Pembroke Pines 3-Car Crash on University Drive

By Kaiser Romanello, Accident & Injury Attorneys  |  Published: July 7, 2026  |  Last Updated: July 7, 2026

On Monday, July 6, 2026, three people were hospitalized after a three-vehicle crash along University Drive near Taft Street in Pembroke Pines. According to the Pembroke Pines Police Department, all three injured individuals were transported to local hospitals for treatment. In their initial traffic alert, officers described the collision as a “traffic crash with serious injuries.” The cause of the crash and the conditions of those injured have not yet been publicly released, and the investigation is ongoing.

At Kaiser Romanello, we’ve spent decades representing Broward County families in exactly this kind of serious multi-vehicle wreck — on University Drive, Pines Boulevard, I-75, the Sawgrass Expressway, and every corridor in between. The information below is for anyone who was in one of those vehicles on Monday, or for anyone hurt in any serious crash on a Pembroke Pines street.

What We Know About the Pembroke Pines Crash

According to the Pembroke Pines Police Department, the three-vehicle crash occurred on University Drive near Taft Street on Monday, temporarily disrupting traffic in one of the busiest north-south corridors in southwestern Broward County. Officers and first responders arrived on scene, transported three injured people to nearby hospitals, and began working to reconstruct the sequence of impacts.

As of publication, investigators have not disclosed the cause of the crash, the sequence of events leading up to the collision, or whether any citations have been issued. The conditions of the three injured victims have also not been released. The Florida Traffic Crash Report, when it issues, will be a starting point — not the final word — on who caused what.

“A three-vehicle crash on a busy Pembroke Pines corridor is rarely the fault of a single driver — and the official traffic report is almost never the last word on who’s responsible.”

University Drive at Taft Street: A Known Broward Crash Hotspot

University Drive is one of Pembroke Pines’ most heavily traveled surface streets, moving commuters between Pines Boulevard, Taft Street, Sheridan Street, and Miramar Parkway all day long. The intersection with Taft Street sees particularly heavy volume during morning and afternoon rush hours — a combination of school traffic, retail traffic, and commuters heading to and from the I-75 and Turnpike interchanges nearby.

Corridors like this concentrate risk. A single driver running a stale yellow, following too closely, or looking down at a phone can trigger a chain-reaction wreck that pulls in vehicles that were doing everything right. That is exactly the fact pattern the Pembroke Pines Police Department will now have to reconstruct.

Why Multi-Vehicle Crashes Are Legally Different

A three-vehicle collision is legally and factually more complex than a typical two-car crash for several reasons:

• Multiple potential defendants. Any combination of the drivers — and sometimes parties beyond the drivers — may bear responsibility.
• Multiple insurance policies in play. Each driver carries (or should carry) their own coverage, and policies frequently overlap, stack, or conflict.
• Apportionment of fault. Florida juries are asked to assign a percentage of fault to each party. Small shifts in those percentages can mean very large shifts in recovery.
• Conflicting witness accounts. In a chain or T-bone collision, drivers and witnesses often disagree about who entered the intersection first, who crossed the center line, or who initiated contact.

In the Pembroke Pines crash, the precise sequence of impacts has not yet been confirmed publicly. Whether one driver rear-ended a stopped vehicle and pushed it into a third, whether a left-turn attempt into oncoming traffic caused the wreck, or whether one of the drivers was distracted, impaired, or medically incapacitated — those are the questions investigators are working through now. The answer will shape the entire case.

Florida’s Comparative Negligence Rule (After the 2023 Amendment)

Under Florida Statute § 768.81, Florida is a modified comparative negligence state. As of the 2023 tort reform amendments, a plaintiff who is found more than 50% at fault is barred from recovering any damages. A plaintiff who is 50% or less at fault can still recover, but their damages are reduced in proportion to their share of fault.

In a three-car crash, this rule is especially consequential. A driver who is rear-ended by one vehicle and then pushed into another may be assigned a small fault percentage they never should have carried. Insurance adjusters routinely try to push fault onto the most seriously injured party because doing so reduces what their insured has to pay. This is why every multi-vehicle case needs an independent reconstruction.

PIP Insurance and Florida’s “Serious Injury” Threshold

Florida is a no-fault state for auto insurance. Every driver is required to carry $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage under Florida Statute § 627.736, which pays a portion of the policyholder’s medical bills and lost wages regardless of who caused the crash. To access PIP, you must seek initial medical treatment within 14 days of the crash. Miss that window and you can lose your PIP benefits entirely — even if injuries become apparent later.

PIP, however, is rarely enough in a crash Pembroke Pines Police have described as involving “serious injuries.” To pursue a claim against the at-fault driver(s) for pain and suffering and other non-economic damages, an injured person must meet the serious injury threshold under Florida Statute § 627.737, which generally requires:

• Significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function;
• Permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability;
• Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement; or
• Death.

Broken bones, torn ligaments, spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and internal injuries typically satisfy the threshold. Proving the threshold, though, requires careful medical documentation starting at the very first hospital visit.

