps victims pursue and recover damages for their injuries. Our dedicated team of attorneys will review the facts of your case for free and explain your eligibility for taking legal action. Call us today for your complimentary initial consultation: 813-259-0022.
How Our Largo Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You
Insurance companies are in business to make money. Even if an insurance adjuster approaches you and tells you that they accept responsibility and want to offer you a settlement, you shouldn’t trust them. These lowball settlement offers are rarely enough to cover your losses – and may leave you in an even worse position than you were in before the accident.
Our Largo personal injury attorneys are obligated to represent your best interests. We will take on the big insurance company for you, fighting to get you maximum compensation for your losses. When necessary, we will take your case to court to get you the money that you deserve.
The process starts with a free initial consultation, where you can tell your story and receive advice on your legal rights and options. If you decide to hire our law firm, then we will get to work investigating the case. This may include everything from reviewing medical records to interviewing witnesses to requesting an accident report.
Once we have gathered the facts and performed legal research, your lawyer will write what is known as a demand letter to the insurance company. This letter outlines the facts of the case, the legal reason why the insured is responsible for your injuries, and then makes a demand for compensation (damages). Insurance companies often respond to demand letters with a counteroffer, starting the negotiation process.
In some cases, the parties will be able to work out a settlement quickly. In these situations, you might get a check within just a few months. In other cases, it might take a year or longer to resolve the claim.
Most personal injury cases are resolved outside of court. However, it is often necessary to file a lawsuit to preserve your legal rights. After the lawsuit is filed, the parties will file legal documents (motions) with the court and will exchange information in a process known as discovery. These steps can give each side a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the case. This can help the parties reach a resolution without going to court.
If a trial is necessary, then your Largo personal injury lawyer will make arguments, introduce evidence, and question witnesses before asking the jury to return a verdict in your favor.
Having a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer like our founding attorney Scott Distasio can help you get the best possible outcome.
When insurance companies know that you have a top-notch lawyer on your team, they will know that you are serious about your case – and will be more likely to offer you a fair settlement. Studies show that people who have legal representation in personal injury cases recover an average of 40% more than people who represent themselves.
If you have been hurt, you can’t afford to NOT hire a lawyer. In Largo and throughout West Central Florida, you can rely on the Distasio Law Firm to fight for your right to full compensation. Call our firm today for a free consultation 813-259-0022.
Distasio Law Firm Takes on Many Types of Personal Injury Cases in and Around Largo
At Distasio Law Firm, our principal attorney and firm founder Scott Distasio is a board-certified civil trial lawyer with extensive trial experience. If you suffered injuries caused by someone else’s negligence in Largo or elsewhere in Pinellas County, a skilled personal injury attorney in Largo may be able to help.
Some of the cases we can pursue on your behalf include:
- Largo Car accidents
- Premises liability accidents
- Catastrophic injury
- Dog bites
- Boat accidents
- Bus collisions
- Nursing home abuse
- Medical malpractice
- Pharmacy Malpractice
- Defective medical devices
- Defective drugs
- Wrongful death
Even if you are not sure who is at fault for your injuries, Distasio Law Firm is here to help. We can review your case for free to see if you may be eligible to pursue compensation through an insurance claim, civil lawsuit, or other means. We can often help clients reach out-of-court settlements in this type of case, but we will take your case to trial if necessary.
Call our team today to learn more or to get started with a free case evaluation and review.
When to Hire a Largo Personal Injury Attorney
After an incident, you may be unsure of what to do. Many types of accidents – such as car crashes – are incredibly traumatic. They also tend to result in a lot of bills, combined with lost wages. In this situation, you may be stressed out, confused, and overwhelmed.
If you have been hurt in any type of incident, you should reach out to consult with a personal injury lawyer sooner rather than later. Even if your accident only involved minor injuries, it still makes sense to talk to an Largo accident attorney. There are a few reasons why you should do so.
First, there is a clock running on your legal rights. Most Florida personal injury claims have a 2-year statute of limitations. This means that if you don’t file a lawsuit within 2 years of the date of the injury – or when you knew about your injury – then you will likely be barred from doing so.
While 2 years is a lot of time, it can go quickly when you are dealing with other things – like going to doctor’s appointments and physical therapy. In addition, witness memories may fade and evidence may get lost over time. Talking to a Largo personal injury lawyer early in the process can help to protect your rights.
Second, the at-fault party will have their own lawyers through their insurance company. Most personal injury claims are covered by some type of insurance, whether it is an auto insurance policy, a homeowner’s insurance policy (such as for a slip and fall or dog bite), a medical malpractice policy, or a commercial general liability policy). The best way that you can level the playing field is by having an attorney of your own to protect your interests.
The other side’s insurance company isn’t looking out for you – their job is to resolve the claim for as little money as possible, or even to deny it outright. If you want to get the money that you deserve for your injuries, you should have a lawyer to fight for your rights.
Third, it won’t cost you anything to talk to a lawyer – and it won’t even cost you anything upfront to hire an attorney. Largo personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. Instead of paying an hourly or flat fee upfront, you will pay nothing out of pocket. Instead, you will pay a percentage of your total recovery if – and only if – you receive money through a settlement or verdict at trial.
