Clearwater Personal Injury Lawyers

Why Choose Our Personal Injury Attorneys in Clearwater, FL

After an accident that leaves you injured, you may feel frustrated that you are drowning in medical bills and are unable to go back to work because someone else was careless. We understand and we’re here to guide you through your case.

We are Clearwater personal injury attorneys you can trust.

You may be asking yourself, “How do I know if I’ve selected the absolute best Clearwater Personal Injury Attorneys?” Selecting a personal injury lawyer is a personal choice that we know can be difficult. You can start by looking at prospective personal injury attorneys in your community. You should look at the person’s web page, check out their experience, and their history of success. Someone who comes right out of law school may or may not appreciate all the nuances that are involved in a car accident case.

We know that you have many options when choosing the best Clearwater personal injury attorney for your case. That’s why we want the opportunity to show you what we can do for you and why so many injured accident victims in Clearwater, Florida choose our law firm from the start. We take special pride in how much we care about our clients. We want to help them in the best way possible. We aggressively approach the case, not just in terms of collecting evidence, but also in terms of our discussions with the adjusters and our presentation of the case at trial.

Our track record of success speaks for itself. Here are some of our most notable personal injury cases:

• $10 million for a family whose baby suffered a brain injury due to medical malpractice
• $2.6 million for a 24-year old who suffered a spinal injury due to medical malpractice
• $2.15 million for a family whose child was killed by a drunk driver
• $1.232 million for an car accident victim who suffered a spinal cord injury after a drunk driving accident

While past success never guarantees future results, you can rest easier knowing you have a team of experienced Clearwater personal injury lawyers on your side from the very start.

With an office located conveniently on US Highway 19 by the Cypress Point Shopping Center, we can be there whenever you need us most. Our accident attorneys can come to the accident scene, to your office, your hospital room, or even your home if that makes it easier for you. Call us today at (727) 669-2828 or fill out our confidential CONTACT form for a FREE case evaluation.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Represent

At Perenich Law Injury Attorneys, our Personal Injury Attorneys Clearwater, FL handled a wide variety of personal injury cases and have deep and extensive expertise in each category. If you are suffering injuries from any of the following incidents or accidents, you may be eligible for compensation and we encourage you to set up a free consultation with us as soon as possible.
We handle:

• Car accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Truck accidents
• Bus accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Bike accidents
• Slip and falls
• Dog bites
• Construction accidents
• Wrongful death
• Nursing home negligence
• Boating accidents
• Product liability
• Medical malpractice

Car Accidents

Car accidents in Clearwater can leave you with serious injuries that make it difficult to return to your normal life and that can be really frustrating. If you are feeling worried about your physical wellbeing and your financial stability, you probably want to pursue a car accident claim. We want to guide you through that legal process to a successful outcome.

Here in the Clearwater area, and especially along dangerous roads like U.S. Hwy. 19, Interstate 4, and Dale Mabry, the most common reasons for catastrophic car accidents often include driver inattention due to cell phones and blatant disregard of traffic laws.  In the worst cases, drivers are inebriated by alcohol or drugs and have recklessly decided to put innocent motorists at risk by getting behind the wheel of their vehicle.

While unsafe road conditions such as dense fog, heavy rains or brush fires are often contributing factors to auto accidents, of all the reasons the most common factor is simply driver negligence. Our Clearwater injury lawyers at Perenich Law Injury Attorneys have devoted their professional careers to representing the innocent victims of Clearwater car accidents.

Our auto accident attorneys are dedicated to restoring your life and the hope of a bright future.  As practicing car accident lawyers in Clearwater, FL, we are acutely skilled and experienced in all types of collision cases, even those involving whiplash, paralysis, permanent disability and death.

Each of these motor vehicle accidents carry with it their own unique set of injuries. They range from minor injuries such as bruises or cuts, all the way to the worst injuries including paralysis, traumatic brain injury, and in the worst of the worst cases, death. What you should be aware of in cases where there is a surviving victim, your compensation will go up in relation to how severe your injuries are. You will be compensated in a way that covers your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages.

Bicycle Accidents

If you have been involved in a bike accident here in the Clearwater area, you may be feeling frightened about what the future holds for you. There may be medical bills you are having a hard time paying because of missed time at work. There may be no way for you to get around if your bike is ruined and your body is too injured to perform that kind of physical activity.

The consequences of this accident may be with you forever, and we want to say how sorry we are that you have to deal with it. At Perenich Law Injury Attorneys, our Personal Injury Attorneys in Clearwater want to help you get compensation for your injuries in the fullest amount to help you go back to your normal life, or as close to it as you can get. After learning more about your claim, we would be more than happy to sit down with you to discuss your case during a free consultation.

