Serious injuries from car crashes, slip-and-falls, golf cart accidents, and insurer bad faith, handled by attorneys who actually take your call. Two offices in Clermont and The Villages.
If you’ve been hurt in Lake, Sumter, Marion, Orange, or Polk County because of someone else’s negligence, BCN Law Firm represents injured people in personal injury cases across Central Florida. Our attorneys handle car accidents, golf cart crashes, bicycle and pedestrian accidents, slip-and-fall injuries on commercial property, wrongful death claims, and disputes with insurance carriers that deny or underpay legitimate claims. We work on a contingency basis, and you owe nothing unless we recover compensation. Most consultations happen within 24 hours by phone, video, or at our Clermont or The Villages offices.
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The decisions you make in the first three days often shape the outcome of your claim. Insurance adjusters know this. Here’s what to do, and what not to do, right now.
Each case below has its own dedicated page with details on Florida law, what to expect, and how we approach it. Click any card to learn more.
Florida’s negligence rules changed substantially in 2023, and the trend has been to make recovery harder for injured people. Here’s what changed and how it affects your case.
Florida made it harder to recover after an injury in 2023. Deadlines are tighter, fault rules are stricter, and insurance carriers have adjusted accordingly. The earlier you involve an attorney, the more options you’ll have.
Be honest: there is no settlement calculator on the internet that will tell you what your case is worth. The number depends on factors a calculator can’t see, the strength of liability evidence, the severity and permanence of your injuries, your future earning loss, whether the at-fault party has insurance, and how aggressive their carrier is willing to be. Cases generally turn on three categories of damages.
Why a low first offer doesn’t mean a low final number. Insurance carriers’ first offers in Central Florida personal injury cases are routinely a fraction of the eventual settlement. Their adjusters are paid to close cases cheaply and quickly. Your job (and ours) is to build the file (medical, vocational, expert) until the claim is documented at full value.
Personal injury cases don’t happen overnight. Here’s the typical path with us, and the timing you can expect at each stage.
Legal Team Ready to Fight for Your Rights
Wade Boyette, J.D., LLM, was born in Estill, South Carolina, in 1967 and has been a prominent figure in Lake County since 1994.
Heath B. Nailos, J.D. was born in 1969 in Atlanta, Georgia, and has resided in Florida since 1978. He received his B.A. in History from the University of South Florida in 1992 and his J.D. Degree from Stetson University College of Law in 1995.
Mrs. Nailos has practiced law in Central Florida since 1996, and is a member of The Florida Bar, and the Lake County Bar Association and is admitted to practice in the Middle District of Florida and all State Courts in Florida.
Ken Costello is an associate at Boyette, Cummins & Nailos, PLLC. His practice focuses on real estate, civil litigation, bankruptcy, debt defense, estate planning and probate.
Ms. Bottex earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Stetson University and Master of Arts degree in Human Resources Development from Webster University.
Was born in 1938 in Louisville, Kentucky. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Alabama in 1963 and a J.D. Degree from the University of Alabama in 1967.
Travis J. Stulz is a seasoned Florida personal-injury attorney representing clients across Central Florida, including Orlando, Winter Garden, Clermont, Ocoee, and The Villages.
Our Clients Appreciate Our Dedication and Expertise
Two offices, five counties, and clients across the I-75 and Florida Turnpike corridors. If you’ve been injured anywhere in Central Florida (or anywhere across the state of Florida), we’ll come to you when you can’t come to us.
Clermont, Leesburg, Tavares, Mount Dora, Eustis, Minneola, Groveland, Mascotte, Howey-in-the-Hills
The Villages, Wildwood, Bushnell, Sumterville, Coleman, Center Hill, Webster
Ocala, Belleview, Summerfield, Dunnellon
Orlando, Winter Garden, Apopka, Ocoee
Lakeland, Davenport, Haines City, Winter Haven
The questions we hear most often from injured Central Floridians. If yours isn’t here, call us.
For most negligence claims arising on or after March 24, 2023, you have two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit. Wrongful death claims also have a two-year deadline. Older cases (before March 24, 2023) typically have a four-year deadline. Medical malpractice and claims against government entities have shorter deadlines and special notice rules. When in doubt, call as early as possible.
No. You are under no legal obligation to give a recorded or written statement to the other driver’s insurance carrier. Doing so almost never helps your claim and frequently damages it. Speak to an attorney before any recorded contact. (You generally do owe a statement to your own carrier, but call us first so we can prepare.)
Almost never. First offers from insurance carriers are typically a fraction of a claim’s true value. Adjusters know that injured people without lawyers tend to underestimate the long-term impact of their injuries. Once you sign a release, the case is closed, even if your condition worsens.
There is no meaningful average. Settlements range from a few thousand dollars for minor soft-tissue claims to seven figures for catastrophic injuries. Value depends on liability strength, severity and permanence of injuries, available insurance limits, and quality of documentation. Anyone giving you a specific number without seeing your file is guessing.
We work on contingency. You pay nothing up front. We advance case expenses (medical records, expert fees, filing fees, depositions). If we recover compensation, our fee is a percentage of the recovery, and case costs are reimbursed from the settlement. If we don’t recover, you owe nothing.
Anywhere from a few months (clear liability, soft-tissue injuries, prompt resolution) to two-plus years (disputed liability, serious injuries, litigation through trial). Most cases settle in 6–18 months once your medical treatment stabilizes.
Under Florida’s modified comparative negligence rule (effective 2023), you can still recover if you are 50% or less at fault. Your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault. If you’re more than 50% at fault, you cannot recover. Determining fault is often contested; that’s where an attorney matters.
You can still recover. Florida law applies the “eggshell plaintiff” rule: a defendant takes the victim as they find them. If a crash aggravated a pre-existing back condition, the at-fault party is responsible for the aggravation. Document your pre-accident state and post-accident change clearly.
PIP (Personal Injury Protection) is the no-fault insurance every Florida driver must carry. It covers up to $10,000 in medical bills and lost wages regardless of fault. You must seek initial medical care within 14 days of the accident, or you forfeit your PIP benefits entirely. This is one of the most common (and most expensive) mistakes injured Floridians make.
Yes, under Florida’s Wrongful Death Act. The personal representative of the estate brings the claim, and damages are distributed among specifically defined survivors (spouse, minor children, sometimes parents and adult children). Damages can include lost support, lost services, mental pain and suffering, and medical and funeral expenses.
For a claim against a business, you must show the property owner had actual or constructive knowledge of the dangerous condition and failed to address it. Constructive knowledge often turns on how long the hazard was present; a spilled drink that just dropped is harder to use than a spill the store ignored for an hour. Witnesses, surveillance, and prior incident reports are critical.
Probably not. The vast majority of personal injury cases settle without trial. We file suit when carriers refuse to pay fair value, but even most filed cases settle before trial.
