Coral Springs Car Accident Lawyer

If another driver’s mistake left you injured in a Coral Springs car accident, you have the right to seek payment for your medical bills, lost income, and the disruption to your life. Florida law provides a path to hold the responsible party financially accountable for the harm they caused.

Successfully recovering what you need to rebuild your life requires a detailed understanding of Florida’s insurance and fault laws. For example, you must get medical care within 14 days of the crash to use your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. Missing this deadline can mean forfeiting benefits you are entitled to. Similarly, Florida has a two-year deadline to file a lawsuit, an unforgiving time limit that permanently closes the door on your claim if missed.

As a Coral Springs car accident lawyer, we handle these procedural requirements and build a case supported by evidence. Our focus is on managing the legal and financial details so you can concentrate on one thing: your recovery. If you’re reading this while dealing with the fallout from a crash, know that clear answers are available.

Call the Law Firm of Cindy Goldstein at (954) 346-5420 for a straightforward conversation about your options.

Why Choose The Law Firm of Cindy Goldstein in Coral Springs?

A Focus on Your Recovery, Not Just Your Case

For more than two decades, our firm has helped people injured in South Florida. Our practice is founded on providing direct, personal attention to every individual we represent. When you contact our office, you are starting a process designed to shield you from the pressures of an insurance claim.

We take over all communication with insurance companies and the at-fault driver. Our team has deep experience with Personal Injury Protection (PIP) claims, a part of Florida’s auto insurance system that is often a source of confusion for accident victims.

Our Commitment to You

Here is what you can expect from us:

A Free, No-Pressure Case Review: We will listen to what happened and give you a clear assessment of your legal options.
You Pay Nothing Unless We Win: We operate on a contingency fee basis. This means our fee is a percentage of the money we recover for you. If you don’t get paid, we don’t either.
Direct Access: You will have a direct line of communication with our legal team, ensuring you get answers when you need them.

Conveniently Located to Serve Coral Springs

Our office is at 10100 W Sample Rd, Ste 200, on the southwest corner of Sample Road and NW 101st Avenue. We are part of this community, and we are here to support our neighbors.

What Is the Value of Your Car Accident Claim?

The Goal: Restoring Your Life

Compensation in a personal injury claim is a tool intended to put you back in the position you were in moments before the crash.

Economic Damages: The Documented Financial Toll

These are the black-and-white costs that come with receipts and invoices.

Medical Bills: This covers everything from the ambulance and ER visit to ongoing physical therapy, future surgeries, and prescription costs.
Lost Wages: The income you lost while you were unable to work.
Future Lost Earning Capacity: If the injuries permanently limit your ability to do your job or force you into a lower-paying field, this compensates for that long-term financial hit.
Property Damage: The cost to repair your vehicle or, if it’s a total loss, its replacement value.

Non-Economic Damages: The Human Cost

Some losses don’t have a clear price tag, but they change your life completely. These damages are meant to compensate for the very real, personal impact of the injury.

Pain and Suffering: Compensation for the physical pain and emotional distress your injuries cause.
Mental Anguish: This includes conditions like anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that stem from the trauma of the crash.
Loss of Enjoyment of Life: When your injuries stop you from participating in hobbies, family activities, or the daily routines that brought you joy.

How Fault and Florida Law Shape Your Claim

The Police Report

The police report is the first official document that outlines what happened. Insurance adjusters rely heavily on it when making their initial fault determination. It contains factual information like driver details and vehicle damage, but also the officer’s own observations and sometimes an opinion on who caused the crash.

It is important to get a copy and review it. If you find a factual error—like your name being misspelled or the wrong street listed—you can typically contact the officer to request a correction. Disputing the officer’s opinion on fault is more difficult, but an attorney will help you add your own account to the official record.

Florida’s 51% Bar to Recovery: A Critical Hurdle

Florida uses a legal concept called modified comparative negligence. Think of it as a pie chart of responsibility. A court or insurance company will assign a percentage of fault to each driver involved. Under the current law, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are found to be 20% at fault, your final award is reduced by 20%. But there’s a sharp cutoff: if you are found to be 51% or more at fault for the accident, you are barred from recovering any money at all. This rule makes it incredibly important to counter any unfair attempts by the insurance company to shift blame onto you.

The Two-Year Ticking Clock: Florida’s Statute of Limitations

For most negligence-based car accident claims in Florida, you have two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit. This deadline, known as the statute of limitations, is absolute. If you try to file a claim even one day late, the court will almost certainly dismiss your case, and you will lose your right to seek compensation forever.

Common Injuries That Appear After a Crash

The forces in a car accident sometimes cause injuries that aren’t immediately obvious.

