Accident victims in Broward County who face mounting medical bills, denied insurance claims, or lost wages need a personal injury attorney who files claims, negotiates directly with adjusters, and pursues full compensation through litigation when insurers refuse to pay.
Mark T. Stern, Esq., is a personal injury attorney in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, Florida, licensed in Florida, Connecticut, and New York. Mark spent 12 years as a casualty claims adjuster for national insurance carriers before practicing law — he builds every case to counter the tactics he once used on the insurer’s side.
Key Takeaways
- Florida’s two-year statute of limitations under § 95.11 applies to most negligence-based personal injury claims filed after March 24, 2023.
- PIP coverage under § 627.736 caps at $10,000 and requires medical treatment within 14 days of the accident.
- Florida’s modified comparative negligence rule under § 768.81 bars recovery entirely when a plaintiff is 51% or more at fault.
- Mark T. Stern offers free personal injury consultations and charges no fee unless he recovers compensation.
Delayed treatment, low settlement offers, and a two-year filing deadline leave accident victims in Broward County with no room to wait. Mark T. Stern brings 12 years of insurance-industry experience to your case. Call (954) 772-6800 today.
What Types of Personal Injury Cases Does Mark T. Stern Handle in Broward County?
Mark T. Stern represents accident victims across every category of negligence-based personal injury in Broward County. Each case type below links to a dedicated page with more detailed legal information specific to that accident category.
| Case Type | Common Causes in Broward County | More Information |
| Car accidents | Distracted driving, red-light violations on Federal Highway and Atlantic Blvd, rear-end collisions on I-95 | Pompano Beach car accidents |
| Truck accidents | Overloaded commercial vehicles, fatigued drivers on I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike | Truck accidents |
| Commercial truck accidents | Regulatory violations by trucking companies, improper cargo securement | Commercial truck accidents |
| Uber and Lyft accidents | Rideshare driver distraction, insurance coverage disputes between personal and commercial policies | Uber and Lyft accidents |
| Bicycle accidents | Dooring on A1A, failure to yield in bike lanes near Pompano Beach Fishing Village | Bicycle accidents |
| Construction accidents | Falls from scaffolding, electrocution, and struck-by incidents on Broward job sites | Construction accidents |
| Hotel and premises injuries | Wet floors, broken railings, and inadequate security at Lauderdale-By-The-Sea and Fort Lauderdale beach hotels | Hotel injuries |
| Hit and run | Unidentified drivers fleeing the scene, uninsured motorist claims | Hit and run |
| Property damage | Vehicle damage, personal property loss from collisions or premises incidents | Property damage |
How Does Florida’s No-Fault Insurance System Affect Your Injury Claim?
Florida is a no-fault insurance state. Every driver must carry Personal Injury Protection under Florida Statutes § 627.736, which covers a portion of the policyholder’s medical expenses and lost wages, regardless of who caused the accident.
What PIP Covers and What It Does Not
PIP covers up to 80% of reasonable medical expenses and 60% of lost wages, subject to a $10,000 aggregate cap. A qualified provider must determine that you have an Emergency Medical Condition to access the full $10,000 in medical benefits. Without an EMC determination, medical benefits are capped at $2,500.
PIP does not cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, or damage to your vehicle. PIP also requires you to seek initial medical treatment within 14 days of the accident. Missing that 14-day window can eliminate your PIP benefits entirely.
When PIP Is Not Enough
The $10,000 PIP cap is frequently exhausted within the first weeks of treatment after a serious car accident or truck collision. When your medical expenses exceed PIP limits, your health insurance or MedPay coverage may absorb additional costs — but neither compensates you for pain and suffering or long-term disability.
Pursuing a claim against the at-fault driver becomes the only path to full recovery.
When Can You Sue the At-Fault Driver in Florida?
Florida law allows you to step outside the no-fault system and file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver when your injuries meet the serious injury threshold under Florida Statutes § 627.737. That threshold requires at least one of the following three conditions.
The Serious Injury Threshold
You must demonstrate a significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function, permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability, or significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement.
Medical documentation from treating physicians and independent medical examiners establishes whether your injuries meet this standard.
Florida’s Modified Comparative Negligence Rule
Even when your injuries meet the serious injury threshold, Florida Statutes § 768.81 — as amended by HB 837 in March 2023 — applies a modified comparative negligence standard. If a jury finds you 51% t or more at fault, you recover nothing.
If your share of fault is 50% or less, your compensation is reduced by your fault percentage. Insurance companies routinely use this rule to shift blame and reduce or deny payouts — a tactic an attorney with 12 years of insurance-industry experience recognizes immediately.
Stalled negotiations and blame-shifting tactics from insurance adjusters cost Broward County accident victims thousands of dollars every month they wait. Mark T. Stern knows exactly how to counter those strategies. Request your free case evaluation now.
What Is the Deadline to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Florida?
Florida’s HB 837, signed into law on March 24, 2023, reduced the statute of limitations for most negligence-based personal injury claims from four years to two years. The deadline is governed by Florida Statutes § 95.11 and begins on the date of the accident — not the date you discovered your injury, finished medical treatment, or resolved your insurance claim.
Exceptions to the Two-Year Deadline
Medical malpractice claims must be filed within 2 years of discovering the injury, but no more than 4 years from the date the incident occurred. Claims against Florida government agencies require a notice of claim within three years and a six-month investigation period before filing suit.
Wrongful death claims must be filed within two years of the date of death, not the date of the accident.
Why Filing Early Protects Your Case
Missing the two-year deadline permanently eliminates your right to seek compensation, regardless of how strong your evidence is. Insurance companies are aware of this deadline and routinely delay settlement discussions until the window narrows. Contacting an attorney early preserves your right to file suit and creates leverage during negotiations.
