Palm Beach Gardens Red Light Accident Lawyer

Red light crashes are among the most violent collisions on Palm Beach Gardens roads. When a driver blows through a red at an intersection like PGA Boulevard and Military Trail, or along Donald Ross Road near the Gardens Mall, the impact is almost always broadside. T-bone collisions at speed generate forces that crumple doors, fracture spines, and leave occupants with injuries that take months or years to treat. A Palm Beach Gardens red light accident lawyer is not just someone who handles the paperwork; this is litigation that requires building a liability case, pushing back against insurers who shift blame, and knowing what evidence disappears fastest after a crash.

Florida law is clear that drivers must stop for red signals. But insurance companies rarely just accept that their insured ran the light. They probe the claimant’s speed, positioning, and response time. They sometimes argue the light was yellow. Without the right documentation gathered quickly, those arguments can gain traction. At Steinberg Law, P.A., Brett Steinberg has spent his career taking those arguments apart.

If you were hurt at a Palm Beach Gardens intersection by a driver who failed to stop, the time to act is now. Traffic camera footage, witness contact information, and physical evidence at the scene can all disappear within days. This page explains how these cases work, what damages are available, and what steps to take immediately after a red light collision.

What Damages Are Available in a Palm Beach Gardens Red Light Crash Case

Red light accidents produce a wide range of injuries depending on the speed of the vehicles and which side takes the impact. The passenger compartment offers almost no protection against a lateral hit. Victims frequently suffer traumatic brain injuries from head contact with windows or door frames, broken ribs, pelvic fractures, torn knee ligaments, and shoulder damage. Spinal cord injuries are common, and some leave permanent deficits.

Florida law allows injury victims to pursue compensation for economic and non-economic losses. Economic damages include all medical expenses, both past and future, lost wages during recovery, diminished earning capacity if the injury is permanent, and out-of-pocket rehabilitation costs. Non-economic damages cover physical pain, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and the lasting impact on daily function. In cases involving reckless or deliberate disregard for a red light, punitive damages may also come into play, though these require a specific showing and leave the discretion ultimately with the jury.

Because Florida uses a comparative fault framework, the defense will often try to reduce what you recover by arguing you contributed to the accident. If a jury finds you 20 percent at fault, your award is reduced by 20 percent. An attorney who understands intersection liability knows exactly how to counter these arguments with evidence, not speculation.

Why Steinberg Law, P.A. Handles Red Light Accident Cases Differently

Brett Steinberg founded Steinberg Law, P.A. with a direct philosophy: injured people deserve a lawyer who picks up the phone, knows the details of their case, and is willing to walk into a courtroom. This is not a firm that processes hundreds of cases and routes clients to case managers. Brett works directly with every client throughout the life of the case.

That approach has produced results. Since 2014, Brett has recovered over $25 million in verdicts and settlements for clients throughout South Florida, including a $900,000 motor vehicle accident settlement, a $1,525,000 auto negligence settlement, and a $1,850,000 recovery in a car-versus-pedestrian case. When insurers dig in, Brett takes cases to trial. A recent example: the defense in a sexual assault case against a recovery center offered $20,000. Brett tried the case. The jury returned a $2,600,000 verdict. That willingness to litigate changes the negotiation dynamic entirely.

Brett earned his law degree cum laude from the University of Miami School of Law and began his career as an Assistant Public Defender in Miami-Dade County, where he tried over 25 cases to verdict. He successfully argued a motion to suppress evidence that was later upheld by the United States Supreme Court. That trial foundation matters in personal injury cases because insurers know which lawyers will actually go to court. Brett holds a 10.0 Superb rating on AVVO, a 10.0 rating on Justia, and has been recognized as a Florida Super Lawyer every year since 2015. He is “AV” rated by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating that organization awards.

