---
title: "Tampa Car Accident Lawyer | Hancock Injury Attorneys"
description: "Hurt in a Tampa Bay car crash? A former insurance defense attorney can handle PIP, the adjusters, and your injury claim. Free consultation: (813) 915-1110."
url: "https://novacock.carlosarias.com/practice-areas/car-accidents"
---

Practice Areas

# Car Accidents

What to do after a Florida car crash, how PIP and the no-fault rules work, and how a former insurance defense attorney protects your claim.

  [Call (813) 915-1110](tel:+18139151110) [Free Case Consultation](/contact/)

## Tampa Car Accident Lawyers Who Know How Insurers Think

After a crash, the at-fault driver's insurance company starts building its case almost immediately, often with a friendly phone call and a request for a recorded statement. Mike Hancock spent the start of his career defending insurers like Allstate, State Farm, and Geico. Today he uses that inside knowledge for injured drivers and passengers across Tampa Bay.

## Florida's No-Fault System, in Plain English

Florida is a no-fault state, which surprises many people who were hit by someone else. Florida drivers must carry $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP), and your own PIP pays first no matter who caused the crash (section 627.736, Florida Statutes). PIP generally covers 80% of reasonable medical expenses and 60% of lost income, up to the policy limit.

Two PIP rules catch people off guard:

- The 14-day rule. You must get initial medical treatment within 14 days of the crash to use your PIP benefits. Waiting to see whether the pain goes away can cost you coverage.
- The $2,500 limit. PIP medical benefits can be limited to $2,500 unless a qualified provider determines that you had an emergency medical condition.

PIP is only the first layer. It does not pay for pain and suffering, and $10,000 can disappear quickly after an ER visit and imaging.

## When You Can Step Outside No-Fault

To recover pain-and-suffering damages from the at-fault driver, Florida's no-fault law requires a threshold injury, such as a permanent injury, significant scarring or disfigurement, or significant loss of an important bodily function (section 627.737). Whether your injury meets that threshold is often the central fight with the insurer, and it is proven through medical records and physician testimony. That is one reason consistent treatment and honest reporting of your symptoms matter so much.

## Uninsured and Underinsured Drivers

Florida's minimum insurance requirements do not include bodily injury liability coverage for most drivers, so many at-fault drivers carry little or none. Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage is optional (section 627.727), but when you have it, it can be the most important policy in your case, including after a hit-and-run. We review every available policy, from your own to any commercial or rideshare coverage.

## Crashes We See on Tampa Bay Roads

The same patterns repeat on I-275, I-4, Dale Mabry Highway, Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, and Fletcher Avenue:

- Rear-end collisions at red lights and in stop-and-go interstate traffic. The trailing driver is usually at fault, although insurers may still blame a sudden stop.
- Left-turn crashes, when a driver turns across oncoming traffic without yielding.
- T-bone (side-impact) collisions at intersections, when someone runs a light or stop sign and strikes the side of a car where occupants have the least protection.
- Distracted, drunk, and aggressive driving crashes, including head-on collisions and multi-car pileups.
- Rideshare crashes involving Uber and Lyft. Available coverage can depend on whether the driver was offline, logged in and waiting for a request, or on an accepted trip, so these claims need careful insurance analysis.
- Hit-and-run crashes, where your own UM coverage often becomes the main source of recovery.

## Be Careful With Recorded Statements

Soon after the crash, an adjuster for the other driver's insurer may call, sound sympathetic, and ask to record your account "to speed things up." You are generally not required to give the other driver's insurer a recorded statement, and you should not give one before talking to a lawyer. Adjusters are trained to ask questions that get you to minimize your injuries or accept some blame.

That blame matters. Under section 768.81, your recovery is reduced by your share of fault, and if you are found more than 50% at fault you generally cannot recover. Report the crash to your own insurer promptly and stick to the basic facts, and let us handle the rest.

## What to Do After a Car Accident

1. Call 911 and get checked out. A crash involving injury, death, or apparent property damage of $500 or more must be reported to law enforcement (section 316.065).
2. Get medical care within 14 days, ideally the same day, and follow through with treatment.
3. Photograph the vehicles, the scene, traffic signals, and your injuries, and collect witness names and numbers.
4. Notify your own insurer, but decline recorded statements to the other driver's insurer.
5. Keep every bill, receipt, and record of missed work.
6. Call us before you accept an offer or sign a release.

For a printable checklist, see what to do after an accident.

## What Your Claim Can Include

Beyond PIP, a car accident claim may seek past and future medical expenses, lost wages and earning capacity, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and repair or replacement of your vehicle. For most crashes on or after March 24, 2023, Florida generally allows two years to file a lawsuit, though exceptions exist and some deadlines are shorter.

