How Long Do I Have To File a Car Accident Lawsuits in Clearwater, FL (Statute of Limitations)

Your right to file a civil action after an accident in Clearwater is not without limitation. Florida state law imposes a strict four-year clock on most personal injury lawsuits. This means that your right to seek compensation from at-fault parties expires four years from the date of your Clearwater car crash.

Clearwater Car Accident Lawyer

Q: Can I Recover Compensation If I’m Partly to Blame for My Clearwater Car Accident?

Yes – as long as someone else shares at least 1% of the blame. Florida operates under a pure comparative negligence system. Simply, this means that fault is allocated to everyone who plays a role in causing an accident – directly or indirectly. Being allocated blame won’t bar a financial recovery, but it will affect it.

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Were you recently involved in a car accident in Clearwater, FL? The experienced Clearwater car accident lawyers at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight to maximize your recovery. Contact our Clearwater, Florida law office at (727) 787-2500 for a free consultation.

You may have the right to take legal action against those responsible for your injuries and suffering. By filing an insurance claim and/or lawsuit, you could potentially obtain a sizable financial award.

We offer a free consultation, so there’s absolutely no risk in reaching out and setting up a time to discuss the details of your case.

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How Can a Clearwater Car Accident Lawyer at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers Help Me?

Having a Clearwater personal injury lawyer from Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers on your side can make all the difference in the world. Insurance companies – yours or a third-party provider – will fight tooth and nail to deny or minimize your claim.

At-fault parties will, in all likelihood, refuse to accept responsibility. They might even try to blame you. Fortunately, you don’t have to take on this fight on your own.

How Can Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers Help Me After a Car Accident in Clearwater?

At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we’re known for being tough and passionate advocates for Clearwater motor vehicle accident victims like you. Since 1996, our car accident injury attorneys in Clearwater have gone head-to-head against powerful adversaries and secured life-altering results for our clients.

To date, we’ve successfully recovered more than $100 million in settlements and jury verdicts.

When you enlist our Clearwater law firm for help after a crash near you, expect us to:

Provide transparent legal service throughout the process
Coordinate with accident experts and specialists to ensure that your crash is subject to a detailed and exhaustive investigation
Handle the administrative aspects of your claim from start to finish – including making sure that all procedural deadlines are met on time
Minimize the impact of any claims that you are responsible for or share fault for your auto accident and resulting injuries
Negotiate on your behalf, working to secure a settlement with terms that are favorable to you

Mark Roman, our founding attorney, is Board Certified specialist in civil litigation by The Florida Bar – something less than 2% of all attorneys in the state of Florida can say. This means that we’ve demonstrated superior knowledge and skills in handling complex civil litigation issues – just like your Clearwater car accident case. Insurance companies know this well, and that can factor into how they approach your personal injury claim for damages.

We have an A+ rating with the BBB and Mark Roman has an AV Preeminent rating with Martindale-Hubbell and 5-star review average on Avvo. Contact our law office in Clearwater to discuss your rights and options. Your first consultation is free.

Clearwater, FL Car Accident Statistics

Clearwater may not be as big as Tampa or St. Petersburg in terms of population, but it still has a significant number of car accidents each year.

In 2022, Pinellas County experienced over 15,600 motor vehicle accidents. This number is much lower than Hillsborough County‘s 28,352 accidents but around twice the number of accidents as Pasco County’s 7,726 collisions.

Pinellas County accidents in 2022 resulted in 122 deaths and over 9,200 injuries. Of the 15,000+ accidents in the county, 578 involved bicycle crashes, and 474 involved pedestrians. These collisions caused 50 deaths.

Pinellas experienced over 435 motorcycle crashes, 31 of which were fatal. The county also had over 4,400 hit-and-runs, which caused 9 fatalities and 970 injuries.

The county had a high rate of drunk driving accidents in 2022. There were 353 alcohol-involved crashes that year. These collisions resulted in 21 fatal injuries and 167 additional non-fatal injuries. Another 42 accidents involved drivers under the influence of drugs.

Local police departments responded to 65% of the crashes in 2022, while the Florida Highway Patrol and The Sheriff Department responded to the remaining 35%. Visit our statistics page to learn more.

