Representative Cases from our personal injury law firm in tampa
If you or a loved one has experienced a car, truck, or motorcycle accident, or a fall, violent attack, pedestrian accident, or any other negligence-related cause, contact us for help. The staff in our personal injury law firm in Tampa, FL, is known for its compassion and support. We are particularly sensitive to the needs of families of loved ones who have become permanently debilitated or suffered a death due to the carelessness or oversight of another person.
Over the years our brain injury attorney in Tampa, FL, has successfully represented a number of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) cases. A number of cases have also come through our firm in which clients have suffered mild traumatic brain injuries commonly known as "concussions,” especially from motor vehicle accidents. Through those experiences we have built relationships with some of the best brain injury doctors and rehabilitation centers in Hillsborough County.
Our wrongful death attorney in Tampa, FL, has worked with the survivors of those who have passed away due to the negligence of another person. It is extremely difficult for most people to know what to do when a loved suddenly dies. So, we provide a guide to assist loved ones of people who die suddenly and help them in the death, funeral, and health benefits situations.
Auto Accident: $1,250,000.00 Settlement Traumatic Brain Injury
Our client, a commercial driver was struck by an elderly man who made an illegal turn directly in the path of our client who was driving through an intersection and had no way to avoid the collision. The force of the crash was so great that our client was knocked unconscious and had to be removed from his vehicle by witnesses who were present nearby and came to his aid. Medical examinations revealed that our client suffered several back and neck disk herniations along with a significant traumatic brain injury. Attorney James Souza obtained a local restaurant’s security camera video that caught the entire crash and obtained a $1,250.000.00 settlement for our client.
Auto Accident: $165,000.00 Settlement Closed Head Injury
Our client was a passenger in a car driven by a drinking driver when another car pulled in front of them causing a terrible car on a country road late at night. The other driver died from her injuries and our client had broken bones and internal injuries. Later medical exams showed that our client, a college student, had suffered a traumatic brain injury and had to withdraw from school. Our office ended up filing claims against the decedent driver for causing the accident. We also brought a separate action against our client’s driver for driving after consuming alcoholic beverages and for excessive speeding. We were also able to obtain an Underinsured Motorist (UM) settlement with our client’s own insurance company.
Auto Accident with Traumatic Brain Injury: $150,000.00 Insurance Policy Limits
Our client, a single mom with two children was involved in a terrible collision when another car darted out in front of her. Both cars were totaled and our client was struck in the face when the air bags deployed. From the beginning of the case, our office suspected that she suffered a significant concussion and possible brain injury (TBI). We referred the client to a noted Neurologist who diagnosed her with a TBI which prompted the insurance companies to tender full policy limits before filing a lawsuit.
Automobile Accident Traumatic Brain Injury: $150,000.00 Insurance Policy Limits
The Client’s vehicle caught on fire after being struck by a negligent driver. He was rescued just before his truck exploded. The client suffered several serious injuries including a closed head injury and a broken back. Attorney James Souza settled this case for the insurance policy limits.
Auto Accident: Traumatic Brain Injury: Confidential Settlement
Client was stopped in traffic when he was struck in the rear by a driver who had dozed off at the wheel. The estimated speed at impact was 45 mph. Our client driving a large pickup truck that suffered very little visible damage. Attorney James Souza hired an accident damage expert who lifted up the pickup truck and found that the rear trailer hitch had been bent more than three inches and the rear truck frame showed buckling damage. This evidence proved that the pickup truck was struck by a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed.
Our client’s traumatic brain injury was proven by brain scans and neuropsychiatric testing. His thought processing decreased significantly after the crash. Attorney James Souza recognized the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and was able to persuade both the other person’s insurance company and the client’s Underinsured Motorist (UM) carrier to agree to a significant settlement for this case.
Automobile Accident: $150,000.00 Insurance Policy Limits
A mother of four children was rear ended while stopped at a traffic light. The woman who struck her jeep claimed that her foot slipped off her vehicle’s brake pedal causing the crash. Our client endured a painful spinal surgery and subsequent rehabilitation. She also suffered a closed head injury. Attorney James Souza settled this case for the maximum insurance policy limits prior to litigation.
