From the A1A beach corridor to the Las Olas district and the marine traffic of Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale is a dense, fast-moving city with a high volume of visiting drivers. When a serious injury disrupts your life, you need a Florida attorney familiar with these roads and with the courts that decide these claims — and our office is a short distance away.
A Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer with local courtroom experience
Fort Lauderdale is the seat of Broward County and home to roughly 180,000 year-round residents, along with a substantial seasonal and tourist population. That combination introduces complications a local injury claim must account for.
When you retain a Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyer, familiarity with the local forum matters. You want an attorney who has appeared in the Broward County Courthouse, understands how the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit handles injury litigation, and recognizes how these incidents occur — at the merge points along I-95, in the pedestrian-heavy beach corridor, and on the city's extensive network of waterways.
Our office is located approximately 12 miles north, near the Sunrise and Lauderhill boundary, a short drive from most of the city. When you contact the firm, you reach a Florida attorney with more than 40 years of in-state practice — not an out-of-state intake service.
That proximity matters in a city organized around the water. A beach pedestrian claim, a fall on a hotel pool deck, and a boating injury off Port Everglades each carry distinct legal standards, distinct evidence, and frequently an out-of-state insurer on the opposing side. Familiarity with these conditions allows us to act quickly on your behalf.
The county seat is our home jurisdiction. We know its roads, its courthouse, and the insurers who contest these claims.
≈ 20 minFrom our office to your Fort Lauderdale neighborhood
On the ground
Local roads, courts, and where injuries occur
Fort Lauderdale extends across the beach, the New River, the Riverwalk, and 165 miles of canals. The following are the locations where injuries most often occur, and where your case is likely to be filed.
Where crashes happen
I-95 — high-speed merges and chain-reaction wrecks through the city
US-1 (Federal Highway) — busy intersections and left-turn collisions
A1A — the beach strip, packed with tourists, cyclists, and people on foot
Sunrise Blvd — a major east-west artery feeding the beach
Las Olas Blvd — narrow, lively, and tight on parking after dark
Local courts
Broward County Courthouse — the main courthouse downtown on the New River
17th Judicial Circuit — where most Fort Lauderdale injury lawsuits are filed and tried
County civil divisions — for smaller injury claims and damage disputes
Right next to the Riverwalk — easy for us to reach from the north end of Broward
Landmarks & hotspots
Fort Lauderdale Beach & the A1A strip — pedestrian and bike crashes
Las Olas Boulevard — nightlife, premises, and assault claims
Port Everglades & the canals — boating and maritime injuries
FLL airport — rideshare pickups and rental-car wrecks
The Riverwalk — slips, trips, and crowd-event injuries
What we see here
Accidents we handle in Fort Lauderdale
A coastal city centered on the beach and the waterways produces a particular set of injuries. These are the matters we handle most frequently for Fort Lauderdale clients.
Beach & A1A pedestrian and bicycle crashes
Tourists on foot crossing A1A who may not know the lights
Cyclists sharing tight lanes with beach traffic
Distracted drivers sightseeing instead of watching the road
Las Olas nightlife & premises cases
Slip-and-falls on wet floors, patios, and stairs after dark
Assault and inadequate-security claims at bars and clubs
Poor lighting and crowded sidewalks downtown
Boating & maritime injuries
Collisions and wakes on the canals and Intracoastal
Charter and rental boat incidents out of Port Everglades
Dock and marina falls along the 165 miles of waterways
Rideshare & hotel injuries
Uber and Lyft crashes around FLL and the beach hotels
Resort and hotel slip-and-falls on pool decks and lobbies
Rental-car wrecks with out-of-state drivers and insurers
Many of these cases share a common complication: the injured party — or the at-fault driver — resides elsewhere. That introduces out-of-state insurance coverage, witnesses who return home, and evidence that is quickly lost. We act promptly to preserve the critical evidence before it disappears.
Robert DiStefano, Esq.
Meet your attorney
You work directly with Robert DiStefano
40+ years in Florida courts
For more than 40 years, Robert DiStefano has represented injured clients across South Florida. He personally handles the matters the firm accepts and is familiar with the Broward courthouses, the insurance adjusters, and the defense firms that appear on the opposing side.
When you contact DiStefano Law, you work with Robert and a small, responsive team that keeps you informed from the initial consultation through the resolution of your case — without an intake call center or a rotating roster of associates.
“The best lawyer in South Florida. Thank you DiStefano for all the hard work that you and your team have done to get me amazing results.”
Taravia Google
★★★★★
“I had a wonderful experience with Robert! He fought hard for me and kept me in the loop the whole time. The whole office is just great!”
Paulavia Google
★★★★★
“Mr. DiStefano is the best! Kept me up to date with everything, and his paralegal Michelle also kept us informed. Happy with my settlement — I highly recommend him.”
Stacy Leevia Google
How we help
How we handle your case
Regardless of how the injury occurred, the process is consistent: we evaluate the claim, investigate thoroughly, and manage the insurance company so that you can focus on your recovery. Begin with the practice area that fits your situation.
Because our office is nearby, we can respond quickly, examine a Fort Lauderdale scene while the evidence is fresh, and file in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. You also work with an attorney who has spent more than 40 years opposite Florida insurers and understands the tactics they apply to out-of-state policies.
And it costs you nothing up front. We handle personal injury matters on contingency: no fee unless we recover for you. Your first case review is free, confidential, and same-day. You can learn more about Robert DiStefano, or see how we serve the rest of Broward County — including nearby Hollywood and Pompano Beach.
Common questions
Fort Lauderdale injury questions, answered
Do you take cases in Fort Lauderdale?
Yes. Fort Lauderdale is our home jurisdiction. Our office is about 12 miles north, near the Sunrise and Lauderhill line, roughly 20 minutes away. We handle car, pedestrian, bicycle, premises, boating, and other personal injury cases across the city, from the beach and A1A to Las Olas and Port Everglades.
Which court would my Fort Lauderdale case go to?
Most Fort Lauderdale injury lawsuits are filed in the 17th Judicial Circuit at the main Broward County Courthouse downtown, near the Riverwalk on the New River. Smaller claims may go to a county civil division. We file and appear in these courts regularly, so we know how they work.
How fast can you get to me?
Quickly. Because our office is nearby in north-central Broward, we can often reach a Fort Lauderdale hospital, your home, or the scene the same day. If you cannot travel, we come to you. Call (954) 572-8000 and we will set it up.
What does it cost to hire you?
Nothing up front. We handle personal injury matters on contingency, which means no fee unless we recover for you. Your first case review is free, confidential, and same-day, so there is no risk in finding out where you stand.
I was a tourist hurt in Fort Lauderdale — can you still help?
Yes. We handle many cases where the injured person, or the at-fault driver, lives out of state. Visitors hurt on the beach, in a rideshare near FLL, on a boat, or at a hotel often face out-of-state insurance. We are used to those claims and can work with you even after you fly home.
Lisa Marie Santamarta, Esq.
Meet your attorney
You also work directly with Lisa Marie Santamarta
Bilingual — English & Spanish
Lisa Marie Santamarta handles personal-injury, medical malpractice, and immigration matters for clients throughout Florida, and has practiced in South Florida since 2011. Like every attorney at DiStefano Law, she handles your matter personally, without an intake call center or a rotating roster of associates.
Fluent in English and Spanish, she can guide you through an accident claim or the immigration system in the language you are most comfortable speaking.
Robert DiStefano, Esq.
Lisa Marie Santamarta, Esq.