Clearwater Car Accident Lawyer
Getting your medical bills paid, your lost wages replaced, and a fair settlement from an insurer that would rather pay less starts with knowing which rules govern a Florida crash claim. King Law Group is a criminal defense firm serving Clearwater, Pinellas County, and the wider Tampa Bay area, and a serious crash in this region often has a criminal side that decides how everything else plays out. If you are searching for a Clearwater car accident lawyer, it helps to know that the same collision that produces an injury claim can also produce a DUI, vehicular homicide, or reckless driving investigation.
That overlap matters more than most drivers realize. A statement you give to an insurance adjuster, a police officer, or a claims investigator can follow you into a courtroom. Florida’s recent changes to negligence law also mean that a driver found mostly at fault can walk away with nothing. So the first questions after a crash are practical ones: what you say, who you say it to, and whether anyone is looking at your conduct behind the wheel.
King Law Group focuses its work on the criminal defense side of crashes: the charges that can follow a collision and the license consequences that come with them. If you were the driver who may have caused the crash, it explains where criminal exposure begins.
Why Choose King Law Group When a Crash Raises Criminal Questions
King Law Group is a Tampa Bay criminal defense practice led by founder Cameron King, a Tampa Bay native who handles criminal matters and nothing else. The firm represents people charged with crimes across Clearwater, New Port Richey, St. Petersburg, Tampa, and the rest of Pasco, Pinellas, and Hillsborough Counties. Because the firm does not split its attention across other areas of law, the attorney on a case is working from a deep and narrow base of criminal knowledge.
Cameron King earned his law degree from Florida State University, where he concentrated his studies in criminal law. He then worked as a Florida state prosecutor, handling everything from murder to DUI, and later spent years as a defense attorney at a prominent litigation firm. That means he has sat on both sides of the table in cases that start with a collision. He knows how prosecutors evaluate a crash report, what they look for in impairment cases, and where their evidence tends to be thin.
Former clients describe him as honest, straightforward, effective, and a tireless advocate. Several testimonials mention that he explains every detail at each stage, returns calls quickly, and listens to the full story before giving advice. The firm is available around the clock and offers a free case evaluation, which matters when a crash happens at 2 a.m. and a decision about talking to police cannot wait.
Crash-Related Charges and Situations That Follow a Clearwater Collision
- DUI Causing Property Damage or Injury: A DUI that damages another person’s property or injures someone is charged as a first-degree misdemeanor, which carries up to one year in jail. Crashes along US-19, Gulf to Bay Boulevard, and the Courtney Campbell Causeway are common starting points for these arrests.
- DUI Manslaughter: Causing the death of a person or unborn child while driving under the influence is a second-degree felony with a mandatory minimum prison term of four years and permanent license revocation.
- Vehicular Homicide: A death caused by reckless driving can be charged even without alcohol. Under Trenton’s Law, a prior conviction for DUI manslaughter or vehicular homicide elevates a new vehicular homicide charge from a second-degree to a first-degree felony.
- Leaving the Scene of a Crash: Drivers who panic and leave after a collision can face separate charges on top of any traffic citation, and the choice to flee often becomes the most damaging fact in the file.
- Reckless Driving and Serious Traffic Offenses: Speed-related and aggressive-driving crashes can bring criminal charges as well as civil liability, and a conviction can be used as evidence of fault in a later injury claim.
- Driving on a Suspended License at the Time of a Crash: Knowingly driving on a suspended license is a second-degree misdemeanor on a first conviction and a first-degree misdemeanor after that. A crash during a suspension tied to DUI or a prior serious traffic offense can push repeat offenses into felony territory.
- Probation Violations After a New Crash: A new arrest or citation after a collision can trigger a violation hearing if you are already on probation, and DUI probation in Florida includes monthly reporting and a state-licensed substance abuse course.
What to Do in the Hours and Days After a Clearwater Crash
Start with safety and medical care. Call 911, accept an ambulance if paramedics recommend one, and get evaluated even if you feel fine. Adrenaline hides injuries, and a gap between the crash and your first treatment is something insurers use to argue you were not really hurt. If you can do so safely, photograph the vehicles, the road, the traffic signals, and any visible injuries before anything is moved.
When officers arrive, give your name, license, registration, and insurance information. Beyond that, keep your answers short and factual. You have the right to remain silent, and anything you say to a law enforcement officer can be used against you. This applies to you whether you were hurt or whether you may be blamed. Do not guess about speed, do not apologize in a way that sounds like an admission, and do not discuss how much you had to drink or whether you took medication. If an officer begins treating the crash as a criminal investigation, ask for a lawyer and stop answering questions.
Be careful with the other driver’s insurance company. Adjusters often call within a day or two and ask for a recorded statement. You are not required to give one, and doing so before you understand your injuries or your own exposure is a common and costly mistake. The same goes for social media. Posts about the crash, your activities, or your drinking can end up in both a civil file and a criminal one.
Pay attention to the clock. Florida cut the filing deadline for most negligence claims from four years to two for causes of action that arose on or after March 24, 2023. Wrongful death claims also generally run two years. Claims that arose before that date kept the older four-year window. Because the rules are tied to when the claim accrued, confirm your deadline early rather than late.
Criminal cases from Clearwater crashes are heard in the Sixth Judicial Circuit, which covers Pasco and Pinellas Counties. The Pinellas County Justice Center in Clearwater is the main criminal facility for the county and houses the circuit and county courts and the Clerk of Court. If your crash happened in Pasco County, cases are handled at the West Pasco Judicial Center in New Port Richey or the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center in Dade City. Crashes in Tampa and the rest of Hillsborough County fall under the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit.
