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Last reviewed: October 2026
West Palm Beach Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers
They chose to drink. They chose to drive. You're the one in the hospital. Drunk driving crashes are different in Florida law — different damages, different leverage, and punitive damages the usual caps don't protect. Shiner Law Group makes impaired drivers and their insurers pay what these cases truly warrant, with no fee unless we win.
Hit by a Drunk Driver in West Palm Beach? The Law Treats This Differently
NHTSA data counts roughly 13,000 alcohol-impaired driving deaths a year nationally — about a third of all traffic deaths, one roughly every 39 minutes. West Palm Beach concentrates the risk the way county seats do: Clematis Street and downtown emptying out at 2 a.m., arena and event crowds, and the same I-95 and Okeechobee corridors everyone else is driving home on.
Florida law answers impaired driving with weapons ordinary crash victims don't get. A drunk driving crash is the classic case for punitive damages — punishment, not just compensation — and Florida law exempts intoxication cases from its usual punitive damage caps (Fla. Stat. § 768.736). The criminal case runs separately: a conviction helps your civil claim enormously, but you don't need one, because the civil burden of proof is lower. And when the drunk driver carries minimal coverage — they often do — your own UM coverage and, in the right facts, a dram shop claim against the bar that served them add recovery sources.
Shiner Law Group builds these cases on the full record — the crash report, BAC evidence, bar receipts, and witnesses — from our office on Belvedere Road. You pay nothing unless we win.
Why West Palm Beach Crash Victims Choose Shiner
Hit by a Drunk Driver? Make It Cost Them What It Should.
Evidence disappears quickly — camera footage is overwritten, records are gathered by the defense, and witnesses move on. Call now for a free case review, available 24/7.
What to Do After a Drunk Driving Crash — Step by Step
The steps you take in the first hours and days can make or break your claim.
Get to Safety and Call 911
Report injuries and request police at the scene. The crash report documents key facts - and what you tell the officer for that report is protected by Florida's accident report privilege.
Photograph Everything
Vehicles, damage, plates, skid marks, debris, traffic signals, and your visible injuries. Wide shots and close-ups both help.
Exchange Information & Identify Witnesses
Names, phone numbers, insurance and license details - and contact information for witnesses. Note nearby businesses that may have camera footage.
Seek Medical Care Right Away
Same day if possible. Prompt treatment protects your health - and for crash victims using PIP benefits, Florida requires initial treatment within 14 days.
Do Not Give a Recorded Statement
Decline recorded statements and do not sign anything from the other side's insurer before speaking with an attorney.
Call Shiner Law Group
(561) 368-3363. We preserve evidence, handle the insurers, and pursue full compensation. Free consultation, 24/7, statewide.
Florida Law After a Drunk Driving Crash
Three rules decide Florida crash claims — and all three have traps.
PIP & the 14-Day Rule (Fla. Stat. § 627.736)
Your own policy's $10,000 PIP pays initial medical benefits regardless of fault — but only if you seek treatment within 14 days of the crash. Delay costs you the benefit and hands the defense a gap-in-treatment argument.
Serious Injuries Unlock Full Claims (Fla. Stat. § 95.11)
Beyond PIP's threshold — significant and permanent injuries — you can pursue the at-fault driver for all damages including pain and suffering, within Florida's two-year deadline.
UM/UIM: The Coverage That Saves Cases
Florida leads the nation in uninsured drivers. Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on your own policies fills the gap — and stacking can multiply it. We map every policy in your household.
Impaired Driving, By the Numbers
Alcohol-impaired driving kills more than 12,000 people a year nationally, according to NHTSA — and FLHSMV’s 2024 crash report counts 326 alcohol-confirmed crashes in Palm Beach County alone.
12,000+ Deaths a Year
Alcohol-impaired driving crashes kill more than 12,000 people a year in the United States — roughly three in ten traffic deaths.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
326 Confirmed in Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County recorded 326 alcohol-confirmed crashes and 14 deaths in 2024. Confirmed counts understate the problem: impairment is recorded only when it is tested and documented.
4,885 Statewide
Florida logged 4,885 alcohol-confirmed crashes and 323 deaths in 2024 — nearly one fatal alcohol crash a day.
Where Drunk Driving Crashes Happen Here
Impaired crashes track nightlife, events, and the corridors home.
We canvass the route backward — from the crash to the last drink.
Clematis & Downtown
Bar crowds meeting the drive home - the 1-3 a.m. pattern
Okeechobee Blvd
The county's most dangerous arterial, worse after midnight
I-95 Wrong-Way & Speed
Impaired drivers at interstate speeds - the catastrophic cases
Southern Blvd & the Airport Strip
Hotel bars and late arrivals
Event Nights
Arena, amphitheater, and stadium crowds dispersing at once
Neighborhood Cut-Throughs
Impaired drivers avoiding main roads - and hitting what's there
Crash Injuries We Represent
- Whiplash and cervical spine injuries
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussion
- Herniated and bulging discs
- Broken bones and fractures
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Internal organ injuries and bleeding
- Shoulder and knee injuries
- Facial injuries and dental damage
- PTSD and psychological trauma
- Wrongful death
What Can You Recover?
