Broward County Car Accident Lawyer

A rear-end collision on I-95 near Fort Lauderdale, a left-turn crash on University Drive, a hit-and-run in a Hollywood parking lot: Broward drivers deal with some of the densest traffic in Florida, and the claims that follow rarely resolve the way the first phone call from an adjuster makes it sound. Broward County car accident lawyer help starts with understanding how Florida’s insurance rules actually work after a crash. Spencer Morgan Law handles automobile accident claims for injured people in Broward County and across the greater Miami area and the State of Florida, and clients pay nothing unless the firm recovers.

Florida is still a no-fault state, which means your own Personal Injury Protection coverage is the first place medical bills and lost income go, regardless of who caused the wreck. But PIP has hard edges. You must get initial treatment within 14 days of the crash or the benefits can disappear entirely, and the full $10,000 limit is available only if a qualified provider documents an emergency medical condition. Without that documentation, PIP medical benefits stop at $2,500. Those two rules alone sink claims that never should have been weak.

Fault matters too, and since the 2023 tort reform it matters more than it used to. A driver found more than 50 percent responsible for the crash can no longer recover damages from anyone else. That changes how you talk to insurers, what you say at the scene, and how evidence needs to be preserved from the first day.

Broward Car Crash Claims Where PIP, Fault, and Medical Bills Collide

Most Broward car accident cases involve three overlapping systems, and a mistake in any one of them can cost real money. The first is PIP, which pays 80 percent of reasonable medical expenses and 60 percent of lost wages up to a combined $10,000, no matter who was at fault. It also carries a $5,000 death benefit. Every Florida registrant is required to carry PIP along with $10,000 in property damage liability, but that minimum coverage is thin when someone needs surgery.

The second system is the liability claim against the at-fault driver, which is where serious injuries are compensated: future medical care, pain and suffering, and wage loss beyond what PIP covers. Florida no longer lets a claimant with heavy responsibility for the crash recover anything, and for a claimant at 50 percent or less, the award is reduced by that percentage. Liability is also divided by each party’s share of fault rather than being shifted onto whoever has the deepest pockets, so identifying every responsible party, such as a driver, an employer, or a vehicle owner, matters from the start.

The third system is how medical treatment gets paid and presented. Many injured people treat on a promise of payment from a future settlement, often called a letter of protection. Under Florida’s current rules, the claimant must disclose those arrangements, including who referred them to the provider, before claiming those expenses. If the provider sold the right to be paid to a third party, what the third party paid is admissible. And if you have private health insurance, evidence of your past medical expenses can include what that coverage was obligated to pay rather than the full billed amount. How treatment is arranged from week one can shape what a jury or an adjuster sees later. The Fifth District Court of Appeal has held that these rules do not apply retroactively, so the date of the underlying events can matter.

Why Choose Spencer Morgan Law for a Broward Auto Accident Claim

Spencer Morgan leads the practice, handling claims for people hurt in Broward County, Miami-Dade, and throughout Florida. The firm helps with the practical wreckage a crash leaves behind, including getting cars fixed, securing fair reimbursement when a vehicle is a total loss, sorting out medical bills, and arranging needed medical care, in addition to pursuing compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

The results the firm reports include a $1,000,000 auto accident settlement and a $1,000,000 semi-truck crash result, along with a long run of policy-limits recoveries and settlements in the $100,000 to $400,000 range. Some of those involved surgery after a collision, including cervical disc replacement, knee arthroscopy, and wrist surgery, and others involved a hit-and-run, a rideshare passenger, or a car that ran over a woman’s foot. Past results do not guarantee any outcome in a new case, but they show the kinds of injuries and insurer disputes the firm has handled.

Clients consistently describe the same things: prompt replies to calls and emails, every step of the case explained, and a lawyer who personally pushed back on the insurance company. One couple said the firm invested extra time on the days they were in the most pain. Spanish-language services are available, and consultations are confidential.

What to Do After a Broward Crash, and What Not to Do

Get medical attention within 14 days. This is the single most unforgiving rule in the PIP statute, and people lose benefits by waiting to see whether the soreness goes away. A physician, osteopath, dentist, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse can make the emergency medical condition determination that unlocks the full $10,000, so tell the provider about every symptom and ask that the evaluation be documented. Whiplash, back pain, and concussion symptoms often surface days later, which is exactly why the 14-day window catches people off guard.

At the scene, call the police so a crash report exists, photograph vehicles, plates, the intersection, skid marks, and visible injuries, and collect names and insurance information. Avoid apologizing or guessing about fault. With the greater-than-50-percent bar now in place, an offhand remark like “I didn’t see him” can be quoted back to you. Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer before you understand your position, and be cautious about posting about the crash or your recovery online.

Mind the deadline. For crashes after the 2023 reform, the lawsuit filing period for negligence is two years; older crashes may still fall under the former four-year period. A wrongful death claim after a fatal crash also generally carries a two-year deadline. If a county or city vehicle or road condition played a role, a separate written notice process applies and recovery is limited by sovereign immunity caps of $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident, so those claims need early attention.

Broward civil cases are heard in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, which covers the county, with courthouses in downtown Fort Lauderdale and regional locations such as Deerfield Beach, Hollywood, and Plantation. Appeals go to the Fourth District Court of Appeal. Most car accident claims settle before trial, but whether a case is filed in county court or circuit court depends on the amount in controversy, so the size of your injuries drives the forum.

