Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Lawyer

On any given day, there are dozens of accidents in Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding areas — many involving injuries or even death. If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Fort Lauderdale, you may be entitled to damages for your medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering.

1-800-Injured is an attorney and medical treatment referral service. Within minutes of contacting us, you will be connected to a Fort Lauderdale car accident attorney. Because the car accident lawyers in our network work on a contingency basis, accident victims never have to pay out of pocket for their professional legal advice. Call today to be connected with an experienced auto accident attorney.

Proving Liability in a Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Case

In order to have a viable insurance claim, the following four elements must be present.

1. Duty of Care

The first element that a motor vehicle accident attorney will examine is whether the at-fault driver had a duty of care to the accident victim. All individuals operating vehicles on the Florida roadways owe a duty of care to each other. This means safely operating their vehicle within Florida laws.

2. Breach of Duty

A Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer will next determine whether or not the at-fault party breached their duty of care. Did they commit a traffic violation, like speeding or running a red light? Were they just not paying attention? Were they drunk driving? All of these are considered breaches of duty. 

3. Causation

Car accident attorneys will want to know if the breach of duty was the actual cause of the auto accident. For example, if the driver was engaged in texting or some other form of distracted driving, did that breach of duty cause them to fail to notice that the car in front of them was braking? 

4. Damages 

In order to file a claim with the insurance company, the plaintiff must be able to establish damages. Anytime an injury occurs, there is some level of damage. It’s the job of a car accident lawyer to prove the amount of damages they are seeking on behalf of their clients. 

Common Causes of Car Accidents in Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale, FL has several highways passing through it and many busy streets. Drivers must exercise extra care to avoid accidents. Here are some of the common causes of car accidents in Fort Lauderdale. 

Drunk Driving

Alcohol can slow response times and cloud perception. When a driver has had more than two or three drinks, they may be over the legal limit and too impaired to drive. Driving under the influence increases the odds of a car accident. 

Distracted Driving

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, distracted driving claims 3,000 lives per year and accounts for many accidents involving serious injuries. Distracted driving often involves text messaging or engaging with a phone, which is also illegal under Florida’s traffic codes.

Inclement Weather

Fort Lauderdale has tropical weather, which means that rain is a constant occurrence. This causes the roads to be much more slippery, which can result in car accidents.

Construction Zones

The Fort Lauderdale skyline keeps growing and road construction is a constant occurrence. These special safety zones are constantly changing, which means that drivers may be less familiar with where they’re driving. 

Aging Population

17.5% of the Broward population is 65 or older. As we age, our reflexes slow, and our visual acuity decreases. This means that older drivers must exercise a greater degree of care to avoid being involved in a car accident. Additionally, elderly car accident victims often sustain greater injuries. 

Common Types of Car Accident Injuries in Fort Lauderdale 

The following are some of the most common car accident types in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

• Rear-End Collisions – This is often the result of distracted driving or driving too fast for the conditions. Whiplash is common in rear-end collisions. This is a soft-tissue injury that results from a vehicle occupant’s head snapping backward and then forward. 
• Intersection Accidents – This occurs when one of the drivers fails to obey a traffic control device, but it can also occur when a traffic control device malfunctions. 
• Head-on Collisions – This occurs when two vehicles traveling toward each other collide. The result is that the speed of impact is the sum of the speed each car was traveling, which is why a head-on car wreck almost always leads to serious bodily injury or even death.  
• Vehicle Rollovers – When a car flips on its roof or continues tumbling, it’s referred to as a vehicle rollover. Occupants in vehicle rollover accidents almost always require medical attention for their physical injuries.
• Submerged Vehicle – Fort Lauderdale has many canals and inlets. Vehicles frequently end up in the water during auto accidents. Submerged vehicle accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries or death. 

Regardless of the nature of your accident, if you’ve sustained bodily injuries due to someone else’s negligence, contact 1-800-Injured immediately. The attorneys in our referral network represent car crash victims on a contingency basis, which means that they don’t pay out of pocket for professional legal advice. 

Common Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Injuries

Car accident personal injury claims run the gamut from minor cuts and bruises to internal injuries to traumatic brain injuries and even wrongful death. These are some of the most common injuries after a car accident that the Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers in our network routinely see in their practice.

• Road Rash – This is an abrasion to several layers of skin. It’s particularly common in motorcycle accidents, scooter accidents, bicycle accidents, etc. 
• Whiplash – This is a soft tissue injury that occurs when the head rapidly moves forward and snaps backward or vice versa. This is particularly common in rear-end collisions. 
• Traumatic brain injury – There are many ways you can injure your head in a car accident. One of the most common types of TBIs is a concussion, which can be caused by any blow to the head. Other types of traumatic brain injury include penetrating wounds to the head, internal bleeding, etc. 
• Broken bones – Broken bones are common in all types of higher-speed car accidents, or in lower-speed pedestrian accidents, or small personal vehicle accidents. 