Medical Expenses
Emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, medication, and future medical needs
Lost Wages
Income lost during recovery plus reduced future earning capacity
Pain & Suffering
Physical pain and emotional distress — the human cost of the injury
Loss of Enjoyment of Life
The activities, hobbies, and independence your injuries take away
Wrongful Death Damages
Lost support, companionship, and mental pain and suffering for surviving families
Punitive Damages
Available for gross negligence — and easier to plead after Florida's 2026 Perlmutter decision
Insurance Tactics You May Face — and How We Answer Them
Insurers are businesses, and adjusters are trained to close claims for as little as possible. These are the tactics injured people in Palm Beach County see most — and each one has an answer.
Quick, Low Offers
An early check before the full extent of your injuries and future care is known
Recorded Statements
Friendly calls that lock in your account and look for words to use against you
Shifting Blame
Arguments that you share fault - under Florida’s 50% rule, every point matters
Gaps in Treatment
Missed or delayed appointments recast as proof you were not really hurt
Delay
Slow responses and repeated document requests while bills and pressure build
Disputed Causation
Claims that your injuries came from something other than this accident
Social Media Review
Photos and posts taken out of context to minimize your injuries
Broad Releases
Settlement papers that end every claim - sign nothing before a lawyer reviews it
The most important thing to know: the defense starts building its case before you have spoken to an attorney. Shiner Law Group levels this from day one. Call (561) 368-3363 before giving anyone a statement.
Shiner Law Group — $500M+ Recovered for Injured Floridians
That figure is the aggregate of recoveries across our Florida practice since 2002. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes — what matters is how your case is investigated, valued, and pressed.
across Florida
since our founding
4.9-star average
Why Injured Floridians Choose Shiner Law Group
Real Case Valuation
We calculate all damages — current and future, economic and non-economic — not just the obvious bills. No element of your claim is left on the table.
Leverage That Works
We counter delay tactics and lowball offers with evidence, expert analysis, and the credible threat of trial.
Statewide Presence
Offices across Florida — Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Wellington & Orlando — with home and hospital visits anywhere in the state.
No Win, No Fee
Zero upfront cost, no retainer, no consultation fee. Our fee comes from the recovery, so our incentive matches yours.
David Shiner has represented injury victims throughout Florida since 2002, and his firm has recovered more than $500 million for injured clients and their families. Every case is handled on a strict No Win, No Fee basis. Call (561) 368-3363 for a free, confidential consultation.
Our West Palm Beach Office — Serving All of Palm Beach County
Our West Palm Beach office is just east of I-95 on Belvedere Road — minutes from the airport, the county courthouse, and downtown — and home and hospital visits are available throughout Palm Beach County. Call (561) 368-3363, available 24/7.
After an Injury in West Palm Beach: Where to Turn
The practical questions come first — where the seriously injured are treated, where your report lives, and where your case will actually be decided. Local answers:
St. Mary's Medical Center
Home to the area's Level I trauma center and the Palm Beach Children's Hospital, on 45th Street — where the county's most serious injuries are taken. If your injuries are severe, this is likely where treatment starts, and where the records that anchor your case begin.
Good Samaritan Medical Center
The downtown hospital on Flagler Drive at the waterfront — minutes from Clematis Street, Rosemary Square, and the island. Emergency care close to where downtown injuries happen.
Palm Beach County Courthouse
County injury lawsuits are filed and tried at the main courthouse on N. Dixie Highway in downtown West Palm Beach — minutes from our Belvedere Road office. Your case stays local, before local judges and juries.
Getting Your Crash Report
Florida traffic crash reports are available through the FLHSMV crash portal, and remain confidential to the parties involved for 60 days under Florida law. We obtain and analyze yours as part of every case — at no cost to you.
West Palm Beach Drunk Driving Questions Answered
What should I do in the first 24 hours after a West Palm Beach crash?+
How common are drunk driving crashes in Palm Beach County?+
Can I get punitive damages against a drunk driver?+
What if the drunk driver has little or no insurance?+
How much does a West Palm Beach drunk driving accident lawyer cost?+
How long do I have to file my claim in Florida?+
Do you actually handle cases in West Palm Beach, or refer them out?+
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Hit by a Drunk Driver in West Palm Beach?
Maximum Compensation. Zero Upfront Cost. 24/7 Availability.
Shiner Law Group has recovered more than $500 million for injured Floridians and their families. No Win, No Fee. Free consultation available right now, anywhere in Florida.