Fighting for Your Rights – Personal Injury Attorneys in Miami

Miami’s streets can feel like a minefield. With over 63,000 reported crashes in Miami-Dade County last year, countless lives were turned upside down—not just from car accidents, but from slips, falls, and other acts of negligence that left people injured and searching for answers.

If an accident injured you or someone you love, your next steps matter. Compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and emotional distress may be within reach—but only with the right legal team on your side.

At Englander Peebles, we’ve helped countless Floridians regain control of their lives after accidents. Call (954) 500-4878 today for a free consultation, and let’s build your case together.

Why Choose Englander Peebles?

If you’ve ever dealt with the aftermath of a personal injury, you know this: not all law firms are created equal. Big promises from flashy ads often crumble when your case actually demands attention. We take a different approach, combining personalized attention with aggressive representation to get you the compensation you deserve.

Results That Speak Volumes

Our firm has secured over $10 million in settlements and verdicts. From car accidents to catastrophic injuries, our attorneys bring real courtroom experience to the table.

Personalized Attention

While large firms shuffle cases between faceless teams, we take the opposite approach. Our attorneys personally oversee every case, tailoring strategies to your unique situation. You won’t feel like a number; you’ll feel heard.

Conveniently Located

Our Miami office is easily accessible off the I-95. Whether you’re coming from Little Havana, Wynwood, or the beaches, our location makes it easy to stop by and meet with our team.

Awards That Back It Up

Recognition matters in this field. We’ve earned a 10.0 Avvo rating and spots on the Super Lawyers list, awards that reflect our results and are earned through client success and peer reviews.

How Much Is My Case Worth?

When an accident upends your life, the first question you’re likely to ask is, “What’s this going to cost me?” The second: “Who’s going to pay for it?” In Florida, the answer starts with damages, a term that refers to the compensation you may recover after someone else’s negligence causes your injuries.

Economic Damages

Economic damages cover measurable financial losses tied directly to the accident:

• Medical Expenses: From the moment an ambulance arrives, the bills start rolling in. Hospital stays, surgeries, physical therapy, medications, and any future medical care tied to your injuries fall under this category.
• Lost Wages: Missing work due to your injury doesn’t just pause your paycheck; it can impact your career trajectory. Economic damages include wages lost and future earnings if your injury affects your ability to work long-term.
• Property Damage: Repairs or replacement for your car or personal items destroyed in the accident also count as economic damages.

Non-Economic Damages

If economic damages cover what you lose in dollars, non-economic damages reflect what you lose in quality of life:

• Pain and Suffering: The physical pain of your injuries and the psychological toll they take don’t come with a receipt—but they’re very real. Courts and insurance companies assign a monetary value to this based on the severity and duration of your suffering.
• Emotional Distress: Anxiety, depression, PTSD, or any mental health challenges tied to the accident qualify as emotional distress. This might involve reliving the crash, coping with trauma, or adapting to life after a permanent injury.
• Loss of Enjoyment: If your injury prevents you from activities you once loved—sports, travel, even playing with your kids—that loss becomes a compensable factor.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages punish wrongdoers for their gross recklessness or intentional harm. These damages don’t aim to compensate the victim but to send a message that certain behavior won’t be tolerated. In Florida, punitive damages apply in limited circumstances, and Florida Statutes Section 768.72 outlines the criteria. For example, if a drunk driver caused your accident, punitive damages might come into play.

How Lawyers Calculate Damages

Attorneys rely on evidence, legal precedent, and sometimes expert witnesses to determine the full value of your case. Here’s how the process typically works:

1. Gather Documentation: Bills, pay stubs, repair receipts, and expert assessments provide the foundation for economic damages.
2. Assess Non-Economic Impacts: Lawyers use precedents and their experience to assign value to pain, suffering, and emotional distress. These amounts depend heavily on how the injuries disrupt your life.
3. Evaluate Long-Term Effects: Future medical needs, diminished earning capacity, and permanent disability factor into damages, especially when injuries create lifelong challenges.

Where Do Accidents Happen in Miami?

Some streets in Miami feel more like obstacle courses than thoroughfares.

• Interstate 95 (I-95): This stretch of highway is notorious for accidents, with its bottleneck traffic, reckless lane changes, and impatient drivers. As one of the busiest highways in the country, it consistently ranks among the deadliest.
• Palmetto Expressway (State Road 826): Known for its weaving traffic and frequent construction, this road sees an alarming number of multi-car accidents each year.
• Biscayne Boulevard: Despite its picturesque views, this boulevard is a hotspot for pedestrian and cyclist accidents. The combination of heavy foot traffic and distracted drivers creates a dangerous mix.

By the Numbers

Miami-Dade County consistently leads Florida in traffic accidents. In one recent year alone:

• There were 63,389 reported crashes, resulting in 357 fatalities and thousands of injuries.
• Over 8,000 accidents involved pedestrians and cyclists, making Miami one of the most dangerous cities for those not protected by a vehicle.
  (Source: Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles)

High-Risk Areas

It’s not just highways and major roads causing problems. Some neighborhoods and intersections pose unique risks:

• Downtown Miami: With its mix of tourists, heavy traffic, and narrow streets, accidents here happen at an alarming rate.
• Little Havana: This densely populated area sees frequent collisions, especially at intersections like SW 8th Street and SW 27th Avenue.
• Midtown Miami: Packed with pedestrians and bicyclists, the streets here highlight the dangers of distracted driving and speeding.

