St. Petersburg Personal Injury Lawyer

The emotional weight of trying to heal while fighting for fair compensation can feel crushing, especially when insurance companies seem more interested in protecting their financial interests than paying you fairly. You don’t have to fight for the compensation you deserve. We will do that for you.

Holliday Karatinos Law Firm has recovered nine figures in settlements and recoveries for our clients. Whether you were in a traffic accident, fell, or suffered an injury, illness, or wrongful death in other circumstances, you want us on your side.

Call us today at (813) 868-1887 for a free consultation about the benefits of hiring a St. Petersburg personal injury lawyer from our team.

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Who in St. Petersburg Should Give Holliday Karatinos Law Firm a Call?

Not every accident automatically warrants legal action, but many circumstances do. We will help determine if your circumstances warrant legal action or an insurance claim. If you already know that you will file an insurance claim (or you’ve filed one already), we can help.

You should call Holliday Karatinos Law Firm about hiring a St. Petersburg personal injury lawyer if you believe another person or organization is responsible for your:

• Injuries
• Psychological or emotional hardship
• Illness
• Loved one’s wrongful death

The severity of your trauma matters, but even injuries that seem minor initially can develop into severe, long-term conditions. You have the right to seek compensation when someone else’s careless actions have disrupted your life and well-being, and we can help.

Our Dynamic Attorneys Handle Many Case Types in St. Petersburg

The types of personal injury cases we handle encompass the full spectrum of accidents and injuries that occur throughout St. Petersburg and the surrounding areas:

• Motor Vehicle Accidents: We handle car crashes, truck accidents, motorcycle collisions, rideshare accidents, drunk driving accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian collisions, and bicycle crashes, from Personal Injury Protection claims to third-party fault cases.
• Premises Liability: We represent victims of slip and fall accidents, inadequate security, and other dangerous property conditions.
• Dog Bites: We handle animal attacks and cases involving owner liability.
• Product Liability: We handle claims for defective products, dangerous drugs, and faulty medical devices.
• Wrongful Death: We represent families in fatal accidents caused by negligence or intentional acts.

We also handle sexual abuse cases and certain other case types. If you do not see your case type listed, call our team. There is no cost in speaking with us, and if you need a personal injury attorney in St. Petersburg, you need not go elsewhere.

Know Your Rights Under Florida's Current Personal Injury Laws

Recent changes to Florida law significantly affect your ability to file a claim.

• Two-Year Statute of Limitations for Negligence: For most personal injury incidents occurring after March 24, 2023, you now have two years to file a lawsuit. The previous four-year deadline no longer applies to these new cases. If you miss this two-year deadline, the court will permanently bar your claim.
• Modified Comparative Fault Rules: Florida now follows a modified comparative fault system. If you are found to be more than 50% responsible for the incident that caused your injuries, you cannot recover any compensation from other at-fault parties. We can evaluate how this law affects your specific circumstances.
• Personal Injury Protection (PIP) for Auto Accidents: If a motor vehicle accident caused your injury, your own PIP insurance provides the first layer of coverage. It covers 80% of initial medical bills and 60% of lost wages up to $10,000. We help you navigate the PIP claims process before pursuing compensation from the at-fault driver's insurance.

The Value Our Firm Brings to Your Personal Injury Case in St. Pete

We are big on earning it, whether it’s a life-changing settlement or our clients’ trust. You don’t have to “just trust us” when we claim to be the right firm for your personal injury case in St. Petersburg. We have earned our client’s business because:

• We are industry leaders: We go beyond individual case representation by conducting seminars for other attorneys and teaching local law school students, demonstrating our commitment to staying current with evolving laws and best practices.
• Our experience is legitimate: Our attorneys bring more than 50 years of collective experience, providing both depth of knowledge and breadth of practical application to every case we handle.
• We are dedicated to the law but just as dedicated to our clients: We blend award-winning legal work with an unwavering commitment to our client’s satisfaction. When hiring a personal injury lawyer, you can get the best of both worlds, and you can get it at Holliday Karatinos Law Firm.
• Our record speaks volumes: We have secured over $125 million in cases from 2006 through 2023, including a $1.8 million premises liability verdict, a $1.3 million premises liability judgment, and many other substantial recoveries for our clients.
• We invest in the winning ingredients: Our extensive resources allow us to tackle complex cases head-on without a second thought. We invest in our clients by investing in our cases.

