At Palmer Lopez, we are dedicated to championing the rights of those injured due to the negligence of others. As a personal injury law firm, we offer comprehensive legal services with a particular emphasis on medical malpractice. 

Our Tampa injury legal team combines a deep understanding of personal injury law with a specialized focus on medical malpractice cases, ensuring that every client receives expert representation tailored to their unique situation. 

Whether you are facing the aftermath of an auto accident or grappling with the consequences of a medical error, our commitment is to guide you toward justice and recovery.

Our personal injury practice areas

We provide skilled legal representation across various personal injury areas, ensuring that your rights are protected, and your voice is heard. 

Our practice areas include:

Medical malpractice: Our core expertise

At Palmer Lopez, we recognize the immense trust placed in healthcare professionals. When this trust is betrayed due to negligence or incompetence, leading to medical malpractice, it’s our mission to seek justice. 

Our firm stands committed to maintaining the high standards of medical care and holding professionals accountable.

Types of medical malpractice cases we handle

Our expertise spans a variety of medical malpractice cases, including:

Beyond medical malpractice: Advocating in cases of personal injury and wrongful death

While our focus is on medical malpractice, our expertise extends to a broader spectrum of personal injury cases, including wrongful death. Wrongful death can result from various scenarios, from medical malpractice to accidents and negligence:

• Auto and truck accidents. When fatal accidents are caused by negligence.
• Premises liability. Including slip and falls leading to fatal outcomes.
• Workplace accidents. Where safety breaches result in loss of life.
• Medical malpractice. Addressing deaths due to medical errors and negligence.

In every instance of wrongful death, our goal is to provide compassionate, comprehensive legal support to the families of the deceased, ensuring they receive the justice and compensation they deserve.

What are the deadlines for filing a personal injury claim?

In Florida, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is generally 2 years. This means that in most cases, you have 2 years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit.

However, there are circumstances in medical malpractice and wrongful death cases where this time limit can be tolled or extended.

Medical malpractice tolling

For cases involving medical malpractice, the statute of limitations is 2 years after the injury occurred or 2 years from the date the incident was discovered or should have been discovered with due diligence. 

This is because some injuries aren’t immediately evident after certain medical treatments or procedures and may only become known in time after seeking additional treatment or a second opinion from a different healthcare provider. 

However, Florida also has a statute of repose, which generally prohibits any medical malpractice lawsuit from being filed more than 4 years after the incident occurred, regardless of when it was discovered, with an exception for cases involving minors, fraud, concealment or intentional misrepresentation by a prospective defendant healthcare provider.

• Minors. Special rules apply to minors under certain circumstances. If the victim of medical malpractice is a child under the age of 8, the lawsuit can sometimes be extended to the child’s 8th birthday.
• Fraud or concealment. In cases where a healthcare provider has committed fraud or intentionally concealed the malpractice, the statute of limitations can be extended to 2 years from the date when the injury or fraud was discovered, but no more than 7 years from the date the malpractice occurred.

Wrongful death tolling

In wrongful death cases arising from medical malpractice, the statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of death. However, if the cause of death wasn’t immediately apparent and was discovered later, the discovery rule may apply, potentially extending the deadline up to 5 years from the date of death.

Because the laws for filing deadlines can be complex and exceptions can apply, it’s crucial to consult an attorney as soon as possible after an injury to ensure you don’t miss your chance to recover compensation.