A Florida personal injury lawyer who knows how the other side builds its case
Dolina Lascaze began as a Broward County prosecutor and tried more than 40 criminal cases to verdict. She then spent about 19 years with a major insurance company, trying more than 30 civil cases and serving more than 14 years in leadership, where she supervised attorneys and leaders in two states and advised claims leadership. Today she uses that experience for injured people.
The consultation is free. Speaking with us does not obligate you to hire the firm.
From prosecutor to insurance leader to your lawyer
Most injury lawyers know the claim from the injured person's side. Dolina Lascaze has seen it from the courtroom, from inside the insurance company, and now from your side.
Prosecutor
Began her career as a Broward County prosecutor and tried more than 40 criminal cases to verdict.
Civil trial lawyer for the insurer
As a trial lawyer for a major insurance company, tried more than 30 civil cases to verdict.
Leader inside the carrier
More than 14 years in leadership for a major carrier, supervising attorneys and leaders in two states and advising claims and corporate leadership.
Your lawyer
Founded Lascaze Law to stand up to insurance companies for injured people. She builds your claim, deals with the adjusters, and pushes for fair compensation, ready to try the case if a fair resolution is not offered.
What it means to have her on your side
Once you hire Lascaze Law, the insurance company is no longer dealing with you alone. Dolina fights for injured people against the same kind of companies she once worked for, and she knows where their positions are strongest and where they are weakest.
- She takes on the insurance company. Calls, letters and recorded statements go through her, so you can focus on recovering.
- She builds the claim. Medical records, bills, lost income and evidence are gathered and organized to show the full impact of your injury.
- She pushes back on lowball offers. An early offer is not always a fair one, and she will tell you honestly whether a number reflects your damages.
- She prepares to try the case. If the insurer will not offer fair compensation, she is ready to take it to a jury.
A direct access firm built around you
Lascaze Law is a small, client centered firm. You work directly with your attorney.
Before you hire any injury lawyer, ask two questions: will I be able to speak with the attorney, and will someone explain the reasons behind each decision on my case? Billboards and television ads can make every firm look alike, but what matters is who actually handles your claim. At Lascaze Law, direct access to Dolina is where we start. Dolina also spent about 19 years on the insurance and defense side, so you have someone who knows how the other side thinks. Our goal is to earn your trust from the first call, so that you choose us right after an accident and feel confident recommending us to your family and friends.
You speak with the attorney
The lawyer who evaluates your case is the lawyer you call. You are not passed between departments to learn what is happening.
A small firm focused on you
Your claim is handled personally, with the same attention to detail Dolina gave the cases she tried and supervised.
Plain, honest answers
We explain your options in clear language, including when a claim may be worth less than you hoped or not worth pursuing.
Decisions are explained to you
When a decision is made about your case, such as how to respond to an offer, you hear it from your attorney, along with the reasons.
You stay informed
We keep you updated on your case and answer your questions, so you are not left guessing at a stressful time.
No lawyer can guarantee an outcome. Every case depends on its own facts and the law. Experience is not a prediction of results in your case.
What clients say about Lascaze Law
Real reviews from Google, shown as they were posted.
Reviews reflect individual clients' experiences. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in your case.
Hear from Dolina Lascaze
Watch a short introduction to how Dolina approaches injury cases and what you can expect when you call. A free consultation is the best way to talk about your own situation.
Schedule a free consultationCommon injuries after a Florida accident
Injuries from car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian and fall accidents are not all alike. How an injury is diagnosed and documented can shape a claim.
Whiplash and soft tissue injuries
Strains of the neck, back and shoulders are common in rear end crashes and may not hurt until days later.
Claim issue: Insurers often call these minor, so prompt and consistent treatment matters.
Back and neck injuries, herniated discs
An impact can bulge or rupture a spinal disc, sometimes causing pain, numbness or weakness in the arms or legs.
Claim issue: Imaging and a doctor's opinion on permanence can affect whether a car accident injury meets Florida's threshold (Florida Statutes 627.737).
Head injuries and concussions
A brain injury can happen without a skull fracture, with headaches, memory problems, dizziness or mood changes.
Claim issue: Symptoms can be subtle and delayed, so early medical records are important.
Broken bones and fractures
Fractures can require surgery, hardware, therapy and time away from work.
Claim issue: Future care and lasting limits are part of what a claim should account for.
Shoulder, knee and joint injuries
Torn ligaments, cartilage and rotator cuffs often follow a crash, a fall or being struck as a pedestrian.
Claim issue: Insurers may blame age related wear, so a clear medical link to the accident matters.
Spinal cord and catastrophic injuries
Paralysis and other life changing injuries can require care for many years.
Claim issue: Lifetime medical needs and lost earning capacity can make these among the most complex claims.
