Blog Posts - Car accident
Company Vehicle Accidents: Who Is Responsible?
If you get into an accident with a company or commercial vehicle, you want to know who will compensate you for your accident-related losses. Depending on the circumstances of the crash, the driver’s company, employer,...
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Car Accident Statistics: Tampa
Car accidents happen everywhere. But unfortunately in the congested Tampa Bay area, they occur more frequently than in other areas in the state. These crashes often happen because of a person or entity’s negligent actions....
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Can I Still Recover Damages If I Was Not Wearing a Seatbelt at The Time of The Car Accident?
Yes. You can still recover damages you sustained in a car crash even if you were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the car accident. But you will need legal guidance from...
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5 Steps to Take After a Car Accident
Being hit by a car is frightening. It may be difficult to process the experience while it’s happening and right after it happened, but you must prepare for the worst because there are five vital...
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The Driver Who Caused My Accident Was Uninsured: Will I Still Be Compensated?
If you have been injured by another driver’s negligence, it puts you in a difficult enough position. But if the at-fault driver has no insurance, the matter is that much more serious. Florida law requires...
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What is the Graves Amendment?
Have you ever wondered how Uber or Amazon can be responsible if one of their drivers causes a crash, but Hertz and Alamo are not liable if someone driving one of their rental cars causes...
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Why You Shouldn’t Give a Recorded Statement to Insurance Companies After an Accident
Don’t Lose Money to Insurance Company Tactics Here’s the truth: insurance adjusters are not your friends. They are highly trained individuals whose job it is to reduce the amount of money the insurance company pays...
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Can An Injured Passenger In An Uber Claim Damages In A Pedestrian Accident?
Accidents involving Uber passengers vs. pedestrians can lead to injuries that can seriously impact the lives of those involved. If you have recently been involved in an Uber vs. pedestrian accident and have sustained injuries,...
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Where Will I Get The Best Use of My PIP in Florida?
Essentially, you will get the best use of your PIP in Florida when you get into a motor vehicle accident. Because PIP coverage is no-fault auto insurance coverage, you can still use your PIP benefits...
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How Your Age Affects the Value of Your Car Accident Claim
Determining the value of your car accident claim is one of the most asked questions of our clients. And unfortunately, it’s one of the most difficult questions to answer. We hire medical specialist experts, life...
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How Safe is Tesla Autopilot?
Founded in 2003, Tesla, and Elon Musk, its infamous CEO, have challenged the auto industry and created a novel standard for electric motor vehicles. Tesla has since attracted lots of devoted customers and fans worldwide....
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Holiday Travel: Stay Safe on the Road
The holidays are among us! Thanksgiving has just passed and many people are still recovering from their Thanksgiving feast. When you have a belly full of turkey, holiday travel is the last thing on your...
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Can You Get Security Footage of Your Motor Vehicle Accident?
If you are considering filing an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit following a motor vehicle accident, then gathering proof of the other driver’s negligence is crucial. Yes, accident and police reports, accident scene pictures,...
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TMJ Injury After an Accident: What You Should Know
By Grace Hancock Has an accident left you with an aching jaw, neck, or face? Even the slightest damage to the joints in your jaw can cause you a world of pain. When someone else’s...
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Facial and Dental Trauma After An Accident
By Grace Hancock Facial and dental traumatic injuries can be life-altering. These types of injuries almost always call for extensive medical care, which can leave you with expensive, mounting medical bills. Also, your injuries could...
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4 Things to Remember in a Hit and Run
By Grace Hancock No one ever expects to be the victim of a hit and run. Because of this, many people are at a loss as to what to do moving forward when they do...
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Symptoms of Concussion and Head Trauma
A blow to the head can result in one of the most catastrophic injuries a person can sustain. Depending on the severity of the injury, head trauma can cause a person to lose their ability...
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What To Do After an Uber or Lyft Accident
By Grace Hancock Uber and Lyft are among the most recognizable rideshare services that have grown in popularity in the past decade. The government designates these services as Transportation Network Companies (TNCs). The saying “get...
