If you or a loved one recently suffered injuries in an airplane accident in St. Petersburg, Florida? The experienced St. Petersburg aviation accident lawyers at Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers can help you recover the compensation you deserve. Call us today at (727) 314-5988 to get the legal assistance you need.
Since 2001, Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers has successfully recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of accident victims and grieving families in St. Petersburg and throughout the state of Florida.
We take on cases such as Catastrophic injuries in St. Petersburg, workplace accidents, child injuries, St. Petersburg brain injuries, slip and fall accidents, and more.
Now we’re ready to fight for you. Benefit from an award-winning legal team with 119+ years of combined experience by contacting our St. Petersburg law office for a free consultation today.
How Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Airplane Accident in St. Petersburg, FL
What caused your aviation accident? Was it the pilot’s fault? Can someone else be held financially responsible for your resulting injuries and suffering? What kind of evidence will you need to build a successful case? How can you know if the insurance company’s settlement offer is fair?
Take this time to focus on your recovery and let our top-rated St. Petersburg personal injury lawyers handle these issues for you.
When you trust Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers after a devastating airplane accident, you’ll put accomplished and successful trial attorneys in your corner. You’ll make it clear that you’re not walking away for less than your aviation accident case is worth.
You’ll also benefit from our tried-and-true approaches to litigation, including:
- An exhaustive independent investigation into your aviation accident
- Careful consideration of flight logs, black box data, witness statements, photographs, property damage, medical records, aircraft maintenance reports, deviations from accepted safety practices, and other evidence related to your case
- Consultations with aircraft experts, pilots, mechanics, forensic specialists, medical professionals, and other experts
- Smart and strategic negotiation strategies designed to leverage the maximum possible settlement
- Passionate advocacy at trial if the airline or insurance company refuses to extend a reasonable settlement offer
There’s no out-of-pocket cost to hire our acclaimed personal injury law firm in St. Petersburg, FL. We’ll assume the risks of litigation. You only pay if we win your aviation accident case. Contact us today to learn more.
How Common Are Aviation Accidents?
Statistically speaking, the odds of dying in a commercial airplane accident are simply too small to calculate. In 2021, just 21 commercial airline accidents were recorded across the United States.
However, airplane accidents are more common than you might think. In fact, there were a total of 1,157 aviation accidents reported nationwide in 2021.
While commercial airliners don’t get into many accidents, private and general aircraft do.
There are six distinct phases of aviation: taxi, take off and initial climb, cruising, descent and initial approach, and final approach and landing.
Nearly half of all aviation accidents happen during an aircraft’s final approach and landing. This also happens to be when about 40 percent of all fatal aviation accidents occur.
Florida ranks third in the nation for general aircraft registered with the FAA with 20,006. Only Texas and California have more registered aircraft.
According to FAA records, hundreds of aircraft are registered in St. Petersburg and surrounding towns in Pinellas County. They regularly take off from St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), Tampa International Airport (TPA), Albert Whitted Airport, and other airports in the area.
What Causes Most Airplane Accidents?
Research suggests that about 80 percent of all airplane accidents are a result of human error. In other words, negligence – or a failure to use reasonable care – causes 8 out of every 10 aviation accidents annually.
Leading examples include:
- Pilot distraction or inattention
- Crew member mistakes
- Drug and alcohol use
- Pilot fatigue
- Miscommunication with air traffic control
- Instrument misuse
- Air traffic control error
- Failing to respond to mechanical errors
- Deviating from flight plans
- Misjudging weather conditions
However, pilot error and acts of negligence aren’t the only reasons planes crash. Mechanical errors, aircraft defects, bad weather conditions, defective runways, and limited visibility also contribute to aviation accidents in St. Petersburg.
Who Could Be Liable For My St. Petersburg Aviation Accident?
Under Florida state law, any party that contributes to an aviation accident can be financially responsible for damages in a civil claim or lawsuit.
