Tampa Car Accident Lawyer

If you were involved in a serious auto accident in the Tampa area, you probably have a lot on your mind. You may be dealing with the stress of your physical injuries, not to mention financial problems caused by medical bills and missed work. Let the team at Dismuke Law relieve this burden for you while you focus on healing from the accident.

We work hard on our client’s behalf to hold careless drivers and other liable parties responsible for the harm they cause on Tampa’s roads. Negligent motorists have no place on the roads, and when their actions harm others, they must be held accountable. 

You can contact our Tampa car accident lawyer and put us to work fighting for the fair compensation you deserve. We can handle all communications with the insurance company, investigate the cause of your collision, and pursue a fair settlement or award on your behalf.

Why Hire Our Tampa Car Accident Lawyer To Represent You?

Our car accident attorneys know how much one car wreck can change the course of someone’s life. In addition to suffering injuries, you and your loved ones may have questions about what happens next. You may wonder about the kind of medical treatment you will need, how much it will cost, and how you will pay for it. You may even consider if you can hold the person who caused your accident responsible for your losses.

The short answer is yes, you can, and our injury attorneys serving the Tampa area can help you navigate the process of getting your life back on track. Dismuke Law’s team is committed to protecting your rights and interests. We can help you get the recovery you need after a collision. Our founding attorney, David C. “Dave” Dismuke, a Board-Certified Specialist in Civil Trial Law by the Florida Bar, is a Tampa native who started his practice to hold careless parties responsible for their actions.

What Our Car Accident Attorney Can Do To Help Your Case

There are many benefits to having legal professionals by your side. We will manage your entire Tampa car accident case while you focus on healing from your injuries. We will file any insurance claims and communicate with you during negotiations with an insurance company. We will advocate for your compensation and prove your case for damages. Car accidents are expensive, and you should not have to shoulder the costs that someone else’s negligent actions caused.

When our auto accident attorney in Tampa, FL, handles your case, they will:

• Investigate the accident to determine what happened 
• Collect evidence that supports your case, including the official police report, medical records, dashboard camera or traffic camera footage (if available), and witness testimony.
• Identify parties liable for the accident and prove how their negligence caused the crash.
• Assess the damages from the accident and estimate how much your case is worth
• Handle negotiations with the insurer for fair compensation
• Prepare and file a lawsuit against the liable party if we cannot reach a settlement
• Represent you in court for your financial recovery
• Update you on all case developments and laws that apply to your case
• Manage all case paperwork and other communications

We will do everything we can to make your recovery manageable. Our injury lawyers will be behind you every step in this process. We will work together to rebuild your life after the accident. 

Our Tampa Bay Auto Accident Lawyer Can Start on Your Case for Free

Expenses pile up quickly after car accidents, so we understand that many people cannot pay for legal services on top of mounting bills and missed income. We ease this burden by working on contingency. We can review your Tampa Bay-area collision for free, and if we decide to work together, we can use our resources to handle your case without you paying any upfront costs or fees. 

A contingency agreement allows our car accident lawyers to start on your case right away. It also means we receive payment only if you recover compensation in your case. We’ll gladly review our payment arrangement with you during your free consultation and answer any questions you have. 

Read What Our Clients Say About Working With Dismuke Law

We feel honored that we get to help so many people at critical times in their lives. Here are a few words former clients have shared about their experiences with working with us:

• “After my car accident, I didn’t want to deal with anything. I was already going through so much dealing with the pain, doctors, and physical therapy. But the team at Dismuke Law made this process very easy. All the people in that office are amazing and so nice. They made sure my case was handled and completed promptly…” – Carrie M.
• “David and his team were great at keeping me informed and involved in the entire process for my case…As advertised, Dismuke Law delivered the results I was hoping for. I highly recommend Dismuke Law.” – Jessie S.
• “Dismuke Law turned a not-so-great situation into a pleasant experience. I would recommend them to those in need.” – Stefanie C.

What Is Your Tampa Car Accident Case Worth?

Car accident victims often ask what compensation they can recover from a car accident. Our car accident attorney in Tampa, FL, can review your case’s value and assess your injuries, medical treatment, lost income, the length of your recovery times, and other losses. This includes pain and suffering and other intangible losses.

