St. Petersburg Car Accident Lawyer

If you or someone you love has suffered a traffic accident, knowing what to do can be overwhelming. You may be able to recover damages to help pay for medical bills, lost wages, and more. 

However, it can be difficult to deal with insurance companies and navigate the legal process to collect the damages you deserve without help from a St. Petersburg personal injury lawyer.

A St. Petersburg car accident lawyer from Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers understands your situation and can analyze the personal and financial damages in your case, build a strong claim, and fight aggressively to ensure you receive every available penny owed to make you financially whole once more.

Potential Compensation You Can Collect After a Car Wreck

While every case is different and outcomes cannot be guaranteed, the amount of compensation you could potentially receive from your insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit can be estimated with help from a lawyer.

What is certain, however, is that as an auto accident victim injured due to the negligent actions of another, Florida law provides you the right to pursue fair monetary damages.

There are several types of damages you may be legally entitled to recover in a personal injury claim or lawsuit against negligent parties responsible for your injuries. Documenting all eligible damages is crucial to maximizing the compensation you deserve.

Potential damages you could pursue include:

Current and Future Medical Expenses

This includes all bills for emergency transport, hospital stays, surgeries, doctor visits, prescription medications, physical therapy, psychiatric treatment, assistive devices, home healthcare, and any other treatment needed now and anticipated over the course of your lifetime as a result of the accident injuries.

Personal Property Damages

This relates to reimbursing you for repair or replacement costs of your vehicle and any damaged possessions inside your vehicle at the time of impact like phone, laptop, clothes etc.

Pain and Suffering

Monetary damages are allowed for physical injuries and emotional distress experienced during recovery as well as any ongoing suffering from chronic pain or mental health issues stemming from crash injuries.

Lost Wages

If you are unable to work during recuperation or missed self-employment or overtime income, lost pay is included along with costs of hiring help to cover duties during absence.

Reduced Earning Capacity

If injuries permanently limit your ability to pursue your prior career path or higher pay, this element addresses income potential lost going forward.

Disfigurement and Scarring

These damages can be pursued for any prominent scarring or disfigurement on visible areas of your body from lacerations or surgery.

Loss of Enjoyment of Life

These damages apply when adjustment is needed for loss of normal daily activities and life enjoyment due to permanent functional limitations or disability as a result of collision injuries.

 An experienced car accident attorney in St. Petersburg can vigorously advocate on your behalf to ensure compensation addresses future lost earning capacity, lifetime medical costs, and other projected economic impacts stemming from your crash. Our priority is obtaining full and fair compensation for all damages caused, both short-term and long-lasting.

Filing a Wrongful Death Claim After a Car Accident in St. Petersburg, FL

If you lost a family member in a fatal car accident, you may be entitled to recover damages from a wrongful death claim or suit. Some damages you may be entitled to include:

• Funeral costs
• Medical expenses from your loved one’s injuries
• Loss of wages and benefits
• Loss of consortium, which addresses the support your loved one provided around the household

To learn more, you can discuss your case with a car accident lawyer in St. Petersburg, FL. Our team can give you an estimate of what your losses may be worth and tell you what one of our lawyers can do to recover the damages to which you may be entitled.

A car accident lawyer from our team will handle all the legal aspects so that you focus on healing after the loss of your family member.

Our Auto Accident Attorneys Can Handle Your Case From the Initial Investigation to Trial

After an accident, you deserve to focus on your health and spend time with your family. We can take care of your insurance claim or lawsuit from start to finish. We will keep you updated on your case, but we believe your time should be spent on healing from your injuries, not on fighting for what you deserve. Our legal services include:

Investigating Your Case

Our car accident lawyers can investigate your accident and gather the necessary evidence to support your case. We can collect the police and medical reports, as well as eyewitness statements. This will help us to identify the liable party in your case and demonstrate negligence.

In some cases, we will call upon expert witnesses, such as accident reconstructionists, to counter an insurance adjuster’s determination of fault.

Dealing With the Insurance Companies for You

Your auto accident lawyer will negotiate your accident claim with the insurance providers on your behalf and pursue fair compensation for your damages. We can prevent you from accepting an unfair initial settlement offer by communicating with your doctors. 

