Personal Injury

Tampa Injury Lawyers

Matthews Injury Law legal team in Tampa, Florida.
Our team of injury lawyers serving Tampa and Sarasota, Florida

If you were injured in a car or work accident or during a medical procedure, or if you were denied an insurance claim afterward, you may want to file a lawsuit. Before you hire a lawyer, however, you probably have some questions, like whether you’re eligible to file an injury lawsuit, what your case might be worth, and whether the attorney you’re considering has the right experience to win your case. 

Matthews Injury Law is a team of lawyers in the Tampa, Sarasota, and Lakeland areas who practice all types of personal injury law. On this page, you’ll find answers to common questions clients ask us about personal injury lawsuits, as well as a list of the types of personal injury cases we take. 

Should You File a Personal Injury Lawsuit?

Before you file a lawsuit, you should verify that you’re eligible to sue based on the circumstances of the injury or accident as well as the statute of limitations under Florida law. In Florida, 4 years is the statute of limitations for personal injuries under Florida Statutes Title VIII: Chapter 95.11(3)(a); however, the deadline can be extended or shortened based on any number of circumstances. 

A personal injury case should also meet three criteria: 1) a defendant who faces liability, 2) damages, such as medical expenses or lost wages, and 3) the ability to collect a payout from the defendant. If you’re not sure whether your case satisfies the above criteria, consult a personal injury attorney. One mistake you want to avoid is letting the statute of limitations lapse on a viable injury case.

What Should You Ask Before Hiring an Injury Lawyer?

Hiring the right personal injury attorney can be the difference between recovering the maximum amount of compensation or walking away empty handed after a case. Take the proper steps towards hiring a qualified attorney by asking the following questions:

  • How long have you been practicing personal injury law in Florida?
  • What kinds of cases are you most experienced in handling?
  • What does your verdict record look like?
  • How often do you take cases to trial?
  • How big is your team?
  • Who will be the main person in charge of my case?
  • Do you have the financial resources to go up against large insurance companies?
  • Will you be my attorney throughout the case and through trial if necessary?
  • If an attorney cannot answer the questions above or you feel the answers are not adequate, promptly contact another personal injury lawyer.

What Could Your Case Be Worth?

If you win your personal injury case, you (as the plaintiff) will receive damages from either the defendant or their insurance company. Damages are won in one of two ways: 1) negotiated settlement (most common) or 2) courtroom trial with a judge and maybe a jury. 

How much your case is worth depends on the type of damages and their extent. Damages in car accidents, medical malpractice cases, even workers’ compensation cases can include medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and emotional distress, among other compensatory damages. In extreme cases of negligence, a defendant may also pay punitive damages. Your choice of attorney also plays a role in how much your case is worth, as their skills and experience play a role in the success of the verdict.

What Personal Injury Cases Have We Won?

The Matthews Injury Law team has won many personal injury settlements and verdicts in the Tampa metro area as well as Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, and Sarasota County. Notable verdicts include a $60 million verdict for a motor vehicle crash and $11 million for a wrongful death case. We’ve also settled many cases with insurance companies, including a $5.4 million motorcycle crash and a $4 million auto accident. View all of our personal injury verdicts and settlements.

What Types of Personal Injury Cases Do We Handle?

Below is a partial list of the types of injury cases our firm handles for plaintiffs in the Tampa and Sarasota areas. Our legal team has a wide range of specialties, to ensure your case always has the right expertise behind it.

Car Accidents

Florida has over 400,000 vehicle crashes annually, resulting in more than 250,000 injuries and 3,000 fatalities, according to the most recent data from the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles department. If you’ve been involved in a car, truck, SUV, scooter, or motorcycle accident, learn how Matthews Injury Law can help.

Learn more about car accident injury cases.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrian and bicycle accidents can happen at busy intersections, crosswalks, and even designated walk or bikeways. Contact our legal team if you have been injured by a driver while walking, running, or biking.

Learn more about bike and pedestrian accident injury cases.

Commercial Vehicle and Semi-Truck Accidents

Semi-trucks and commercial vehicles don’t have the same stopping and turning abilities as passenger cars, commercial drivers work long hours, and the sheer mass of these trucks can make collisions particularly destructive for other vehicles or property. 

