Broward County Personal Injury Lawyer

A serious injury claim in Broward County is decided in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, the second largest circuit in Florida, and the way your case is built from the first week determines how that court and the insurance companies value it. Spencer Morgan Law handles personal injury claims for people hurt in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Pembroke Pines and the rest of the county, from car crashes and falls to workplace injuries, boating accidents and medical malpractice. If you are looking for a Broward County personal injury lawyer, the details below explain how these cases actually work under current Florida law.

Florida changed its injury rules in 2023, and the changes cut in the insurance company’s favor. The negligence filing deadline dropped, an injured person who is mostly to blame can now lose the entire claim, and the way medical bills are shown to a jury was rewritten. Each of these matters from the first conversation with a lawyer, so we address them directly below.

Why Choose Spencer Morgan Law for a Broward County Injury Claim

That span of work matters here because a single Broward collision can involve a no-fault insurer, a negligent driver’s policy, a rideshare company and a lienholder at once, and the lawyer needs to be comfortable with all of them.

The firm’s published results show the range. A $1,000,000 semi-truck crash recovery and a $1,000,000 auto accident settlement sit alongside an $850,000 slip and fall settlement and an $800,000 maritime accident recovery, which is relevant in a county with a heavy boating and port economy. The list also includes many policy-limits recoveries, a settlement for a rideshare passenger, a bicycle accident settlement and a case where a large medical lien was negotiated down so the client actually kept meaningful money. Clients describe the same things repeatedly: calls returned, questions answered at every stage, and a team that explained each step.

The firm also goes beyond the claim itself. It helps clients get vehicles repaired, pursue fair payment for totaled cars, sort out medical bills and arrange the care they need. Consultations are confidential, Spanish-language service is available, and you pay nothing unless the firm recovers money for you.

Injury Cases We Handle for Broward County Residents

• Car and Truck Accidents: Heavy commuter traffic on I-95, I-595, the Florida Turnpike and Sunrise Boulevard produces rear-end and lane-change crashes, and commercial truck traffic to and from Port Everglades adds severe-injury cases. Florida’s no-fault system pays your initial medical costs first, but serious injuries often justify a claim against the at-fault driver.
• Slips, Trips and Falls: Wet floors in grocery stores, uneven pavement in shopping center lots, broken stairs and poorly lit walkways cause fractures and spinal injuries. These claims turn on whether the owner knew or should have known about the hazard.
• Boating and Maritime Accidents: Broward’s canals, the Intracoastal Waterway and the ocean generate collisions between vessels, passenger injuries on charters and crew injuries, each governed by different rules depending on the vessel and the person hurt.
• Rideshare and Bicycle Accidents: Passengers and cyclists hit by distracted drivers face layered insurance questions, particularly when a rideshare driver was logged into the app at the time.
• Workplace Injuries: Construction, hospitality, marine and warehouse workers are covered by workers’ compensation, and some also have a separate claim against a negligent outside company.
• Medical Malpractice: Misdiagnosis, surgical errors and negligent care in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities follow a separate pre-suit process with its own deadlines.
• Negligent Security: Assaults at apartment complexes, bars and convenience stores can create claims against the property owner when basic security was neglected.
• Government-Related Claims: Injuries caused by a city, county or other public entity, such as a dangerous road condition, carry special notice rules and recovery limits.

What to Do After an Injury in Broward County

Get medical care first, and do it quickly. Florida’s no-fault coverage, known as personal injury protection, pays nothing for treatment unless you receive initial care within 14 days of the crash. Even then, the full $10,000 in benefits is available only if a qualified provider, such as a physician, dentist, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse, determines you had an emergency medical condition. Without that finding, benefits are limited to $2,500. PIP covers 80 percent of medical expenses and 60 percent of lost wages regardless of who caused the crash, so using it correctly right away protects you.

Report the incident. For a crash, that means the police agency with jurisdiction where it happened, whether a city department or the sheriff’s office. For a fall at a business, tell the manager and ask for a written incident report. For a workplace injury, tell your employer as soon as possible and no later than 30 days, or the claim can be denied; the employer then has seven days to notify its insurer. Photograph the scene, your injuries, the vehicles and any hazard before it is repaired or cleaned up, and write down witness names while memories are fresh.

Be careful with insurance adjusters. The other side’s insurer may call within days and ask for a recorded statement. Anything you say about fault can be used against you, which matters more now that being more than 50 percent responsible for your own harm bars recovery in most negligence cases. You can decline a recorded statement and refer the adjuster to your lawyer.

Watch the deadlines. A general negligence claim for an injury that happened on or after March 24, 2023 must be filed within two years. Wrongful death is generally two years from the date of death. Medical malpractice is two years from discovery, with a four-year outer limit, and requires a pre-suit notice followed by a 90-day waiting period before filing. Claims against a government body require written notice first. Civil cases of significant value are filed in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, whose headquarters are in Fort Lauderdale, with civil judges also sitting at regional courthouses in places like Hollywood, Plantation and Deerfield Beach. Appeals from the circuit go to the Fourth District Court of Appeal.