Depending on the specific circumstances of your crash, potentially liable parties might include a:
- Pilot
- Crew member
- Aircraft mechanic
- Airline
- Aircraft owner
- Air traffic control operator
- Passenger
- Aircraft manufacturer
- Airport
- Property owner
If someone’s negligence contributes to an aviation accident, they can be on the hook for resulting damages. Our aviation accident attorneys in St. Petersburg will work hard to get to the bottom of why your accident happened and identify anyone who played a role. Once liability is clear, our team can aggressively seek maximum compensation for your injuries and suffering.
What’s My St. Petersburg Aviation Injury Claim Worth?
It depends. No two aviation accidents are the same. No two victims will have the same experience or story. So, the facts and circumstances of your case will ultimately dictate how much money you might be able to recover.
Several factors that can be important in the valuation process include:
- The specific types of injuries you’ve sustained in the aviation accident
- How long it will take to reach maximum medical improvement
- Your out-of-pocket costs and expenses
- The amount of time you have to miss work after your accident
- Changes in your earning capacity
- Your age at the time of the airplane accident
- Available insurance benefits and policy limits
- The impact of claims of shared responsibility
- The overall impact the airplane accident has had on your life
Hiring an experienced personal injury attorney near you in St. Petersburg to handle your aviation accident claim can help you make the most of your fight for compensation.
At Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ve helped injured crash victims and devastated families recover millions in monetary awards. Call us to find out how we can help you fight for maximum compensation, too.
Common Aviation Accident Injuries
Victims of airplane accidents in St. Petersburg, FL can sustain severe and catastrophic injuries in a crash, including:
- Broken bones
- Crushing injury
- Internal organ damage
- Chest injury
- Traumatic brain injury
- Amputation
- Spinal cord injury
- Paralysis
- Back injury
- Severe burns
- Nerve damage
- Wrongful death
Seek medical attention as soon as you can following an airplane or helicopter accident in St. Petersburg, Florida. Getting to the closest hospital in St. Pete can be critical for your long-term health and recovery.
What Damages Can I Recover in a St. Petersburg Aviation Accident Case?
When you file an insurance claim or lawsuit after a St. Petersburg airplane accident, you can typically seek damages for your financial losses and hard-to-value pain and suffering.
These are known as economic damages and non-economic damages, respectively.
Through a successful claim, you can obtain money for:
- Current medical bills limited to amounts actually paid
- Future costs of reasonably necessary medical treatment
- Lost wages and income
- Disability
- Nursing assistance
- Physical therapy
- Funeral expenses
- Chronic physical pain
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement
- Physical scarring
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
- Embarrassment
Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers won’t let the insurance company or negligent pilot dictate the terms of your claim. Our award-winning Florida trial attorneys will work hard to ensure that you’re compensated for all of your crash-related damages in full.
How Long Will I Have to Sue After an Airplane Accident in St. Petersburg, Florida?
Florida has a two-year statute of limitations that applies to most aviation accident lawsuits.
So, following an airplane accident near St. Petersburg, you’ll typically have two years to pursue compensation from a negligent airline, pilot, or another liable party.
The two-year deadline also applies to wrongful death lawsuits related to fatal aviation accidents in St. Petersburg.
However, there may be exceptions.
You lose the right to demand compensation once the statute of limitations expires. Don’t lose out on much-needed compensation by putting off your claim. Call Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers to get the immediate legal assistance you deserve.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced St. Petersburg Aviation Accident Lawyer
The pilot will not admit they made a mistake. The airline or aircraft owner will fight a legal claim for damages. The insurance company will do anything to limit or deny a payout. Level the playing field after an airplane accident in St. Petersburg by calling Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers for help.
Our St. Petersburg aviation accident attorneys have 119+ years of combined experience. Our law firm has the financial resources to match your most powerful adversaries. Today, we’re ready to help you maximize your fight for compensation.
Call our law office in St. Petersburg, Florida to set up a free initial case evaluation. We’re always here to help – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Visit Our Law Office In St. Petersburg, FL
Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyer – St. Petersburg
111 2nd Ave NE Suite 350
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Phone: (727) 314-5988
Hours: Open 24 Hours Daily
