Which kind of injury case do you have?
Every case type below is handled from the Fort Lauderdale office for clients across Broward County. Each page opens with a short answer, then lists the Florida statutes involved and explains what the first phone call looks like.
01 Car accidents
Who pays after a car crash in Fort Lauderdale, and what should I do first?
After a car crash in Fort Lauderdale, your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage pays the first medical bills no matter who caused the wreck, but only if a doctor, hospital, or urgent care treats you within 14 days. The first moves are to get that care, write down the crash report number, and hold off on any recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer until a lawyer has looked at your situation.
02 Truck accidents
A semi or delivery truck hit me in Fort Lauderdale. Who is responsible?
Usually more than one party. After a truck crash in Fort Lauderdale, responsibility can extend past the driver to the motor carrier operating the truck, the company that owns the tractor or trailer, whoever loaded the cargo, and whoever maintained the brakes, and each of them tends to have its own insurance policy.
03 Motorcycle accidents
Why won’t PIP pay after my motorcycle crash in Fort Lauderdale, and who will?
PIP does not pay because Florida’s no-fault law leaves motorcycles out: a motorcycle is not a “motor vehicle” for PIP purposes under Fla. Stat.
04 Uber and Lyft accidents
Who pays when an Uber or Lyft crashes in Fort Lauderdale?
After an Uber or Lyft crash in Fort Lauderdale, the policy that pays is decided by a single fact: what the driver's app showed when the vehicles collided. Once a trip is accepted, from the drive to the pickup until the rider steps out, Florida requires $1,000,000 in liability coverage; with the app on and no trip yet, the floor drops to $50,000 per injured person and $100,000 per crash; with the app off, only the driver's own auto policy is in play (Fla.
05 Pedestrian and bicycle accidents
I was hit by a car on foot or on a bike in Fort Lauderdale. Who pays?
When a driver strikes you while you are walking or riding a bicycle in Fort Lauderdale, your first medical bills are usually paid by PIP, Florida's no-fault coverage, even though you were not in a vehicle, and the rest of the claim goes against the driver's insurance. PIP pays up to $10,000: from your own policy if you own an insured car, from a relative's if you live with one who has it, and otherwise from the policy on the car that hit you (Fla.
06 Slip and fall
Who is responsible if I fall at a store, hotel, or condo in Fort Lauderdale?
The owner or business in control of the property is responsible for a fall in Fort Lauderdale when it knew, or should have known, about the danger and did not fix it or warn you. If you slipped on something on the floor of a business, such as spilled water, cooking oil, or a dropped grape, Florida puts the burden on you to show the business had actual or constructive knowledge of it: the spill sat there long enough that staff should have found it, or the same problem kept coming back (Fla.
07 Cruise ship and boating accidents
I was injured on a cruise from Port Everglades or on a boat in Fort Lauderdale. How long do I have to act?
Possibly as little as six months. If you were hurt on a cruise that sailed from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, the passenger ticket contract almost always says you must send the cruise line written notice of your claim within six months and file suit within one year, and federal law lets the line hold you to that (46 U.S.C.
08 Medical malpractice
Can I sue a doctor or hospital in Broward County for a medical mistake?
Yes, when the care you received fell below what a reasonably careful provider in the same field would have given, and that shortfall is what injured you; a disappointing result by itself is not enough (Fla. Stat.
09 Wrongful death
Someone we love died because of another person's negligence in Broward. What can our family do?
Your family can bring a wrongful death claim, but Florida has it filed by one person, the personal representative of your loved one's estate, who acts for every relative the law recognizes (Fla. Stat.
10 Uninsured and underinsured motorist
A driver with no insurance hit me in Fort Lauderdale, or drove off. Who pays for my injuries?
In most cases your own car insurance pays, through its uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, once your PIP benefits are used up. That holds whether the other driver had no bodily injury coverage, had too little, or left the scene before anyone got a plate, and it applies on any road in Fort Lauderdale or the rest of Broward.
Speak with a Fort Lauderdale injury lawyer
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