St Petersburg Personal Injury Attorney Blog

In a recent case from Brevard County, the court decided that simply tripping on an uneven floor simply isn’t enough to bring a personal injury claim. This case sets a clear standard about when you can or cannot bring an injury claim in Florida . At St Petersburg Personal Injury Attorneys McQuaid & Douglas, we keep ourselves informed of all the most recent court decisions in order to guide our clients about their chances of success. Unfortunately, the reality is that we cannot always recover money from every claim. However, our experience in handling trip and fall cases in Pinellas County and throughout the state of Florida helps us determine which cases are worthy of pursuing. We feel that when we are able to inform our clients at the outset about their chances for recovery, expectations are more realistic. If you have been involved in a trip and fall accident and seriously injured, we encourage you to contact our office for a consultation about your chances of recovering compen...

Interstate 275, or I-275, is a 60-mile long highway serving the Tampa Bay area in Florida. Because I drive on 275 at least twice daily, I am very familiar with the route. 275 southernmost stretch begins in Palmetto. By heading north, it then crosses over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, past a toll, and then into St. Petersburg. After traveling through a lengthy stretch in St. Petersburg, the road crosses Tampa Bay via the Howard Frankland Bridge. 275 then passes through Tampa where it connects with I-4 or I-75. The speed limit on 275 all throughout St. Petersburg is 65mph. The speed limit slows to 55mph on the Tampa side of the Howard Frankland Bridge. Traffic is a constant battle on I-275 and there are multiple serious accidents daily on this road. Anyone familiar with the interstate is aware of how historically bad traffic always is on the Tampa side. It seems that there is always stop and go traffic heading into Tampa and heavy traffic during the afternoon/evening rush out leaving Ta...

North Redington Beach is a tiny beach community of the Gulf of Mexico. Even though it is small, tourists and visitors flock to this area as it is centrally located. From North Redington Beach, it is only a few miles from St. Pete Beach or Clearwater Beach . It also is very easy to get throughout the rest of the county from North Redington Beach. Gulf Blvd is the main road through the town and is crossed daily by throngs of pedestrians and car traffic. While there aren’t a lot of hotels on North Redington Beach, some of the popular ones are Siesta Motel , Malibu Resort Hotel , Hotel Sol , Doubletree Beach Resort , Redington Surf Resort , Island House Resort Hotel , Sails Resort Apartment Motel , and Royal Orleans Resort . These hotels are smaller than most large chain hotels. Because of their size, they lack the resources to stay on top of all of the issues they encounter. As a result, there are constantly dangerous conditions that exist. Visitors and tourists are at a higher risk ...

Filing a Lawsuit for your Personal Injury Claim If you have been involved in a car accident, the question ultimately is raised, “ should I hire a car accident attorney ”. The answer to this question is a resounding “Yes.” The very basic premise behind this answer involves protecting your legal rights and the legal rights of your loved ones when you or someone you love has been involved in a car accident . This article will briefly address why it is imperative to hire a St. Petersburg Car Accident Attorney immediately after a car accident to help you fully develop your case and prepare it as if your case will have to go to trial. From the outset, not every car accident claim results in a lawsuit being filed. Far fewer claims in which a lawsuit is filed actually go to trial. According to multiple sources, about 95% of lawsuits are settled before a trial. Despite this statistic, we prepare every car accident claim as if the case will one day have to be tried before a jury. This prepa...

Getting the Most for Your Personal Injury Claim If you have been involved in a car accident, the question ultimately is raised, “ Should I hire a car accident attorney ”. The answer to this question is a resounding “Yes.” The very basic premise behind this answer involves protecting your legal rights and the legal rights of your loved ones when you or someone you love has been involved in a car accident. This article will briefly address why it is imperative to hire a St. Petersburg Car Accident Attorney immediately after a car accident to help you get the most value for your damages to a claim resulting from your car accident injuries. After you have received medical care resulting from your car accident and you have received both a firm diagnosis and prognosis, it is time to submit a demand package to the insurance company. The demand package submitted on your behalf will seek to maximize your recovery based upon your injuries, lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and sufferin...

Largo is a city on the western side of Pinellas County, Florida. It is the third-largest city in Pinellas County and is rapidly growing due to the volume of people from out of state relocating to the area. But, despite the influx of new residents, Largo still remains a city with a high number of older drivers. When you combine high congestion on the roads and elderly drivers, car accidents are bound to happen. Why Are There so Many Car Accidents in Largo? One of the reasons for the high volume of car accidents in Largo is simply the number of busy roads running through the city. For a smaller city, US 19 runs through it, West Bay Dr ., Ulmerton Road , Starkey Road , Belcher Road , and Seminole Blvd . With all of the traffic at red lights throughout these roads, accidents increase. We also get a lot of rear-end collisions near the Largo Mall . The red lights around the Largo Mall between Ulmerton Road and Seminole Blvd are responsible for a lot of confusion by drivers. Finally, ...

