Florida injury claims, explained in plain words — with the statute for every rule
This site gives you the rule, the statute number it comes from, and the date it was last checked, so you can verify any line of it yourself.
The four numbers that decide most Florida injury claims
2 years to file most injury lawsuits. 14 days to see a doctor, or your own car insurance pays none of your medical bills. $10,000 is all the medical coverage Florida makes drivers carry for injuries. More than 50% at fault and you collect nothing. Each one is explained below, with its statute.
Start here
Every deadline, in one table
Injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and the much stricter rules for suing a city, county, or the State.
PIP and Florida no-fault
The $10,000, the 14-day rule, the $2,500 trap, and the reason so many at-fault Florida drivers carry nothing for your injuries.
Fault, and what a claim can be worth
The more-than-50% cliff, how blame is split, what Florida caps, and the 2023 law that shrinks how much of your medical bill a jury ever sees.
Get your crash report
Why it is private for 60 days, who can get it anyway, the exact page to buy it on, and what it costs.
Falls, dog bites, unsafe property
What you have to prove when you fall in a store, why Florida dog-bite law is unusually strict, and the 2023 shield for apartment complexes.
What HB 837 changed — and 5 myths
The 2023 law rewrote Florida injury claims. Here is what actually changed, plus five things repeated online that are not true.
The short version
| Question | Short answer | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| How long do I have to sue? | 2 years from the injury for most negligence claims. It was 4 years for claims that arose on or before March 24, 2023. | Fla. Stat. 95.11(5)(a) |
| Do I have to prove the other driver caused it to get my bills paid? | No. Your own PIP pays first, no matter who caused the crash — but only if you get treated within 14 days. | Fla. Stat. 627.736(1)(a) |
| How much medical coverage does Florida require? | $10,000 of PIP for your own bills, and $10,000 for damage you do to property. Florida does not require ordinary drivers to carry coverage for injuries they cause other people. | Fla. Stat. 324.022(1) |
| What if the crash was partly my fault? | Your money is cut by your share of the blame. More than 50% your share, and you recover nothing — except in medical malpractice cases. | Fla. Stat. 768.81(6) |
| Can I sue for pain and suffering after a car crash? | Only if the injury is permanent, is a significant permanent loss of an important bodily function, is significant permanent scarring or disfigurement, or the person died. | Fla. Stat. 627.737(2) |
| Is there a cap on Florida injury damages? | Not for ordinary injury cases. Caps exist for punitive damages and for claims against government bodies. The main medical-malpractice caps were struck down and are not enforced. | Fla. Stat. 768.73 · Fla. Stat. 768.28(5)(a) |
| Why is my crash report not public yet? | Crash reports are confidential for 60 days because of the personal information in them. You can still get your own right away. | Fla. Stat. 316.066(2)(a) |
Why this site exists, stated plainly
This is an advertisement. Shiner Law Group, P.A. pays for it, and that is said on every page, including this one. It is also the reason the writing is built to be checked: every legal statement carries its statute number and links to the Florida Legislature's own text, so you do not have to take our word for any of it.
What you will not find here: superlatives, success rates, recovery totals, promises about your case, or a number without a source. See how this is written and checked.
Common questions
Is Florida still a no-fault state in 2026?
Yes. Florida's no-fault law, which requires $10,000 of Personal Injury Protection, is still in force in August 2026. Bills to repeal it have been filed repeatedly, including in the 2026 session, and have not passed. Pages claiming PIP was repealed are wrong — see the myths page.
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Florida?
Two years from the date you were hurt, for most negligence claims, under Fla. Stat. 95.11(5)(a). This changed in 2023: claims that arose on or before March 24, 2023 kept the old four-year deadline. Medical malpractice, wrongful death, and claims against government bodies follow different rules. All of them are here.
Do I need a lawyer for a Florida car accident claim?
Not always. If nobody was hurt and the damage is small, you may not. The situations where people most often use one: the injury is lasting, PIP has run out, fault is disputed, the at-fault driver has no bodily-injury coverage, or a government vehicle is involved. Either way the two numbers that matter are fixed — treatment within 14 days, and a two-year filing deadline.
What does it cost to talk to an injury lawyer in Florida?
Florida injury firms generally charge a contingency fee, meaning the fee is a percentage of any recovery, and case costs are a separate question from the fee. Florida requires the contingency fee agreement to be in writing and signed, so ask any firm for it and read what it says about both the percentage and the costs before you sign.
Who wrote this site?
It is an advertisement. Shiner Law Group, P.A. is responsible for its content; AI Syndicate, a marketing agency, publishes it. It is not written by a lawyer and it is not legal advice. Statute text is quoted from the Florida Legislature's own site and every page lists what it relied on.