Whiplash: This is a neck injury caused by the head snapping back and forth. It can damage the soft tissues in your neck, leading to symptoms like neck pain and stiffness, headaches, dizziness, and even blurred vision.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI): A violent jolt to the head might cause the brain to strike the inside of the skull, leading to a TBI. This ranges from a “mild” concussion to a severe injury that affects memory, concentration, and personality.
Spinal Cord Injuries: Damage to the spinal cord can have devastating consequences, potentially causing partial or total paralysis, like paraplegia or quadriplegia. These injuries require a lifetime of medical care.
Internal Injuries: Damage to organs like the spleen, liver, or kidneys can cause internal bleeding and may not show immediate symptoms.
Fractures and Broken Bones: The force of an impact easily breaks bones in the arms, legs, hips, and ribs, often requiring surgery and a long period of rehabilitation.

Where Do Accidents Happen in Coral Springs?

Coral Springs’ Most Notorious Intersections

While a crash can occur on any road, some intersections in Coral Springs are well-known for being collision hotspots due to high traffic volume and complex traffic patterns. These include:

Sample Road and University Drive
Atlantic Boulevard and University Drive
Wiles Road and State Road 7 (US 441)
Royal Palm Boulevard and University Drive
The Sawgrass Expressway (SR 869)

Local Conditions That Catch Drivers Off Guard

Sudden Downpours: South Florida’s weather can change in an instant. Afternoon thunderstorms easily make roads slick and dramatically reduce visibility, leading to rear-end collisions and loss-of-control accidents.
Seasonal Traffic: During peak tourist seasons and when snowbirds are in town, our roads become more congested with drivers who may be unfamiliar with local traffic flow.
Construction Zones: With ongoing development in Broward County, lane shifts, detours, and abrupt stops in construction zones are common and can easily lead to accidents if drivers are not alert.

A Word on Dealing with Insurance Companies

Their Goal is Not Your Goal

Insurance companies are businesses that profit by collecting more in premiums than they pay out in claims. This creates an inherent financial incentive for them to minimize or deny your claim. The adjuster assigned to your case works for the insurance company, and their job is to protect the company’s financial interests.

Common Tactics to Watch For

The claims process is not a neutral investigation; it’s a business negotiation where the insurer has a playbook. Be aware of these common approaches:

The Quick Settlement Mirage: An insurer may offer a fast, lowball settlement before you even know the full extent of your injuries. It might be tempting to accept quick cash, but doing so means you forfeit the right to seek any more money for this accident, even if you later learn you need surgery.
The Recorded Statement Trap: An adjuster will likely ask for a recorded statement. You are not required to provide one. These calls are a tool for the insurer. They will ask carefully worded questions designed to get you to say something that can be used to argue you were at fault or that your injuries are not severe.
Downplaying Your Pain: The adjuster, who is not a medical professional, might suggest your injuries are pre-existing or not as serious as you say. They may use a gap in your medical treatment or your decision not to take an ambulance from the scene as “proof” that you weren’t badly hurt.

Frequently Asked Questions About Coral Springs Car Accidents

What if the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough?

This is a distressingly common scenario. If the at-fault driver is uninsured or their policy limits are too low to cover your bills, we would turn to your own auto insurance policy. A specific type of coverage called Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) is designed for this exact situation. It is optional in Florida, but it allows you to file a claim with your own insurer to cover the gap left by the other driver.

Do I have a case if I was partly at fault for the crash?

Yes, in most cases. As mentioned earlier, Florida’s comparative fault rule allows you to recover damages as long as you are not found to be more than 50% responsible. Never assume you are too at fault to have a claim without a proper investigation. Fault is often shared, and you may be entitled to compensation even if you made a minor mistake.

How does my PIP insurance work with a lawsuit?

Think of them as two separate pools of money. Your PIP coverage is your primary source for your initial medical bills and lost wages, paying 80% of medical costs and 60% of lost income up to your $10,000 limit. A lawsuit against the at-fault driver is meant to recover everything beyond that. This includes the 20% of medical bills and 40% of lost wages that PIP does not cover, any costs that exceed the $10,000 PIP limit, and all of your non-economic damages for pain and suffering, which PIP does not pay for at all.

What happens if the person who caused the accident was driving for a company like Uber or Lyft?

This adds another layer of insurance coverage. Rideshare cases involve specific rules depending on the driver’s status at the time of the crash. If the driver was waiting for a ride request, a lower level of liability coverage applies. If they were on their way to pick up a passenger or had a passenger in the car, a much larger, $1 million liability policy maintained by the rideshare company typically comes into play.

The accident happened in a parking lot. Does that change things?

Yes, it can. While the principles of negligence still apply, parking lot accidents have unique challenges. Police may not respond or write a formal report for an accident on private property. This makes evidence like photos, surveillance video from the store (like Coral Square Mall), and witness statements even more important for proving who was at fault.

Let Us Provide the Clarity and Support You Need

Take the first step toward protecting your rights and your future. Contact the Law Firm of Cindy Goldstein today for a free, confidential conversation about your case.

Call us at (954) 346-5420 or fill out our online form.