Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

Drunk driving is a criminal traffic violation that can be charged as a misdemeanor or felony in Florida. Such accidents can lead to severe injuries, wrongful deaths, significant property damage, and various financial and intangible losses. If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a drunk driving accident, you need an experienced attorney to represent your case. Contact an experienced Fort Lauderdale drunk driving accident lawyer at Englander Peebles at (954) 500-4878 for a free consultation. We are dedicated to securing the compensation drunk driving injury victims deserve.

Why Choose Englander Peebles Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers?

Englander Peebles takes pride in being different from other law firms. We understand what our clients go through and have fought alongside our loved ones, protecting their legal rights throughout their injury-related recoveries. Due to the egregious nature of the crime, our firm believes drunk driving accident victims deserve considerable extra care with their cases.

We strive to become our clients’ trusted advocates while they concentrate on their recovery. Englander Peebles has secured over ten million dollars for clients suffering personal injuries from car accidents, rideshare collisions involving Uber and Lyft, truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, slip and fall incidents, and drunk driving accidents.

Free Case Assessments

Our Fort Lauderdale drunk driving accident attorneys provide free assessments for injury victims who need legal counsel after a drunk driving accident. During our meeting, we will listen intently to your story, establish your case’s strengths and weaknesses, answer questions, and advise you on how to proceed to achieve the best possible outcome. We use a no-pressure approach to working with clients and won’t bombard you like a salesperson to represent you.

Contingent Fee Arrangements

Englander Peebles understands the emotional and financial stress associated with sustaining injuries in drunk driving accidents. We are dedicated to assisting accident victims in securing compensation for their injuries and losses. Our firm operates on a contingent fee basis, which means there are no upfront costs to retain our legal services. We only receive payment if and when we win your case.

Tailored Legal Strategies

No two drunk driving accidents are alike. Therefore, it is beneficial to approach each case based on its unique circumstances to achieve the best possible outcome. Englander Peebles understands this and provides tailored legal strategies specific to the details of your case. Trust an experienced Fort Lauderdale drunk driving accident lawyer to develop a personalized plan for securing compensation for your losses.

Establishment of Negligence and Liability

Our lawyers will immediately get to work proving negligence and establishing fault or liability. This entails gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and consulting with experts when situations warrant it. Proving negligence is pivotal in drunk driving accident claims and lawsuits. After thoroughly investigating your case and obtaining critical evidence, we will analyze and present it in a way that clearly pinpoints negligence and establishes who is at fault.

Don’t navigate drunk driving accidents without an experienced local attorney. Contact Englander Peebles at (954) 500-4878 to schedule a free case assessment with a trusted Fort Lauderdale drunk driving lawyer to discuss the specifics of your case. We provide honest legal insight on securing a financial settlement for your claim. Our law office is conveniently located in the Cypress Creek Medical Pavilion:

Compensation for a Drunk Driving Accident

As the injury victim or surviving family member of a Fort Lauderdale drunk driving accident, you may be entitled to significant compensation for your injuries or loss. You deserve to be reasonably compensated for your pain and emotional suffering. At Englander Peebles, we hold drunk drivers responsible for their negligence. Our lawyers will comprehensively value your case’s economic and non-economic damages to maximize settlements.

Economic Damages

Your economic damages are the financial losses in your drunk driving accident injury case. Depending on the severity of your injuries, length of medical treatment, and long-term prognosis, economic damages can include the following:

• Medical Costs: Your healthcare expenses are recoverable economic losses, which we will ensure are calculated when valuing your claim. These encompass ambulances, ER visits, emergency care, surgeries, and hospitalizations. Medical costs also cover diagnostics, imaging, medical devices, copays, deductibles, and prescription medications.
• Long-Term Care: When drunk driving accidents cause severe injuries, our team works with a network of reputable healthcare professionals and economists to determine long-term medical care needs and costs, accounting for care changes and inflation.
• Lost Earnings: Income losses incurred from missing work can also be recoverable. Lost earnings may include income, tips, commissions, bonuses, overtime, paid time off, sick leave, and vacation. Our firm may secure compensation for lost healthcare, retirement benefits, and promotions.
• Diminished Earning Capacity: Severe injuries that prevent you from returning to work at the job you had before being injured or in the same capacity create a need to determine diminished earning capacity. England Peebles collaborates with vocational rehabilitation experts to estimate lost future earnings.
• Property Damages: We will ensure all property damages are calculated when valuing your claim. Property damages include vehicle repairs and personal belongings such as sunglasses, cell phones, laptops, and clothing. Damages to outside structures, including fencing, homes, and buildings, are also securable.

Proving economic damages involves tallying receipts. Please bring copies of documents demonstrating monetary losses to your free case assessment to ensure their calculations when valuing your claim. Viable evidence includes billing statements, repair invoices, and estimates for vehicle or home modifications. A lost income statement from your employer is also helpful for establishing income losses.

Non-Economic Damages

Your non-economic damages are the intangible losses that lack a paper trail. Without an experienced Fort Lauderdale drunk driving accident attorney, they are more challenging to assign a monetary value to. We have experience maximizing compensation for these damages when relevant to your case. Standard non-economic damages in drunk driving accidents include:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Methods of pain management
• Development of substance use disorder from pain management
• Mental anguish
• Sleep losses
• Inability or difficulty performing daily tasks
• Loss of bodily function
• Shortened life expectancy
• Loss of consortium (companionship, intimacy, love)
• Generalized anxiety
• Post-accident depression
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of hearing or vision
• Disability and disfigurement
• Loss of society and companionship
• Sexual dysfunction

Insurance companies and the courts depend on solid evidence to establish the damages in your claim and the need for compensation. Detailed medical records and expert witness testimony are helpful in showing how injuries impact daily life. Keeping a post-accident journal is the best way to document non-economic damages.

