St. Petersburg Injury Lawyer

If you or a loved one sustained an injury in a St. Petersburg accident caused by another person, you need to know your legal options. You probably have a lot of questions. Fortunately, you will find the answers you need when you partner with the experienced St. Petersburg personal injury lawyers at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA.

At Dolman Law Group, you'll find a skilled and knowledgeable legal team that is eager to advocate on your behalf, fight for your rights, and help you recover the financial compensation you deserve. You do not have to face this ordeal alone. Trust the top-rated personal injury attorneys in St. Petersburg. Trust Dolman Law Group.

Why Should You Work With a St. Petersburg Injury Lawyer at Dolman Law Group?

If you were involved in a personal injury accident, your injuries are not the only thing you need to worry about. Victims of these devastating accidents also face stress about paying for medical treatments, falling behind on bills, and figuring out how to care for their families while they cannot work. That is why you should consider discussing your accident with an experienced St. Petersburg personal injury attorney at Dolman Law Group as soon as possible.

Our attorneys have decades of experience handling the most challenging personal injury cases, fighting for each client's rights, and pursuing the justice they deserve. Our past settlements and verdicts have ranged anywhere from $80,000 to more than $5 million.

However, some of our most notable personal injury cases have resulted in the following awards:

• $5 million for a car accident victim.
• $5.7 million for a nursing home bed sore, leading to infection and death.
• $3.85 million for a trucking crash that resulted in a traumatic brain injury.
• $3.2 million for a truck accident that led to a brain injury and incomplete spinal cord injury
• $1.75 million for a victim who sustained a shoulder injury in an accident on I-275.

To discuss your personal injury accident with our team, contact us today for a free case consultation. We can meet with you at one of our numerous offices, including our St. Petersburg location, or anywhere that is convenient for you.

Which Factors Should You Consider Before Selecting a St. Petersburg Personal Injury Lawyer?

When considering various personal injury attorneys, be sure to select a nationally recognized, award-winning law firm with a pristine reputation in the community. You'll want to ensure that your interests will be represented to the fullest extent, rather than having a personal injury attorney that settles quickly and potentially leaves money on the table.

At Dolman Law Group, we have built a reputation for aggressive litigation, and we won't hesitate to take personal injury lawsuits to trial when needed.

Work With Personal Injury Lawyers Who are Well-Versed in Insurance Practices

Insurance companies remember the lawyers they face in personal injury claims. When a lawyer has a solid professional reputation and an established record for taking cases to trial, the insurers remember and respect that opponent. Also, when you work with an attorney who has previously brought a personal injury claim to a specific insurance company, that lawyer will know the company's strategies and negotiation tactics in advance. With this insider information and solid reputation, our St. Petersburg personal injury attorneys can avoid the games and focus on resolving your claim.

What's more, it's critical to select an auto accident law firm that only serves plaintiffs, not insurers. A firm that represents plaintiffs only will be equipped to handle your interests both from a practical and ethical standpoint.

Make Sure All Medical Bills are Resolved

Dealing with medical costs is inconvenient, stressful, and quickly expensive. Select a law firm that will address and include your medical bills within your eventual settlement.

Dolman Law Group assists every client with negotiating their medical bills in every case, and we'll also help secure medical treatment when necessary or requested. Our goal is to ensure your medical bills are covered within your settlement or court award when your case is resolved.

Choose a Financially Healthy Firm With a Solid Reputation in the Legal Arena

Fellow Florida and St. Petersburg injury attorneys often call on Dolman Law Group to assist with their biggest and most complicated cases. Our law firm is well respected by other injury attorneys for the results we have obtained for car accident victims and those injured by other acts of negligence exhibited by an individual or corporation.

A firm that is well established within the community—as well as financially responsible—will ensure that your case is properly prepared and resolved, with no cut corners and maximized settlement opportunities.

