Were you injured in an auto accident in Tampa Florida or the surrounding cities, and need to speak with an experienced Tampa car accident lawyer?
Here is what you need to know:
- Find the best Tampa car accident attorney 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.
You’re not alone.
At Distasio Law Firm, our experienced Tampa accident attorneys are here to get the money you need to get you back to your life.
When you call our accident attorneys, we listen to your problems, ask detailed questions, and put a plan together to help car accident victims right away.
You can concentrate on healing from your injuries while we concentrate on getting you the money you will need to make up for what has happened to you. Don’t delay—contact us today to maximize your compensation and protect your rights.
Need a Lawyer for a Car Accident? Don’t Wait – Experience the Distasio Difference Now
How do you know if you have hired the best Tampa auto collision lawyer near you? The simplest way to know is to find a legal professional that has all the below characteristics.
Knowledge and Experience Handling Auto Accident Claims
Your lawyer should not only know Florida car accident law. That lawyer should also have years of experience handling car crash cases. Scott Distasio has been handling them for over 33 years. His years of experience investigating, negotiating, settling, filing lawsuits, taking depositions, and going to trial will absolutely make a difference in your case. Act now to benefit from our skill and experience.
Independent Verification Ability
All car accident attorneys claim they know what they are doing. Their marketing materials may also be persuasive. But you will only know the truth about that lawyer if the lawyer is rated by respected independent non-biased rating systems. Scott Distasio has an “AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell Directory. This is the highest rating an attorney can receive for both ability and ethics. Scott Distasio is also Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Trial law. To achieve this accomplishment a lawyer must have tried a minimum number of cases to a jury and pass a competency exam. Less than 1% of all Florida lawyers are Board Certified.
Former Clients Are Willing to Endorse Our Lawyers
Not every case is the same and not all clients will have the same experience. However, when an attorney’s clients are willing to go on the record and say good things about that attorney, you learn what your experience might be like. Distasio Law Firm’s clients overwhelmingly are satisfied with their results and are willing to talk about their experience.
With Distasio Law Firm’s proven results, clients have secured millions for injuries and more—imagine what we could do for you. Our results include:
- $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 and Ability to Go to Trial
Not all personal injury cases go to trial. The truth is most cases settle. But if you do need to go to trial it’s important to hire a Tampa car accident attorneys that have the experience, resources, and ability to go to trial. Scott Distasio is a board-certified civil trial lawyer. This gives him the right to call himself an expert trial lawyer.
Why Hire Distasio Law Firm to Be Your Tampa Motor Vehicle Accident Attorney
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 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 that is offered so they can move on to their next case. The insurance companies know this and offer less money to these law firms. The end 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. If it makes sense to file a car accident lawsuit, we will do that too. If it makes sense to go to trial to let a jury decide your and that is what you want to do, we know how to do that as well.
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 potentially recover your financial situation.
What You Should Do After An 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 get 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 go to 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 the auto accident caused your injuries.
It is also important 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, it is our job to 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 the 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 or 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.
For example, if a plaintiff was found 30 percent at fault for the car accident, any compensation they are awarded may be reduced by that percentage, meaning they collect 70 percent of damages. Though you will not be barred from collecting compensation even if you were partially negligent, this can affect how much financial recovery you might be able to achieve.
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 for 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, in order 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 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 your injuries 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 have to 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 you body goes through in a car accident. The most common whiplash injuries occur in your neck and your low 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 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 type of 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 are weaving 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 are taking 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 are driving too many hours in a row so they can get more loads delivered. 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 properly, the tires blow out, or the lights do not come on at night or during braking.
Get Help Now—Free Consultation Available!
DTime 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!
