Key Takeaways
- Roman Austin’s flagship office sits on N Belcher Road in Clearwater and includes a Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, a credential held by fewer than 2% of Florida attorneys.
- Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes has practiced personal injury law exclusively in the Tampa Bay area since 1955, making it one of the longest-running firms of its kind in Clearwater.
- Carey Leisure Carney has operated in Clearwater since 1984 and lists board-certified civil trial attorneys on its team.
- Neal & Solevilla is led by attorney Katherine C. Neal, who is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by The Florida Bar, and is based on Eastland Boulevard in Clearwater.
Clearwater sits in Pinellas County, one of the most densely populated counties in Florida, where heavy seasonal tourist traffic, a large retiree population, and a dense grid of commercial corridors combine to produce a steady volume of car accident claims. Florida also changed its personal injury rules in 2023: negligence claims, including most car accident cases, generally must be filed within two years of the crash rather than the previous four, and the state moved to a modified comparative negligence standard that can bar recovery entirely for a driver found more than 50% at fault. Those changes make the choice of attorney and the timing of that choice more consequential than they used to be. The list below looks at how several Clearwater-area firms are set up to handle car accident cases, based on their own published locations, focus areas, and credentials.
1. Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers
Focus: Car Accidents, Truck Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Pedestrian Accidents, Rideshare Accidents, Bicycle Accidents, Slip & Fall / Premises Liability
Roman Austin is a personal injury firm whose flagship office is located on N Belcher Road in Clearwater. The firm’s practice covers the full range of motor-vehicle injury cases, from car and truck accidents to motorcycle, pedestrian, and rideshare crashes, along with slip and fall and premises liability claims. Attorney Mark S. Roman holds the Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer designation from The Florida Bar, a certification held by fewer than 2% of Florida attorneys, and the firm has built a track record reflected in an A+ Better Business Bureau rating, an Inc. 5000 listing as one of the nation’s fastest-growing companies, and a Top 50 Verdict recognition. Across its offices, the firm has accumulated more than 1,200 five-star Google reviews. The firm markets under the line “Local Roots. Million Dollar Results” and offers a free consultation available 24/7.
Roman Austin Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers
1811 N Belcher Rd, Suite I-1, Clearwater, FL 33765
2. Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes
Focus: Car Accidents, Truck Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Bus Accidents, Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents, Wrongful Death, Premises Liability
Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes describes itself as the first and oldest personal injury law firm in Clearwater, tracing its practice back to 1955. The firm is based on N Belcher Road, the same corridor as several other injury firms in the city, and its attorneys carry a combined history of decades handling motor-vehicle and premises liability claims across the Tampa Bay region. Multiple attorneys at the firm hold Super Lawyers recognition, and the firm reports recovering more than $675 million for injured clients over its history, as published on its own website.
Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes
1875 N Belcher Rd, Suite 201, Clearwater, FL 33765
3. Carey Leisure Carney
Focus: Car Accidents, Drunk Driving Accidents, Motorcycle and Truck Accidents, Rideshare Accidents, Slip & Fall, Wrongful Death
Carey Leisure Carney has practiced in Clearwater since 1984, giving the firm roughly four decades of history in the Tampa Bay area. The firm’s attorneys handle a broad range of vehicle accident claims, including car, motorcycle, truck, and rideshare cases, alongside premises liability and wrongful death matters. The firm lists board-certified civil trial attorneys among its team and has been named to U.S. News & World Report’s Best Law Firms list, as published on its own website.
Carey Leisure Carney
622 Bypass Dr, Suite 100, Clearwater, FL 33764
4. Neal & Solevilla Personal Injury Lawyers
Focus: Car Accidents, Trucking Accidents, Personal Injury
Neal & Solevilla is a smaller, Clearwater-based personal injury firm founded by attorneys Katherine C. Neal and Melissa D. Solevilla. Neal holds the Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer designation from The Florida Bar, the same credential requiring at least five years of practice, a minimum number of contested civil trials, and peer review before it is granted. The firm is based on Eastland Boulevard and has been recognized by Best Lawyers as a “Ones to Watch” honoree, in addition to holding an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, as published on its own website.
Neal & Solevilla Personal Injury Lawyers
3023 Eastland Blvd, Suite 103, Clearwater, FL 33761
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the statute of limitations for a car accident claim in Florida?
Florida generally gives injury victims two years from the date of the crash to file a negligence-based lawsuit, under the change made by House Bill 837 in 2023, which shortened the previous four-year window. Missing that window generally bars the claim, though certain exceptions can apply depending on the circumstances.
Does Florida reduce a car accident settlement if I was partly at fault?
Yes. Florida generally follows a modified comparative negligence rule: if you are found more than 50% at fault for the crash, you generally cannot recover damages at all, and below that threshold, any award is generally reduced by your percentage of fault.
Do I still need a lawyer if my injuries seem to be covered by PIP?
Florida requires most drivers to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage, which generally covers a portion of medical bills and lost wages regardless of fault, up to policy limits. Because PIP alone often does not cover the full cost of a more serious injury, accident victims generally look into pursuing a claim against the at-fault driver once their injuries meet Florida’s threshold for doing so.
How much does it cost to hire a car accident lawyer in Clearwater?
Car accident firms in the Clearwater area, including those listed here, generally work on a contingency-fee basis, meaning the attorney’s fee is generally taken as a percentage of any settlement or verdict recovered, with no upfront cost to the client.
Final Thoughts
Clearwater’s car accident victims have several established firms to choose from, ranging from decades-old practices with citywide name recognition to smaller firms built around a single board-certified attorney. Florida’s 2023 shift to a two-year statute of limitations and a modified comparative negligence standard has made the practical details of each firm’s focus areas, location, and credentials more relevant to how quickly and effectively a case can move forward. The firms above represent a cross-section of what is currently practicing car accident law in the Clearwater market.
Case results and figures mentioned above for other firms are as published on each firm’s own website and do not guarantee a similar outcome in any other case. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own facts.
