South Florida Red Light Accident Lawyer

Red light violations are one of the most preventable causes of serious injury on South Florida roads, yet intersections across Palm Beach County continue to see crashes where a driver’s decision to run a red, roll through a stop, or speed up at a yellow changes everything for the person crossing legally. A South Florida red light accident lawyer handles the specific legal and evidentiary work that these cases demand, from pulling intersection camera footage before it is overwritten to confronting insurance adjusters who argue shared fault even when a driver blew through a signal at full speed.

What makes these crashes different from other motor vehicle accidents is the angle of impact. When a car enters an intersection against a red light, it almost always strikes another vehicle at a perpendicular or near-perpendicular angle, what most people call a T-bone or broadside collision. The doors of a passenger car offer far less structural protection than the front or rear, which means the occupants absorb the full force of the impact. Traumatic brain injuries, broken ribs, shattered pelvises, spinal fractures, and internal bleeding are common results. The medical journey that follows is often long and expensive, and the insurance disputes that accompany it are rarely simple.

Brett Steinberg and the team at Steinberg Law, P.A. represent people injured at intersections throughout South Florida, including in Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, and across Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties. If another driver ran a red light and hurt you, the path to full compensation starts with understanding how these cases are built and what it takes to win them.

What Steinberg Law Brings to a Red Light Accident Case

Brett Steinberg has recovered over $25 million in verdicts and settlements for injured clients across South Florida since opening Steinberg Law, P.A. in 2014. That track record matters in red light accident cases because these claims frequently become contested. The other driver’s insurance carrier may argue that the signal was yellow, not red, or that you entered the intersection at unsafe speed, or that the fault was shared. Brett has spent his career pushing back against exactly those kinds of arguments, including taking cases to trial when insurers refuse to offer fair value.

Before founding Steinberg Law, Brett served as an Assistant Public Defender in Miami-Dade County, where he tried over 25 cases to verdict. That courtroom foundation is not common among personal injury attorneys, and it shows in how cases get prepared from the first day. Brett approaches a red light accident claim the same way a trial lawyer approaches a case headed for a jury, gathering every piece of evidence, anticipating every defense argument, and building a record that holds up under cross-examination. He is AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell, has been recognized as a Florida Super Lawyer every year since 2015, and holds a 10.0 Superb rating on AVVO and a 10.0 on Justia. Those distinctions reflect both professional ability and ethical standards.

Steinberg Law handles every case on a contingency fee basis. Nothing is owed upfront, and no legal fees are charged unless the firm recovers compensation on your behalf.

The Types of Red Light Accident Claims We Handle in South Florida

• Broadside and T-bone collisions: The most common injury pattern in red light crashes, where the at-fault driver enters the intersection at speed and strikes the side of a legally crossing vehicle. These crashes often result in severe orthopedic injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and internal injuries due to the reduced lateral protection of a passenger car’s door panel.
• Pedestrian and bicyclist strikes at crosswalks: South Florida’s year-round pedestrian and cycling activity puts walkers and riders at serious risk when drivers run signals. A person legally crossing Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach or Palmetto Park Road in Boca Raton has no protection against a vehicle that has ignored a red light. Pedestrian and cyclist injury claims typically involve the most severe injuries and the most complex damages calculations.
• Rear-end collisions caused by red light runners: When a driver accelerates through a red light and strikes a vehicle that has stopped or is proceeding through on green, the rear or side of the stopped vehicle absorbs the impact. These crashes also occur when a driver behind a stopping vehicle fails to brake and pushes that vehicle into the intersection.
• Commercial vehicle and truck red light violations: A commercial truck or delivery vehicle running a red light creates catastrophic consequences due to the size and weight disparity. These claims involve not only the driver but often the employing company, the vehicle’s owner, and potentially parties responsible for the driver’s scheduling and fatigue management.
• Rideshare and delivery driver intersection accidents: Drivers for app-based rideshare and delivery platforms operate under time and earnings pressure that correlates with red light violations. These cases require careful work to identify which insurance policy applies at the moment of the crash, since rideshare and delivery companies maintain different coverage levels depending on the driver’s status at the time.
• Wrong-way and signal confusion crashes: In some intersections with complex signal phasing, particularly in areas undergoing road construction common throughout Palm Beach County, signal confusion contributes to intersection crashes. While the driver retains responsibility for obeying signals, additional parties including government entities responsible for road design may share liability.

