More Information About Tampa Personal Injury Claims

Personal injury claims aren’t strictly limited to car crashes, motorcycle wrecks, bicycle or pedestrian accidents, or semi-truck or bus crashes. Anytime you sustain an injury that another party could reasonably have prevented, you might have a valid personal injury claim. Other common personal injury claims include:

• Medical malpractice: A doctor or another medical professional fails to uphold a standard of care, causing injury to the patient.
• Wrongful death: The victim suffered fatal injuries, and someone on their behalf can file a claim for specific damages.
• Slip and fall: Slip-and-fall accidents are often preventable and can occur due to wet or slick flooring, torn carpets, broken stairs or handrails, or debris on the floor.
• Premises liability: Similar to slip-and-fall claims, property owners must keep their premises reasonably safe for those legally on their property. For instance, if a deck is falling apart and owners fail to repair it, they can be liable for any damages it causes. If a homeowner has a swimming pool, they must maintain it properly to prevent injuries and prevent kids from entering the area unsupervised under attractive nuisance laws.
• Workplace accidents: Employers are responsible for keeping their workplaces safe for employees. If they are negligent, they can owe the injured employee compensation.
• Dog bites: Under Florida law, dog owners and handlers are strictly liable for any bites or damages their animal causes. Some states have a “one bite” rule that can allow a dog’s owner not to face certain liabilities if they didn’t know the dog was vicious. In Florida, it doesn’t matter if the dog has bitten or been vicious before or not; the owner is still liable.
• Product liability: A product’s designers, manufacturers, and distributors must only sell safe items. If a design flaw, manufacturing defect, or improper warning on a product leads to injuries, one or more of those parties can be liable for the ensuing damages.
• Child injuries: Children can sustain injuries at school, daycare, or on the playground. They can also suffer injuries from toys, clothing, baby items, and furniture. Their unique claims require a Tampa personal injury attorney who has experience managing them.
• Nursing home abuse: With a growing elderly population and extremely taxed care systems, nursing home abuse is unfortunately on the rise. There is no excuse for this type of abuse. We can hold the employees and facilities that abuse their residents liable for their actions.
• Boating accidents: Boating is a common hobby in Tampa and in surrounding areas, such as Clearwater. Accidents that occur on the water can be devastating and result in serious injury and fatalities. 

Tampa Accident Statistics

Florida is a risky state for drivers, passengers, and everyone who shares the road with them. According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department, Hillsborough County reported over 24,000 motor vehicle accidents in 2020. These crashes caused 16,450 injuries and 214 total fatalities. In 2021, there were nearly 30,000 car crashes, resulting in 18,685 injuries and 263 deaths. Source: flhsmv.gov

What Are the Most Common Personal Injuries in Tampa?

At Boohoff Law, we help Tampa accident victims who suffered serious personal injuries like you. Some of the most common injuries we see include:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Broken bones
• Whiplash
• Back injuries
• Neck injuries
• Soft tissue injuries
• Burns
• Disfigurement and amputation
• Internal organ damage

We work with your medical team to determine the full extent of your injuries. This enables us to fight for maximum compensation after a serious injury accident in Tampa. 

How Can Our Tampa Personal Injury Attorneys Help You After a Tampa Accident?

Personal injury cases are complex and difficult to resolve, especially if you suffered severe injuries and are worried about the financial impact on your life. You need a personal injury law firm that will advocate for you, negotiate with the insurance company, and see your case from start to finish.

At Boohoff Law, every personal injury claim we handle in Tampa starts with a free case consultation. During this consultation, our experienced personal injury lawyer will review the facts of your case—including how it happened, who might be to blame, and the full extent of your injuries. We’ll tell you if we believe we can help you obtain compensation. If not, we can suggest the next best steps for you. If we mutually decide to proceed with your claim, our personal injury lawyers will:

• Gather all pertinent evidence, such as accident/incident reports, medical records, insurance policies, and eyewitness testimonies.
• Perform a thorough investigation of your accident and injuries
• Determine all possible sources of compensation
• Determine the total amount of damages you should be entitled to receive
• Deal with the insurance company and adjuster on your behalf
• Hire private investigators and expert witnesses, if necessary, to support your case
• Meet all case and legal deadlines.
• Ensure you receive the medical care you need and deserve
• Set up medical liens with medical providers if necessary
• Attempt settlement negotiations
• Prepare you and your case for litigation and
• Litigate your personal injury lawsuit if necessary

While doing all of this, we will provide you with the time and space you need to heal from your injuries.

Our experienced personal injury attorneys can take much of the logistical stress of your injury off your shoulders.

How Much is My Tampa Personal Injury Claim Worth?

Most Tampa injury victims want to know how much their case is worth. No two accidents are ever quite the same. To determine how much your case is worth, you should contact our personal injury lawyer for a FREE case evaluation.