Two examples from our case results:

- $500,000: Car Accident in Tampa, FL. A driver turned left into our client at US 41 and Lutz Lake Fern Road, causing neck disc herniations that required disc replacement surgery. The insurer's initial offer was $17,000.
- $850,000: Car Accident in Sebring, FL. A rear-end crash on US 27 fractured our client's femur, requiring surgery with rods and screws. The insurer had offered $250,000, as described in our client stories.

Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

## Talk to a Tampa Car Accident Lawyer

You do not have to sort out PIP forms, adjuster calls, and repair estimates on your own. We handle the insurance companies, the paperwork, and the medical billing questions so you can focus on getting better. There is no fee unless we recover money for you.

Call (813) 915-1110 any time, day or night, or send us a message for a free consultation by phone, video, or at your home.

### Got a Call From the Other Driver's Insurer?

Before you give a recorded statement or accept an offer, talk to a lawyer who used to work on the insurance side. Call (813) 915-1110 for a free consultation, 24/7.

  [Free Case Consultation](/contact/) [(813) 915-1110](tel:+18139151110)

## Serving Car Accident Victims Across Tampa Bay

We help drivers and passengers hurt on roads from I-275 and Dale Mabry Highway to SR 54 and US-19, with offices in Tampa, Wesley Chapel, and Spring Hill.

- Tampa
- Carrollwood
- Northdale
- Lutz
- Town ’n’ Country
- Brandon
- Temple Terrace
- New Tampa
- Wesley Chapel
- Land O’ Lakes
- Zephyrhills
- Odessa
- Spring Hill
- Brooksville
- Hudson
- New Port Richey
- Hillsborough County
- Pasco County
- Hernando County

## Frequently Asked Questions

  Why do I have to use my own insurance if the crash wasn't my fault?

Florida's no-fault law makes your own PIP coverage the first source of payment for medical bills and lost income, regardless of fault. PIP generally pays 80% of reasonable medical expenses and 60% of lost income up to $10,000, and you must get initial treatment within 14 days to use it. Claims against the at-fault driver come next, including pain and suffering if your injury meets Florida's threshold.

  What if the at-fault driver has no insurance?

Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may pay what the at-fault driver cannot. UM coverage is optional in Florida, so check your declarations page or send it to us and we will review it. We also look for other sources of coverage, such as an employer's policy if the driver was on the job.

  I was hurt in an Uber or Lyft. Who pays?

It depends on what the rideshare driver was doing at the time. Florida law requires different levels of coverage when a driver is logged in and waiting for a request than when a ride has been accepted or a passenger is on board. The order in which policies pay can get complicated, so we sort that out for you.

  Do I need a lawyer for a minor accident?

Not always. If you were not hurt, or your injuries healed quickly and PIP covered your care, you may not need one. But some injuries, such as disc herniations and concussions, appear or worsen days later, so a free consultation is a good way to learn where you stand before you sign anything.

  How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Florida?

For most crashes on or after March 24, 2023, Florida generally allows two years to file a negligence lawsuit. Exceptions exist and some deadlines are shorter, for example when a government vehicle is involved and pre-suit notice is required. Evidence fades quickly too, so it pays to call soon after the crash.

## Related practice areas

  [### Truck Accidents Why commercial truck crashes are different: federal safety rules, evidence that must be preserved fast, and the many companies that may share responsibility. Learn more](/practice-areas/truck-accidents/)[### Motorcycle Accidents How Florida motorcycle claims work: left-turn crashes, bias against riders, the helmet law, the insurance gaps riders face, and how we build a strong case. Learn more](/practice-areas/motorcycle-accidents/)[### Insurance Disputes When your own insurance company delays, denies or underpays an injury-related claim, we push back with an inside view of how insurers work. Learn more](/practice-areas/insurance-disputes/)

## Practice Areas

- Personal Injury
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Slip & Fall / Premises Liability
- Catastrophic Injuries
- Wrongful Death
- Boat Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Golf Cart Accidents
- Insurance Disputes

Speak with our team

### Let’s talk about your next step.

- (813) 915-1110 · answered 24/7
- 1317 W Fletcher AvenueTampa, FL 33612
- 2224 Ashley Oaks Circle, Suite 102-EWesley Chapel, FL 33544
- 10485 Heley StreetSpring Hill, FL 34608
- No recovery, no fee

 [Free Case Consultation](/contact/)  [**Mike Hancock**Founding Attorney · Since 1996*Former insurance defense attorney*](/about/attorneys/mike-hancock/)

Here when you need us

## Let’s talk about what happened.

One conversation. Clear answers. A team that takes your case personally.

    [Call Hancock Today**(813) 915-1110**](tel:+18139151110)

Free consultation No recovery, no fee