Have you or a loved one been in an accident in Lakeland, FL? You might be able to recover compensation from the at-fault party for your losses. Call Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers at (863) 251-6196 or complete our online form to schedule a free consultation with a Lakeland personal injury lawyer.
Our legal team has over 119 years of combined experience and has collected tens of millions of dollars for personal injury victims. We’ll do everything in our power to help you obtain the compensation you need after an accident, and we won’t back down—regardless of who’s on the other side.
Why Should I Choose Winters & Yonker to Handle My Personal Injury Case in Lakeland?
When your life is turned upside down by an accident in Lakeland, Florida, you need a lawyer you can trust to fight for you and your family. Our Lakeland personal injury attorneys have built our reputation on doing exactly that. With over a century of combined experience, our attorneys know how to take on insurance companies and hold them accountable.
Over the years, we’ve helped clients across the state of Florida recover significant compensation to cover medical bills, lost income, and the pain they’ve endured. Our results show that we don’t back down when our clients’ futures are on the line.
We’re proud to have been recognized by Expertise.com as one of the Best Car Accident Lawyers in Lakeland in 2022, and in 2025, Bay Area Legal Services named us a Sustaining Law Firm.
When you choose Winters & Yonker, you’re not just hiring a law firm—you’re partnering with a team that treats your case as personally as you do. We’ll be there every step of the way, fighting to help you move forward with security and peace of mind.
Our Recent Verdicts & Settlements
At Winters & Yonker, we’re proud to deliver results that truly matter. We’ve secured substantial compensation for our clients who suffered severe injuries or losses, from pedestrians and cyclists hit by cars to motor vehicle collisions and trucking cases. It’s more than numbers—it’s about giving victims the justice and support they deserve.
Our recent case victories include:
- $5,000,000 – Auto crash
- $3,050,000 – Auto negligence settlement
- $3,000,000 – Auto negligence settlement
- $1,750,000 – Auto negligence verdict
- $1,000,000 – Pedestrian hit by automobile
- $1,000,000 – Bicyclist hit by automobile
- $800,000 – Trucking case
- $610,000 – Pedestrian hit, multiple policy limit settlement
- $400,000 – Trip and fall accident
These are just a few examples of the successful recoveries we’ve secured for our clients. If you choose Winters & Yonker to handle your case, you can be confident that we’ll bring the same relentless effort and dedication to achieving your best possible outcome.
Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle
Some of the practice areas our law firm has experience with include, but are not limited to:
Car Accidents
Florida is home to some of the most car accidents in the entire country. If you’ve been injured in an auto accident, our experienced car accident lawyers can help you obtain compensation for your medical bills, repair costs, and more.
Truck Accidents
Trucks are necessary for the proper function of society, such as interstate commerce. Accident cases involving these vehicles are complex, as the trucking company, plus at least one insurance company, will probably be involved. Contact our truck accident attorneys to discuss your case today.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycles are fun to ride, but they provide inherently less protection than other types of motor vehicles. For that reason, accidents involving motorcycles tend to cause severe harm. Our experienced motorcycle accident lawyers can help.
Uber Accidents
The way an Uber accident is handled often depends on whether the driver was logged into the app and accepting rides at the time of the crash. Our Uber accident attorneys can help you fight for compensation.
Brain Injuries
An accident resulting in a brain injury can be outright terrifying. It’s important that you put your best case forward in order to be adequately compensated. The skilled Lakeland brain injury attorneys from Winters & Yonker can help you every step of the way.
Slip and Fall Accidents
An accident can happen just about anywhere. Whether it’s in a private residence, place of business, or public sidewalk, you might have a claim. Our slip and fall accident lawyers can help explain your legal options.
Wrongful Death
The wrongful death of a loved one is a circumstance nobody should have to deal with. While no amount of money can bring your family member back, it can help you recover financially and also obtain a sense of justice. Our aggressive wrongful death lawyers are eager to begin fighting for justice.
Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Some of the key reasons you should consider hiring a personal injury attorney include:
- It’ll help level the playing field. Insurance companies have teams of legal experts dedicated to helping their clients pay out as little as possible for the claims they receive. When you choose to work with us, you’ll have a team of your own.
- Attorneys can hire experts. Personal injury law firms have access to resources that the general public doesn’t. We can hire experts to analyze your case and even testify on your behalf if your case goes to trial.
- The defendant may try to blame you. Protecting yourself from accusations that you’re at fault for the accident is crucial. If the other side is successful in pinning the blame on you, you could receive less compensation or none at all.