How Red Light Accident Claims Are Actually Won in Florida

Florida operates under a comparative fault system, which means that even in a red light crash where the other driver clearly violated the signal, the opposing insurance company will look for any way to assign a portion of fault back to you. Perhaps they claim you were speeding, that you could have avoided the collision, or that your vehicle had a defective component that contributed to your injuries. These arguments, even when manufactured, can reduce your recovery if they are not aggressively countered.

The foundation of a strong red light accident claim is the evidence gathered in the hours and days immediately following the crash. Traffic camera footage is among the most valuable evidence available at South Florida intersections, and many municipalities in Palm Beach County operate red light cameras at key intersections under Florida’s Mark Wandall Traffic Safety Act, which governs automated intersection enforcement. That footage has retention periods that vary by location, meaning a delay in retaining a red light accident attorney in South Florida can mean that critical video is gone. Private surveillance from nearby businesses, dashcam footage, and data from the vehicles themselves including event data recorders can all corroborate what the camera did not capture.

Witness testimony matters too, but witnesses scatter quickly after crashes. A firm that moves fast sends someone to the scene, canvasses nearby businesses, and obtains recorded statements from bystanders before memories fade and contact information disappears. Beyond liability, the damages side of a red light crash requires its own thorough build. Medical records, treatment notes, physician opinions about future care needs, documentation of lost income, and evidence of diminished quality of life all go into a damages package that reflects what the crash actually cost you, not a lowball number designed to close the file.

What to Do After a Red Light Accident in South Florida

The actions taken in the first 24 to 72 hours after an intersection crash have a direct impact on the strength of any legal claim. At the scene, call law enforcement immediately. In Delray Beach, the Delray Beach Police Department will respond and prepare a crash report. In Palm Beach Gardens, that falls to the Palm Beach Gardens Police Department. For crashes on county roads or unincorporated areas, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office handles response. Request a copy of the crash report number, because Florida crash reports are filed with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and become a central piece of evidence in any claim.

Seek medical treatment immediately, even if you do not feel seriously injured at the scene. Florida’s Personal Injury Protection insurance, which is mandatory for registered vehicles in the state, requires you to seek treatment within 14 days of the accident to access your no-fault medical benefits. More importantly, traumatic brain injuries, internal bleeding, and soft tissue injuries frequently do not produce their most pronounced symptoms until hours or days after the crash. An emergency room evaluation at facilities such as Delray Medical Center or JFK University Medical Center in Atlantis creates a medical record that links your injuries to the crash, which matters when an insurer later tries to argue that your injuries predated the accident or were caused by something else.

Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company before speaking with a Florida red light accident attorney. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions that lead injured people to minimize their injuries, accept partial fault, or make statements that can be used to reduce the claim. Politely decline and consult with counsel first. Florida’s statute of limitations imposes a deadline on personal injury claims, and while that deadline gives you time to gather information and obtain representation, it is not unlimited. Contact Steinberg Law, P.A. early so that no evidence preservation opportunity is missed.

Questions About South Florida Red Light Accident Claims

How is fault established when one driver claims the light was yellow, not red?

Fault disputes over signal color are common and can be resolved through multiple forms of evidence. Traffic camera footage, red light camera records from the municipality, dashcam video, electronic event data from the vehicles, and eyewitness accounts all help reconstruct the signal state at the moment of impact. Accident reconstruction experts can also work backward from physical evidence including skid marks, vehicle damage, and final resting positions to establish speed and timing.

Does Florida’s no-fault insurance system limit what I can recover after a red light crash?

Florida requires drivers to carry Personal Injury Protection coverage, which pays a portion of medical bills and lost wages regardless of who caused the crash. However, PIP coverage has limits and does not compensate for pain and suffering. To pursue full compensation beyond PIP, including for non-economic damages, your injuries must meet Florida’s serious injury threshold. Injuries common in red light T-bone crashes, such as fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and permanent impairment, typically meet that threshold.

Can I pursue a claim if the driver who ran the red light was uninsured?

Uninsured motorist coverage on your own policy becomes the primary avenue for recovery when the at-fault driver has no insurance. Florida does not require uninsured motorist coverage, but if you opted into it, your own insurer steps into the shoes of the at-fault driver and your case proceeds similarly to a standard third-party claim. If you did not carry UM coverage, other avenues including pursuing the driver personally or identifying additional liable parties may still exist.

What happens if a red light camera issued a citation to the other driver? Does that help my case?