Scarring, burns and disfigurement
Lacerations, burns and other visible injuries can leave lasting physical and emotional effects.
Claim issue: Significant and permanent scarring is one way a car accident claim can meet Florida's threshold (Florida Statutes 627.737).
Emotional and psychological injuries
Anxiety, sleep problems, fear of driving and post traumatic stress can follow a serious accident.
Claim issue: Documented treatment helps show how the accident has affected your daily life.
Internal injuries
Organ damage and internal bleeding can be hidden at first, even when you feel able to walk away.
Claim issue: Get checked promptly, since delays can be used to question the connection to the crash.
Symptoms can appear hours or days later. See a doctor even if you feel fine. After a car accident, initial treatment generally must begin within 14 days for PIP benefits to apply. This is general information, not medical advice.
Car accident claims in Florida: no fault comes first
Florida is a no fault state for most car accident injuries. Your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage generally pays first, regardless of who caused the crash, but it comes with a short deadline and limits. Many people lose benefits simply because they waited to see a doctor.
- 14 day rule. Initial treatment generally must begin within 14 days of the accident for PIP benefits to apply (Florida Statutes 627.736).
- PIP limits. Generally 80 percent of reasonable medical expenses and 60 percent of lost income, up to $10,000 in total.
- Beyond PIP. To recover pain and suffering from an at fault driver, the injury generally must meet a statutory threshold, such as a permanent injury (Florida Statutes 627.737).
- If the other driver is uninsured or underinsured, your own UM coverage may apply (Florida Statutes 627.727).
- Shared fault. If you are found more than 50 percent responsible, you generally cannot recover damages (Florida Statutes 768.81).
Because Dolina spent about 19 years on the insurance side of these claims, she knows how fault, medical records and policy limits are examined. See the Florida law section for sources, or the FAQ for common questions.
Talk to a personal injury lawyer
When the vehicle, or the victim, changes the case
The same negligence rules apply, but the facts, the insurance and the injuries can be very different.
Truck accidents
Commercial crashes can involve a driver, a trucking company and a cargo or maintenance party. Evidence such as driver logs and vehicle data can disappear if it is not requested promptly.
Motorcycle accidents
Riders often suffer severe injuries, and insurers may argue the rider shared the blame. Careful documentation of the scene and treatment is important.
Rideshare accidents
Coverage can depend on whether the driver had the app on, was waiting for a request or was carrying a passenger. Preserve your trip records and screenshots.
Pedestrians and cyclists
People outside a vehicle are often seriously hurt. PIP and uninsured motorist coverage may be available even when you were not in a car, depending on your own policies and household.
This is general information. Which insurance applies depends on the facts and the policies involved.
Hurt on someone else's property
Property owners and managers must take reasonable care to keep their premises safe. When they fail and someone is hurt, the question is usually what they knew or should have known.
In a slip and fall on a transitory foreign substance, such as a spill, inside a business, Florida requires the injured person to prove the business had actual or constructive knowledge of the hazard. Constructive knowledge can be shown when the condition existed long enough that ordinary care would have discovered it, or when it occurred regularly enough to be foreseeable (Florida Statutes 768.0755).
- Photograph the hazard and the area before it changes.
- Ask for an incident report and keep a copy.
- Write down names of witnesses and any employees you spoke with.
- Ask the business to preserve video footage as soon as possible.
Hurt by someone else's dog
Florida law makes a dog owner responsible when a dog bites a person in a public place or a person who is lawfully on private property, even if the dog had never bitten anyone before (Florida Statutes 767.04). The owner's responsibility can be reduced if the injured person's own negligence contributed, and a posted warning sign does not protect an owner when the victim is a child under 6.
In a dog bite case, we work fast to answer the practical question first: is there insurance? We identify the owner, look for homeowner's, renter's or umbrella coverage, and put the insurer on notice. If there is no coverage, we discuss whether the owner can be pursued personally and whether anyone else, such as a landlord, may share responsibility.
When a family loses someone because of another's negligence
In Florida a wrongful death action is brought by the personal representative of the person's estate, for the benefit of the survivors and the estate (Florida Statutes 768.20). Depending on the family relationship, recoverable damages can include lost support and services, loss of companionship and protection, mental pain and suffering for certain survivors, and medical and funeral expenses (Florida Statutes 768.21).
The filing deadline is generally two years from the date of death (Florida Statutes 95.11, subsection 5(e)). That is short when a family is grieving and managing an estate, so it helps to speak with a lawyer early.
Injured because of a city, county or state agency
Florida allows some claims against government, but with special rules that can end a claim if they are missed.
- Limited waiver. Sovereign immunity is waived only in limited circumstances (Florida Statutes 768.28), and the claim must meet strict requirements.
