Were you or a loved one attacked and injured in Tampa, Florida? You may be entitled to recover financial compensation from anyone whose actions allowed the assault to occur. An experienced Tampa assault injury lawyer at Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and your personal pain and suffering.
Our law group has over 50 years of experience helping victims injured in Tampa construction accidents, medical malpractice cases, Tampa slip and fall accidents, train accidents, workplace accidents, and more. We’ve recovered more than $100 million since we opened our doors.
Helping you get justice is our number one priority. Learn more about our practice areas and experience by calling our law offices in Tampa, Florida, to schedule a free consultation at (813) 686-7588.
How Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help With an Assault Injury Claim in Tampa
Your life can change quickly if you were a victim of assault. Painful injuries can leave you disabled and unable to work. The emotional trauma of the experience could haunt you for years to come. You shouldn’t have to deal with financial stress on top of your pain and fear.
An experienced Tampa injury lawyer can help you demand the fair financial compensation you deserve.
At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand the challenges you’re facing. We’re prepared to help you in any way possible. Over the years, we’ve been recognized for our expertise as Tampa Bay’s Top Trial Lawyers. We’ve also earned a perfect-10 Avvo rating and an AV-Preeminent rating by the Martindale-Hubbell lawyer rating service.
Our Tampa assault injury lawyers can help by:
- Investigating the circumstances of the attack
- Identifying all parties who share liability for your injuries
- Assessing your case value
- Gathering evidence to prove liability
- Handling the challenges that an ongoing criminal case can present
- Negotiating with the insurance companies on your behalf
Our lawyers know you need time to recover. We’re here to handle the details, so you have that opportunity. To learn more about how a Tampa personal injury attorney can fight for you, call our law firm today.
Overview of Assault and Battery Claims in Florida
Assault and battery are crimes in the State of Florida. They’re two separate criminal offenses that are often grouped together.
Someone commits assault if they use threats to make a person believe they’re in danger of suffering physical injuries. A defendant doesn’t have to cause an injury to be convicted on assault charges in Florida.
The defendant must make some type of physical contact to be convicted on battery charges.
Battery is defined as:
- Intentionally touching or striking another person against their will, or
- Intentionally causing bodily harm to another person
These criminal laws are in place to punish the attacker. Your attacker might face jail time and financial penalties. While a conviction might provide a sense of justice, it doesn’t do anything to help with your financial stress.
Because assault is also an intentional tort, you also have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit to recover compensation.
Who Can Be Liable for My Assault Injuries?
If the police catch your attacker, that person can be held liable for your damages. In reality, it’s often difficult to recover full compensation from the attacker. In some cases, a negligent third party may also be liable for allowing the attack to happen.
Property owners in Florida have a duty to provide adequate security to keep visitors and customers safe. You might have a valid negligent security case if the owner failed to provide that security.
The types of security that are “adequate” can vary from case to case, depending on the neighborhood, type of establishment, and evidence of past criminal activity nearby.
Under Florida premises liability laws, the property owner may be required to:
- Install video surveillance cameras
- Hire security guards
- Provide working locks or alarm systems
- Install locked gates or fences
- Train employees to respond properly to unlawful threats of violence
- Install adequate lighting
Any business owner could be financially responsible for your injuries if you were attacked on their premises, including:
- Landlords and apartment complexes
- Colleges and universities
- Schools and daycare centers
- Cruise ships
- Sports and entertainment complexes
- Hotels
- Bars, restaurants, and nightclubs
- Shopping malls
- Parking garages
- Hospitals
- Nursing homes
- Office buildings
- Government agencies
If you were attacked on someone else’s property, call our Tampa assault injury attorneys to determine whether you have a valid case. We offer a free case review, so there’s no risk in asking about your legal rights.
Types of Assault Injuries
Perpetrators of assault don’t have to cause an injury to be charged with a crime. Still, many assault victims in Tampa are seriously injured.
At Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers, we often represent assault victims who have sustained:
- Broken bones
- Facial injuries
- Dental injuries
- Eye injuries
- Severe cuts and bruising
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Stab wounds
- Gunshot wounds
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Back injuries
- Permanent or catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death
Some victims of assault never fully recover from their injuries. If you’re dealing with a long-term disability or have lost a family member, our attorneys in Tampa can help you fight for the justice you deserve.
How Common Is Assault in Tampa?
Violent crimes are a nationwide problem. About 1.3 million violent crimes are reported annually in the United States.
As it turns out, Florida can be especially dangerous. 60,871 aggravated assaults were reported statewide in 2020. In addition, 106,515 cases of domestic violence were reported. More than 7,000 domestic violence reports were filed in Hillsborough County alone that year.
Data on crime reports show that the chances of becoming a victim of a violent crime in Tampa are about one in 179. Approximately 2,146 violent crimes are reported in Tampa every year. That means Tampa is only safer than about 25% of all other U.S. cities.
We Handle All Types of Assault Injury Claims in Tampa
Our lawyers in Tampa handle all types of assault injury claims, including those involving:
- Simple assault and battery
- Aggravated assault
- Assault with a deadly weapon
- Domestic violence
- Sexual assault and rape
- Bar fights
- Fights between friends and acquaintances
- Muggings and robberies
- Criminal threats and stalking
- Child abuse
- Police brutality
- Nursing home abuse
The long-term consequences of an assault can be severe. Victims often suffer from long-term mental health disorders, including severe depression, fear, and PTSD.
What Is My Tampa Assault Injury Case Worth?
The value of your personal injury case depends on many unique factors, including:
- The nature of your injuries
- Whether you’ll recover fully or suffer a long-term impairment
- The cost of your medical treatment
- Your need for future medical care, counseling, or rehabilitation
- Your emotional suffering and physical pain
- The identity of the at-fault party
- The strength of your negligence case
It’s critical that your lawyer understands all of the facts when assessing your case value. Any detail can be important to your case. To learn more about how much your personal injury case is worth, call to schedule a free case evaluation today.
What Compensation Can I Recover for My Assault Injuries in Tampa, Florida?
A successful personal injury lawsuit gives the injured party the right to seek compensation for all economic and non-economic losses.
Examples of your economic damages may include:
- Medical bills, including ER visits, follow-up appointments, surgeries, etc.
- Lost wages
- Future medical expenses
- Lost future earning capacity
- Rehabilitation
- Counseling
- Property damage
- Any other out-of-pocket costs
It’s important to keep detailed records to document your financial costs. On the other hand, your non-economic damages can be much more difficult to value.
Depending on the circumstances, your non-economic damages could include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Fear and humiliation
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement
- PTSD
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Damage to personal relationships and loss of consortium
You may also be entitled to recover punitive damages from your attacker. Florida courts rarely award punitive damages. When they do, they’re designed to punish the defendant for intentional wrongdoing.
How Long Do I Have To File an Assault Injury Lawsuit in Florida?
Florida law limits the amount of time you have to file a personal injury lawsuit for damages. The Florida statute of limitations in assault cases is four years. Typically, you lose your right to seek compensation if you fail to take legal action within four years of your injury.
For negligent security cases and other claims based on negligence, you’ll typically have two years to file (as of March 24, 2023 – prior to that time, negligence cases had a four-year deadline).
Cases involving criminal acts are slightly different. You may have more time to sue your attacker for damages. That’s because the statute of limitations will be paused while the attacker’s criminal case is pending.
Remember, you may have the right to compensation even if your attacker is eventually acquitted. The standard of proof is lower in civil court. In criminal court, the prosecution must prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. A more lenient “preponderance of the evidence” standard applies in civil cases.
Contact a Tampa Assault Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Were you a victim of an attack in Tampa? We highly recommend contacting Roman Austin Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation today. An experienced Tampa assault injury lawyer can help you understand your legal options.