St. Petersburg Personal Injury Lawyer

Have you been injured in an accident in St. Petersburg, Florida? You may be entitled to substantial compensation, but you’ll need experienced representation to get the settlement you deserve. The St. Petersburg personal injury lawyers at Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers can help, call us at (727) 314-5988.

We are known as “The Aggressive Attorneys.” We earned this reputation by fiercely standing up for our clients’ rights and winning top settlements and verdicts on their behalf. We’ve recovered millions of dollars for injury victims in Tampa Bay and Pinellas County hurt in St. Petersburg car accidents, St. Petersburg motorcycle accidents, truck accidents in St. Petersburg, wrongful death claims, and more.

Contact our St. Petersburg law firm today to schedule a free consultation with a member of our legal team at. We work on contingency. You pay nothing unless we win.

How a St. Petersburg Personal Injury Lawyer at Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help If You’ve Been Injured

Your legal representation after an accident matters. Insurance companies and their aggressive adjusters will do everything in their power to devalue or deny your claim. You need an equally bold advocate on your side to make sure you get fairly compensated.

Winters and Yonker, P.A. is the firm you deserve in your corner. Our St. Petersburg injury attorneys have over 100 years of combined legal and experience, recovering millions on behalf of injured victims.

When you hire our law firm, you can expect us to: 

• Offer fierce representation at every stage of your case
• Investigate your accident to gather evidence and determine liable parties
• Calculate the value of your damages and expenses and register all your losses
• Work with field experts to prove your case, if necessary
• Handle all communications and negotiations with insurance companies
• Take your case to court to get what is fair for you

Contact us today to schedule a free case review. We’ll be happy to help.

Our St. Petersburg, Florida Law Office

Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers – St. Petersburg Office
111 2nd Ave NE Suite 350
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 314-5988

Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?

Not all accidents trigger injury cases. However, if someone else is responsible for your accident and injury, you may have an injury claim. Most of these cases are based on negligence, such as motor vehicle accidents, slip and falls, workplace accidents, and medical malpractice, to name a few.

A few other case types don’t require proof of negligence. They merely require proof of certain unlawful behavior. These cases include dog bite and product liability claims.

The best way to determine whether you have a case is to contact an injury attorney in St. Pete.

Why Should I Hire a St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorney?

Hiring a personal injury lawyer in St. Petersburg can be a huge asset to your claim. Here’s why:

• You’ll level the playing field. Insurance companies will employ a small army of attorneys, insurers, and staff members to fight your claim. They have endless resources to challenge liability. Having a personal injury lawyer can even the odds. You’ll have access to your own assets, including an attorney, investigators, paralegals, and legal assistants — all working together to strengthen your case.
• You’ll comply with Florida personal injury law. There are many personal injury and insurance claims requirements associated with your claim, including filing deadlines. Your injury lawyer can help you navigate the claims process and ensure you don’t make mistakes that limit your ability to recover compensation.
• You’ll be blamed. Insurance companies will try to accuse you of your accident, even if you bear no responsibility for it. Under regulations for modified comparative fault in Florida, they can reduce your compensation to account for your portion of liability. An attorney can protect you from unfounded accusations towards you and make sure you get the money you deserve.
• You need time to rest. You need time to rest and recover after your accident. Handling a personal injury claim on your own can make that difficult. Your injury attorney can handle all aspects of your claim while you focus on getting better and getting your life back.

There are dozens of other good reasons to get an experienced personal injury lawyer. Contact Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers in St. Petersburg today to learn more about them.

Accident Statistics in St. Petersburg, Florida

St. Petersburg is a fairly small geographic area, but it still boasts a large population (over 250,000). It also has a fair number of accidents, especially involving motor vehicles.

In 2022, Pinellas County experienced nearly 15,540 motor vehicle accidents. These crashes caused 120 deaths and 9,132 injuries. 469 of the wrecks involved pedestrians (which caused (35 fatalities). Around 576 involved bicycles and 434 involved motorcycles, with a result of 31 deaths.

As of 01/03/23, there have been already 56 collisions, with 37 people injured. St. Pete and Pinellas County have adopted a Vision Zero plan to address the high rates of accidents and fatalities.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle in St. Petersburg, FL

Accidents happen in a myriad of ways. That’s why Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers handles all kinds of personal injury claims in St. Pete, including boating accidents, work injuries and more. We have special skills and experience managing the following cases.

Car Accidents

Pinellas County is a hot spot for car accidents. But getting financial recovery after a crash can be difficult due to Florida’s no-fault insurance rules.

Our St. Petersburg car accident attorneys can help you identify all your options for retrieving damages after your crash. We can help you get the money you need to move forward.

Motorcycle Accidents

St. Pete can be a great place to ride a motorcycle. But its congested streets aren’t always friendly to riders, especially during tourist season.

If you were driving and got in a motorcycle accident, our St. Petersburg motorcycle accident lawyers can help you hold the at-fault party responsible. We can ensure you recover proper compensation for your many losses after the collision.