- Caps. Under subsection (5)(a), the government is not liable for more than $200,000 to any one person, or $300,000 for all claims arising from the same incident, unless the Legislature approves more through a claim bill. A 2026 bill to raise these limits, House Bill 145, was vetoed on June 30, 2026, so the limits have not changed.
- Written notice. Notice generally must be given to the agency and, for most state agencies, to the Department of Financial Services, within three years, before suit can be filed. Deadlines can differ for wrongful death.
These rules are technical. If a government vehicle, building or employee was involved, speak with a lawyer promptly.
What to do after a Florida accident
You may be stressed, in pain and unsure what comes next. These steps protect your health and your claim.
Get medical care
See a doctor or go to the emergency room. In a car accident, begin treatment within 14 days to keep PIP benefits available.
Report the crash
Florida requires a driver to report a crash involving injury or death, or apparent property damage of $2,000 or more (Florida Statutes 316.065). The threshold was $500 until October 1, 2026.
Document the scene
Take photos, collect witness names, and exchange insurance information. Keep your phone's photos and messages.
Be careful with statements
Do not guess about fault or minimize injuries. You may be asked for a recorded statement. Call us before you give one.
Keep your records
Save bills, receipts, pay stubs and a short daily note about symptoms. They help show the real impact of your injury.
Follow your treatment plan
Missed appointments and gaps in care are often used to argue an injury was not serious.
Call us early
Call Lascaze Law at (305) 473-7858 before you sign a release or accept an offer. The first call is free.
The statutes behind your claim
Each rule below links to the official text from the Florida Legislature. Statute text reflects the 2026 Florida Statutes, reviewed on October 4, 2026. Laws change, so verify before relying on them.
Deadlines to file
Negligence actions generally have a two year limit for claims that arose after March 24, 2023. Wrongful death actions also have two years. Other claims, such as certain statutory claims, can have different periods.
What it means for you: Do not wait. A lawsuit filed after the deadline can be barred. Florida Statutes 95.11.
Comparative fault
Fault is divided by percentage. If you are found more than 50 percent responsible for your own injury, you generally cannot recover damages. The bar does not apply to medical negligence cases.
What it means for you: Insurers often argue shared fault to reduce or defeat a claim. Florida Statutes 768.81.
PIP (no fault) benefits
Your own PIP coverage generally pays 80 percent of reasonable medical expenses and 60 percent of lost income, up to $10,000, if you begin treatment within 14 days. Without an emergency medical condition determination, medical benefits are limited to $2,500.
What it means for you: See a doctor promptly after a car accident. Florida Statutes 627.736. PIP remains the law in Florida; legislative efforts to repeal it did not become law in 2026.
Pain and suffering threshold
For motor vehicle claims, non economic damages such as pain and suffering generally require a significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function, a permanent injury, significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement, or death.
What it means for you: The permanence of your injury can shape the value of a claim. Florida Statutes 627.737.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
Florida policies with bodily injury liability coverage must include UM coverage unless the named insured rejects it in writing. It can apply when the at fault driver has no insurance or too little.
What it means for you: Your own policy may be a source of recovery. Florida Statutes 627.727.
Evidence of medical expenses
In personal injury and wrongful death cases, the evidence a jury may hear about past and future medical expenses is limited, and claimants must make certain disclosures if they treated under a letter of protection.
What it means for you: How treatment is billed and documented can affect your case. Florida Statutes 768.0427.
Key Florida deadlines at a glance
| Situation | General rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Begin medical treatment for PIP | Within 14 days of the accident | Florida Statutes 627.736 |
| Negligence lawsuit (accrued after March 24, 2023) | Two years | Florida Statutes 95.11, subsection 5(a) |
| Wrongful death lawsuit | Two years | Florida Statutes 95.11, subsection 5(e) |
| Written notice of claim to a government agency | Within three years, subject to exceptions | Florida Statutes 768.28 |
Exceptions apply to every deadline. This table is general information, not legal advice about your case.
Dolina Lascaze, Esq.
Founding and Managing Attorney, Lascaze Law
Dolina began her legal career as a Broward County prosecutor, where she tried more than 40 criminal cases to verdict. Trying a case to verdict means preparing evidence, examining witnesses and presenting to a jury.
She then joined a major insurance company, where over about 19 years she tried more than 30 civil cases to verdict as a trial lawyer and held senior litigation and leadership positions, including more than 14 years in leadership. She supervised attorneys and leaders in two states and provided legal counsel to claims leadership. Her work involved evaluating, defending and resolving civil claims, including questions of liability, damages, settlement value and litigation risk.
With more than 20 years of legal experience, she founded Lascaze Law and now fights for accident victims throughout Florida, with deep ties to the South Florida community.
