When an injury changes a life — or ends one — the stakes are too high for a volume firm. Forty years of handling Broward County's most serious cases, personally, including a $6.67 million wrongful-death recovery. No fee unless we recover for you.
A traumatic brain or spinal-cord injury can mean decades of care, lost earning capacity, home modifications, and supportive equipment. A settlement that covers today's medical bills but ignores the next forty years isn't a settlement — it's a trap.
"They offered to cover the hospital bill, like that was the whole story."
Insurers reserve their most aggressive tactics for their highest-exposure claims. Catastrophic cases draw their best defense firms, their favorite medical examiners, and every argument they can make to shift fault or minimize your future needs.
"Suddenly there were three different doctors saying I'd be fine."
Florida's Wrongful Death Act controls who can recover, what damages are available, and who must bring the claim. The case must be filed by a personal representative, and the deadline is two years from the date of death. Grieving families often learn this far too late.
"We were just trying to get through it. We didn't know there was a deadline."
Full value in a catastrophic case requires life-care planning, economic projections, and medical testimony about what the future holds. Without that work, the number on the table will always be the insurer's number.
"No one ever explained what the injury would actually cost us long-term."
Catastrophic and wrongful-death cases carry their own statutes — and the good news for Florida families is that the law does not cap most compensatory damages.
Fla. Stat. §§ 768.16–768.26
The Act defines who may recover (the estate and statutory survivors such as a spouse, children, and certain parents), what damages are available (lost support, companionship, and the survivors' mental pain and suffering), and requires that the claim be brought by the estate's personal representative. The deadline is two years from the date of death.
Fla. Stat. § 767.04
Florida imposes strict liability on dog owners: the owner is liable for a bite regardless of the animal's prior history or the owner's knowledge of viciousness. Recovery can be reduced by the victim's own comparative negligence, but the owner cannot escape liability simply because "the dog never bit anyone before."
No Statutory Damage Cap
Florida does not cap compensatory damages in most personal-injury cases, and the Florida Supreme Court struck down the medical-malpractice caps on noneconomic damages. That means a catastrophic case can be valued at what it is truly worth — provided the future losses are properly documented.
§ 95.11(4)(a) & § 768.81 amended 2023
For claims arising on or after March 24, 2023, the negligence statute of limitations is two years (§ 95.11(4)(a)), and modified comparative negligence (§ 768.81) bars recovery if you are found more than 50% at fault. In high-value cases, the fight over fault percentage is often the whole case.
This page provides general information about Florida injury and wrongful-death law and is not legal advice. Statutes and case law change; your specific case requires a consultation.
South Florida's highways, waterways, and density produce a particular set of life-altering injuries. Each demands a different kind of investigation and expert.
If your family is facing a catastrophic injury or a loss, call (954) 572-8000. The conversation is free, confidential, and without obligation.
$6,667,000
Airplane Crash
Wrongful death
Settlement · 2019
$2,000,000
Automobile Accident
Traumatic brain injury
Settlement · 2019
$1,000,000
Boating Accident
Spinal cord injury
Settlement · 2020
$375,000
Wrongful Death
Fatal injury
Settlement · 2021
$200,000
Airplane Crash
Wrongful death
Settlement · 2021
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Each case is unique and must be evaluated on its own merits.
Anyone can add up last month's hospital bills. Proving what the next forty years will cost is the work that changes the number.
A catastrophic case is a documentation project as much as a legal one. The difference between a fair recovery and a fraction of one is whether someone did the work to prove the full, lifelong cost of the injury — and whether the attorney across the table from the insurer is genuinely prepared to try the case.
Robert DiStefano handles these cases personally. He brings in life-care planners, economists, and the right treating physicians to build a future-damages model the carrier cannot dismiss — and he prepares every file for trial, because in high-exposure cases that readiness is what moves the offer.
Founding Attorney · Admitted 1982 · J.D., Nova Southeastern
Robert's largest recoveries — including a $6.67 million wrongful-death settlement — have come in catastrophic cases, because they are the cases that most reward experience and preparation. When you call DiStefano Law, you reach Robert directly, and he stays with your case from the first call through resolution.
★★★★★
“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
Lisa Marie Santamarta, Esq.
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.
A free, confidential conversation with an attorney who has handled Broward County's most serious cases for forty years. No fee unless we recover for you.
(954) 572-8000