Car Search, DUI/DWI, FAQ, Legal, Police Interaction, Why we serve

Can a Cop Make Me Stay?

Edward Reyes, Esq / October 31, 2019

Now on that same thing, because a lot of people out there they feel like they can’t leave. Law enforcement, they have more power over the person they’re pulling over as far as authority goes. A lot of times they come to the car and many people are scared. So, they feel like they can’t tell a cop no. What would happen if they tell a law enforcement officer, “No, you can’t search my car”? What can that law enforcement officer do? There are two things. One thing could be they can probably try to get a search warrant or if you can talk to us through that. The second thing is, what happens if that client, that person, says, “No, you cannot search my car”? I know that’s a fear for many people. Well, this is where the rubber meets the road or where theory and practice diverge because people feel like they are frequently overawed by the presence of a police officer, or it makes them very angry. Many people are very angered by being stopped by a police officer and interrogated and subject to search by a police officer. In either of these cases, people are going to make the wrong decision. If the person is overawed by the police officer, the person’s going to answer any questions, consent to anything, when it’s not necessary. Alternately, when people get upset, they quickly escalate the situation and before they know it, they get charged with a resisting a police officer. Now, it’s crazy to think this, but there are frequently resisting police officer charges with no other charges. So, the question becomes, what were they resisting? Well, if you ever watched any of these videos, you can YouTube escalation with a police officer. Things can escalate very quickly. That’s why always be polite. There’s no reason to escalate the situation. Officers frequently escalate the situation themselves. Tampa personal injury lawyer Edward Reyes represents people in Tampa and Hillsborough County, Florida who have suffered an injury in an incident or accident type of accident. Speak Directly to Me, At No Cost, Today 813.421.3411 No matter how upset they get, you have to stay calm, which is a very difficult thing to do. Your fight or flight reaction is clearly kicking in. It’s a very fraught situation, but you have to take deep breaths, and you have to stay calm, even if the officer doesn’t. Call us at 813.421.3411 for more information. (Transcript from the video, transcribed but not reviewed)

Car Search, DUI/DWI, Legal, Police Interaction, Why we serve

Can Police Search Your Car During a Tampa Traffic Stop?

