St. Petersburg Car Accident Attorneys
A car accident can be an unexpected and life changing event. Whether from a roll-over collision on the highway or a rear-end car crash at a traffic light life-long disabilities and fatal injuries can result. With almost 25 years of experience protecting the rights of auto accident victims, the Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys can help you and your family get the compensation you deserve following a St. Petersburg auto accident.
Our St. Petersburg auto accident attorneys have obtained more than $90 million in settlements and verdicts over the years. That success is due to hard work, our education, training and experience in this specialized field of law, and our knowledge of how the legal system and insurance companies work. At the Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys, we help families obtain the medical care they need and compensation they deserve to put their lives back together. Most importantly, our lawyers never charge hourly for their time; we don’t get paid unless we win!
Need help dealing with a car insurance company to recover your medical bills, lost wages and damages. Call our St. Petersburg office now at 1-800-222-8163 or complete our free online case review form.
New Florida Auto Accident Law
Due to Florida’s new insurance laws, you only have 14 days to seek medical attention after a car accident in St. Petersburg. Once this time limit has expired, you may lose thousands of dollars in medical insurance benefits you paid for, even if you are not at fault. That why, it is crucial you contact an experienced car accident injury lawyer, as quickly as possible.
Auto Accidents by the Numbers
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports that there were 19,098 motor vehicle crashes, resulting in 128 deaths and 11,717 injuries in St. Petersburg, in 2016. In 674 of those crashes, a driver was under the influence of alcohol, drugs or both.
Statewide that year, the numbers are even more alarming,
- There were 395,785 vehicle accidents, killing 3,176 and injuring 254,155.
- The number of accidents was the highest since 1997, up 58% from 227,998 accidents in 2011.
- Personal injuries were up 57% and traffic fatalities increased 76% compared to 2011.
- There was a vehicle accident almost every 90 seconds in Florida.
- There were 671 vehicle accident fatalities (almost two a day) and 1,525 injuries (more than four a day) in the state involving drivers who were under the influence of alcohol, drugs or both.
Some of the more common driver mistakes that caused these motor vehicle accidents include failure to yield right of way, following too closely, running red lights or stop signs and operating the vehicle in a careless or negligent manner.
Common Auto Accidents in St. Petersburg
At the Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys, our auto accident attorneys handle a wide variety of motor vehicle accident claims in St. Petersburg. Below are some of the most common types:
- Rear-End Collisions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated 28% of all motor vehicle accidents were rear end collisions in 2012. Like all car accidents, the severity of the resulting injuries can vary greatly depending on the size and speed of the vehicles involved. The car struck may be stopped at an intersection and hit from behind, hit by a vehicle going a slower speed or hit by negligent drive while stopped on a highway due to a traffic jam at rush hour. In any case, there is a presumption of negligence on the rear-ending driver who causes these collisions. If you have been hurt in arear-end collision, please contact an attorney with our office today for a free legal consultation.
- Side-Impact, or T-Bone Collisions. These collisions often occur at intersections when a driver negligently does not comply with a stop sign or a traffic signal. These motor vehicle accidents are especially dangerous because there is not as much protection built into the sides of cars as in the front and rear, where crumple zones are created to absorb most of energy from oncoming vehicles.
- Head-on Collisions. Can often result in the most serious or fatal injuries because the two vehicles involved often strike each other at speed. In many instances, a vehicle negligently traveling the wrong way is being operated by someone who is intoxicated, asleep, fatigued, distracted or confused due to poor signage and lighting on the roadway. These types of car crashes can also happen when a driver is traveling too fast around a curve and crosses traffic into an oncoming lane or simply drifts into oncoming traffic.
St. Petersburg Car Crash – Call Today!
If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident in St. Petersburg, please contact an experienced auto accident attorney to help with your insurance and legal claim. By speaking with an insurance company or negotiating with a claims adjuster unrepresented you may make statements or admissions which jeopardize your legal rights. Because of a lack of expertise, you also may undervalue your personal injury claim and settle it for far less than its full value.
If you have questions about your legal rights as the victim of a St. Petersburg auto accident, contact our firm today. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer to your legal question and the consultation is free. To learn more call 1-800-222-8163
At the Fernandez Firm Accident Injury Attorneys, we don’t get paid unless you win … and We Want to Win!