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- What to Do After a Car Accident in Miami
- Why Florida Law Is Stricter Than You Think
- Liability Theories We Build for Your Case
- Common Injuries in Miami Car Accidents
- What Compensation Can You Recover?
- What to Expect When You Hire a Miami Car Accident Lawyer
- What NOT to Do After a Car Crash in Miami
- Dangerous Roads for Miami Drivers
- Miami-Specific Factors That Shape Your Case
- Miami-Dade Communities We Serve
- Why Choose Kaiser Romanello
- Meet Your Miami Car Accident Lawyers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Disclaimer
- Call Today for Your Free Case Review
Quick Answer: What To Do After a Car Accident in Miami
If you need a Miami car accident lawyer, seek medical care within 14 days — Florida's PIP statute (Fla. Stat. §627.736) requires it or you forfeit your benefits. For serious trauma, Miami-Dade's Level I trauma centers are the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital and Kendall Regional Medical Center; Baptist Hospital of Miami, Mount Sinai on Miami Beach, and UM Hospital handle emergency care.
Then photograph the scene, exchange information, and get the crash report number from the Miami Police Department, City of Miami Beach PD, or the Florida Highway Patrol trooper on scene. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance adjuster before speaking with a Miami car accident lawyer.
Your case will be filed in the Miami-Dade County 11th Judicial Circuit at the courthouse on West Flagler Street in downtown Miami. For a free, confidential case review, call Kaiser Romanello, P.A. at (844) 877-8679. No fee unless we win.
Why a Miami Car Accident Lawyer Who Knows Miami-Dade Matters
Miami-Dade is consistently one of the highest-crash counties in Florida. A rare combination of factors concentrates serious collisions here: some of the state's busiest expressways (I-95, the Palmetto/SR 826, and the Dolphin/SR 836), one of the country's most notorious interchanges (the Golden Glades), year-round tourism from Miami Beach to Brickell, PortMiami cruise and cargo traffic, a dense rideshare fleet, and a large population of visiting and international drivers navigating unfamiliar roads in rental cars.
Miami-Dade also carries one of the highest uninsured- and underinsured-driver rates in the United States. That single fact reshapes most Miami car accident cases — because when the at-fault driver has little or no bodily-injury coverage, your recovery frequently depends on your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) policy rather than theirs. Identifying and stacking that coverage is where an experienced Miami car accident lawyer earns their fee.
Our firm, Kaiser Romanello, P.A., is headquartered in Parkland, northern Broward County, and represents car accident victims throughout Miami-Dade. We litigate in the 11th Judicial Circuit, we know which Miami-Dade emergency rooms and providers document injuries in a way that survives defense scrutiny, and we know how Florida's no-fault PIP system limits what insurers pay — and how to pursue full value beyond those limits when injuries are serious.
Why Florida Law Is Stricter Than Most Miami Drivers Expect
Florida is a no-fault state with some of the most pro-insurer personal injury rules in the country. Four Florida statutes control every Miami car accident case. Understanding them in combination — not as isolated doctrines — is the difference between full recovery and a denied claim.
Fla. Stat. §627.736 — The 14-Day Treatment Rule
Florida requires every driver to carry $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP). After a crash, you have 14 days to seek initial medical treatment or you forfeit PIP benefits entirely. PIP pays only 80% of medical expenses and 60% of lost wages, up to the $10,000 limit. For serious Miami crashes, that limit is exhausted almost immediately — which is why pursuing the at-fault driver's liability policy, and your own UM/UIM coverage, is the real recovery path.
HB 837 — The 50% Fault Cliff
Before March 2023, Florida followed pure comparative negligence — a plaintiff 99% at fault still recovered 1%. Under HB 837, if a jury finds you 50% or more at fault, you recover nothing. In a fast-moving, multi-lane environment like the Palmetto or I-95, insurers aggressively argue speed, unsafe lane changes, distraction, and seat-belt non-use to push your fault percentage over the cliff. Defeating that attack is core to what your Miami car accident lawyer does from day one.
