Trial-tested injury attorneys, serving clients in Fort Lauderdale and across South Florida for more than four decades.
If you were injured in Fort Lauderdale because someone else was careless, the costs of medical treatment, lost income, and ongoing care land on you while the insurance company works to limit what it pays. A Fort Lauderdale, FL personal injury lawyer at Needle & Ellenberg, P.A. can investigate what happened, deal with the insurers, and pursue the compensation you may be owed. Our founders have represented injured people for more than 46 years, and we offer free consultations to anyone who wants honest answers about a potential claim.
Personal Injury Lawyer Fort Lauderdale, FL
A personal injury case is a civil claim brought by someone who was hurt because another person or company failed to act with reasonable care. The injured person brings the claim, not a prosecutor, and the goal is compensation rather than punishment. Negligence can take many forms: a distracted driver, a property owner who ignored a hazard, a hospital that failed to respond to warning signs.
A personal injury attorney in Fort Lauderdale evaluates whether the careless party can be held legally responsible, documents the full extent of the harm, and presents the claim to insurers or, when necessary, to a jury. We handle every stage, from the first investigation through trial.
Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Fort Lauderdale
Serious injuries happen here every day. More than 390,000 traffic crashes were reported across Florida in 2023, according to FLHSMV crash data, and that figure doesn’t include falls, medical negligence, or harm on unsafe property. These are the case types we handle most often for Fort Lauderdale clients.
- Car accidents. Rear-end collisions, intersection crashes, hit-and-runs, rideshare wrecks. Proving liability can require crash reports, witness statements, vehicle data, and surveillance footage, so we work to gather that evidence early.
- Truck accidents. Commercial carriers and their insurers may send investigators to a crash scene within hours. We move quickly to preserve driver logs, maintenance records, and electronic data before it can be lost.
- Medical malpractice. When a physician, nurse, or facility falls below the accepted standard of care and a patient is harmed, the patient may have a claim. These cases carry strict presuit requirements, and we have handled them for decades.
- Wrongful death. We represent families who lost a loved one to negligence. Florida law limits who may recover and what damages may be available, so early legal guidance matters.
- Brain injuries. A traumatic brain injury can affect memory, mood, speech, and the ability to work, and symptoms sometimes surface weeks after the incident.
- Birth injuries. Injuries to a baby or mother during labor and delivery may stem from a failure to recognize and respond to distress. These claims often involve lifelong care needs.
- Catastrophic injuries. Spinal cord damage, amputations, severe burns. When an injury permanently changes how a person lives and works, the claim must account for decades of future losses.
- Pedestrian accident liability. Drivers who fail to yield at crosswalks or back out without looking can cause devastating harm to people on foot, who have no protection at all.
- Sexual abuse. We pursue civil claims against abusers and against institutions that allowed abuse to occur, and we handle these matters with discretion and care.
- Nursing home abuse and neglect. Bedsores, falls, dehydration, and unexplained injuries can signal neglect. We have represented mistreated residents and their families for 35 years.
Personal Injury Infographic
Why Choose Needle & Ellenberg, P.A. as My Personal Injury Lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, FL?
Choosing a Fort Lauderdale personal injury attorney comes down to experience, preparation, and results.
Four Decades of Plaintiff-Side Trial Work
Founding partners Andrew Needle and Andrew Ellenberg bring more than 70 years of combined experience in Florida medical negligence and plaintiffs’ injury law. Both handle plaintiffs’ injury and death cases exclusively.
Andrew Ellenberg focuses on plaintiffs’ injury and medical negligence cases, with practice concentrations that include plaintiffs’ injury and medical negligence cases across birth injury, delayed diagnosis, surgical error, anesthesia, and stroke claims. He earned his J.D. cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law in 1988. Martindale-Hubbell rates him AV Preeminent. Florida Super Lawyers has listed him every year since 2005, and The Best Lawyers in America has listed him every year since 2009 for plaintiffs’ medical malpractice and personal injury work.
