Clearwater Personal Injury Lawyer

Were you injured by another party’s negligence in Clearwater, FL? You may be able to hold them accountable by filing a personal injury claim. You need a skilled legal advocate from Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers to fight for you and ensure you get the money you deserve. Contact our Clearwater personal injury lawyers at (727) 493-4418.

Our aggressive personal injury lawyers in Clearwater have over 119 years of combined experience helping people secure compensation after suffering life-altering injuries. We’ve won over $36 million in settlements and verdicts for our clients.

We offer a free initial case evaluation and work on a contingency fee basis – that means there’s no risk or obligation in reaching out to discuss your case. If you retain us to represent you, you pay nothing unless we recover a favorable settlement in your case.

How Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help If You Have Been Injured in Clearwater, FL?

When you retain the informed personal injury attorneys at Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, you can expect us to: 

• Advise you of your legal rights and provide honest guidance and representation throughout every step of your case 
• Investigate your case and coordinate with any external investigations that may be ongoing 
• Gather evidence to establish liability and consult experts if there are complexities in your case
• Handle the negotiations with opposing parties on your behalf and ensure they don’t take advantage of you 
• Aggressively litigate your case in court if we cannot reach a fair settlement for you 

Our lawyers handle injury claims every day, and we’re familiar with how to handle with stubborn defendants and roadblocks that may come up. Focus on your recovery, and let us do the heavy lifting and ensure you get the best result possible. 

Contact our law firm in Clearwater, FL today to evaluate your case and learn more about our legal services. Your first consultation is free, so schedule yours now so we can get started. 

Visit Our Clearwater, Florida Personal Injury Law Firm for a Free Consultation

600 Bypass Dr Suite 224-D
Clearwater, FL 33764
(727) 493-4418

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Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?

You might have a case if you were hurt in an accident caused by someone else’s actions. 

Many types of situations can result in a valid claim for damages, including: 

• A drowsy driver rear-ended your vehicle, resulting in whiplash. 
• A property owner failed to fix or warn you of rotting wood on their deck, and in consequence, you fell and suffered an injury. 
• A drunk driver hit your loved one as they’re crossing the street, occasioning wrongful death.
• A doctor operated on the wrong body part, opening the door for the victim to make a medical malpractice claim.

Many more events can result in a personal injury case. Contact our law firm today to discuss your case with our team.

Why Should I Hire a Clearwater Personal Injury Attorney?

Personal injury lawyers know the law and what’s affecting your case inside and out. They know how to deal with insurance adjusters, who are professional negotiators striving to pay as little as possible. 

Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney means: 

• You’ll level the playing field: You likely need an attorney unless you have experience in negotiating and navigating personal injury and insurance laws. An injury lawyer will put you on equal footing with the insurance company, which fights these types of claims daily.
• You’ll have experts to strengthen your case: A lawyer will have access to leading specialists and experts to bolster your claim if your case involves complicated issues. 
• You’ll be protected against unfair blame:  Your compensation will be lessened if you have a portion of fault for the accident – and the insurance companies know it and will try to make you accountable at all costs. An attorney will fight back and protect you. 
• You can take time to rest: Do you have time to dedicate your full attention to your case? It can take months to achieve a settlement, which commonly involves back-and-forth negotiations and paperwork. If you’re suffering painful injuries, let an attorney take on this battle for you while you get better. 

We highly recommend reaching out for a free consultation to determine if you need legal representation.

We Handle All Personal Injury Cases in Clearwater, Florida

We help clients with all types of claims, including: 

Car Accidents

Florida’s no-fault car insurance laws can be confusing. After an auto accident, you’re supposed to file a claim with your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance provider, no matter who caused the car accident.

However, what if your insurer refuses to pay you the full amount of your compensation? What if your auto accident damages exceed your PIP policy limits? Our car accident lawyers can help you identify all avenues for compensation so that you can recover from your car crash-related injuries. 

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorists often fail to see motorcyclists, causing hundreds of motorcycle crashes in Pinellas County annually. And unfortunately, motorcyclists have much higher injury and fatality rates than passenger vehicle occupants.

Our motorcycle accident attorneys will stand up for justice and your damages while you recuperate. 

Truck Accidents

Though state and federal trucking rules heavily regulate truck drivers and their hours of service, collisions happen – and a crash with an 80,000-pound vehicle can be catastrophic. Truck collision cases are complex due to the regulations and people involved.

Our truck accident lawyers will identify everyone who may be liable, including the trucker, trucking company, cargo loader, shippers, and others, to ensure you walk away with fair compensation. 

Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrians in Clearwater are prone to severe injuries and fatalities if they’re struck by a vehicle. Many of these incidents are caused by inattentive drivers – meaning they’re preventable.

Contact our pedestrian accident lawyers today to review your legal options if you’ve been a victim and sustained serious injuries or lost a loved one in a pedestrian accident. 