Common Causes and Liability Issues in Palm Beach Gardens Intersection Crashes

• Distracted driving at signalized intersections: Drivers checking phones, adjusting GPS, or eating frequently miss red lights entirely. At busy intersections like PGA Boulevard and Alternate A1A, even a one-second distraction at traffic speed can mean a driver enters an intersection well after the light has changed.
• Speeding through stale yellow lights: Drivers who accelerate rather than stop when a light turns yellow often enter intersections on red. This is especially common on Northlake Boulevard and along Donald Ross Road, where speed limits are higher and drivers sometimes treat yellows as a cue to accelerate.
• Commercial vehicle and delivery driver violations: Drivers under delivery pressure or on tight schedules have elevated rates of traffic signal violations. When a commercial vehicle runs a red light, both the driver and the employer may bear liability.
• Impaired driving: Alcohol and drug impairment significantly degrade the reaction time needed to recognize and stop for a changing signal. When a DUI investigation follows a red light crash, the evidence gathered by law enforcement can strengthen a civil injury claim.
• Malfunctioning or poorly timed signals: When a traffic signal itself malfunctions or is programmed with inadequate timing for intersection traffic volume, the government entity responsible for that signal may share liability. These cases require specific notice procedures under Florida law and move on separate tracks from driver-liability claims.
• Failure to yield during a turning phase: Left-turn drivers who misjudge oncoming traffic and proceed through a protected red phase are a distinct category of red light violators. These crashes frequently occur at intersections with separate turn signals where drivers confuse signal phases.

What to Do Right After a Red Light Collision in Palm Beach Gardens

The actions you take in the hours and days after a red light crash have a direct effect on what your case is worth and how difficult it is to prove liability. Call 911 immediately if you have not already. The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department investigates traffic collisions within city limits, while the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office handles crashes in unincorporated areas nearby. Getting an officer to the scene means a formal crash report gets generated, which creates an official record of the traffic control information and any witness statements gathered at the scene.

Request a copy of that crash report as soon as it is available. You can typically obtain one through the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office or Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, depending on where the crash occurred. The report will include the officer’s observations about which driver violated the signal, any citations issued, and contact information for witnesses. This document is often the starting point for an insurance claim and any subsequent litigation.

If you are physically able, photograph the intersection, the position of the vehicles, any visible signal lights, skid marks, and your injuries before leaving the scene. Red light camera footage is time-sensitive. Palm Beach Gardens and surrounding jurisdictions operate automated traffic enforcement systems at various intersections, and that footage may be overwritten or purged on a short cycle. Your attorney can issue a preservation demand to the relevant municipality immediately after being retained.

Seek medical attention the same day, even if your symptoms seem manageable. Some of the most serious injuries from broadside impacts, including spinal injuries and traumatic brain injuries, do not produce obvious symptoms immediately. A gap in medical treatment is one of the first things insurers point to when disputing the severity of a claim. Treat at a hospital, urgent care facility, or your primary physician, and follow every referral and treatment recommendation you receive.

Florida has a statute of limitations for personal injury claims, and missing that deadline means losing the right to recover entirely. Preserve every bill, every explanation of benefits from your health insurer, every piece of correspondence with the at-fault driver’s insurance company, and every record of missed work. Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer before speaking with a Palm Beach Gardens red light accident attorney.

Questions Readers Ask About Red Light Accident Claims

What evidence proves that the other driver ran the red light?

The strongest evidence is video, either from a red light camera operated by the municipality or from private sources like dashcams, nearby business security cameras, or residential doorbells. Police reports that include witness statements or officer observations also carry weight. Skid mark analysis can show whether the at-fault driver braked at all before impact. In some cases, accident reconstruction experts use vehicle data recorders, also called black boxes, to establish the speed and braking behavior of commercial vehicles in the moments before the crash.

Does it matter if I did not get a police report at the scene?

A police report makes the case easier to build, but its absence does not eliminate your claim. Witness testimony, video footage, and physical evidence from the scene can still establish fault. If you were injured and left the scene without a report being taken, contact an attorney promptly so that other evidence can be preserved before it disappears.

Can I recover if I was partially at fault for the crash?

Florida applies a modified comparative fault standard, which means your recovery is reduced in proportion to your share of fault. If you bear more than 50 percent of the fault, you are barred from recovering. For crashes below that threshold, your damages are simply reduced by the percentage assigned to you. The defense will often argue that you were speeding or failed to look, so the value of strong liability evidence is significant.

Will the other driver’s insurance company accept fault if a red light camera captured the crash?

Not necessarily. Insurers often dispute red light camera footage by questioning whether the camera angle clearly shows the signal state, whether the timestamp is accurate, or whether the image resolution supports their insured’s position. Even with video evidence, a negotiation process follows before any settlement offer is made. The presence of strong evidence accelerates that process and affects the range of what the insurer will offer, but it rarely produces an immediate, full-value offer without advocacy.

