St. Petersburg Car Accident Lawyer

Call or Text 407-308-0327 for a free case evaluation.

Hurt in a Car Accident in St. Petersburg?

St. Petersburg sits on a peninsula, which means daily traffic funnels across a handful of bridges and causeways, from the Sunshine Skyway connecting to Manatee County to the Gandy Bridge, the Howard Frankland Bridge, and the Courtney Campbell Causeway carrying commuters to and from Tampa. Pinellas County is also one of the most densely populated counties in Florida, packed into a small peninsula with a lot of pedestrians, cyclists, and cars sharing the same roads, and independent national research has repeatedly ranked the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area among the most dangerous metro areas in the country for pedestrians and bicyclists. That combination of bridge traffic and street-level density shapes the kinds of car accident cases we see coming out of St. Petersburg.

Graves Law represents injured drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians throughout St. Petersburg and Pinellas County. Call or text 407-308-0327 now for a free, confidential consultation with a St. Pete car accident attorney. You pay nothing unless we win.

St. Petersburg cases often come down to two different things: a bridge or causeway crash tied to Tampa Bay commuter traffic, or a pedestrian or cyclist hit on a city street that wasn’t designed with them in mind. The data on how dangerous these roads are for people outside a car is well documented, and that context matters when we’re building a claim.

Andrew Graves, Florida Accident Attorney

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Bridges, Causeways, and St. Petersburg's Pedestrian Safety Crisis

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, the Gandy Bridge, the Howard Frankland Bridge, and the Courtney Campbell Causeway all carry heavy daily traffic between St. Petersburg and the rest of the Tampa Bay area, and high winds, sudden weather, and rush-hour congestion on these spans regularly contribute to serious crashes, particularly on the Skyway, where wind restrictions are sometimes put in place for high-profile vehicles. Within the city itself, corridors like Central Avenue, 4th Street North, and 34th Street see a steady mix of local commuter traffic and a genuinely dangerous volume of pedestrian and bicycle activity; a 2021 crossing-related tragedy on Central Avenue that killed a St. Petersburg couple made local headlines and reflected a broader, independently documented pattern, since Pinellas County has repeatedly ranked among the most dangerous places in the country to walk or bike, according to Smart Growth America’s Dangerous by Design research.

HIT BY A NEGLIGENT DRIVER IN ST. PETERSBURG?

Graves Law fights for Pinellas County crash victims, whether you were behind the wheel, on a bike, or on foot, and knows how to build a strong claim around St. Petersburg’s documented traffic safety data.

Why an Experienced St. Petersburg Attorney Matters

Insurance companies handling St. Petersburg claims are familiar with the area’s bridge and pedestrian-safety patterns, and adjusters often move quickly to offer a low settlement before an injured person understands the full scope of their injuries, a tactic that is especially common in pedestrian and cyclist cases where the driver’s insurer will look for any reason to shift blame onto the person who was hit. An attorney who understands both the bridge-traffic side of St. Petersburg accidents and the documented pedestrian and cyclist safety data behind the city’s street-level crashes is better positioned to investigate effectively and push back on an unfair offer. When you hire Graves Law, Attorney Andrew Graves personally handles your case from investigation through negotiation and, if necessary, trial, on a contingency fee basis, so you owe nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

The Claims Process in Pinellas County

If your case goes to trial, it will be heard in the Sixth Judicial Circuit, which covers Pinellas and Pasco counties. Depending on where your accident happened, it may be investigated by the St. Petersburg Police Department, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, or another municipal agency in the county. For serious injuries, Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, formerly known as Bayfront Health St. Petersburg, operates Pinellas County’s only Level II adult trauma center, and prompt treatment there both protects your health and strengthens the medical record behind your claim.

Florida's No-Fault Insurance and Shared Fault Rules

Every Florida driver must carry Personal Injury Protection coverage under Fla. Stat. § 627.736, which pays roughly 80 percent of reasonable medical expenses and 60 percent of lost wages after a St. Petersburg accident, regardless of fault, up to your policy limit. You must seek treatment within 14 days to preserve these benefits. PIP does not cover pain and suffering and often falls short of a serious injury’s real cost, so pursuing the at-fault driver directly is frequently necessary, which is especially true for injured pedestrians and cyclists who may not have PIP coverage of their own to draw on. If you share some blame for the crash, Florida’s modified comparative negligence law under Fla. Stat. § 768.81 still lets you recover as long as you were not more than fifty percent at fault. You generally have two years from the date of the crash to file suit under Fla. Stat. § 95.11.