Rely on Word of Mouth and Unbiased Reviews

Every law firm will say they are the best at what they do. If you want to know what your experience will be when you work with a particular St. Petersburg personal injury attorney, ask former clients, talk to current clients, read online reviews, and ask around for unbiased opinions. See if the lawyer returned phone calls or emails in a timely fashion and how well they explained the legal process. Ask former clients if they were satisfied with their resolution and if they would work with that lawyer again or recommend the lawyer to a family member.

Choosing the car accident lawyers or other injury attorneys you want to handle your serious injuries and financial concerns is an important decision. Do your research to ensure you make the best decision for your personal needs. You can read some of our satisfied client stories to better understand how we treat the clients we serve.

Select a Firm Within a Reasonable Traveling Distance

It's wise to choose a lawyer who is easy to travel to in case you need to meet in person. For example, our office is conveniently located in St. Petersburg at 1663 1st Ave. S Just off of I-275 and just a few blocks from Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays. We offer FREE consultations to all prospective injury clients and can happily meet you in your home, your hospital room, or wherever is most convenient for you.

Why You Can Trust Our St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorneys to Protect Your Rights

Dolman Law Group is a nationally recognized, award-winning personal injury law firm. We have built a reputation for aggressive litigation when necessary as opposed to settling quickly and leaving money on the table. Stanley Gipe is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer as designated by the Florida Bar, and Matthew Dolman is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Insurance carriers keep detailed notes on all law firms. In fact, settlement offers are based on a law firm's reputation, its track record for taking personal injury lawsuits all the way to trial when necessary, and the risk associated with defending the claim. Remember, insurance is simply risk management. An attorney or law firm that takes cases to trial poses a risk to the insurance company of a potentially large verdict. Please note the vast majority of injury lawyers and law firms rarely, if ever, take cases to trial. The world's worst trial lawyer is still better than the attorney who never takes a case to trial.

Other Florida and St. Pete attorneys often call Dolman Law Group to assist on their most significant or complicated cases. Our law firm is well respected by other injury attorneys, and they often ask us to act as co-counsel during a trial, or they refer their complex personal injury cases to us outright because they know we will work hard to reach the best resolution for their clients.

Dolman Law Group is a law firm committed to our clients. In fact, our business has grown based on word-of-mouth referrals from very satisfied former and current clients. The most common complaint we hear from clients after terminating their relationship with another St. Petersburg injury lawyer or law firm is they never met, let alone spoke with their prior attorney.

At Dolman Law Group, we make it a point to encourage and foster communication throughout the legal process. For example, every client is provided the cell phone number of their handling attorney and the Managing Partner at our law firm.

The only way to properly represent a St. Petersburg injury victim is to get to know them on a personal level. This allows us to fully understand just how the car accident or other act of negligence has impacted their quality of life. We begin this process at your free consultation.

We have the financial resources necessary to take on any size corporation and to retain the best experts. We have the financial resources necessary to take on any size corporate defendant and retain the best experts possible to illustrate the extent of your damages.

Dolman Law Group has previously litigated against corporate giants such as Walmart, Wawa, Walt Disney World, Amazon, Publix, Winn Dixie, Outback (Bloomin Brands), Allstate, Geico, Progressive, USAA, State Farm, Monsanto, and others.

What Types of St. Petersburg Personal Injury Claims and Lawsuits Can We Handle?

Injuries caused by a negligent person, business, or government entity may give rise to a personal injury lawsuit. Each personal injury lawyer at Dolman Law Group has experience handling the following areas:

Traumatic brain injuries and other head injuries – Our St. Pete injury attorneys are experienced in representing clients with the following issues; mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI), coup-contrecoup injury (where the brain bounces off two sides of the skull), brain contusion, subdural hematoma, skull fracture, cerebral edema, concussion, second impact syndrome, and diffuse axonal injury (DAI).

We often work with treatment teams that include a Neurologist, Neuropsychologist, and a Neuro-Radiologist. These specialized physicians also serve as experts on the brain injury lawsuits our firm handles.

