Fort Lauderdale has the third-highest accident rate in Florida and is considered one of Florida’s most dangerous cities for motor vehicle accidents. You may pursue a personal injury lawsuit if a car accident injured you in Fort Lauderdale.
An experienced car accident lawyer will evaluate your claim, identify the parties at fault for your injuries, and fight for compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Contact the experienced Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers at Kaiser Romanello to hold the negligent parties responsible. We provide tailored solutions to help our clients seek rightful compensation with nearly half a century of combined experience empowering accident victims. Our Fort Lauderdale office serves clients throughout South Florida.
Call us today at (844) 877-8679.
Why Choose Kaiser Romanello for Your Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Claim?
The legal team at Kaiser Romanello P.A. is experienced in handling Fort Lauderdale car accident claims involving catastrophic injuries or wrongful death.
Our team of Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers will put its strength behind you, taking the worry off your shoulders. We are skilled at negotiating with insurance companies, rejecting low settlement offers to secure you the compensation you deserve. We can represent you in court if we can’t reach a fair settlement.
Our main office is in Fort Lauderdale, and our attorneys are familiar with the people and places of South Florida that may factor into your car accident claim. We are well-versed in Florida law as it applies to car accidents and can correctly handle your claim.
There is no cost or obligation to talk to one of our personal injury attorneys. Contact us today for a free consultation and evaluation of your case.
Our Fort Lauderdale Office Location and Headquarters
Kaiser Romanello P.A. is located at 11555 Heron Bay Boulevard in Broward County, Florida, approximately 23 miles north of Miami and 42 miles south of Palm Beach. You can call us at (844) 877-8679 to meet with one of our personal injury attorneys to discuss your claim.
Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Statistics
Compared with the nation’s six most populous states, Florida’s injury death rates were highest in the following categories: motor vehicle injuries, suicides, drowning, pedestrians, and pedal cyclists.
Fort Lauderdale is considered one of Florida’s most dangerous cities for motor vehicle accidents. It has the third-highest accident rate in Florida. Although it is only the tenth most populous city in Florida, it sees an average of 5,648 traffic accidents per 100,000 residents.
Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), on its Florida Crash Dashboard, reports 276,492 crashes in the state as of September 2023, accounting for 2,331 deaths and 176,029 injuries. Broward County reported 28,249 crashes with 135 fatalities and 17,264 injuries. There were 506 bicycle crashes with seven fatalities, 535 motorcycle accidents with 26 fatalities, and 620 total pedestrian crashes with 28 fatalities.
Common Car Accident Personal Injuries
Car accidents can result in a wide range of personal injuries, some of which are common due to the forces involved in a collision. These injuries can vary in severity depending on factors such as the speed of the vehicles, the type of collision, and the use of seat belts and airbags.
Common personal injuries in car accidents include:
- Whiplash: Whiplash is a neck injury caused by the sudden back-and-forth motion of the head and neck during a collision. It can lead to neck pain, stiffness, headaches, and sometimes more severe symptoms.
- Head Injuries: Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can occur when the head strikes an object, the dashboard, or the airbag. Car accidents can result in concussions, contusions, and more severe brain injuries.
- Soft Tissue Injuries: These injuries involve damage to muscles, tendons, and ligaments and can result in pain, swelling, and limited mobility. Knee injuries, such as ACL, MCL, or meniscus tears, can result from the impact during a car accident.
- Fractures: Broken bones are common in car accidents, with the arms, legs, ribs, and collarbones particularly susceptible.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: Severe accidents can lead to spinal cord injuries, which may result in paralysis or long-term disability.
- Cuts and Lacerations: Broken glass, metal, and debris from the accident can cause cuts and lacerations, which may require stitches or surgery.
- Burns: Burns can occur from fire or hot fluids or materials involved in the accident.
- Internal Injuries: The impact of a car accident can cause damage to internal organs, which may not be immediately apparent. These life-threatening injuries require immediate medical attention after a car accident, even if you feel your injuries are minor.
- Chest Injuries: Injuries to the chest area can occur due to the impact of the steering wheel, airbags, or seat belts. These injuries may include rib fractures or damage to internal organs.
- Facial Injuries: Injuries to the face, including fractures, lacerations, and dental injuries, can happen if the face hits the dashboard, steering wheel, or airbag.
- Amputations: In severe accidents, amputations or the loss of limbs can occur, especially in motorcycle accidents or high-speed collisions.
- Psychological Injuries: Car accidents can lead to psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression.
