Personal Injury Lawyers in West Melbourne, FL

No, and the difference is the whole point of the city. West Melbourne incorporated on September 11, 1959 specifically so the area would NOT be annexed into Melbourne. It has its own city government and its own police department. For an injury case the distinction is practical: it determines which department wrote your crash report and which city's records we pull. Locals blur the two names in conversation; the paperwork never does.

Inside city limits, the West Melbourne Police Department, a fully independent, state-accredited department of 52 sworn officers headquartered at 2290 Minton Road. On I-95 (Exit 180 serves the city), it's the Florida Highway Patrol. Crash reports come from whichever agency worked the scene, and West Melbourne PD has its own records process. We identify the right agency and pull the report as a first step.

For most Florida crash and injury claims caused by someone else's carelessness, you generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit. Florida shortened that deadline from four years to two, and the change applies to crashes after March 24, 2023. If your crash happened on or before that date, the older four-year deadline may still apply, which means some 2022 and early 2023 crashes are still within the window today. Deadlines also work differently for claims against a city, county, or state agency, which require written notice to the agency before any lawsuit, and for wrongful death and defective product claims. Do not assume a child's claim gets extra time, because in most Florida injury cases it does not. Don't assume you're too late either. Call us and we'll check your date for free.

A second clock runs on your own insurance. Florida's no-fault law requires your first medical visit occur within 14 days of the crash to use your PIP benefits. Miss that window and your own insurance can deny the coverage you already pay for. PIP pays 80 percent of covered bills, up to $10,000 in combined medical and disability benefits when a qualified provider finds you had an emergency medical condition, and only up to $2,500 when no one makes that finding. An ER visit, a walk-in clinic, or your own doctor all qualify. Go get checked, even if you feel okay.

These timelines cover car crash and other injury claims based on someone's carelessness. Medical malpractice, wrongful death, claims against government agencies, and claims involving a defective product follow their own separate rules and deadlines. If your situation is one of those, call us and we'll tell you which deadline applies.

Serious injury claims over $50,000 are filed as circuit civil cases, and in Brevard County that means the Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Justice Center in Viera, no matter where in the county your accident happened. West Melbourne having its own police doesn't change the court: civil justice in Brevard is countywide. Brevard has other courthouse buildings, including the historic courthouse in Titusville, which today handles county civil matters plus probate and guardianship, and the Melbourne branch courthouse, which handles juvenile cases. If your injury case goes to court, Viera is where it will be heard, and we prepare every case as if a Viera jury will hear it.

The consultation costs nothing. Injury cases run on a contingency fee set in a written fee agreement under Florida Bar rules, and you owe no attorney fee unless we recover for you. Three things come out of any settlement before money reaches you: the attorney fee, case costs, and repayment of medical bills or liens, like hospital or health-insurance liens. At Douglas R. Beam, P.A. there is no attorney fee if no recovery. Clients can be responsible for costs if there is no recovery. The number that matters is your net, which is why lien reduction is real legal work; negotiating medical liens down often changes your net more than any other single step. Ask any lawyer you interview to walk through that math.