We stand tall for our clients, who are often down and out because of serious injuries, severe pain, financial burdens, and psychological and emotional trauma. Let the Holliday Karatinos Law Firm team be your rock.

We Offer Comprehensive, White-Glove Representation. Here’s How That Looks.

When you hire us, we take care of everything. We might need you to discuss settlement offers or tell us when an insurance company contacts you. When it comes to the real work of completing your case, though, we’ve got it.

Our process in personal injury cases generally involves:

• Documenting the cause of your injury, illness, or grief: We need to get your account of events, secure evidence of at-fault parties’ negligence, speak with witnesses, and get a clear understanding of why you’re entitled to compensation.
• Facilitating your medical care: We will work directly with your doctors to properly document all your injuries. We may need to bring in specialists or arrange independent medical exams to prove the extent of your injuries or illness. Our firm wants to ensure you’re receiving the care you need and that we document your condition and care in as much detail as possible.
• Negotiating with liable insurance companies: Insurance companies have financial motivations that don’t align with those of claimants. In fact, they may want to pay you as little as possible. We know their strategies, so we are never caught off guard during settlement negotiations. Our personal injury attorneys prepare for the worst and fight for the best deal our clients can get.
• Going to court when needed: If the insurance company doesn’t offer you a fair settlement, we’re ready to take your case to a jury. We’ve been in courtrooms many times across many years of service to our clients, and we know how to tell car accident victims’ stories in a way that resonates with the judge and jury.

You shouldn’t have to worry about the legal side of things while you’re trying to heal. That’s our job.

Proving Negligence in Your Case

Successfully proving negligence requires establishing four key elements that form the foundation of your personal injury claim:

• Duty of Care: We establish that the defendant owed you a legal obligation to act with reasonable care. The thing is, this duty looks different depending on your relationship with the defendant. For example, drivers owe other motorists a duty to drive safely, and property owners owe visitors a duty to maintain reasonably safe premises. 
• Breach of Duty: Here’s where we show the defendant failed to meet the required standard of care, engaging in negligent behavior in the process. This can be something they did wrong (like speeding or failing to clean up a spill) or something they should have done but didn’t (like ignoring a known hazard that needed fixing). 
• Causation: This is about connecting the dots between what the defendant did wrong and the injuries or illness you’ve suffered. We have to prove two things here: first, that the defendant’s actions actually caused your injuries (factual causation), and second, that your injuries were something that could reasonably be expected from their actions (legal causation). 
• Damages: Finally, we need to show that you suffered losses because of the defendant’s negligence. This means documenting everything: your medical bills, the income you lost, your pain and suffering, and any other losses you experienced. 

The bottom line: To succeed in your case, we need to prove all four of these elements, and that’s exactly what we intend to do.

What Damages Will My St. Petersburg Personal Injury Lawyer Seek Compensation For?

It’s a question virtually all our clients ask, so let’s address it.

The financial impact of a personal injury can be extensive. For instance, the average economic cost of a disabling car accident is $167,000—that’s just the average. Many personal injury cases have an even greater financial cost, and that cost may include:

• Healthcare costs
• Lost income, diminished earning capacity, lost bonus and promotion opportunities, and other professional damages
• Property damage, such as vehicle repair costs

Your specific case type will be key in determining your economic damages. There is also a non-economic cost in most cases we handle, and pain and suffering are the most common category of non-economic losses. Pain and suffering can include:

• Pain
• Discomfort
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Diminished quality of life
• Scarring
• Other types of disfigurement
• Loss of physical abilities
• Mood and personality changes

Your St. Petersburg personal injury attorney will be intently focused on your damages, which will be the bedrock of your case. These are the damages from which we will form our case valuation and settlement demands.