Wrongful Death: Auto Accident – Settlement Confidential.
A home-healthcare nurse was killed when she made a left turn and was struck by an SUV traveling at a high rate of speed on a 35 mph road. An investigation of the SUV’s “black box” revealed that the teenage driver was speeding at almost 80 mph just 3 seconds before the crash negating the argument that the nurse had made initiated the crash by turning in front of the SUV.
Auto Accident: $100,000.00 Insurance Policy Limits
Our client underwent knee surgery for injuries he suffered when his truck overturned after being struck by a car making a left turn in front of him. The client had no previous knee problems and was forced to walk with a can for several months. Attorney James Souza spent months investigating this case before locating the proper auto insurance coverage.
Auto Accident caused by improperly placed dumpster: $80,000.00
Motel owners illegally places dumpster on the corner of motel property obscuring the vison of driver who doesn’t see an approaching automobile. Attorney James Souza represented the ticketed driver who pulled into the intersection and was struck on the right by an oncoming driver. Our client’s view of the intersection was severely restricted by the placement of the dumpster close to the roadway.
Attorney James Souza found that the motel owner did not get permission from the city for the construction of the concrete pad and the placement of the dumpster leading the way to motel owner conceding that it was partially responsible for causing the auto accident that permanently injured our elderly client. Settlement Confidential before trial.
Auto Accident: Client asked for $75,000.00 at Mediation and got it!
Letter carrier was delivering mail in Palm Harbor when his mail truck was struck by an elderly woman. Despite suffering significant blows in the crash, the mailman came to the other driver’s aid when he saw that her car was on fire. Our client even saved the women’s dog who was trapped inside the burning car. Attorney James Souza filed a lawsuit after the women’s insurance company refused to negotiate fairly. When the case went to mediation, our client stated what he believed was a fair settlement value for the case. The insurance company agreed and paid our client exactly what he requested.
Clergy Abuse: $845,000.00
Attorney James Souza represented several adult victims of clergy abuse against a single perpetrator whose previous history of abusing children was concealed by his employer for many years. Our clients were all from one church and each one of them has suffered lifelong harm from the childhood abuse several decades earlier. The church that employed the abusive clergy member (long deceased) agreed to provide settlements to our clients despite having no legal obligation as the statute of limitations had long since expired in this situation.
Dog Bite Letter Carrier and a Little Boy: $100,000.00
A Pinellas Park letter carrier was delivering mail at a house when two Rottweiler dogs came from around the house cornering and pouncing on the mailman who suffered severe bite wounds and Post Traumatic Stress from the ordeal. Attorney James Souza made effective use of the local tv news coverage by creating a settlement video that convince the dogs owner’s insurance company to settle the case for a significant amount.
While interviewing witnesses of the attack, Attorney James Souza met with a 7-year-old boy who was also attacked by the same vicious dogs when his father went to the aid of the fallen mailman. The Rottweilers broke off their attack of the mailman and turned their attention toward the young boy chasing him down the street before knocking the boy down. The dogs bit and ripped at the child’s arms until the boy’s father pried the dogs off his son.
The dog owner’s insurance company had already visited the young boy’s parents and written them a check for $10,000.00 on the spot. Attorney James Souza advised the parents that the insurance company check was inadequate. Attorney James Souza sent the dog owners insurance company a scathing letter stating that the family would sue unless they received more reasonable compensation for the boys numerous injuries. Despite obtaining a Release from the boy’s parents, the insurance company relented and ultimately agreed to pay a significant settlement many times greater than their original $10,000.00 check.
Home Invasion: Settlement $100,000.00 Insurance Policy Limits.
Our client, a single woman lived alone in a two-story duplex. One the first night after she moved in, an intruder entered through a window that had a broken lock. Once inside, the man brutally attacked and beat the woman leaving only after ransacking the apartment. The police investigation revealed that the window locks were old and did not meet city codes. The apartment building owner had just told the client that he would have a locksmith over in the morning to fix the lock on the window that was facing the street. Attorney James Souza personally walked up and down that street talking to people who lived there and interviewed several people who expressed concerns that recent burglaries and street crime had made the entire street very unsafe.