Truck Accidents

Commercial trucks are a common sight in St. Pete and the nearby areas. While important to the economy, these vehicles create dangers for smaller passenger cars. These cars and their passengers almost always suffer the brunt of a collision with a truck.

If you were in a truck accident, our skilled St. Petersburg truck accident attorneys can help you stand up to the trucking company and its insurance and get the compensation you deserve.

Pedestrian Accidents

Our city has a notoriously poor record for pedestrian safety. In fact, the Bay Area is one of the leading regions for pedestrian accidents in the country.

If a car struck you while you were walking, you may be entitled to a substantial monetary award. Our St. Petersburg pedestrian accident lawyers can help pursue what you’re owed.

Slip and Fall Accidents

Property owners in St. Pete owe visitors a duty to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition. Unfortunately, they often fall short and fail to fix or warn guests of slipping hazards.

If you slipped and fell at a business or private property, you may have a premises liability claim. Our St. Petersburg slip and fall attorneys can help.

Bicycle Accidents

St. Pete has many bicycle lanes and paths throughout the city. That doesn’t mean it’s always safe for bicyclists, because drivers still manage to cause disastrous accidents.

If a car strikes your bike, you could be eligible to receive significant compensation. Contact our St. Petersburg bicycle accident lawyers for help.

Wrongful Death 

If you lost a family member in an accident, you could be eligible to file a wrongful death claim. This claim will allow you to pursue compensation for damages arising before and after the death of your loved one, including loss of support and companionship.

Our St. Petersburg wrongful death attorneys have the experience and compassion to help your family during this hard time.

Common Types of Personal Injuries

Just like there are many kinds of injury cases, there are also many types of injuries that arise from those cases. The type of injuries a victim suffers will likely rely on what type of accident they experienced.

The most common types of personal injuries are:

• Head and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
• Eye Injuries
• Neck Injuries
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Back Injuries
• Broken Bones
• Soft Tissue Injuries
• Catastrophic Injuries
• Wrongful death

In reality, a serious accident can cause almost any type of injury.

Personal Injury FAQs

What Should I Do After an Accident?

All accidents are different, and the steps you take will depend on whether you were in a car accident, slip and fall, or another incident. 

However, the general process after an accident is to: 

• Call 911 or file an accident report. An official account of the accident will be crucial evidence if you file a personal injury claim. 
• Exchange information with involved parties and eyewitnesses. This may include contact and/or insurance information.
• Collect evidence from the accident scene, if possible. Take pictures and videos of any condition that contributed to your accident. Write down your memories of the accident while it’s fresh in your mind.
• Seek medical treatment as soon as possible. If the accident is severe, you may be transported to the ER. Otherwise, you should see a healthcare provider right away to diagnose and treat any injuries and create a medical history linking your injuries to the accident.

Contact a personal injury attorney as soon as you can to ensure that you meet any other legal obligations and protect your rights.

How Much Does it Cost To Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in St. Petersburg?

Our personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. It won’t cost you anything upfront to work with us. Instead, we’ll take our payment for our legal services as a portion of any financial award we collect for you.

We will agree to this rate ahead of time with you, and in most cases, it will be around 33%. To demonstrate how this method functions, let’s assume we obtained a $500,000 financial award for you, and we agreed to a 35% fee. In that instance, our fee would be $175,000 (35%) of that $500,000.

Contact us today if you have any questions about this system and how it would work in your case.

How Much is My Personal Injury Case Worth?

There is no formula or online calculator that can tell you what your case is worth. An experienced attorney will have to evaluate your damages and the particulars of your case to determine the value of your claim. 

A few factors will have the greatest impact on your claim value:

• The strength of your evidence
• The amount of your lost wages and medical bills
• Whether you’re earning capacity is diminished
• The pain and suffering you’ve experienced after the accident
• Whether you take guilt for your injuries
• Available insurance coverages

To learn more about the value of your case, contact Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers Our personal injury attorneys in St. Petersburg offer free consultations. It costs you nothing to learn more about your rights and options.

What Damages Are Available to St. Petersburg Accident Victims?

There are two primary forms of damages available to St. Pete accident victims, economic and non-economic. Punitive damages may also be available on rare occasions.

Economic damages reflect your financial losses stemming from an accident, such as:

• Loss of wages
• Medical expenses
• Decreased earning capacity
• Property damage
• Out-of-pocket expenses

Non-economic damages reflect the other consequences of your injury. This type of damages include the following:

• Pain and suffering
• Depression
• PTSD
• Disfigurement

Punitive damages are given only in rare cases where the defendant’s conduct was especially egregious. These damages punish the at-fault party for their behavior and deter others from acting similarly.

How to Determine Who’s at Fault in a St. Petersburg Personal Injury Accident

Based on the facts and circumstances, one or multiple parties could be liable for your accident and injuries. 

