Frequently Asked Questions to an Injury Lawyer in Florida

As of March 24, 2023, Florida reduced an injured person’s ability to file their claim (also known as statute of limitations) from 4 years to 2 years from the date of the accident. This is one of the most important deadlines in Florida law because if you miss it, you permanently lose your right to file a lawsuit, no matter how serious your injuries.

Don’t wait. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget, and dashcam footage gets overwritten. Contact a personal injury lawyer in Palm Beach County as soon as possible after your accident.

It depends on whether you were injured.

If you were not injured, there is honestly not much a personal injury lawyer can do for you. Personal injury law is about recovering compensation for harm done to your body, medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering. No injury means no damages to recover, and no case.

If you were injured, then yes, you need a lawyer. Here’s why: insurance companies will look for any reason to reduce or deny your claim. Florida is a modified comparative negligence state, which means they may try to argue you were partially at fault just to lower your payout.

The good news is your initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer in Palm Beach County is completely free. It costs you nothing to understand your rights. And if you do have a case, an experienced attorney knows exactly how to counter the tactics insurers use to minimize what you recover.

Here is exactly what to do:

1) Call 911 — always get a police report, even for minor accidents. You want the police to document everything, especially the other driver’s contact and insurance information.

2) Secure your dashcam footage immediately — do not let it be overwritten.

3) Take photos and videos of all vehicles, the scene, and any injuries.

4) Get Witness information – If an independent witness shows up at the scene, do not rely on the police to get their information.  Ask them for their contact information.

5) Seek medical attention right away – Florida’s PIP law requires that an injured person get medical care within 14 days from the accident in order to preserve their coverage and claim.

6) Do not give a recorded statement to ANY insurance – Whenever someone is in an accident, they assume that they have to immediately call their own insurance company.  No they don’t! A person’s own insurance company is not their friend and are looking for ways to reduce, deny, delay their claim as well. Call a lawyer first and let them handle the insurance companies.

7) Call a personal injury lawyer in Palm Beach County before signing anything.

Yes, you can still file a claim but it becomes harder.

Did you get the other driver’s license, insurance, phone number, and license plate? Because without a police report, these are the things you are going to need in order to file a claim when there is no report. It is now your word against theirs. However, dashcam footage, witness statements, videos and photos can help.

Our accident attorney in West Palm Beach has successfully handled many cases without police reports throughout the past 20+ years.

The key is acting fast to preserve whatever evidence does exist.

You may still be able to recover compensation but how much depends on your percentage of fault, and that’s exactly what insurance companies will fight over.

Florida follows a modified comparative negligence rule (as of March 24, 2023), meaning you can recover damages as long as you are not more than 50% at fault. Your award is reduced by whatever percentage of fault is assigned to you. If you were 20% at fault and your damages are $100,000, you recover $80,000. But if an insurance company can push your fault above 50%, you recover nothing.

Insurance adjusters are trained to build a case against you and without solid proof, it’s your word against theirs. Dashcam footage is the most powerful tool available because it shows objectively what happened, who had the right of way, possible vehicle speeds, road conditions, and driver behavior in the seconds before impact. It removes the gray area that insurers exploit to inflate your fault percentage.

The sooner you secure that evidence and call a Palm Beach County accident lawyer, the stronger your position. Call 561-561-3274 before you speak to any insurance company.

This is a question we get all of the time and honestly, there’s no way to answer that until we (or any personal injury lawyer) can know the full picture of your case. Anyone who gives you a number before reviewing your situation is guessing, and that includes the billboards and radio ads you see showing massive settlements. Those are real cases, but they’re the exception, not the rule, and you never hear about the thousands of cases that settled for far less.

What actually determines your value comes down to things like: fault, the extent of your injuries and damages, and most importantly, how much insurance coverage is available to pay a claim. The best liability case in the world is worth nothing if the at-fault driver carries minimum coverage.

Call 561-561-3274 for a free consultation and we’ll give you an honest assessment not a number pulled from a billboard.

