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Hialeah Personal Injury Lawyer

Serving Hialeah Residents

We Represent Seriously Injured Clients in Miami-Dade County

It often takes less than a second for an accident to occur. For the victims, however, the aftermath can last a lifetime. If you have been seriously injured in a motor vehicle crash, slip-and-fall accident, or a similar event, it can be devastating for both you and your family. In addition to facing thousands of dollars in medical bills, you also have to deal with your inability to resume your normal life.

So if your accident and injuries were the fault of someone else, you have the right under Florida law to demand full and just compensation. Our Hialeah personal injury lawyers can help. Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein, LLP, is a personal injury firm that represents clients in Miami-Dade County and throughout South and Central Florida. We have recovered over $1 billion in settlements and trial verdicts. Call us today at 305-371-2692 to schedule a free consultation so we can learn more about you and your injuries.

We Accept a Wide Range of Florida Personal Injury Cases

Personal injury law–also known as tort law–is meant to provide financial compensation for those who have been wronged by the negligent or intentional actions of others. Unlike criminal law, a personal injury claim does not require the victim to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In personal injury cases, the burden of proof is by a “preponderance of the evidence,” meaning it was more likely than not that the defendant’s actions caused the plaintiff’s injuries.

At Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein, LLP, we handle many different kinds of personal injury cases. Our practice focuses on helping individual victims and their families. We do not represent insurance companies or large corporate defendants accused of wrongdoing. Here are just some of the personal injury cases that we can assist you with:

  • Car Accidents: Perhaps the most common type of personal injury claim in South Florida are those arising from motor vehicle accidents. Although Florida’s “no-fault” insurance laws typically require accident victims to seek compensation under their own insurance policies, if you meet the “serious injury” threshold established by state law, you can step outside of the no-fault system and file a personal injury claim directly against the driver (or other third party) who caused your accident.
  • Commercial Truck Accidents: Unlike collisions that solely involve passenger vehicles, crashes caused by large commercial trucks often leave catastrophic devastation in its wake. Interstate commercial trucking companies and truck drivers must follow strict federal regulations to help ensure the safety of everyone on the road. So if a trucker or their employer took “shortcuts” to get around those rules, you may have a substantial claim for damages under Florida law.
  • Pedestrian Accidents: Anyone who has ever tried to cross a busy street in Hialeah appreciates the risk pedestrians face. If you have been struck as a pedestrian, we can assist you in identifying the responsible driver and holding them legally accountable. Even in “hit and run” cases where the negligent driver is never located, you may still be entitled to compensation under your own auto insurance policy.
  • Premises Liability/Slip-and-Fall Accidents: All Hialeah business and property owners have a legal duty to keep their premises reasonably safe for invited guests and those who are lawfully on said property. If you sustained a serious injury in a slip-and-fall, trip-and-fall, or similar accident, you may have grounds to hold the owner or lessor of the property financially responsible for your losses.
  • Medical Malpractice: Every Miami-Dade County health care professional–doctors, nurses, hospitals, etc.–must adhere to the accepted standards of care for their respective specialty. If they fail to uphold that standard, and a patient suffers harm as a result, that is considered professional negligence (medical malpractice) under Florida law. Such patients have a right to seek financial compensation for their additional medical expenses and other damages.
  • Dog Bites: Florida law holds all dog owners strictly liable for injuries caused by their animals. This means that if you are injured by a dog bite or a similar attack, you can recover financial compensation from the owner even if their animal had no prior history of hurting anyone.
  • Wrongful Death: If you have recently lost a family member due to any form of negligence, including an auto accident or medical malpractice, Florida law allows you to pursue a special type of personal injury claim called a wrongful death lawsuit. This enables you to seek compensation for your own grief and other losses arising from your loved one’s death.

What Are the Most Common Injuries Sustained in Accidents in Hialeah, Florida?

Every personal injury case is different. At Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein, LLP, we review every client’s medical history to obtain a full picture of the injuries they sustained due to a defendant’s negligence. Some of the more serious types of injuries that we often see include:

  • Amputation
  • Back & Neck Injuries
  • Bone Fractures/Broken Limbs
  • Burn Injuries
  • Death
  • Facial Injuries
  • Internal Organ Damage
  • Paralysis
  • Spinal Cord Damage
  • Traumatic Brain Injuries

In motor vehicle accident cases subject to Florida’s “no-fault” insurance rules, a victim must demonstrate they sustained a “serious injury” in order to pursue a personal injury claim. A serious injury is one that meets any of the following criteria:

  • the significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function;
  • a permanent injury, a determined within a reasonable degree of medical probability;
  • significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement; or
  • death.

What Damages Can I Seek in a Florida Personal Injury Case?

Because personal injury cases are meant to compensate the victims rather than punish criminal wrongdoing, a Florida court will award damages to a successful civil plaintiff. Damages is simply the legal term for the financial compensation a defendant must pay to the plaintiff. Florida law generally divides such compensation into two categories: economic and non-economic damages.

