Personal Injury

When a serious accident changes your life, you deserve more than a settlement mill. You deserve a trial attorney who will fight for maximum compensation with the same strategic precision applied to multi-million dollar business litigation. At The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC, we represent victims of catastrophic injury, wrongful death, truck accidents, premises liability, and negligent security throughout Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Miami, and all of Florida. We do not just negotiate — we prepare every case for trial, which is why insurance companies take our clients' claims seriously.

From negotiating with insurance companies to preparing for trial, The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC is committed to securing maximum compensation on your behalf and restoring control to your life. Personal injury cases in Florida are governed by specific statutory deadlines, procedural requirements, and damages frameworks that must be navigated precisely to protect your recovery. Under Florida's modified comparative fault rule, enacted through Florida Statute Section 768.81 as amended in 2023, a plaintiff who is found more than fifty percent at fault for their own injuries is barred from recovering any damages — making the quality of your legal representation from the very first day of your case more consequential than ever.

Each personal injury case we handle is approached with the same analytical framework we apply to our civil litigation practice: clear issue identification, rule application, factual analysis, and decisive conclusion. That is how we convert uncertainty into leverage — and leverage into results. Contact us at (954) 789-0461 or legal@rcenterpriselaw.com to schedule a consultation with a Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney today.

Personal Injury Attorney Fort Lauderdale

What Is Personal Injury Law?

Personal injury law provides a legal framework through which individuals who have been harmed by the negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct of another party can seek compensation for their losses. A personal injury claim requires establishing that the defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care, that the defendant breached that duty, that the breach caused the plaintiff's injuries, and that the plaintiff suffered damages as a result. Each element must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence — meaning it is more likely than not that the defendant's conduct caused the harm.

In Florida, personal injury law has undergone significant changes in recent years. The 2023 tort reform legislation — enacted through Senate Bill 236 — introduced a modified comparative fault standard replacing Florida's prior pure comparative fault system, shortened the statute of limitations for negligence claims from four years to two years under Florida Statute Section 95.11, and made significant changes to the bad faith insurance framework and the admissibility of medical damages evidence. These changes fundamentally altered the landscape for personal injury plaintiffs and defendants in Florida — and navigating them effectively requires a personal injury lawyer who is current on the law as it actually exists today, not as it existed before the reforms.

The damages available in a Florida personal injury case include economic damages — medical expenses past and future, lost wages, diminished earning capacity, and out-of-pocket costs — as well as non-economic damages for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and loss of consortium. In cases involving egregious misconduct, punitive damages may also be available under Florida Statute Section 768.72. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC evaluates the full spectrum of available damages from the outset of every personal injury matter — building cases designed to achieve maximum recovery across every category our clients are entitled to pursue.

Personal Injury Practice Areas in Fort Lauderdale and South Florida

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Motor vehicle accidents — including car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, rideshare collisions, and pedestrian accidents caused by negligent or reckless drivers — are the most common source of serious personal injury in Florida. South Florida's high-traffic roadways generate significant accident volume, and the legal issues that arise from these collisions are frequently complex: disputed liability, insurance coverage disputes, underinsured motorist claims, and the involvement of multiple parties including drivers, employers, and vehicle manufacturers.

Florida is a no-fault insurance state — meaning drivers are required to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage of at least $10,000 under Florida Statute Section 627.736, which pays a portion of their own medical expenses and lost wages regardless of fault. However, PIP coverage is frequently insufficient to cover the full extent of serious injuries — and Florida law allows injured parties to step outside the no-fault system and pursue a tort claim against the at-fault driver when their injuries meet the serious injury threshold under Florida Statute Section 627.737. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents motor vehicle accident victims throughout South Florida in both PIP disputes and tort claims — pursuing maximum recovery through negotiation with insurance carriers and litigation when a fair settlement cannot be reached.

For truck accident and commercial vehicle cases, the legal analysis is significantly more complex — involving federal motor carrier regulations, commercial insurance policies with substantially higher coverage limits, employer liability for the acts of their drivers, and the potential involvement of vehicle manufacturers in cases involving equipment failure. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC applies the same analytical precision to commercial vehicle accident litigation that we bring to our complex civil litigation practice — identifying every party whose negligence contributed to the accident and pursuing recovery against all of them.