Fla. Stat. §95.11 — 2-Year Filing Deadline
HB 837 cut Florida's negligence statute of limitations from four years to two years for crashes on or after March 24, 2023. Wrongful death is also two years. Claims against governmental entities — the City of Miami, Miami-Dade County, the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX), or FDOT for road-design defects — require formal written notice under Fla. Stat. §768.28 on a much shorter timeline. Any site or attorney telling you Florida gives you four years is citing outdated, pre-2023 law.
Fla. Stat. §627.737(2) — The Tort Threshold
To recover non-economic damages (pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life) beyond PIP, your injuries must meet Florida's serious-injury threshold: significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement, permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability, significant permanent loss of an important bodily function, or death. Without documentation that clears this bar, the insurer denies non-economic damages outright. Proper imaging and treatment records from a Miami-Dade provider are what establish it.
Hurt in a car crash in Miami?
Florida's 14-day PIP rule and 2-year statute of limitations are already running. Evidence disappears faster.
Call (844) 877-8679 Start Free Case ReviewLiability Theories Your Miami Car Accident Lawyer Will Build
Identifying every potentially liable party is the difference between a policy-limits result and a multi-policy recovery that actually covers catastrophic care. These are the theories we evaluate in every Miami car accident file.
1. Other-Driver Negligence (Most Common)
The textbook Miami crash: a driver runs a red light on Biscayne Boulevard, fails to yield on Le Jeune, makes an unsafe lane change on the Palmetto, or rear-ends you in stopped Dolphin Expressway traffic. Their bodily-injury policy is the first source of recovery beyond PIP — but Florida requires only $10K in property-damage liability, not bodily injury, so many Miami drivers carry zero BI coverage. That is exactly why your own UM/UIM policy so often matters more than theirs.
2. Drunk & Impaired-Driver Cases
Miami's nightlife corridors — South Beach, Brickell, Wynwood, Coconut Grove, and Calle Ocho — produce a steady stream of late-night impaired-driver crashes. Florida recognizes both standard negligence and dram-shop liability, so beyond the driver's policy we evaluate whether a bar, club, or restaurant knowingly served someone visibly intoxicated. Because phone and app records are subpoena-protected only within a short window, our preservation letters go out in the first 48 hours.
3. Road Defects & Government Liability
Poorly designed interchanges (the Golden Glades has documented merge and sight-line problems), missing or damaged guardrails, faded lane markings, standing water from Miami's drainage limits, and inadequate signage can support a claim against the entity responsible for the road — the City of Miami, Miami-Dade County, MDX, or FDOT. Sovereign-immunity caps and the strict §768.28 notice deadline apply, and missing that deadline forfeits the claim.
4. Commercial Vehicle & Trucking Liability
PortMiami cargo traffic, construction fleets, and delivery vans put commercial vehicles on Miami roads in high numbers. When the at-fault vehicle is a commercial truck, federal motor-carrier regulations (FMCSR) apply, policy limits are far higher than passenger minimums, and the employer, broker, and shipper may share liability. See our Florida truck accident hub for the full framework.
5. Rideshare (Uber & Lyft) TNC Liability
Miami has one of the densest rideshare markets in Florida. When an Uber or Lyft driver causes the crash, Florida's TNC statute (Fla. Stat. §627.748) layers coverage by the driver's app status — a Phase 3 ride (passenger aboard) triggers a $1 million commercial policy. See our Uber accident hub and Lyft accident hub for the three-phase analysis.
6. Your Own UM/UIM Policy — Critical in Miami-Dade
Given Miami-Dade's uninsured-driver rate, your own UM/UIM auto policy is frequently the primary source of recovery. In many household configurations, UM/UIM coverage stacks across vehicles — multiplying the money available. We map every UM/UIM layer at the very start of a Miami case, because insurers will not volunteer coverage you did not know you had.