Nothing upfront and nothing at all if we don’t win.

Personal injury lawyers in Florida work on a contingency fee basis, meaning our fee comes out of your settlement or verdict only if I recover money for you. If I don’t win, you owe me nothing. No hourly rates, no retainers, no out-of-pocket costs while your case is pending.

The percentage I charge is regulated by the Florida Bar and is standard across personal injury firms in Florida. It varies depending on whether your case settles before a lawsuit is filed or not.  I explain this clearly at your free consultation so there are no surprises.

What this means practically is that anyone injured in Palm Beach County has access to the same legal representation regardless of their financial situation. You don’t need money to hire me. The insurance company on the other side has lawyers working for them from day one  you should too.

There are two categories: Economic and Non-economic.

Economic damages cover your measurable losses: medical bills past and future, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, property damage, and rehabilitation costs. Non-economic damages cover the human side: pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and disfigurement. In extreme cases like drunk driving, road rage, reckless driving, punitive damages may also be available.

One important point: dashcam footage protects both categories. When fault is clear on video, insurers lose their ability to dispute liability and chip away at what you’re owed.

There is no true answer to that unfortunately.  However in my firm, most car accident cases range from 6 to 18 months. Sometimes a smaller case with clear liability and straightforward injuries can resolve in 3–6 months. Complex cases involving severe injuries, disputed fault, or litigation can take many years.

I have noticed that many of the cases I have handled that have strong dashcam evidence tend to settle faster because insurance companies know that video is difficult to dispute in court.

Ultimately, my goal is to get you the fastest resolution possible without sacrificing the value of your case.

Dashcam footage is one of the most powerful forms of evidence in a Florida personal injury case. It can prove who ran the red light, show the speed of impact, document road conditions and weather, capture the other driver’s behavior before the crash, and disprove false claims made by the at-fault driver or their insurance company.

In most of the cases I have handled here in Palm Beach County that have dashcam video tend to lead to faster and higher settlements as well as fewer disputes about fault.

This is very important and you need to act immediately!  Most dashcams loop and overwrite footage within hours or days.

1) If your dashcam is wifi capable and has an app, download the video onto your phone.

2. If your dashcam does not have wifi than remove the SD card from the dashcam

3) Copy the video from the sd card to your computer or cloud storage.

4) Do not edit, trim, or alter the footage in any way or it may not be admissible in court.

5) Call me, The Dash Cam Lawyer, in Palm Beach County before sharing it with anyone, including your own insurance company.

I can advise you on how to use it strategically to maximize your settlement.

Yes but you need to hurry! At the scene, if you notice the other driver has a dashcam, ask the police if they can let the other driver know they need to preserve the video.  Call your attorney right away so they can request the other driver’s dashcam footage and any other evidence in their possession.

If they delete or withhold evidence after being put on legal notice, they can face serious consequences including spoliation sanctions, meaning the court may instruct the jury to assume the footage was damaging to their case.

My team acts quickly after accidents to send preservation letters before evidence disappears.

Beyond dashcams, sometimes (but not often) traffic intersection cameras, business security cameras, Ring and Nest doorbell cameras, cell phone footage from bystanders, Uber/Lyft in-vehicle cameras for rideshare accidents, and truck black box and event data recorder (EDR) data.

We send preservation letters immediately to all potential sources. In Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach, and Boca Raton, there is often more video evidence available than most people realize.

Truck accidents on I-95 near Palm Springs and Lake Worth are more legally complex than standard car crashes. Trucking companies have rapid-response legal teams that arrive at the scene quickly to protect their interests.

Here is what you must do:

1) Call 911 — always get a police report, even for minor accidents. You want the police to document everything, especially the other driver’s contact and insurance information.

2) Secure your dashcam footage immediately — do not let it be overwritten.

3) Take photos and videos of all vehicles, the scene, and any injuries.

4) Get Witness information – If an independent witness shows up at the scene, do not rely on the police to get their information.  Ask them for their contact information.