If you have been in a car accident that was caused by the driver of a leased or rented vehicle from an auto dealership , a recent Florida case has limited your chances of recovery. Car dealerships that own vehicles and lease or rent them to customers have protection from liability under federal law if the driver of that rental car causes a car accident involving injuries . In a complicated and confusing case from Okeechobee County, Florida, the court confirmed this limitation of liability by dismissing a lawsuit brought by a man who was seriously injured in a car accident. In Collins v. Auto Partners LLC, Case 4D18-1855 (4th DCA 2019) , Mr. Collins was the plaintiff in this car accident with injuries lawsuit . Mr. Collins was seriously injured by the driver of a vehicle owned by a car dealership called Auto Partners. The driver of the at-fault vehicle was actually an employee of Auto Partners. The lawsuit accused the driver/employee of negligence causing the accident. It also sought ...

Pinellas Park is a centrally located city in Pinellas County, Florida. Unfortunately, there are always numerous car accidents in Pinellas Park due to the sheer number of cars traveling through the area on a daily basis. If you have been involved in a car accident in Pinellas Park and have sustained serious injuries, we are uniquely qualified to help. At St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorneys McQuaid & Douglas , we are hired weekly by people injured in car accidents in Pinellas Park. Because our office is located only a few miles, we are able to set up these accident injury claims quickly and efficiently. We are familiar with the Pinellas Park Police Department, the hospitals in the area, and the medical providers. Because we handle so many car accident claims in Pinellas Park, we know what the cases are worth and how to maximize the value of each case. Why are there so many car accidents in Pinellas Park? The main reason why there are so many car accidents is because of the v...

Madeira Beach is a small, but beautiful beach town in Pinellas County, Fl. There are countless visitors to this small community every year. In fact, taking visitors to John’s Pass for all of its restaurants and attractions is a must-do. The main road through Madeira Beach is called Gulf Blvd. There aren’t a lot of hotels in Madeira Beach . Most of the guests to the area will stay at a rented condo. Some of the most popular destinations are Courtyard by Marriott Madeira Beach , Holiday Isles Resort , Shoreline Island Resort , Madeira Bay Resort , Barefoot Beach Club , Commodore Beach Club Condos , and Surf Song Resort Condominiums . Like any other community, accidents at hotels on Madeira Beach happen . When someone visits a room or beach hotel that he or she may be unfamiliar with, there is a heightened chance that an accident will occur. This article will address legal claims for damages after an injury on Madeira Beach . What Needs to Be Proven to Make an Injury Claim Against a ...

Negotiating Your Personal Injury Claim If you have been involved in a car accident , the question ultimately is raised, “ Should I hire a car accident attorney ”. The answer to this question is a resounding “Yes.” The very basic premise behind this answer involves protecting your legal rights and the legal rights of your loved ones when you or someone you love has been involved in a car accident . This article will briefly address why it is imperative to hire a St. Petersburg Car Accident Attorney immediately after a car accident to help you prepare and negotiate your claim for damages which resulted from your car accident injuries . Seeking and receiving medical care for your car accident injuries is one of the most important steps in your car accident claim . Once you reach the point in your treatment where your medical providers have a clear picture of your diagnosis (i.e. what your injuries are) and your prognosis (i.e. the likely course of your recovery), your claim will be r...

A slip and fall accident involving water is the most common type of accident we see at St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorneys McQuaid & Douglas . An accident from a wet surface can happen anywhere. A fall after a slip on water can cause broken bones, head injuries, back and neck issues, sprains and even tears to the shoulder, knee or hip. The following article will describe many examples of accidents involving water . What Needs to Be Proven to Bring a Claim for a Slip and Fall on Water? If you have slipped and fallen on water , you may have a claim against the insurance for the owner of the property. This applies if the fall occurred at a business, a home, or any other place that you were invited to be at. The owner of the property has a duty to you to properly maintain the property and keep it free from dangerous conditions, like pooled water. If you can prove that the owner knew or should have known that the water was there and failed to fix the dangerous condition, then yo...

Treasure Island is a beautiful beach city on the Gulf of Mexico. It is located in Pinellas County Florida and the main road running through it is called Gulf Boulevard. There are numerous hotels on Treasure Island and because it is a popular vacation place, there are a lot of tourists that visit every year. The hotels and motels on Treasure Island are smaller than the large chain hotels that you may find on larger beaches. But, most of the hotels and motels are booked full the majority of the year. The prime tourist season is in the spring and summer. Some of the most popular hotels found on Treasure Island are The Bilmar Beach Resort , Thunderbird Beach Resort , Treasure Island Beach Resort , Surf Beach Resort , Tahitian Beach Resort , South Beach Condo Hotel , Treasure Island Ocean Club , Bayside Inn and Marina , Arvilla Resort Motel , Crystal Palms Beach Resort , and Sands of Treasure Island . As you can tell by their names, these beach hotels are smaller than the larger chains ...