Economic damages reflect the actual monetary losses sustained by the plaintiff due to their injuries. In other words, your out-of-pocket losses are considered economic damages. This includes:

  • Medical Expenses: Any medical bills you incur as a result of your accident or injury are considered economic damages. This covers not just your hospitalization and emergency care costs, but also any prescription medications, medical equipment, or ongoing rehabilitation you require. And if your injury is permanent or expected to last indefinitely, you can seek economic damages to cover your estimated future medical expenses.
  • Loss of Income: If you have to spend time at the hospital or at home to recover from your injuries, that is time you cannot spend at your job and earning a living. Your economic damages therefore cover any lost wages and other lost income that can be directly tied to your accident. If you have sustained permanent injuries that will affect your long-term career prospects, you can also demand compensation for your diminished earning capacity.
  • Property Damage: If you were injured in a motor vehicle accident, your economic damages would also cover any damage to your vehicle and other personal property, such as any items that were stored inside of your vehicle and lost as a result of the crash.

Unlike economic damages, non-economic damages do not come with a convenient “bill” that you can present to a judge or a defense attorney. These are less quantifiable–yet still quite real–losses. Some common types of injuries that Florida courts consider as part of non-economic damages include:

  • Pain and Suffering: This is the most common category associated with non-economic damages in Florida personal injury claims. Essentially, this is compensation for your past (and ongoing) discomfort associated with your accident. This is not limited to just your physical pain. It also incorporates your emotional trauma and psychological harm, such as your fear or anger of what has happened to you.
  • Loss of Quality of Life: Many accident victims in Hialeah are never able to “return to normal” following an accident. They are often unable to resume the same types of activities that they pursued and enjoyed before their injuries. Such “loss of quality of life” can be taken into consideration when establishing non-economic damages.
  • Loss of Consortium: If you are married, your spouse may have their own claim for non-economic damages arising from the loss of your love, companionship, affection, and even sexual intimacy. These are known as loss of consortium damages. In certain cases, Florida law also permits the minor children of an accident victim, or the parents of a victim is a minor, to seek similar non-economic damages.

It is also possible in certain Florida personal injury cases for the plaintiff to ask for punitive damages. Unlike economic and non-economic damages, punitive damages are not about compensating the victim or their families. Punitive damages are meant to “send a message” and deter certain conduct that is considered especially outrageous under the law.

More precisely, Florida law permits a court to award punitive damages only when the plaintiff can provide either intentional misconduct or gross negligence. And even when punitive damages are justified, state law limits such an award to the higher of $500,000 or three times the amount of compensatory (economic plus non-economic) damages awarded in that case. There are slightly different rules, however, for punitive damages in cases involving either medical malpractice or intentional misconduct committed for financial gain.

What Steps Should I Take Following an Accident in Hialeah, Florida?

Nobody can prepare for an accident. One moment everything is fine, the next you are lying on the ground in pain. Or in some cases, the adrenaline rush can mask the pain and you initially think that everything is okay. In any event, here are a few key things to remember if you are ever involved in an accident anywhere in South Florida:

  • Always Seek Medical Attention: Not every accident or fall produces a readily visible injury such as external bleeding. Even if you are able to get up and walk away from the scene of an accident under your own power, it is always a good idea to get checked out by a medical professional as soon as possible. If you do not feel you need to go to the emergency room, at least visit a walk-in clinic or your own primary care physician within a day.
  • File an Accident Report: Florida law requires anyone involved in a motor vehicle accident where someone was injured to file an official accident report. But even if you are injured in a slip-and-fall accident while shopping at the store, take a moment to notify the store management about what just happened. An accident report is often the first official documentation that something occurred, which can prove important later if you need to file a personal injury claim.
  • Keep Records: There is no such thing as “obvious” when it comes to a Florida personal injury case. In other words, a judge, jury, or insurance company is never going to just take your word for it that someone else caused your accident or injury. You need to have proof. This means you need to keep careful records of everything related to your accident. For example, if you are able to get up and walk around at the scene of a car accident, take photos of the vehicles and the road with your smartphone. Take down the names and contact information of any witnesses. And save any medical bills or other documentation that can prove the extent of your injuries/
  • Talk to a Lawyer Before You Talk to an Insurance Company: Insurance companies are never on the side of accident victims. This does not just include an insurer representing the driver or business that injured you. This applies to your own insurance company as well. Insurers are in the business of paying out as little as possible–and banking on the fact most accident victims do not understand their rights under Florida law. You can level that playing field by working with an experienced Hialeah personal injury attorney who can deal with the insurance companies on your behalf.

Contact Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein, LLP, Today

We know that in the days and weeks following an accident, you are in a fragile state and unsure who to trust. Indeed, the prospect of simply filing an insurance claim may be overwhelming. This is where we come in. At Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein, LLP, we can review your case, answer any questions you might have about the process, and advocate for your best interests, both in and out of court.

Our track record speaks for itself. With over $1 billion in trial verdicts and settlements, we know how to get results in Florida personal injury cases. So if you need to speak with an attorney, call us today or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation. We represent injured victims in Hialeah and throughout South Florida, including in Miami Beach, Homestead, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Gables, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Jupiter.

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