- You can rest and recover from your injury. When you hire a lawyer, you’ll be able to focus on healing while they handle your case for compensation.
Additionally, personal injury victims who hire a lawyer typically recover more compensation than those who represent themselves.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Our law firm works on a contingency fee basis. You’ll pay us nothing up front for our legal services. Instead, we will receive our payment as a percentage of the financial award we obtain for you.
The contingency fee arrangement allows you to hire a lawyer when you might otherwise be in a prohibitive financial position. It also incentivizes your attorney to maximize your financial award. The more money you receive, the more money they receive as well.
How Much Is My Case Worth?
No two cases are the same. That said, there are many factors that can influence the value of your case, including:
- Whether you’re expected to make a full recovery from your injuries
- The types of injuries you’ve suffered
- Whether you are partly to blame for the accident
- The terms of any applicable insurance policies
- How long you’ll be unable to work due to the accident
The larger an impact your injuries have had and will have on your life, the more your case will typically be worth. If you have any questions about the value of your case, reach out to our lawyers today for a free case review.
Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?
If you’ve suffered harm and it was caused by someone else, there is a chance that you have a case.
A handful of scenarios that can give rise to a case include:
- A driver runs a red light and crashes into your car.
- You’re hit by a bicyclist while crossing the street.
- You slip and fall inside a convenience store.
- A family member dies in a boating accident.
- A defective product causes you to become ill.
Feel free to reach out to us if you’re unsure whether you have a case. You can discuss this with a member of our legal team during your free consultation.
What Damages Are Available to Lakeland Accident Victims?
Victims of personal injury accidents in Lakeland can pursue economic damages, non-economic damages, and, in rare cases, punitive damages.
Economic damages reflect the financial losses you’ve suffered, such as lost wages, medical expenses, out-of-pocket expenses, and diminished earning capacity.
Non-economic damages reflect the personal losses you’ve suffered. Examples include loss of consortium, pain and suffering, PTSD, depression, and disfigurement.
Punitive damages are available in rare cases where the at-fault party’s conduct was especially reckless or malicious. These damages are intended to punish the defendant for their behavior and deter others from the same sort of behavior.
Can I Still Recover Compensation if I Am Partially at Fault for an Accident?
You can still obtain compensation even if you’re partially at fault for the accident in Florida. The state currently operates under a modified comparative negligence framework, meaning that you can recover damages as long as you were less than 51% at fault. If your degree of fault is 51% or more, you will be barred from recovering compensation.
Under this framework, each party will be assigned a percentage of fault. Once damages are awarded, your award could be reduced based on the percentage that was assigned to you. As an example, let’s assume you’re awarded $100,000 from a jury but are found to be 40% at fault. Your damages award would then be reduced to $60,000.
If the insurance company tries to exaggerate your responsibility for the accident, we will do everything we can to counter them and minimize your degree of fault.
How Long Will My Personal Injury Case Take?
Every personal injury claim has a different timeline based on its unique circumstances. Some cases take just a few weeks to resolve, while others take much longer.
Cases that go to court often take longer to resolve than those that are settled beforehand. Not all cases that go to court will go all the way to trial.
If you’d like additional information about how long your case might take, contact us for a free case evaluation. Once we have more information about your case, we can provide further insight.
How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help Me?
A lawyer can help you with:
- Keeping you apprised of your legal options as your case progresses
- Communicating and negotiating with the other party to your case on your behalf
- Collecting evidence to improve your claim
- Hiring experts to analyze your case or to testify on your behalf at trial
- Representing your interests in a personal injury lawsuit
- Bringing your case before a jury if the circumstances call for it
These are just a few of the ways an attorney can help. Contact Winters and Yonker, P.A., today to gain further insight into how we can assist with your case.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After an Accident in Florida?
For most cases, you’ll have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. There are exceptions to this deadline, but the bottom line is that you shouldn’t wait to take legal action after an accident. Our attorneys can ensure that you meet all applicable deadlines in your case.
Lakeland Personal Injury FAQs
How Do I Know Who Was At Fault for My Accident?
Most accidents result from the negligence of others. Accordingly, identifying the at-fault party often requires an analysis of the elements of negligence:
-
- Did someone owe you a duty of care? For example, drivers owe everyone sharing the road – including pedestrians, bicyclists, and other motorists – a duty to drive carefully.
