Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Lawyer

Editorial Details

This page was written and legally reviewed by Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath’s team of Florida Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyers.

Sometimes, other people’s careless actions cause injuries. For example, a distracted driver may crash into your car, or a negligent store manager may fail to clean up liquids that led to your slip-and-fall accident. Regardless of your harm, you may benefit from speaking with a qualified Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer.

At Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath, we take every case seriously and try to secure the best outcome for you. We identify all liable parties and seek the maximum compensation to help you recover fully.

Contact our offices in Fort Lauderdale today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced lawyer.

fort lauderdale personal injury lawyer

Our personal injury practice areas

Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath have successfully fought for Fort Lauderdale citizens in personal injury cases for over 35 years. Our team of expert lawyers holds companies and individuals responsible for your or your loved one’s well-being.

What exactly is a personal injury lawsuit?

Personal injury lawsuits are civil cases where you file against a specific party legally at fault for your injury. These are the common types of injuries that we see among clients:

How can a Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer help me?

A Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer with Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath knows your rights and options before you make your personal injury claim. They will work to ensure that you are compensated for your injury and that the person or business at fault is held liable for their actions.

An expert personal injury attorney knows how to work for your benefit, taking the stress off you and allowing you to focus on your recovery. They are well-versed in various personal injury claims, from dog bites to medical malpractice to slips and falls. They can even direct you to the top Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyers to ensure you get assistance.

Related: What should I look for in a good personal injury lawyer?

How much does hiring a personal injury lawyer in Fort Lauderdale cost?

At Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath, our commitment to your full recovery is reflected in our contingency fee structure. You do not pay us anything unless we win your case, and we offer free consultations to get you started. Reach out to us now to book your no-cost consultation and make the first move towards getting the legal help you need.

How much time do I have to file a claim?

A statute of limitations can stop you from claiming damages. Personal injury victims can stand in their way by waiting to file a claim to collect the damages they deserve.

In Florida, you generally have up to two years from the accident date to file a claim. However, the window for personal injury claims involving medical malpractice or suing the government may be shorter.

These statutes also vary if you were injured previously but only became aware of your injuries recently. For example, a slip-and-fall may damage the tendons in your leg. You may not have been aware of the issue until years later, when it began to cause chronic pain. In this case, a judge may allow a personal injury claim to be filed after the statute of limitations expires.

Hiring a Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer can help speed up the process. Your lawyer will assist you in communicating with the defendants and getting your compensation sooner. They won’t let your case exceed the statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Florida.

What are some potential damages in a Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawsuit?

After a severe personal injury, you may claim various types of damages. These are mainly categorized into economic, non-economic, and punitive damages. Choosing an attorney who will investigate your physical, interests, and emotional harm is essential. Our lawyers know that injuries from serious accidents leave more than physical scars.

Economic damages

These damages have a paper trail. Any bill you’ve received related to the accident is recoverable in your lawsuit. This doesn’t just relate to medical costs either. Think of rental fees, car repairs, replacing broken items lost in the event, or even lost wages due to missing work.

Economic damages may include:

Medical expenses, including follow-up visits and ambulance costs
Physical and occupational therapy
Prescription and pharmaceutical costs
Travel costs
Mental health treatment
Cost to repair or replace property
Lost wages
Loss of earning potential

Non-economic damages

Compensation is still due when something negatively affects you after a personal injury. But since there is no dollar amount associated with the level of pain or emotional distress a personal injury can cause, it’s crucial to have an excellent Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney who knows how to demand compensation for the damages that aren’t apparent but no less life-altering.

Non-economic damages may include:

Pain and suffering
Emotional trauma
Mental distress
Humiliation
Shock and grief
Depression and anxiety
Loss of consortium or affection

Understanding the weight of some of these non-economic damages can be difficult to imagine. Here are a few examples of how they could affect everyday life.

Chronic pain due to nerve damage resulting from the injury
Being unable to coach a child’s baseball team due to leg amputation
Persistent and obsessive thoughts about the accident that affects day-to-day life
Loss of a bread-winning spouse, leaving young children and a loving family alone

Once again, quantifying compensation for these situations can be complicated, but your lawsuit should compensate for the pain and suffering you experience due to someone’s negligence.

How do you determine liability in a Fort Lauderdale personal injury case?

Florida is a “no-fault” state, meaning that victims must file a claim against their policy regardless of who was at fault for the accident that caused their injury. This insurance covers personal injury but does not cover property damage.

However, the fault is still an issue for insurers. Insurance companies look to determine fault when your expenses extend beyond your policy’s coverage. The person at fault could be liable to pay a percentage of your damages based on the state’s comparative fault law.

Determining fault in an accident that resulted in an injury is essential if there was neglectful or impaired driving. In these cases, the fault lies with the person driving recklessly, which could lead to them paying punitive damages.

The Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers at Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath are here to help you determine fault in your accident and get the compensation you deserve.

fort lauderdale personal injury lawyer car accident

How does a personal injury claim work?

After a personal injury, the injured must decide whether to pursue financial compensation from the party who caused the accident. They submit this request as a demand letter formally requesting payment for damages incurred. If they are lucky, the insurance company will fulfill the request, and they’ll receive payment.

But if your injury was severe, you should contact a Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney to represent you. Most insurance companies are only concerned with their bottom line, so having someone looking out for your bottom line is essential.

A good lawyer will listen to you, defend you against those trying to minimize your injury, and fight aggressively in a court of law to prove that you deserve fair compensation for injuries caused by the other party.

Why should I choose Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath?

We only get paid if you win.

Due to the nature of personal injury lawsuits, we understand that our clients aren’t in the position to put up tons of money to secure an excellent lawyer. That’s why our Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorneys work on contingency fees. The contingency is that we only get paid once we win your lawsuit, and then it’s only from the earnings, leaving you with peace of mind that the money you earn will stay yours.

We treat clients like family.

Every client we help is treated with the respect and compassion we would give to our own families. We know that healing from injuries can take a lot of energy and time, so we are patient in waiting to hear from clients. You will become like family to our firm, and we will aggressively represent you against those who harmed you.

We prepare every case for trial.

In a perfect world, insurance companies would pay fair amounts for the damages their insured policyholders cause. However, the bottom line for any insurance company is its profit. So, if it can offer a lower amount and get away with it, it will.

That’s why our personal injury attorneys prepare every case that comes through as though we were going to trial. A settlement can usually be reached, but that’s not always true. By treating cases this way, we are ahead of the timeline instead of backtracking for facts.

We earn maximum compensation for your injuries.

We do not let insurance companies lowball or diminish your injury claims. They will try to deny your claims of injury to save themselves money, but we know all the tricks in the book. We know how to ensure you earn the maximum compensation for your injuries, pain, and suffering.

Hurt in an incident that wasn’t your fault? Call us.

Ready to discuss your case with a leading personal injury attorney in Fort Lauderdale? Schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to find your best path forward today – you won’t pay until we win.