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3 Key Things to Teach Your Teen Driver
By Grace Hancock As a parent or legal guardian, nothing is more nerve-wracking than a teen driver who is eager to get on the road. Learning to drive is one step closer to adulthood and...
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Back to School Driving Tips for Parents
By Grace Hancock Most everyone, including young students, has been stuck inside their houses for the past 15+ months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But, now that there are vaccinations available, things are slowly turning...
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Car Crashes Likely to Increase This Summer
By Grace Hancock Are car crashes more likely to happen in summer? The statistics point to yes. Injury Facts reports that February was the month with the fewest motor-vehicle deaths and that August was the...
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Teens and Distracted Driving: What You Need to Know
As many of us know, distracted driving is extremely dangerous. Car accidents involving distracted driving claimed 3,142 lives in 2019 alone, a 10% increase from 2018 according to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute( CHOP...
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Why a Tampa Car Accident Attorney Might Decline a Case
By: Grace Hancock After a car crash, it’s difficult to imagine that an attorney would turn you down in your time of need. The truth is, law firms reject car accident cases all the time....
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How to Safely Navigate a Roundabout
By Grace Hancock Roundabouts are common in Europe and other areas of the world, but they’ve just started catching on in the United States in recent years. If you’re unfamiliar with how to navigate a...
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Tesla’s Autopilot Feature: Is it Safe?
By Grace Hancock People are again questioning the safety of Tesla’s autopilot feature after yet another deadly collision. An article published by CNNBusiness detailed a recent fatal crash of a Tesla Model S that occurred...
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How to Easily Avoid Distracted Driving
By Grace Hancock The National Safety Council (the NSC) reports that every day, distracted driving crashes kill seven people. These tragic statistics highlight the importance of spreading information about the dangers of distracted driving. You...
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Issues with Florida’s Texting While Driving Law
By: Grace Hancock In 2019, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new law making texting while driving a primary traffic offense in the Sunshine State in an effort to crack down on driver distraction. Democratic...
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Wrong-Way Car Crashes Continue To Affect the Tampa Bay Area
By: Grace Hancock If you’re a resident in the Tampa Bay area, then you know that wrong-way crashes continue to plague our community. Wrong-way crashes happen when a driver accidentally steers their vehicle into the...
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Numbness & Tingling After Car Accident May Be Nerve Damage
By: Grace Hancock Everyone has their feet fall asleep every now and then. Experiencing feelings of numbness and tingling after a car accident may seem insignificant to you. But, if you are experiencing numbness and...
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Injured by Livestock: Here’s What You Need To Know
By: Grace Hancock Imagine a situation where you’re driving down one of Florida’s many roadways and you crash into a runaway cow from a nearby farm. As “straight out of a cartoon” as this situation...
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What You Need To Know: Drugged Driving Car Accidents
By: Grace Hancock Alcohol is not the only way for someone to be under the influence. A person driving under the influence of illicit substances, prescription medication, or over-the-counter medication can be as dangerous as...
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How to Prevent Road Rage on Florida Roads
Anyone can feel rage when driving. It is likely that every car owner has an incident they can think of when they were behind the wheel and perhaps yelled at a car that cut them...
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Comparative Fault: How it Affects Your Case
Florida is a pure comparative fault state, which many also call “comparative fault” or “comparative negligence”. This means that the percentage of responsibility assigned to each driver in a personal injury case determines how much...
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Brain Fog After an Accident: What it Means
Oftentimes, we have clients who say they walked away from their accident feeling uninjured, only to have symptoms such as neck pain, headaches, back and shoulder pain, and vertigo, occur days, weeks, or even months...
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Surge in risky driving behaviors during COVID-19 pandemic causing more car accidents and fatalities
By: Grace Hancock You may have heard that the rate of car accidents has gone up in 2020. Or, you may be a frequent driver who has witnessed more risky behaviors on the road in...
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What You Need to Know About Florida’s PIP Law
Changes passed by the Florida Legislature in January 2013 to the Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law are far more favorable to auto insurance companies than to consumers injured in car accidents. Commonly known as Florida’s...
