Helping Injured Victims in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale is a sun-kissed city known for its stunning beaches, vibrant entertainment, and exciting nightlife. People enjoy riding ATVs on dirt roads, shopping at Galleria Mall, or embarking on a cruise for special occasions.
Unfortunately, these entertainment options can also become the scene of accidents. According to the Florida Health Department, 21,775 fatalities occurred across Broward County in 2021, out of which:
- Falls contributed to 4,252 deaths.
- Motor vehicle accidents contributed to 3,779 fatalities.
- Drowning caused 558 deaths.
Sadly, many victims of these accidents don’t know how to navigate the intricate Florida legal system. Consequently, they end up falling into the trap of insurance companies and accepting low settlements that don’t even cover their basic medical expenses.
If you or your loved one sustained injuries in an accident in Fort Lauderdale or anywhere in Florida, contact us. We are a mid-sized exclusive personal injury law firm that serves all across Florida. We have handled multiple personal injury cases across Fort Lauderdale and helped victims recover fair compensation to get their lives back on track.
Why Do You Need a Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Lawyer to Handle Your Personal Injury Case?
An experienced Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Lawyer understands all the challenges you will face throughout your case. They can assist you in:
- Navigating the complex legal system.
- Dealing with the insurance company’s tactics and negotiating a fair settlement.
- Representing you in court.
Florida’s Complex Personal Injury Laws
Every personal injury case is unique and has different law applications. For example, Florida Uniform Traffic Control Laws would come into play in car accidents; in slip and falls, premises liability laws would apply.
However, some laws are standard and apply to a wide variety of personal injury cases.
No-Fault Law and Auto Accident Claims
Florida law requires all motorists to carry minimum insurance for personal injury protection (PIP) of $10,000.
So whenever you sustain injuries in an auto accident, you can file a claim with your insurance company. It doesn’t matter who was at fault and caused the accident; you have to file your claim with your insurance company under PIP coverage. PIP pays:
- 80% of your reasonable medical expenses.
- 60% of lost income.
- $5000 to the executor or estate in case of a death.
As you can see, PIP provides the bare minimum and is significantly insufficient to cover your severe injury expenses.
To recover compensation for serious injury expenses, you need to either sue the at-fault party or file a claim with their insurance company. However, to pursue your claim, your injury must meet one of the following criteria to be considered severe:
- Significant and permanent loss of bodily function, like amputation or paralysis.
- Permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability, like a traumatic brain injury.
- Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement.
- Death.
Injuries are often internal, such as injuries to the spine or dislocation of spinal discs. People can’t notice them from the outside, but they are considered severe.
All Other Types of Personal Injury Claims and Their Filing Options
Personal injury claims other than auto accidents, such as slip and fall, medical malpractice, elder abuse, or product liability, require a different approach.
In these cases, you need to file your claim with an insurer of the at-fault party if they have a policy or file a lawsuit against them. For example, if you slip and fall, you generally have the option to file:
- A claim under the homeowner’s insurance policy if the accident occurred on private property.
- A claim under the company’s commercial liability insurance coverage if the accident occurred at a store or other business property.
- A lawsuit against the at-fault homeowner or the company.
Florida’s New Negligence Law
Recently, Florida made significant changes to its personal injury laws. It adopted a modified comparative negligence rule.
This rule holds everyone at fault in the incident to the percentage of their negligence for the losses of others. However, a party whose fault exceeds 50% will not be able to pursue a claim to recover compensation.
So, if you were partially at fault for the accident, you can still recover compensation. However, they will be reduced in proportion to your fault. For instance, if you share 5% fault, the court will reduce your damages by 5% and allow you to recover 95% of the compensation amount.
However, in medical malpractice and wrongful death cases, the law doesn’t change and still applies the pure comparative negligence rule. It means that even if you were more than 50% at fault in the accident, you can still pursue your claim to recover damages.
Statutes of Limitations (Deadline to File Personal Injury Lawsuits)
These statutes prevent you from filing a personal injury lawsuit after a particular time. They provide different time limits for different types of cases. Recently, Florida also made changes to these statutes.
In most cases, such as car accidents, and slip-and-falls, you have two years to file your lawsuit. However, if your action is against the government, it becomes three years.
