You should not have to argue with an insurance adjuster while you are still trying to get through physical therapy. If you were hurt in a crash on 4th Street North, Central Avenue, I-275, or anywhere else in town, a St. Petersburg car accident lawyer at Roman Austin can take the claim off your plate so you can focus on getting better.
Our firm represents people injured in car crashes throughout St. Petersburg and Pinellas County. We investigate how the crash happened and identify every insurance policy that may apply. You can count on us to pursue full compensation for medical bills, lost income, and the ways an injury has changed your daily life. Consultations are free, and you can reach our team 24/7 at (727) 787-2500.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Car Accident in St. Petersburg?
You likely need a lawyer if you were injured, if fault is disputed, or if the insurer is delaying or underpaying your claim. A crash that damaged only your vehicle and hurt no one usually does not call for an attorney. Once an injury is involved, Florida's no-fault rules, fault-based bars, and filing deadlines make the claim much harder to handle alone.
Insurance companies assign adjusters whose job is to close claims for as little as the facts allow. Without representation, many injured people accept an offer before they know how long treatment will last or whether they qualify to sue the at-fault driver at all. Our role is to answer those questions first.
What Our St. Pete Auto Accident Lawyers Do From Day One
We start by locking down evidence that tends to disappear. That includes requesting the crash report, sending preservation letters for nearby business video and vehicle data, and collecting witness contact information before memories fade. From there, we handle every call with the insurers so you are not giving recorded statements that can be used against you later.
How Florida No-Fault Insurance Affects Your St. Petersburg Crash Claim
Florida is a no-fault state, so your own personal injury protection (PIP) coverage pays first for medical bills and lost wages, regardless of who caused the crash. Under Florida's PIP statute, the required benefit is $10,000, and the rules that control how much of it you can actually use are strict.
These are the PIP rules that most often affect St. Petersburg crash victims:
- You generally must receive initial medical treatment within 14 days of the crash for PIP medical benefits to apply.
- PIP medical benefits are limited to $2,500 unless a qualifying physician or other listed provider determines you had an emergency medical condition.
- When an emergency medical condition is documented, the full $10,000 benefit becomes available.
- PIP typically pays 80% of reasonable medical expenses and 60% of lost income, up to the policy limit.
Missing the 14-day window or the emergency medical condition finding can shrink PIP benefits before you ever speak with the at-fault driver's insurer, which is why we look at your treatment records early.
When Can You Sue the At-Fault Driver in Florida?
You can step outside the no-fault system and pursue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering when your injury meets Florida's serious injury threshold. Under section 627.737(2), that means:
- Significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function
- A permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability
- Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement, or death.
Why the Threshold Is Usually the First Fight
Insurers commonly argue that an injury has healed or was never permanent. Meeting the threshold usually depends on medical opinions, imaging, and treatment history, so the medical record you build in the first months matters a great deal.
We work with your treating providers to make sure the record reflects what you are actually living with.
How Does Comparative Fault Work in a Florida Car Accident Case?
Florida uses modified comparative negligence, which means an injured person who is more than 50% at fault for a crash recovers nothing. If you are 50% or less at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault.
Here is how the reduction works in practice. If a jury values a claim at $100,000 and assigns you 20% of the fault, the recovery becomes $80,000. If the jury assigns you 51% of fault, the recovery is zero.
Because a few percentage points can erase a claim, insurers often look for any detail that shifts blame, such as speed, a late brake, or a phone in the cupholder.
Evidence That Answers a Fault Argument
Objective evidence often carries more weight than competing driver accounts. Vehicle event data recorders, traffic and business camera footage, intersection signal timing, physical damage patterns, and neutral witnesses can each help show what really happened at the moment of impact.
How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in St. Petersburg?
Florida gives you two years to file a negligence lawsuit. That deadline now appears in section 95.11(5)(a) of the Florida Statutes.
| Date of crash | General negligence deadline | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Before March 24, 2023 | Four years | Older claims kept the prior four-year period |
| On or after March 24, 2023 | Two years | Applies to most car accident injury claims |
| Claim against a government agency | Separate notice rules | Written notice requirements under section 768.28 apply |
Exceptions can shorten or extend these periods, including claims involving minors, government vehicles, and uninsured motorist coverage under your own policy. We confirm the exact deadline for your situation during the first consultation.
Where Is a Car Accident Lawsuit Filed in Pinellas County?
Car accident lawsuits arising in St. Petersburg are typically filed in Pinellas County, which is part of Florida's Sixth Judicial Circuit.
Cases are often handled at the St. Petersburg Judicial Building at 545 First Avenue North, although the correct venue depends on where the defendant lives and other factors.
