Pursue Full Legal Recovery For Car Accidents And Injuries

The Tinstman Law Firm, P.A., serves clients in South Florida who have suffered injuries as a result of another person’s negligence. If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, we can help.Our car accident lawyers have more than 36 years of combined experience and a thorough understanding of Florida car accident claims. We have helped clients recover millions of dollars in settlements and jury verdicts for their car accident injuries.

Car Accidents: A Common Cause Of Injury And Death

Every day, there are millions of cars on the road. Every day, car accidents happen. From minor bumps to rollovers and head-on collisions, car accidents are a leading cause of injuries across our country and sometimes even lead to death. Millions of workers drive vehicles as part of their jobs. Car accidents are a leading cause of work-related injuries and deaths throughout the United States.

Traffic in Miami is particularly horrible. In fact, Miami-Dade County historically has the most car accidents every year and has a reputation as Florida’s most dangerous county for car accidents.

What Is A Car Accident?

A car accident is defined as an accident that involves the operation of a vehicle that is involved in a crash with another vehicle, person, animal or object. Typically, the vehicle is a car or truck. But traffic collisions can also include motorcycles and even boats.

As with any possible personal injury claim, there is usually an insurance company involved. This is especially true with car accidents. Insurance companies don’t always want to pay, and we don’t think that’s fair. Our car accident lawyers work aggressively to fight injustice. If you think that you deserve compensation for an injury that you sustained in a car accident, we can help.

Types Of Car Accident Cases We Handle

At The Tinstman Law Firm, P.A., we have seen how no two car accidents are the same. Our attorneys have extensive experience handling a wide range of car accident cases, each with its own unique challenges and legal considerations. We represent clients injured in all types of collisions, including:

• Crashes and wrecks involving passenger vehicles
• Intersection collisions and failure-to-yield accidents
• Rear-end collisions
• T-bone (side-impact) accidents
• Head-on collisions
• Hit-and-run incidents
• Side-swipe accidents
• Multicar or multivehicle pile-ups
• Rideshare accidents involving Uber, Lyft or other services
• Trucking accidents involving big rigs or commercial vehicles
• Motorcycle crashes
• Motor scooter accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Fatal accident cases

We also represent victims injured by drivers who were:

• Distracted by phones or other devices
• Under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Speeding or driving recklessly

Whether your accident occurred on a busy Florida highway or a quiet neighborhood street, our car accident lawyers are prepared to handle your case. We also handle watercraft accidents. We will investigate the circumstances, identify all liable parties, stand up to insurance companies and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Florida Uninsured And Underinsured Driver Accidents

Car accidents involving uninsured or underinsured drivers create additional stress for victims already dealing with injuries. In South Florida, these crashes often leave people unsure how their medical bills, lost income and long-term care will be covered. Florida law addresses these situations through uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, but accessing those benefits is rarely straightforward.

Under state law, motor vehicle insurance policies that include bodily injury liability coverage generally must also offer uninsured motorist coverage. This coverage is designed to protect people who are legally entitled to recover damages when the at-fault driver has no insurance, insufficient insurance or an insurer that later becomes insolvent. However, this protection only applies if the coverage was not rejected in writing or reduced at the time the policy was issued.

Uninsured motorist coverage may apply in several common scenarios. These include:

• Hit-and-run accidents where the at-fault driver cannot be identified
• Crashes involving drivers who carry no bodily injury coverage
• Accidents where the at-fault driver’s policy limits are too low to fully cover damages

Florida law also treats certain insured vehicles as uninsured when liability coverage does not apply to the specific circumstances of the crash.

Even when coverage exists, insurance companies frequently dispute claims. Victims may face arguments over policy limits, coverage stacking restrictions or whether injuries meet statutory thresholds for noneconomic damages. Insurers may also delay decisions or pressure injured drivers to settle for less than the full value of their losses. These tactics can be especially harmful when victims are already dealing with medical treatment and financial strain.

Underinsured motorist claims add another layer of complexity. When a victim settles with the at-fault driver’s insurer, Florida law requires notice to the underinsured motorist carrier. That carrier has the right to evaluate the settlement and either approve it or preserve its subrogation rights by advancing the settlement amount. Missteps during this process can jeopardize a victim’s ability to recover additional compensation.

Because of these complexities, injured drivers often struggle to navigate uninsured and underinsured claims on their own. Legal representation can help identify all available coverage, comply with notice requirements and challenge improper denials or delays. By addressing disputes with insurance companies directly, the law firm works to pursue full and fair compensation for injuries caused by uninsured or underinsured drivers.

Types Of Auto Insurance Available In Florida

It is important to note that Florida requires drivers to have insurance on their vehicles. At the most basic level, drivers need to have property damage liability (PDL) insurance and personal injury protection (PIP) insurance. This is the basic necessity to operate a vehicle legally on the roads in Florida, but there are other types of insurance to consider.

• PDL insurance: This insurance covers property damage to someone else’s vehicle if a driver causes an accident. However, it does not repair the driver’s own vehicle.
• PIP insurance: If another party is injured in an accident, PIP insurance covers up to $10,000 worth of medical bills and $5,000 for death benefits. It should address 80% of medical expenses, and it can also pay 60% of a person’s lost wages.
• Bodily injury liability insurance: Drivers can choose to purchase bodily injury liability (BIL) coverage. This goes beyond the financial limits of PIP insurance, helping to cover the costs of serious injury, such as a permanent spinal cord injury.
• Collision insurance: Drivers need collision insurance to repair their own vehicles. Even if they were at fault, this coverage will repair their car.
• Comprehensive insurance: When purchasing comprehensive insurance, drivers are going beyond traffic accidents. This type of policy can help to cover repair damage from floods, vandalism, fire, theft and things of this nature.
• Uninsured motorist coverage: Even though insurance is necessary, some drivers do not carry it. Uninsured motorist coverage can be part of a driver’s own policy, covering their costs if they are hit by someone who does not have insurance and cannot afford to pay.
• Medical payment insurance: Medical payment insurance can help cover a driver, family members or passengers in their vehicle, even if they are at fault in the accident. This helps to insulate them from medical costs and goes beyond the coverage offered by PIP insurance.
• Rental reimbursement coverage: Car rental companies do sell people their own coverage when they rent a vehicle, but many people can elect to have this be part of their standard auto insurance policy. If they have rental reimbursement coverage, they are covered in a rental car during an accident, even if they were at fault.
• Accidental death and dismemberment: For very serious accidents leading to death, dismemberment and other permanent injuries, this type of insurance provides additional coverage. 

Speak to a car accident attorney to learn more.

Car Accident Statute Of Limitations In Florida

To file a car accident injury claim in Florida, you generally must do it within two years of the accident date. If you lost a family member to wrongful death, you also have just two years to file the wrongful death claim. If you are filing a claim for property damage to your vehicle, you have four years to file. Failure to meet the deadline may mean that you cannot seek compensation for your economic and noneconomic losses.

You should also be aware that there are a few exceptions to the law. For example, if a child under age 18 was injured, or if an incapacitated person was injured, the filing timeline may be paused or “tolled.”

It’s important to have an attorney review your case within the time limit. We are ready to help.

Have You Been Injured In A Car Accident? Call Today.

When insurance companies see our firm on a case, they know that we will do whatever it takes to follow that case through to completion, especially and including taking a case to trial. If you have been injured in a car accident, we will fight for you and help make sure you get the compensation you deserve. Call us today at 305-832-1412 or email us to schedule your free consultation.