An injury caused by someone else's carelessness can upend work, family routines, and finances all at once. Gross Law Group represents injured people and families in Panama City, Panama City Beach, Lynn Haven, Callaway, Parker, Springfield, Mexico Beach, and throughout Bay County.
Our injury practice concentrates on cases with serious harm: truck and commercial vehicle crashes, car accidents with permanent injuries, rideshare and motorcycle crashes, and catastrophic injuries and wrongful death. Our Panama City Beach office is at 4408 Delwood Ln, Suite 14. If you contact us and can't travel, we can arrange to meet by video or at a location convenient to you.
The first consultation is free. Call (850) 331-7775 or contact us online.
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Key Takeaways for Panama City Injury Victims
- Florida generally allows two years to file a negligence lawsuit for injuries after March 24, 2023.
- A person found more than 50 percent at fault for their own injury cannot recover under Florida law.
- Commercial trucks, company vehicles, and rideshare vehicles often carry more insurance than most private Florida drivers.
- A crash with a federal employee on the job, including a government vehicle, generally requires a written claim to the federal agency before any lawsuit.
- Fee terms are set out in a written agreement.
Injury Cases We Handle in Bay County
- Tractor-trailer, dump truck, and other commercial vehicle crashes (see our Panama City truck accident page)
- Car accidents involving serious or permanent injuries (see our Panama City car accident page)
- Uber and Lyft crashes, whether you were a passenger, another driver, or a pedestrian
- Motorcycle crashes
- Traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries
- Wrongful death claims on behalf of surviving family members and the estate
Crashes involving a business vehicle or a rideshare driver can raise additional insurance and liability questions. See our Panama City pages on commercial vehicle accidents, employer fleet accidents, rideshare accidents, and delivery vehicle accidents.
Where Serious Crashes Happen Around Panama City
U.S. 98 carries traffic across the Hathaway Bridge between Panama City and Panama City Beach and continues west as Panama City Beach Parkway (Back Beach Road). To the east, U.S. 98 crosses the DuPont Bridge between Parker and Tyndall Air Force Base, where the Florida Department of Transportation has a bridge replacement project (FDOT project fact sheet). U.S. 231 runs north from Panama City toward Interstate 10, and State Road 77 and State Road 79 also connect Bay County with I-10.
Front Beach Road, Thomas Drive, and 23rd Street are busy with visitors much of the year. Rental cars, drivers with out-of-state insurance, delivery vans, and construction and port traffic all share the same roads, so a single crash can involve several insurance policies.
Crashes Involving Government and Military Vehicles
Bay County is home to Tyndall Air Force Base, and federal, state, and local government vehicles are part of daily traffic. When a federal employee causes a crash while acting within the scope of the job, the claim generally falls under the Federal Tort Claims Act. A written claim usually must be presented to the responsible federal agency within two years (28 U.S.C. 2401(b)), and a lawsuit generally cannot be filed until the agency denies the claim or does not act on it within six months (28 U.S.C. 2675(a)).
Crashes involving a city, county, or state vehicle follow different rules. Claims against a government agency are subject to written notice requirements and damage limits under Fla. Stat. 768.28.
Finding Available Insurance Coverage
We look for all available sources of recovery, which may include:
- The at-fault driver's liability coverage, including out-of-state policies
- Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (Fla. Stat. 627.727)
- Rideshare coverage. Florida requires at least $1 million in primary liability coverage, which the driver, the rideshare company, or both may provide, from the moment a driver accepts a ride until the passenger gets out. When the app is on but no ride has been accepted, the minimum drops to $50,000 per person and $100,000 per incident (Fla. Stat. 627.748(7)).