Seek immediate medical attention after a car accident. Document your injuries and follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations to pursue a personal injury claim for compensation. It records the accident, ties it to the injuries, and contains an expert assessment of current and possible future damages. An attorney experienced in car accident cases can explain your rights and options for seeking compensation for your injuries and damages.
Filing Car Accident Claims in Fort Lauderdale
Specific Florida laws affect what personal injury claims you may file. An experienced Fort Lauderdale car accident attorney can explain more about the laws that affect your claim and determine what case you could bring.
Florida is a no-fault state, so regardless of fault in a car accident, each driver’s insurance policy typically covers their initial medical expenses and certain other damages through Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage.
However, in cases where the injuries exceed the PIP coverage limits or meet specific criteria, a person injured in a car accident may pursue a bodily injury liability (BIL) claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance company. This claim seeks compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
In addition to personal injury claims, you can file a property damage claim with your insurance company or the at-fault driver’s insurance company to repair or replace your damaged vehicle. And, if a car accident results in a fatality, surviving family members may file a wrongful death claim seeking compensation for funeral expenses, loss of financial support, and emotional distress.
After an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver, you may file an Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) claim with your own insurance company to seek compensation for your injuries and damages.
In addition to these types of claims, your lawyer can advise about other situations that may factor into a car accident claim such as:
- Hit and Run Claims: When a driver leaves the scene of an accident without providing their information, you can file a claim through your own insurance policy’s uninsured motorist coverage if you have it.
- Product Liability Claims: If a defect in the vehicle or its components (e.g., faulty brakes or airbags) caused a car accident, you may have a product liability claim against the manufacturer or distributor of the defective product.
- Government Liability Claims: In cases where poor road conditions or inadequate signage contributed to the accident, you may file a claim against the responsible government agency for negligence.
- Distracted Driving Claims: If a driver’s distraction (e.g., texting while driving) caused the accident, you may have a claim against the distracted driver.
If you are in a car accident in Fort Lauderdale that results in severe injury or wrongful death, consult a personal injury lawyer immediately. Kaiser Romanello offers a free legal consultation to discuss what happened and assess your unique situation to determine if you have a valid claim and how to file within Florida’s car accident laws.
Evaluating a Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Claim
Your Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer will assess your potential claim based on:
- Duty of Care: In many cases, individuals and entities have a legal obligation to take reasonable steps to prevent harm to others. For example, a property owner must maintain a safe environment for visitors.
- Breach of Duty: If someone fails to fulfill their duty by acting negligently or recklessly, this could be a breach of duty. For instance, if a driver ran a red light and caused a car accident, it might be considered a breach of their duty of care.
- Causation: If the injury would not have occurred without the breach, it strengthens your case. Causation establishes a direct link between the breach of duty and your injuries and demonstrates that the breach of duty was the proximate cause of your injury.
- Damages: This calculates the actual damages you sustained because of your injury. Damages include economic damages like medical expenses and lost wages and non-economic damages like pain and suffering.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Case in Fort Lauderdale?
Florida’s statute of limitations for a personal injury claim is typically two years. If you don’t file your claim within the required timeframe, you may lose your right to seek compensation. Your lawyer will advise you about the statute of limitations as it applies to your claim.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident in Fort Lauderdale?
A car accident is jarring, both physically and mentally. It may disorient you, making protecting yourself and safeguarding your rights difficult.
Immediately after the crash, remain calm, ensure your safety, and document what happened.
- Check for Safety: If possible, move vehicles involved in the crash off the roadway to the shoulder or another safe location out of traffic. If they cannot be moved, turn on your hazard lights to warn other motorists to avoid the accident scene. Safeguard yourself and others at the scene as best as possible.
- Call 911: Call 911 to report the accident and request assistance. Sometimes, it may be necessary to report the accident to local law enforcement, even if 911 has already been called. Let the 911 operator know if anyone is injured so they can send help.
- Exchange Information: Exchange insurance and contact information with the other parties involved in the accident. Include names, addresses, phone numbers, driver’s license numbers, and insurance policy details.
- Document the Scene: Use your smartphone to take photos and videos of the accident scene if it is safe. Document vehicle damage, injuries, road conditions, and relevant traffic signs or signals.
- Talk to Witnesses: If possible, talk to anyone who witnessed the accident. Write down or record their account of what happened.
- Notify Your Insurance Company: Report the accident to your insurer and follow their instructions regarding the claims process. Do not overshare information or accept any initial settlement offers without talking to your lawyer.