Common Injuries in Miami Car Accidents
Crash injuries range from soft-tissue strains to permanently disabling trauma. The cases we handle most often:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) — concussions, contrecoup injuries, post-concussion syndrome, and severe brain trauma; symptoms can be delayed 24–72 hours.
- Spinal cord injury — from partial nerve damage to paraplegia; lifetime care costs frequently exceed $5 million.
- Whiplash and neck injuries — cervical strain and herniated discs at C5-C6 or C6-C7 requiring therapy or surgery.
- Back injuries — herniated lumbar discs (typically L4-L5 or L5-S1), sciatica, and chronic pain.
- Compound and complex fractures — femur, tibia, pelvis, wrist, and clavicle; surgical fixation often runs into six figures.
- Internal organ injury — ruptured spleen, lacerated liver, punctured lung from blunt-force impact.
- Severe burns and disfigurement — from airbag deployment, post-crash fires, or chemical exposure.
- Wrongful death — Florida's Wrongful Death Act compensates surviving spouses, children, and dependents.
What Compensation Can You Recover?
Florida allows both economic and non-economic damages in car accident cases that meet the serious-injury threshold under Fla. Stat. §627.737(2). In catastrophic Miami crashes, damages frequently exceed the at-fault driver's limits, requiring UM/UIM stacking or pursuit of a commercial defendant.
Economic Damages
- Past and future medical expenses (ER, surgery, imaging, physical therapy, rehabilitation)
- Lost wages and lost earning capacity
- Vocational retraining when injuries end a career
- Property damage (vehicle and personal belongings)
- Out-of-pocket costs — co-pays, transportation to appointments, home modifications
- Life-care planning costs in catastrophic cases
Non-Economic Damages
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress, anxiety, and PTSD
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Permanent disability, scarring, and disfigurement
- Loss of consortium for spouses
Comparative-negligence warning. Since HB 837, a plaintiff found 50% or more at fault recovers nothing. Miami insurers press comparative-fault arguments aggressively; defending against them is central to protecting your recovery.
What to Expect When You Hire a Miami Car Accident Lawyer
Every Miami car accident case runs on a sequence. Miss a step and the claim suffers. Here is what the first 60 days typically look like when you retain Kaiser Romanello, P.A.
Free Case Review
We evaluate the crash, your injuries, your coverage, and your goals — no fee, no obligation. Call (844) 877-8679 or request a review online.
Evidence Preservation
Within 48 hours we send preservation letters to every insurer, the at-fault driver, any commercial-fleet defendant, and the responsible road authority (City of Miami, Miami-Dade, MDX, or FDOT) where road conditions contributed.
Medical Coordination & PIP Protection
We help ensure you treat within the 14-day PIP window with qualified Miami-Dade providers, protect your PIP benefits, and document injuries to meet the serious-injury threshold.
Liability & Coverage Investigation
We confirm the at-fault driver's coverage, identify commercial defendants, evaluate road-design liability, and map every layer of your own UM/UIM stack.
Demand & Negotiation
Once treatment stabilizes, we send a formal demand — structured to satisfy Fla. Stat. §624.155 bad-faith requirements where applicable — supported by medical records, wage loss, and expert evaluations.
Litigation & Trial in the 11th Circuit
If the insurer will not pay fair value, we file suit in the 11th Judicial Circuit at the Miami-Dade courthouse, litigate discovery aggressively, and are prepared to try the case to a jury.
What NOT to Do After a Car Crash in Miami
Don't give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver's insurer before speaking to a lawyer. The questions are designed to lock in facts that hurt your claim.
Don't accept a fast settlement. First offers arrive before injuries fully declare themselves. Once you sign a release, the case is over.
Don't sign a blanket medical authorization. The insurer will mine pre-existing conditions to argue your pain came from an old injury.