Florida Traffic Laws That May Apply

Because the investigation is still in its early stages, the Pembroke Pines Police Department has not determined which driver, if any, may be at fault. Depending on what the evidence reveals, investigators are likely to evaluate whether any of the following Florida statutes were violated:

• Florida Statute § 316.1925 — Careless driving: operating a vehicle in a careless or negligent manner that endangers others.
• Florida Statute § 316.0895 — Safe following distance: following another vehicle more closely than is reasonable given speed, traffic, and roadway conditions.
• Florida Statute § 316.075 — Obedience to traffic control signals: failing to stop at a red light or yield at a yellow.
• Florida Statute § 316.089 — Lane discipline: failing to stay within a single lane until it is safe to change lanes.

A violation of any one of these statutes can establish negligence per se in a civil case — meaning the fact of the violation itself supports the injured plaintiff’s claim.

Beyond the Drivers: Who Else May Be Liable

In any serious multi-vehicle crash, an experienced attorney looks past the obvious defendants:

Employers

If any driver was on the clock or running an errand for work — including Uber or Lyft drivers, delivery drivers, or commercial-fleet operators — Florida recognizes vicarious liability under the doctrine of respondeat superior. The employer’s policy limits are typically far higher than a personal auto policy.

Vehicle Owners (Dangerous Instrumentality)

Florida’s Dangerous Instrumentality Doctrine generally holds the owner of a motor vehicle liable when they entrust it to a driver who causes harm. If the at-fault driver was using someone else’s car, that owner may be on the hook for damages alongside the driver.

Manufacturers

If a tire, brake system, airbag, steering component, or other vehicle part failed, the manufacturer of that component may share responsibility under product liability law.

Government Entities

If signal timing, sight-line obstructions, signage, or roadway design at the University Drive/Taft Street intersection contributed to the crash, the responsible municipality, county, or the Florida Department of Transportation may share fault. Claims against government entities require pre-suit notice under Florida Statute § 768.28 and are subject to sovereign immunity caps — making early action essential.

Bars and Social Hosts

In limited circumstances under Florida’s dram shop law (Florida Statute § 768.125), an establishment that knowingly served alcohol to an underage person or to a habitually addicted person may share liability if that person then caused a crash.

What to Do If You Were Involved in This Crash

University Drive between Taft Street and Pines Boulevard is lined with retail plazas, gas stations, and residential neighborhoods. Nearly every property in the area has a security camera or Ring doorbell of some kind. Most of those systems overwrite their footage within 7 to 30 days. Requesting preservation has to happen immediately.

Kaiser Romanello — Pembroke Pines & Broward County Injury Attorneys

If you, a family member, or a friend was involved in the July 6 Pembroke Pines collision — or any serious crash in Broward County — contact a Florida injury lawyer for a free, confidential consultation. Kaiser Romanello handles serious car accident and wrongful death cases throughout South Florida — including Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Hollywood, Davie, Cooper City, Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, and the surrounding communities. Meet our attorneys and learn why Broward families trust our firm with their most serious cases.

We work on a contingency fee basis — no charge unless and until we recover for you. Phone: 844-877-8679. Available 24/7. We come to you.

Schedule Your Free Case Review →

Frequently Asked Questions

Who can be sued in a three-vehicle Florida crash?

Potentially every driver involved, plus vehicle owners (under Florida’s Dangerous Instrumentality Doctrine), employers (if a driver was working), manufacturers (if a vehicle component failed), bars or social hosts (under Florida’s dram shop law), or government entities (if road or signal design contributed). An experienced attorney investigates each angle before deciding which defendants to pursue.

What is the deadline to file a Florida personal injury claim?

Florida’s 2023 tort reform shortened the general statute of limitations for negligence-based personal injury claims to two years from the date of the crash. Wrongful death claims also generally have a two-year limit. If a government entity is a potential defendant, additional pre-suit notice requirements under Florida Statute § 768.28 apply. Evidence preservation should begin immediately — long before that deadline.

What if I’m partially at fault for the crash?

Under Florida’s modified comparative negligence rule (Florida Statute § 768.81, as amended in 2023), if you are 50% or less at fault, you can still recover damages — reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found 51% or more at fault, you are barred from recovery entirely. Independent investigation often shifts the official fault percentage significantly.

Will my own PIP cover serious injuries from a Broward crash?

Florida PIP covers $10,000 of medical expenses and lost wages regardless of fault — but for the kind of “serious injuries” Pembroke Pines Police described here, this is rarely enough. To pursue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering damages, you must meet Florida’s serious injury threshold (significant and permanent injury, permanent scarring, or death). Most hospitalized crash victims qualify.

How much does it cost to hire a Pembroke Pines car accident lawyer?

Kaiser Romanello handles serious injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency-fee basis. You pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you. The initial consultation is free and confidential, and we come to you.

This blog post is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship. The facts described above are drawn from public news reports and law enforcement statements and remain subject to the Pembroke Pines Police Department’s ongoing investigation. If you have been injured or have lost a loved one in an accident, please contact a licensed Florida attorney to discuss the specific facts of your case.