How Severe Are Clearwater Auto Accidents?

Between 2012 and 2022, 110,310 people suffered injuries and another 1,272 were killed in Pinellas County car crashes. So, on an average day in Clearwater and surrounding beach towns, between 28 and 29 people get hurt in auto accidents. There’s a fatal crash in the area about once every three days.

Car Accidents in Pinellas County [April 2023 Update]

As of early this year 2023 Pinellas County, FL has seen that crashes are on the rise. According to the latest information (as of April 2023) provided by the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles:

All crashes: 3,892
Injuries from all crashes: 2,481
Fatalities from crashes: 29
Hit-and-run crashes: 1,086
Drunk driving crashes: 75

How Much Money Can I Get For My Clearwater Car Accident?

According to the National Safety Council, the average out-of-pocket costs and financial losses of a car accident range, on average, between $12,200 (no injury observed) to $1,659,000 (death of victim). Those are just the economic costs.

When you factor in the intangibles, like pain and suffering, the value of a claim can be significantly higher.

Generally speaking, crash victims in Clearwater are entitled to seek both economic and non-economic damages.

There are many different factors that will affect the valuation of an injury claim after a car accident in Clearwater. Among other things, these factors include:

The extent and severity of the injury
Whether you are forced to miss time at work and generate an income – temporarily or permanently
If you require assistance to complete everyday tasks, like bathing or driving
How the accident and resulting harm have affected you emotionally and psychologically
The cost of replacing and repairing property damaged in the crash.

What Types of Compensation Can Be Recovered in a Clearwater Auto Accident Claim?

Compensation that’s commonly awarded in Clearwater car accident claims includes money for:

Economic damages:

Present medical expenses
Future medical bills
Therapy and rehabilitation
Lost income and wages
Disability
Reduced earning capacity
Funeral and burial costs, if an accident is fatal

Non-economic damages:

Loss of enjoyment or quality of life
Loss of consortium
Disfigurement and scarring
Emotional distress, including PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder)

There are times when punitive, or exemplary, damages might be applicable. While these are awarded in a very limited number of cases, our team will carefully consider the details of your case and determine if they might also be an option for you.

What Are the Leading Causes of Car Accidents in Clearwater, Florida?

There are between 46 and 47 car wrecks on an average day in Clearwater and Pinellas County. That’s nearly two collisions every single hour, many of which cause injury and death.

While these traffic accidents can happen for a multitude of reasons, there are certain factors that tend to contribute such as:

distracted driving,
drunk driving,
fatigue,
speeding,
tailgating,
defective vehicles, or roads.

Contact our Clearwater distracted driving accident lawyers for more info.

Distracted Driving

Distractions come in many forms – texting and driving, checking your email while stopped at a red light, engaging in an in-depth conversation with a passenger, and even daydreaming.

When a driver is distracted, vehicle collisions and accidents involving bicyclists and pedestrians are much more likely to occur.

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, there were at least 55,261 distracted driving car accidents in the state in 2019.

Drunk Driving

Drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol are significantly more likely to get distracted, fall asleep behind the wheel, and simply experience difficulty concentrating and navigating a vehicle. Unfortunately, drunk driving in Clearwater is all too common and across the state. In 2017, there were at least 5,125 alcohol-related crashes in Florida.

Fatigued Driving

Did you know that driving while you’re tired can be just as dangerous as driving drunk? It’s true, at least according to some studies.

Speeding

There’s no doubt that Clearwater has its fair share of traffic. In fact, Clearwater, FL ranks 62nd in the nation when it comes to congestion. When a driver finally emerges from a traffic jam or bumper-to-bumper congestion, they might feel to urge to speed to make up for lost time. Unfortunately, that tends to lead to collisions – many of which are deadly. In 2018, speed was a factor in more than a quarter of all fatal accidents in the United States. Our Clearwater speeding accident lawyers can help if you were hurt in a speeding accident.