We need to know the specific details of your accident, including how severe your injuries are and who is responsible for your accident.

Many factors will ultimately determine the final settlement or verdict amount. What do you have to lose? When you contact the Tampa personal injury lawyers at Boohoff Law, P.A., you are never under any obligation to hire us.

We simply want to talk with you about your injury case and help you explore all your legal options.

If you do choose our Tampa personal injury lawyers to represent you after an accident, you can rest easier knowing you have a team of seasoned negotiators and tenacious litigators in your corner.

Our personal injury law firm will fight aggressively to make sure you have the money you need to pay for:

Medical bills from the accident causing injury

If you’ve suffered a car accident, a slip-and-fall accident, medical malpractice, or another type of personal injury, you may require immediate attention and ongoing treatment.

Any medical bills from your hospital stay, medications, surgeries, ongoing medical treatment, and other medical expenses will be carefully factored into your settlement so you can be confident that you can receive the care you deserve.

Lost wages of the injured

If your accident or injury impairs your ability to receive an income, you need to make sure you’re able to support yourself and your family financially while you’re recovering.

Your health takes priority when you suffer serious injuries, and your time is better spent healing than it is worrying about your financial recovery.

Future earnings of the injured

Unfortunately, accident victims are sometimes left with ongoing complications that prevent them from being able to return to work.

If your injuries compromise your future earning potential, your settlement may include payment for lost income in the weeks, months, and even years to come.

Property damage in personal injury cases

If your personal property was damaged during the incident that caused your injury, you might also be entitled to compensation for lost or damaged belongings, vehicles, or personal property damage.

Pain and suffering

Although harder to quantify, pain and suffering due to the physical impact and emotional strain of a personal injury can leave a lasting mark on victims.

Your settlement will take into account factors such as emotional distress, loss of enjoyment, and severe repercussions of the accident, such as loss of companionship or loss of limb.

Boohoff Law stands by injured victims. We use our skills in personal injury law to help you get your life back after a devastating event and achieve the best possible outcome for your case.

What Are The Elements of Negligence in a Tampa Personal Injury Claim?

Most personal injury lawsuits involve negligence on the part of another person. Negligence is the failure to behave how another reasonably prudent individual should behave in the same or similar circumstance. A Tampa personal injury lawyer must establish these four elements of negligence to win a personal injury claim:

Legal Duty of Care in Florida Personal Injury Claims

The first question you must answer is, did the other party owe you a legal duty of care? Sometimes the nature of the relationship between the two parties creates a legal duty.

Such as a doctor who owes a patient a legal duty to provide them with skilled medical care. Or the other party might owe the injured party a legal duty to act with reasonable care in a specific situation—for example, a driver should operate their motor vehicle safely using a certain level of due care.

Breach of Duty in Injury Claims

If the other party owed you a duty of care, the next question is—did that party violate or breach their duty of care? Someone breaches a duty by doing (or not doing) something that a “reasonably prudent person” should do in a similar situation.

“Reasonably prudent person” means how the average responsible person should act under certain circumstances. For instance, an average person should stop at a stop sign or keep their dog on a leash in public.

Causation in Tampa Personal Injury Claims

The next step is to prove that the other party’s negligence caused your injury. Their negligence must connect to your injury somehow.

Otherwise, the other party won’t be liable for your injuries. Suppose a driver was negligently texting and driving.

They can’t be blamed for an unrelated fender bender that happened across the street simply because they were driving negligently at the time of the accident if they didn’t cause it.

Another part of the causation element examines whether the at-fault party should have reasonably foreseen that their actions or inactions might cause an injury. This rarely happens—almost always, someone can prevent an accident.

Damages in Personal Injury Claims

The final element of a negligence claim is “damages.” This element requires that the judge or jury compensate the injured party for their injury.

Compensation is typically money for medical care, property repair, and pain and suffering. Depending on the case, other monetary damages might include:

• Scarring and disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium
• Humiliation
• Mental anguish and emotional distress, including depression and anxiety

If our Tampa personal injury attorneys believe they can prove these elements in your claim, you could recover compensation without even going to court.

Filing a Personal Injury Claim After a Tampa Motor Vehicle Accident

Auto accidents can lead to personal injury claims if a negligent party caused the accident. Negligence, in a legal sense, is defined as failing to act with reasonable care or prudence toward others. You can hold drivers liable for their negligence if they drove:

• While distracted
• While drowsy
• While intoxicated
• Without a license
• Without the appropriate type of license or training (such as in CDL drivers)
• A vehicle in poor condition or requiring maintenance to be safe on the road

However, drivers aren’t the only parties whose negligence can lead to accidents. You might also be able to hold employers such as trucking companies or delivery companies liable for causing accidents.

Unfortunately, liability is not always clear after a car crash or motor vehicle accident. If multiple parties caused your injuries, you could receive compensation from more than one source.