Don't post about the crash on social media. Defense counsel routinely screens Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for anything they can weaponize.
Don't miss the 14-day PIP deadline. Florida law requires initial treatment within 14 days, or PIP is forfeited.
Don't wait. Florida's 2-year statute of limitations (Fla. Stat. §95.11) runs from the crash date; evidence disappears far sooner.
Dangerous Roads for Miami Drivers
Miami-Dade's expressway network concentrates its most serious crashes in a handful of corridors. Knowing where they happen helps drivers stay alert — and helps your Miami car accident lawyer establish whether road conditions or driver negligence contributed to your case.
The Golden Glades Interchange
Where I-95, Florida's Turnpike, SR 826, and US-441 converge in north Miami-Dade — routinely cited among the most complex and crash-prone interchanges in the nation. Merge conflicts and sight-line issues drive a steady volume of serious collisions.
I-95 Through Miami-Dade
From the Golden Glades south through downtown and the express-lane sections, I-95 produces high-speed rear-end and lane-change crashes. Express-lane weaving and sudden congestion are recurring factors in the files we see.
Palmetto Expressway (SR 826)
One of Miami-Dade's busiest routes, the Palmetto's high speeds, heavy merging near the Dolphin interchange, and dense commuter volume make it a leading source of multi-vehicle injury crashes.
Dolphin Expressway (SR 836)
The primary east-west artery into downtown and toward PortMiami, the Dolphin combines commuter, tourist, and commercial traffic. Rear-end crashes in stop-and-go conditions are common approaching the I-95 interchange.
US-1 / Biscayne Boulevard & Brickell
The US-1 corridor through Brickell and downtown mixes dense pedestrian, cyclist, transit, and vehicle traffic. Left-turn and intersection crashes cluster at the high-volume signals along Biscayne and South Dixie Highway.
Kendall Drive & Bird Road
West Miami-Dade's principal east-west corridors carry heavy suburban commuter volume through long signalized stretches, producing frequent rear-end and left-turn crashes near Florida's Turnpike and SR 826.
If your Miami crash happened on any of these roads, we know the local conditions, the agencies that investigate them, and the defense patterns the at-fault insurer is likely to deploy.
Miami-Specific Factors That Shape Your Case
Miami-Dade has conditions that don't exist elsewhere in Florida. A Miami car accident lawyer who handles cases countywide knows how to turn these factors to your advantage.
High Uninsured & Underinsured Driver Rate
Miami-Dade posts one of the highest uninsured-driver rates in the country. That makes your own UM/UIM coverage — and whether it stacks across household vehicles — the single most important coverage question in most Miami cases. We investigate it first, not last.
Tourist & International Drivers in Rentals
From Miami Beach to the airport corridor, a large share of Miami traffic is visitors driving unfamiliar rental cars. These crashes raise jurisdiction, service-of-process, and coverage-coordination issues that a firm without Miami experience routinely mishandles.
PortMiami & Commercial Traffic
Cruise and cargo operations at PortMiami feed heavy truck and shuttle traffic onto the Dolphin Expressway and downtown streets. Commercial defendants mean higher policy limits — and more aggressive corporate defense.
Nightlife & Impaired-Driving Corridors
South Beach, Brickell, Wynwood, and Coconut Grove generate weekend-night crash volume where dram-shop liability against a bar or club can add a second layer of recovery beyond the driver's own policy.
Rideshare Density
Miami's heavy Uber and Lyft volume means many crashes involve TNC coverage that shifts by app phase under Fla. Stat. §627.748. Whether a $1 million commercial policy applies depends on facts most drivers don't know to preserve.
Weather, Flooding & Congestion
Sudden storms, king-tide street flooding, and some of the nation's worst congestion produce loss-of-control and chain-reaction crashes. These cases turn on reconstruction and on documenting road and weather conditions before they're gone.