Common Types of Personal Injury Cases

Personal injury law isn’t just about car crashes, though Miami’s traffic chaos certainly keeps it busy. It covers a wide range of incidents where someone’s negligence leads to harm. If you’ve been injured, chances are your case fits into one of these categories:

Types of Accidents

• Car Accidents: Whether it’s a distracted driver texting at a red light or a speeding vehicle rear-ending you on I-95, car crashes top the list of personal injury cases. Florida’s no-fault insurance laws (Florida Statutes Section 627.736) require injured parties to file claims through their own insurance first for medical bills, but lawsuits become an option when injuries exceed certain thresholds.
• Truck Accidents: Crashes involving 18-wheelers and other commercial vehicles may cause catastrophic injuries. Factors like driver fatigue, improper loading, or maintenance failures frequently play a role.
• Motorcycle Accidents: Motorcyclists face greater risks on Miami’s roads, where reckless drivers increase their vulnerability. Florida law requires motorcyclists to carry insurance (Florida Statutes Section 627.733), but liability often extends to negligent drivers.
• Slip-and-Fall Accidents: Property owners have a legal duty to maintain reasonably safe premises. Spilled liquids in a store, cracked sidewalks, or poor lighting in a parking lot can all lead to severe injuries. These cases fall under Florida’s premises liability laws (Florida Statutes Section 768.0755), which focus on whether the owner knew—or should have known—about the hazard.
• Negligent Security: If an attacker harms you in a poorly lit parking garage or a building without proper security measures, the property owner may bear responsibility. Florida law requires property owners to take reasonable steps to protect visitors from foreseeable crimes.
• Rideshare Accidents: Uber and Lyft accidents add unique challenges, especially regarding insurance coverage. Florida mandates higher insurance requirements for rideshare companies (Florida Statutes Section 627.748).

Types of Injuries

Different accidents lead to different types of injuries, but some come up more frequently in personal injury claims:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): These result from sudden blows to the head, sometimes causing long-term cognitive or emotional challenges.
• Spinal Cord Injuries: Whether it’s a herniated disc or paralysis, spinal injuries can have permanent effects.
• Broken Bones and Fractures: Common in slip-and-fall and car accidents, these injuries may require surgery and lengthy rehabilitation.
• Burns: Severe burns, typically from vehicle fires or defective products, may leave lasting physical and emotional scars.
• Internal Injuries: Damage to organs or internal bleeding often goes unnoticed initially but may pose life-threatening risks.
• Soft Tissue Injuries: Sprains, strains, and whiplash are common in car accidents and slip-and-fall cases, affecting mobility and quality of life.

Legal Concepts and Laws

Building a personal injury case requires addressing specific legal principles:

• Statute of Limitations: One must file a lawsuit within a certain period of time from the date of the incident (Florida Statutes Section 95.11). Missing this deadline means losing the right to recover damages.
• Duty of Care: Every person has a legal obligation to act reasonably to prevent harm. For example, drivers must follow traffic laws, and property owners must address known hazards. If they fail to act like a reasonable person would, they could be liable if their negligence hurts someone else.

Fighting the Insurance Company

Insurance companies don’t stay profitable by writing big checks to injury victims. They try to minimize payouts, and they’ve turned this practice into a fine-tuned system. If you’re handling your claim alone, you’ll quickly find yourself up against adjusters trained to protect their employer’s bottom line—not your future.

Tactics Insurance Companies Use

Insurance companies know the average person doesn’t have the time, experience, or resources to counter their strategies. Here’s what they rely on:

• Shifting Blame: Adjusters excel at finding ways to assign partial or full fault to you. Recall that Florida’s negligence laws allows compensation to be reduced if you share fault, so they’ll do everything possible to make that happen.
• Downplaying Injuries: You’ll hear phrases like, “Your injuries don’t seem that serious,” or, “You should recover quickly.” This tactic aims to devalue your claim, especially for non-economic damages like pain and suffering.
• Quick Settlement Offers: A lowball offer soon after the accident might feel like a relief—but accepting it usually means leaving significant compensation on the table. These offers rarely account for future medical costs or long-term impacts.
• Requesting Unnecessary Documentation: Adjusters may demand extensive records or unrelated information, hoping to delay your claim or uncover something to weaken your case.
• Delaying Claims: They know waiting for a payout adds financial stress, and they use that leverage to push you into accepting less than you deserve.

How Englander Peebles Pushes Back

Fighting insurance companies demands a tailored strategy and the experience to back it up. We have both.

• Evidence Collection: The firm works with accident reconstruction experts, medical professionals, and investigators to gather evidence that supports your claim. This level of detail makes it harder for adjusters to argue against your case.
• Negotiation Skills: Insurance companies expect people to fold under pressure, but our seasoned attorneys know their playbook. We counter lowball offers with facts, figures, and the willingness to go to trial.
• Understanding Insurance Policies: Florida law requires drivers to carry personal injury protection (PIP). While PIP covers basic medical expenses, attorneys analyze all policies involved to find additional coverage—whether it’s from at-fault drivers, employers, or other liable parties.
• Litigation Preparedness: A strong trial-ready case forces insurance companies to reconsider stalling tactics and reevaluate settlement offers.

Take Back Control with Englander Peebles

You don’t have to let someone else’s negligence define your future. You have options, and we have the experience to help you make them count.

Whether it’s dealing with stingy insurance adjusters, calculating the true cost of your injuries, or preparing a case that holds the at-fault party accountable, our team knows how to fight for what you deserve.

Call (954) 500-4878 today for a free consultation, and take the first step toward reclaiming your life.