What if the at-fault driver had minimum insurance coverage?

Florida requires drivers to carry property damage liability coverage, but personal injury protection requirements and bodily injury liability requirements have specific structures that may limit what you can recover directly from the at-fault driver’s policy. If the at-fault driver’s coverage is insufficient for your injuries, your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage becomes important. Reviewing your own policy as part of the claims process is something an attorney handling your case will do from the beginning.

How long does a red light accident case typically take to resolve in Palm Beach County?

Cases that settle without litigation often resolve within several months of the claimant reaching maximum medical improvement, a point at which the full extent of the injury is known. Cases that involve disputed liability, catastrophic injuries, or insurers who refuse to make reasonable offers take longer. If a lawsuit is filed, the Palm Beach County civil court docket and the complexity of the case both affect timing. Cases that go to trial often take a year or more from filing. There is no single timeline that applies to all cases.

Can I bring a claim if a red light runner killed a family member?

Yes. Florida’s wrongful death statute allows surviving family members to pursue a claim when a loved one is killed by another driver’s negligence. Eligible claimants and the categories of recoverable damages are defined by statute and depend on the relationship to the deceased. Surviving spouses, children, and parents may all have standing depending on the circumstances. Wrongful death cases involve specific procedural requirements and should be handled by an attorney from the outset.

What happens if the red light runner was driving a government vehicle?

Claims against government entities, including local municipalities and county agencies, involve different procedural rules than claims against private drivers. Florida law requires that notice of a claim be filed with the appropriate government entity within a defined period before a lawsuit can proceed. Missing that notice requirement can bar the claim entirely. If a government vehicle was involved in your crash, contact an attorney immediately.

Is it worth hiring an attorney if my injuries seem minor?

What appears minor immediately after a crash sometimes turns out to be more significant once imaging and specialist evaluations are completed. Soft tissue injuries, concussions, and certain spinal injuries do not always produce their full symptom profile in the first 48 to 72 hours. Before accepting any settlement offer from an insurer, consulting with an attorney allows you to understand whether the offer reflects the full value of your claim, including future treatment costs that have not yet been incurred.

Can I still pursue a claim if I was not wearing a seatbelt?

Seatbelt use is relevant to the damages calculation in Florida. The defense may argue that certain injuries would not have occurred or would have been less severe if a seatbelt had been worn. This goes to the comparative fault analysis and can reduce what you recover, but it does not eliminate the claim entirely. The at-fault driver remains responsible for the crash regardless of whether the victim was belted.

What should I do if the insurer contacts me before I have an attorney?

Do not give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurer before speaking with an attorney. You are not legally required to give that statement, and anything you say will be used to build arguments against your claim. Politely decline and let the insurer know that you will be represented by counsel. Once an attorney enters the case, all communication goes through that attorney.

Red Light Accident Attorney Serving Palm Beach Gardens and Surrounding Communities

Steinberg Law, P.A. represents red light accident victims from offices in both Delray Beach and Palm Beach Gardens, making the firm directly accessible to clients throughout the region. Brett Steinberg handles cases from across Palm Beach Gardens, including the Alton, PGA National, Mirasol, BallenIsles, Frenchman’s Reserve, and Harbour Oaks communities. The firm also serves clients from nearby Jupiter, Juno Beach, North Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, West Palm Beach, Lake Park, and Palm Beach Shores.

Further south, the firm extends its representation to clients in Lake Worth Beach, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach, and throughout the I-95 and Turnpike corridors that connect these communities. Clients from as far north as Port St. Lucie and as far south as Fort Lauderdale and Miami regularly work with the firm on personal injury matters. Whether the crash happened at a Palm Beach Gardens intersection or on a connector road between municipalities, Steinberg Law handles cases across Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties and throughout the state of Florida.

Talk to a Palm Beach Gardens Red Light Accident Attorney Today

Red light crashes produce serious injuries and contested liability situations. The evidence that resolves those disputes, whether traffic camera footage, witness contact information, or physical documentation from the scene, has a short shelf life. Steinberg Law, P.A. handles these cases on a contingency fee basis: no upfront costs, and no fee unless Brett secures compensation for you. A Palm Beach Gardens red light accident attorney at the firm will review the facts of your crash, explain your legal options honestly, and tell you what your claim is actually worth. Call for a free one-hour consultation and get direct answers from Brett Steinberg himself.