Dealing With the Insurance Company and Negotiating Your Settlement
Dealing with insurance companies can be extremely difficult. They are profit-making entities, and their employees have years of experience handling cases like yours. They know all the tactics to deny your personal injury claim while adding millions to their profits.
First, their insurance adjuster convinces you to record your statement or not receive medical attention immediately due to some paperwork. Later, you might find their litigation team using your recorded statement against you in court to claim your injuries were not severe because you didn’t take medical attention immediately.
Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers are well-versed in all these tactics and know how to negotiate the fair settlement you deserve.
Filing a Lawsuit
While most personal injury cases are settled through negotiation, others do not and go to trial.
Insurance companies usually take cases to trial if they think you are reluctant to go to trial or your attorney will not be able to represent you well in court. They have aggressive, well-paid lawyers who understand your situation and will take advantage of it.
An experienced Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney understands their tactics and is always ready to defend you in court. They can:
- Investigate your case. This includes collecting all the crucial pieces of evidence, such as police reports and accident scene photos and tracking down witnesses.
- Prepare paperwork and file it in court. This includes drafting your lawsuit and preparing all other necessary documents.
- Represent you in court. Their representation is about proving the negligence of the other party. Your attorney must prove that the other party owed you a duty of care, which they breached. As a result, they caused you injuries, and you suffered damages.
Why Should You Choose Amanda Demanda Injury Lawyers for Your Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Case?
Amanda Demanda Injury Lawyers is an exclusive personal injury law firm founded by Amanda Demanda.
Before establishing Amanda Demanda Injury Lawyers, Amanda represented insurance companies and other big corporations for a long time. While working for insurance companies, she witnessed how the injured person, including their loved ones, feels and the challenges they face to receive rightful compensation. It led her to switch sides and establish an exclusive personal injury law firm, Amanda Demanda Injury Lawyers. Her practice is mainly based in South Florida as she relates with the people in the area and values the culture.
She is an avid litigator. Prestigious legal associations recognize her personal injury law trial expertise. Some of her accomplishments include:
- National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40
- Super Lawyers: Rising Star
- American Institute of Trial Lawyers: Top 10 Under 40
- Miami Dade Trial Lawyers Association: Secretary of the Board
Recently, along with her two colleagues, she secured a $43 million jury verdict for her client, who suffered severe injuries in a drunk driving car accident.
Amanda Demanda did not establish a personal injury law firm that is just another settlement mill. She understands how injuries make your life difficult and tries to be as supportive as possible. If you decide to pursue your journey with Amanda Demanda Injury Lawyers, you will have 24/7 access to the firm. You can reach out to us at any time for updates, questions, and other concerns regarding your case.
Additionally, we provide a free consultation service so you can understand your rights and options and become familiar with the firm environment.
Amanda Demanda understands how insurance companies work, the ever-changing personal injury laws, and the community in and out of the courthouse of Fort Lauderdale. If you suffered injuries in an accident, discuss your case with her. She can handle your case strategically and help you achieve the best outcome.
Testimonials
“The representation was diligent, professional, and always super-serving our needs. We were very pleased with their service and are grateful for their guidance. Excellent all around! Highly recommended!” – Saribel B.
“Amanda and her team were very professional and caring and provided excellent follow-up. Recommend Amanda and this firm 100%.” – Miriam A.
Types of Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Cases Amanda Demanda Injury Lawyers Handles
Amanda Demanda Injury Lawyers handles all types of personal injury cases, including:
- Auto accidents
- Premises liability
- Elder abuse
- Medical malpractice
- Sexual assaults
Auto Accidents
Motor vehicle accidents are the third leading cause of death in Broward County, according to the Florida Department of Health.
After a car accident, most people panic and are unsure what steps to take. Furthermore, insurance adjusters present numerous challenges to them, using tactics to minimize the value of their claim or deny it altogether. If you have a hit-and-run case, things become more complicated.
At Amanda Demanda Injury Lawyers, we handle all types of Fort Lauderdale auto accident cases, including the following:
- ATV accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Boating accidents
- Bus accidents
- Car accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Golf cart wrecks
- Hit-and-run accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Rear-end accidents
- Rideshare accidents
- Rollover accidents
- Truck accidents
Premises Liability
When you visit someone’s property lawfully and end up sustaining injuries due to their negligence, you can hold them liable for your injuries and recover damages.