How Florida’s Fault Rules Affect Crash Claims
Florida used to allow an injured person to recover something even if they were mostly responsible for the crash. That changed with HB 837, signed March 24, 2023. Under the current rule in section 768.81, a party found more than 50 percent at fault for their own harm cannot recover damages in a negligence action. If you are 50 percent at fault or less, your recovery is reduced by your share. A person found 50.1 percent responsible recovers nothing.
That threshold makes the evidence about who did what extremely important, and it is where the criminal and civil sides of a crash collide. A DUI arrest, a citation for running a signal, or a statement you made at the scene can all be used to push your percentage of fault higher. If you were charged with a crime from the crash, the outcome of that case can affect your civil position, and the reverse can also be true.
For drivers accused of causing a crash while impaired, the consequences extend well past the courtroom. A first DUI conviction brings a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $1,000 and up to six months in jail. If the blood or breath alcohol level was 0.15 or higher, or a passenger under 18 was in the vehicle, the fine range rises to $1,000 to $2,000 and the maximum jail term to nine months. A breath alcohol level of 0.08 or more grams per 210 liters of breath meets one definition of DUI. A first conviction means license revocation of at least 180 days and up to one year, while a first offense involving bodily injury carries a minimum three-year revocation under the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles guidelines. A second conviction within five years means revocation of at least five years.
Questions Clearwater Drivers Ask After a Crash
Does King Law Group handle car accident injury claims?
King Law Group is a criminal defense firm. Our work centers on the charges and license consequences that can follow a collision, such as DUI, vehicular homicide, reckless driving, and driving on a suspended license. If you need help recovering compensation for injuries, we can discuss how a pending criminal matter may affect that process.
Should I talk to the other driver’s insurance company?
You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer, and doing so early can hurt you. Adjusters are trained to ask questions that narrow your claim or shift fault. Give basic identifying information and let a lawyer handle the rest if there is any question about blame or criminal exposure.
How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Florida?
For negligence claims that arose on or after March 24, 2023, the deadline is two years. Claims that arose before that date kept the four-year window. Wrongful death claims generally run two years as well. Cite the general rule in section 95.11 of the Florida Statutes and confirm the exact deadline for your situation early.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
Under current Florida law, you can still recover if you are 50 percent responsible or less, but your recovery is reduced by your percentage. If you are found more than 50 percent at fault, you recover nothing. This is why fault evidence, including any criminal charge arising from the crash, carries so much weight.
Can police use what I say at the scene against me?
Yes. Statements to officers can be used in a criminal case, and they can also surface in a civil claim. Keep your answers short and factual, and do not discuss alcohol, medication, or fault. You may ask for a lawyer at any point.
Can a DUI crash lead to felony charges?
Yes. A DUI that causes property damage or injury is a first-degree misdemeanor. A DUI that kills someone is DUI manslaughter, a second-degree felony with a mandatory minimum prison term of four years. A death caused by reckless driving can be charged as vehicular homicide, a felony.
What is Trenton’s Law?
It is a Florida law that took effect October 1, 2025. It raises vehicular homicide and vessel homicide from a second-degree to a first-degree felony when the accused has a prior conviction for DUI manslaughter, BUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, or vessel homicide.
Will a criminal case from a crash be handled the same way as a civil injury case?
No. A criminal case is brought by the state attorney and aims at punishment, such as jail, fines, probation, and license revocation. A civil injury case is brought by the injured person and aims at money damages. They run on separate tracks, but what happens in one can influence the other.
How long does a crash-related criminal case take in Pinellas County?
It depends on the charge and the evidence. Misdemeanors can resolve in months, while felony cases involving serious injury or death take considerably longer because of blood results, accident reconstruction, and medical records. Your lawyer can give a realistic estimate once the charges and evidence are known.
Can I lose my license after a crash even if I am not convicted?
License problems can start before a conviction. A DUI arrest can bring an administrative suspension through the state’s licensing agency, separate from the criminal case. Convictions then bring their own revocation periods, so it is worth addressing the license issue at the same time as the criminal charge.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer if the crash was minor?
If there are no criminal charges, no injuries, and no dispute over fault, you may not need one. But if there is any suspicion of impairment, an injury, or a disagreement about who caused the crash, a short consultation can save you from statements and decisions that are hard to undo.
Can a prior DUI affect a new crash case?
Yes. Prior convictions raise fines, jail exposure, and license revocation periods. A second DUI conviction within five years carries a revocation of at least five years, and a third within ten years means at least ten years. Four DUI convictions mean permanent revocation.
Serving Clearwater and Tampa Bay Crash and Traffic Defense Clients
We represent drivers throughout Clearwater and Pinellas County, including Clearwater Beach, Countryside, Dunedin, Safety Harbor, Oldsmar, Largo, Belleair, Belleair Bluffs, Indian Rocks Beach, Seminole, Pinellas Park, and St. Petersburg. Our work also reaches into Pasco County, including New Port Richey, Port Richey, Holiday, Hudson, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, and Dade City, and Hillsborough County, including Tampa, Brandon, Plant City, Temple Terrace, and Riverview.
Crashes in these communities often involve the same corridors, from US-19 and Gulf to Bay to the bridges and causeways that connect Pinellas to Tampa. Whether the arrest followed a collision on a neighborhood street or a major highway, King Law Group helps drivers across the Tampa Bay area deal with the criminal charges and license consequences that come with it.
Talk to a Clearwater Car Accident Attorney About the Criminal Side of Your Crash
If a crash has left you facing a DUI, a vehicular homicide investigation, or any other criminal charge, speak with a Clearwater car accident attorney who understands how those cases are built and defended. Cameron King and the King Law Group team are available 24/7 and offer a free case evaluation. Call today so you know where you stand before you make another statement or decision.