- Education: University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law (UF Levin College of Law)
- Criminal trials: More than 40 tried to verdict
- Civil trials: More than 30 tried to verdict as an insurance company trial lawyer
- In house insurance experience: About 19 years
- Experience: More than 20 years practicing law
- Leadership: More than 14 years in leadership for a major carrier, supervising attorneys and leaders in two states
Based in Aventura. Representing injured people across Florida.
Lascaze Law has one office, in Aventura in Miami-Dade County. We represent injured people in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties and throughout Florida, including crashes on I-95, the Florida Turnpike, US-1, Biscayne Boulevard and Collins Avenue. We do not maintain offices in the other cities listed below.
Miami-Dade County
Broward County
Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast
Elsewhere in Florida
A lawsuit is generally filed in the county where the accident happened or where the defendant lives (Florida Statutes 47.011), with other rules for companies. Do not see your city? Call. We represent injured people across the state.
Èske w pale Kreyòl?
Avoka Dolina Lascaze pale Kreyòl ak Anglè. Si w te blese nan yon aksidan, ou ka pale avè l nan lang ou. Konsiltasyon an gratis.
Li paj sa a an KreyòlPersonal injury questions Floridians ask
General information only. Your situation may be different, and a consultation is free.
Do I need a lawyer after a minor car accident in Florida?
Not every accident requires a lawyer, but injuries are not always obvious on the day of the crash, and Florida's no fault system has a strict deadline: initial medical treatment generally must begin within 14 days for your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits to apply (Florida Statutes 627.736). A free consultation can help you decide whether you need representation or can handle the claim yourself.
How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in Florida?
For negligence claims that arose after March 24, 2023, Florida generally allows two years to file a lawsuit (Florida Statutes 95.11, subsection 5(a)). A wrongful death action also has a two year period under subsection 5(e). Claims against government agencies follow different notice rules under Florida Statutes 768.28. Exceptions exist, so do not wait to find out which deadline applies to you.
What happens if I was partly at fault for the accident?
Florida uses modified comparative fault. Your recovery is generally reduced by your percentage of responsibility, and if you are found more than 50 percent at fault you generally cannot recover damages (Florida Statutes 768.81, subsection 6). The 50 percent bar does not apply to medical negligence claims. Fault is often disputed, which is one reason evidence matters early.
Should I talk to the other driver's insurance company?
Generally you are not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer, although you do have duties to cooperate with your own insurance company. Adjusters work for the insurer, and what you say can be used when they evaluate your claim. Consider speaking with a lawyer before giving a recorded statement or signing anything.
What is PIP, and how does it affect my claim?
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is the no fault coverage on your own policy. It generally pays 80 percent of reasonable medical expenses and 60 percent of lost income, up to $10,000, and initial treatment must begin within 14 days. Without a determination of an emergency medical condition, medical benefits are limited to $2,500 (Florida Statutes 627.736). To recover pain and suffering from an at fault driver, your injury generally must meet a statutory threshold, such as a permanent injury (Florida Statutes 627.737).
What if the other driver has no insurance or not enough?
Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM) coverage may apply. Florida insurers must offer it unless the named insured rejects it in writing, and it can cover situations where the at fault driver's limits are less than your total damages (Florida Statutes 627.727). Check your policy declarations page and bring it to your consultation.
What damages can I recover after a Florida car accident?
Depending on the facts, damages can include past and future medical expenses, lost income, and, when the legal threshold is met, pain and suffering. Florida also limits the evidence a jury may hear about the amount of medical bills in many cases (Florida Statutes 768.0427), so how treatment is documented and paid for matters. No lawyer can promise a particular recovery.
How does a personal injury lawyer decide what my case is worth?
There is no formula. Value depends on liability evidence, the seriousness and permanence of the injuries, medical records and costs, lost income, any shared fault, available insurance, and the risk of trial. Dolina Lascaze spent about 19 years evaluating civil claims on the insurance side, which informs how she assesses these factors for injured clients. She will not promise a number.
Should I accept the insurance company's settlement offer?
An early offer may be lower than the full value of a claim, especially before the extent of your injuries is known. A signed release generally ends the claim permanently, even if your condition worsens later. Before you accept an offer or sign a release, speak with an attorney about whether it fairly reflects your damages.
Does Lascaze Law handle cases outside Miami?
Yes. Lascaze Law represents injured people throughout Florida. The firm's only office is in Aventura, in Miami-Dade County. Call or message the firm to discuss your situation and how your case can be handled wherever the accident happened.
What does a consultation cost, and how do fees work?
The personal injury consultation is free. The firm's personal injury cases carry no attorney fees unless there is a recovery. Ask during your consultation how case costs are handled.
Talk to a personal injury lawyer. It is free.
Tell us what happened. We will listen, explain your options, and answer your questions. There is no obligation.
Lascaze Law
20200 W. Dixie Hwy, Suite 902
Aventura, FL 33180
Phone: (305) 473-7858
Email: info@lascazelaw.com
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM