The phone calls from debt collectors start before you have even finished your first round of physical therapy. Your employer needs to know when you are coming back, but you do not have an answer yet.
Meanwhile, the insurance company already left a voicemail asking you to accept a quick settlement. This is what life looks like after someone else’s negligence causes you a serious injury in Tampa, Florida.
A Tampa personal injury lawyer at Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers may be able to help you pursue the compensation you need to get through this. Contact our Tampa office for a free case review and find out where you stand.
Roman Austin Car Accident and Injury Lawyers
401 E Jackson St Suite 3319, Tampa, FL 33602
Phone: (813) 422-7772
How Our Tampa Personal Injury Law Firm Supports Your Recovery
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers has a Tampa office at 401 E. Jackson Street, Suite 3319, Tampa, FL 33602. We serve people across Hillsborough County who have been hurt in accidents caused by someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or disregard for safety.
What Happens When You Call Our Tampa Office
When you reach out, our legal team reviews the facts of your accident and starts building a strategy around your specific injuries, losses, and circumstances. We take on the burden of dealing with insurance adjusters, collecting evidence, organizing medical records, and preparing your case for negotiation or trial.
Our practice in Tampa concentrates on the injury cases that affect Hillsborough County residents most frequently:
- Car accidents, including crashes on the Selmon Expressway, Dale Mabry Highway, I-275, and I-4
- Bicycle accidents, where riders face severe harm from collisions with distracted or careless drivers throughout Tampa
- Slip and fall accidents at restaurants, retail stores, office buildings, and other Tampa properties where owners fail to maintain safe conditions
Each of these case types involves distinct facts, different liable parties, and separate legal strategies. A car accident injury claim might require analyzing multiple drivers’ insurance coverage, while a slip and fall case turns on whether the property owner knew about the hazard before you got hurt. Our team tailors every claim to the facts at hand.
Reach Us Anytime
Call Roman Austin in Tampa today for a free consultation. Our phones are open 24/7, because the questions that keep you up at night do not wait until morning.
What Types of Personal Injury Cases Are Filed in Tampa, Florida?
Tampa’s growing population, busy highways, and active commercial areas contribute to a steady number of preventable injuries. Hillsborough County residents file claims arising from many types of accidents, most commonly car crashes, bicycle collisions, and slip and fall incidents.
Car Accidents in Tampa
Car accidents are the leading source of injury claims in the Tampa area. Heavy traffic on I-275, I-4, and the Selmon Expressway frequently leads to rear-end crashes, red-light collisions, distracted driving incidents, and merging accidents.
Crash data from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles dashboard consistently shows high rates of injury-causing collisions in the Tampa Bay region. Injuries range from soft tissue damage to broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries.
Bicycle Accidents
Although Tampa has expanded its cycling infrastructure, bicyclists remain vulnerable to inattentive drivers. Because riders have little physical protection, collisions often result in serious injuries such as fractures, head trauma, road rash, and internal injuries. Under Florida law, bicyclists have the same rights as motorists, and negligent drivers may be held financially responsible.
Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall injuries often occur in grocery stores, apartment complexes, sidewalks, and commercial buildings throughout Tampa. Hazards such as spills, broken handrails, and damaged flooring can lead to serious harm.
Under Florida premises liability law, a property owner who knew or should have known about a dangerous condition and failed to address it may be liable for resulting injuries. Prompt action is important to preserve evidence before conditions are repaired.
What Damages Can You Recover in a Tampa Injury Claim?
Florida law allows injured people to pursue both economic and non-economic damages when someone else’s negligence causes them harm. The total amount you might recover depends on the severity of your injuries, the available evidence, and the specific facts of your case.
Economic Damages
Economic damages represent the measurable financial impact of your injury. Your legal team looks at bills, pay records, and documentation to build a clear picture of these losses:
- Current and future medical expenses, including hospital stays, surgeries, physical therapy, and prescription costs
- Wages lost during your recovery, along with any reduction in your future earning capacity
- Vehicle repair or replacement costs and damage to other personal property
- Expenses tied to medical transportation, in-home assistance, or modifications to your living space
Tracking every expense from day one gives your attorney a stronger foundation for calculating the true financial toll. Insurance companies pay attention to organized, well-documented claims, and weak recordkeeping often leads to lower offers.
Non-Economic Damages
Not every loss appears on a bill. Non-economic damages address the impact an injury has on your daily life, your relationships, and your ability to enjoy the things that mattered to you before the accident. These may include physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment in activities, and loss of companionship for a spouse or family member.
Because no standard formula exists for calculating these damages, insurance companies often try to minimize or dismiss them entirely. An injury attorney in Tampa who understands how juries in Hillsborough County evaluate pain and suffering knows how to present this evidence convincingly at the negotiation table or in a courtroom.
How Much Could Your Tampa Injury Case Be Worth?
No honest answer to this question comes without knowing the details of your situation. The value of any personal injury claim depends on factors unique to you, including the type and severity of your injuries, the cost of your medical treatment, how much income you have lost, and whether the injury limits your ability to work in the future.
Factors That Influence Case Value
Several variables shape the potential value of an injury claim filed in Tampa:
- The total cost of past and projected future medical care
- The length and difficulty of your physical recovery
- Whether the injury is permanent or has lasting effects on your mobility, cognition, or daily function
- The strength and clarity of the evidence linking the other party’s negligence to your injuries
- Whether multiple parties share fault for the accident
Every case is different. A settlement timeline may range from a few months to well over a year depending on how contested the facts are and whether the insurance company negotiates in good faith. The only reliable way to understand what your claim might be worth is to have it reviewed by an attorney who handles these cases in the Tampa area.
What Is Florida’s Two-Year Statute of Limitations for Injury Claims?
Every injury case in Florida runs on a clock. Under Florida Statute § 95.11, you have two years from the date of your injury to file a lawsuit based on negligence. This deadline applies to most Tampa injury claims, including car accidents, bicycle crashes, and slip and fall injuries.
The Consequences of Waiting Too Long
Filing even one day late may result in your case being thrown out permanently. The court does not make exceptions based on injury severity, financial hardship, or how consuming your recovery has been. Two years passes quickly when you are focused on medical appointments and getting your life back on track.
Limited Exceptions to the Deadline
Some situations may change the filing window. Claims involving minors or injuries that were not immediately apparent may follow different timelines. Our attorneys help you determine the exact deadline that applies to your situation so a missed date does not cost you your right to pursue compensation.
How Comparative Negligence Works in Tampa Injury Cases
Florida’s modified comparative negligence system, codified in Florida Statute § 768.81, assigns a percentage of fault to each party involved in an accident. Your compensation is then reduced by your share of the blame.
A Practical Example
If a jury determines your total damages are $150,000 and assigns you 30% of the fault, your recovery drops to $105,000. The reduction is proportional and automatic.
The 51% Cutoff
Florida law draws a hard line at 51%. If you are found more than 50% at fault for the accident, you may not recover any compensation. Insurance adjusters frequently use this rule as leverage, arguing that your own actions contributed more to the incident than the other party’s did. They might question your speed, your attention, or whether you obeyed traffic signals.
Working with an injury attorney who understands how fault is litigated in Hillsborough County courts may be your strongest protection against these tactics.
How Does Florida’s No-Fault System and PIP Coverage Work?
Florida requires all vehicle owners to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance under Florida Statute § 627.736. This no-fault coverage pays up to 80% of your medical bills and 60% of lost wages, regardless of who caused the crash.
The 14-Day Treatment Rule
PIP comes with a time-sensitive requirement. You must seek medical treatment within 14 days of a car accident to qualify for full PIP benefits. If you wait beyond that window, your available coverage may drop to just $2,500. That amount barely covers a single emergency room visit, let alone follow-up care.
When You May Step Outside the No-Fault System
PIP’s $10,000 cap runs out fast when injuries are serious. Once benefits are exhausted and your injuries meet Florida’s serious injury threshold, you may file a fault-based claim directly against the negligent driver. Moving from a PIP claim to a full injury lawsuit involves specific procedural steps. Our attorneys handle this transition routinely for clients across the Tampa area.
What Should You Do After an Injury in Tampa?
Once you are home and safe after an accident in Tampa, a few practical decisions may shape the strength of your injury claim going forward. The actions you take during this window matter more than most people realize.
Get Medical Treatment and Document Everything
Follow up with a doctor within days of the accident, even if you feel relatively fine. Some injuries, including concussions, herniated discs, and internal bruising, take time to produce noticeable symptoms. Early medical records also connect your injuries directly to the accident, which later becomes a key piece of evidence.
Avoid Common Mistakes That Weaken Claims
Insurance companies look for any reason to reduce what they owe you. A few preventable missteps may give them exactly what they need:
- Posting photos, updates, or comments about the accident on social media, which adjusters actively search for
- Giving a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company without first talking to an attorney
- Accepting a settlement offer before you fully understand the extent of your injuries and future medical needs
- Discarding receipts, medical records, or documentation related to your accident expenses
The insurance company’s first offer almost never reflects the actual value of your claim. Speaking with a lawyer before responding to that offer protects you from signing away rights you might not realize you have.
Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Tampa, FL
- Car Accidents
- The costs and consequences of a car accident in Tampa can be devastating. If you want to recover compensation, Florida’s no-fault rules direct that you’ll have to turn to your own insurance provider for assistance first. However, don’t expect your insurer to just write you a check for the full cost of your injuries. They’ll put up a fight and work to minimize your payout. Our Tampa car accident lawyers can help you navigate the claims process, work to secure a full payout, and then pursue additional damages from negligent parties, if necessary.
- Brain Injuries
- A brain injury can be terrifying and life-changing. Even though many types of brain injuries can heal over time, others will not. Brain trauma victims struggle with the consequences of their injury for life. That can get to be emotionally, physically, and financially draining. If someone else is responsible for the accident that caused your traumatic injury, you might be entitled to financial compensation. Contact our Tampa brain injury lawyers for help today.
- Bicycle Accidents
- Even when wearing a helmet, a bicyclist is still susceptible to severe, catastrophic injuries in the event of an auto accident in Tampa. Many times, bike accidents are caused by distracted or impaired motorists. However, those same motorists who cause these crashes blame the riders for getting hurt. Our Tampa bicycle accident lawyers will defend you if and when you are blamed for a bicycle accident. We’ll work to gather evidence to show that the negligent motorist – and not you – is at fault and financially responsible for your injuries.
- Motorcycle Accidents
- When a motorcyclist is involved in a motor vehicle accident, the outcome can be tragic. Even if a rider survives their injuries, they may struggle with long-term disabilities and suffer from severe PTSD. In turn, the costs of a motorcycle crash can be quite burdensome.
- An injured rider shouldn’t bear the costs of an accident that someone else caused. Our Tampa motorcycle accident lawyers can help you determine why your accident happened and, by extension, who is to blame. When we know who’s at fault, we can then aggressively pursue a full monetary award for all present and future damages on your behalf.
- Slip and Fall Accidents
- If you’ve suffered a slip and fall on someone else’s property in Tampa, FL, you may have a right to pursue compensation from the owner. If a dangerous condition or hazard on the property led to your all, the owner can be on the hook for the costs of your medical bills, lost wages, and more. However, the owner will likely try to fix whatever caused you to get hurt before you have a chance to take action. So, it’s important to reach out to an experienced slip & fall lawyer for help as soon as you can after you get hurt. Our team will launch a prompt investigation into your fall and work to preserve the evidence that we’ll need to support our premises liability claim.
- Truck Accidents
- Truck accidents aren’t all that uncommon in and around Hillsborough County. Many times, these catastrophic accidents occur because a driver and/or trucking companies violate federal and state safety regulations. This might involve driving for longer that is permitted by law or failing to regularly inspect and maintain a fleet of vehicles. These violations can be used as support for an injury claim as our truck accident lawyers pursue damages for your medical expenses, lost income, disability, and pain and suffering.
- Uber & Lyft Accidents
- Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft have transformed the way we travel. Unfortunately, that transformation hasn’t necessarily involved a safer way to travel. Uber and Lyft drivers aren’t professionals. And, they’re among the most distracted drivers on the road. So, Uber and Lyft accidents happen quite frequently. Unfortunately, getting compensation after an Uber accident can be a challenge. Our uber accident lawyers know how to cut through the confusion, identify liable parties, and construct a persuasive claim that helps injury victims recover the money they rightfully deserve.
- Wrongful Death
- It’s painful to lose a family member. It can be even more difficult when that loss is sudden and avoidable. If someone you care about has died in an accident in Tampa, FL our compassionate lawyers will help you navigate this difficult time.
- We’ll aggressively pursue monetary damages through a wrongful death claim to help you get back on your feet and to provide financial support for your family for years to come. Our wrongful death attorneys understand that money will never make up for your loss. However, it can provide some much-needed relief and a little bit of justice, too.
FAQs for Tampa Personal Injury Lawyers
How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in Tampa, Florida?
Florida's statute of limitations gives you two years from the date of your injury to file a negligence-based lawsuit.
This applies to car accident claims, bicycle accident claims, and slip and fall cases in Tampa and throughout Hillsborough County. Missing this deadline typically means losing your right to pursue legal action.
Common Injuries in Personal Injury Lawsuits
Tampa personal injury lawsuits arise out of various accidents and injuries. Common injuries include the following:
Broken bones
Back injury
Traumatic brain injury
Whiplash
Burns
Amputation
Paralysis
Head and neck injuries
Soft tissue injury
Nerve damage
Spinal cord injury
Joint injuries
Crush injuries
Internal organ damage
Chest injuries
Seek medical assistance immediately if you are injured in an accident. Delaying or refusing treatment can negatively impact your injuries and a subsequent claim.