Spinal cord injuries – We are experienced in handling both complete and incomplete spinal cord injury claims, including quadriplegia and paraplegia. Our firm maintains relationships with spinal cord injury experts who can illustrate the costs associated with a lifetime of medical treatment along with loss of vocational skills and the ability to manage household tasks.

Spinal cord injury lawsuits are inherently expensive due to the cost associated with retaining the correct experts. It is essential you retain an attorney or firm that has successfully handled claims relating to an injury of the spinal cord.

Back and neck injuries – The attorneys at Dolman Law Group have handled in excess of 5000 back and neck injury claims and lawsuits over their combined 120+ years of experience.

We have handled claims associated with a bulging disc, herniated disc, cauda equina syndrome, cervical and lumbar spinal fusion (including anterior cervical discectomy and fusion), laminectomy, discectomy, kyphoplasty, lumbar decompression, vertebroplasty, foraminotomy, nucleoplasty, and others.

All too often, we see lawyers and adjusters spending far too much time and energy focused on the nomenclature regarding terms such as “bulging” or “herniation.” We focus on the symptoms or symptomatology and how they have diminished our client's quality of life when building their case.

Birth injuries – Our focus is on any harm or injury suffered by a baby or the mother at or near the time of birth (during delivery or pregnancy). We have handled an exhaustive list of claims, including cerebral palsy, brachial plexus injury, Erb's palsy, shoulder dystocia, paralysis, nerve damage, and lack of oxygen and oxygen deprivation.

Burn injuries – We handle burn injury claims related to electrical cord fires, workplace injuries, tanker explosions, truck accidents, retail center fires, nightclub fires, hotel and restaurant fires, motor vehicle accidents, and apartment building fires. Our goal is to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and overall physical pain.

Slip-and-fall injuries – We have successfully handled slip and fall accidents along with premises liability claims against major corporations such as; Wawa's, Walmart, Publix, Winn Dixie, Hyatt Hotels, and Walt Disney World, among others. Evidence is crucial in a premises liability slip and fall case.

We must show the property owner (or agents and employees of the owner) had knowledge or should have known of a dangerous condition they failed to address or fix. In a typical slip and fall case, we utilize investigators to immediately visit the scene of such an incident and either secure evidence or take detailed photos of the scene along with a thorough investigation.

We are presently handling a number of claims against Airbnb for injuries that have occurred at properties listed on their service.

Wrongful death – These cases involve the pursuit of a claim on behalf of the survivor(s) of an individual who died as a result of the negligence exhibited by an individual or corporation. Only certain family members are eligible to receive compensation from a wrongful death lawsuit which usually must be filed by the estate's representative.

Auto accidents – Over 50% of our clients sustained injuries as a result of an auto accident. Our car accident lawyers are well respected by insurance carriers, their adjusters, and insurance defense lawyers.

We have successfully handled claims and lawsuits against every conceivable auto insurance carrier, including but not limited to; Geico, State Farm, USAA, Progressive, Allstate, and Nationwide, among others. Our firm routinely represents those injured as a result of a t-bone crash, rear-end collision, head-on collision, and all other types of car wrecks. We have handled over 500 claims and lawsuits against Uber and Lyft.

Motorcycle accidents - If you have been injured as a result of a St. Petersburg motorcycle wreck, it is essential you retain a competent motorcycle injury lawyer. Personal injury protection (PIP) generally extends to vehicles with at least four wheels. Thus, motorcycle accident victims will struggle to handle their inevitable medical bills and lost wages without obtaining compensation from the negligent party.

Since PIP coverage does not apply to motorcycles, a motorcyclist does not need to pass the “permanent injury threshold” applicable to car accident victims. Thus, our motorcycle accident lawyers can pursue damages such as lost wages and outstanding medical bills right off the bat. We have multiple seven-figure results on motorcycle accident cases and have the experience to assist you immediately.