Our medical records and the doctor’s opinion help to determine how your injuries will affect you in the future. We can then accurately calculate your damages and present our evidence to the insurer.

When we take on your case, you will not have to speak directly to the liable party or their insurer. We can also handle all of the necessary paperwork involved with a claim for damages.

Fighting for You in Court

If a fair settlement cannot be reached during negotiations with insurers, we will fight for your case in court. We can file a lawsuit within the state-mandated deadline and pursue a court-awarded offer.

Examples of Negligence You Can Include in Your Claim

Motor vehicle accidents can occur for a variety of reasons, but your case depends on proving the other party acted negligently, causing your injuries. Once we investigate your case, we may find that the following behaviors led to the collision:

• Distracted driving, which includes looking at a cell phone, talking to the passenger next to you or in the back seat, changing the radio station, or just admiring the scenery around you
• Driving under the influence, which involves having a blood-alcohol content level of 0.08 or above or being under the influence of substances
• Speeding, which reduces a motorist’s ability to react in time to avoid an accident and increases the likelihood of severe injury or fatality
• Reckless driving, including aggressive driving, tailgating, and running traffic lights

If you suspect the driver who hit you violated any laws or behaved negligently, you may have a case for financial compensation.

Proving the Four Elements of Negligence

Making a case against a negligent driver involves proving four elements. First, you must establish that the other driver had a duty of care to keep you reasonably safe. This duty applies to anyone operating a vehicle.

You must prove the other driver breached this duty by acting negligently behind the wheel. Then, you must prove their negligence led or contributed to the accident that caused your injuries. Furthermore, you must demonstrate that you suffered losses due to those injuries, such as medical expenses and pain and suffering.

We offer a free initial consultation so you can learn what your options are in pursuing damages after your accident.

Florida’s Statute of Limitations Could Impact Your Case

Florida Statutes §95.11(3)(a) places limits on the amount of time that victims have to pursue damages after an automobile accident. In most cases, you have two years for personal injury lawsuits. Under Florida Statutes §95.11(4)(d), you only have two years for wrongful death suits.

If you miss these deadlines, you may not be able to pursue compensation through legal action. A car accident attorney in St. Petersburg, FL, will make sure your paperwork is filed within the appropriate deadline.

How You Can Protect Your Rights and Your Case After a Car Accident

There are a few things you can do after an accident to help your case and protect your right to fair compensation.

Obtain a Police Report

Whenever an accident occurs, you should call the police to the scene. An official crash report can go a long way in providing evidence for your case. Even if you did not call the police to the scene, you should report your accident to the proper authorities.

Seek Medical Aid

Even if you believe your injuries to be minor, you should always seek medical attention after a car accident. Some injuries, such as whiplash, do not display symptoms immediately, but you could be feeling the effects of injuries months or years after a crash.

It is better to play it safe and see a doctor to prevent your injuries from worsening. Additionally, medical documentation can help your lawyer prove and calculate your damages.

Stay off Social Media

After an accident, do not post any information about the other driver on social media. Refrain from posting pictures, making any statements about fault, or going into detail about your legal case.

How Can You Afford a Car Accident Attorney From Our Firm?

Some accident victims worry about how to afford an experienced attorney and forgo seeking legal representation altogether. We advocate for victims of negligence, which is why we take our cases on a contingency-fee-basis.

When we handle your case, you will not have to pay any upfront fees. You will not owe us a dime unless we secure compensation. This arrangement allows us to get started on your case right away. Take advantage of our free consultation to determine your legal options.

Contact a Car Accident Law Firm in St. Petersburg for a Free Consultation

A car accident can have long-term consequences that cost you months and years down the road. Our aim is for you to suffer no further losses as a result of your accident-related injuries. Our legal team can fight for the maximum compensation and take legal action on your behalf if necessary.

The personal injury attorneys of Chalik & Chalik can handle your personal injury claim from start to finish. Take advantage of our risk-free consultation. We want to help your family by reviewing your case and identifying what options you have available for recovering damages.

Contact Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation.