Vero Beach Car Accident Lawyers
- PIP pays first, but it may not cover everything. Under Florida’s no-fault system, your own Personal Injury Protection coverage generally pays 80% of qualifying medical expenses and 60% of lost income up to $10,000. You must get initial medical care within 14 days to qualify, and pain and suffering damages require an injury that meets Florida’s serious-injury threshold.
- Being partly at fault can reduce or bar your recovery. Florida’s modified comparative negligence rule reduces your compensation by your share of fault, and you generally can’t recover anything if you’re found more than 50% responsible. Strong evidence of how the crash happened is key when an insurer tries to shift blame.
- Be careful with insurers and act within two years. You generally don’t need to give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement, and you should avoid early settlements before your injuries are fully understood. Florida typically allows two years from the accident to file a negligence lawsuit.
INJURED IN A CAR ACCIDENT?
Auto accidents can wreak havoc on your health, your livelihood, your family, and your finances. Insurance companies today work tirelessly to protect their own interests and to avoid paying victims the fair compensation they deserve. Our attorneys are committed to putting our years of experience to work fighting for you.
At Gould Cooksey Fennell, our Vero Beach car accident injury attorneys leverage detailed medical knowledge, utilize the latest technology, and practice modern trial techniques to further a tireless commitment to excellence. Financial resources, paired with decades of actual trial experience, are critical elements in our firm’s mission to hold auto insurance companies and negligent drivers accountable for catastrophic injuries and wrongful death.
Our motor vehicle practice also includes people injured in scooter and moped accidents.
You can reach out to us by filling out this form or calling us at (772) 879-5477.
Your First Call After a Vero Beach Accident
Common Causes of Car Accidents in Vero Beach, FL
Most people will be in at least one car accident in their lifetime. In 2024, the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Department reported a total of 381,423 car crashes in the State of Florida; that’s over 1,000 a day! A car accident may occur due to factors concerning the person driving, environmental conditions, or the vehicle itself. Here are some of the most common causes of car accidents in the state of Florida:
- Distracted Driving – This includes activities that may cause a driver to not give their full attention to the road. Texting, talking on the phone, eating, putting makeup on, or fiddling with the radio could all cause a driver to look away. Distracted driving may be the simplest to solve, but it is by far the biggest cause of accidents in the United States.
- DUI – According to the NHTSA, there are approximately 32 alcohol impaired driving fatalities every day.
- Reckless Driving – This differs from distracted driving because reckless driving is usually intentional. It can include things like speeding, running red lights and stop signs, switching lanes too quickly, or using aggressive driving tactics to purposely cut off other drivers.
- Fatigue – Accidents can also be caused by fatigue, causing the driver to fall asleep at the wheel. Interestingly, large commercial truck drivers have laws regulating how many hours they can drive at a time to avoid accidents caused by drowsiness.
- Weather/Road Hazards – Inclement weather like strong winds, rain, fog, or hail can cause roads to become unsafe for driving as they can impair your ability to see or your vehicle’s ability to function properly. In addition, road hazards including pieces of tire, fallen objects, or even wild animals can cause a driver to swerve or slam on their brakes.
- Mechanical Defects – It’s not uncommon for a motor vehicle to not function properly due to a malfunctioning part or improper upkeep.
Where you drive can also affect the risks you encounter. Some intersections in Vero Beach and Indian River County have seen particularly high numbers of crashes. According to the Indian River County MPO’s 2026 Intersection Crash Analysis, which reviewed crashes from 2020 through 2024, some of the most high-risk areas include:
- 17th Street at US 1: 136 crashes, including 29 injury crashes and 4 fatal crashes.
- Oslo Road at 27th Avenue: 96 crashes, including 34 injury crashes, 1 serious-injury crash, and 4 fatal crashes.
- SR 60 at 53rd Avenue: 87 crashes, including 28 injury crashes and 4 fatal crashes.
Why You Should Hire Our Experienced Vero Beach Car Accident Lawyers
Gould Cooksey Fennell has served Vero Beach and the Treasure Coast since 1955. For more than 70 years, our firm has built its reputation on careful preparation, personal attention, and a willingness to take cases to trial when necessary. Our personal injury attorneys go to trial on behalf of clients in Indian River County every year, and we have secured more than $150 million in recent personal injury and medical malpractice verdicts and settlements.
That experience matters when you are going up against an insurance company with its own adjusters, attorneys, experts, and financial resources. We combine detailed medical knowledge, technology, and decades of trial experience to investigate car accident claims and document the full impact an injury has had on our clients.
When you hire Gould Cooksey Fennell after a car accident, our attorneys can help by:
- Investigating and reconstructing the accident: We can examine the accident scene, vehicles, witness accounts, police reports, available video, and other evidence to determine what happened. When appropriate, we work with accident reconstruction experts and seek to preserve and download vehicle “black box” data before important evidence is lost.
- Identifying responsible parties and available insurance: Holding the other driver responsible may seem straightforward, but there may be additional insurance policies or parties involved. Our attorneys investigate available coverage and, when necessary, corporate or ownership relationships that could affect the compensation available.
- Documenting your injuries and losses: We gather medical records and other documentation showing how the accident affected your health, ability to work, finances, and everyday life. We can also communicate with doctors and bring in specialists when additional medical or expert evidence is needed.
- Dealing with the insurance companies: Insurance adjusters handle accident claims every day, and it is not their job to protect your interests. We take over those communications, negotiate for fair compensation, and prepare to take the case to court when an insurer refuses to treat our client fairly.
While the auto insurance companies and big corporations sometimes seem to have all the advantages, our resources, paired with decades of trial experience, are critical elements in our firm’s mission to hold negligent drivers and auto insurance companies accountable for catastrophic injuries, sky-high medical expenses, and wrongful death.
Detailed Medical Knowledge
Cutting-Edge Technology
Modern Trial Techniques
FREE CAR ACCIDENT CONSULTATION
- No Fee Until We Win
- $150M+ in Recent Personal Injury Verdicts & Settlements
- Ranked by Best Law Firms for 11 Consecutive Years
Our firm is here to take that burden off of our clients and handle their claim completely. We will help you get the compensation you deserve.
Notable CAR ACCIDENT Settlements and Verdicts
We’ve recovered over $150 million for our clients. These are real case results from real people who came to us for help. And we got them what they were owed.
Plaintiff was operating a small motorcycle/scooter when a 91 year old man turned left in front of him hitting him essentially head on. As a result of the collision, the Plaintiff sustained catastrophic injuries to his lower body, including snapped femurs and fractures to the spine and pelvis. After a two week trial the Indian River County jury returned an award totaling $9.381 million.
A Brevard County Jury awarded Plaintiff $6.4M against Defendant State Farm, following an accident that resulted in numerous catastrophic orthopedic injuries, including a below knee amputation of the Plaintiff’s left leg.
Plaintiff sustained numerous orthopedic injuries as a result of the negligence of a driver working for the State of Florida Department of Agriculture. At trial, the case resulted in a verdict of $5,582,776.82. Because the government’s damages are statutorily limited to $100,000 under Sovereign Immunity laws, Gould Cooksey Fennell’s Personal Injury Group was forced to fight in the Legislature for several years to pursue the passage of a Claims Bill. Ultimately a Bill was passed for 40 times the statutory limitations.
Indian River County crash resulting in significant injuries to a husband and wife. This matter was resolved prior to filing a lawsuit.
Obtained a Trial Verdict of $1.64 million dollars for injuries sustained by an 86 year old woman in a rollover auto accident on SR 60 in Vero Beach, Florida. After prolonged hospitalization, Mrs. Koebele never fully recovered and an Indian River County Jury awarded $1,170,130 for her injuries and $475,000 for her husband’s consortium claim.
Automobile crash in Vero Beach, FL resulting in cervical injury, including disc herniation to a 22 year old tennis professional.
While stopped at the intersection of US Hwy 1 and Vista Royale Boulevard, the Plaintiff’s vehicle was struck from behind with such force that the rear of his SUV was lifted off the ground and his vehicle slammed into the rear of the vehicle in front of him. As a result of the violent impact, Plaintiff sustained permanent injuries to his cervical and lumbar spine. An Indian River County jury awarded the Plaintiff $1,487,412.99.
While stopped at the intersection of 43rd Ave and 8th Street, Plaintiff was rear-ended by the Defendant, launching her vehicle into another vehicle in front of her. Plaintiff sustained permanent injuries to her right knee and cervical spine, both requiring surgical intervention in the years following the collision. After a nine day trial, an Indian River County jury returned an award of $1,259,090.73.
Indian River County jury awarded verdict against Defendant State Farm following an automobile accident where the defendant Driver was underinsured.
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Florida's No-Fault & Comparative Negligence Laws After a Crash
Florida’s car accident laws can be confusing because two different rules may affect your claim. The state’s no-fault system determines which insurance generally pays first after a crash, while its comparative negligence law can affect how much you recover if you pursue compensation from an at-fault driver.
How Florida's No-Fault System Works
After a car accident, you generally turn first to your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage for certain medical expenses and lost income, regardless of who caused the crash. Florida requires at least $10,000 in PIP coverage, which generally pays 80% of qualifying medical expenses and 60% of lost income up to the applicable limit. Initial medical care generally must be received within 14 days of the accident to qualify for PIP medical benefits.
PIP does not necessarily cover everything you lose in a serious accident. If another driver caused the crash, you may be able to pursue additional compensation from that driver or their insurer. To recover damages for pain and suffering and similar non-economic losses, however, Florida law generally requires the injury to meet at least one of the following thresholds:
- Significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function
- Permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability
- Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Death
This is why the seriousness and long-term effects of an injury can have such an important impact on a Florida car accident claim.
What If You Were Partly at Fault for the Crash?
Once you pursue compensation from another responsible party, Florida’s modified comparative negligence rule may also come into play. If you share responsibility for the crash, your compensation can generally be reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found more than 50% responsible for your own harm, you generally cannot recover damages in a negligence claim.
For example, if you suffered $100,000 in damages but were found 20% responsible for the accident, your recovery could be reduced to $80,000. This makes evidence showing how the crash occurred especially important when an insurance company tries to shift some of the blame onto you.
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Determining Fault & Dealing with Insurance Companies
Determining fault after a car accident means looking at the evidence to understand how the crash happened and whose negligence caused it. Depending on the circumstances, that evidence may include:
- Photos and video from the accident scene
- Witness statements
- Police and crash reports
- Vehicle damage and the location of impact
- Traffic camera or nearby surveillance footage
- Vehicle “black box” or other electronic data
- Cell phone records, when distracted driving is suspected
- Accident reconstruction or other expert analysis in more complicated cases
Once insurance companies become involved, you should expect them to begin gathering information about both the accident and your injuries. Your own insurer may need information to process your PIP or other benefits, while the at-fault driver’s insurer may contact you to ask questions, request a recorded statement, seek access to medical records, or discuss a settlement.
How you respond matters. You should cooperate with reasonable requests from your own insurer as required by your policy, but avoid guessing about how the crash happened or minimizing injuries that are still being evaluated. You generally do not need to give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement, and you should be cautious about signing broad medical authorizations or accepting an early settlement before you understand the full extent of your injuries and losses.
Our Vero Beach car accident attorneys can help you determine what information needs to be provided, handle communications with the insurers involved, and step in when an insurer disputes fault, tries to shift blame, or undervalues your claim.
We Don't Just Settle Cases. We Win Them.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Vero Beach Car Crash?
Our experienced Indian River County accident attorneys will be able to take a look at your case and let you know what kind of damages you could be entitled to.
Not only can an auto accident result in physical injury, but it can also result in severe monetary damages and emotional consequences, affecting your overall quality of life. You may be entitled to compensatory damages, whether they be monetary, serious injury, or punitive damages.
Monetary Damages
When you get into a car accident, you may be entitled to certain monetary or economic damages. These may include:
- Medical Expenses – Any medical expenses you may incur as a result of your auto accident. These may include any medications you may need to take to cope or hospital bills.
- Physical Recovery Cost – These include any costs associated with your long-term physical recovery from the car accident, such as physical therapy.
- Loss of Wages or Employment – If you get in an auto accident, you may have to take time off from work. You may be entitled to monetary damages associated with your loss of employment and/or wages.
- Property Damage – After a car accident, you may be entitled to receive damages associated with your vehicle and other personal belongings affected by the accident.
- Family Care – You may be unable to care for your family in the same capacity after your car accident. We can help you receive monetary damages associated with these losses.
Serious Injury Damages
If you incurred a serious injury due to an auto accident, you may be entitled to serious injury damages. These include serious or permanent injuries that are difficult to quantify, including:
- Mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder
- Chronic physical pain
- Loss of limb or disfigurement
- Loss of normal function
- Brain injury
Even if you aren’t dealing with serious injury damages, navigating these complex legal matters on your own can be extremely difficult. Even more so if you are focusing on your recovery, which is why we strongly advise hiring an experienced law firm to take on your case. Our lawyers offer years of expertise and compassion for your unique situation. We’re here to help you every step of the way.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are damages that the defendant has to pay on top of compensatory damages. In Florida, there are limits to the amount that can be awarded. Most of the time, people receive punitive damages only when there is proof of gross negligence. Hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer who can evaluate your case will help determine whether or not you are entitled to receive punitive damages.
Injuries We See in Vero Beach Car Accident Cases
Nearly any type of injury can occur in a car accident, even in mild car accidents like fender benders. The most common types of injuries for car accident victims are neck and back injuries.
Broken Bones
Bone fractures can range from minimal to severe. Broken legs, arms, and hips are common in car accidents. Anytime a person is in a car accident, the collision puts an unnatural amount of force on their body. When the force is more than a person’s bones can withstand, they can suffer a painful fracture.
There are various types of bone injuries, but compound fractures are among the most serious. Depending on the injury, the victim may need to undergo multiple surgeries and have rods placed to stabilize the bone. Recovering from a bone fracture can be painful and challenging. The victim may not be able to return to work because of the bone fracture, resulting in a significant loss of income. Some victims of severe bone fractures never recover the full use of their limbs.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries are very common in serious car accidents and truck accidents. Anytime a bone in the spinal column becomes broken, or the nerves in the spinal cord become separated, there is a risk that the victim will become paralyzed. The location of the spinal cord injury determines the extent of the paralysis. For example, when someone suffers a spinal cord injury in the upper back, he or she may be paralyzed from the upper back down and not be able to walk or move his or her arms. Spinal cord injuries require significant medical attention and could require full-time medical care.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injuries also occur in auto accidents. Traumatic brain injuries can happen when the victim slams his or her head into the window, headrest, or airbag. In other cases, a foreign object will penetrate a person’s skull, such as glass or debris. But, as has been seen in soldiers and professional athletes, traumatic brain injuries can happen without the head striking anything at all. Anytime a person’s brain undergoes tremendous force, the brain can collide with the skull, causing bleeding. Traumatic brain injuries vary in severity, but they often require significant medical intervention. Even mild traumatic brain injury symptoms can last for the rest of their lives.
Schedule Your Free Consultation With an Auto Accident Lawyer in Vero Beach, FL
If you were injured in a car accident in Vero Beach or elsewhere in Indian River County, you do not have to take on the insurance company alone. The attorneys at Gould Cooksey Fennell are prepared to investigate what happened, protect your rights, and pursue the maximum compensation available under Florida law.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a Vero Beach car accident lawyer. We can review your case, explain your options, and help you decide what comes next.
Frequently Asked Questions About Car Accident Claims
Florida insurance laws are complex and confusing. Our team of top-rated lawyers answers your most frequently asked questions about car accidents.
A car accident attorney can investigate what caused the crash, deal with the insurance companies, identify available coverage, document your injuries and losses, and determine whether a settlement fairly reflects what you have been through. Having an attorney handle the legal and insurance issues also allows you to focus on your treatment and recovery.
The negligent driver is often the primary liable party, but responsibility may extend to others depending on how the crash happened. An employer may be liable if an employee caused the accident while working, a vehicle or parts manufacturer may be responsible for a defect, and in some cases more than one driver or company may share liability.
Get medical attention if you are injured, report the crash when required, exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver, and document the scene with photos or video if you can do so safely. You should also gather witness information, keep records of your medical treatment and other losses, and avoid accepting an early settlement before you understand the extent of your injuries. Our automobile accident checklist provides additional guidance.
In most cases, Florida gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a negligence lawsuit. Some circumstances can affect the deadline, so it is best to have your case evaluated well before the two-year period is close to expiring.
Gould Cooksey Fennell handles personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. You do not pay an attorney fee upfront, and we do not collect a fee unless we recover compensation for you. It is also free to meet with one of our attorneys to discuss your potential car accident case.
There is no standard timeline for a car accident case. How long your claim takes can depend on the severity of your injuries, how long you need medical treatment, whether fault is disputed, the available insurance coverage, and whether the insurer is willing to offer a fair settlement. Cases that require a lawsuit or trial generally take longer to resolve.
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