Injured accident victims can seek financial (economic) and non-financial (non-economic) damages from the party that caused the accident. These losses can include:

• Medical and rehabilitation costs: You could recover the costs of your current and future medical care, including your hospital stay, surgeries, medications, physical therapy, and more.
• Lost income and benefits: If your recovery takes you away from your job, you could recover any money you lost while you were out. You also could recover the money you would have made in tips, bonuses, promotions, paid time off, and other benefits.
• Lost earning ability: If your injuries require you to take another job that pays less, you can recover the money you could have made. If you can’t work at all, you could also recover future lost income. We can consult with economists and other professionals to help us determine how much the accident cost you in future earnings.
• Pain and suffering: These losses include any physical, mental, and emotional hardships you endured because of your injuries. Other intangible losses include scarring and disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of companionship. We will consider the details of your case and determine which damages you can recover. 
• Other car accident-related expenses: You could seek financial recovery for expenses you have because of the crash, such as any in-home help you must hire to assist you with tasks you can no longer do yourself. You may also recover expenses for medical or mobility equipment, home renovations for an accident-related disability, and property damages, including repairing or replacing your vehicle.
• Wrongful death: If you lost a loved one in a car accident that occurred in the Tampa area, you might be able to recover losses via a wrongful death lawsuit. We can help you understand who can seek awards that can cover the decedent’s final medical bills, funeral and burial expenses, and other losses stemming from the decedent’s death. This includes the loss of the deceased person’s financial contribution to the household.

Our car accident lawyer in Tampa, FL, will assess your losses and determine the compensation you could request from the liable party. Knowing what financial recovery looks like in your case can also help you gauge when an insurance settlement offer is too low and falls short of your needs.

Filing Deadlines for Tampa Bay Car Accident Lawsuits

Florida establishes lawsuit filing deadlines for injury cases. This means you have a certain amount of time to take legal action after a Tampa accident occurs, according to the statute of limitations. You generally have two years to protect your right to sue the liable party, per Florida Statutes § 95.11. If you are filing a wrongful death action, you generally have two years to file a lawsuit according to the statute of limitations.  

Our auto accident lawyer in Tampa, FL, can advise you on the timeline that applies to your case. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we can start building your case, which takes time. We can protect your right to seek compensation and file your lawsuit promptly. If you miss your case’s filing deadline, you will likely be unable to hold any party in the accident accountable.

Multiple Parties Could Be at Fault in a Car Accident in the Tampa Area

Our auto accident attorney in Tampa, FL, can determine if other parties who were not at the scene are responsible for the crash. While it’s apparent that the other driver hit you, it may not be readily apparent that someone or something else also played a role in the car wreck. As we investigate, we can determine if any of the following parties should also compensate you for your accident losses:

• Another motorist whose actions contributed to the collision
• A municipality that maintains the road’s condition (e.g., fixing signage, clearing debris, nearby vegetation)
• An engineering firm responsible for a road or intersection’s design
• The company that made the vehicle
• The manufacturer of a part that failed on a vehicle
• A mechanic shop or repair crew responsible for fixing a vehicle involved in the crash

Why Proving Liability Is Important in a Tampa Car Collision

Before we can bring your case for damages forward, we must prove how the parties involved caused the accident. We must show how your case involves the four elements of negligence, which is standard in motor vehicle accident cases. They are:

• Duty of care: The other party had a legal duty to keep you out of harm’s way. Anyone operating a vehicle on Tampa’s roads assumes this responsibility.
• Breach of duty of care: The driver who hit you did not keep their duty to protect your safety.
• Causation. The party’s failure to keep you safe directly caused an accident that injured you.
• Damages: The liable parties caused you to suffer damages. 

Once we build your case proving negligence, we can present it to the insurance company along with a demand for compensation. Many car accident cases can be settled outside of court. If we cannot reach a fair settlement for your case, we can take it to trial. 

We Help Our Tampa Clients With Various Kinds of Auto Accidents

No two car accidents are the same. Our team will investigate the details of your case to determine what happened. We can handle just about any auto accident that occurs in the Tampa Bay area, including those involving:

Reckless drivers: Some drivers operate their cars in ways that endanger themselves and everyone else on the road. Speeding, tailgating, weaving in and out of traffic, and riding the brakes are all ways people exhibit reckless driving behaviors that can cause an accident. 

Intoxicated drivers: People who operate vehicles while under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any other mind-altering and mood-altering substances can cause serious accidents. This includes people who use prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications. Our Tampa DUI accident attorney can request the results of any field sobriety tests and other evidence to prove the driver was drunk when they caused the car wreck.

Distracted drivers: Not everyone operating a car pays attention while driving, which can have disastrous results. There are so many ways drivers can get distracted while on the road. The most common include talking, texting, or using a cell phone while driving. 