-
- Did they breach their duty of care by failing to exercise reasonable caution? For example, if they were speeding, distracted, or violating a traffic law, they breached their duty to drive safely.
-
- Did their breach of duty cause your injuries? You need to be able to show that the person’s actions directly led to the harm you suffered.
In some cases, multiple parties may share fault. Our experienced attorneys will launch a thorough investigation into your accident to identify every potentially liable party.
Who Will Pay for My Medical Bills?
If you sustained injuries in an accident that required medical treatment, you may have several options, depending on the type of accident you were in and the parties involved.
You may even need ongoing care, such as physical therapy or rehabilitative treatment. If you’ve received treatment, you’ll be responsible for paying your medical bills.
Some of your options to pay your medical bills include:
-
- Personal injury protection (PIP) insurance (for traffic-related accidents): All Florida drivers must carry PIP insurance. This coverage kicks in regardless of who was at fault for the collision. It will cover up to 80% of your reasonable medical expenses up to the policy limits. The minimum required coverage in Florida is $10,000.
-
- Your health insurance: Your health insurance may cover your accident-related medical treatments. Ask them about your available coverage, in-network providers, and how to deal with out-of-network healthcare needs.
-
- Settlement or verdict: You can seek compensation for your medical bills from the at-fault party. Your attorney will help you value your losses to ensure you recover an amount that fully reflects your damages.
Your personal injury lawyer can also negotiate medical liens on your behalf, if necessary. This will allow you to receive medical care right away. In exchange, you will promise to reimburse the healthcare provider with the proceeds from your case.
Will My Case Go To Court?
It is unlikely that your case will go to court. Most personal injury claims settle during the negotiation process. However, if the insurance company offers a low settlement or refuses to pay what you deserve, we’ll be prepared to take your case to court.
Our trial attorneys are known for their aggressive advocacy and ability to get clients the compensation they need, even if it means going to court.
What Should I Do If the Insurance Company Offers Me a Settlement After an Accident?
Before you accept the settlement, be sure to consult an experienced personal injury attorney. Insurance companies frequently offer far less than accident victims deserve, hoping they’ll take the offer in their time of need. However, once you sign a settlement agreement, you cannot pursue further compensation – even if you discover additional injuries or damages in the future.
That’s why it’s essential to seek medical attention, reach maximum medical improvement, and thoroughly assess your damages before negotiating with the insurance company.
If an adjuster has offered you a settlement, contact an attorney to see if it is fair. Then you can determine whether to accept it or continue negotiating for an amount that fully compensates you.
What If the Party Who Caused My Injuries Does Not Carry Insurance?
Most accidents and personal injuries are covered by insurance, whether it’s an auto accident, slip and fall, or medical malpractice. However, what if the liable party is uninsured?
You have a few options, depending on the type of accident. You may be able to file a personal injury claim directly against the at-fault party. However, if they’re uninsured, they may not have the financial means to pay the full value of your claim.
If the at-fault party injured you during the course of their employment, you might have a valid claim against their employer under vicarious liability principles. Alternatively, another third party may share liability. If it was a car accident, you might have uninsured motorist coverage that applies.
Ultimately, if the party who caused your injuries doesn’t carry insurance, you should contact a personal injury lawyer for help. We’ll evaluate your accident and determine every potential source of compensation.
Contact Our Experienced Lakeland Personal Injury Lawyer for a Free Consultation
You don’t have to work through the aftermath of your personal injury accident alone. The Lakeland personal injury attorneys with Winters & Yonker can handle your compensation claim from beginning to end while you focus on your recovery.
With over 119 years of combined experience and tens of millions of dollars recovered, we have a proven track record of success. Our aggressive attorneys will represent your interests no matter who the defendant is, and we’re confident in our ability to build a strong case for you.
Reach out to us online or call (863) 251-6196 to schedule a free case review.
Client Testimonial
The team at Winters and Yonkers of Lakeland are kind, professional, and were always available to answer questions regarding my husband’s case. I’d recommend them to others and certainly seek their representation again if needed in the future. – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jessica Fleming
Recent Blog Posts
- A Step-by-Step Guide for Filing a Claim
- What Is the Average Settlement for a Case?
- The Process of Receiving a Settlement Check
Visit Our Lakeland Personal Injury Law Firm Near You
Our Lakeland law firm is located at 1543 Lakeland Hills Blvd, Suite 18, Lakeland, FL,33805. Contact us today at (863) 251-6196.
Hours: open 24 hours, 7 days a week