This type of fee agreement means that you aren’t risking anything by talking to or even hiring a lawyer. If you don’t recover money, then you won’t have to pay an attorney’s fee. If you do recover money, there is a strong chance that it will be much higher than what you could have negotiated on your own.
Distasio Law Firm Is Experienced at Getting Settlements for Largo Injury Lawsuits
Attorney Scott Distasio is a Board Certified Trial Lawyer, a distinction held by less than one out of every hundred attorneys in Florida. Scott and his team dedicate themselves to ensuring Largo area residents have the legal representation they need and receive the fair compensation they deserve after suffering injuries in a personal injury case.
Our comprehensive investigation into your case will gather evidence proving:
- Negligence and liability
- Your accident-related damages
- The severity of your injuries and its impact on your everyday life
At Distasio Law Firm, every client receives personal support and service from every member of our team. That is the Distasio Personal Touch. And that is what sets us apart. You will have access to a team member who is familiar with the facts of your case and can answer your questions and address your concerns quickly.
In addition, the team from Distasio Law Firm will build a strong case and pursue compensation on your behalf, as long as the facts of your case allow us to do so. When we agree to work together, we will immediately go to work protecting your legal right to pursue and recover compensation based on the damages you endured.
To learn more about how we can help you pursue a payout after a Largo personal injury, call Distasio Law Firm today 813-259-0022.
Compensation and Settlements for Personal Injury Claims
In a personal injury claim, you can recover financial compensation for all of your losses. The exact amount that you recover will depend on several factors, such as the nature and severity of your injuries, whether fault is contested, and the size of the at-fault party’s insurance policy. During a free consultation, your Largo personal injury attorney can give you a ballpark estimate of the value of your case.
Generally, you may be entitled to three types of compensation, known as damages. Economic and non-economic damages are considered compensatory damages because they compensate an injury victim for their losses. In some cases, you can recover punitive damages, which have the goal of punishing a wrongdoer.
Economic damages pay for direct financial losses. They are usually proven through documentation like bills, estimates, invoices, and pay stubs. Examples of punitive damages include property damage, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, medical bills, and future medical treatment. Depending on the situation, you may be able to recover economic damages for other losses, such as the cost of modifying your home or vehicle to accommodate a disability.
Non-economic damages cover intangible losses. These damages can be harder to prove, but an experienced personal injury lawyer will consult with experts and use their knowledge of similar cases to put together a claim. Non-economic damages may include pain and suffering, emotional distress, scarring, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Finally, punitive damages are available in cases where the at-fault party (defendant) acted intentionally or recklessly – not just negligently. An example of a case where punitive damages might be awarded is a drunk or drugged driving accident claim. These damages punish a defendant and discourage others from engaging in similar conduct. In Florida, punitive damages are capped at three times the amount of compensatory damages.
When putting together a claim, your lawyer will consider each type of damage. In many cases, they will be able to negotiate an agreement with the insurance company. If the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, it may be necessary to take the case to trial to ask a jury to return a verdict in your favor.
Damages Possibly Available in a Largo Personal Injury Case
The damages available for recovery in a Largo personal injury case depend greatly on the expenses and losses you suffered. As a part of building a case on your behalf, we will collect evidence to prove your damages, in addition to proving negligence and liability. This evidence will allow us to pursue a fair payout in negotiations with the insurance company or present a strong case for a just award at trial.
Some of the commonly recoverable damages in Largo personal injury cases include:
- Current and future medical treatment and any related expenses
- Ongoing care costs if the victim requires rehabilitation or around-the-clock care
- Current and future lost wages and benefits or diminished earning capacity
- Property damages, if applicable
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Diminished life enjoyment
If your loved one passed away as a result of the injuries they sustained in a personal injury in Largo, you may be eligible to pursue wrongful death damages as a representative of the family under Florida Statute § 768.21. We can explain the laws that outline this process and help you understand who can legally recover damages through a wrongful death claim.
Florida’s Statute of Limitations on Personal Injury Cases
Florida Statute § 95.11 generally gives personal injury victims two years from the date their injuries occurred to take legal action against the liable party. We need to ensure we meet this deadline in your case, or you could lose the right to hold the at-fault party responsible for their negligence.
It may be very difficult to recover a fair payout if we do not reach an out-of-court settlement or prepare to take your case to trial before this deadline passes. While two years may seem like a long time, we encourage you to contact a Largo injury lawyer at our firm as soon as possible after your injury. This time allows us to get the facts about your case quickly and build a stronger case.
Talk to a Largo Personal Injury Attorney as Soon as Possible
If another party caused your injuries, Florida law generally allows you to hold that party liable by filing an insurance claim or pursuing a personal injury lawsuit in civil court. At Distasio Law Firm, we can protect your rights and help you build a case for compensation. Let us negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf or take your case to court.
Call today to get started with a complimentary consultation with a committed Largo personal injury lawyer.