Learn more about semi crash injury cases.

Commercial Litigation

If you’re involved in a business, commercial, or real property dispute, Matthews Injury Law has litigated these cases at the federal and state level.

Learn more about commercial litigation cases.

Insurance Claim Disputes

Insurance companies have a vested interest in paying their clients as little as possible. Matthews Injury Law's insurance dispute attorneys know how these companies operate and will help you submit a claim or fight for a denied claim.

Learn more about insurance dispute cases.

Medical Malpractice

General practitioners, specialists, surgeons, nurses, and other caregivers help save lives everyday, but sometimes negligence leads to medical malpractice. If you have suffered an injury after a medical procedure, learn how malpractice cases may help you recover damages.

Learn more about medical malpractice cases.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Spinal injuries as the result of workplace falls, car crashes, or activities like sports can be life altering. Matthews Injury Law specializes in helping spinal injury plaintiffs receive the full compensation you deserve.

Learn more about spinal injury cases.

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Treatments for traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can be expensive and last a lifetime, while the effects can result in lost income or other damages. 

Learn more about brain injury cases.

Workers’ Compensation

Matthews Injury Law is one of the law firms that specializes in workers’ comp cases in Florida. We can help you determine if you qualify for workers’ compensation benefits, how much you deserve, and how you can fight for what’s owed.

Learn more about workers’ comp cases.

Construction Zone Accidents

As a result of infrastructure projects happening throughout Florida, work zone crashes are a risk for state employees, contractors, as well as motorists. If you were injured in a construction zone, whether on the highway or a city street, Matthews Injury Law can help you fight for damages.

Learn more about work zone crash cases.

Wrongful Death

When the death of someone close to you may be the fault of another person’s negligence or criminal actions, there may be grounds to file a civil action for damages. Matthews Injury Law attorneys are well versed in Florida statutes concerning wrongful death claims.

Learn more about wrongful death cases

How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Cost?

Matthews Injury Law attorneys work most cases on a contingency fee agreement. This means we only get paid if we win you a settlement or verdict. The contingency fee is a percentage of the damages, so no money is required from your pocket before we begin. For more information about our fees and charges, please schedule a consultation.

Where Do Matthews Injury Law Attorneys Take Cases?

Our law firm has three office locations in Tampa, Sarasota, and Lakeland. We represent clients in these metro areas primarily, although we’ve also tried cases in jurisdictions across Florida, including Walton, Manatee, Orange, and Miami-Dade County. Contact us to schedule a consultation in person, by phone, or video conference.

Why Choose Matthews Injury Law?

Managing partner Marc Matthews has been practicing law for more than 15 years and spent several years working in the trial departments of some of the most prestigious law firms in the United States. He formed Matthews Injury Law in 2014 to better serve hurt Floridians who need justice.

Always striving to passionately represent clients in seeking to maximize their compensation, our team at Matthews Injury Law has experience representing clients in auto accidents, truck crashes, medical malpractice, spinal cord injury, wrongful death cases, medical malpractice injury cases, and more. Our impressive personal injury verdicts are testaments to the passion and knowledge we dedicate to each case.

The attorneys at Matthews Injury Law do not shy away from difficult and complex cases, nor do we pass over cases revolving around minor injuries, because even minor injuries can impact your life.

*The information on this page was reviewed by attorney Marc Matthews, managing partner of Matthews Injury Law. Mr. Matthews started the firm in 2014. He is a graduate of the University of Florida College of Law with honors and has lived and practiced law in Orlando, West Palm Beach and Tampa, Florida. Mr. Matthews’s experience includes litigating personal injury, trucking accident, wrongful death, product liability, and commercial actions cases throughout the state of Florida and the nation.

Schedule A Consultation Today

The time after an accident or injury can be confusing and stressful. Let Matthews Injury Law help you during this difficult period. Set up a free consultation remotely or privately at our convenient Tampa or Sarasota office locations. Use the easy appointment scheduling tool to find the spot that works with your schedule.