Types of Collisions a Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Lawyer Can Handle

Every accident type requires a unique understanding of what is needed to present a compelling case. The attorneys in the 1-800-Injured referral network represent car accident victims in the following types of cases:

• Truck Accidents – Large commercial vehicles present a substantial danger to Fort Lauderdale drivers due to their large size and the types of cargo that they transport. 
• Motorcycle Accidents – Because motorcycles offer little protection to riders, motorcycle accident injuries can be quite severe. 
• Pedestrian Accidents – Pedestrians, skateboarders, bicyclists, etc., are extremely vulnerable to motorists who aren’t paying attention to the Fort Lauderdale roadways.
• Uber Accidents – Passengers who are injured using Lyft, Uber, or other rideshare programs have the right to pursue damages through the driver’s insurance. 
• Train Accidents – There are two major rail lines that traverse Fort Lauderdale. If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one when they were struck by a Brightline, TriRail, Amtrak, or cargo train, you can pursue damages. 
• Mass Transit Accidents – Not only are buses a threat to other motorists, but when they are involved in an accident, the bus passengers may also sustain injuries. 

A Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer can review your claim in any of the above special circumstance accidents. Call 1-800-Injured today to be connected to an attorney for a free consultation.

Fort Lauderdale and Broward Car Accident Statistics 

Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles keeps car accident statistics for each county and releases an annual report. The 2021 report is the most recent release from FHSMV. According to the annual report, in Broward, there were:

• 41,381 total crashes 
• 23,071 injuries as a result of these crashes
• 180 crash-related deaths 
• 716 bicycle crashes with 668 injuries and 21 fatalities
• 705 motorcycle crashes with 574 injuries and 46 fatalities
• 1,037 pedestrian crashes with 832 injuries and 78 fatalities

Types of Damages in a Florida Car Accident Claim

The state of Florida categorizes damages in a car accident as compensatory and non-compensatory. Economic and non-economic damages comprise compensatory damages. Punitive damages are non-compensatory. Here is a brief explanation of each type of damage.

An auto accident attorney from the 1-800-Injured referral network can review your personal injury claim during a no-obligation case evaluation. They can help you understand how they calculate damages in car accident cases.

What to Do After a Car Crash

While every accident is different, the following tips may help you protect yourself from additional injuries and to recover compensation for your Fort Lauderdale crash. 

Protect Yourself from Further Injury

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, it’s essential that you proceed with caution. You may not be able to move if you have severe injuries, but if possible, you should try to get to a position of safety. Don’t move injured parties unless they are in immediate peril.  

Call First Responders 

Call 911 to get police and EMTs to the scene. Fort Lauderdale has exceptional response times when it comes to car crashes, but the sooner you can call 911, the better. The dispatcher will need your location, direction of travel, a description of the vehicles involved, the number of injured, and the nature of the injuries. 

Speak to Witnesses 

If anyone has stopped to render aid, ask them if they witnessed the accident. Ask them to remain for the police or get their contact info. Auto accident attorneys can follow up with witnesses at a later time. 

Take Videos or Pictures

From a position of safety, use your phone to take pictures or a video of the auto accident scene. Try to include geographic indicators, traffic control devices, motor vehicle damage, visible injuries, and debris or skidmarks on the roadway. 

Allow EMS to Examine You

It’s important to establish a baseline for your care. Even if you feel fine, you may have internal injuries or other issues that you’re not aware of. If the EMTs suggest, you go to the hospital, accept the ambulance ride or drive to the emergency room. In any event, you follow up with your doctor the following day.  

Get a Copy of the Accident Report 

Under Florida law, the police are required to complete a crash report for any accident involving injuries. However, they may only be able to offer you a case number on the scene. The police report will be completed later. 

Contact an Attorney

Before you talk to an adjuster from the insurance company, call 1-800-Injured and speak with an auto accident attorney from our referral network. Insurance company adjusters can be very persuasive when trying to get you to accept an initial settlement. They may offer you a settlement that covers medical expenses, property damage, and maybe a little extra for your inconvenience, but the truth is that you don’t know what it will cost for maximum medical improvement. And if you accept a settlement, you will not be able to go back and request more money if your medical care exceeds the settlement amount. 

A personal injury attorney will act as your liaison between you and the insurance company. Ultimately, the decision to settle is yours, but your auto accident attorney can protect your legal rights. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Fort Lauderdale Car Accidents 

The Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers will answer any questions you have in a one-on-one interview. In the meantime, here are some of the questions many accident victims ask.

Contact an Auto Accident Attorney in Fort Lauderdale

1-800-Injured is an attorney and medical referral service. We connect accident victims with professional personal injury lawyers. All of the attorneys work on a contingency basis, so you don’t have to pay out of pocket for their professional legal advice. Call today to discuss your personal injury claim.