- Commercial auto policies when the driver was working, including delivery and service vehicles
- Trucking coverage when a commercial truck was involved
- Liability coverage of property owners and businesses when an unsafe condition caused the injury
Florida Law for Bay County Injury Claims
Florida requires vehicle owners to carry $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and $10,000 in Property Damage Liability, but most drivers are not required to carry bodily injury liability coverage (FLHSMV). PIP generally pays 80 percent of reasonable, medically necessary medical expenses if you receive initial treatment within 14 days; the full $10,000 is available for medical care only if a qualifying provider determines you had an emergency medical condition, and medical benefits are limited to $2,500 if a provider determines you did not (Fla. Stat. 627.736). To claim pain and suffering against an at-fault driver, the injury must involve significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function, a permanent injury, significant permanent scarring or disfigurement, or death (Fla. Stat. 627.737(2)).
Under the 2023 changes to Florida law (HB 837), most negligence claims arising after March 24, 2023 must be filed within two years (Fla. Stat. 95.11(5)(a)), and wrongful death claims also carry a two-year deadline (Fla. Stat. 95.11(5)(e)). Florida now uses modified comparative fault: in most negligence cases (medical negligence claims are an exception), a person found more than 50 percent at fault for their own injury cannot recover damages, and a lower share of fault reduces the recovery (Fla. Stat. 768.81(6)).
HB 837 also changed how medical bills are proven. Evidence of medical bills that have already been paid is now limited to the amount actually paid; evidence of unpaid bills generally includes what the injured person's health coverage would pay (or, for people without private coverage, an amount tied to Medicare or Medicaid rates); and treatment under a letter of protection must be disclosed (Fla. Stat. 768.0427). That makes careful documentation of current and future care more important than ever.
Bay County Courts
State court cases arising in Bay County are heard in Florida's Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, which also includes Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington Counties (Florida Courts). The Bay County Courthouse is at 300 East 4th Street in Panama City (Fourteenth Judicial Circuit). Some cases may be heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, which holds court in Panama City (N.D. Fla.).
How Gross Law Group Handles a Bay County Injury Claim
- We gather the crash or incident report, photographs, witness information, and available video.
- When a company is involved, we send preservation letters for vehicle data, dispatch records, and other business records.
- We work with your doctors to document your injuries, future care, and how the injuries affect your work and daily life.
- We handle communications with insurers, including out-of-state carriers.
- We prepare each case so it can go to court if a fair resolution is not offered.
For life-changing injuries, see how we approach catastrophic injury cases.
Talk With a Panama City Personal Injury Lawyer
Call Gross Law Group at (850) 331-7775 or send us a message. We handle injury cases on a contingency fee: No Recovery, No Fee. The first consultation is free.
We also handle injury cases to the west through our Pensacola personal injury practice, and you can read more about Florida personal injury claims.
Gross Law Group, P.A. – Panama City Beach Office
4408 Delwood Ln, Suite 14
Panama City Beach, FL 32408
Phone: (850) 331-7775
Panama City Personal Injury FAQs
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Florida?
For most negligence claims arising after March 24, 2023, Florida law allows two years to file under Fla. Stat. 95.11(5)(a). Wrongful death claims also have a two-year deadline. Some claims, such as those against government entities, have additional notice requirements.
What if the crash involved a military or other federal government vehicle?
When a federal employee causes a crash while acting within the scope of the job, the claim generally falls under the Federal Tort Claims Act. A written claim usually must be presented to the responsible federal agency within two years, and a lawsuit generally cannot be filed until the agency denies the claim or does not act on it within six months (28 U.S.C. 2401(b) and 2675(a)).
Do you handle cases outside Panama City?
Yes. Our Panama City Beach office handles injury cases throughout Bay County, including Lynn Haven, Callaway, Parker, Springfield, and Mexico Beach, and in nearby counties.
Will my case go to trial?
Most personal injury claims resolve without a trial, but some do not. We prepare each case so it can go to court if a fair resolution is not offered, and the decision whether to accept a settlement offer is always yours.
How much does Gross Law Group charge?
See fee terms in your written agreement. The first consultation is free.