Being injured in an accident can turn your life upside down. You could find yourself unable to work, unable to pay your bills, and unable to afford the medical treatment you need to recover from your injuries. What’s worse, the accident that caused your injuries probably could have been avoided.
Take the steps necessary to protect your rights after an accident. If you’ve been injured in an accident in Tampa Bay that resulted from the negligent actions of an individual or business, state law allows you to seek compensation from the responsible party for the damages stemming from your injuries. Rivas Law Group is here to help you protect these rights and ensure you receive the total compensation you deserve for your accident-related expenses and losses.
Tampa Bay personal injury lawyer Tania Rivas and Rivas Law Group has been fighting to protect victims of negligence in Central Florida for almost 20 years. We focus on providing clients with personalized and compassionate legal services. Our approach combines empathy and understanding with a driving desire to ensure our clients achieve justice and fairness; it’s a strategy that has enabled us to recover millions of dollars in settlements for our clients.
Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle
Rivas Law Group has extensive experience representing clients injured in a wide range of accidents, including:
- Auto accidents (car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian). Motor vehicle collisions are one of the leading causes of personal injury in Tampa Bay. Car accidents can result from numerous factors such as reckless driving, speeding, distracted driving, or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Negligent security. Businesses have a legal obligation to provide proper security to protect their customers, employees, and visitors from assault and other crimes.
- Medical malpractice. Malpractice is negligence by healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, or hospitals, which causes harm to a patient. Examples of medical malpractice can include misdiagnosis, surgical errors, medication errors, or failure to provide adequate care.
- Slip and fall accidents. Slip, trip, and fall accidents commonly happen due to hazardous conditions on someone else’s property, such as wet floors, uneven surfaces, debris, poor lighting, or improperly maintained walkways and stairways.
The Fight for Fair Compensation After an Injury Accident
There are two kinds of damages you can ask for in a personal injury claim: economic damages and non-economic damages.
- Economic damages include medical bills, lost wages, rehabilitation costs, property damage, etc. These damages can be calculated and verified using receipts, bills, pay stubs, and other documents.
- Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, etc. It can be a challenge to establish the extent of these damages because they are more subjective.
Rivas Law Group can help determine the full extent of your economic and non-economic damages. Our goal is to provide you and your family with the resources to restore your life to as near to normal as it was before the accident. We fight to get our clients the fair and total compensation they need to get on with their lives.
How Long Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Florida?
It’s in your best interests to take immediate action to protect your rights to compensation after your accident. Florida has statute of limitations laws that state you must file a personal claim within two years of the date of your accident or the date that you became aware of your accident injuries. If you wait longer, the courts will likely refuse to hear your case.
There are other important reasons to file your claim promptly. The sooner Tania and her team get to work on your case, the easier it is to gather the evidence (such as eyewitness testimony) you’ll need to support your case. It will also ensure you receive your settlement sooner.
Key Steps to Take Immediately Following an Accident
The steps you take immediately following an accident can have a big impact on the outcome of a personal injury claim. If you were involved in a car accident, here are a few things you should do — and a few you shouldn’t do:
- Make sure everyone is all right and call 911 if needed.
- Contact the police and exchange contact information with the other driver(s) involved in the accident.
- Try to collect evidence (photos, eyewitness testimony) from the scene of the accident. The more evidence you gather, the easier it will be to establish your claim.
- Don’t make any statements about the accident. What you say could be used against you later on.
- Don’t accept blame, apologize or otherwise acknowledge responsibility for the accident.
- Don’t say you’re feeling “okay” after an accident. The symptoms of some injuries may not manifest themselves until hours or days after the accident event.
- Seek immediate medical attention, even if you don’t think you’ve been hurt.
- Call Rivas Law Group as soon as possible after your accident. We can advise you on your rights and help you avoid the mistakes that could jeopardize your claim.
Insurance Company Tactics and Your Defense
Never agree to a settlement with an insurance company until after you’ve spoken to a lawyer. Insurance companies are businesses with the primary goal of making a profit. They protect those profits by paying out as little as they can for claims, even legitimate ones. Their initial offers are often very low and designed to take advantage of the fact that accident victims are often in dire financial situations due to medical bills and lost income. Even if these settlement offers compensate you for your immediate expenses, they rarely cover the long-term costs that can result from your accident injuries.
It’s also important to watch what you say and do after an accident. Insurance companies are known to sometimes put accident victims under surveillance and check their social media accounts to find evidence that can cast doubts on your claim.
Refrain from discussing your case with anyone but your lawyer. Personal and online comments can be taken out of context and be used against you. Posting photos or videos online that appear to downplay the severity of your injuries can be especially damaging.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tampa Personal Injury Claims
How long does it take to settle a personal injury claim?
In Florida, it can take a few months or longer to settle a personal injury claim. It could take considerably longer if litigants are unable to settle and the case goes to court.
How much does it cost to hire a Tampa Bay personal injury lawyer?
This may surprise you, but there typically aren’t any upfront costs to hire an accident attorney. At Rivas Law Group, we accept cases on a contingency basis. This means we only collect our fee after we’ve won your case as a predetermined percentage of your settlement. If we don’t win, you don’t pay.
How do I choose a personal injury lawyer?
Choosing the right attorney to represent you could be the most important decision you’ll ever make. Do your research, focusing on experience, track record, and client testimonials. An initial consultation will help you determine if the lawyer is someone you trust and feel comfortable working with.
Speak to an Experienced Tampa Bay Personal Injury Lawyer Today
If you’ve been injured in an accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, Tania Rivas is here to help. Rivas Law Group has been serving the residents of Tampa Bay and Central Florida for over 20 years. We’ve obtained hundreds of millions in settlements for our clients.
Don’t put off seeking legal representation after an accident! Take the first steps towards obtaining justice and fair compensation for your accident-related injuries. Contact Rivas Law Group today at (877) 299-5539 or contact us online to schedule your consultation with Tampa Bay personal injury attorney Tania Rivas.