5) Do not speak to the trucking company’s representatives or insurance without a lawyer.

6) Seek medical attention right away – Florida’s PIP law requires that an injured person get medical care within 14 days from the accident in order to preserve their coverage and claim.

7) Do not give a recorded statement to ANY insurance – Whenever someone is in an accident, they assume that they have to immediately call their own insurance company.  No they don’t! A person’s own insurance company is not their friend and are looking for ways to reduce, deny, delay their claim as well. Call a lawyer first and let them handle the insurance companies.

8) Call a personal injury lawyer in Palm Beach County immediately.. They can send a preservation letter to demand the truck’s black box, driver logs, and maintenance records before they are destroyed.

Being hit by an uninsured driver in Florida is not the best scenario, but it does not mean you are completely out of options.

First, Florida requires all drivers to carry PIP (Personal Injury Protection) coverage on their own policy.  That is like health insurance, which covers a percentage of your medical bills regardless of who is at fault.

Second, if you have Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage on your own policy (which most people do not carry because of cost or they are uninformed) you can make a claim through your own insurance for your remaining damages.

Third, you could still sue the at-fault driver personally, though collecting can be difficult and most lawyers will not pursue that legal action.

It depends on the driver’s status at the time of the accident and who is at fault.

If the driver was actively transporting a passenger for Uber and Lyft and are at fault, you could file a claim or sue them and the driver’s personal insurance company.

If the Uber or Lyft driver did not cause the accident then you cannot make a claim against Uber or Lyft.

If the driver was offline and at fault, you would file a claim against their personal auto insurance only.

These cases are complex, and both Uber and Lyft have legal teams designed to minimize payouts.

My law firm knows exactly how to navigate all three scenarios.

Hit-and-run accidents are unfortunately common in West Palm Beach and throughout Palm Beach County. If the driver flees: call 911 immediately, note any details about the vehicle such as color, make, or partial plate, and check if your dashcam captured the fleeing vehicle.

You may be able to recover through your own Uninsured Motorist coverage if you purchased it.

Dashcam footage has cracked many hit-and-run cases by providing license plate or vehicle description  and can lead to identification.

Florida tort reform has made slip and fall cases harder to win, but not impossible.

You must now prove that the business had actual or constructive knowledge of the dangerous condition.

To build a strong case: report the incident to management immediately and get a copy of the incident report. Often the manager will not give you the report when finished, so make sure to take a photo of it!

Gather all information from any witnesses as they tend to disappear once the business’ staff comes to help.

Take photographs immediately of what caused you to slip, trip, and fall. It can be crucial to your case to prove why you fell, and businesses have employees fix or clean the area right away.

Seek medical treatment right away.

I have handled many slip and fall cases throughout Palm Beach County. Whether in grocery stores, restaurants, parking garages, and hotels across Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Lake Worth. I have the experience.

Florida is a no-fault insurance state, which means no matter who caused the accident, your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage pays a percentage of your initial medical bills and lost wages, up to $10,000.

However, you must seek medical treatment within 14 days of the accident to qualify. PIP covers 80% of medical bills and 60% of lost wages up to that limit. Once your PIP is exhausted, you can pursue the at-fault driver’s liability insurance for additional damages.

To step outside the no-fault system and sue the other driver, your injuries typically must meet Florida’s “serious / permanent injury” threshold, like significant permanent scarring, disfigurement, or loss of an important bodily function.

No way!!  Not without speaking to a lawyer first.

Insurance adjusters (yours and the other driver) are trained to ask questions in ways that can be  used to minimize or deny your claim.

Even an innocent statement like “I’m feeling okay” can be used against you. You are required to cooperate with your own insurance company under your policy terms, but even then, having an attorney present or review the questions in advance is strongly recommended. Furthermore, the second you hire a lawyer, insurance companies are legally not allowed to contact you anymore.

Never give a recorded statement to ANY insurance company.

Call my office in Palm Beach County first. It costs you nothing and could protect everything.

