After a car accident in Tampa, Florida, you could face unexpected injuries, medical bills, and missed time at work. Even a minor car crash can lead to significant losses and long-term effects for accident victims. Importantly, if someone else’s negligence caused your accident, you could pursue a personal injury claim for damages. Through a personal injury claim, your car accident attorney can seek financial compensation for medical costs, lost wages, vehicle damage, pain and suffering, and more.
What Is a Minor Car Accident?
Minor car accidents are collisions between vehicles that have a relatively low impact and do not cause life-threatening injuries. Drivers and passengers can normally walk away from a minor car crash without major injuries.
Minor vehicle accidents often include:
- Fender benders: Bumper-to-bumper collisions happen when at least one driver is not paying enough attention to their surroundings.
- Parking lot accidents: Parking lots involve many vehicles in the same place at once. This can lead to scrapes, dings, and dents when drivers are not careful.
- Side-swipe accidents: When vehicles swerve or veer outside their normal path, they can contact other vehicles' sides. While this can cause significant damage to the vehicle and various degrees of injury, side-swipe accidents are usually not especially dangerous.
- Rear-end collisions: Rear-end crashes are often caused by a distracted driver or other situations in which a driver loses focus on the road ahead of them.
Injuries from a minor car crash can include:
- Soft tissue injuries
- Whiplash
- Concussions
- Lacerations and bruises
- Emotional distress
As opposed to serious car accidents with catastrophic or even fatal injuries, minor car crashes involve treatable injuries and damages that are not permanent.
Am I Required to Report a Minor Accident in Florida?
A car accident might not seem serious, but you could still be legally required to report it.
Under Florida law, drivers must report an accident under the following circumstances:
- At least one injury or death
- $500 or more in apparent property damage
- Hit and run accident
- Involvement of a commercial vehicle
- A suspected DUI
If any of these issues might have been factors in the crash, you are required to notify law enforcement even if you can safely drive your vehicle from the accident scene.
A Car Accident Lawyer Can Help After a Minor Car Crash
A car accident lawyer in Tampa, FL, can help injured accident victims navigate the insurance claim process and potential personal injury lawsuits.
An experienced Florida car accident lawyer can:
- Investigate the accident: A lawyer will gather all the evidence and hire experts to analyze the crash.
- Evaluate damages: You could be entitled to damages for your medical bills, lost income, damage to your car, out-of-pocket expenses, and other costs.
- Negotiate a settlement: Insurance companies aren’t always known for playing fairly with car accident claimants. An experienced car accident lawyer can level the playing field and make sure you get what you deserve through an insurance claim.
- Take your case to court: Sometimes, a case does not settle fairly through the insurance process. If this happens, a lawyer can file a personal injury lawsuit to fight for justice in your car accident claim.
You may not be entitled to much in financial compensation after a minor car crash. A trustworthy Florida car accident lawyer will know what your claim is truly worth and fight for what you deserve.
Contact a Tampa Personal Injury Attorney from Apex Law Firm for Help Today
For more information, please contact Apex Law Firm to schedule a free consultation with our lawyers in Tampa today. We conveniently serve Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, New Port Richey, and Lakeland.
We proudly serve Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Pasco County, Polk County, and its surrounding areas in Florida:
Apex Law Firm - Tampa Office
412 E Madison St Suite 1206, Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 444-5212
Chris Castillo
Chris Castillo is an experienced Plaintiff’s attorney who has recovered millions of dollars in compensation on behalf of his clients from insurance companies.
He previously served with the Office of the State Attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit here in Tampa for the better part of a decade where he handled cases a serious as murder and vehicular homicides.