How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Florida?

Many people still believe the deadline is four years, and several websites repeat it. That changed in 2023. In most cases you now have two years from the date of the crash to file an injury lawsuit in Florida. The clock generally starts on the crash date itself, not the day an injury reveals how serious it is. With only two years on the meter, getting legal advice early is the safe move.

What If I Was Partly at Fault for My St. Petersburg Car Accident?

A common worry is that any share of blame ends the claim. It does not, as long as your share stays at 50% or less. Florida uses a modified comparative negligence rule, so your recovery is reduced in proportion to your fault rather than wiped out. Above 50%, recovery does disappear. That sharp line is exactly why insurers work to push more of the blame onto you.

How Does No-Fault Insurance Work After a Florida Crash?

People often assume the at-fault driver’s insurer pays their medical bills first. In Florida, it does not. Your own personal injury protection coverage pays first, whoever caused the crash, covering 80% of medical bills and 60% of lost wages up to $10,000, with treatment generally required within 14 days. PIP does not reach pain and suffering. Those damages come within reach only when an injury is serious enough to carry the claim outside no-fault.

How Is the Value of My Car Accident Claim Determined?

Many people expect a fixed formula or a quick number. There is neither. A claim’s value turns on its specific facts: the severity of the injury, the medical care still ahead, the wages and earning capacity lost, and how much the crash has reshaped daily life. No trustworthy lawyer will name a figure before that picture is clear. A careful valuation also counts what is still to come, from future treatment to long-term limits on the ability to earn.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a St. Petersburg Car Accident Lawyer?

A frequent assumption is that hiring a lawyer means paying a retainer up front. It does not. The work is handled on a contingency fee, which means there is no fee unless you win. The fee is a percentage of the recovery, stays within the limits set by the Florida Bar, and is agreed in writing before the case begins. Clients may be responsible for certain case costs. The first consultation is free.

What Should I Do Right After a Car Accident in St. Petersburg?

Many drivers think a minor-feeling crash needs no doctor and no lawyer. That assumption costs claims. Call 911 so the crash goes on the official record, then see a doctor quickly, within the 14-day window, to keep your PIP coverage available. Photograph the vehicles, the road, and your injuries, and gather contact details from any witnesses. Be cautious with the other driver’s insurer, and wait until you have spoken with a lawyer before giving any recorded statement.

Injured? We Fight Until You Get Paid.

Florida No-Fault Insurance and the Deadline to File

In a no-fault state like Florida, a crash claim starts with your own policy. Personal injury protection (PIP) coverage pays before fault is settled, no matter who caused it: 80% of medical bills, 60% of lost wages, a $10,000 ceiling on the total. Pain and suffering is not part of what it covers.

PIP runs on a clock, and it starts the day of the crash. You generally have to see a doctor within 14 days to use your PIP benefits at all. Miss that window, and the coverage can be gone for good. It is the single rule most St. Petersburg drivers never hear about until it is too late.

Serious injuries change the picture. A permanent injury, significant scarring, the loss of an important bodily function: any of these lets you step outside no-fault and bring a claim straight against the at-fault driver for what PIP never covers. Fault becomes the central fight at that point. Under Florida’s modified comparative negligence rule, say a jury values your claim at $180,000 but finds you 45% responsible. You recover $99,000. Cross 50%, and you recover nothing.

One deadline sits under all of it. Since a 2023 change to Florida law, you have two years from the date of the crash to bring an injury lawsuit, half the old four-year window. That clock is measured from the date of the crash, and it does not pause while you wait to see how serious the injury becomes.