How Florida’s 2023 Changes Affect Broward Injury Claims

Before March 24, 2023, Florida let a partly at-fault plaintiff recover a reduced amount no matter how much of the blame was theirs. That is no longer true. A plaintiff found more than 50 percent at fault recovers nothing in a typical negligence case, and one found 50 percent or less has the award reduced by their share. Medical malpractice claims are excluded from the bar. Each defendant also pays only its own percentage of fault, so identifying every responsible party matters. Insurers know this and push hard to shift blame onto the injured person, which is why early evidence like photographs, video and witness accounts carries real weight.

Medical bills are now treated differently as well. When a provider treats you in exchange for a promise to be paid from your settlement or verdict, a so-called letter of protection, Florida law requires you to disclose that arrangement before claiming those expenses, including any referral that led you to the provider. If you have health insurance, the amount your insurer is obligated to pay can be offered as evidence of what the care was worth. Courts have also held that these rules do not reach back to cases that arose before they took effect. How and where you treat can affect the value of your claim, so we talk through it early.

Premises cases carry their own rules. Owners of apartment buildings with at least five units who substantially comply with statutory security requirements gain a presumption against liability, and the owner has the burden of showing it actually put those measures in place. Convenience businesses that follow the security statutes can gain a similar presumption, though strong evidence can overcome it. In any negligent security case, fault is apportioned among everyone who contributed, including the criminal. For alcohol-related injuries, Florida’s dram shop law reaches licensed sellers only and not social hosts, and it applies narrowly, mainly to service to minors or to known habitual drinkers.

Common Questions About Broward County Personal Injury Claims

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Broward County?

For ordinary negligence claims arising on or after March 24, 2023, the deadline is two years. Older incidents keep the previous four-year period. Different rules apply to medical malpractice, wrongful death, workers’ compensation and claims against government entities, so confirm the deadline for your specific situation early.

How much does it cost to hire Spencer Morgan Law?

Nothing up front. The firm is paid only if it recovers money for you, and the first consultation is confidential.

Does Florida’s no-fault insurance mean I cannot sue after a car accident?

No. PIP handles your initial medical and wage losses regardless of fault, but you can still pursue the at-fault driver for pain and suffering and for losses beyond what PIP covers when your injuries are serious enough.

What if I was partly responsible for the accident?

If you were 50 percent or less responsible, you can still recover, but your award is reduced by your share. If you were more than 50 percent responsible, an ordinary negligence claim is barred. Medical malpractice cases are the exception.

Will I have to go to court?

Most claims resolve through negotiation without a trial, but the firm prepares each case as though it may be tried, because insurers pay more when they believe a jury is a real possibility.

What happens if the at-fault driver has little or no insurance?

Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, if you carry it, may fill the gap. Many drivers on Florida roads carry only minimum coverage, so reviewing your policy early is worthwhile. The firm has recovered policy limits in many cases and looks at every available source of payment.

Can I still bring a claim if the driver who hit me fled?

Often yes. Your own policy’s coverage may respond, and prompt reporting to police matters. The firm has resolved hit-and-run cases, including policy-limits recoveries.

Will my health insurance cover treatment while my claim is pending?

It can, and using it may actually help. Under the current medical-expense rules, what your insurer is obligated to pay can be used as evidence of the value of your care. Providers working on a promise of payment from your settlement require careful handling because those arrangements must be disclosed.

Is a claim against a county or city different?

Yes. Written notice must be given before suit, the agency generally has 180 days to respond, recovery is capped at $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident, and punitive damages are unavailable. Going beyond the cap requires an act of the Legislature.

Should I hire a lawyer for a smaller injury claim?

Often it is worth at least a consultation. The firm’s results include settlements for minor surgery, wrist and shoulder procedures and crashes with little visible vehicle damage, and a lawyer can also deal with liens that would otherwise swallow a recovery. It depends on your injuries, who is at fault and what insurance is available.

What if my injury happened at work?

Workers’ compensation generally covers medical care and part of lost wages no matter who was at fault. Report the injury within 30 days. In general you have two years to file a petition for benefits, and a claim can close one year after the last treatment or payment. If a third party outside your employer contributed to the harm, you may have a separate injury claim as well.

Serving Injury Clients Across Broward County

Spencer Morgan Law represents injured people throughout Broward County, starting with Fort Lauderdale and its neighborhoods along Las Olas Boulevard, the beach and the Intracoastal. We work with clients in Hollywood, Hallandale Beach, Dania Beach and Pembroke Pines, and in Miramar, Davie, Plantation and Sunrise. Further north and west, the firm serves Coral Springs, Parkland, Margate, Tamarac, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes and Deerfield Beach, as well as Pompano Beach, Oakland Park, Wilton Manors, Weston and Cooper City. The firm’s reach also extends across South Florida and the state, including neighboring Miami-Dade County.

Speak With a Broward County Personal Injury Attorney

The two-year clock, the fault rules and the medical-bill rules all start running whether or not you have made a decision about hiring anyone. If you need a Broward County personal injury attorney, call Spencer Morgan Law to schedule a confidential consultation. We will review what happened, explain where you stand, and tell you what the claim may involve, and you owe nothing unless we recover for you. Se habla español.