Types of Broward Auto Collision Cases We Handle

• Rear-End and Highway Collisions: Stop-and-go congestion on I-95, I-595, the Turnpike, and Sawgrass Expressway produces frequent rear-end impacts, and even moderate-speed crashes can lead to disc injuries and knee or shoulder surgery.
• Intersection and Left-Turn Crashes: Wide arterials like University Drive, Sunrise Boulevard, Pines Boulevard, and Oakland Park Boulevard create disputes over who had the green, which is where fault percentages become the whole case.
• Semi-Truck and Commercial Vehicle Wrecks: Port Everglades and the county’s warehouse corridors put heavy trucks on local roads, and these cases can involve the driver, the carrier, and higher insurance limits.
• Rideshare Accidents: Passengers and other drivers hurt in Uber or Lyft trips face layered insurance coverage that depends on whether the app was on and whether a ride was active.
• Hit-and-Run and Uninsured Drivers: When the at-fault driver flees or carries no coverage, your own policy may be the source of recovery, and the firm has obtained policy-limits results in hit-and-run cases.
• Motorcycle, Scooter, and Bicycle Collisions: Riders along A1A and downtown Fort Lauderdale bear the worst of a collision, and insurers often argue the rider was partly to blame.
• Pedestrian Strikes: Crosswalk and parking lot impacts in busy shopping and beach areas can cause severe injuries and raise questions about driver attention and lighting.
• Fatal Crashes: Surviving spouses and parents of a deceased minor child may pursue wrongful death damages, and every beneficiary has to be identified in the complaint.

Frequently Asked Questions About Broward Car Accident Claims

How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Broward County?

For crashes occurring after the 2023 reform, a negligence lawsuit must be filed within two years. Crashes before that change generally kept the old four-year period. A wrongful death claim is generally two years from the date of death.

Do I need to see a doctor right away even if I feel fine?

Yes. PIP pays nothing for medical care unless you receive initial treatment within 14 days of the crash. Symptoms from soft-tissue and spinal injuries often appear days later, so waiting can cost you benefits.

Who pays my medical bills first after a Broward crash?

Your own PIP coverage, regardless of fault. It pays 80 percent of medical expenses and 60 percent of lost wages, up to a combined $10,000. Beyond that, the at-fault driver’s liability coverage, your own other coverages, or your health insurance may come into play.

What is the difference between the $2,500 and $10,000 PIP limits?

The full $10,000 requires a qualified provider to certify that you had an emergency medical condition. Without that certification, medical benefits are capped at $2,500. That is why the quality of the first medical evaluation matters.

What happens if I was partly at fault?

If you are found more than 50 percent at fault, you cannot recover damages in a negligence claim. At 50 percent or less, your recovery is reduced by your percentage. Arguments over fault percentages are common, and evidence like photos, witness statements, and the crash report carries real weight.

Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a minor crash?

It can be. Several of the firm’s recoveries involved crashes with minimal vehicle damage that still led to surgery or lasting injury. If you have missed work, needed ongoing treatment, or the insurer is disputing fault, a consultation is free to schedule and you pay nothing unless there is a recovery.

Can the other side see my medical treatment arrangements?

If you treated under a letter of protection, you must disclose it, including whether you were referred to the provider and by whom, before you can claim those expenses. This is a recent rule change, and it is another reason to discuss treatment decisions with a lawyer early.

Will my health insurance affect what I can claim for medical bills?

It can. If you have private health coverage other than Medicare or Medicaid, evidence of past medical expenses can include what that coverage was obligated to pay plus your share, which may be less than the provider’s full billed amount.

What if the driver who hit me worked for a company or was driving for a rideshare app?

Other parties and additional insurance may be involved, and liability is divided by each party’s percentage of fault rather than being assigned to a single defendant. Identifying those parties early, before records disappear, helps preserve your claim.

What if a government vehicle or road condition caused my crash?

Claims against a government entity require written notice before suit, the agency generally gets 180 days to respond, and damages are capped at $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident, with no punitive damages. Anything above the cap requires a claim bill from the Legislature, so these cases need to be handled carefully and promptly.

Do I have to speak Spanish or English to work with your firm?

No. Spanish-language services are available, and many of the firm’s clients have communicated and been kept informed in Spanish throughout their cases.

Broward County Car Accident Representation Across South Florida

Spencer Morgan Law represents injured drivers, passengers, riders, and pedestrians throughout Broward County. That includes Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Coral Springs, Pompano Beach, Davie, Plantation, Sunrise, Deerfield Beach, Weston, Lauderhill, Tamarac, Margate, Coconut Creek, Oakland Park, and Wilton Manors. We also help clients in Hallandale Beach, Dania Beach, Cooper City, Parkland, Lauderdale Lakes, and Lighthouse Point.

Because car accidents do not stop at county lines, the firm also serves Miami-Dade County and the greater Miami area, from Miami, Hialeah, and Miami Beach to Doral, Kendall, and Homestead, and takes cases across the State of Florida. A crash on I-95 or the Turnpike can start in one county and end in another, and the firm handles those claims wherever they arise.

Speak With a Broward Car Accident Attorney About Your Claim

The clock on PIP benefits starts the day of the crash, and the evidence that proves fault gets harder to collect every week. If you were hurt in a collision, a Broward car accident attorney at Spencer Morgan Law can review the facts, explain how PIP and fault rules apply to you, and tell you plainly what the claim looks like. Consultations are confidential, you pay nothing unless the firm recovers, and Spanish-language services are available. Call today to talk through what happened.