Miami-Dade Communities We Serve
As your Miami car accident lawyer, we handle crashes throughout the City of Miami and across Miami-Dade County, including:
Downtown, Brickell & Edgewater
The Biscayne Boulevard and Brickell Avenue corridors combine dense vehicle, transit, cyclist, and pedestrian traffic with heavy rideshare volume.
Miami Beach & the Causeways
The MacArthur, Julia Tuttle, and Venetian Causeways funnel tourist and nightlife traffic between the mainland and South Beach, producing seasonal crash spikes.
Kendall, West Miami-Dade & Doral
Kendall Drive, Bird Road, and the SR 826/Turnpike corridors drive heavy suburban commuter crash volume through West Miami-Dade and Doral.
Coral Gables, Coconut Grove & Aventura
From the Gables and the Grove to Aventura's retail corridors along Biscayne, we handle intersection, left-turn, and parking-structure collisions countywide.
Related Practice Areas & Nearby Coverage
Beyond Miami-Dade, we serve car accident victims across South Florida, including Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Coral Springs, and Boca Raton. Related practices: Uber accident lawyer, Lyft accident lawyer, motorcycle accident lawyer, truck accident lawyer, hit-and-run accidents, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death.
Why Choose Kaiser Romanello as Your Miami Car Accident Lawyer
11th Circuit Litigation
We file and try Miami-Dade cases in the 11th Judicial Circuit — the trial posture that moves insurer offers.
UM/UIM & Coverage Depth
In a county with high uninsured rates, mapping and stacking your own coverage is often the whole case. We do it first.
PIP & Tort-Threshold Experience
Clearing Florida's serious-injury threshold takes careful documentation. We've handled hundreds of these files.
HB 837 Defense Preparation
We anticipate the comparative-fault attack and build evidence against it from day one.
No Fee Unless We Win
Pure contingency — nothing up front, and nothing at all unless we recover for you.
Direct Attorney Access
You speak with the attorneys handling your case — not a call center — from the first call through resolution.
Meet Your Miami Car Accident Lawyers
Lorne Adam Kaiser, Esq.
Lorne has represented injured Floridians in personal injury, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death matters for decades, including auto, commercial-vehicle, rideshare, motorcycle, and trucking cases across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. He has tried cases to verdict and negotiated recoveries against carriers ranging from personal auto insurers to Fortune 500 self-insured defendants.
- Admitted to the Florida Bar (No. 0568491)
- Member, Florida Justice Association
- Million Dollar & Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Focus: catastrophic injury & complex liability
Steven J. Romanello, Esq.
Steven litigates serious-injury claims with an emphasis on identifying every responsible defendant — the difference between a policy-limits result and a life-changing recovery. His car accident work spans Miami-Dade and the rest of South Florida, with particular focus on complex, multi-party liability and UM/UIM coverage disputes.
- Admitted to the Florida Bar (No. 557277)
- Member, Florida Justice Association
- Million Dollar & Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Focus: complex liability & trial litigation
See representative outcomes on our case results page. Past results are not a guarantee of future outcomes; every case is different and is evaluated on its specific facts.
Miami Car Accident Lawyer FAQ
What should I do immediately after a car accident in Miami?
Call 911 and get medical attention — for serious trauma, Miami-Dade's Level I trauma centers are the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial and Kendall Regional Medical Center. Florida PIP requires treatment within 14 days. Photograph the vehicles, license plates, scene, and injuries. Get the crash report number from Miami PD, Miami Beach PD, or FHP. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurer before calling a Miami car accident lawyer at Kaiser Romanello, P.A. at (844) 877-8679.
Where will my Miami car accident case be filed?
Civil cases arising from Miami-Dade crashes are filed in the 11th Judicial Circuit at the Miami-Dade County Courthouse in downtown Miami on West Flagler Street. We litigate regularly in the 11th Circuit and prepare every case as if it will be tried there.
The other driver has no insurance or only $10,000 — can I still recover?
