A Broward County drunk driving accident lawyer can be the difference between a low early settlement and the full compensation the law allows. Insurance companies move fast after a drunk driving crash. Their adjusters call victims within 24 to 48 hours, often before injuries are fully diagnosed. The goal is a quick settlement. A low one. Accepting that offer without legal guidance is one of the most common and costly mistakes injured people make.
If a drunk driver hit you in Broward County, the first decision you make about legal representation may be the most important one. Drunk driving crashes create evidence and legal pressure that do not exist in ordinary car accident cases. That leverage disappears when it is not identified and used early in the process.
At Miller & Jacobs, attorneys Mark Miller and Rick Jacobs are both former prosecutors. That background matters in these cases. They understand how alcohol-related crashes get built as legal cases from the moment police arrive on the scene. They use that knowledge against the drivers and insurers responsible for their clients’ injuries.
Call for a free case review today. No obligation, no fees unless we win.
Pompano Beach office: (954) 784-2277 | Available 24 hours
Table of contents
- What Makes a Drunk Driving Injury Case Different in Florida
- How Insurers Handle Drunk Driver Claims and What We Do About It
- Broward County Roads Where Drunk Driving Crashes Happen Most
- Injuries in Broward County Drunk Driving Crashes
- The Two-Year Filing Deadline That Affects Your Case
- Why Miller & Jacobs for Your Broward County DUI Injury Case
What Makes a Drunk Driving Injury Case Different in Florida
A drunk driving crash is not simply a negligence claim. Under Florida Statute 316.193, driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or higher, or with impaired faculties regardless of BAC, is a criminal offense. When a criminal act causes your injuries, civil liability follows a different track than a standard rear-end collision case.
Florida also permits punitive damages in drunk driving cases. Under Florida Statute 768.736, Florida law creates a specific exception to certain punitive damages limitations when a defendant was driving under the influence or had a blood or breath alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher.
That distinction can significantly strengthen a plaintiff’s ability to pursue punitive damages in a drunk driving injury case. That distinction matters because it allows injured victims to pursue damages designed to punish reckless conduct, not just compensate for financial losses.
Our Broward County drunk driving accident attorneys pursue every available avenue of recovery, including punitive damages when the facts support it. Not every firm files for punitive damages. Miller & Jacobs does. In cases involving a driver who chose to get behind the wheel drunk, seeking the full accountability that the law allows is exactly the point.
How Insurers Handle Drunk Driver Claims and What We Do About It
Insurers do not concede liability easily, even when a driver was arrested at the scene with a BAC well above the legal limit. They scrutinize the injured party’s medical history, look for pre-existing conditions, and argue that some injuries predated the crash. They also offer settlements during the recovery period, when bills are piling up, and the full extent of injuries is not yet known.
Miller & Jacobs was built by two attorneys who spent their careers watching how cases are won and lost. Mark Miller served as an Assistant State Attorney and later worked at an insurance defense firm before co-founding this practice. Rick Jacobs brings the same career path. Our Broward County drunk driving accident lawyers know how opposing counsel thinks because they have sat on that side of the table.
The firm has recovered over $150 million in verdicts and settlements for injured clients across Florida. When a case involves a drunk driver, records from the criminal investigation often become important evidence in the civil claim.
BAC test results, police reports, bodycam footage, surveillance video, and witness statements may all become important parts of the investigation. Cases are prepared from the beginning as though they may ultimately go before a jury, which changes how insurers evaluate settlement risk.
Call (954) 784-2277 now to speak with a Broward County drunk driving accident attorney. Consultations are free, and there is no obligation to proceed.
Broward County Roads Where Drunk Driving Crashes Happen Most
Where a drunk driving crash happens in Broward County affects more than the police report. The road type, speed limit, and location can shape the severity of injuries, which agencies respond, and whether additional parties, such as a bar, restaurant, or employer, may share liability in a civil case.
Interstate 95 runs the length of the county from Deerfield Beach south through Hallandale Beach. At freeway speeds, impaired driving collisions are far more likely to result in catastrophic injuries or fatalities. I-595 connects I-95 to I-75 across the county’s midsection and carries heavy commercial and commuter traffic. That mix becomes deadly when a drunk driver enters the flow. US-1, also known as Federal Highway, cuts through Fort Lauderdale’s entertainment district, Pompano Beach, and Deerfield Beach. It is a commercial strip with constant pedestrian crossings, cyclists, and shifting traffic at all hours of the night.
Broward’s hospitality economy also shapes when many drunk driving crashes occur. Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, and Dania Beach all have active late-night dining and entertainment corridors where traffic remains heavy well after midnight.
Weekend crashes between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. often raise additional investigative questions about where the driver had been drinking before the collision occurred.
That timing can matter beyond the DUI arrest itself. In some cases, it may support a dram shop investigation into whether a bar or restaurant unlawfully served an underage person or someone known to be habitually addicted to alcohol before the crash. Identifying that possibility early may uncover additional insurance coverage and sources of recovery.
Injuries in Broward County Drunk Driving Crashes
Injuries from drunk driving crashes are taken seriously by courts, medical providers, and insurance companies alike. The key is documenting them correctly and completely from the start. High-speed and high-impact collisions with drunk drivers frequently produce injuries that require long-term care. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, broken bones needing surgical repair, and severe soft tissue damage are all common outcomes. Many clients also experience post-traumatic stress that affects their ability to work or carry out daily activities long after the physical injuries begin to heal.
