Traumatic Brain Injury · Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale traumatic brain injury lawyer.

A brain injury can change everything about your life — how you think, how you work, how you feel — even when the scans look "normal." If a crash, fall, or hit on the head has left you or someone you love different than before, you need a lawyer who will prove what the injury really costs over a lifetime. Robert DiStefano reviews these cases personally.

  • 40+ yearsFlorida personal injury
  • $100M+ recoveredfor Florida accident victims
  • 4.8 ★ / 51verified Google reviews
Call (954) 572-8000 Request a Free Case Review
What a brain injury claim is

A Fort Lauderdale brain injury lawyer for the whole spectrum

A traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is harm to the brain caused by a blow, a jolt, or a sudden whip of the head. As a Fort Lauderdale brain injury lawyer, Robert DiStefano helps Broward families hold the at-fault party responsible when someone else's carelessness causes that harm — and makes sure the claim reflects what the injury will cost you for years, not just the bills on your kitchen table today.

People hear "concussion" and think it sounds small. It is not. A concussion is a mild TBI, and even a "mild" brain injury can be life-altering — headaches that won't quit, memory gaps, trouble finding words, mood swings, sleep that never feels like rest. At the severe end are injuries that leave a person unable to work, drive, or live without daily help.

Here is what makes a brain injury case different from almost any other: the real value lives in the future. Lost earning capacity. A lifetime of therapy and care. The cognitive and behavioral changes that follow you into every job interview and every dinner table. Proving those losses takes more than a stack of ER records — it takes neuro evidence and a life-care plan.

The Florida law that applies

The rules behind a brain injury claim

Brain injury claims run on Florida's negligence rules — and on deadlines that are stricter than they used to be. Here is the law that shapes your case, in plain terms.

Fla. Stat. § 95.11(4)(a) amended 2023

You have 2 years to file

A 2023 change to Florida law shortened the deadline for most injury cases to 2 years from the date of the injury. Brain injuries can be slow to reveal their full impact, so waiting is dangerous — talk to a lawyer early so the clock does not run out on a strong case.

Fla. Stat. § 768.81 amended 2023

The 51% fault bar

Florida now follows a modified comparative negligence rule. Your recovery is reduced by your share of fault, and if you are found more than 50% at fault, you recover nothing. Insurers lean hard on this — having a lawyer who can pin the fault where it belongs protects your case.

Florida common law

No cap on your damages

Florida does not cap most compensatory damages in an ordinary negligence case. That matters enormously for a brain injury, where the lifetime cost of care and lost earnings can be large. The law lets us pursue the full, true value of what you have lost.

Fla. Stat. §§ 768.16–768.26

When a brain injury is fatal

If a severe brain injury takes a life, Florida's Wrongful Death Act lets the personal representative of the estate bring a claim for the family's losses. Those cases follow their own rules and deadlines — we handle them with the care they require.

This page provides general information about Florida law and is not legal advice. Statutes and case law change; your specific case requires a consultation.

Rooted in Broward County

We know where head injuries happen in Broward

Brain injuries come from a high-speed merge on the interstate, a fall on a wet floor, a hard hit on a ball field. We know the Broward roads, properties, and ER teams these cases run through.

High-speed crashes

  • I-95 — Broward's deadliest corridor, where 70-mph traffic turns a rear-end crash into a concussion or worse in a fraction of a second.
  • Interstate 595 & the Turnpike — fast arteries where lane changes and sudden stops cause violent head whip.
  • US-1 & Oakland Park Blvd — busy surface roads where intersection crashes throw the head into glass and frame.

Falls & recreation

  • Falls on unsafe property — a wet floor, a dark stairwell, or a broken walkway can put your head on hard tile.
  • Sports & recreation — youth and adult leagues in Broward's parks, plus bike and skate falls along the beach and New River paths.
  • Pools & docks — slips on wet pool decks and boat ramps that turn a normal day into a head trauma.

Where Broward gets treated

  • Broward Health Medical Center — the Level I trauma center near downtown Fort Lauderdale where many serious head injuries first arrive.
  • Memorial Regional Hospital, Hollywood — south Broward's Level I trauma center for the most severe cases.
  • Our office — 7471 W Oakland Park Blvd, Suite 106. If a brain injury makes travel hard, we come to you.