Your medical bills, medical records, and photos of visible injuries can be used as evidence to strengthen the validity of your claim.
How Much Money Can I Get for My Tampa Personal Injury Case?
It depends. The value of your case depends on many different factors. Those factors are unique to you, and no other previous case provides a perfect example of what you can get. The money you can get for your injury claim will depend on the following:
- The extent of your medical costs
- The amount of work you’ve had to miss
- Whether you’ve endured pain and suffering
- Available insurance coverages
- Whether you shared fault for the accident
- The strength of your evidence.
The quickest way to get an idea of the value of your claim is to consult us. Our legal team can record and calculate all your damages, bringing in experts when necessary. We would be happy to help you figure out your case’s worth.
How Much Time Do I Have To File a Lawsuit in Florida?
There may be exceptions to the general two-year deadlineThe statute of limitations sets a deadline to file a Florida personal injury lawsuit against another party. For most negligence-based cases, you have two years from the injury date to take legal action. A court will likely dismiss your case if you fail to file your lawsuit within the applicable time frame.
There may be exceptions to the general two-year deadline, meaning you could have less (or more) time to act. Therefore, it’s crucial to speak with a qualified attorney to protect your right to compensation.
How to Prove a Personal Injury Lawsuit
Most personal injury claims revolve around negligence.
Negligence means that a person failed to act reasonably and injured another person.In order to have a successful negligence claim, you must prove four elements:
- Duty – You must show that the defendant owed you a duty of care. Duties typically arise from the law or from a special relationship between the parties.
- Breach of Duty – You must prove that the defendant breached their duty. You will do this by showing they failed to act like a reasonable person in the circumstances leading up to your accident or injury.
- Causation – You will have to establish that the defendant’s breach caused your accident. You must prove that your injuries wouldn’t have happened had it not been for the defendant’s conduct. You will also have to show your injuries were foreseeable.
- Damages – You must show you suffered damages related to your injury.
You must prove each element to win your case. If you fail to prove just one, you won’t be able to obtain any compensation. This highlights the importance of having a skilled attorney on your side. Reach out to our legal team for help proving negligence and getting justice in your case.
What If I’m Partly At Fault For My Accident?
Florida is a modified comparative negligence state. This means that you can recover compensation even if you were partially to blame for your personal injury. You can still recover damages if you are less than 51% at fault for your injuries. However, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your amount of fault.
You will be barred from recovering compensation if you are more than 50% at fault for your injuries. A skilled Tampa personal injury attorney can help you combat allegations that you contributed to your injuries.
What To Do After an Unexpected Injury
Accidents are unexpected and can drastically affect your daily life. Understanding what to do after an accident occurs can help make this challenging time more manageable.
Take the following steps after an accident:
- Get medical attention
- Dial 911 and obtain an accident report
- Exchange insurance details and contact information
- Take photos and videos of the accident scene and injuries
- Gather statements from witnesses
- Notify the insurance provider of the accident
- Consult our Tampa personal injury lawyers
You should never admit fault while at the accident scene or when speaking to an insurance adjuster. Do not agree to provide a recorded statement for the insurance company, as your words can be used against you to deny your claim.
You can avoid making crucial missteps after an unexpected injury by contacting our law firm immediately.
What types of personal injury cases are most commonly filed in Tampa?
Car accident injuries are the most frequent type of injury claim in the Tampa area. Bicycle accidents and slip and fall injuries also make up a significant portion of cases filed in Hillsborough County. Each type of accident involves different evidence requirements, potential defendants, and legal strategies.
How much does a consultation with a Tampa injury attorney cost?
A consultation with our Tampa office costs nothing. We review your case at no charge and help you understand your options before you make any decisions. You may reach us at (813) 422-7772 at any time, day or night.
What is PIP, and why might it not cover all my expenses after a car accident?
PIP stands for Personal Injury Protection, and Florida law requires all vehicle owners to carry at least $10,000 in PIP coverage. While PIP pays 80% of covered medical costs regardless of fault, the $10,000 limit often falls short when injuries require ongoing treatment. You must also seek medical care within 14 days of the accident to access full benefits.
Do I need a lawyer for an injury case in Tampa, or may I handle it alone?
You are not required to hire a lawyer. But handling a claim alone means negotiating directly with trained insurance adjusters whose job is to minimize payouts. An attorney handles evidence gathering, communication with insurers, damage calculations, and court filings on your behalf, which often leads to a stronger outcome overall.