Personal Injury

Since our founding in 1971, Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, has focused exclusively on the representation of personal injury and wrongful death victims in Southwest Florida.

Statewide attorneys advertise here. Many local lawyers accept personal injury cases while also focusing their practice on other areas of law. At Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, our Lee County personal injury lawyers raise our families here and work alongside Bruce L. Scheiner, wife Cheryl Scheiner, and son Preston J. Scheiner, who has spent more than a decade building a reputation as a personal injury and wrongful death trial attorney throughout Florida. We believe our exclusive focus on personal injury and wrongful death litigation in Southwest Florida best serves our clients.

Bordered by Charlotte, Glades, Collier and Hendry counties, Lee County is home to the tourist islands of Sanbiel, Captiva and Fort Myers Beach, as well as several nationally protected areas, including the Caloosahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, the Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge and the Pine Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Traffic accidents are by far the most common type of claim, as Lee County continues to deal with explosive growth, which has seen the population more than double to 800,000 people in recent years. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office reports more than 100 people a year are killed in Lee County traffic collisions. Bicycle and pedestrian accidents are of particular concern, as they account for about 25 percent of all traffic deaths.

Other types of Lee County personal injury claims include:

• Premises liability
• Construction accidents
• Aviation accidents
• Boating accidents
• Dog bites
• Defective products
• Nursing home neglect and abuse
• Medical malpractice
• Sexual assault or abuse claims
• Swimming pool/drowning

Most lawsuits stemming from traffic crashes will be made as a negligence claim under Florida tort law, as outlined under Florida Statute 768. However, other types of injury claims are often much more complex and may include property laws, vicariously liability, strict liability, or involve specific legal and statutory requirements, as is the case with medical malpractice claims or claims against a city, county or other government entity.

Your Lee County personal injury lawyer must be experienced in each of these areas of law, as well as in proving the full extent of your damages, which could include medical bills, lost wages, property damage, cost of rehabilitation and compensation for pain and suffering or disability. At Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, our exclusive focus on personal injury and wrongful death litigation has allowed us to build relationships with some of the leading legal and medical experts in their field, as well as more than 50 staff members dedicated to securing justice for the injured and their families.

These cases also frequently involve multiple defendants, such as an at-fault driver and his employer, or a business and property owner. Identifying all responsible parties is critical to obtaining the compensation an injury victim needs and deserves. In cases of serious or fatal injury, a lone defendant may not have the insurance coverage or resources to offer full compensation. And, since abolishing joint and several liability in 2006, each defendant may only be held responsible for a share of total damages. Traditionally, joint and several liability rendered each defendant at fault liable for the entire judgment awarded to plaintiff, regardless of each party’s percentage of fault.

In 2006, Florida tort law was amended to recognize comparative fault in negligence claims under Florida Statute 768.81. The law now reduces plaintiff awards in cases where they are found partially responsible for their own injuries, and holds individual defendants only proportionately accountable, depending on their degree of liability.

Consequently, failure of your Lee County personal injury lawyer to identify all at-fault parties and their associated insurance companies, can significantly reduce your ability to collect damages.

If you or someone you care about has been hurt, contact the Lee County injury lawyers at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured. You pay us no fees unless we win.