Victims of drunk driving crashes often suffer severe injuries, costly medical treatment, and lost income from time away from their jobs. If an impaired driver caused your crash in Fort Lauderdale or elsewhere in Broward County, you may have the right to pursue compensation for the losses connected to the collision.
The Fort Lauderdale drunk driving accident lawyers at Miller & Jacobs Accident Attorneys represent people injured in DUI-related crashes across South Florida. The firm investigates the circumstances of the crash, gathers available evidence, and pursues claims against the driver and any other parties who may share legal responsibility.
You can contact the firm to discuss your situation and learn about your legal options during a free consultation, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Table of contents
- Why Miller & Jacobs Represents Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accident Victims
- How Is a Drunk Driving Accident Claim Different From a Regular Car Accident Claim?
- What Compensation May Be Available to Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accident Victims?
- What Should You Do After a Drunk Driving Accident in Fort Lauderdale?
- Does a Criminal Case Against the Drunk Driver Affect Your Civil Claim?
- FAQs for Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers
- Contact Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers Who Fight for Victims
Why Miller & Jacobs Represents Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accident Victims
Miller & Jacobs Accident Attorneys is a personal injury firm built around accident cases. Attorneys Mark J. Miller and Rick S. Jacobs each spent years working as prosecutors and as insurance defense lawyers before founding this firm. That background is not a coincidence — it shapes how they approach every case.
Having worked on the other side of these claims, the attorneys know exactly how insurance companies build their arguments and where those arguments fall apart. They bring that knowledge directly to the table when negotiating on your behalf or taking your case to court.
What the Firm Puts Into Every Case
Miller & Jacobs invests its own resources into building strong claims. The firm regularly brings in accident reconstruction professionals, medical consultants, and economists to document the full cost of what you have been through. You pay nothing upfront for those resources.
Once you retain the firm, the attorneys handle all contact with insurance adjusters. You are not left fielding calls from representatives who are trying to pay you as little as possible. From Pompano Beach to Miami, clients across South Florida have counted on this approach to put experienced advocates between them and the carriers.
Consultations are free, and attorneys are willing to travel to clients who cannot come in. There is no risk to reaching out, and no fee unless the firm wins.
How Is a Drunk Driving Accident Claim Different From a Regular Car Accident Claim?
Most car accident claims in Florida are built on negligence, which means showing that a driver failed to act with reasonable care. Drunk driving cases start from the same foundation, but they may also allow for punitive damages, which are not available in most accident cases.
Punitive damages are not tied to your medical bills or lost wages. They exist to punish a defendant whose behavior was so reckless it warrants more than standard compensation.
Under Florida Statute § 768.72, a court may award punitive damages when a defendant's conduct reflects intentional misconduct or gross negligence. Florida also has § 768.736, which applies specifically to DUI accident cases and may affect how the claim is structured.
Could the Bar or Restaurant That Served the Driver Be Liable?
Florida's dram shop law is a part of the picture that many victims do not know about. Under § 768.125, a business that served alcohol to a minor or to someone it knew was habitually addicted to alcohol may share civil responsibility for the crash that followed.
Fort Lauderdale's busy nightlife scene, from the bars along Las Olas Boulevard to the restaurants and clubs near the beach, means that a significant number of drunk driving incidents in this area trace back to a venue that kept serving a visibly impaired patron. Investigating that possibility may uncover an additional source of compensation.
Multiple parties may carry financial responsibility in a Fort Lauderdale drunk driving accident case. Identifying each one matters because recovering full compensation often depends on knowing every avenue available to you:
- The impaired driver who caused the crash
- The vehicle owner, if the driver had permission to use the car
- A bar, restaurant, or vendor that served alcohol illegally under Florida's dram shop law
- A commercial employer, if the impaired driver was operating a company vehicle at the time of the crash
Failing to identify every liable party can leave money on the table that you may have otherwise been able to recover.
What Compensation May Be Available to Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accident Victims?
Florida is a no-fault insurance state, which means your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage pays out first after any car accident. But PIP coverage has strict limits, and serious injuries from a drunk driving crash almost always exceed them.
Once your injuries meet Florida's serious injury threshold, you gain the right to step outside the no-fault system and file a direct claim against the at-fault driver.
Economic Damages After a DUI Crash in Broward County
Economic damages cover the financial losses you can document with bills, pay stubs, and records. These are the losses that come with a number attached, and they form the foundation of most personal injury claims. In drunk driving accident cases across Fort Lauderdale and Broward County, economic damages typically include the following types of losses:
- Past and future medical expenses, including emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, and prescription costs
- Lost income from time away from work during treatment and recovery
- Reduced future earning capacity, if your injuries affect your ability to work at the same level as before the crash
- Property damage to your vehicle and any personal belongings lost or destroyed in the collision
Non-Economic Damages After a Drunk Driving Accident
Non-economic damages address what a crash costs you beyond financial losses. They recognize that injuries affect your daily life, your relationships, and your sense of well-being in ways that do not appear on a receipt.