Truck accidents – The biggest mistake we commonly see is when personal injury attorneys handle semi-truck accidents in the same manner as an auto accident. An individual injured as a result of an accident or collision with an 18-wheeler would be best served by retaining a lawyer experienced in litigating claims involving big rigs.

It is imperative the lawyer is well-versed in Federal trucking laws, like those related to hours of service. These laws govern the amount of time a trucker may drive continuously without a break, when they must take a break, how many hours they may operate a semi-truck in a given week, and the information that must be kept in their log. Further, the attorney must understand rules pertaining to the maintenance and upkeep of a big rig along with the hiring and retention of drivers. Many of our trucking accident lawsuits contain a count for negligent maintenance or negligent retention and hiring.

Trucking accident cases are extremely expensive when handled correctly, and law firms that treat these unique claims the same as a car accident tend to leave significant money on the table.

Pedestrian accidents - Whether a driver is simply distracted or knowingly violates a traffic law, if a pedestrian is involved in a crash, they usually suffer serious injury as a result of the impact. Our team works hard to recover compensation from the negligent person driving the vehicle while protecting our client's rights as an innocent bystander who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Medical Malpractice – We touched on birth injury cases earlier. However, along with birth injury lawsuits, our firm handles a wide variety of medical malpractice cases. We have experience handling the following types of claims; misdiagnosis (including failure to diagnose cancer), surgery errors, delay in diagnosis leading to a fatality or a serious or permanent injury, error in anesthesia, and many others.

What Financial Damages Can St. Petersburg Personal Injury Lawyers Pursue On Your Behalf?

You may recover financial damages if you suffer harm in a St. Petersburg personal injury accident due to another person's wrongful actions. These damages include:

Economic Damages

Economic damages refer to compensation for the easy-to-quantify losses that result from an accident, including:

• Medical expenses resulting from doctor visits, hospital stay, ambulance services and emergency room visits, assistive medical devices, surgeries, and prescription medications
• Ongoing medical care needs
• Lost income and business opportunities
• Lost earning capacity
• Personal property damages, including motor vehicle or motorcycle repair or replacement costs
• At-home replacement services, including child-care or cleaning services
• Other expenses

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages refer to payment for the more personal losses that develop after an accident and the resulting injuries.

These losses include things such as:

• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Physical disfigurement
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of reputation
• Limb loss
• Scarring
• Humiliation and inconvenience

Punitive Damages

The court may award punitive damages to punish the wrongful party for their deplorable actions and stop others from committing similar acts. To obtain these damages in Florida, the accident victim needs clear and convincing evidence that the wrongdoer engaged in gross negligence or intentional misconduct.

Discuss your case with a skilled St. Petersburg personal injury lawyer to determine which damages you may obtain. Our legal professionals can figure out which monetary damages apply to your case and fight for the recovery you deserve.

Who's at Fault in Your St. Petersburg Personal Injury Accident?

Parties with liability for a personal injury claim vary by the circumstances of the case. For example, Florida is a no-fault insurance state that requires those who drive a motor vehicle to carry a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance policy.

When an injury is caused by a motor vehicle accident, the victim must first file a claim with their own insurance carrier (or, in the case of an uninsured or underinsured motorist, they may file a claim under the other party's carrier). A victim may only file a lawsuit after medical expenses and lost wages have exceeded the PIP limits.

When a lawyer litigates a claim for a personal injury victim, multiple parties may be included as defendants. Depending on the cause of the injury, common defendants may include:

• Drivers who were driving distracted, driving under the influence, or violating other traffic laws.
• Businesses that negligently hired or trained employees or failed to maintain their property or equipment safely.
• Employers who allowed or encouraged unsafe or illegal practices to “get the job done.”
• Individuals who sexually harassed or abused others at home, in public, or in the workplace.
• Manufacturers, Distributors, and Retailers who designed, distributed, marketed, or sold defective products or failed to warn consumers about product use.

Florida's Comparative Negligence Law

Under Florida law, personal injury cases are typically subject to “comparative negligence.” (Exceptions are cases that involve defective products, abuse, and sexual harassment.) Comparative negligence means there may be shared liability for damages. 

For example, if a victim is found partially responsible for their own injuries, the damages awarded to the victim will be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to the victim. If the victim is more than 50 percent at fault, they cannot recover damages from the other parties. Therefore, defendants have a strong incentive to shift blame to the victim in order to avoid paying the full amount of damages.

Common strategies defendants employ include arguing the victim violated traffic laws, was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, was trespassing, or used a product incorrectly. Or defendants may outright deny their own liability or try to place their share of the blame on a co-defendant. Our personal injury lawyers anticipate these tactics and will work to ensure that those who are responsible for your injuries are held accountable.

What are the Time Limitations Following a St. Petersburg Personal Injury Accident?

After a personal injury accident, victims have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit. These time limitations will depend on the state where the incident happened and the type of claim being brought. For instance, in St. Petersburg, individuals only have two years from their personal injury accident to pursue legal action. If they do not bring a claim within this period, the court can bar them from pursuing the compensation they need.

As a result, after a personal injury accident, you do not want to run out of time to file a suit. Discuss your case with our experienced St. Petersburg personal injury accident attorneys as soon as possible. These lawyers can promptly determine how much time you have to file your lawsuit while ensuring any legal documents and filings are prepared and submitted before the deadline.

What Action Should You Take After a St. Petersburg Personal Injury Accident?

Following a personal injury accident, you cannot always gather evidence or talk to witnesses. After an accident, be sure you are safe and follow a few steps to protect your legal rights. These steps include the following:

Call the Authorities

Following a personal injury accident, you should call 911 immediately. This will ensure that medical crews and police officers are called to the scene. Once you get the medical help you need, these officers will investigate the incident and write down information regarding what happened in their police report. If you decide to take legal action after the personal injury accident, this police report can help your attorney fight for the money you need.

Get Examined by a Doctor

Even if injuries appear relatively minor, you should still get to a doctor to get examined. It is all too common for serious injuries such as brain trauma, internal bleeding, or spinal cord damage to take some time to manifest. However, the longer you wait for treatment, the more debilitating the injuries can become.

In addition, these doctors can provide you with a medical report following your examination that can explain the extent of your injuries and show the connection between the harm sustained and the personal injury accident. This report can be helpful if the insurer or the defendant tries to argue that your injuries resulted from a separate event or are not as severe as you claim.

Work With an Experienced St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorney to Gather Evidence From the Accident Scene

Depending on the circumstances of a personal injury accident, it is not always likely for you to gather evidence from the scene. However, when you work with an experienced St. Petersburg personal injury accident attorney from Dolman Law Group, you will not have to worry about investigating your accident alone.

Our skilled legal professionals can gather photos and videos showing:

• Visible injuries and damages following the crash
• The dangerous conditions that caused the harm
• Torn or bloody clothing
• Any automobiles involved in the accident, and
• Other evidence that can show what occurred

We can also look for individuals who were present at the accident scene to memorialize their testimony, which can be used to help validate your legal claim and show what happened and who was responsible for the harm and losses you endured.

Never Discuss the Accident With Others

After an accident, countless people will want to know details about what happened. However, before you start providing these details, it may be best not to discuss these accidents with others other than your attorney. You should also not apologize for what happened or take the blame for anything that occurred. The other parties can use these statements to hurt your case and impact the money you can receive.

Beware of the Insurance Company's Tactics

Another party that will usually get involved following a personal injury accident is the insurance company. While you may want to believe this is good, you must realize that the insurance company is not there to help you. In truth, they are there to make a profit, and the less they pay you for your claim, the more money they will make in the process. That is why these companies will try to do everything to get you to admit fault for the accident or say something that can hurt your case.

