Hialeah Car Accidents: Attorney Injury Settlements and Claims

Justin Ziegler, Lawyer

8 years ago

Hialeah

If someone’s carelessness caused your injury in Hialeah, Florida, your case may be different than if you’re hurt in another city in Florida.

Below are some fast facts that you need to know about Hialeah accident cases. We’ll then look at some Hialeah car, truck and motorcycle accident settlements.

Injury Cases for Hialeah Accidents are Similar to Claims for Accidents in Other Dade County Cities

Hialeah accident cases are similar to cases that arise from accidents in other cities in Miami-Dade County or Monroe County, Florida.

This is because Hialeah is in Miami-Dade County. Thus, it is subject to Dade County laws.

Since Hialeah is in Miami-Dade County, the laws are governed by Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal. If the Florida Supreme Court hasn’t ruled on an issue, Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal’s law applies to your Hialeah accident case.

Drivers in Hialeah are less likely to have car insurance

Drivers in Hialeah are less likely to have auto insurance than drivers in some other parts of Dade County.

Hialeah’s percentage of uninsured drivers is likely more similar to Homestead than other affluent cities.

Thus, an uninsured driver is more likely to hit you in Hialeah than in Coral Gables, Kendall, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay or a wealthier part of South Miami.

Hialeah Hospital May be Generous to Uninsured Patients

A few years ago, I settled a case for a motorcycle rider for $445,000 after an 18 wheeler truck hit him. He had surgery on his tibia (lower leg bone).

My client didn’t have health insurance. Hialeah Hospital’s bill was for over $100,000, but they (on their own) reduced it to $20,000 or so. I was able to further get that bill lowered through negotiation.

Tenet Healthcare Corporation owns Hialeah Hospital.

Insurer May Offer Less if You Treat with Certain Clinics in Hialeah

There is more fraud committed in Hialeah than most cities in Florida. Law enforcement has shut down several Hialeah medical clinics due to fraud.

All things equal, insurance companies may be more suspicious of medical clinics in Hialeah than in other parts of Florida. This could lower the value of your case if you’re treating with an unreputable medical facility.

The credibility of your doctor is a factor when evaluating your case’s settlement value. So pick your doctor wisely.

Hialeah Accident Cases May be Worth More than other Florida County Claims

Green areas are highly populated. Arrow shows Hialeah in Miami-Dade County

All things equal, Miami-Dade County juries award higher pain and suffering damages than jurors in rural (low population) Florida counties. If you sue as a result of a Hialeah accident, and your case gets to trial, it will likely be decided by a Miami-Dade County jury.

Thus, Hialeah accidents are worth more than accidents in Florida counties with low populations.

Hispanics hurt in Hialeah May Have a Better Case

All things equal, Miami-Dade County jurors favor Hispanics. Hialeah is loaded with Hispanics. Thus, if you are hispanic and injured in Hialeah, your case may be worth more.

Insurance adjusters know this, and their offer may reflect it.

Man Gets $445,000 Settlement for Hialeah Motorcycle Crash

A 18 wheeler (tractor trailer) hit my client, a motorcyclist, in Hialeah, Florida. He had surgery on his lower leg/knee (tibia plateau fracture). He also had surgery to fix his finger fracture.

Chartis (now AIG) insured the tractor trailer with bodily injury (BI) liability coverage.

They paid $445,000 to settle the personal injury case.

Passenger Wins $135,000 for Broken Wrist from Hialeah Car Crash

A passenger fractured her wrist when a driver in another car failed to yield the right of way and hit her. The car wreck occurred at an intersection in Hialeah, Florida.

The other car’s driver was cited for failure to yield right of way. My client had wrist surgery.

Driver Gets $57,000 Settlement after Rear End Crash Causes Back Injury

I represented a police officer who was suffered back injury, while he was on duty, when a car crashed in the back of his car.

The accident happened in Medley, which is a very small city in between Hialeah and Doral. Medley is also minutes away from Hialeah Gardens and Miami Springs.

The driver who caused the accident received a ticket for following too closely. State Farm insured the careless driver.

I received the policy limits of $10,000 from State Farm Insurance.

My client suffered a bulging disc and was a candidate for a lumbar laminectomy, which is a type of lower back surgery. He had epidural shots to his lower back.

Below is an illustration of an epidural steroid injection.

However, he did not have surgery.

He had uninsured motorist insurance with Travelers Insurance Company. At the time of the settlement with Travelers, workers compensation for the police department paid over $17,000 in indemnity (lost wages) and medical benefits.

I settled his uninsured motorist insurance case with Travelers for $47,000. The total settlement was for $57,000.

Scooter Rider Hit by Car near Hialeah Gets $35,000 for Broken Leg (Femur)

A scooter rider got $35,000 after a driver failed to yield the right of way and hit him in Miami Lakes, Florida. For purposes of this article “scooter” also means “moped”. Miami Lakes is just a few minutes from Hialeah.

He suffered an upper leg (femur) fracture.

Passenger in Hialeah Car Accident Gets $25,000 Settlement for Soft Tissue Injuries

Manny was a passenger in a car that was traveling on W Okeechobee Rd in Hialeah. Another car crashed into the back of the car that Manny was in.

Manny suffered soft tissue injuries. Auto Club South (AAA) insured the driver that was charged with careless driving.

Auto Club South Insurance Company paid $25,000 to settle Manny’s personal injury case. I represented him.

Passenger in Hialeah Car Crash Gets $25,000 Settlement for Soft Tissue Injuries

In the same car accident as the one above, another passenger was injured. She also had soft tissue injuries.

Auto Club South Insurance Company paid $25,000 to settle her personal injury case. I represented her.

Driver Gets $25,000 for Leg Fracture in Hialeah Car Accident

A driver crashed into my client, an elderly Cuban-American businessman. He suffered a broken (fractured) tibia (lower leg bone). State Farm insured the careless driver.

The accident occurred in Hialeah, Florida. My client did not purchase undersinsured motorist (UIM) insurance coverage. If he would have, it would have likely resulted in a larger payout for my client.