What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do?

A personal injury lawyer works to recover money for people who were hurt because someone else was careless.

From the first call after a crash to a final settlement or trial, a personal injury lawyer handles the parts of a claim that most injured people never see.

Much of that work happens long before anyone sets foot in a courtroom.

What Types of Cases Do Personal Injury Lawyers Handle?

Personal injury covers almost any situation in which one person’s careless choices leave someone else injured. Car accidents are the most common source of these claims, but they are far from the only one. These are the situations that come up most often:

• Truck and motorcycle crashes
• Slip and falls on wet floors, broken stairs, or dark walkways
• Injuries from defective products or unsafe equipment
• Pedestrian and bicycle accidents
• Work injuries

No two claims look alike, so the value and difficulty of a case depend on the injury and the facts. A minor fender bender and a life-changing brain injury sit at opposite ends of the same practice area.

How Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Build Your Case?

Steady, careful work builds a strong claim. Most of it happens away from the courthouse, and Florida sets rules that shape every move along the way. What a personal injury lawyer does for your injury case typically involves:

• Investigating the accident and collecting evidence before it is lost
• Handling every call, letter, and form from the insurance company
• Pinning down who caused your injuries and why
• Adding up your medical bills, lost pay, and future costs
• Working with financial and medical professionals to calculate your claim’s value
• Pushing the insurer toward a fair settlement offer
• Filing a lawsuit and taking the case to trial when talks stall

Fault can determine how much you recover. Under Florida Statutes § 768.81, compensation generally falls in proportion to your share of blame and may be barred entirely if you are more than 50% at fault. Strong evidence helps keep disputed fault from reducing your claim.

How Do Personal Injury Lawyers Get Paid in Florida?

Almost every personal injury lawyer works on a contingency fee. You pay nothing up front, and no hourly bills pile up while your case moves forward. The fee instead comes out of the money recovered at the end, as a set share of your settlement or verdict.

That setup rewards results. No recovery means no fee, so there is a real reason to push for the largest fair number. Costs such as filing fees, expert reports, and accident reconstruction for car accidents are usually advanced and then repaid from the settlement. However, the exact terms should be written out before you sign anything.

How Serious Does an Injury Have to Be to File a Claim?

There is no minimum injury required, but severity drives the value. A sprained wrist and a traumatic brain injury can mean very different treatment costs and recovery timelines. The more an injury changes your daily life and future earnings, the more a claim is generally worth.

How Long Does a Personal Injury Case Take in Florida?

Straightforward claims may settle in a few months. In contrast, more serious cases often take a year or longer. The timeline depends on treatment, insurer disputes, and whether litigation is necessary. Settling before your medical outlook is clear may leave future costs unpaid.

Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer Who Will Go the Distance

Insurance adjusters begin building their defense as soon as an injury is reported, so delays can put your claim at a disadvantage. A personal injury lawyer prepared to take the case to trial can strengthen your negotiating position and challenge inadequate offers rather than rushing toward a quick settlement.

Partner With Our Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Today

Our firm is backed by an experienced team with more than 50 years of combined experience helping injured clients throughout Florida. We are committed to each case for the long haul rather than pushing for a quick settlement, and insurance companies know we are prepared to take a claim through trial when necessary.

A free case evaluation gives you a clear picture of what your claim is worth. Call Smith, Feddeler & Smith, P.A. at (863) 688-7766 or reach us online to set yours up. Insurance timelines move fast, so the day you start matters. Put our team to work on your claim today. We work on a contingency basis, so you owe nothing unless we win.

Office Location

Lakeland832 Florida Avenue South
Lakeland, FL 33801

(863) 312-1102

Brandon202 E Brandon Blvd. Suite 107
Brandon, FL 33511

(813) 527-3716

Kissimmee1101 Miranda Lane
Ste1331, Kissimmee, FL 34741

(407) 904-5445

Tampa100 S Ashley Drive
Suite 600, Tampa, FL 33602

(813) 859-5671

Orlando4700 Millenia Blvd
Orlando,FL 32839

(407) 553-3028

Clearwater13575 58th St North #200
Clearwater, FL 33760

(727) 914-5089

$1,200,000.00
Workers’ Compensation

Claimant worked as a tree guy and a giant limb fell on him. Claimant developed CRPS and ended up wheelchair bound. Our firm was successful in obtaining many benefits to the Claimant prior to settlement, including multiple home modifications, wheelchair ramps, authorization of medical specialist, and implantation of a spinal cord stimulator.

$350,000.00
Workers’ Compensation

Claimant worked as a bus driving and during an evacuation she jumped off the bus causing her to fall resulting in a serious back injury.

$269,671.00
Workers’ Compensation

Claimant worked performing clerical type job in an office. She was asked to carry a box down stairs when she slipped and fell down the flight of stairs injuring her head, neck and lefts arm / wrist / hand.

$220,100.00
Workers’ Compensation

Claimant worked for a temp service. He was helping to unload a trailer when his foot went through a board on the floor of the trailer causing his to fall, shattering his pelvis, and causing serious injury to his back, hip and head.

$1,223,423.00
Workers’ Compensation

Claimant worked as a selector / forklift driver. This case involved a specific injury to her right leg / knee. She continued to work which resulted in repetitive and cumulative trauma to the right knee and CRPS.

$630,000.00
Workers’ Compensation

Claimant worked for a transport company. One day he was forced to get under a trailer and while he was lifting and twisting, the Claimant injured his back and knee, which was left untreated until he retained representation and filed Petitions for Benefits. Unfortunately, the severity or the injury coupled with the delay in treatment caused the Claimant to developed CRPS.