Edward Reyes, Esq / October 31, 2019

You were just driving through Tampa when the blue lights came on. Now an officer is asking to search your car — and you’re not sure whether you can say no, how long they can keep you there, or what happens if you refuse. Here’s what Florida law actually says before you answer another question. TL;DR — QUICK SUMMARY You have a constitutional right to refuse consent to a search of your vehicle during a Tampa traffic stop. Police generally need your consent, a warrant, or probable cause (a recognized exception) before they can legally search your car. An officer can detain you only for the time reasonably needed to handle the stop — they cannot hold you indefinitely without reasonable suspicion or probable cause. As of October 2025, Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal — which covers Tampa — ruled that the smell of cannabis alone no longer gives police probable cause to search your car. Consenting to a search can cost you a strong legal challenge later, so talk to a lawyer before you agree to anything. The Reyes Firm Stopped and Searched in Tampa? Get clear answers about your rights after a traffic stop or vehicle search. Had a bad day? Contact Us Now Oct 2025 Tampa’s appeals court limited cannabis-odor car searches Williams v. State, Fla. 2d DCA 2nd DCA Appellate district covering Tampa & Hillsborough County Florida District Courts of Appeal 4th Amendment protecting you from unreasonable searches U.S. Const. amend. IV $0 What a consultation with The Reyes Firm costs The Reyes Firm Can police hold you while they get a warrant to search your car in Tampa? Yes, but only within limits. An officer can detain you for the reasonable time it takes to investigate the stop, and in some situations may hold your vehicle while they apply for a warrant, but they cannot keep you indefinitely without probable cause or reasonable suspicion that you’ve committed a crime. If you refuse a search, an officer who genuinely believes there is evidence in the car can try to secure a warrant, and that may mean waiting at the scene for a while. In practice, unless they have a specific reason to think there is something significant in your vehicle, most officers will not go through the warrant process over a routine traffic stop. The U.S. Supreme Court has made clear that a stop cannot be stretched out beyond the time needed to handle the reason for the stop unless police develop independent, reasonable suspicion of another crime. ⚠️ Before You Consent: You are never required to consent to a search of your vehicle. If you agree, you may give up one of the strongest tools a defense lawyer has — the ability to challenge an unlawful search and ask a court to throw out whatever was found. Stay calm, stay polite, and clearly decline. Then call a lawyer. Do you have to let police search your car during a Tampa traffic stop? No. You do not have to consent to a search of your vehicle. The Fourth Amendment protects you against unreasonable searches and seizures, and being pulled over for speeding or a broken taillight does not, by itself, give an officer the right to search your car. You can decline politely and plainly: “Officer, I don’t consent to any searches.” Declining is not an admission of guilt, and the fact that you refused cannot be treated as evidence that you did something wrong. If you’re unsure about what happened during your own stop, the team at The Reyes Firm can walk you through it. Watch: Your Rights If Police Want to Search Your Car in Tampa In this short video, attorney Edward Reyes explains what really happens when an officer asks to search your vehicle and how to protect yourself. If a stop has left you facing charges or unsure of your rights, The Reyes Firm is available to talk it through. What reasons can police use to search your car anyway? Even after you refuse, police can still search your vehicle if they have a legally recognized basis, and officers often look for one. Common justifications include: Probable cause (the automobile exception). If police have probable cause to believe the car contains evidence of a crime, they can search it without a warrant. A DUI investigation. An officer may claim you show signs of impairment, order you out of the vehicle, and investigate from there. An outstanding warrant. A records check that turns up a warrant changes the situation entirely. Plain view. Anything illegal that an officer can see from outside the car can justify a search. Search incident to arrest. If you’re lawfully arrested, police may search areas within reach. An inventory (impound) search. If you’re arrested — even over something minor — and the car is impounded, police can inventory its contents. For years, the smell of marijuana was its own shortcut to a search. That is exactly the pretext that is now changing in the Tampa area. 💡 Did You Know? For years an officer who said they smelled marijuana could search your car on that basis alone. That changed for Tampa drivers in 2025. In Williams v. State (Oct. 1, 2025), Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal — which covers Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bay area — ruled that the odor of cannabis by itself no longer establishes probable cause, because legal hemp and medical marijuana smell identical to illegal cannabis. A later decision, Cherfils v. State (Dec. 2025), explains that odor combined with other facts can still justify a search. Source: Williams v. State, No. 2D2023-2200 (Fla. 2d DCA 2025). Should you consent to a search to avoid being arrested? Usually not, and here is the hard tradeoff. Refusing a search sometimes means you may still be detained or arrested for a few hours while police sort things out, and that can mean an uncomfortable night before you bond out. But consenting to dodge that

Car Search, Drugs, Felony, Legal, Police Interaction, Why we serve

Dealing with Felony: What to Do?

Edward Reyes, Esq / October 31, 2019

If what you have is something as simple as a marijuana cartridge, as opposed to loose marijuana for smoking, in a marijuana cartridge to vape, that’s a felony. If it’s Spice, that’s a felony. Is a little bit of powder cocaine good for Friday night? That’s a felony, right? A loose Xanax, one Xanax pill, one Oxycontin pill, it doesn’t take much to be a felony and these felonies are punishable by up to five years in prison. Tampa personal injury lawyer Edward Reyes represents people in Tampa and Hillsborough County, Florida who have suffered an injury in an incident or accident type of accident. Speak Directly to Me, At No Cost, Today 813.421.3411 Even if you don’t go to prison, probably if you have no record, it’s very unlikely you’ll go to prison, but you’ll end up going through tremendous time and expense to deal with this case. Call us at 813.421.3411 for more help. (Transcript from the video, transcribed but not reviewed)