Bicycle Accidents

Like pedestrians, bicyclists are vulnerable to suffering serious damage or permanent disability in a collision with a motor vehicle. Distracted driving, failing to share the road, and lack of dedicated bike lanes contribute to a great number of bicycle collisions yearly in Pinellas County.

Discuss your bike crash and injuries today with our bicycle accident lawyer; we’ll help you hold the negligent party liable for your damages.

Wrongful Death Claims

An unexpected and avoidable wrongful death is devastating and can have everlasting effects on you and your family. We fully understand that a financial award won’t bring them back.

However, you may struggle to make ends meet without their contributions. Our wrongful death attorneys can help you seek compensation to ease the burden on your family. 

Other common practice areas we handle for clients include:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Bus accidents
• Boating accidents
• Catastrophic injuries in Clearwater, FL
• Child accidents
• Construction accidents
• Dog bites
• Defective products
• Medical malpractice
• Premises liability
• Uber accidents
• Lyft accidents
• Product Liability
• Slip and fall accidents
• Trip and fall accidents
• Workplace accidents
• And more

Regardless of the nature of your claim, whether it be a traumatic brain injury, a dog bite, or medical malpractice, we are here for you.

Common Injuries in Personal Injury Claims

An accident can cause a wide range of injuries.

At Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, we help clients who have suffered any of the following injuries:

• Amputation
• Concussion injury
• Head injury
• Back injury
• Neck injury
• Eye injury
• Nerve damage
• Spinal cord injury
• Soft tissue injury
• Fractures and broken bones
• Burns
• Whiplash injury

Let our accident attorneys from our law firm help you with your claim while you take the time to get better.

When Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

After an accident, you may be dealing with painful injuries that require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitative care. You may not be thinking about a claim for compensation. 

However, there are statutes of limitations in place that control the time you have to take legal action in Florida. Accordingly, starting the legal process as soon as possible is essential to ensure that your case is strong and you meet the statutory time limit. 

If any of the following things are true, we highly recommend that you call an injury attorney as soon as possible: 

• You were hurt in an incident 
• You sustained losses, including property damage, injuries, and emotional trauma 
• You’re being blamed for causing the accident even though you don’t think you don’t
• The insurance company is pressuring you to sign a settlement agreement or accept an offer
• You’re unsure what compensation you can seek or the value of your damages
• Liability is in dispute, or you’re unsure who is at fault or responsible for provoking the event
• Multiple parties are involved in the case
• The insurance company denied your claim

If you have any doubts, contact an injury lawyer in Clearwater from our law firm for assistance. You deserve to have a friendly, experienced attorney on your side. We offer a free case evaluation, so there’s no risk in reaching out for advice.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney in Clearwater?

Most personal injury attorneys in Clearwater work on a contingency fee basis; this signifies they deduct their fees from your awarded settlement or verdict. And if the attorney doesn’t secure a favorable outcome for you, you owe them nothing. 

That indicates that you never have to pay out for their legal representation. There are no upfront costs; the lawyer will simply take their agreed-upon percentage – normally between 33 and 40% – from your compensation. 

This agreement allows you to retain an attorney even if you cannot afford one. We believe that all accident victims deserve to have an experienced legal advocate, and this arrangement allows that to happen.

What If I’m Partially At Fault For the Accident?

Luckily, Florida State operates under a modified comparative negligence system. Accident victims can still recover compensation in an injury claim, even if they have some fault. Your compensation will just be reduced to account for your share of the blame.

However, you cannot receive compensation if you are 51% or more responsible for the accident. In this case, you’d be “mostly at fault” for the accident, and the fault rules would eliminate your right to compensation.

Insurance companies know this law all too well and use it to undervalue claims every day. Our attorneys push back against allegations of fault to ensure our clients get the money they are entitled to. 

What Is Negligence and How Do I Prove It?

Negligence occurs when someone fails to use reasonable care and causes harm to another person. It’s the main foundation of most personal injury claims, especially those involving motor vehicle accidents. 

It consists of four distinct elements: 

• Duty of care: The plaintiff must show that the defendant owed them a duty of care. Everyone has a duty to exercise reasonable caution to avoid harming others. The level of care varies based on the relationship between the parties. 
• Breach of duty: The defendant must have breached their duty of care to the plaintiff. You typically show this by comparing their actions to those of a reasonable person under similar circumstances. 
• Causation: The defendant’s conduct must have directly caused the plaintiff damage. 
• Damages: The plaintiff must have suffered an injury or loss. 

To prove that the at-fault party was negligent, you must have evidence. The evidence needed will vary from case to case but may include: 

• Statements from your healthcare providers regarding your injuries and prognosis 
• Medical records 
• Pay stubs 
• Pictures and video footage of the accident scene and your injuries 
• Eyewitness statements regarding the accident 
• Expert witness testimony and opinions 
• Statements from your family and friends regarding the impact of the accident on your life 
• Physical evidence

We’ll help you gather the evidence needed to build a solid personal injury case. Call us today to get started. The sooner we start collecting evidence, the stronger your case will be.