Florida requires all drivers to carry $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and $10,000 in Property Damage Liability (PDL). Sadly, Florida is the only state that does not require Bodily Injury Liability (BIL) for most drivers, which means the person who hits you may have no coverage to pay for your injuries beyond their PIP. It makes no sense.

This is exactly why Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage is so important for Palm Beach County drivers. If the other driver has no or little bodily injury coverage, you can feel safe knowing you have that UM coverage to protect you and your family. But you have to pay extra for it and most people cut it from their policies.

I have represented accident victims throughout Palm Beach County: West Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Palm Springs, Greenacres, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Jupiter, and the entire Glades region including Belle Glade, Pahokee, Clewiston, and South Bay.

I have also handled cases statewide throughout Florida and occasionally beyond.

Can’t make it to the office? Not a problem. I can come to you, or do everything virtually which most clients today prefer.  We simply email the documents and handle the consultation by phone or video. Whatever works for you.

Wherever you are, I am your local Dashcam Lawyer. Call 561-561-3274.

As soon as possible, ideally within 24 to 48 hours.

Here is why timing matters so much: dashcam and surveillance footage gets overwritten or deleted, witnesses’ memories fade, physical evidence at the scene disappears, the at-fault driver’s insurance company is already building their defense, and skid marks, debris, and road conditions change quickly.

The sooner you call a personal injury attorney in Palm Beach County, the stronger your case will be. Our team moves immediately to send preservation letters, gather evidence, and protect your rights before anything is lost.

Your free consultation is completely confidential and carries no obligation. I will review the facts of your accident, evaluate the strength of your dashcam or video evidence, explain your legal rights under Florida law, give you an honest assessment of the value of your case, and answer every question you have.

There is no pressure and no fees. I only take cases I believe I can win and if I take yours, you pay nothing unless and until I recover compensation for you.

Call 561-561-3274 or message the office online to schedule yours today.

Yes. Although most personal injury cases in Palm Beach County settle before ever reaching a courtroom, some cases do not.  If that happens, a lawsuit will need to be filed. Filing a lawsuit doesn’t mean your case is actually going to go all the way to trial though. In fact, once a lawsuit is filed, insurance companies typically get serious about settling or making higher offers because they know what’s coming.

My role is to get you the best possible result at every stage, whether it’s before or after filing a lawsuit.

Yes, within 14 days, no exceptions.

Florida’s PIP law requires you to seek medical treatment within 14 days of your accident to activate up to $10,000 in medical coverage. Miss that window and you lose it entirely.

Beyond the legal deadline, adrenaline masks pain. Whiplash, concussions, soft tissue damage, and internal injuries frequently don’t show up until 24-72 hours after impact and sometimes longer. Waiting to see a doctor doesn’t just risk your health, it hands the insurance company an argument that your injuries weren’t caused by the accident.

See a doctor right away even if you feel fine. Worst case, you get checked out and walk away clean. Best case, you’ve protected both your health and your legal rights.

The most common injuries we see in Palm Beach County car accident cases include neck and back injuries, herniated or bulging discs, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries and concussions, knee and shoulder injuries, lacerations and scarring, and in the most severe cases, spinal cord injuries resulting in paralysis, and tragically, death.

What catches many people off guard is how minor an injury can feel at first and how serious it becomes over time. What starts as neck stiffness can turn into a herniated disc requiring surgery. What feels like a headache can be a concussion with lasting neurological effects. This is why it’s critical that all future medical costs, not just your current bills,  are factored into your claim from the start.

Yes. It is very common in my office to see clients who felt fine at the accident scene and because they did not see any blood or bruising, thought they were ok. They did not realize that the adrenaline was masking their symptoms until the next day.

Delayed-onset injuries are extremely common after car accidents. Whiplash, disc injuries, and concussions frequently do not manifest fully until 24–72 hours after impact sometimes longer.

As long as you sought medical attention within 14 days of the accident and can connect your injury to the crash, you can still file a claim.