Car Search, Drugs, DUI/DWI, FAQ, Health, Legal, Police Interaction, Why we serve

Drugs: Common Ways to Get Busted

Edward Reyes, Esq / October 31, 2019

Drugs, as far as felonies go are probably the most by wide margin common felony that people are charged with. Drug cases can come up in any number of ways. The most common ways that drug cases begin are with a traffic stop or sometimes with an arrest for some other issue. So, either there’s going to be a traffic stop for some reason, it could be as simple as a taillight out, a problem with the registration, and then something gives rise to some sort of suspicion in the law enforcement officer. Tampa personal injury lawyer Edward Reyes represents people in Tampa and Hillsborough County, Florida who have suffered an injury in an incident or accident type of accident. Speak Directly to Me, At No Cost, Today 813.421.3411 The smell of burnt marijuana is classic. But it can just be something as simple as furtive movement inside the car. It can be something as simple as nervous behavior, maybe some sort of indications of a DUI that doesn’t quite rise to the level of the full DUI investigation. But in some way or another, there’s a search of the vehicle and contraband is found either in the vehicle or on the driver or passenger. The other way that drug cases come up frequently is an arrest for something else like a domestic violence arrest or an arrest on a warrant or an arrest for driving on a suspended driver’s license. One of these other very common things, even child support arrest. And then drugs are found either on the person or in the vehicle with them. So, these are the most common ways that these drug cases start. Call us at 813.421.3411 for more information. (Transcript from the video, transcribed but not reviewed)

Car Search, Legal, Police Interaction, Why we serve

Interaction with A Police Office: Just Keep Your Mouth Shut

Edward Reyes, Esq / October 31, 2019

General advice in any sort of interaction with law enforcement in a traffic stop is polite, be short, consent to nothing. You don’t have to answer any questions. If the law enforcement officer starts questioning you, you can ask, “Am I detained?” If the officer says you’re not detained, say, “I don’t feel like answering any of your questions, then.” If the officer says, “I want to search your vehicle,” just say, “Thanks, but no.” Tampa personal injury lawyer Edward Reyes represents people in Tampa and Hillsborough County, Florida who have suffered an injury in an incident or accident type of accident. Speak Directly to Me, At No Cost, Today 813.421.341 (Transcript from the video, transcribed but not reviewed)

After A Car Accident, After an Accident, Car accident, DUI/DWI, Police Interaction, Road Accidents, Why we serve

To Blow or Not To Blow: Make the Right Decision

Edward Reyes, Esq / October 31, 2019

The most common question is, “do I blow or not blow?” The answer is maybe. Obviously, if you refuse there are a few problems with refusal. Now frequently you hear the blanket advice from everybody, like: “Refuse everything.”That’s not necessarily the case. Now, the field sobriety exercises, which are the first stage of the investigation, you can refuse those. You can always refuse those anytime. Those exercises, which are divided attention exercises are sometimes called field sobriety tests. They’re not tests, they’re exercises. But you can refuse them even if you’ve refused before, even if you’ve gotten a DUI before, you can refuse to take those. Now, if you refuse to take those it is very likely that you will be arrested. However, the officers have made up their minds, no matter what they say. They’ve made up their mind from the time they’ve done the horizontal gaze nystagmus. Now, maybe you’re a ballerina, maybe you’re a person who’s very athletic, and you’re very likely to be able to do okay at field sobriety exercises, the average middle-aged, overweight person couldn’t probably do them in a reasonable way. This is kind of difficult under any circumstances. So, you’re probably not going to look good on them, and the officer has probably made up his mind already. Is It Negative to Refuse? So, refusing doesn’t really have any negative impact other than the immediate impact of you going to be arrested for DUI. The more nuanced question becomes the second question, which is: do you refuse to blow? Now, if you refuse to blow, instead of a six-month driver’s license suspension if you blow over .08, you’ll be looking at a one-year driver’s license suspension. Also, it’s a safe harbor you can only use the one time because it’s a misdemeanor of the first to be punishable by a year in jail if you use it a second time. So frequently, people who refuse to blow before and gotten a reckless driving, then they refuse to blow again the second time they get a DUI, now, the State might not be able to prove the DUI, but they can certainly prove the refusal. The refusal could get up to a year in jail just on its own, so that becomes a problem. So, it’s not a cure-all. Now, just sort of a second thing, if you blow over .08, but under a .15, so in that in-between stage, you’re not looking at super-enhancements. If you blow a .15 or above, you’re looking, even on your first DUI, you’re looking at mandatory interlock. You’re also looking at an increased fine. So, I mean, if you’ve had a real night, you might seriously want to consider just eating the refusal. If you think it’s close, if you think maybe you’ve had three beers, maybe had four beers. Maybe you want to blow and see if you’re close to .08. – It’s like rolling the dice. You might want to roll the dice on that. Dealing with your DUI But you know, let me put it this way, if it’s you’re first DUI and you know in your heart how this is going to go down, you can make the call. If it’s your second DUI you’re basically stuck blowing because you can’t eat, you can’t take that refusal a second time. So, you might want to keep it in your back pocket. You have to make the game-time decision at a time when it’s pretty fraught, but no one can make that decision for you. Now, moving on to the next day, so, you’ve taken the ride, you’ve spent the night in jail, you get out in the morning, you feel like crap, you have to go hire an attorney. Somewhere along the way, they told you they were going to suspend your driver’s license, either for a year or for six months depending on whether you blew or refused. Now, you have some options. You have your ticket. They’ve taken away your driver’s license, you can drive on that ticket for 10 days, and you can do any of three things in those 10 days. You can: do nothing, and then the license suspension kicks in. So, it’s going to be a 30-day hard suspension for a blow, or a 90-day hard suspension for refusal, after which you’re eligible to go get a hardship license or a BPO, Business Purpose Only license. Whatever you do, don’t do anything. Call us first. You have 10 days. You can certainly make up your mind in 10 days between the other two options. The option most people do and I’m not saying it’s a bad option, it’s probably a good option and you have to make up your mind for you, is people want to get back out on the road really quick. In which case all you have to do is sign up for DUI school, go down to the DMV on Hillsboro with the receipt and they will give you your hardship license right away. You waive your right to a hearing; you get your hardship license. Now you can only do that on your first DUI, they are certain restrictions, and a lot of people they just want to get back out on the road right away, go do that. Get into DUI school as quick as possible, get that done because a lot of times you’ll want to get the DUI school done regardless of what happens with your case. Tampa personal injury lawyer Edward Reyes represents people in Tampa and Hillsborough County, Florida who have suffered an injury in an incident or accident type of accident. Speak Directly to Me, At No Cost, Today 813.421.3411 Calling A Lawyer The second option, which depending on how your DUI went down, obviously if this is not a first DUI you have to go for this option, but you may have strategic reasons you want to take this other option anyway if

After A Car Accident, After an Accident, Car accident, Police Interaction, Why we serve

Can you file a car accident claim in Tampa if you were hurt?

