Clearwater Car Accident Lawyers
Fighting for Auto Accident Victims Across Pinellas County
A serious car accident can create immediate consequences and long-term disruption, including painful treatment, missed work, and financial pressure, while insurance companies move quickly to minimize what they pay.
At Kemp Law, we help car accident victims across Clearwater and Pinellas County fight back for the compensation they deserve. With over 20,000 cases handled and millions in compensation recovered, we know how to take on powerful corporations and insurers and protect our clients’ rights.
Some of our auto accident results include:
- $2.3 Million — Motorcycle Accident: Right-of-way violation; multiple surgeries; maximum policy limits recovered.
- $1.15 Million — Motor Vehicle Accident: Client rear-ended at a stoplight and spun into oncoming traffic in an eight-vehicle crash; case litigated and resolved.
- $1.1 Million — Motor Vehicle Accident: Rear-end collision resulting in significant injuries and lasting impairment.
- $1 Million — Motor Vehicle Accident: Despite disputed liability and a low percentage of fault attributed to a third vehicle, client who underwent brain surgery recovered $1,000,000.
Call (727) 788-6792 or contact us online for a FREE consultation. Our Clearwater car accident attorneys are available 24/7.
Why Choose Kemp Law?
Kemp Law has been trusted by thousands of victims across Florida and Georgia for a range of motor vehicle accident and personal injury claims. Clients choose us because we’re known for:
- Insurance-Defense Insight: Partner Kelly Cook draws on her background as a former insurance defense attorney to anticipate how carriers evaluate, dispute, and undervalue claims.
- Trial-Ready Case Building: We prepare cases for litigation from the start, strengthening settlement posture and deterring low offers.
- Proven High-Value Results: Million-dollar recoveries in serious motor vehicle injury cases.
- Partner-Level Leadership: A leadership team built for complex litigation, including appellate capability when outcomes are challenged.
- No Fees Unless We Win: Free consultation, contingency representation, and no upfront attorney’s fees.
Car Accident Claims in Florida: What Matters and Why
Florida’s No-Fault System and PIP Coverage
Florida’s no-fault framework generally requires injured drivers and passengers to first look to their own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage for medical bills and certain wage losses, regardless of who caused the crash.
In serious injury cases, PIP is often insufficient because it is limited and does not typically reflect the full cost of injuries that require advanced treatment or long-term care.
When a crash causes a significant injury, the claim may involve additional avenues of recovery beyond PIP, including claims against an at-fault driver or other responsible parties, and potentially other available insurance coverage.
When Car Accident Victims Can Pursue a Claim Against the At-Fault Driver
Many serious injury cases involve pursuing compensation beyond PIP. That typically depends on the nature of the injuries and the legal threshold that applies in Florida for stepping outside the no-fault system.
Kemp Law evaluates whether a claim can and should be pursued against an at-fault party based on:
- The severity and duration of injuries
- The medical and functional impact over time
- The available evidence establishing fault
- The insurance coverage available to pay the claim
The Legal Foundation: Negligence
Most car accident cases are negligence cases. Proving negligence generally requires four elements:
- Duty of Care. Drivers must operate responsibly, follow traffic laws, and take reasonable steps to avoid harming others.
- Breach of Duty. The driver failed to act reasonably—through inattention, unsafe driving conduct, or violations of traffic rules.
- Causation. The breach caused the crash and the injuries. This often becomes a dispute when insurers argue injuries were not caused by the collision or were “pre-existing.”
- Damages. The crash resulted in measurable harm—medical costs, time away from work, ongoing limitations, and the human impact of pain and disruption.
Insurers frequently challenge fault, medical causation, and damages at the same time. A strong claim is built to address all three.
Common Liability Issues in Clearwater Car Accident Cases
Fault Is Not Always a One-Person Question
Car accident liability is sometimes straightforward. Other times, it is layered.
Depending on the facts, responsible parties may include:
- A negligent driver
- A vehicle owner (separate from the driver)
- An employer (if the at-fault driver was working)
- A rideshare driver’s applicable insurance framework
- A business or contractor in certain scenarios involving unsafe parking areas or negligent maintenance
- A manufacturer in rare cases involving defects that caused or worsened injuries
Florida’s Modified Comparative Negligence Structure
Florida applies a modified comparative negligence framework. If an injured person is found partially at fault, compensation can be reduced by that percentage. Fault allocation is often a major contested issue in significant injury cases, especially when insurers attempt to shift blame to reduce what they owe.
Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle
Kemp Law represents clients in all types of serious motor vehicle collision claims, including:
- Rear-end collisions and chain-reaction crashes
- Intersection/T-bone collisions
- Left-turn failure-to-yield crashes
- Multi-vehicle collisions
- High-speed impact crashes
- Distracted driving accidents
- Hit and run accidents
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist claims
- Rideshare-related crashes (Uber/Lyft)
- Commercial vehicle and delivery-driver crashes
- Catastrophic injury collision claims
- Wrongful death claims
Clearwater traffic corridors like US-19 and Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard (SR-60) see heavy volume and frequent high-impact collision dynamics. When the consequences are serious, the claim needs to be developed with the same seriousness.
What Compensation Can Include After a Serious Crash
Every case is unique, but a car accident claim may seek compensation for:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Rehabilitation and therapy
- Lost wages and loss of earning capacity
- Costs tied to disability or long-term limitations
- Pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life (when legally available)
- Out-of-pocket costs tied to recovery
- Property damage, when applicable
Serious injury claims often require more than adding bills. They require documenting future needs and proving long-term impact.
How the Legal Process Works
A serious car accident case generally follows a disciplined progression:
- Case evaluation and coverage analysis. Liability, injury severity, and available insurance coverage are assessed.
- Evidence development. The claim is built using the proof needed to establish fault and defend the value of damages.
- Damages documentation. Records and supporting documentation are organized to reflect the full impact of the injuries, now and going forward.
- Demand and negotiation. Insurers are approached with a complete, defensible claim file.
- Litigation when necessary. When a fair resolution is not offered, litigation may be required to pursue appropriate compensation.
Complex claims often require thorough investigation and complete damages documentation. The goal is a fair resolution supported by evidence and, when needed, effective presentation in court.
Deadlines for Filing a Clearwater Car Accident Claim
Florida has strict deadlines for filing many negligence-based lawsuits, and many car accident claims are subject to a two-year limitations period.
Missing the deadline can bar recovery. A consultation can confirm the deadline that applies to your facts and whether any exceptions may apply.
Call for a FREE Consultation: (727) 788-6792
If you were injured in a Clearwater car accident, Kemp Law is ready to evaluate your case and explain your legal options with straight answers and trial-ready representation.
Call (727) 788-6792 or contact us online for a free consultation.