Florida law allows accident victims to pursue non-economic damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium, which refers to the impact injuries may have on a relationship with a spouse or partner.
What Should You Do After a Drunk Driving Accident in Fort Lauderdale?
Once you are home and in a safe place, how you handle the days following the crash matters. Certain steps protect your health and strengthen your claim at the same time.
Actions That Protect Your Drunk Driving Accident Claim
The period immediately after a crash is when evidence is freshest and your decisions matter most. Taking the right steps early may make a significant difference in how your case develops:
- Get medical attention right away, even if your injuries seem minor, because conditions such as traumatic brain injuries and internal injuries may not produce obvious symptoms for hours or days
- Document everything, including photos of your injuries, damage to your vehicle, the crash scene, and any visible road or weather conditions
- Keep every record connected to the crash, including your accident report number, medical bills, prescription receipts, and any communications from insurance companies
- Avoid giving a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurer before speaking with an attorney, since your statements may be used to reduce or dispute your claim
- Contact a Fort Lauderdale drunk driving accident attorney as soon as possible so evidence such as BAC records, surveillance footage, and witness statements may be preserved
BAC records, police reports, and video footage from nearby businesses all have a limited lifespan. The sooner an attorney begins gathering that evidence, the better positioned your claim will be.
Does a Criminal Case Against the Drunk Driver Affect Your Civil Claim?
Under Florida Statute § 316.193, driving under the influence is a criminal offense. That criminal case moves through the state court system separately from your personal injury claim. The two proceedings operate under different rules, and the outcome of one does not determine the outcome of the other.
A criminal conviction may support your civil case, but it is not required. The standard of proof in a civil case is lower than in a criminal case, so a not-guilty verdict or dropped charges does not automatically close the door on your right to pursue compensation. An attorney may move forward with your civil claim regardless of what happens in the criminal proceeding.
How Florida's Comparative Fault Rules Apply to Drunk Driving Cases
Florida uses a modified comparative fault system. If you bear some share of responsibility for the crash, your total compensation may be reduced by that percentage. Under current Florida law, if you are found to be more than 50% at fault, you may not recover damages at all.
In drunk driving accident cases, placing meaningful fault on the victim is generally difficult when the other driver was impaired. Even so, insurance companies may attempt to argue shared fault as a way to reduce what they owe. An experienced attorney may anticipate and push back on those arguments before they gain traction.
FAQs for Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers
Can I sue the drunk driver if they were not convicted of DUI?
Yes. Criminal and civil cases operate under different legal standards. A conviction for driving under the influence is not required for you to pursue a personal injury claim after a drunk driving accident. Civil claims focus on whether the driver’s negligence caused your injuries, and they use a lower burden of proof than criminal cases. This means your claim may still move forward even if the driver was acquitted, the charges were reduced, or prosecutors chose not to file criminal charges at all.
How long do I have to file a drunk driving accident claim in Florida?
Florida’s statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is two years from the date of the accident. If a lawsuit is not filed within that time frame, you may lose the right to pursue compensation through the court system. Because building a strong case often requires gathering records, interviewing witnesses, and preserving evidence, speaking with an attorney as soon as possible may help protect your rights and avoid missing important deadlines.
What if the drunk driver had little or no insurance?
You may still have options. Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may apply. If a bar or restaurant illegally over-served the driver, they may also carry liability under Florida's dram shop law, § 768.125. An attorney may help identify every available source of recovery.
What are punitive damages, and do they apply to my case?
Punitive damages are a financial penalty imposed on top of standard compensation. They are available in cases involving especially reckless behavior, and Florida courts may award them in DUI accident cases under § 768.72 and § 768.736. Not every case qualifies, but your attorney may assess whether pursuing them is appropriate.
Can I recover compensation if I was partly at fault for the crash?
Possibly. Florida's comparative fault rules allow you to recover damages even if you share some responsibility, as long as your share of fault does not exceed 50%. If it does, you may be barred from recovering anything. Your attorney may work to counter any attempt by the defense to inflate your share of fault.
Contact Fort Lauderdale Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers Who Fight for Victims
A drunk driver’s decision can leave you facing serious physical, financial, and emotional consequences. You should not have to manage the aftermath alone while insurance companies focus on limiting payouts.
Miller & Jacobs represents accident victims in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Palm Beach County, and throughout South Florida. We offer free consultations, our attorneys are available 24/7, and you pay no fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf. Contact us today to discuss your situation and learn about your legal options.