Often, yes. Florida requires only $10,000 in property-damage liability, not bodily injury, and Miami-Dade has one of the highest uninsured-driver rates in the country. In these cases your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) policy becomes the primary source of recovery, and in many households it stacks across multiple vehicles. Identifying and stacking that coverage is one of the first things we do.
What is Florida's 14-day PIP rule and why does it matter?
Florida's no-fault statute (Fla. Stat. §627.736) requires every driver to carry $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection. After a crash you have 14 days to seek initial medical treatment or you forfeit PIP entirely. Even if you feel "fine," get evaluated within two weeks — some serious injuries, especially brain and spine trauma, don't show symptoms for days.
How does HB 837's 50% comparative-fault rule affect my case?
Under HB 837 (effective March 2023), if a jury finds you 50% or more at fault, you recover nothing. Miami insurers push comparative-fault allegations aggressively — speed, lane changes, distraction, seat-belt use. Building evidence that keeps your fault below that threshold is central to what your Miami car accident lawyer does.
How long do I have to file a claim after a Miami car crash?
Two years from the date of the crash under Fla. Stat. §95.11, as amended by HB 837 in March 2023. Wrongful death is also two years. Claims against the City of Miami, Miami-Dade County, MDX, or FDOT require written notice under Fla. Stat. §768.28 on a much shorter timeline. If you've read that Florida gives you four years, that is outdated law.
I was a passenger in an Uber or Lyft in Miami — who covers my injuries?
The analysis depends on the driver's app status under Fla. Stat. §627.748. A Phase 3 ride (passenger in the vehicle) triggers Uber's or Lyft's $1 million commercial policy. See our Uber accident hub and Lyft accident hub for the full three-phase framework.
I'm a tourist or out-of-state visitor injured in Miami — can I file a Florida claim?
Yes. Florida's 14-day PIP rule and 2-year statute of limitations apply regardless of where you live. Out-of-state and international crash victims face added issues — coordinating Florida medical care, managing the claim from afar, and rental-car and coverage-coordination questions. We handle those logistics so you can focus on recovery.
What will it cost to hire a Miami car accident lawyer?
Nothing up front. Our fee is contingent — we are paid only if we recover compensation for you, as a percentage of the recovery. The initial case review is free, and we advance the costs of investigators, experts, depositions, and filing fees, reimbursed only if we win. If there is no recovery, you owe nothing.
Talk to a Miami Car Accident Lawyer Today
Free, confidential case review. No fee unless we win. Serving Miami-Dade County and all of South Florida from our Parkland office.
(844) 877-8679 Start Your Free Case ReviewThe hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our qualifications and experience. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict future outcomes; the scenario described on this page is hypothetical and provided for illustration only. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own facts. This page is for general educational purposes and is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Kaiser Romanello, P.A. is headquartered at 11555 Heron Bay Boulevard, Suite 200, Parkland, FL 33076, and represents clients throughout Miami-Dade County and South Florida.
Recent Victories for Clients
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Truck Accident
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Car Accident
“Kaiser Romanello changed my life. They are The Dream Team! Could not recommend them anymore! If you want to get the most money for your personal injury claim call Kaiser Romanello today!”
-Lu R
Former client
“l just got off the phone with Mr. Loren Kaiser for a free consultation and he was absolutely amazing. He was extremely helpful, detail oriented and did not add any “rushed” feeling to the phone call. If I have anything substantial to move forward with, I will proudly utilize this law office. Thank you, Mr. Kaiser, for your help, input and advice! It is greatly appreciated.”
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Former client
“Steve and his partner are just very knowledgeable, amazing client service, Steve it is the kind of persons who loves what he is doing, he went about and beyond his lawyer responsibilities in my case, they care about you, If you are looking for professionals at the highest levels, use their services. Not only you will be represented by top lawyers, but you feel like part of the family. Thanks for everything, God bless you.”
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Former client