County Court vs. Circuit Court
Florida divides civil cases between county court and circuit court based on the amount in controversy. Smaller claims are heard in county court, while larger injury claims go to circuit court.
Filing in the wrong court or with the wrong defendants can cost time, so we decide where and how to file before the deadline approaches.
What to Do After a Car Accident in St. Petersburg
A few practical steps after a St. Petersburg crash can protect both your health and your claim. Many of our clients find these the most helpful:
- Get medical care within 14 days, even if pain seems minor, so PIP benefits remain available.
- Request the crash report. St. Petersburg Police Department reports can be requested from the department, and many Florida reports are available through the FLHSMV crash report portal.
- Keep photos, medical bills, pay stubs, and repair estimates in one place.
- Avoid giving a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer before speaking with a lawyer.
- Stay off social media about the crash and your injuries.
Under section 316.066, crash reports are confidential for the first 60 days and released only to the parties involved, their attorneys, insurers, and certain others, so having a lawyer can speed up access.
Results That Speak Directly to What We Do
Types of Car Crashes We Handle in St. Petersburg
Our attorneys handle the full range of injury crashes on St. Petersburg roads. Each type raises different evidence and insurance questions:
- Rear-end collisions: The trailing driver is usually presumed negligent, but insurers still argue sudden stops or brake-light failures.
- Intersection and left-turn crashes: Signal timing and camera footage often decide who had the right of way.
- Hit-and-run crashes: Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage on your own policy may be the main source of recovery.
- Rideshare crashes: Uber and Lyft coverage depends on whether the driver was logged in, waiting, or carrying a passenger.
- Crashes involving pedestrians or riders: These often overlap with our St. Petersburg motorcycle accident claims and truck accident cases in St. Petersburg when larger vehicles are involved.
Whatever the crash type, we identify every available policy, including UM coverage under section 627.727, before any settlement discussion begins.
Why Injured Drivers Choose Roman Austin
Choosing a lawyer is a decision about who will be accountable to you for the next year or more. Our firm keeps that relationship personal, and our intake team answers calls in-house, around the clock.
- Founder Mark S. Roman is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer through The Florida Bar, a certification held by fewer than 2% of Florida attorneys.
- Partner John C. Austin is a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, which gives our team an insider's view of how insurers evaluate claims.
- Our firm has earned more than 1,200 five-star Google reviews across our Tampa Bay offices.
- We hold an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
We are also a local alternative to the billboard firms. Our office at 840 Beach Drive NE serves clients across St. Petersburg, and our broader team of St. Petersburg personal injury lawyers handles cases from first call through trial when trial is needed.
Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. If you want to talk through your options, call (727) 787-2500 for a free consultation.
FAQs: St. Petersburg Car Accident Lawyer
How much is my St. Petersburg car accident case worth?
The value of a St. Petersburg car accident case depends on the severity and permanence of your injuries, your medical costs and lost income, your share of fault, and the insurance limits available. No honest lawyer can give a number before reviewing your records. A case involving permanent injury and adequate coverage is usually valued very differently from a soft-tissue injury that fully heals.
Do I have to use my own PIP insurance first in Florida?
Florida drivers generally must turn to their own PIP coverage first for medical bills and lost wages, no matter who caused the crash. A claim against the at-fault driver's bodily injury coverage comes after PIP and, for pain and suffering, requires meeting the serious injury threshold.
What if the other driver had no insurance?
If the at-fault driver in a Florida crash had no bodily injury coverage, your own uninsured motorist coverage may pay for damages beyond PIP, if you carry it. Florida does not require drivers to buy bodily injury liability coverage in most situations, so reviewing your own policy is often the most important step.
How long does a St. Pete car accident case take?
Many St. Petersburg car accident claims resolve within several months to a year, while cases that go to suit in Pinellas County can take longer. Timing often depends on when you finish treatment, because settling before your doctors understand the long-term picture can leave future costs uncovered.
Can I still recover if I was partly at fault for the crash?
A Florida driver who is 50% or less at fault can still recover damages, reduced by their share of the fault. A driver found more than 50% at fault recovers nothing under the state's modified comparative negligence rule, so how fault is assigned can decide the entire claim.
Talk With a St. Petersburg Car Crash Lawyer Today
Attorney and Founder
A crash on a St. Petersburg street can leave you managing doctor visits, missed work, and insurance calls all at once. Roman Austin can carry the legal side while you recover.
Call (727) 787-2500 any time, day or night, to schedule a free consultation with our Pinellas County car accident attorneys and learn what your claim may involve.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is unique and must be evaluated on its own merits.