Rideshare Accidents (Uber and Lyft)

Rideshare accidents involving Uber, Lyft, and other transportation network companies present unique insurance and liability challenges that distinguish them from standard motor vehicle accident claims. The insurance coverage available to an injured party in a rideshare accident depends entirely on the driver's status at the time of the collision — whether the app was off, the driver was available and waiting for a ride request, or the driver was actively transporting a passenger — with each status triggering a different tier of insurance coverage under Florida Statute Section 627.748, which governs transportation network company insurance requirements.

Florida law requires rideshare companies to maintain contingent liability coverage of $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident when a driver is logged into the app but has not yet accepted a ride, and a minimum of $1,000,000 in coverage once a ride has been accepted or a passenger is in the vehicle. Understanding which coverage tier applies — and when the rideshare company's policy versus the driver's personal policy is primary — is one of the most critical threshold issues in any rideshare accident case. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents rideshare accident victims throughout South Florida — navigating the complex insurance framework that governs these cases and pursuing the maximum recovery available from every applicable source of coverage.

Truck and Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Accidents involving commercial trucks, tractor-trailers, delivery vehicles, and other large commercial vehicles are among the most serious and legally complex motor vehicle accident cases in Florida. The sheer size and weight of commercial vehicles means that collisions frequently result in catastrophic injuries — traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, multiple fractures, and wrongful death — that dwarf the consequences of typical passenger vehicle accidents. The legal landscape for truck accident cases is also significantly more complex, involving federal motor carrier regulations administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), commercial insurance policies with substantially higher coverage limits, and the potential liability of multiple parties including the truck driver, the trucking company, the cargo loader, and the vehicle or parts manufacturer.

The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents victims of truck and commercial vehicle accidents throughout Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and Palm Beach County. Truck accident cases require immediate action — commercial carriers and their insurers deploy accident reconstruction teams and legal counsel within hours of a serious accident to begin protecting their interests. Evidence including electronic logging device data, black box data, driver qualification files, maintenance records, and cell phone records must be preserved through early legal action, and failure to act quickly can result in critical evidence being lost or destroyed. We pursue compensation against all responsible parties — the driver, the carrier, and any third party whose negligence contributed to the accident — ensuring our clients recover the full measure of damages their injuries warrant.

FMCSA regulatory violations are frequently a critical component of truck accident liability. Federal regulations impose strict requirements on commercial carriers governing driver hours of service — limiting the number of consecutive hours a driver may operate before mandatory rest — driver qualification standards, pre-trip vehicle inspection requirements, cargo securement protocols, and drug and alcohol testing obligations. When a trucking company or driver violates these federal regulations and that violation contributes to an accident, the violation constitutes negligence per se — establishing the breach of duty element of the plaintiff's negligence claim without requiring additional proof of unreasonable conduct. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC investigates every truck accident case for FMCSA regulatory violations — because a carrier's failure to comply with federal safety regulations is often the most powerful evidence of liability available, and it is evidence that must be pursued aggressively before records are altered or destroyed.

Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrian accidents in Florida are among the most serious and fatal traffic incidents in the state — and South Florida consistently ranks among the most dangerous regions in the country for pedestrians. When a motor vehicle strikes a pedestrian, the physical consequences are almost invariably severe — because the pedestrian has no protection against the force of impact. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, internal injuries, and death are the most common outcomes of serious pedestrian accidents, and the long-term medical costs and loss of earning capacity associated with these injuries can be staggering.

Florida law provides pedestrians with specific legal protections — including the right of way at marked and unmarked crosswalks under Florida Statute Section 316.130 — and drivers have an affirmative duty to exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian. When a driver's negligence — including distracted driving, failure to yield, speeding, and impaired driving — causes a pedestrian accident, the driver and their insurer are liable for the full extent of the pedestrian victim's damages. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents pedestrian accident victims throughout Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and Palm Beach County — pursuing maximum compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and all other damages arising from accidents caused by negligent drivers. For pedestrian accident victims who are unable to identify the at-fault driver, we also pursue uninsured motorist coverage claims and advise on every available source of compensation.

Premises Liability

Property owners in Florida have a legal duty to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition and to warn visitors of known dangerous conditions that are not open and obvious. When that duty is breached — through a slip-and-fall caused by a wet floor, inadequate lighting, a broken stairway, or other unsafe condition — and a visitor is injured as a result, the property owner may be liable for the full extent of the visitor's damages under Florida's premises liability law.