Consequently, before you speak with these companies after an accident, consider discussing the incident with an experienced St. Petersburg personal injury accident attorney.

At Dolman Law Group, our skilled legal team can help you better understand not only the deceitful tactics the insurance company may try on you, but they can handle these discussions on your behalf to make sure you avoid you saying something that can hurt your case and affect the money you can obtain.

Our St. Petersburg Personal Injury Lawyers Answer Your FAQs

Following a St. Petersburg accident, you likely have many questions about your legal options and the remedies you can pursue. However, until you can discuss your situation with an experienced personal injury attorney, we have prepared answers to the following commonly asked questions individuals have after a personal injury accident. With these responses, we hope to give you a better idea of what you can do following this tragic incident.

Dolman Law Group is the Best Choice for Florida Injury Victims

When you hire Dolman Law Group, you are not just getting a lawyer that will give you legal advice and represent you in negotiations and court. Our firm provides a wealth of resources and services to maximize your chances of receiving the compensation that you deserve. 

Our award-winning lawyers promise to provide their insight and skills honed by years of successful litigation and representation for many satisfied clients, but they will also:

• Ensure that you are not taken advantage of by insurance companies
• Help you understand and process the relevant paperwork
• Communicate with you closely to ensure you are aware of the progress of your case
• Gather important documents
• Investigate your case

Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, P.A., is an award-winning law firm. In fact, we are considered among the elite personal injury law firms in Florida. Our lawyers offer 120-plus years of combined experience representing victims of car accidents, motorcycle wrecks, truck accidents, medical malpractice, premises liability, negligent security, defective medical devices, sexual trafficking, sexual abuse, and those who have sustained residential property damage ignored by an insurance carrier.

It is essential to note that insurance companies are well aware of the attorneys and law firms who regularly litigate claims upon receiving a low or unfair settlement offer. We are proud of our reputation for aggressively handling injury cases among Florida insurance companies, including mass tort cases that have harmed thousands of Americans. We are presently representing consumers who have been diagnosed with cancer after consuming Zantac, firefighters and members of the military who were diagnosed with cancer after exposure to AFFF Fire Fighting Foam, and parents who used Tylenol during pregnancy whose child was then diagnosed with Autism.

Meet Some of Our Attorneys

Matthew Dolman has been selected by his colleagues as a Florida Superlawyer and Legal Elite on multiple occasions. He is a lifetime member of both the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum for settlements and/or verdicts in excess of $1 million and $2 million, respectively. 

Stanley Gipe is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer as designated by the Florida Bar. This qualifies him as an expert at trial advocacy in accordance with the rules set forth by the Florida Bar. Together, Stan and Matt have served as lead counsel in over 2,000 personal injury lawsuits filed in Florida. 

Julia Dolman has been selected by her colleagues as a Florida Superlawyers Rising Star (best lawyers under the age of 40) five years in a row. 

Feel free to check out our reviews on Google.

Contact a St. Petersburg Personal Injury Lawyer at Dolman Law Group for a Free Consultation Today

After a serious accident, your world is turned upside down. While you focus on recovering from your injuries, trust a dedicated St. Petersburg personal injury lawyer at Dolman Law Group to protect your legal rights. We will fight for the maximum amount of compensation for the losses you have experienced by holding the at-fault party responsible for their actions.

With offices across both Florida coasts, you can easily reach Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, at (727) 472-3909, or you can write to us using our online contact page for a free consultation.

St Petersburg Office
1663 1st Ave S.
St. Petersburg, FL 33712
Phone: (727) 472-3909

Client Testimonial

“AMAZING and understanding attorneys! Did great on my case and I highly recommend Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA for anyone that has been injured in an accident!"
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Koralis R.
Jan 2020

What Our Clients Have to Say:

“Chad Robinson always responded immediately whenever I had questions or concerns. He worked hard to make sure I received what I deserved.”