We Offer Our Services on Contingency So That You Can Hire Us Right Now—No Matter What

Financial limitations shouldn’t prevent you from hiring the personal injury lawyer you want to hire. We offer clients a contingency fee agreement that ensures nobody’s financial status dictates whether they can hire Holliday Karatinos Law Firm.

This contingency-based payment arrangement meshes our interests with yours. If we win for you, we will receive a percentage of the compensation we will recover. If we fall short, you owe us nothing. We take the risk because we love serving our clients and because we are in a financial position to take such a risk—while our clients, in most cases, are not in such a position.

In your case, we invest our time, resources, and experience because we are committed to achieving a positive outcome, even if we can take a loss. This risk is worth the expected reward of helping you get the money you deserve.

Your Personal Injury Case Will Come with Curveballs and Challenges. Let Us Handle Them So You Can Get Better.

Personal injury cases in St. Petersburg come with challenges. This is just a fact of life in the field of insurance claims and personal injury suits, and it’s a reality that our team is comfortable with. 

We ask that you allow us to handle the challenges your case will inevitably present, which may include:

Bad-Faith Insurance Company Tactics

Unfortunately, personal injury lawyers know insurance companies don’t always act in good faith. Instead, they often try to avoid financial liability through:

• Early, lowball settlement offers designed to minimize compensation before you understand the true cost of your damages
• Pressuring claimants to make recorded statements that might contain errors (claimants are often rattled right after the accident, for which they are seeking compensation)
• Alleging the claimant’s health conditions predate the accident in question
• Surveilling the claimant and making false claims about their health

These are just a few of the countless bad-faith approaches we have seen firsthand. When insurers act in bad faith, we take a stern, aggressive approach that lets them know we do not play games with our client’s claims.

Complex Legal Hurdles

Florida law is complex. However, you can’t understand just how complex the law is until you attempt to comprehend it yourself. Some of the more brain-twisting aspects of Florida law that we deal with are:

• Rules about how to deal with multiple insurance policies that apply to a single event
• Statute of limitations that generally set two-year deadlines to file lawsuits
• Discovery rules that determine when time limits begin
• Sovereign immunity issues in cases involving government entities

We know the law and will simplify and utilize Florida statutes for you.

Personal injury cases also require immense time, effort, concentration, and teamwork. We are eager to take on these complex challenges so you can remain focused on your health.

One more word on the statute of limitations for Florida personal injury cases, which creates a strict deadline for filing lawsuits. Missing this deadline can permanently disqualify your claim. Contact us as soon as possible so your case remains viable.

Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Injury Claims in St. Petersburg

What is the first thing I should do after a car accident in Florida?

First, seek medical attention for any injuries. Then, report the accident to the police. Under Florida's no-fault law, you must then notify your own auto insurance company to open a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) claim.

Your PIP coverage is your primary source for initial medical and wage loss benefits, and you must seek initial medical treatment within 14 days of the accident to be eligible for these benefits.

How much does it cost to hire your firm to start my case?

It costs you nothing upfront to hire our firm. We represent personal injury clients on a contingency fee basis. This means our attorney's fee is a percentage of the financial compensation we recover for you. If we do not win your case, you owe us no attorney's fees.

Do I have to go to court to receive compensation?

Not necessarily. Most personal injury cases resolve through a negotiated settlement with the insurance company without a trial. However, if the insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation for your damages, we prepare your case for trial and will argue it before a judge and jury to pursue the outcome you deserve.

No Pressure, No Cost: Call Holliday Karatinos Law Firm Today for Your Consultation About Hiring Your St. Petersburg Personal Injury Lawyer

Nobody should fight for justice on their own. When choosing a partner to lead your fight, pick a firm with a strong reputation, an unmatched work ethic, a history of winning through settlement negotiations and trials, and a capacity to connect authentically with clients—choose us.

Our experienced St. Petersburg personal injury attorneys are ready to fight for the compensation you deserve while you focus on healing and recovery. Call Holliday Karatinos Law Firm today at (813) 868-1887 for your free consultation.

Schedule A Free Consultation