You may still have a viable claim even if you share some responsibility for the crash. Florida is a pure comparative negligence state, so if you recover damages from the other party, they may be reduced based on your percentage of fault.

These are excellent reasons to contact an experienced Tampa personal injury lawyer for help if you suffered injuries in a vehicle accident.

Our legal team of seasoned injury attorneys can advocate for you and help you recover the maximum compensation possible for your personal injury case.

Florida’s Personal Injury Statute of Limitations

Legal filing deadlines are generally known as “statutes of limitation.” Florida’s personal injury statute of limitations is two years from the date of the injury. This means you have two years to file a legal claim after suffering a personal injury.

You can still file a personal injury claim if you miss this crucial deadline.

However, it’s almost certain that the other party will request that the court dismiss your case due to the expired statute of limitations.

If your case is dismissed, you will have no further opportunities to pursue financial recovery for your personal injury damages.

To avoid missing this deadline, contact Boohoff Law’s Tampa personal injury lawyers as soon as possible after you sustain an injury. The law does allow some exceptions to the personal injury statute of limitations. These include:

• When the underlying accident occurred, the injured individual was legally incapacitated (they have a diagnosed temporary or permanent mental illness).
  
  Even still, no more than seven years may pass between the date of the accident and the filing of a legal claim. Call a Tampa personal injury attorney today so you don’t miss your opportunity to take action.
  
  
• The individual who allegedly caused the injury left the state of Florida after the injury-causing accident but before the injured party can file a legal claim.
  
  
• The at-fault party intentionally concealed themselves in Florida or changed their name/identity to prevent being served official court papers.

If you think one of these exceptions might apply to your injury case, immediately bring it to our Tampa personal injury lawyers’ attention.

How Much Does a Tampa Personal Injury Lawyer Cost?

The attorneys at Boohoff Law understand that you probably don’t have the funds to pay for an attorney upfront—and you really shouldn’t have to bear the cost of legal counsel since the accident was not entirely your fault.

We also understand that you deserve quality, effective legal representation from an experienced Tampa personal injury lawyer to help you file your claim and work to receive the maximum compensation possible. That’s why our lawyers work on a contingency fee basis here at Boohoff Law.

We will handle all aspects of your claim, including gathering evidence, submitting the necessary paperwork, and negotiating with the insurance company. We will also take your case to trial if necessary.

The best part is that we will do this without charging you any fees upfront or billing you monthly for our services.

Instead, we will take a percentage of the insurance settlement or court award we help secure for you for our payment.

If we don’t recover compensation for you, you owe us nothing. Your attorney will discuss our contingency fee arrangement during your free initial consultation so you know what to expect.

How Long Will My Tampa Personal Injury Case Take to Resolve?

The duration of a personal injury case in Tampa or anywhere else, can vary widely depending on several factors.

Like in other jurisdictions, every case is unique, and the timeline for resolution depends on various elements.

Here are some key factors that can influence how long your personal injury case may take to resolve in Tampa:

• Severity of Injuries: The extent and seriousness of your injuries can significantly impact the timeline.
  
  More severe injuries may require longer recovery and more extensive medical treatment, leading to a longer case.
  
  
• Type of Case: Different types of personal injury cases can take a long time to resolve. For example, a straightforward car accident case might resolve faster than a complex medical malpractice case.
  
  
• Liability and Disputes: If liability (who is at fault) is clear-cut, the case may proceed more smoothly.
  
  However, if there are disputes over liability or multiple parties involved, it can prolong the case.
  
  
• Insurance Company Involvement: Negotiations with insurance companies can take time. Some insurance companies may be more cooperative and quicker to settle, while others may be more resistant.
  
  
• Legal Process: The legal process involves various stages, such as filing a lawsuit, discovery, pre-trial motions, and potentially a trial. Each of these stages can add time to the case.
  
  
• Negotiations: The negotiation process can be lengthy, especially if there are multiple rounds of negotiations to reach a fair settlement.
  
  
• Court Dockets: The court’s schedule and backlog can also impact the timeline. Courts may have many cases on their dockets, leading to delays in scheduling hearings and trials.
  
  
• Complexity of the Case: Complex cases involving multiple parties, expert witnesses, or intricate legal issues often take longer to resolve.
  
  
• Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution: Parties may choose to engage in mediation or alternative dispute resolution methods, which can expedite the process but still take time to schedule and conduct.
  
  
• Appeals: If either party is dissatisfied with the outcome, the case may be appealed, which can extend the resolution timeline.

While it’s challenging to predict precisely how long your personal injury case in Tampa will take to resolve, you can work closely with your attorney to get a better estimate based on the specific details of your case.

They can guide the expected timeline and help you understand the various factors affecting the duration.