Florida's premises liability framework distinguishes between different categories of visitors — invitees, licensees, and trespassers — each receiving different levels of legal protection under Florida Statute Section 768.075. Business invitees — customers, clients, and members of the public invited onto commercial premises for business purposes — are owed the highest duty of care, including the obligation to inspect the property for dangerous conditions and repair or warn of any hazards discovered. Slip-and-fall cases in Florida require the plaintiff to prove that the property owner knew or should have known of the dangerous condition that caused the fall — a standard that requires thorough investigation, preservation of surveillance footage, and prompt legal action to protect the evidence necessary to establish liability.

Negligent security is a distinct and frequently litigated category of premises liability — arising when a property owner fails to provide adequate security measures and a visitor is harmed by a third-party criminal act that reasonable security measures would have prevented. Hotels, apartment complexes, parking garages, and entertainment venues in South Florida have faced significant negligent security litigation. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents premises liability victims throughout Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and Palm Beach County — including slip-and-fall victims, negligent security victims, and individuals injured by unsafe property conditions of all types.

Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents are among the most common premises liability claims in Florida — arising when a hazardous condition on another person's or business's property causes a visitor to fall and sustain injuries. Wet floors, uneven surfaces, broken pavement, inadequate lighting, and improperly maintained walkways are among the most frequent causes of slip and fall injuries in South Florida's commercial properties, retail stores, restaurants, hotels, and residential complexes. While slip and fall cases may appear straightforward, they involve a nuanced legal analysis of what the property owner knew, when they knew it, and what steps they took — or failed to take — to address the hazard.

Florida law requires slip and fall plaintiffs to prove that the property owner had actual or constructive knowledge of the dangerous condition — meaning the owner either knew about the hazard or the hazard existed for a sufficient period of time that they should have discovered it through reasonable inspection. Under Florida Statute Section 768.0755, which governs transitory foreign substance cases in business establishments, the plaintiff bears the burden of proving that the business had actual or constructive knowledge of the condition. This burden requires thorough investigation — including preservation of surveillance footage, incident reports, maintenance logs, and inspection records — immediately after the accident. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents slip and fall victims throughout South Florida, acting quickly to preserve the evidence necessary to establish liability and pursuing maximum compensation for our clients' injuries.

Negligent Security

Negligent security is a category of premises liability that arises when a property owner's failure to provide adequate security measures results in a visitor being harmed by a third-party criminal act. Hotels, apartment complexes, parking garages, entertainment venues, shopping centers, and other commercial properties that are aware of criminal activity in and around their premises have a legal duty to implement reasonable security measures — including adequate lighting, security personnel, surveillance cameras, and access controls — to protect their visitors and tenants from foreseeable criminal harm.

Florida courts have consistently held that property owners can be held liable for criminal acts committed on their premises when those acts were reasonably foreseeable based on prior criminal activity in the area and when the property owner failed to take reasonable steps to prevent the harm. The foreseeability analysis in negligent security cases requires investigation of prior criminal incidents on or near the property, the property owner's knowledge of security vulnerabilities, and the industry standards applicable to the type of property involved. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents negligent security victims — including victims of assault, robbery, sexual assault, and shooting incidents on commercial and residential properties — throughout Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and Palm Beach County. We pursue full compensation against property owners whose failure to provide adequate security allowed foreseeable criminal harm to occur.

South Florida's hospitality industry, nightlife venues, and high-density residential developments generate some of the most significant negligent security litigation in the state. Hotel guests assaulted in parking garages or common areas, apartment tenants victimized by crimes enabled by broken access controls or inadequate lighting, and patrons harmed at bars and nightclubs with known histories of violent incidents all have viable negligent security claims against the property owner — even though the immediate harm was inflicted by a third party rather than the owner directly. The damages available to negligent security victims extend beyond physical injury compensation — including damages for the psychological trauma, post-traumatic stress, and permanent emotional harm that frequently accompany violent crime. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC pursues the full spectrum of economic and non-economic damages on behalf of every negligent security client we represent, holding property owners fully accountable for the foreseeable harm their security failures enabled.

Swimming Pool Accidents

Florida has more residential and commercial swimming pools per capita than virtually any other state — and the state's warm climate means pools are in use year-round, generating significant drowning and swimming pool accident litigation. Swimming pool accidents in Florida give rise to liability under multiple legal theories — premises liability for unsafe pool conditions, negligent supervision for failures to provide adequate lifeguard coverage, and product liability for defective pool equipment including drains, filters, and diving boards. Drowning and near-drowning incidents are among the most devastating swimming pool injuries — frequently resulting in catastrophic brain damage, permanent disability, or death.

