Injury cases in Sunny Isles Beach have a character of their own. The city is a narrow strip of condo towers and hotels with one main road, and many of the people hurt here are residents of large buildings, hotel guests, or visitors from out of state. A fall in a lobby or a valet accident can involve a condo association, a management company and a contractor before a single driver is named.
Lavent Law, P.A. serves Sunny Isles Beach from our office in North Miami Beach, a short drive west across the Sunny Isles Boulevard causeway. Consultations are free and available in English or Russian, and you pay no attorney fee unless we recover money for you. Call (305) 257-9464.
Collisions on and around Collins Avenue
Collins Avenue (A1A) runs the length of the city and carries everything at once: residents, tourists, delivery vans, construction trucks and rideshare drivers. Pedestrians cross it constantly between the beach side and the bay side, often away from a crosswalk and often after dark. The pedestrian cases we see here tend to happen near hotel entrances and bus stops.
Vehicle crashes on Collins usually involve sudden stops. Cars brake for valet stands, garage entrances and drop-offs, and the car behind does not. The two causeways add their own problems. At Sunny Isles Boulevard to the south and the William Lehman Causeway to the north, traffic coming off the bridges meets drivers turning into the city.
If an Uber or Lyft was involved, coverage depends on what the driver was doing in the app at that moment; see our Uber accident page. If you were on foot, see our pedestrian accident page.
Falls and injuries in condos, hotels and garages
Most residents of Sunny Isles live in buildings run by an association and a hired management company, and responsibility for a hazard can sit with either one. The cases that come up most often are falls on wet lobby floors and pool decks, trips over broken pavers and uneven garage surfaces, injuries caused by valet attendants moving cars, and pool accidents at condos and hotels. For more on these claims, see condo accidents and hotel injuries.
In most fall cases, Florida law requires proof that the owner knew or should have known about the danger. That proof usually comes from the building’s own records: incident reports, maintenance logs, prior complaints and security video. Buildings commonly overwrite video within days or weeks, which is the main reason to call a lawyer early rather than late.
If you were visiting
A large share of the people hurt in Sunny Isles do not live in Florida. Leaving the state does not end your claim. Florida law still applies, and most of the work can be done by phone, email and video. One point that surprises visitors: if the driver who hit you was in a rental car, the rental company is generally not liable just because it owns the vehicle, so the driver’s own coverage and your coverage become the main sources of payment.
What to do after an injury here
- Call 911. Sunny Isles Beach has its own police department, and a police report is useful even in a fall case if anyone was hurt seriously.
- Report it to the building or hotel in writing and ask for a copy of the incident report.
- Take photos of the hazard, the lighting and any warning signs, or the lack of them.
- See a doctor. After a car accident, Florida’s PIP coverage only pays if your first treatment is within 14 days.
- Hold off on statements. Do not sign anything from the building’s insurer or give a recorded statement until you have spoken with a lawyer.
The Florida rules
Most negligence claims must be filed within two years of the injury. If you share some of the blame, your recovery is reduced by your percentage, and you recover nothing if you are found more than 50 percent at fault. After a car crash, your own PIP pays first, up to $10,000, and a claim for pain and suffering against the other driver generally requires a permanent or similarly serious injury.
Help in Russian
Sunny Isles Beach is home to one of the largest Russian-speaking communities in the United States, and many of our clients here prefer to work in Russian. Our Russian-language Sunny Isles Beach page covers the same ground.
Nearby communities
We also serve North Miami Beach, Aventura, Hallandale Beach, Bal Harbour, Surfside and Miami Beach.
Frequently asked questions
I fell in my own condo building. Who is responsible?
It depends on who controlled the area and whether they knew, or should have known, about the hazard. That can be the association, the management company, a contractor, or more than one of them. We review the building’s documents and maintenance history to sort it out.
I was hit crossing Collins Avenue. Whose insurance pays?
If you own a car, your own PIP usually pays first, even though you were on foot. If you do not, PIP from a relative you live with, or from the driver’s policy, may apply. For serious injuries, you may also have a claim against the driver.
A valet hit me. Who do I claim against?
Possibly the valet company, the hotel or building that hired it, and the insurer of the car’s owner. These cases often involve several policies, and it helps to identify them early.
I was only visiting. Can I still bring a claim?
Yes. Florida law governs accidents that happen here, and we can handle most of the case while you are at home.
How long do I have?
For most negligence claims, two years from the date of injury. Hotel and garage video disappears much sooner, so do not wait.
What does it cost?
Nothing up front. The fee is a percentage of what we recover, and there is no attorney fee if there is no recovery.
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