Bus Accidents

If you have been involved in a bus accident, it might have taken a huge toll on your mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. You may also be feeling financially burdened by these unexpected medical bills that you might be having trouble paying if you’re being forced to miss time at work. Our Clearwater injury attorneys are here to help you through this legal obstacle course to win you the compensation you need and deserve. 

A bus accident does not always mean the bus crashed and you got hurt. Sometimes you get hurt in an accident that is unrelated to a crash. You might have been hurt getting on or off the bus or you might have slipped at the bus stop. With a crash, you may be the driver of a vehicle that was involved in the accident with the bus, or a passenger on the bus during the accident. All of those circumstances would warrant a bus accident claim if you were injured.

A frequently asked question is whether or not a school can be held responsible if a child is injured on a school bus. The answer is yes. Florida law does allow for people to sue the school or the school district if the driver has been negligent or the school did something that they were not supposed to do that resulted in injury to a child on a school bus.There are limitations because you’re suing a subdivision of the state of Florida.

Construction Accidents

People with jobs that require sitting at a desk for eight hours don’t understand the danger that is involved at a construction job. If you’re here, you know that construction is a high-risk job and when things don’t go right, they can cause catastrophic injury and sometimes result in death.

We want to let you know that, at Perenich Law Injury Attorneys, we will take your case as far as it needs to go to get you the compensation you deserve. While you may be feeling extremely nervous about what the future has to offer, we want you to know that you will be in good hands when you are with us.

As mentioned, it’s dangerous work to be on a construction site. There are so many moving parts, raw materials, heavy operated machinery, and a constantly changing environment. When a job that is so physical is given obstacles like this, accidents can happen and it truly can be the worst of the worst injuries.

Some of the accidents include:

• Falling from heights
• Heavy objects falling on a worker
• Electrical accidents
• Slip and Falls
• Auto accidents

Medical Malpractice

If you have been a victim of medical malpractice, we just want to say how very sorry we are that you have to deal with the pain, the financial burden, and the loss of your normal daily life due to this tragic accident. You deserve to be compensated in full by the negligent medical care professional who perhaps ruined your body, your mental health, and maybe even your life.

Our personal injury attorneys are here to guide you through this particularly difficult time. Here is what you need to know about medical malpractice before you call us to set up a free case evaluation.

All forms of medical malpractice can be truly devastating and cause you some serious trauma. To be sure about whether or not you have a medical malpractice claim, you first have to figure out what exactly happened to you and what category your accident/incident falls under. There are several categories of medical malpractice that include:

• Delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis – You may have a claim if your doctor either did not assess you properly to get your condition treated or they diagnosed you with the wrong condition, causing you harm with unneeded treatment (as well as a lack of treatment for what was really ailing you).
• Failure to treat – This sounds like an act malicious intent, but sometimes your doctor just does not tell you about a treatment that you should have been getting which leads to a worsened condition, not necessarily to hurt you but because they either did not know or they forgot.
• Surgical errors – These injuries can be severe and life-changing. You might have gotten the wrong procedure done, had damage to your body during surgery, gotten the wrong dose of anesthesia, etc.
• Medical product liability – This mostly pertains to the equipment used on you during a medical procedure that caused you injury, and this negligent party is not necessarily your doctor, but maybe is the company that owns the product.
• Birth injury – These tragic incidents happen when prenatal care was not up to par for the mother or the baby either before, during, or after birth.

All of these injuries are totally preventable and can cause a lot of grief for you and your family. When you meet with an attorney, you should explain every detail about your case so that you and your attorney can talk about how to proceed.

Common Injuries In Clearwater Personal Injury Cases

At Perenich Law Injury Attorneys, our injury lawyers know firsthand how an accident can derail your entire life. We’ve seen motor vehicle crashes in Clearwater that have left accident victims with disabling injuries. We have seen fall accidents in Walmart that have left victims unable to work and provide for their families. Our legal team has helped injured accident victims just like you. We’ve assisted Clearwater accident victims who suffered from a variety of injuries, including:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Fractures and broken bones
• Soft tissue injuries
• Neck and back injuries
• Whiplash
• Burns
• Disfigurement and amputation
• Catastrophic injuries

Steps To Take After an Personal Injury Accident in Clearwater

Call the Police

If you are injured in a car accident, you will want to contact the police. The police will arrive at the scene of a motor vehicle crash and begin investigating the accident. They will then file a police report. This report is invaluable to your case. It is often difficult to prove liability without a police report. If you do not have a report or if you believe the police report is inaccurate, you can still prove liability. Your attorney will need to conduct a thorough investigation to establish all liable parties.