Documenting these injuries correctly is part of the legal strategy from the start. Insurance adjusters will argue that gaps in medical treatment mean the injuries were not caused by the crash. Our attorneys work with clients beginning at the earliest stage to make sure medical records reflect the full picture of what the collision caused and how recovery has progressed.
When injuries prevent a client from working, the economic losses compound quickly. Lost income, reduced future earning capacity, ongoing medical expenses, and non-economic damages such as pain and suffering all factor into what a case is worth. In drunk driving cases, punitive damages can increase the total recovery substantially above what a standard negligence case would produce.
The Two-Year Filing Deadline That Affects Your Case
Florida Statute 95.11(3)(a) sets a two-year statute of limitations for most personal injury claims based on negligence, including drunk driving crashes. This deadline applies to incidents that occurred on or after March 24, 2023. If your crash happened before that date, a four-year window may still apply to your claim.
Two years sounds like enough time. It rarely is. Building a strong civil case requires collecting physical evidence, obtaining records from the criminal proceeding, locating and interviewing witnesses, working with medical experts, and engaging in pre-suit negotiations before deciding whether to file in court. Starting the process late compresses every one of those steps.
Wrongful death claims carry the same two-year deadline, running from the date of death under Florida Statute 95.11(4)(d). Families who lose someone in a drunk driving crash must act within that window to preserve their right to file.
Evidence from a crash deteriorates quickly. Surveillance footage gets overwritten. Witnesses become harder to reach. Blood alcohol records from the night of the arrest are most useful when they are obtained early and carefully reviewed. Do not wait to speak with a Broward County drunk driving accident attorney.
Get answers today. Consultations are free and available around the clock. Call (954) 784-2277 or reach us online
Why Miller & Jacobs for Your Broward County DUI Injury Case
Miller & Jacobs operates out of Pompano Beach, inside Broward County. The 17th Judicial Circuit covers Broward, and our lawyers appear in these courts regularly. That local presence matters in ways that go beyond convenience. It shapes how cases are valued, how the firm responds to opposing motions, and how jurors in this county weigh drunk-driving evidence.
The firm works on a contingency fee basis. No fees are owed upfront. No legal costs are billed during the case. Attorney fees are collected only as a percentage of the settlement or verdict obtained. This arrangement allows many injured clients to pursue a claim without paying attorney fees up front. regardless of how long the case takes to resolve.
With more than 50 years of combined personal injury experience, Miller & Jacobs approaches drunk driving cases with a perspective shaped by both criminal prosecution and civil litigation.
The firm understands how DUI arrests, BAC testing, officer observations, and crash reports intersect with the injury claim itself. That overlap between the criminal and civil sides of the case often becomes one of the most important pressure points during settlement negotiations and trial preparation.
Broward County Drunk Driving Accident Lawsuit FAQs
Can I file a civil lawsuit even if the drunk driver was not convicted?
Yes. Civil and criminal cases operate under different standards of proof. A criminal conviction requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt. A civil claim requires only that it is more likely than not that the driver’s impairment caused your injuries. A driver can be acquitted of DUI in criminal court and still be found liable in a civil personal injury case.
What is a dram shop claim, and when does it apply?
Under Florida Statute 768.125, a business that knowingly serves alcohol to a person who is habitually addicted to alcohol, or who is under 21, may be held liable for injuries that person later causes. If the drunk driver who hit you was over-served at a bar or restaurant before the collision, that business may be a second source of financial recovery in your case, alongside the driver’s own liability coverage.
What if the drunk driver carried no insurance or very little coverage?
Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may apply when the at-fault driver’s policy is insufficient to cover your losses. Florida law permits UM/UIM claims for exactly this situation. In addition, other parties, such as a vehicle owner, an employer, or a dram shop establishment, may carry separate liability. Your attorney will identify every available source of recovery before any settlement is considered.
Can phone records or bar receipts be used as evidence in a DUI injury case?
Potentially, yes. Depending on the circumstances, attorneys may investigate surveillance footage, credit card receipts, rideshare activity, cellphone records, or witness statements to establish where the driver was before the crash and whether additional parties may share liability.
What should I bring to my free consultation?
Bring any crash-related documents you already have, including the police report, photos, insurance correspondence, medical records, and health insurance information. Even if you do not have everything yet, an attorney can begin evaluating the case and identifying what evidence still needs to be preserved.
Should I speak with the drunk driver’s insurance company?
You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer immediately after the crash. Adjusters often contact injured people early, before treatment is complete or the full extent of injuries is known. Speaking with an attorney first can help you avoid statements that may later be used to reduce the value of your claim.
How long does a drunk driving injury case in Broward County typically take?
Every case is different, but most drunk driving injury claims in Broward County take between one and three years to resolve. Cases that settle before filing in court move faster. Cases that require a lawsuit, depositions, or expert testimony take longer. The strength of the criminal case against the drunk driver, the severity of injuries, and how quickly medical treatment is completed all affect the timeline. An attorney can give you a clearer picture after reviewing the specific facts of your situation.
Speak with a Broward County drunk driving accident lawyer today and find out what legal options may still be available after the crash. Call (954) 784-2277
Results in prior cases do not guarantee a similar outcome in future cases. Every case is unique. Statute and deadline information reflects current Florida law and should be confirmed with an attorney based on the specific circumstances of your case. Past results of $150 million represent aggregate recoveries across all cases, not individual case outcomes.