DiStefano Law is not an out-of-state intake service. We are a Fort Lauderdale firm, on Oakland Park Boulevard, that has represented injured Floridians for four decades.

Why DiStefano Law

Robert proves what the injury really costs

When you call our office, you reach a firm where the founding attorney does the work. Robert DiStefano has practiced Florida personal injury law for more than 40 years and reviews every brain injury inquiry himself — you will not be passed down a chain or left wondering who is handling your case.

The difference in a brain injury case is the proof of future loss. We bring in the right neurologists, neuropsychologists, and life-care planners to document the cognitive and behavioral changes the insurer wants to ignore — and we work with economists to put a real number on a lifetime of care and lost earning capacity. That is how a "mild" TBI gets valued for what it truly is.

We take these cases on a contingency fee — no fee unless we recover for you. There is nothing to pay up front, and we advance the cost of the experts your case needs. For outcomes in serious and catastrophic-injury matters, see related case results →

01

We listen, then investigate

Tell us what happened in a free, confidential call. We secure the crash or property evidence and the medical records the same week.

02

We build the neuro proof

Neurologists and neuropsychologists document the injury — including the deficits that don't show on a standard scan.

03

We value the whole future

With a life-care plan and an economist, we pursue full compensation for lifelong care and lost earning capacity.

Questions injured clients ask us

Brain injury questions, answered

I was told it was "just a concussion." Can I still have a case?
Yes. A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury, and "mild" only describes how it looked at first — not how much it changes your life. Many people with a concussion struggle for months or longer with headaches, memory trouble, focus problems, and mood changes, even when the CT scan came back clean. If someone else's carelessness caused the hit, you can have a real claim. The key is documenting the symptoms early and connecting them to the injury, which is exactly the work we do.
How is a lifetime of brain injury care valued?
We don't guess — we prove it. For a serious brain injury, we work with a life-care planner who maps out every future need: therapy, medications, surgeries, in-home help, equipment, and supervision. An economist then puts those needs into today's dollars across your expected lifetime, and a vocational expert measures your lost earning capacity — what you can no longer earn because of the injury. That is how a claim captures the real, long-term cost, not just the bills you have already received.
What are common brain injury symptoms after a crash?
They show up in the body, the mind, and the mood. Physical signs include headaches, dizziness, nausea, blurred vision, sensitivity to light or noise, and trouble sleeping. Thinking changes include memory gaps, trouble concentrating, slowed processing, and difficulty finding words. Emotional changes — irritability, anxiety, depression, and personality shifts — are common and often the hardest on families. Symptoms can be delayed for hours or days, so if your head was struck or violently shaken, get checked promptly and keep a record of how you feel.
Who can be held responsible for a brain injury?
It depends on how the injury happened. In a crash, it may be the at-fault driver — and sometimes a trucking company or an employer. In a fall, it may be the property owner who let a hazard go unfixed. In a recreation or sports injury, it can be whoever created or ignored an unreasonable danger. More than one party can share fault, and Florida's comparative negligence rule (Fla. Stat. § 768.81) decides how that affects your recovery. We identify every responsible party and the insurance available to pay for your care.
What is the deadline to file a brain injury claim in Florida?
For most injury cases, Florida now gives you 2 years from the date of the injury to file (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(4)(a)), after a 2023 change in the law shortened the old deadline. Some situations — such as an injury to a child — can change the timeline, and a minor's case has special rules including court approval of any settlement. Because the deadlines are strict and brain injuries take time to fully reveal themselves, the safest step is to call early so we can confirm the exact dates that apply to you.

Related help from our firm: spinal cord injury claims, wrongful death cases, or reach us anytime through our contact page.

Client reviews

What clients say about working with us

4.8 ★★★★★ 51 verified Google reviews Read all on Google →

★★★★★

“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

Talk to Robert today

A brain injury is worth a phone call.

Get a free, confidential, same-day case review. There is no fee unless we recover for you, and no pressure — just straight answers about what happened and what your case is really worth.

(954) 572-8000
Robert DiStefano, Esq. · Fort Lauderdale