Car accident lawyer in Tampa and Tampa Bay

A Tampa Bay crash: what to do first

Whether the collision happened on a downtown street, a suburban arterial or an interstate ramp, your next moves are the same. Call 911 for injuries, report the crash (Florida law requires police notice when there is an injury, a death, or apparent property damage of $2,000 or more), photograph the scene, and get examined by a doctor within 14 days if you want your own PIP insurance to cover medical care at 80%.

Our Tampa office, at 1600 E 8th Ave, Suite A200, Tampa, FL 33605, meets clients by appointment in English or Spanish. The consultation is free and confidential. For how the rules apply across Florida, see our statewide car accident page.

Short answer: in Tampa Bay, as everywhere in Florida, your own PIP policy pays first and a claim against the at-fault driver opens only for injuries that meet the state threshold. Evidence from the first day is what makes that claim possible.

What the crash records say about Tampa Bay

The federal Fatality Analysis Reporting System lists 3,582 fatal crashes in the seven counties around Tampa from 2019–2023. About 55% of them took place after dark, and 9% involved a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher. These are only the crashes where someone died, but they show where the most dangerous conditions are.

In the table, the "In the dark" column is the count of fatal crashes in that county that happened in dark conditions. If your own crash happened at night, lighting, signals and visibility will probably be part of how the other side tells the story, and part of how we answer it.

Roads named most often

In Hillsborough County, FARS names US 41, I-75, SR 60, US 301 and I-4 most often. Pinellas County's list leads with US 19, SR 688 and SR 60, and Pasco County's with US 19, SR 54 and SR 52. Many of these are multi-lane arterials with frequent turning traffic, which is where left-turn and intersection collisions tend to happen.

If your crash was on a road like that, the following questions are worth answering early: Where exactly did it happen? Was there a signal or a stop sign? Which businesses on the corner have cameras? Cameras often overwrite footage within days, so we send preservation requests quickly when a case calls for it.

Hospitals and your medical record

The first hospital visit is the start of your claim file. The Florida Department of Health's list (updated July 23, 2026) shows these trauma centers in the counties we cover:

Ask for copies of ER records, imaging reports and discharge instructions, and follow the treatment plan you are given. Insurers read gaps in treatment as evidence that someone was not really hurt.

PIP: the first layer of coverage

Florida's no-fault law means your own insurer's PIP coverage handles the first $10,000 of medical and disability benefits, regardless of fault, if you start treatment within 14 days. The full amount is available for medical care only if a qualifying provider finds an emergency medical condition; otherwise medical benefits are capped at $2,500. See our PIP guide for the details.

Claims against the at-fault driver for pain and suffering are available only if your injury meets one of the statutory categories, such as a permanent injury or significant and permanent scarring. Many people here are hurt in ways that heal; many are not, and we help you understand which path you are on.

Courts

A lawsuit over a Tampa-area crash is filed in the circuit court for the county where it happened. Hillsborough County is in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Pinellas and Pasco counties are in the Sixth Judicial Circuit, and Polk County is in the Tenth Judicial Circuit. Claims up to $50,000 can be heard by a county court, and larger claims go to circuit court.

If the other driver has little or no insurance

Florida's required coverages center on PIP and property damage liability, so many drivers carry nothing for your injuries. Your own optional uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can matter a great deal; check your declarations page now. If the driver was on the job or in a company vehicle, another policy may apply.

Communities nearest our Tampa office

These are the larger communities for which Tampa is the nearest of our three offices, with the straight-line distance to our office.

You do not need to live near an office to call us. Matters outside the three office areas can often be evaluated too, depending on the case type and where the venue would be.

A short checklist for the next 48 hours

1. Write down what happened while you remember it, including the time, the road and the weather.
2. Photograph your injuries as they change, not only on the day of the crash.
3. Keep every bill, EOB and letter from an insurer in one folder.
4. Wait for advice before speaking on the record with the other insurer.
5. Do not post about the crash or your activities online.
6. Call us or another lawyer if the injuries are more than minor, the fault is disputed, or the insurer pressures you.

Visit or call

For related Tampa pages, see personal injury in Tampa, motorcycle accidents in Tampa and truck accidents in Tampa.

General information, not legal advice. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship, and every case depends on its own facts. For qualifying personal injury matters the firm works on a contingency-fee basis, so attorney fees are not collected unless there is a recovery. Last updated: 2026-10-16.

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