St. Petersburg Aviation Accident Lawyer Near Me

Did you sustain injuries in an aviation or airplane accident in St. Petersburg, Florida? If so, you may have the right to pursue a claim against the at-fault party. With the help of Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys, you can demand and recover compensation for your financial losses, pain and suffering, and more.

We’re a premier personal injury law firm with significant resources and a well-established track record of success. Our St. Petersburg aviation accident lawyers have more than 25 years of combined experience practicing law, and we’ve recovered millions of dollars for our deserving clients in cases like St.Petersburg catastrophic injuries, St.Petersburg brain injuries, St. Petersburg premises liability, wrongful death medical malpractice, maritime accidents and more.

Contact our law office in St. Petersburg today at (727) 933-0015. We offer a free consultation where you can receive legal advice and have the chance to speak with an attorney about your case.

How Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys Can Help After an Aviation Accident in St. Petersburg

How Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys Can Help After an Aviation Accident in St. Petersburg

Aviation accidents occur relatively rarely compared to car crashes and most other personal injury scenarios. However, that fact doesn’t make them any less impactful when they do happen. On the contrary, accidents involving airplanes tend to be some of the most terrifying and unexpected. 

If another party’s negligence caused you harm in a St. Petersburg, FL, aviation accident, you deserve total compensation for your losses. Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys can help you throughout the process while you heal from your injuries. Once you hire us, our award-winning St. Petersburg personal injury lawyers can get to work by:

  • Enlisting the help of experts as needed to evaluate your damages and bolster your claim
  • Undertaking a thorough internal investigation into your aviation accident
  • Collecting the necessary evidence to prove your claim on your behalf
  • Handling all the negotiations, paperwork, and communications with the opposing party
  • Filing a lawsuit against the at-fault party and bringing your case to a Pinellas County courthouse if need be

Want to start forming an attorney-client relationship? Just call us today to set up your free initial case evaluation. 

How Often Do Aviation Accidents Take Place?

Aviation accidents occur more often than many people might assume. According to data from the National Safety Council (NSC), there were 1,225 airplane accidents across the country in 2021, up from 1,139 in 2020. There were also 376 fatalities from these accidents in 2021 and 349 in 2020. In 2021, all but 4 of those fatalities occurred onboard the aircraft.

More robust statistics are available from the United States Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). According to BTS numbers, there has been a noticeable downward trend in overall aviation accidents in recent years compared with the early 2000s. However, the number has still remained consistently around 1,200.

Notably, the vast majority of these accidents and fatalities occur in the general aviation realm as opposed to commercial aircraft operations.

How Valuable Is My St. Petersburg Aviation Accident Case?

The value of your St. Petersburg aviation accident case will depend on many factors. Accurately assessing how much a case is worth sometimes requires expert assistance, but the evaluation process is necessary for demanding adequate compensation. Considerations such as the following may influence a case’s value:

  • Type and severity of your injuries
  • The availability and amount of evidence in support of your claim
  • Your age at the time of the accident and whether you will make a full recovery
  • Who the at-fault party is (for instance, a private individual vs. a corporation)

The more serious and life-altering your injuries are, the more your case tends to be worth. However, that is just one factor to consider amongst many others. At Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys, we work hard to maximize the value of the cases we take on. That means, in part, cutting no corners in the evaluation process.

What Can I Receive Compensation for After an Aviation Accident in St. Petersburg, FL?

You can recover economic and non-economic damages following an aviation accident in St. Petersburg, Florida. Together, these are referred to as “compensatory damages.” 

Economic damages represent your financial losses, including:

Non-economic damages represent your other kinds of losses, such as:

In extreme cases involving egregious conduct from the at-fault party, punitive damages might also be available. However, punitive damages are not usually awarded in personal injury cases.

What Are Some of the Common Causes of St. Petersburg Aviation Accidents?

Oftentimes, but not always, aviation and airplane accidents happen at the takeoff or landing stage. Identifying the cause of your aviation accident could be helpful in determining whom to demand compensation from. Common causes include the following:

  • Pilot error
  • Defective parts, machinery, or design
  • Weather conditions
  • Insufficient inspection procedures
  • Pilot fatigue or inexperience
  • Air traffic control mistakes
  • Communication errors
  • Alcohol or drug use

If you choose our St. Petersburg aviation accident attorneys to represent you, we’ll be able to conduct a thorough internal investigation into your case to arrive at your best course of legal action.

We’ll Work Hard To Secure Compensation for All of Your Aviation Accident Injuries

Depending on the nature of the situation, an aviation accident can cause extremely debilitating injuries. We can help you fight for compensation after suffering any of the following injuries:

If you’ve recently been hurt in an airplane accident in St. Petersburg, our personal injury attorneys can help. Contact us today to set up a free case review and for further information.

How Do I Prove Liability for an Aviation Accident in St. Petersburg, Florida?

Most aviation accident cases require proving that the at-fault party was negligent. Establishing liability in a negligence case entails demonstrating the following four legal elements:

However, some airplane accident cases are based on strict liability instead of negligence, such as those based on a defective product. In those cases, the at-fault party can be liable even if they weren’t negligent.

As the personal injury victim, you must submit evidence in favor of each legal element involved in your case. Specifically, you must provide enough proof to meet the “by a preponderance of the evidence” standard, which means enough to show each element is more likely true than otherwise.

Types of evidence you can bring include:

  • Medical records
  • Expert testimony and analysis
  • Photo and video evidence
  • Data from the aircraft carrier, airport, or other relevant entity

Aviation accident cases can be especially complex in some instances. Nonetheless, our St. Petersburg personal injury lawyers are more than up to the task. Reach out today if you have any questions or would like to begin the process of recovering compensation for your injuries.

What Is the Deadline for Filing an Aviation Accident Claim in Florida?

Florida’s statute of limitations sets a deadline of two years for filing most personal injury claims, including those based on aviation accidents. Prior to March 24, 2023, the deadline to file most personal injury lawsuits was four years, but Florida updated its law. Therefore, if your St. Petersburg aviation accident occurred after 3/24/23, you’ll be subject to the two-year limit.

However, the deadline is different for some types of cases. For example, you may have less time to file your claim if you intend to sue a government entity or were injured on an international flight. 

You will lose your ability to recover compensation if you submit your claim too late. As a result, we recommend contacting us as soon as possible if you are unsure of the appropriate deadline for your case. We can inform you of how much time you have during your free consultation.

Schedule a Free Case Review With an Experienced St. Petersburg Aviation Accident Attorney

Aviation accidents are sometimes extreme events that cause life-changing injuries and damages. If another person or entity’s careless acts were the culprit, they should be held financially liable for every negative consequence they’ve imposed upon you.

Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys is one of the most well-regarded law firms in the area. Our trusted St. Petersburg aviation accident lawyers can expend every necessary effort and resource to help you secure a favorable outcome. We also work for a contingency fee, which means you won’t pay us attorney’s fees unless we win or settle your claim. Call us to schedule a free consultation and learn about your legal rights and options.

Visit Our Personal Injury Office in St. Petersburg, FL

Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys
700 7th Ave N Suite B St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 933-0015

We are available 24/7 to take your call; contact us today.

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