Edward Reyes, Esq / October 31, 2019

You were just going about your day, driving home through Tampa, when another driver blew a light or drifted into your lane and turned a routine trip into a Tampa car accident that changed everything. Now you’re in pain, your car is wrecked, and the other driver’s insurance company is already working to protect its bottom line. Here’s what you need to know before you say another word to them. TL;DR — QUICK SUMMARY In Florida, the driver who caused your crash can be held financially responsible for your medical bills, lost wages, and other losses once their negligence is proven. Evidence disappears fast. Skid marks fade, dashcam and surveillance footage gets overwritten, and witnesses forget, so the days right after your crash matter more than most people realize. Florida uses modified comparative negligence, so your compensation is reduced by your share of fault, and you recover nothing if you are found more than 50% responsible. You generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit under Florida Statute 95.11(3)(a). Miss that window and you almost always lose your right to recover anything. Florida is a no-fault state, so your own PIP coverage pays first up to $10,000, but serious injuries can open the door to a full claim against the at-fault driver. The Reyes Firm Hurt in a Car Accident in Tampa? Get clear next steps after a serious crash. Had a bad day? Contact Us Now 381,210 Florida traffic crashes in 2024 FLHSMV By the Numbers 2024 3,184 People killed in FL crashes, 2024 FLHSMV By the Numbers 2024 2 Years Florida statute of limitations Fla. Stat. 95.11(3)(a) $10,000 Florida minimum PIP coverage Fla. Stat. 627.736 Can you file a car accident claim in Tampa if you were hurt? Yes. If another party’s negligence caused your crash, Florida law lets you pursue compensation for the harm they caused you. Because Florida is a no-fault state, your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage pays your first medical bills and a portion of lost wages regardless of who caused the crash. But PIP is capped, and it rarely covers the full cost of a serious injury. When your injuries cross Florida’s “serious injury” threshold, you can step outside the no-fault system and file a claim directly against the at-fault driver for the rest of your losses, including the medical bills PIP didn’t cover, future treatment, lost income, and pain and suffering. Crashes that cause catastrophic, life-altering injuries almost always belong in this category. The first step is understanding which path your case falls into, and that turns on the medical facts, not on what an adjuster tells you over the phone. ⚠️ Deadline Warning: Under Florida Statute § 95.11(3)(a), you have two years from the date of your crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. Missing this deadline almost always means losing your right to recover anything. Don’t wait to call a lawyer. Why do Tampa car accident cases move faster than you think? Because the evidence that proves your case starts disappearing within hours of the crash. The story your case can tell tomorrow is weaker than the one it can tell today. Skid marks wash away. Debris gets swept off the road. The other driver’s car gets repaired or sent to salvage, taking its damage and any onboard data with it. Dashcam files and nearby business surveillance footage are often overwritten on a rolling 24-to-72-hour cycle. Witnesses who were certain about what they saw at the scene grow fuzzy within days. Meanwhile, the at-fault driver’s insurer is not waiting. An adjuster may call you within a day or two, friendly and helpful, asking for a “quick recorded statement” while you’re still rattled and on pain medication. Acting early is how you keep the facts on your side instead of theirs. 💡 Did You Know? According to FLHSMV’s 2024 “By the Numbers” report, Florida recorded 381,210 traffic crashes in 2024, more than 1,000 every single day, and 3,184 people were killed. Source: FLHSMV By the Numbers 2024, flhsmv.gov. Note: 2024 crash numbers are preliminary. Watch: What to do after a car accident in Tampa This short video walks through the first moves that protect both your health and your claim after a Tampa crash. If you have questions after watching, The Reyes Firm offers free consultations and can review your situation the same day you call. Who is liable after a car accident in Tampa? Usually the at-fault driver, but liability can reach further than the person behind the wheel. Florida law allows more than one party to share responsibility for a single crash, and finding every responsible party is often what determines whether there is enough insurance coverage to actually pay for your injuries. Depending on how your crash happened, the parties who may share liability can include the driver who hit you, an employer if that driver was working at the time, and the vehicle’s owner if they lent their car to someone they knew was unfit to drive. Under Florida’s dangerous instrumentality doctrine, reflected in Florida Statute § 324.021, a vehicle owner can be held responsible for the negligent operation of their vehicle by someone they allowed to drive it. In some cases, a government entity responsible for a dangerous roadway, or a company whose defective part contributed to the crash, may also be on the hook. When a crash takes a life, surviving family members may have a separate wrongful death claim for their own losses. 🛡️ Your Rights Under Florida Law: Under Florida Statute § 768.81, your compensation is reduced by your share of fault, and you may be barred from recovery if you are found greater than 50% responsible for your own harm. An experienced Tampa car accident lawyer works to protect the facts, challenge unfair blame, and keep your percentage of fault as low as the evidence allows. What is a Tampa car accident claim worth? It depends, and any lawyer who quotes you

Accident Injuries & why, After an Accident, Blog, Car accident, Commercial Vehicles, Company-Caused Car Accidents, FAQ, For Parents, For Teens, Injury, Legal, Migraines, Our Community, Police Interaction, Premise Liability, Ride Sharing, Road Accidents, Spanish, Strict Negligence, Teen Accidents, TMJ, Traumatic injury, Truck Accidents, Why does this hurt, Why we serve