Tailgating

Many rear-end collisions that take place in Clearwater are a consequence of tailgating or following too closely. When drivers fail to leave an adequate cushion of space between vehicles, crashes are more likely to occur. Why? The driver in the rear simply has less time to react to changes in traffic patterns and less real estate to bring their vehicle to a complete stop. Our Clearwater rear-end car accident lawyers are here to assist you in the event of a crash.

Defective Vehicles and Safety Equipment

Sometimes auto accidents happen, despite the fact that everyone personally affected by the collision exercised an appropriate level of care. Faulty brakes, defective airbags, and other vehicle defects can, and sometimes do, cause accidents in Clearwater.

Road Defects

The state of Florida, Pinellas County, and the city of Clearwater all have a responsibility to design safe roads and maintain them so that they’re in a reasonably safe condition. Drivers shouldn’t have to be overly concerned about road conditions or being on the lookout for obstructions or hazards while they’re traveling around the city. Unfortunately, potholes go untended and trees are allowed to grow in front of and obstruct road signs. These road conditions can lead to crashes.

Road defects together with speeding can cause fatal accidents. In 2018, driving “too fast for conditions”, caused many fatal accidents across the country. These were the conditions that caused them:

16% – dry roads
19% – wet roads
37% – roads with snow or slush
37% – roads with moving or standing water
41% – roads with ice or frost
45% – roads with mud, dirt, or gravel

Contact Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers if you’ve been injured in a crash. When you hire our Clearwater car accident attorneys, we will work to get to the bottom of what happened and determine why your collision happened. With this information, we’ll be able to set the stage for recovering compensation from those who are responsible.

We Handle All Types of Clearwater Car Accident Claims

When you’re injured in a motor vehicle collision in Clearwater, you deserve to be represented by a Clearwater car accident attorney with extensive experience handling cases like yours. At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we have 50+ years of combined experience representing clients in car accident injury matters.

This includes clients who were injured as a result of:

Head-On Car Crashes

Head-on crashes can often result in some of the worst injuries, including head trauma, broken bones, and internal bleeding. A Clearwater head-on car crash lawyer can help you get compensation for these injuries.

Intersection Crashes

Intersection crashes are among the most common wrecks in Clearwater, Florida. Our Clearwater intersection crash lawyers can help you take on the insurance companies and get the compensation you’re entitled to.

Highway Crashes

Highway crashes in Clearwater, FL, take place at higher speeds and so tend to result in more drastic injuries. If you’ve been involved in one of these accidents, you need a Clearwater highway crash attorney on your side.

Hit and Run Accidents

Hit-and-run accidents can be especially difficult to get compensated for since you may not even know who hit you. A Clearwater hit-and-run car accident lawyer will help you fight for fair compensation in your case.

Multi-Vehicle Car Crashes

Multi-vehicle crashes can be difficult to litigate since determining who’s at fault for what can be incredibly complex. Our experienced Clearwater multi-vehicle car crash attorneys know what it takes to get you the money you deserve.

Rear-End Car Accidents

Rear-end accidents often result in whiplash, concussions, soft tissue injuries, and more. A Clearwater rear-end car accident lawyer can help you pursue full and fair compensation for your injuries.

Rollover Car Accidents

Rollover accidents can cause some of the most devastating injuries. A Clearwater rollover accident attorney will help you take on the insurance companies and get the money you’re entitled to.

Other common claims we handle include:

Side-impact collisions
Single vehicle accidents
Red and yellow light accidents
Truck accidents
Accidents involving bicyclists and pedestrians
Accidents involving uninsured or underinsured motorists
Lane change accidents
And more

We work on contingency, which means there’s no fee unless we win your case. Contact our law office in Clearwater to discuss your situation today.

What Does Florida’s No-Fault Insurance Rule Mean For Me After a Crash in Clearwater?

Florida has no-fault insurance laws. This means that you are required to file a claim with your own insurance provider after you are injured in an accident in the state – regardless of who is at fault. State law requires that all vehicles are covered by a car insurance policy, including mandatory minimum amounts of Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage.

This PIP coverage serves as the primary source of compensation when you get hurt in a crash.

Can I Recover Compensation If I’m Partly to Blame for My Clearwater Car Accident?

Yes – as long as your level of fault doesn’t exceed 50%. Florida operates under a modified comparative negligence system. Simply, this means that fault is allocated to everyone who plays a role in causing an accident – directly or indirectly.