I am an experienced attorney in Palm Beach County who works closely with medical experts to document the causal link between your accident and your diagnosis, even when symptoms were delayed.

Florida’s March 24, 2023 tort reform (HB 837) made several significant changes that affect personal injury claims: the statute of limitations was cut from 4 years to 2 years; Florida moved from pure to modified comparative negligence, meaning you cannot recover if you are more than 50% at fault; letter of protection (LOP) medical billing was restricted; and bad faith insurance claims became harder to bring.

It’s not surprising that these changes favor insurance companies over injured victims, making it more important than ever to hire an experienced personal injury attorney in Palm Beach County who understands the new landscape.

Yes, Florida is a no-fault state.

This means your own PIP insurance covers a percentage of your initial medical bills and lost wages, regardless of who caused the accident. The no-fault system, although now an archaic and flawed one in my opinion,  was originally designed to reduce lawsuits over minor accidents.

However, for injuries that meet Florida’s “serious injury” threshold, significant permanent scarring, disfigurement, or loss of an important bodily function, you can step outside no-fault and pursue the at-fault driver directly.

Most injury cases handled by our Palm Beach County firm involve injuries that do meet this threshold, allowing us to pursue full compensation beyond PIP limits.

Absolutely!  Passengers often have the strongest claims because they are almost never at fault.

As a passenger you can file against the driver of your vehicle, the other driver, or both. If the at-fault driver is uninsured, you may be able to claim through the vehicle owner’s UM coverage.

One thing passengers sometimes hesitate about is filing against someone they know like a friend or family member who was driving. You are not necessarily suing that person directly. You are making a claim against their insurance company. Don’t let that stop you from getting what you’re entitled to.

I was involved in a huge rollover car accident when I was younger and had to make a claim against my friend’s insurance company because I was the passenger. We talked it out and have remained good friends decades later.

Parking lot accidents are more common than most people think.  And they are more legally complex than they appear.

Florida law still applies. PIP covers your initial medical treatment, and if the other driver was at fault, their liability insurance covers the rest. The complication is that parking lots are private property, which means there is not always a police report. Without one, fault becomes a he said/she said situation fast.

This is where dashcam footage becomes critical. There are typically no traffic cameras in parking lots, so your dashcam may be the only objective evidence of what happened. Security cameras from the business are also worth pursuing immediately.

One thing I want people to understand: do not dismiss a parking lot accident because the vehicles don’t look badly damaged. Low speed does not mean low injury. I have represented clients involved in minor parking lot impacts who ended up needing surgery within days. The human body does not always respond the way you’d expect, especially in slow-speed collisions where the force transfers differently than in highway crashes. If you were hurt, it does not matter how the cars look.

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of accidents on Palm Beach County roads, like I-95, Turnpike, Okeechobee Boulevard, Military Trail, and US-1. If the other driver was texting, on the phone, or otherwise distracted at the time of your crash, they are legally responsible and you may be entitled to significant compensation, especially if their actions cause significant property damage and injuries.

My team will look into getting cell phone records, call logs from carriers, and use dashcam footage to prove the other driver was not paying attention.

Florida law prohibits texting while driving, and violations can strengthen your claim and sometimes could lead to punitive damages.

Call me, a Palm Beach County personal injury attorney, today.

For the most part, no. Once you sign a settlement agreement, it typically includes a full release of all claims including future ones related to that accident. That signature is final.

That said, I have represented clients who signed releases within days of their accident after being pressured by the insurance company, and in some of those situations I was able to challenge the agreement. Those cases are the exception, not the rule and fighting a signed release is an uphill battle nobody wants to be in.

The lesson is simple: never settle before you have talked to a lawyer, you have reached maximum medical improvement, and fully understand the long-term impact of your injuries. Insurance companies move fast after accidents for a reason and they want your signature before you know how bad things really are.

Call me before you sign anything. That call is free. Undoing a bad settlement is not.