The following are examples of who can take part in liability after an accident: 

• A distracted driver who veered into your highway lane, causing a high-speed collision 
• A tired healthcare worker who failed to monitor your vital signs during a medical procedure, conducting to complications 
• A negligent property owner who failed to fix or alert you of a loose railing, provoking you to slip and fall 
• A drunk truck driver who collided with your spouse’s car, causing their untimely and unexpected death 
• Manufacturers of a defective product that caused severe burns 

Employers and third parties can also be liable for your injuries in certain situations. We’ll work tirelessly to identify everyone who could share responsibility for your damages.

Florida’s Comparative Negligence Law

In Florida, you can still collect damages even if you are partially responsible for your accident. That’s because the state has adopted a modified comparative negligence standard.

The way this works is that you’ll be assigned a portion of the blame, and your financial award can be reduced proportionately. However, if you are mostly at fault, you cannot recover compensation.

To illustrate, let’s say you are awarded $400,000 but are found to be 25% at fault. In that case, your financial award can be lowered to $300,000, or the full amount less your percentage of the guilt. But if you are 51% or more at fault, you will be barred from recovering damages.

The issue of comparative fault is often at the forefront of a case. Our personal injury lawyers in St. Petersburg will do everything in our power to fight back against allegations that you’re responsible for your accident.

What’s Negligence and What Are The Elements Of A Negligence Claim?

Negligence is the foundation for the majority of personal injury cases. It means something similar to “carelessness” and occurs when someone violates a duty of care and causes harm to someone else as a result. 

In most cases, the defendant must have performed some sort of action in order to be found negligent, but in others, doing nothing can also constitute negligence. Many times the cases appear simple to prove on their face but, in reality, are quite complex. 

Negligence consists of four legal components you must prove to win your case: 

• The defendant owed you a duty of care; 
• The defendant breached their duty of care by failing to act as a reasonably prudent person would under the circumstances; 
• The breach directly and proximately caused the accident; 
• You sustained damages as a result of the breach. 

To prove each element, you’ll need to collect evidence, including: 

• Medical records and reports from your medical providers
• Employment records and pay stubs 
• Photos, videos, and surveillance footage of the accident scene 
• Eyewitness statements 
• Expert witness and specialist testimony and opinions 
• Accident and police reports 

Other evidence may be necessary, depending on the nature of your case. We’ll help you seek and prove the factors of your claim to ensure you receive fair compensation. 

Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury In Florida

Florida law sets deadlines for when lawsuits must be filed. File your lawsuit after the deadline passes, and a court will not hear your case.

For personal injury, you’ll generally have two years from the date of the accident to file your lawsuit. However, exceptions exist to this common rule.

Reach out to us as quickly as possible if you are not sure whether you can still file a lawsuit in your case. We can let you know during your free initial consultation with one of our injury lawyers.

Contact Our Experienced St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorneys Near You For Help

If you’re struggling with pain and injuries, expensive medical bills, and lost wages after an accident caused by someone else in St. Petersburg, FL, contact Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers for assistance. 

With over 119 years of combined legal experience, we know how to fight for victims and get the maximum compensation possible. Our aggressive legal approach has helped us secure millions for clients throughout Florida.

Call us today and get a case review with a St. Petersburg personal injury attorney to see what we can do to help you get back on your feet after your accident.

Our St. Petersburg Personal Injury Law Office

Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers – St. Petersburg Office
111 2nd Ave NE Suite 350
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 314-5988

Personal Injury Client Review

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Read more of our Google reviews.

Local Medical Facilities

• Bayfront Health St Petersburg ER – 701 6th St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
• St. Anthony’s Hospital- Emergency Center – 1200 7th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33705

*Disclaimer – we do not endorse these companies or profit from having them listed on our website. These were some of the highest-rated auto repair shops on Yelp.

Recent Blog Posts

• How To Proceed With a Personal Injury Lawsuit in St. Pete
• Basic Personal Injury Settlement Breakdown: How Much Goes in My Pocket?
• When Are There Exceptions For The Statute Of Limitations?

Areas We Serve in St. Pete, FL

Historic Uptown (33705), Downtown (33701), Snell Isle (33704), Bayway Isles (33715), Allendale Terrace (33704), Yacht Club Estates (33707), Cromwell Heights (33705), Coquina Key (33705), Greater Pinellas Point (33712), Jungle Terrace (33710), Crescent Lake (33704), Central Arts District (33701), Shore Acres (33703), Old Southeast (33705), Waterfront Arts District (33701), The Edge District (33713), Warehouse Arts District (33712), Historic Old Northeast (33704), Placido Bayou (33703), Grand Central District (33712), Historic Kenwood (33713), Historic Roser Park (33701), Isla del Sol (33715), Edgemoor (33703), Melrose-Mercy (33712), Gulfport (33707), North East Park (33704), Magnolia Heights (33704), Tropical Shores (33705), Lealman (33714), Euclid St. Paul (33713).

Personal Injury Infographic