Accidentes de Remolques de Tractor

Edward Reyes, Esq / May 12, 2019

Accidentes de Remolques de Tractor ¿Qué es exactamente un remolque de tractor? Una combinación de remolques de un remolque y un tractor. Un tractor es una cabina donde un conductor se pone y tira de una carga. Un remolque es lo que sostiene la carga y es arrastrado por el tractor. ¿Cuáles son las principales causas de accidentes de camiones? Con la combinación del error del conductor y el error del conductor del camión, puede ocurrir un accidente fatal. Estos son los principales errores de los conductores de camiones: El conductor está bajo la influencia. El conductor está acelerando No revisaron los puntos ciegos. Están fatigados Cualificación inadecuada del conductor Falta de formación de conductores. Carga no asegurada. ¿Cuáles son las lesiones principales de un accidente de remolque de tractor? Lesiones traumáticas del cerebro Lesión de la médula espinal Pinchazos Lesión traumática Concusión La muerte de un ser querido ¿Cómo puedo disminuir las posibilidades de meterme en un accidente del trailer del tracktor? Hay varias cosas que puede hacer para tratar de disminuir las posibilidades de sufrir uno de estos accidentes fatales. Lo primero que hay que hacer es evitar el punto ciego de los remolques. Estos puntos ciegos son el lado del remolque, la parte trasera del remolque y la parte del remolque que está conectada a la carga. Trate de no hacer cambios bruscos en los carriles, asegúrese de usar su señal de giro. Y como siempre manténgase a una distancia segura del camión. Al menos a 4 segundos del tractor. ¿Qué debo hacer después de un accidente en un remolque de tractor? El momento justo después de un accidente puede ser estresante porque estás en shock, pero puede ser el momento más crucial. Si puede seguir estos pasos para fortalecer su caso: Llame al 911 y busque atención médica. Llame a la policía y presente un informe. Llevar la información del conductor incluido el seguro. Tomar fotos de cualquier daño que se haya hecho. Tomar fotos de las condiciones climáticas y condiciones del camino. Tomar información de los testigos y lo que vieron. ¡Llámame! ¿Cómo vas a probar mi caso? Miro cada caso de una manera única porque cada caso es diferente. Pero lo único que siempre hago para cada caso es a través de la investigación de su accidente. Estaré mirando a: Las credenciales del conductor. ¿El conductor siguió todas las leyes de tránsito? El área donde ocurrió el accidente. Revisar los informes policiales. Si está disponible, entrevistar a todos los testigos. ¿Quién puede ser responsable de mis lesiones? Los accidentes con remolques de tractor son más complicados que los accidentes de automóviles comunes. Estos son los que pueden ser considerados responsables: El conductor del remolque tractor. La empresa para la que trabaja el conductor. El fabricante de piezas. Un tercero ¿Cómo demostrarás mis daños? Puede pensar que esos documentos o fotografías pueden no fortalecer su caso, pero en realidad lo hacen aún más sólido. Puede ser obvio que la parte responsable causó su lesión, pero va a necesitar esas fotografías y documentos para que su caso sea aún más sólido. Algunos ejemplos que fortalecerán su caso son: Documentos medicos Cualquier imagen médica. Fotografías de la escena del accidente y sus heridas. Reporte policial Prueba de beneficios de perdida Cualquier recibo que muestre los gastos relacionados con su lesión. ¡Permítame ayudarlo a superar el estrés de responsabilizar a otra persona por sus lesiones y hacerlo más fácil para usted! Contacte a la Firma Reyes al 813-421-3411 Estamos aquí para usted 24/7 y tenemos la experiencia para proteger sus intereses y lograr la recuperación que merece. Llámanos hoy y, sobre todo, quédate seguro en las carreteras.