Florida's Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act, governed by Florida Statute Section 515.27, imposes specific safety requirements on residential pool owners — including required pool barriers, alarms, and safety features designed to prevent unsupervised access by young children. Commercial pool operators face additional requirements under Florida's public pool regulations, including mandated lifeguard staffing, water quality standards, and equipment maintenance obligations. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents swimming pool accident victims and their families throughout South Florida — including victims of drowning, near-drowning, diving injuries, and entrapment accidents involving defective pool drains. We pursue liability against every responsible party — property owners, pool operators, and equipment manufacturers — and advocate for the full measure of compensation our clients and their families deserve.

When a swimming pool drowning results in death, Florida's Wrongful Death Act — Florida Statute Section 768.19 et seq. — provides surviving family members with the right to seek compensation for their own losses as well as the losses suffered by the decedent's estate. Surviving spouses, children, and parents of drowning victims may recover for loss of companionship, loss of support and services, and mental pain and suffering — damages that reflect the profound and permanent impact of losing a loved one to a preventable accident. Near-drowning incidents that result in hypoxic brain injury — caused by oxygen deprivation during submersion — frequently produce permanent cognitive disabilities, seizure disorders, and the need for lifelong care that carries lifetime economic costs in the millions of dollars. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC pursues the full long-term damages picture in every catastrophic swimming pool accident case — coordinating with medical experts and life care planners to ensure no element of our clients' future losses is undervalued or overlooked.

Workplace and Construction Accidents

Workplace accidents in Florida generate both workers' compensation claims and, in many cases, viable third-party personal injury claims against parties other than the employer. While Florida's workers' compensation system — governed by Chapter 440, Florida Statutes — provides the exclusive remedy against an employer for most workplace injuries, a worker injured on the job by the negligence of a third party — a subcontractor, a equipment manufacturer, or a property owner — may pursue a separate personal injury claim for the full range of damages that workers' compensation does not cover.

Construction accidents are among the most serious and frequently fatal workplace injuries in Florida. Falls from elevation, struck-by accidents involving heavy equipment, electrical accidents, and trench collapses generate catastrophic injuries and wrongful death claims throughout South Florida's active construction industry. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents construction accident victims and their families in third-party personal injury and wrongful death claims — investigating the full circumstances of the accident, identifying all responsible parties, and pursuing maximum recovery beyond the limited benefits available through workers' compensation. For construction accident cases involving OSHA violations, federal contractor regulations, or product liability claims against equipment manufacturers, we coordinate the full evidentiary and legal analysis necessary to build the strongest possible case.

Medical Negligence

Medical negligence — also known as medical malpractice — occurs when a healthcare provider fails to meet the applicable standard of care and a patient is harmed as a result. Florida's medical malpractice framework, governed by Chapter 766, Florida Statutes, imposes specific pre-suit requirements — including a 90-day investigation period and the requirement to obtain a corroborating expert affidavit — that must be followed precisely before a medical malpractice lawsuit can be filed. Failure to comply with these pre-suit requirements can result in dismissal of the claim.

Medical negligence cases in Florida involve complex factual and expert testimony requirements that distinguish them from other personal injury matters. Establishing the applicable standard of care, demonstrating how the defendant deviated from that standard, and proving that the deviation caused the patient's injuries all require qualified medical expert testimony — and selecting, preparing, and presenting that testimony effectively is one of the most critical dimensions of successful medical malpractice litigation. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents medical negligence victims throughout South Florida in cases involving surgical errors, misdiagnosis, failure to treat, medication errors, and birth injuries — coordinating with qualified medical experts and applying the same trial-ready approach to medical malpractice litigation that we bring to every complex civil litigation matter.

Catastrophic Injuries and Wrongful Death

Catastrophic injuries — including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, severe burns, amputations, and permanent disability — require a level of legal representation that matches the severity and long-term consequences of the harm suffered. The damages available in catastrophic injury cases extend far beyond immediate medical expenses — encompassing future medical care, long-term rehabilitation, home modification costs, loss of lifetime earning capacity, and substantial non-economic damages for the permanent impact on the victim's quality of life. Building a catastrophic injury case that fully captures the long-term damages picture requires economic expert testimony, life care planning experts, and legal counsel with the trial experience to present that evidence compellingly.

