Between January 1, 2025, and August 30, 2025, FLHSMV reports that Sarasota County had 4,255 auto crashes, with 2,840 injuries and 24 fatalities. Under Florida law, injured drivers and passengers in Sarasota County car wrecks have legal rights to recover damages against negligent drivers, companies, government entities and other responsible parties. A Sarasota car accident lawyer will navigate Florida’s complex no-fault Personal Injury Protection (PIP) system, help prove liability in car wrecks, and pursue maximum compensation for damages such as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Car accidents are a daily occurrence on Sarasota’s busy roads, from congested stretches of I-75 to local intersections along US-41 and Fruitville Road. These car crashes leave victims dealing with serious injuries, serious medical bills, and a serious road to physical and financial recovery. At Dannheisser Injury Law, we are a local law firm engrained in the local community, having spent more than 30 years in Sarasota fighting for Sarasota car wreck victims.
We are a small law firm that delivers big results. Because we are a small law firm, we treat our clients differently than larger settlement mills. Unlike other law firms, every client gets direct access to their attorney. You don’t have to deal with a case manager at Dannheisser Injury Law. You will have your attorney’s cell phone number and email address. Your attorney will thoroughly explain the legal process and personally prepare you for litigation. Your attorney will also take the time to fully understand your case, your injuries, and how what’s happened impacts your life. Our client-first, personalized approach sets us apart.
If you or a loved one is injured in a Sarasota car accident, choose a local law firm with the experience, resources, and client-centric approach to represent you. Call Dannheisser Injury Law at 941-365-7600, live chat with us on our website 24/7, or contact us online. We offer confidential, free consultations where we give an honest opinion about your case.
Between January 1, 20205, and August 28, 2025, Sarasota experienced a significant number of auto accidents, injuries, and fatalities involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, pedestrians, and bicycles. According to the FLHSMV during that timeframe, Sarasota County had nearly 18 auto accidents per day, with just over 8 of the accidents resulting in injury.
Florida’s Modified Comparative Negligence Rule.
As of March 2023, Florida follows a modified comparative negligence system. If you are found partially at fault for your accident, your recovery is reduced by your percentage at fault. If you are found more than 50% responsible for the car crash, you cannot recover any damages.
For example, if you are awarded $100,000 but found 20% at fault, your recovery is reduced to $80,000. If you are awarded $100,000 but found 51% at fault, your recovery is reduced to $0.
Florida’s No-Fault Insurance System: Personal Injury Protection (PIP).
Florida requires drivers to carry $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) car insurance coverage. This coverage is meant to pay for medical bills and lost wages, regardless of fault. However, PIP coverage is limited and often exhausted quickly after a serious car accident.
The PIP system can be complicated. Consulting a Sarasota car accident attorney ensures you don’t miss opportunities to recover additional money for your injuries, long-term medical care, lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering.
Statute of Limitations for Florida Car Accidents.
Most car accident lawsuits must be filed within two years of the date of the car crash. This deadline, shortened in 2023, applies to both injury and wrongful death claims. If a lawsuit is not filed on time, you may lose the right to recover compensation entirely.
Evidence can disappear. Witness’s memories fade quickly. It’s critical to act as soon as possible after a car accident to protect your claim. Retaining Dannheisser Injury Law immediately following your car accident allows us to initiate an investigation, collect and preserve all evidence, and build a case to maximize your compensation before the statute of limitations runs out.
Damages available to victims of car accidents in Sarasota include but are not limited to:
Car accidents do not have to be high speed to cause serious injuries. In a case settled in 2025, we were able to secure our client $900,000 after they were involved in a car accident in Sarasota with an impact speed of just 11 MPH. Although the insurance company used a “low impact” defense, we successfully argued that our client’s neck injuries were significant enough to warrant such a substantial settlement. Ultimately, the insurance company agreed and settled the case for $900,000.
Whether you decide to settle with the other driver’s insurance or pursue compensation through a civil lawsuit, we are here to help you obtain the compensation you deserve following a vehicle wreck. When you hire our Sarasota car accident lawyers, you benefit from our years of experience. We have represented injury plaintiffs across the state and will put our knowledge and skills to work for you.
We have more than 30 years of personal injury trial experience. We also know that while waiting for their trial date, our clients often face financial challenges because of lost income, the need for vehicle repairs and mounting medical bills. We understand our clients’ challenges and we will never charge any lawyer fees until our clients are financially compensated for their losses. We want you to focus on recovering from your injuries, not your financial worries while we fight to recover the money you deserve. Let us use our resources and experience to help you get what you need while always keeping you up to date with the status of your litigation.
You only have two years from when the injury occurred to file a claim, so beginning the legal process immediately is wise. Our capable legal team members could answer any questions you have about a potential claim during a confidential consultation.
To speak with one of our car accident attorneys today, call us at 941-365-7600, fill out our contact form, or chat with us live on our website. All consultations are completely free, no-strings attached, and confidential. If we don’t think we can help, we will do our best to get you to someone who can.
SARASOTA PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS
Catastrophic injury lawsuits involve complex medical evidence, high financial stakes, and strong opposition from insurance companies. Our injury attorneys investigate, handle insurance companies and defense counsel, and seek maximum compensation through the use of medical and economic expert witnesses.
While you have an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit pending for a Florida car accident, you are responsible for your associated medical bills. However, there are several options to help manage these costs during litigation, including your health insurance, Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage when applicable, or medical liens. In the event of medical liens, medical providers can put a lien on the recovery of your car accident insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit so they get reimbursed their expenses from your ultimate compensation received.
After a lawsuit has been filed for your car accident, it can still be settled prior to trial. Most of the time, this is exactly what happens. However, in the unlikely event your case goes to trial, it would likely be for the following reasons:
According to US News, Florida car owners pay the highest insurance premiums in the nation, with an average annual car insurance rate of $3,289. An unfortunate result of these high premiums is there are a lot of uninsured drivers on Florida’s roads, with some estimates that roughly 1 in 5 drivers (20%) in Florida drive uninsured. In the event you’re involved in a car accident with an uninsured motorist, you typically can seek compensation from your own car insurance carrier under your uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) coverages. Additionally, you can likely file suit against the uninsured driver personally; however, it is unlikely that the uninsured driver will have the funds to pay whatever judgment you get against him or her. In instances where you’re in a car crash with an uninsured driver, your best recovery oftentimes results after you’ve retained a car accident lawyer who can navigate the legal process of filing a lawsuit against your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage.
Car accidents happen in a lot of different ways, and sometimes it may be determined that you are partially at fault for the accident. In these instances Florida Statutes § 768.81 allows you to still receive compensation after the car accident under its modified comparative negligence rule. Modified comparative negligence allows you to recover financially for damages suffered in a car accident as long as you are deemed 50% or less at fault for the car crash. However, your recovery is reduced in proportion to the percentage you are found at-fault for the accident. An easy example of this is: if after a car wreck your damages are $100,000 and you are found 25% at fault, your recovery is reduced by $25,000 to a total of $75,000.
According to Florida Statute § 95.11 the statute of limitations, or how long you have to file a lawsuit after a car accident in the state of Florida, is two years from the date of the accident. This means that during the two year period after your accident, you or your attorney must investigate the accident, gather whatever evidence is available (more on that later), determine all of the potentially liable parties for your injuries involved in the accident, and file the lawsuit.
Immediately following a car accident, here are the steps you should take to ensure the safety of everyone involved and to protect your future claim for compensation:
For an in-depth writeup on this, check out our blog What to Do After a Sarasota Car Accident.