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5 Arguments an Insurance Adjuster Will Use to Limit Your Car Accident Claim
When dealing with a personal injury claim, the insurance adjuster is your biggest opponent. If you’re seeking compensation after a car accident, you’ll most likely be dealing with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Insurance companies...
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A Minor Car Accident May Cause Serious Injury
“Is everybody okay?” is the first question most people ask after hearing about a recent car accident. But, even if you walk away from an accident pain-free, that does not necessarily mean you will remain...
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3 Tips to Have a Safe New Year’s Eve 2021
New Year’s Eve is supposed to be a night of fun to ring in the new year with friends and family. We want you to have an amazing time. But, we also want you to...
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Tampa Bay New Year’s Eve 2021: Safety and What’s Next After a Car Accident
A new decade is FINALLY days away! While many might be celebrating at home this year, with enhanced safety precautions and even virtual events there are many ways you can ring in the new year...
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The Value of an Accident Reconstruction
Many accident victims never want to live through the details of their ordeal ever again. This is understandable, as serious accidents are painful and emotionally exhausting. But, there are instances when the details of accidents...
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Seeking Medical Treatment Within 14 Days after a Car Accident During COVID-19
After a car accident in Florida, one of the most important things to know is that you have 14 days to get medical care to be eligible to receive your PIP benefits. During the current...
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Injuries while Not Wearing a Seatbelt in Tampa Car Accidents
Florida law requires everyone to wear their seatbelt when driving or riding in a passenger vehicle. There are many studies that show seatbelt saves lives. As such, not wearing one puts the person at risk...
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Free Car Insurance Evaluation at Taste of Carrollwood in Tampa!
Here is the typical story: A potential client calls us and says they were injured in a car accident due to someone else’s negligence. We meet with them, get all of their information and open...
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What is Gap Insurance & Why do you Need it?
So the first question to answer is, what is “Gap Insurance”? Gap insurance, or gap protection, covers the difference between what you owe on your car and how much the car is worth. Do I...
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Can I File a Personal Injury Lawsuit for a Car Accident in Florida?
Yes, you can file a personal injury lawsuit for a car accident in Florida. Moreover, it’s in your best interest to do so, as Florida is one of a minority of no-fault insurance states in...
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Rear-End Accidents Caused by Distracted Drivers
As per the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), distracted drivers are those who participate in any activity that diverts them from driving safely. Some of those activities include talking on a cell phone, texting...
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What is Florida’s Texting While Driving Law?
On May 17, 2019, Florida Governor DeSantis signed off on House Bill 107 which is known as the Wireless Communications While Driving Act. It is now an amendment to Florida Statute 316.305(3)(a). Texting while driving...
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Who is Liable in a Lane-Change Car Accident
Establishing fault is usually the first thing that people want to do after getting into a car crash. But usually, the fault is harder to establish than one might think. You may ask “was a...
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Front Seat Vs. Back Seat: Which is Safer in a Head-On Car Crash
In a head-on car crash, it’s common to assume that the safest place to be is in the back seat. But, a recent study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that rear passengers...
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The 5 C’s of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
While finding a personal injury lawyer might never be a problem, finding the right personal injury lawyer could be a bit of a process. Not all lawyers offer the same services for the same prices...
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Why you need Uninsured Motorist Auto Insurance Coverage in Florida
The Importance of Uninsured Motorist Coverage According to the Insurance Information Institute, In 2015 Florida had the MOST DRIVERS in the country on the road without auto insurance, at a whopping 26%. That means that if you are...
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Car Accident Question: Diminished Value
Diminished value is the loss in a vehicle’s value as a result of having been damaged in a car accident.Diminished value claims allow vehicle owners to recover the difference between a car’s pre-accident value and...
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Planning for the Unpredictable: Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UM) and Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UIM) in Florida
Florida Uninsured Motorist Coverage Having uninsured motorist coverage and Underinsured Motorist Coverage (abbreviated as UM or UM/UIM) is the number one advice we give to each of our clients. One out of every four drivers...