What to Do After a St. Petersburg Car Accident

Stay at the scene and call the St. Petersburg Police Department or the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office to request a report, even for a crash that looks minor. Exchange information with the other driver, photograph the vehicles, the road, and any visible injuries, and get contact information from anyone who witnessed the crash. Seek medical evaluation the same day if at all possible, since Florida’s 14-day PIP deadline does not wait for symptoms to appear, and this is especially important in pedestrian and bicycle accidents where injuries can be more severe than they first seem. Notify your insurer promptly, but avoid a recorded statement or discussing fault before speaking with an attorney.

CAR CRASH IN ST PETE?

If you were injured in a car crash in St. Pete through no fault of your own, we can help. It may have been a rear end accident or a T-bone collision, call (407) 308-0327 today for a free consultation.

Common Types of St. Petersburg Car Accidents

Bridge and causeway accidents involving the Sunshine Skyway, the Gandy Bridge, and the Howard Frankland Bridge tend to involve high-speed rear-end collisions, weather and wind-related crashes, and multi-vehicle pileups during heavy commuter traffic. Pedestrian and bicycle accidents are a persistent and well-documented problem throughout Pinellas County, particularly at crosswalks and intersections along busy corridors like Central Avenue, and these cases often involve serious, life-altering injuries. St. Petersburg also sees the more familiar pattern of rear-end and intersection accidents on local commuter streets, along with hit-and-run accidents, which make having adequate uninsured motorist coverage especially important.

Compensation After a St. Petersburg Car Accident

A St. Petersburg car accident claim can include economic damages such as past and future medical expenses, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, and property damage, as well as non-economic damages like pain and suffering, emotional distress, and permanent disfigurement or scarring. Pedestrian and cyclist cases in particular often carry substantial value given the severity of injuries involved, and a bridge or causeway crash may raise its own damages questions tied to vehicle speed and impact. The value of your case depends on the severity of your injuries, available insurance coverage on all sides, and the long-term impact of the accident on your life and ability to work.

ST. PETERSBURG CAR ACCIDENT FAQ

How long do I have to file a lawsuit after a St. Petersburg car accident?

Generally two years from the date of the accident under Fla. Stat. § 95.11. Contacting an attorney early helps preserve evidence.

I was hit as a pedestrian or cyclist in St. Petersburg. Is my case different?

Yes, in an important way: you likely do not have your own PIP coverage to draw on the way a driver would, which makes pursuing the at-fault driver’s insurance directly even more important. These cases also tend to draw more aggressive pushback from insurers on the question of fault.

My accident happened on the Sunshine Skyway or another Tampa Bay bridge. Does that change anything?

It can. Bridge accidents often involve weather, wind, or sudden traffic changes that require careful investigation, and depending on exactly where the crash occurred, jurisdiction and evidence-gathering can be more complex than a typical local street accident.

Where should I go for treatment after a serious St. Petersburg accident?

Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital operates Pinellas County’s only Level II trauma center. For less severe injuries, prompt treatment at any local emergency room or urgent care within 14 days preserves your PIP benefits.

What if I was partially at fault for the accident?

Florida’s modified comparative negligence law still allows you to recover as long as you were not more than fifty percent at fault, with your recovery reduced by your percentage of fault.

How much is my St. Petersburg car accident case worth?

Case value depends on the severity of your injuries, available insurance coverage, and the long-term impact on your life and ability to work. A detailed case evaluation is the only reliable way to estimate this.

What does my insurance cover after a St. Petersburg car accident?

Your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage pays roughly 80 percent of medical expenses and 60 percent of lost wages regardless of fault, up to your policy limit, though pedestrians and cyclists often do not have PIP of their own to draw on. If another driver caused the crash, their bodily injury liability coverage may pay for damages beyond PIP, including pain and suffering. If that driver has no insurance or not enough, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage can fill the gap.

What if the other driver had no insurance, or not enough?

Florida requires insurers to include uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) coverage on every auto policy unless the policyholder rejects it in writing, under Fla. Stat. § 627.727. If you carry UM coverage, it can pay for your damages when the at-fault driver’s own coverage falls short.

How much does it cost to hire a St. Petersburg car accident lawyer?

We work on a contingency fee basis. You pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.

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Contact a St. Petersburg Car Accident Lawyer Today

If you were injured in a St. Petersburg car accident, whether behind the wheel, on a bike, or on foot, Graves Law is ready to evaluate your claim and fight for full compensation.

Call Attorney Andrew Graves at 407-308-0327 for a free, confidential consultation about your St. Petersburg car crash. We will explain your rights, evaluate your case, and discuss next steps at no charge.