Your damages will be reduced to the degree to which you are at fault. However, if you share 51% or more responsibility for the collision, you’re prevented from recovering any compensation.

Example: You suffer $100,000 in damages as a result of a car accident in Clearwater. You’re allocated 30% of the blame because you were speeding at the time of the wreck. Your financial settlement or award will be capped at $70,000 – your total damages less 30%. However, if you were allocated 51% of the blame, you’d receive nothing.

Can I Recover Compensation If I’m Partly to Blame for My Clearwater Car Accident?

Insurance companies love to use this law to their advantage. In fact, they love to use it as a way to scare accident victims into accepting way less money than they deserve or walking away with nothing. If you don’t stand up for yourself – or have an experienced Clearwater car accident lawyer stand up for you – you might end up leaving money on the table.

Our Clearwater auto accident attorneys are known for being fierce advocates for injury victims like you. We’ll stand up to insurance companies and work to neutralize their manipulative strategies and tactics. Our team will gather evidence to disprove the claims that you share fault or work to minimize your role. Call us for legal advice and assistance today.

Common Clearwater Car Accident Injuries

Clearwater car accidents can cause a wide range of injuries to drivers, passengers, and bystanders. Our legal team appreciates the importance of a financial recovery for all injuries – mild and catastrophic. Call our law office in Clearwater if, as a result of a crash, you or a loved one have suffered:

Traumatic brain injury
Spinal cord damage
Paralysis
Back and neck injury, including whiplash
Concussion or head trauma
Burns
Broken bones
Soft tissue damage, including strains and sprains
Chest injury
Degloving
Lost limbs
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Injuries to the eyes or face
Wrongful death

If you lost a loved one in an accident, our Clearwater wrongful death lawyers can guide you through the legal process during this difficult time.

We understand that you might not be able to take the time to come to our Clearwater law office to discuss your case. If your injuries are severe, our team can arrange a time ot visit you at home or at the hospital. Just give us a call to discuss your options today.

How Long Do I Have To File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Clearwater, FL (Statute of Limitations)?

Your right to file a civil action after an accident in Clearwater is not without limitation. Florida state law imposes a strict two-year clock on most personal injury lawsuits. This means that your right to seek compensation from at-fault parties expires two years from the date of your Clearwater car crash.

The Florida statute of limitations used to give car accident victims four years to file a lawsuit. However, the law was revised on March 24, 2023 – meaning crashes occurring after that date must follow the two-year deadline.

How Long Do I Have To File a Car Accident Lawsuits in Clearwater, FL (Statute of Limitations)

There are some exceptions to the rule – but they’re few and far between. While two years might seem like a lot of time, there’s considerable value in getting started on your legal case right away. By contacting an attorney promptly after a crash, you’ll not only effectively guarantee that you meet applicable deadlines, but you’ll also give your car accident lawyer the opportunity to investigate and gather relevant evidence not long after the crash.

This can make a huge difference in the success of your claim and in how much money you’re ultimately awarded for your injuries.

What Should I Do After a Clearwater, FL Car Accident?

A Clearwater auto accident can be overwhelming. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you or a loved one are involved in a car accident in Clearwater. These easy steps can help to keep you safe and support any future actions for damages you decide to pursue.

Remain at the scene, but move to a safe location away from the wreckage
Call the police and report the accident
Answer basic questions and exchange insurance information, but do not admit fault or apologize
Seek medical treatment for your injuries as soon as you can
Obtain a copy of the accident report when it is available
Resist the urge to accept an insurance company’s early settlement offer – it’s probably for way less money than your case is really worth
Direct all conversations to your personal injury attorney in Clearwater

Don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers after you are involved in a car accident in Clearwater, Florida. Our car accident lawyers are always available – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Clearwater Car Accident Lawyer

At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we get results for our clients. If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Clearwater, make our law firm your first call. Our car accident lawyers near me in Clearwater will fight to hold at-fault parties fully accountable for your injuries, pain, and suffering. Your first consultation with our team is free, so give us a call to arrange a time to discuss your case today.