Remember that achieving a fair and just resolution often takes precedence over speed, as your attorney will work to secure the best possible outcome for you.

Can I Still Recover Damages from a Tampa Personal Injury Claim If I Was Partially At Fault?

Yes, in Tampa and throughout Florida, you may still be able to recover damages from a personal injury claim even if you were partially at fault for the accident.

Florida recently amended its tort policy to follow a legal principle called “modified comparative negligence.”

Under this doctrine, your ability to recover damages is not necessarily barred because of your own negligence—as long as you’re not more than 50% responsible–but the amount you can recover will be reduced based on your percentage of fault. Here’s how Florida’s comparative negligence rule typically works: 

1. Determining Fault: After an accident, the parties involved, including insurance companies and potentially a court if the case goes to trial, will determine the percentage of fault for each party. This assessment aims to establish how much responsibility each party bears for the accident.
   
   
2. Damage Calculation: Once fault is determined, your damages will be calculated based on the total amount of your losses. Your recovery will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
   
   For example, if you are found to be 30% at fault, and your total damages are $100,000, you would be entitled to recover $70,000 (i.e., $100,000 minus 30%).
   
   
3. 51% Bar Rule: Florida follows the “51% Bar Rule.” This means that as long as you are not found to be 51% or more at fault for the accident, you can still recover damages.
   
   If you are determined to be 51% or more at fault, you may be barred from recovering any damages.

It’s important to note that determining fault is often a subject of negotiation between the parties involved and their respective insurance companies.

If an agreement cannot be reached, it may be up to a judge or jury to decide the apportionment of fault in a lawsuit.

To protect your rights and maximize your chances of recovering damages, it’s essential to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney in Tampa.

They can evaluate the specific details of your case, negotiate with the other party’s insurance company, and help you navigate Florida’s comparative negligence laws to seek fair compensation for your injuries and losses.

Call Today for Your Free Consultation With a Tampa Personal Injury Lawyer from Boohoff Law

If you or a loved one suffered a personal injury in an accident in Tampa, let us help! You deserve compassionate legal representation that you can count on. At Boohoff Law, our injury lawyers charge no fees unless we recover money for you.

We also offer complimentary, confidential case consultations and legal advice. Call us at (813) 725-5606 today for your free consultation. You can reach us by phone or online 24/7 or at our conveniently located Tampa law office. If you are in the hospital or too injured to come to us, we are happy to come to you.

Client Testimonial

“Boohoff Law, Definitely stands behind Integrity the staff is extremely professional. Tatiana is not only a fantastic attorney in her expertise however she’s also down-to-earth, truly a people person. I believe in establishing relationships in any type of business that you do, they definitely bring that to the table. Thank you for all your help in my time of need. I would highly recommend this firm to represent you.”

~Elissa M. Review: 5/5

“Really pleased with Boohoff Law! Received immediate responses when I had any questions. Treated amazingly by all staff … made this process a true breeze!” – Caitlyn M. “Everyone here is so helpful. They jumped through every hoop necessary to get me the settlement I rightfully deserved. They made me feel right at home.”

~Brandy K. Review: 5/5

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Tampa Emergency Rooms

Tampa has several emergency rooms you can visit to get immediate treatment for any serious injuries someone else’s causes you or a loved one. A few emergency rooms that serve the Tampa area include:

• HCA Florida South Tampa Hospital Emergency Room: 2901 W Swann Ave 1st Floor, Tampa, FL 33609
• Tampa General Hospital Emergency Room: 1 Tampa General Cir, Tampa, FL 33606
• St. Joseph’s Hospital- Emergency Center: 3001 W Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Tampa, FL 33614
• James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital Emergency Room: 13000 Bruce B Downs Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612
• St. Joseph’s Children’s- Steinbrenner Emergency/Trauma Center: 3001 W Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Tampa, FL 33607
• HCA Florida West Tampa Hospital Emergency Room: 6001 Webb Rd 1st Floor, Tampa, FL 33615

*Disclaimer – Boohoff Law does not endorse these medical providers, nor do we profit from having them listed on our website.

Tampa Courthouses

• Hillsborough County Courthouse: 800 E Twiggs St, Tampa, FL 33602
• Sam Gibbons United States Courthouse: 801 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33602
• Clerk of the Circuit Court: 419 N Pierce St, Tampa, FL 33602
• The Second District Court of Appeals: 1700 N Tampa St, Tampa, FL 33602

Neighborhoods We Serve in Tampa

Hampton Terrace Historic District (33604), Hyde Park (33606), Seminole Heights (33604), Tampa Heights (33603), West Tampa (33607), Ybor City (33605), Davis Islands (33606), Downtown Tampa (33621), Harbour Island (33602), South Howard (33606), Ballast Point (33606), Tampa Palms (33559), Palma Ceia (33629), Channel District (33605), Port Tampa (33616)