Seek Medical Attention

The very first thing you should do after an accident, and probably will want to do, is seek medical attention. There are some instances where people get in an accident of some sort and try to shake it off and get on with their day. They walk away from the scene of the accident and ignore the pain they’re in. That is a huge mistake. Not only are you risking your wellbeing, you are risking losing any compensation. An essential part of determining how much your case is worth revolves around the state of your wellbeing. A doctor needs to document your condition and your treatment plan. If you go to the insurance without ever having seen a doctor, they could throw away your case. They’ll say you couldn’t possible be all that injured if you’ve avoided seeking medical treatment.

Gather Evidence

After an accident, there is evidence that you need to document. If it’s an auto accident, there might be tire marks on the road. If it’s a slip and fall, there might be a liquid that you slipped on. If it’s a dog bite, there may be a broken gate the animal escaped from. Every accident has a cause and you need to do your due diligence to document it. Whether you do it yourself, having a police officer on the scene do it, or call upon a friend or even a Clearwater personal injury attorney to do it for you, it is an essential step. The only reason you would not be able to do it yourself is if you are too injured to take photos and videos of the scene. Either that or you were taken in an ambulance. In those instances, you will have to rely on help from others.

Contact a Clearwater Personal Injury Attorney

Do not delay in contacting a Clearwater personal injury attorney. A successful case is both well-planned and prepared timely. When you are told not to delay, that doesn’t necessarily mean to rush through the process. What you need to know is that in Florida, after most accidents you have a statute of limitations of four years from the date of the accident to bring your claim or file a personal injury lawsuit.

Now, if you were to procrastinate and talk to a Clearwater personal injury attorneys three and a half years after your accident, your case will not be as strong or as valid as it would be if you called that same injury law firm a few days after your accident. Just because you have the time doesn’t mean you should take it.

Your witnesses will forget what happened to you after a few years. Your evidence could complete disappear after a few weeks. If you were injured on a construction site, even waiting a few days could be detrimental to your case if it’s an active site that changes daily.

Also be aware that if you’re involved in an accident with a government entity such as a government bus, or slipping on government property, your statute of limitations may be shorter. To be sure, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible to get them on your case with plenty of time to make it a success.

The Personal Injury Claim Process

In the personal injury claims process, your attorney submits a demand on your behalf with the insurance provider for the at-fault party.  The demand letter includes details of the accident, documentation of your injury, and a request for payment of the claim’s value.

The insurance provider can either choose to accept the claim and pay the demand, deny the claim and notify the claimant of the reason for the denial, or offer to settle the claim for less than the demand.

If the insurance provider fails to pay the claim or offer fair compensation for your injuries and related expenses, your attorney can file a personal injury lawsuit. Typically, you must file this claim within four years of the accident. After filing the lawsuit, the settlement negotiation process is not necessarily over. Settlement can happen any time before the court renders a decision, even after the trial begins.

Proving Liability

A cornerstone of a successful personal injury claim is proving that someone else caused the accident and is liable for compensating you for your expenses.

To prove liability, you must show the following elements to your claim:

• The at-fault party had a duty of care under the circumstances to take reasonable actions to avoid causing injury or property damage to someone else.
• The at-fault party breached their duty of care by acting recklessly or failing to act in a manner that would avoid causing harm.
• An accident occurred from this breach in care, causing you to sustain injuries and related expenses.

Your Clearwater Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You Handle Insurance Companies

There is one big misconception that you should be aware of. If, for instance, you are pursuing a slip and fall claim or a dog bite claim at a friend or acquaintance’s house, you might be worried about having to bring a lawsuit against them. That is a huge misconception with these cases.

You’re not actually suing your friend, you’re pursuing an award from their insurance company. This money is not coming out of your friend’s pocket. Their insurance company is providing them coverage, and they bought coverage for these exact reasons. There’s nothing to feel guilty about if you have a reason to bring a claim.

The people you need to be concerned with are the insurance adjusters. The person they designate to take your case is more than likely going to talk to you after the accident and ask for a recorded statement. The worst thing you can do is comply. This is not like a job interview where you’re trying to sell yourself.

The questions the insurance adjuster asks you is going to very much be designed to get answers from you that will paint you in an unfavorable light. They want to get you to back yourself in a corner and take the blame for the accident. They are not looking to help you out, they’re looking to deny or reduce your claim. The best thing you can do is refer them to your Clearwater personal injury lawyer.

Frequently Asked Personal Injury Law Questions