When a negligent act results in death, Florida's Wrongful Death Act — governed by Florida Statute Section 768.19 et seq. — provides the legal framework for survivors to seek compensation for their losses. Florida's wrongful death statute allows surviving spouses, children, and parents to recover for their own losses — including lost support and services, loss of companionship and guidance, and mental pain and suffering — as well as the decedent's estate's claims for medical expenses, lost earnings, and funeral costs. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents catastrophic injury victims and the families of wrongful death victims throughout South Florida — pursuing the full measure of compensation available under Florida law and providing the compassionate, committed legal representation that these most serious cases demand.

Product Liability

When a defective or dangerous product causes injury — whether through a manufacturing defect, a design defect, or a failure to warn of known dangers — the manufacturer, distributor, and seller of that product may be held liable for the full extent of the victim's damages under Florida's product liability law. Product liability cases in Florida can be pursued under multiple legal theories — strict liability, negligence, and breach of warranty — each with distinct elements and evidentiary requirements.

Product liability litigation is among the most technically complex personal injury litigation — frequently involving engineering experts, toxicologists, human factors experts, and industry standard analysis to establish both the defect and the causal connection between the defect and the plaintiff's injuries. Defective consumer products, dangerous pharmaceutical drugs, defective medical devices, defective motor vehicles, and dangerous industrial equipment all generate significant product liability litigation in South Florida. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents product liability victims throughout Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and Palm Beach County — applying the analytical rigor and trial-ready preparation of our civil litigation practice to the full complexity of product liability cases.

What Damages Can You Recover in a Florida Personal Injury Case?

Florida personal injury law provides for recovery of both economic and non-economic damages arising from another party's negligence. Economic damages — which are objectively verifiable monetary losses — include past and future medical expenses, lost wages and diminished earning capacity, rehabilitation costs, home modification expenses, and other out-of-pocket costs caused by the injury. Non-economic damages — which compensate for subjective, non-monetary losses — include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, disfigurement, and loss of consortium for the injured party's spouse.

Florida's 2023 tort reform capped non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases and changed the admissibility rules for medical damages evidence — requiring that evidence of medical expenses reflect the amounts actually paid by insurance or that are actually owed, rather than the full billed amount. These changes have significant practical implications for how personal injury damages are presented and calculated in Florida courts, and they make strategic case preparation from the outset of every matter more important than it has ever been. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC evaluates the full damages picture — including future medical expenses and long-term economic losses — for every personal injury client we represent, ensuring no compensable element of our client's damages is overlooked or undervalued.

Why Choose The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC as Your Personal Injury Lawyer in Fort Lauderdale?

Personal injury victims in South Florida deserve legal representation that matches the seriousness of what they have experienced. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC brings a trial-ready civil litigation approach to every personal injury matter — the same analytical precision, strategic preparation, and genuine commitment to our clients' outcomes that we apply across every area of our practice. Richard P. Corey is a trial attorney, not a settlement mill. When insurance companies refuse to offer fair compensation, we are prepared to take your case to trial and pursue the verdict your case deserves.

Richard P. Corey has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in civil litigation and business law for three consecutive years — a distinction awarded to fewer than 2.5% of attorneys in Florida — and has been featured in USA Today, Yahoo News, and Influencive. He is admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida and brings the full depth of his civil litigation experience to every personal injury matter. Our firm is boutique by design — every personal injury client works directly with Richard, receiving the direct, senior-level attention that serious injury cases demand from the first consultation through final resolution.

Serving Personal Injury Clients Throughout South Florida

The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents personal injury victims throughout:

Fort Lauderdale
Broward County
Miami
Miami-Dade County
Boca Raton
West Palm Beach
Palm Beach County
Pompano Beach
Hollywood
Coral Springs
Plantation
Davie
Deerfield Beach
Weston
All of South Florida

We handle personal injury matters in Florida state courts statewide and in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

Schedule a Consultation With a Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Attorney

If you or a loved one has been injured through someone else's negligence in South Florida, do not wait. Florida's statute of limitations for negligence claims is two years from the date of injury under Florida Statute Section 95.11 — and critical evidence can be lost quickly if legal action is not taken promptly. Contact The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC today to schedule a consultation.

The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC
915 Middle River Drive, Suite 408
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
Phone: (954) 789-0461
Email: legal@rcenterpriselaw.com
Website: rcenterpriselaw.com

Related Practice Areas

Many personal injury matters involve parallel civil claims including negligence, fraud, or product liability. Our civil litigation attorneys handle the full spectrum of civil claims arising from injury-causing events. If your matter involves a criminal component, visit our criminal defense practice for representation on that side of your case.