Most personal injury attorneys handle dashcam footage as just another piece of evidence. I any my team have built my practice around it.

Our team knows how to handle all types of dashcams and dash cam footage.  We immediately preserve footage before it is overwritten, authenticate it for court, work with experts who analyze it frame by frame, and if need be, present it to juries and insurance companies in the most compelling way possible.

In Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach, Lake Worth, and Boca Raton, my firm’s reputation for dashcam evidence expertise means insurance companies take our cases more seriously and dashcam footage tends to settle for more.

If you have dashcam footage from your accident, we are the dashcam experts you want on your side.

Farm workers in Florida are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits regardless of immigration status. If a third party such as a equipment manufacturer, a property owner, or a contractor  contributed to your injury, you may also have a separate personal injury claim on top of workers’ comp.

Agricultural work is among the most dangerous in Florida. Injuries from tractors, farm equipment, pesticide exposure, and unsafe conditions are all compensable.

The Dashcam Lawyer has represented Glades-area farm workers for over 20 years and knows how to navigate these claims.

Yes  absolutely. Immigration status does not affect your right to file a personal injury or workers’ compensation claim in Florida. You are protected under Florida law regardless of how you entered the country or your current visa status. Insurance companies sometimes try to intimidate undocumented workers into silence. Do not let them.

Our office has bilingual staff and has served the migrant worker community in Belle Glade, Pahokee, and Clewiston for over 20 years. Everything discussed in a consultation is confidential.

Boating accidents on Lake Okeechobee follow a different legal framework than car accidents. First, call 911 and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).  They investigate boating accidents.

Seek emergency medical attention immediately, as water-related injuries can be life-threatening.

Document everything, from photos of both vessels, the weather, and any witnesses. Florida law requires reporting any boating accident involving injury, death, or significant property damage.

Common causes on Lake Okeechobee include intoxicated boating, excessive speed, failure to yield, and unlit vessels at night.

We handle boating accident cases throughout western Palm Beach County and the surrounding lake communities.

Liability in agricultural equipment accidents can fall on multiple parties, the equipment manufacturer if the machine was defective, the farm owner or operator if safety protocols were not followed, a maintenance contractor if the equipment was improperly serviced, or a co-worker if negligence caused the injury.

These cases require immediate action because equipment is often repaired or moved before evidence can be gathered.

We send preservation letters quickly and work with accident reconstruction experts familiar with agricultural machinery.

If you were hurt operating or working near a tractor, harvester, conveyor, or any farm equipment in the Glades area, call us immediately.

Yes. Workers injured at sugar mills, processing facilities, or industrial operations in Belle Glade, Pahokee, and South Bay may have both a workers’ compensation claim and a third-party personal injury claim. If your injury was caused by defective equipment, a contractor’s negligence, or a property owner’s failure to maintain safe conditions, you can pursue compensation beyond workers’ comp which does not cover pain and suffering.

The Dashcam Lawyer has handled industrial and factory injury cases in western Palm Beach County and understands the specific employers and facilities in the Glades region.

US-27 and Highway 441 are two of the most dangerous roads in western Palm Beach County. Common accident types include high-speed rear-end collisions involving commercial trucks and agricultural vehicles, crashes at poorly lit rural intersections, accidents involving farm equipment crossing or traveling on the roadway, and collisions caused by drowsy driving on long straight stretches. These roads carry heavy sugar cane trucks, especially during harvest season from October through April.

If you were injured on US-27 or 441 near Belle Glade, Pahokee, Clewiston, or South Bay, the evidence,  skid marks, black box data, and dashcam footage, needs to be preserved immediately. My law firm can help you do that.

Yes. I have served the entire Glades region including Belle Glade, Pahokee, Clewiston, South Bay, and surrounding agricultural communities for well over 20 years now.

I have an office location in Belle Glade and have deep roots in this community, so I understand the unique challenges Glades-area residents face when dealing with insurance companies and large agricultural employers.

Se habla español. Call 561-561-3274 for a free consultation.