Accident Injuries & why, After an Accident, Blog, Car accident, Company-Caused Car Accidents, FAQ, For Parents, For Teens, Injury, Legal, Migraines, Our Community, Police Interaction, Premise Liability, Ride Sharing, Road Accidents, Strict Negligence, Teen Accidents, TMJ, Tractor Trailer Accidents, Traumatic injury, Truck Accidents, Why does this hurt, Why we serve

Tractor Trailer Accidents

Edward Reyes, Esq / May 11, 2019

Tractor Trailer Accidents What exactly is a truck tractor trailer? A tractor trailers combination of a trailer and a tractor. A tractor is a cab where a driver sits and pulls a load. A trailer is what holds the cargo and gets pulled by the tractor and a truck. What are the top causes of trucking accidents? With the combination of driver error and truck driver error a fatal accident can occur. These are the top truck driver errors: Driver is under the influence Driver is speeding They did not check blind spots They are fatigued Inadequate driver qualification Lack of driver training Unsecured cargo What are the top injuries from a tractor trailer accident? Traumatic brain injuries Spinal cord injury Punctures Traumatic injury Concussion Death of a loved one How can I lessen the chances of getting into a tractor trailer accident? There are multiple things you can do to try to lessen the chances of getting into one of these fatal accidents. The number one thing to do is to avoid the trailers blind spot. These blind spots are the side of the trailer, the back side of the trailer, and the part of trailer that is connected to the cargo. Try not to make abrupt changes in lanes, make sure you use your turn signal. And as always keep a safe distance from the truck. At least 4 seconds away from the tractor trailer. What should I do after a tractor trailer accident? The time right after an accident can be stressful because you are in shock but it can be the most crucial moment. If you can follow these steps to make your case stronger: Call 911 and seek medical attention Call the police and file a report Take the driver’s information including insurance Take photos of any damages that have been done Take photos of the weather condition and road conditions Take witness’ information and what they saw Call me! How are you going to prove my case? I look at every case in its own unique way because every case is different. But the one thing I always do for every case is though investigation of your accident. I will be looking at: The driver’s credentials Did the driver follow all traffic law? The area where the accident happened Look over police reports If available, interview all witnesses Who can be held responsible for my injuries? Because tractor trailer accidents are more complicated than regular car accident multiple parties can be held liable. These are the ones who can be held accountable: The tractor trailer driver The company the driver works for The parts manufacturer A third party How will you prove my damages? You may think that those documents or photographs may not strengthen your case, but they actually make your case even stronger. It may be obvious that the liable party caused your injury but you are going to need those photographs and documents to make your case even stronger. Some examples that will make your case stronger is: Medical documents Any medical imaging Photographs of the accident scene and your injuries Police report Proof of loss benefits Any receipts that show any expenses related to your injury Let me help you get through the stress of holding someone else liable for your injuries and make it easier for you! Contact The Reyes Firm at 813-421-3411 We are here for you 24/7 and have the experience to protect your interests and get you the recovery you deserve. Call us today – and above all be safe on the roads!

Accident Injuries & why, After an Accident, Blog, Car accident, Legal, Our Community, Police Interaction, Premise Liability, Ride Sharing, Teen Accidents, TMJ, Why we serve

Got into an Accident in an Uber or a Lyft?

Edward Reyes, Esq / March 29, 2019

Got into an Accident in an Uber or a Lyft? The use of Uber and Lyft are on the rise her in Tampa which increases the of rideshare accidents. As a driver, a passenger, or a pedestrian you have a right to compensation. Who is liable? The driver? Passenger? Rideshare passenger? Pedestrian? As you attorney I will look at different factors to determine who is at fault, for example: What was the cause of the accident? Were you a driver, a passenger, pedestrian, or a rideshare passenger/drive? Was the rideshare driver on duty at the time of the accident Here are some steps to take after an Uber or Lyft accident: Call the police and ask for medical attention Take photos of the accident scene (location of vehicles, road condition, any damages, traffic signs, intersection) Take photos of driver’s licenses, license plates, and drivers’ insurance cards Get everyone involved insurance information and contact information Go to the doctor immediately If you are involved in an Uber or Lyft accident call me to give you all the compensation you deserve. Contact The Reyes Firm at 813-421-3411 We are here for you 24/7 and have the experience to protect your interests and get you the recovery you deserve. Call us today – and above all be safe on the roads!

Police Interaction

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