Car Accidents
Car Accident Attorneys | Tampa and St. Petersburg
Tampa and St. Petersburg
Car Accident Lawyers
A car accident can be a life-changing experience. Whether it’s a major accident with property and vehicle damage, and serious injuries or a no-fault incident with simple bruises and a possible case of whiplash, it is rare that a person will leave an accident without lasting effects. Even the most minor accidents can cause great damage to your bones and joints that you may not have noticed right away without medical treatment. After an accident, most often we just seek closure. We want to move on with our lives and forget the damage that has happened to our person and property.
What should I do after a car accident?
There are very few things more shaking than being in a car accident so there is no surprise that confusion and fog tend to appear in the moments following a car accident.
Nevertheless, before you can even start thinking about hiring a lawyer, you need to make sure that you know exactly what to do in the minutes and hours following a car accident. Here are your first steps:
- Move to Safety: Make sure you are in a safe area. Turn your hazard lights on and move off the road. Even if your accident is minor, it is important to never drive away from the scene of the accident.
- Call for Help: Call an ambulance if there are any injuries and always call the police. A police report may be needed to file a claim with your insurance company.
- Gather and Exchange Information: Exchange information with the drivers involved. Then, be sure to take photos of everything at the scene. Pictures of any visible injuries and damage to vehicles could help a potential personal injury case immensely.
- Never Admit Fault: Remember, you are not to determine fault. The police who assess the situation and determine fault as they see fit. Sometimes it is the fault of the automobile itself, not the driver. So remember to always remain courteous to everyone involved.
Advice from a St. Petersburg Car Accident Attorney
There are several steps to take immediately after an auto accident to protect your rights. After seeking and getting medical care for your injuries, make sure you provide a statement to law enforcement.
Under Florida law, you are required to submit a long form report to law enforcement within 10 days of the accident. The details you provide about the accident will become important documentation for potential litigation.
Depending on the severity of your injuries, the police may ask you for a statement while on the scene of the accident. Or they may ask you for one from the hospital.
VERY IMPORTANT ADVICE FROM OUR EXPERIENCED ST. PETERSBURG CAR ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS: Try your very best to avoid speaking with the other driver. Although they may be kind to you or seem apologetic, they may try to coach a statement from you admitting fault. Our advice is to avoid talking with them all together. Sometimes the best response is no response at all.
While you do need to speak with law enforcement, you do not have to speak with insurance companies who are trying to get you to settle. Leave that to your St. Pete or Tampa Car Accident Attorney to take care of that for you.
Do not agree to a quick settlement without first having your case reviewed by a personal injury lawyer. Insurance companies know that accident victims are often overwhelmed and may be confused by the post-accident process, and they don’t hesitate to use those realities to their advantage.
Should I hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
While not every case requires the involvement of a personal injury lawyer, the attorney’s at Pipas Law Group have intensive experience in a wide variety of car accident-related cases and are happy to discuss your accident with you at no charge to determine if the involvement of a car accident lawyer may benefit you and help you resolve your accident.
With complex insurance claims and difficult insurance companies, seeking compensation for hard-to-quantify damages is rarely an easy task. Often the insurance company or negligent party from whom you are seeking compensation will attempt to classify your injury as temporary, hurting your chances of acquiring financial help even when permanent damages has been done. Our team of experienced car accident attorneys will collect and organize evidence to substantiate your claim and get you the compensation you deserve through navigating you through the complexities of the personal injury case process.
What do car accident attorneys do to help win my case?
Car accident attorneys navigate through the complexities of your personal injury case through a variety of methods including but not limited to the following:
- collecting police and accident scene reports;
- questioning witnesses;
- contacting expert witnesses to review evidence;
- reconstructing the accident scene;
- taking photographs of the scene, damage, and injuries;
- analyzing medical reports;
- and speaking with insurance providers on your behalf;
f you’re wondering if a Tampa or St. Petersburg car accident attorney is what you need to resolve your accident, reach out to us at Pipas Law Group. We can ensure that you and your case are taken care of by one of our experienced, aggressive, and attentive attorneys.