What Should I Do After an Accident in Clearwater?

The things you do after an accident can significantly affect a personal injury case. We understand it can be hard to know what to do right after an accident.

After an accident, you should take the following steps: 

• Call 911. Tell the dispatcher what happened and where you are. They’ll inform you of your legal obligations and may dispatch a police officer and EMTs to the scene. Law enforcement will prepare an accident report documenting the accident and other vital aspects. The police report will be helpful for your case. 
• Exchange information. The police may get information from other parties. If not, exchange contact and insurance information with people involved and eyewitnesses. 
• Collect evidence. Take photos and videos of anything that may be relevant, including property damage, the location, and injuries. This could be helpful during settlement negotiations or if your case goes to trial.
• Seek medical care. If you aren’t transported to the hospital, see a physician to get checked out. You may have an underlying condition that cannot be detected without diagnostic testing. Obtaining medical care also documents that your injuries originated from the accident, creating a link necessary to prove causation. 

Once you are able to do so, we highly recommend that you call an injury lawyer to analyze the components of your accident and injuries. A lawyer can help you through these difficult times.

The Personal Injury Claim Process

The personal injury claim process may differ depending on the type of case and the parties involved. 

However, the typical process is as follows: 

• Collect evidence and documentation proving your claim. This may include an accident report, medical records, proof of lost income, receipts, and more. 
• Send a demand letter to the insurance company. The demand letter sets forth your legal arguments as to why the insured is blameworthy. It also explains the specifics of the accident and your injuries and requests compensation to cover your damages. 
• The insurance company will investigate your claim. An insurance adjuster will be assigned to your case. They’ll determine whether to pay your demand, deny your claim, or counteroffer a lower amount. 
• The negotiation continues, or a settlement is reached. Negotiations may ensue, with your attorney and the insurance company engaging in back-and-forth offers and counteroffers until everyone agrees to a settlement amount. 
• You can file a personal injury lawsuit if the insurance company denies or lowballs your claim. Most Florida lawsuits must be filed within four years of the accident date. You can still settle the claim any time before the court renders a verdict.

An injury lawyer in Clearwater can explain what to expect in your civil case. Schedule a free case evaluation with our team to assess the details of your accident and learn more about personal injury claims in Florida.

Personal Injury FAQs

How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?

Every Clearwater injury case is unique, with different victims, defendants, circumstances, and available evidence.

We’ll ask the following questions to get an idea of the value of your case:

• What types of injuries did you suffer, and how do they act on your everyday life?
• Did you seek medical treatment immediately after your accident?
• What have your medical costs been so far, and do you anticipate the need of further treatment? Have you had other out-of-pocket expenses?
• Are you able to work? Is it in a more limited capacity than before the accident?
• How has the accident affected your emotional and mental well-being?
• Who provoked the accident? Do you have a portion of the fault?
• Do you have an accident report or contact information for eyewitnesses?

Many other factors could affect your case’s value. However, the more severe your injuries – and the more they influence your life – the more your case will be worth.

Our trial attorneys will help you calculate your damages so that we can negotiate for an amount that accurately reflects what you need.

What Compensation Can I Recover If I Was Injured In An Accident?

People involved in an accident can recover the full extent of their damages in a personal injury lawsuit in Clearwater. This means you can seek economic damages for your financial losses and non-economic damages for your pain and emotional distress.

You can be compensated for:

• Medical expenses for your ER visits, doctor’s bills, medications, and more
• Future medical costs if you require ongoing physical therapy or treatment
• Lost wages from missing work due to your injuries
• Lost earning potential if you cannot work in the same extent as before the accident
• Out-of-pocket expenses you incurred due to the accident and your injuries
• Pain and suffering
• Inconvenience
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of quality of life if your injury prevent you from enjoying the activities you liked pre-accident

It’s difficult to put a price tag on non-economic and future losses, but we will be working to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After an Accident in Florida?

Florida’s two-year statute of limitations applies to most personal injury lawsuits. That means you must typically file your case within two years of your accident, or you lose the right to seek compensation.

However, there’s an important caveat. Before a March 24, 2023 tort law was passed, the statute of limitations was four years. According to this law, if you got into an accident before the law took effect, you would have four years to file an accident claim.

Contact Our Experienced Clearwater Personal Injury Attorneys Near You

If you’re suffering from injuries after an accident in Clearwater, FL, you are likely under a lot of stress. Painful injuries, medical bills, and missed work can be overwhelming. 

The Clearwater personal injury attorneys at Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers will use our 119 years of collective experience to fight for you.

We’ve proudly represented injured victims in the Lakeland community and across the state of Florida in all types of injury cases. Our results speak for themselves; we’ve recovered over $36 million for our clients, and we’re ready to help you.

Your time is limited to recover compensation; it is important that you seek legal help immediately. Contact our law firm at (727) 493-4418 or fill out our online form today to schedule a free consultation.