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Snowbird Season: Stay Safe Driving
During this time of the year, it is inevitable that the Florida roads become even more jam-packed than normal. Why? Snowbirds of course. Along with their arrival, they bring road conditions that can lead to...
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Can I Change Lawyers In The Middle Of A Car Accident Lawsuit?
This is a question we often get from curious callers to our office and we want to clear up some confusion. First, know that you’re the boss. If at any time you’re not happy with...
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Tampa’s Traffic Problem
If you haven’t noticed Tampa traffic can get pretty bad. Delays to and from St. Pete into Tampa and to and from Wesley Chapel and Tampa are daily occurrences. It is expected that the congestion...
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The Importance of Your Car’s Bumper
The purpose of having a bumper on your car is very specific. Many people think that its purpose is to prevent or lessen injury severity in a crash. In fact, many consider bumpers to not...
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Low-Speed Crashes Causing High Impact Problems
Low-Speed Crashes Cause Surprisingly High Number of Injuries It’s a common misconception that for a car crash to cause serious injury or even fatalities, the crash must have been at a high speed. In reality,...
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Changes May Be Coming Soon to Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa
Known as the street with the longest continuous sidewalk in the world, with views of the beautiful bay, Bayshore Boulevard may have some changes coming. The city of Tampa wants traffic to slow down to...
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Does Your Car Insurance in Florida Cover Flood Damage?
Hurricane Hermine which just swept through Tampa Bay caused major flooding throughout the city and surrounding areas. Most people only think about having flood insurance for their houses, but do you know if your car...
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Car Underwater: Do you know how to Escape?
Living in Florida, we are surrounded by water. Many people drive over bridges every day and generally aren’t concerned about going over. But think, what if someone hits you, or your car becomes causality in...
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Can I Sue for a No-Contact Car Accident?
Not all motor vehicle accidents involve two vehicles physically hitting one another. Even so, the law can still hold one driver liable for another’s injuries. If the other vehicle is at fault for your injuries...
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What Compensation Can You Collect for Whiplash Injuries?
Whiplash is not an actual diagnosis, but instead a term used for a collection of symptoms and injuries that a person may sustain in a motor vehicle accident. Typically, whiplash refers to soft tissue injuries...
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Types of Evidence Used in a Car Accident Case
Immediately following a car accident, it is best if you start gathering evidence in order to establish the validity of your claim. The more documentation you have in support of your claim, the more likely...
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Hip Injury Pain After an Accident: What it Could Mean
After a car accident, your body might have suffered trauma, even if you do not see any immediate injuries. However, the shock of the impact can cause residual effects to your body, including injury to...
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What Does Florida No Fault Insurance Mean?
No fault insurance means that your car insurance will pay some or all of your medical bills and lost earnings if you get into a car accident, regardless of who was at fault for the...
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Proving Fault in a Side Impact Collision
Side impact collisions, also known as t-bone accidents, can occur in a number of different traffic situations. Side-impact collisions typically occur when one driver fails to yield at an intersection and collides with the fender...
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Avoiding Intersection Accidents
A key to a car is like a key to freedom; nothing quite compares to being able to go wherever you want whenever you want. However, if your responsibility as a driver is not implemented...
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Is Your Auto Accident Case under Surveillance?
Is your auto accident case under surveillance by others? Video and photo surveillance of an injured person is frequently employed by insurance companies. They do this to rebut claims of injuries in auto accidents and...
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What if My Son Had an Accident With My Car?
Under Florida’s Dangerous Instrumentality Doctrine, the owner of a motor vehicle who gives permission to another to drive their vehicle is legally responsible for any injuries or damages caused by the negligence of the permissive...
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7 Things Insurance Companies will NOT tell You About an Auto Accident
Auto accidentsare never pleasant, especially when there is extensive damage. You’re put into the position where you need to be proactive in dealing with all parties involved — the other driver, the attending officer, your...
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Florida Seat Belt Law for Teen and Tweens
As a personal injury attorney,I see the worst of what can happen to children and teenagers when not wearing seat belts during car accidents. So as a dad, it is a running joke with my...
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