Florida law requires all property owners to maintain their property to ensure safety. But establishment owners of grocery stores, shopping malls, or public swimming pools, don’t always comply with these regulations. However, when you sustain injuries, the law requires that you prove the property owner’s negligence.
Amanda Demanda Injury Lawyers can help you prove their negligence and recover the compensation you deserve. We handle the following types of Fort Lauderdale premises liability cases:
- Slip and fall injuries
- Trip and fall injuries
- Amusement park injuries
- Dog bites
- Drowning accidents
- Falling object injuries
- Electrocution accidents
Elder Abuse
People send their older loved ones to nursing homes with the expectation that they will receive proper care.
Unfortunately, elder abuse is a distressing reality that is growing across the country. You should regularly check in on your loved ones if:
- Someone is inflicting physical injuries on them, or they show any signs of psychological injuries.
- The nursing home fails to provide proper care, supervision, or other services residents need.
If you find your loved one facing any of these situations, contact us. We can help your loved ones seek justice and hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions.
Medical Malpractice
When medical malpractice cases occur in Fort Lauderdale, they can cause catastrophic injuries or even death.
To recover compensation in these cases, you need to prove that the doctor or hospital was negligent and failed to provide the required care and you suffered injuries as a result.
Proving medical malpractice is challenging because people are often unaware of the specific standards of care that apply to their particular case. Some people don’t even know they have a medical malpractice case and can seek compensation for their damages.
If you believe you or your loved one may have been a victim of medical malpractice, discuss it with us. We handle all types of medical malpractice cases from misdiagnosis to surgical errors.
Sexual Assaults and Rape
Sexual assault and rape cases have two components:
- Criminal component
- Civil component
If you have been a victim of these horrific acts, you should immediately report it to law enforcement authorities. They will investigate charges and apprehend, or attempt to apprehend, the alleged criminal. If convicted, this person will likely face jail time. This is the criminal component.
The civil component allows you to seek compensation for the harm you suffered by filing a personal injury lawsuit. In a personal injury lawsuit, the burden of proof is low compared to a criminal case. It means you have a good chance of recovering compensation from the perpetrator.
We handle the civil component of sexual assault cases. The lawyers at Amanda Demanda understand the sensitivity that these cases involve. She is very supportive and empathetic to the victims and takes the time to speak with each one personally. Contact us today so we can help you recover monetary damages.
What Compensation Can Amanda Demanda Injury Lawyers Recover in Your Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Case?
Three primary factors determine the compensation you can recover:
- Severity of injury or harm. A person with a broken leg gets more compensation than one with a sprained ankle as it has a greater impact on their daily life and higher treatment costs.
- Degree of negligence or wrongdoing. As mentioned earlier, the percentage of fault of you and the other party involved in the incident determines the compensation you receive.
- Insurance coverage. Typically, the higher the bodily injury liability insurance coverage the other party has, the greater the likelihood of recovering better compensation.
The law allows you to recover two types of damages:
- Economic
- Non-economic
However, in exceptional circumstances, the law allows for punitive damages as well.
Economic Damages
These include your monetary losses and includes:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Future earning potential
- Property damage
Non-Economic Damages
These damages don’t have a monetary value attached to them and can be hard to prove. They include:
- Pain and suffering (emotional and physical)
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Permanent disfigurement
Punitive Damages
The court awards punitive damages to punish particularly egregious or intentional behavior. This is to deter them from engaging in similar conduct in the future and discourage other potential wrongdoers.
Some cases where the court can award punitive damages include:
- Drunk driving
- Using a cell phone while driving
While every case is unique, we can help you obtain the maximum compensation recoverable in your personal injury case.
Begin Your Journey With Amanda Demanda Injury Lawyers: Get a Free Case Evaluation.
Since we deal with multiple personal injury cases, we understand how difficult and overwhelming life can be for you after an accident. Trust us to be your ally; we can handle your legal work and make it easy for you to concentrate on your health.
Schedule a free consultation to discuss your case with us. We have assisted numerous personal injury victims in Fort Lauderdale in obtaining justice and recovering the compensation they deserve.
Call us at 305-902-4214 or 844-336-2632 or message us online for your free case review.
Call us today at (305) 902-4214 or contact us online using our secure request form to schedule your no-cost, no-obligation consultation.