Wrongful Death Damages

About 32 percent of all traffic fatalities in the U.S. involve drunk drivers. If you lost a loved one in a Fort Lauderdale drunk driving accident, you may have a right to file for wrongful death. In Florida, you must be the named personal representative of the decedent’s estate via their will or probate court. Surviving family may recover compensation for their loved ones’ final healthcare costs, lost income, and pain and suffering. Additional wrongful death damages include lost financial support, loss of parental guidance, and lost prospect of inheritance.

Punitive Damages

When drunk driving accidents are particularly severe and result in catastrophic consequences, a jury may award punitive damages. These damages serve to punish the defendant, deter others from committing the offense, and provide additional compensation for the plaintiff. They are rare in drunk driving cases and not something our firm can calculate or estimate.

Where Do Drunk Driving Accidents Occur in Fort Lauderdale?

Drunk driving accidents in Fort Lauderdale can occur at any time but peak between the hours of midnight and 3:00 a.m. The Las Olas area is home to many popular bars and nightclubs, making it a frequent scene for drunk driving accidents—especially at the intersection of A1A and East Las Olas Boulevard on the weekends. The intersection has heavy traffic and limited visibility combined with a consistent presence of drunk drivers.

Common Injuries in Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accidents

Depending on the circumstance of your drunk driving accident, injuries may range from mild to moderate and severe. Recent drunk driving statistics report that about 37 Americans die daily in drunk driving accidents. When drunk driving accidents cause injuries or result in wrongful death, we will advocate for your right to secure compensation for their expenses and impact on daily life. Common injuries sustained in Fort Lauderdale drunk driving accidents are as follows:

• Whiplash
• Soft tissue injuries (sprains and strains)
• Lacerations and burn injuries
• Neck and back injuries
• Bone fractures
• Spinal cord injuries (partial or total paralysis)
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Internal organ damage or bleeding
• Severe psychological trauma (depression or PTSD)

Detailed medical records are vital for recovering compensation for drunk driving accidents. Englander Peebles works with our trusted network of healthcare professionals to review your medical records for accurate documentation. They will investigate missing information and the need for further documentation. When necessary, we’ll consult your treating doctors to address these concerns.

Englander Peebles Demands Reasonable Compensation

We understand the importance of recovering fair compensation and won’t settle for anything less. You shouldn’t be responsible for absorbing costs for injuries that aren’t your fault. Our attorneys confidently navigate negotiations with insurance companies and other liable parties. Englander Peebles will demand what’s fair despite their many attempts to undervalue claims. You can trust us to stand firm for what is right. We are prepared to take valid cases to court when insurance companies refuse to compensate legitimate claims reasonably.

What to Do After a Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accident

After being involved in a drunk driving accident in Fort Lauderdale, you must take the necessary measures to ensure your health and the protection of your legal rights. Start by writing down a detailed accounting of your drunk driving accident. Vital details can be lost quickly. It’s important you document your accounting as soon as possible following your collision. Other steps to take after a Fort Lauderdale drunk driving accident include:

• Follow Treatment Plans: Prioritizing recovery is your primary focus. Following treatment plans is essential for ensuring you achieve your maximum medical improvement (MMI) within the two-year statutes of limitations that Florida imposes on drunk driving accidents. Achieving your MMI means fully recovering or getting to a place where injuries no longer respond to treatment.
• Document Pain and Suffering: Keep a consistent post-accident journal documenting your pain and suffering damages. We will use it to demonstrate the need to compensate for physical pain, sleep issues, emotional distress, psychological trauma, and other injury symptoms—record pain medications, including dosages, frequency, and dependency.
• Avoid Posting to Social Media: Resist the routine updates and stop posting to social media. Insurance companies may use posts to downplay the severity of your injuries or suggest you’re not injured at all. Even an innocent picture of you smiling and looking like you are enjoying life can be used against you. It’s best to avoid posting until you settle your case.
• Avoid Providing Recorded Statements: You are not required to give insurance companies recorded statements. These statements are often collected to find something they can use to deny full or partial liability or to downplay your injuries. Don’t provide them with a recorded statement.

Injured parties should completely avoid communicating with liable insurance companies. They often call shortly after a drunk driving accident to reach you before you’ve hired an attorney. Interactions with insurers can lead to disastrous outcomes in injury claims, including significant undervaluation and denials. Englander Peebles handles all communications with insurance companies on behalf of our clients to shield them from harassment and unethical tactics.

Speak to a Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

If you sustained injuries or are mourning the unexpected loss of a loved one, you deserve a caring and experienced drunk driving accident attorney to represent your legal needs. Call Englander Peebles at (954) 500-4878 to schedule a free case assessment with a trusted Fort Lauderdale drunk driving accident lawyer. Our Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys are standing by to answer your questions and provide legal peace of mind about recovering compensation for your drunk driving accident and injuries.

Englander Peebles – Fort Lauderdale Office

2122 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 206
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
P: 954-500-4878