Andrew Needle is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by The Florida Bar. His practice concentrations include complex medical malpractice litigation and trial work, including multi-million dollar verdicts in cases that have tested the outer boundaries of existing Florida legal precedent. He holds a J.D. cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law (1977) and a B.S. from Cornell University (1974). He is a charter member of the Miami chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Best Lawyers in America named him “Lawyer of the Year” for Medical Malpractice Law, Plaintiffs, in Miami for 2020 and 2025.
Results That Reflect Serious Preparation
Needle & Ellenberg, P.A. has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for clients across all practice areas, including multiple eight-figure results in injury and medical malpractice matters. We prepare every case as though it may be tried to a jury, which can change how insurers value a claim. Our fees are contingent, consultations are free, and our staff speaks Spanish.
What Is Important to Understand About a Personal Injury Case?
Most clients come to us with the same two questions: what their case may be worth, and how long it may take. Honest answers depend on the facts, but the framework below applies to nearly every claim.
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Personal Injury Cases
Liability asks who was legally at fault, and damages measure what the injury cost you. Compensation in a Florida negligence case may include:
- Medical expenses, both past and reasonably anticipated in the future
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
- Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Property damage
The stakes rise sharply when the harm is catastrophic. According to CDC data, traumatic brain injuries contributed to more than 69,000 deaths nationwide in 2021, and survivors may need care, therapy, and accommodations for the rest of their lives. A claim that settles before those future costs are calculated can leave a family short for decades.
Florida also applies a comparative fault system, meaning compensation can be reduced if you share blame for what happened. In most negligence cases, a person found more than 50 percent at fault may be barred from recovering anything, so how fault gets argued matters a great deal.
What Are Important Aspects of a Personal Injury Case?
Evidence often decides these cases, and evidence can disappear quickly. Important aspects of personal injury cases include:
- Prompt medical treatment, which protects your health and documents the injury
- Preserved evidence, including photos, witness contact information, and damaged property
- Caution with insurers, since recorded statements may later be used against you
- Social media discipline, because posts and photos can be pulled into your case
What Is the Personal Injury Case Timeline?
No two claims move at the same pace, and filing deadlines start running from the day you are hurt. Most Florida negligence claims now carry a two-year filing deadline, although the deadline can differ depending on the type of claim and when the injury occurred. A typical case may proceed through these stages:
- Investigation and evidence gathering
- Medical treatment until your condition stabilizes
- A demand to the insurance company and settlement negotiations
- Filing a lawsuit if negotiations stall
- Discovery, mediation, and, in a small percentage of cases, trial
Straightforward claims can resolve in a matter of months. Disputed liability or serious injuries may push a case past a year or longer, and we don’t recommend rushing a settlement before the full extent of an injury is known.
What Should You Bring to Your Personal Injury Consultation?
You do not need a perfect file to meet with us. Bring what you have, and we will help you determine what else is necessary for your case:
- Photos of the scene, your injuries, or property damage
- Crash or incident reports
- Medical records and bills received so far
- Insurance correspondence and policy information
- Contact information for witnesses
The consultation is free and confidential. We’ll listen to what happened, give you a candid assessment, and explain what the next steps could look like.
What Are Important FL Legal Resources for Personal Injury Cases?
Florida’s deadline, negligence, and damages laws are published online, and reading the actual statutes can help you understand the rules that may govern your claim.
- Florida Statutes section 95.11 sets the filing deadlines for civil claims, including the two-year limit that applies to most negligence actions.
- Section 768.81 explains Florida’s comparative fault rules and how shared blame can affect a recovery, including the damages a court may award.
Statutes tell only part of the story, since court decisions shape how each rule gets applied. We’re glad to explain how these laws may affect your specific situation.
Reach Out to Needle & Ellenberg, P.A. to Schedule a Consultation
If you were injured in Fort Lauderdale, talk to us before you accept an insurance offer. Our fees are contingent, so you owe nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Contact us to schedule a free, confidential case review with a personal injury lawyer who handles serious-injury matters.