Pedestrian Struck by SUV: $75,000.00
While there was only scant evidence that our client was struck by an oncoming SUV while taking a walk in her neighborhood, the client had many pre-existing health problems that were aggravated by this accident. Her condition prevented her from carrying for her children for weeks at a time. She was not able to perform housework or even simple chores. She was forced to stop tutoring children as she was accustomed.
Cell phone distraction causing collision with motorcycle: $100,000.00
A large SUV struck our client who was riding a motorcycle. The client fell to the pavement and suffered severe burns to his legs and back. The driver of the SUV admitted to police that he was dialing his cell phone moments before the accident. Our client had no insurance of any kind and was indigent at the time of the accident. Attorney James Souza personally negotiated a $54,000.00 hospital lien down to a $5,000.00 payment. This case was settled for insurance policy limits prior to litigation. This case was settled for insurance policy limits just 23 days after the accident.
Apartment Complex Negligence: Confidential Settlement
A maintenance worker at a Clearwater, Florida apartment complex drove up to an apartment in a work electric cart while several small children were playing nearby. After the man left the keys in the cart, one of the children, a 5-year-old boy got in the cart and began to pretend that he was driving the cart. The child stepped on the cart’s accelerator causing the cart to lurch forward crashing into his 6-year-old brother and breaking his leg.
Despite the apartment complex denying any liability, Attorney James Souza hired safety experts to examine the safety practices of the apartment complex. Our investigation found that the apartment complex had very few safety practices and had hired many unsavory persons to work there including the maintenance man who disappeared after the incident and did not speak to police.
City Park Rape
A woman visiting a city park with her 4 children was attacked and raped in front of her children by a 12-year-old boy brandishing a toy gun. The case made national headlines because of its sensational facts. The attack took place in an area of overgrown brush that concealed the parties. The city park official admitted that the area should have been cleaned up and that other people had been using that spot to conceal all kinds of improper and illicit behavior for some time before our client’s attack. The boy was later tried as an adult and sent to prison. The City of Tampa did the right thing and agreed to our settlement offer during mediation.
Slip and Fall Walmart: Confidential Settlement
Attorney James Souza agreed to settle a lawsuit brought on behalf of 65-year-old woman who slipped and fell in Walmart. Client fell on a piece of plant material and suffered severe back injury resulting in multiple surgeries. Walmart had previously denied liability and aggressively fought the case all the way up to trial before agreeing to pay a fair and just settlement for our elderly client.
Motorcycle Accident: $100,000.00 Insurance Policy Limits
Our client suffered a broken leg and was hospitalized after a car hit his motorcycle and sending him crashing to the pavement. Our office stepped in, and within just 11 days of being retained, Attorney James Souza compelled the driver’s insurance company to tender the maximum policy limits of $100,000.00.
Senior Citizen sues and wins False Arrest case: Confidential Settlement.
A 72-year old St. Petersburg man was arrested and charged with Grand theft after disputing a credit card purchase with an auto body shop. The auto body shop owner sought our client’s arrest after the client’s credit card company awarded the client part of his purchase price after determining that the auto body shop was guilty of providing inferior service. The client suffered extensive psychological injuries from being arrested on unfounded charges. Just days before the trial, the auto body shop agreed to pay our client a fair and just settlement of his claim.
Medical Malpractice Causes Wrongful Death: Confidential Settlement
A 35-year-old woman died of Pulmonary Emboli (Blood Clots) following a partial hysterectomy. The hospital failed to keep adequate admission records that would have made her ineligible for surgery. The operating surgeon also failed to examine the woman’s admission chart and failed to address her existing medical conditions prior to the operation. Our expert Gynecologist concluded that our client was not a candidate for surgery.
Medical Malpractice: Misdiagnosis Cancer Confidential Settlement:
A nationally recognized Cancer Research and Treatment Center gave our client the wrong type of Chemotherapy as part of his cancer treatment. He was forced to undergo an additional chemotherapy regimen due to the mistake. The Cancer Center admitted its error and provided the client with a significant settlement at a pre-suit mediation.