A red light camera citation to the at-fault driver is useful supporting evidence, but it does not automatically establish civil liability. Civil cases and traffic enforcement operate under different legal standards. The citation can support your account of events and creates a record that the driver was identified as the signal violator, but your attorney will need to build the civil liability case independently using the full range of available evidence.

Can I file a claim if I was a passenger in the car that was struck?

Yes. Passengers injured in red light crashes have claims against the driver who ran the signal, and potentially against the driver of the vehicle they were riding in if that driver contributed to the crash. As a passenger, you are typically not assigned fault, which simplifies the comparative fault analysis considerably. You can pursue compensation for all of your injuries, lost income, and other damages.

What if the red light crash happened at an intersection where the signal timing has been reported as problematic?

If a government entity responsible for maintaining or programming a traffic signal knew or should have known that signal timing was creating dangerous conditions and failed to act, there may be a claim against that entity. Government liability claims in Florida involve specific notice requirements and procedural rules that differ from standard personal injury claims. An attorney needs to evaluate whether the intersection had a documented history of complaints or crashes that would support such a claim.

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

Resolution timelines vary based on injury severity, the liability dispute, and whether the case settles or goes to trial. Cases involving clear liability and injuries that reach maximum medical improvement relatively quickly may resolve within months. Cases involving severe or permanent injuries, disputed fault, or insurers who refuse to negotiate seriously can extend over a year or more. The Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, which covers Palm Beach County, handles civil litigation for cases that proceed to suit, and court scheduling affects timelines as well.

My injuries did not appear serious at the scene, but I developed significant problems days later. Does that affect my claim?

Delayed symptom onset is extremely common after intersection crashes due to adrenaline, inflammation patterns, and the nature of certain injuries like concussions and soft tissue damage. The key is to seek medical attention as soon as symptoms appear and to connect that treatment clearly to the accident. Documentation of when symptoms began and how they progressed matters. Gaps in treatment, however, are sometimes used by insurers to argue that the injuries either were not serious or were caused by something unrelated to the crash. Prompt and consistent medical care protects both your health and your claim.

Is it possible to recover damages for a vehicle that was totaled in a red light crash?

Yes. Property damage to your vehicle is a separate and recoverable component of a Florida accident claim. If the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier disputes the actual cash value of your vehicle or attempts to low-ball the estimate, you have the right to challenge that valuation. Your attorney can assist with property damage disputes as part of the overall representation.

What if the driver who ran the red light was cited for DUI at the scene?

A DUI citation or arrest at the scene may open the door to punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages in Florida. Punitive damages are intended to punish conduct that is grossly negligent or willful and wanton. Florida law places procedural and substantive requirements on punitive damage claims, but a driver who was intoxicated and ran a red light presents a fact pattern that warrants a careful evaluation of whether those additional damages are appropriate in your case.

Steinberg Law Serves Red Light Accident Victims Across South Florida

From Delray Beach and Boca Raton through Boynton Beach and into West Palm Beach, Steinberg Law, P.A. represents people injured at intersections throughout the South Florida region. The firm’s offices in Delray Beach and Palm Beach Gardens place the legal team in the middle of the communities it serves. That geographic reach extends north through Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and the communities along the Treasure Coast, and south through Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and into Miami-Dade County.

Within Palm Beach County, the firm regularly serves clients from Lake Worth Beach, Greenacres, Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Lake Clarke Shores, Lantana, Manalapan, Hypoluxo, Juno Beach, North Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, and Palm Beach itself. Clients from Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, Margate, Tamarac, Sunrise, and Plantation in Broward County are also well within the firm’s service area. Whether the crash happened on I-95, Federal Highway, Military Trail, Southern Boulevard, PGA Boulevard, or any of the intersection-dense commercial corridors throughout South Florida, Steinberg Law is positioned to handle the claim from investigation through resolution.

Talk to a South Florida Red Light Accident Attorney About Your Case

Intersection crashes caused by red light violations leave victims dealing with serious injuries, mounting medical expenses, and an insurance process that rarely moves quickly or fairly on its own. A South Florida red light accident attorney from Steinberg Law, P.A. can step in immediately to preserve evidence, communicate with insurers on your behalf, and build a claim that accounts for the full extent of what you have been through.

Brett Steinberg offers a free one-hour consultation to every client. There are no upfront fees, and the firm only recovers a fee if your case is successfully resolved. Contact Steinberg Law, P.A. to speak directly with Brett and get an honest assessment of what your claim is worth.