- Seek Medical Attention: Even if your injuries seem minor, seek prompt medical attention. Some injuries may not show immediate symptoms but could worsen over time. Adhere to your doctor’s recommendations and treatment plan. Seeing a medical professional will also establish a record of the injury connected to the crash, which you need to prove your claim if you decide to file a car accident lawsuit.
- Preserve Evidence: Keep all documents related to the accident, including medical records, bills, insurance correspondence, and repair estimates.
If your injuries are significant or you believe another party’s negligence caused the accident, consider consulting a Fort Lauderdale car accident attorney. Talking to a lawyer as soon as possible will help you recount the facts before they fade from memory and will help your lawyer collect and preserve the evidence needed to file a compensation claim.
The sooner you talk to a Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer, the sooner they can get to work on your behalf.
What Kind of Compensation May Be Available for a Fort Lauderdale Car Accident?
The amount of compensation available for a car accident claim can vary depending on the specific circumstances of the case, the jurisdiction, and the applicable laws. In personal injury cases, damages can be categorized into two main types: economic and non-economic damages for different aspects of the harm suffered by the injured party.
Economic Damages
Economic or special damages are tangible losses with a clear monetary value. They are relatively straightforward to calculate because they involve actual financial expenses and losses incurred because of the injury.
Examples include:
- Medical Expenses: Costs related to medical treatment, including doctor visits, surgeries, hospital stays, medications, rehabilitation, and therapy.
- Lost Income: Compensation for income lost due to the injury, including past and future earnings. This can encompass wages, salaries, bonuses, and benefits.
- Property Damage: Expenses for repairing or replacing damaged property, such as a vehicle in a car accident or personal belongings.
- Out-of-Pocket Expenses: Any other expenses directly related to the injury, such as transportation costs for medical appointments, medical equipment or devices, and home modifications.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages, also known as general damages, are intangible losses that don’t have a fixed dollar value and can be more challenging to quantify. They compensate the injured party for the emotional and non-monetary suffering resulting from the injury.
Examples include:
- Pain and Suffering: Compensation for the physical and emotional pain and discomfort caused by the injury. This may include chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and reduced quality of life.
- Emotional Distress: Damages for psychological trauma, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resulting from the injury or accident.
- Loss of Consortium: Compensation for the injury’s impact on a person’s ability to enjoy a normal relationship with their spouse or family.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Damages are awarded when the injury reduces a person’s ability to participate in activities they once enjoyed, such as hobbies, sports, or social activities.
- Disfigurement or Scarring: Compensation for any visible physical changes or scarring resulting from the injury.
The specific rules and limitations on damages, including caps on non-economic damages, can vary by jurisdiction. In some cases, punitive damages may punish especially reckless or intentional conduct on the defendant’s part.
To estimate your personal injury claim’s worth accurately, consult our Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys. We can review the specific details of your case, assess the above factors, and provide you with a realistic estimate of what you may receive.
Kaiser Romanello lawyers also use an exclusive, state-of-the-art Injury Claim Optimizer, a proprietary system designed by our accident attorneys to obtain the maximum recovery for each client’s personal injury claims. We have over two decades of experience representing clients in Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Palm Beach, and throughout South Florida.
How Much Does a Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Cost?
Kaiser Romanello works with clients on a contingency fee basis, meaning fees depend on the case’s successful outcome. There are no upfront costs to you. The attorney only gets paid if we obtain a favorable settlement or win the case in court.
Contingency fee arrangements level the playing field, making it possible for individuals to obtain fair compensation from a big insurance company and its team of lawyers. They also align the attorney’s interests with the client’s by incentivizing the attorney to secure the best possible outcome, tying their fee to the case’s success.
Contact Kaiser Romanello Today
If you or a loved one has suffered a severe personal injury after a car accident, contact the experienced team of Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers at Kaiser Romanello today.
We have 20 years of experience and have seen thousands of car accidents. We know what to look for in establishing liability for your car accident claim.
A severe car crash can leave you with serious physical and emotional injuries, medical costs, chronic pain, reduced quality of life, and lost wages. Let us handle the details while you focus on getting better.
Kaiser Romanello P.A. offers a no-cost, no-obligation consultation with our lawyers to evaluate your potential claim. Call us today at (844) 877-8679 to set up a free consultation, or fill out the contact form on our website. Our legal team will fight for your right to fair compensation for your injuries, providing you the peace of mind and freedom to focus on your recovery.