How Much Does a Personal Injury Attorney Cost in South Florida?
Mark T. Stern operates on a contingency fee basis for all personal injury cases. The client pays no upfront retainer, no hourly fees, and no out-of-pocket costs during representation. Mark collects a fee only when he recovers compensation through a settlement or court verdict.
| Fee Structure | Detail |
| Initial consultation | Free — no obligation |
| Upfront retainer | None |
| Hourly fees | None |
| Contingency fee | Percentage of the recovery, agreed in writing before representation begins |
| Costs if no recovery | Client owes nothing |
The contingency fee structure eliminates the financial barrier that prevents many accident victims from seeking legal representation after a serious injury.
The contingency model also aligns the attorney’s financial interest with the client’s outcome — the attorney only gets paid when you win.
Florida law requires all contingency fee agreements to be in writing and signed by both the attorney and the client. Mark reviews the fee agreement in detail during the initial consultation so you understand the exact terms before representation begins.
What Compensation Can You Recover After an Accident in Broward County?
Florida personal injury law allows accident victims to recover both economic and non-economic damages when another party’s negligence caused their injuries.
Economic Damages
Economic damages cover quantifiable financial losses: medical expenses (past and future), lost wages, lost earning capacity, property damage, and out-of-pocket costs related to the injury. These damages require documentation — medical bills, pay stubs, employer verification letters, and repair estimates.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages compensate for losses that do not carry a specific dollar amount: physical pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium. Florida does not cap non-economic damages in most personal injury cases, though HB 837 (2023) imposed caps on non-economic damages in medical malpractice claims.
Why Mark’s Insurance Background Matters Here
Insurance adjusters are trained to minimize the value of non-economic damages by challenging the severity of injuries, questioning the necessity of treatment, and disputing the causal connection between the accident and ongoing symptoms.
The attorney who represents you spent 12 years performing exactly these evaluations for Farmers/Zurich Insurance and Walsh Claim Services.
He builds cases with the documentation that forces adjusters to assign a higher value — because he knows precisely what they look for and what they try to exclude.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I do immediately after a car accident in Broward County?
Call 911, seek medical treatment within 14 days to preserve PIP benefits under Florida Statutes § 627.736, document the scene with photos, exchange insurance information, and contact a personal injury attorney before giving a recorded statement to any insurance adjuster.
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Florida after an accident?
Two years from the date of the accident for most negligence-based claims under Florida Statutes § 95.11, as amended by HB 837 in March 2023. Missing this deadline permanently eliminates your right to seek compensation through the courts, regardless of fault or injury severity.
Can I still recover compensation if I was partially at fault for the accident?
Only if your share of fault is 50 percent or less. Florida’s modified comparative negligence rule under § 768.81, enacted through HB 837 in 2023, bars recovery entirely when a plaintiff is found 51 percent or more at fault. Compensation is reduced in proportion to your fault percentage.
What happens if the other driver in my Broward County accident has no insurance?
Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage becomes the primary source of recovery. Florida does not require drivers to carry bodily injury liability insurance, which means many at-fault drivers have no policy to cover your medical expenses, lost wages, or pain and suffering beyond PIP.
How much is my personal injury case worth in Florida?
Case value depends on injury severity, medical expenses, lost income, the injury’s permanency, and available insurance coverage. Florida car accident settlements range from $10,000 for minor soft-tissue injuries to over $1,000,000 for catastrophic cases involving permanent disability or wrongful death.
Do I have to pay upfront fees to hire a personal injury attorney?
Mark T. Stern operates on a contingency fee basis. You pay no retainer, no hourly fees, and no costs unless Mark recovers compensation for you. The contingency fee percentage is agreed in writing before representation begins and covers all attorney time and case expenses.
What is the 14-day rule for PIP coverage in Florida?
Florida Statutes § 627.736 requires you to seek initial medical treatment within 14 days of the accident to qualify for PIP benefits. Missing this window can eliminate your PIP coverage entirely, even if your injuries are documented by a physician after the 14-day period.
What is the serious injury threshold to sue beyond PIP in Florida?
Florida Statutes § 627.737 allows you to file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver when injuries result in significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function, permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability, or significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement.
Why does Mark T. Stern’s insurance background matter for my personal injury case?
Mark spent 12 years as a casualty claims adjuster and litigation specialist at Farmers/Zurich Insurance, Walsh Claim Services, and The Robert Plan of New York before practicing law. He knows how adjusters assign claim values, which delay tactics they deploy, and what documentation forces higher settlement offers.
How does an Uber or Lyft accident claim differ from a regular car accident claim?
Rideshare accidents involve layered insurance coverage — the driver’s personal policy, the rideshare company’s contingent policy, and potentially a $1 million commercial policy depending on the driver’s app status at the time of the crash. Determining which policy applies requires immediate investigation.
Mark T. Stern spent 12 years inside the insurance system before becoming an attorney — and he puts that experience to work on every case. Contact the firm for a free consultation.
Contact Mark T. Stern
If you are injured in an accident, you might be entitled to financial compensation. Mark T. Stern can evaluate your case and help you determine whether or not to pursue legal action. He is personally involved in every case.
Often, personal injury cases are associated with vehicle accidents. Still, they can also occur because of defective products, injuries that occurred on someone else’s property, negligence by a doctor or other professional, or as the result of an incident in the workplace. Any time you are injured in an event that was not your fault, it is a good idea to speak to Mark T. Stern about compensation that might be available to help you pay for medical costs, cover lost wages, and cope with pain and suffering.
In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as in most states, there is a statute of limitations restricting the amount of time you have to file a claim after you are injured. Time is of the essence and you should take action as quickly as possible.Regardless of what type of personal injury case you have, Mark T. Stern can help you. Again, the other party may be more at fault than you think.