Tired drivers: Some people behind the wheel are tired for various reasons, including not getting enough rest before driving. Truckers often haul long hours on the road for days at a time, which puts them at risk of injuring someone in an accident. Drivers can’t react fast enough or make sound judgments about potential road hazards when they are tired.

Auto accidents in the Tampa area can also happen when motorists do not take care of their vehicles properly. They may fail to change out worn brakes, broken taillights, or worn tires.

We Can Help With Tampa Hit-and-Run Car Accidents, Too

Injured passengers may not know where to turn to recover their damages when they don’t know who hit them. 

If you or a loved one is in this situation, you could seek damages from your auto insurer if your policy offers uninsured/underinsured coverage. Our Tampa car accident attorneys can help you file this claim. If the at-fault party’s identity is revealed after the accident occurs, we can request compensation from their insurer. 

You should also call for emergency care to take care of your medical needs after a hit-and-run accident. You can call authorities so that they can document the accident with an official report. We may be able to review traffic camera footage that recorded the accident and visual details, such as the runaway vehicle’s license plate number and make and model. An image of the hit-and-run driver may also be visible.

Passengers Suffer Various Injuries in Tampa Car Accidents

A car accident can cause serious injuries, such as whiplash, spinal cord injuries, head trauma, internal organ damage, broken bones, abrasions and contusions, and burns. These can have lasting effects on one’s financial, psychological, and physical well-being.

The following factors will influence the severity of injuries sustained in a car accident:

• The force of impact
• The location of impact
• Whether the victim was wearing a seatbelt
• Airbag deployment
• The crashworthiness of the vehicle
• The size and weight of each vehicle involved

Our team can review these factors in the accident. 

Get Medical Help Right Away After a Car Accident

It is important that you call for emergency help soon after suffering accident injuries. Not all injuries are apparent as soon as a crash occurs, and some injuries that appear minor can become serious issues later. Have a doctor examine you so that you know your health status and get a copy of all medical reports. Prompt treatment can help minimize complications or lasting effects.

You can use these records to show you received prompt medical care, making it easier to show the link between the accident and your injuries. If you don’t get medical care in a reasonable time, the liable party and/or their insurer likely will note that delayed medical treatment caused or worsened your injuries, not the accident. 

Also, be sure that you follow all the doctor’s instructions for your physical recovery. You don’t want the opposing side to say that not doing so also contributed to your condition.

Other Things To Do After a Car Accident in Tampa

If you get into an auto collision in the Tampa area, ensure you get to a safe area as soon as possible. Check yourself and others at the scene for any injuries. You should also:

• Call 911 for medical help and law enforcement services. Get a copy of the police report, which you will need for an insurance claim. You also want to give this report to an attorney representing you.
• Collect as much evidence as possible to document what happened if your injuries allow. Take photos of the scene, including the location, the damaged vehicles involved, and the injuries you have. You can collect witness information and take notes to help you remember what happened.
• Avoid admitting fault or saying too much about the accident, especially to the other motorists involved. You don’t want something you say to jeopardize your case. Keep conversations short and collect the other driver’s information, including their insurance information.
• Notify your insurance company about the accident. If your insurer wants you to give a recorded statement, you do not have to do this immediately. You can schedule it in the future. In the meantime, you can consult an injury attorney who can help you prepare your statement and answers to any questions an insurer asks.
• Research options about legal counsel in Tampa. Consider a law firm’s credentials and case record. Review how its attorneys answer your questions and if it handles car accident cases. Determine your comfort level and if you are confident the law firm prioritizes your interests.

Hillsborough County Auto Accident Statistics

Tampa is the seat of Hillsborough County and is a prime location for traffic accidents. According to preliminary data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV)’s a crash dashboard as of September 2022:

• More than 12,000 injury crashes were reported in Hillsborough County in 2021, resulting in more than 18,550 injuries.
• Of these crashes, 254 resulted in fatal injuries.
• Of the 415 crashes reported in 2021 that involved alcohol-impaired driving, 27 resulted in fatalities. 

Ask Dave Today for Legal Help After a Tampa Car Accident

Dismuke Law offers our clients attentive, caring, and professional legal care. We show up in need and advocate for the financial recovery of the people we help. We will support you in your pursuit of the financial compensation you deserve. 

If you or a loved one is recovering from a car accident in the Tampa area, our car wreck lawyer can help you determine your next steps for seeking financial awards. We know the hardships of car accidents, so we can seek financial awards to help you and your family move forward after an accident. Ask Dave how we can help. Call us today for a free consultation.