Note (September 2026): This page previously described the late Marcus W. Viles as a current partner of Viles & Beckman; he died in 2023. That entry and several other firm details have been corrected against the firms’ own current information.
Fort Myers personal injury lawyers almost always work on contingency, so clients pay no attorney fee unless money is recovered. Under Florida law as of September 2026, most negligence claims must be filed within two years, and a claimant found more than 50% at fault recovers nothing. Verify any attorney with The Florida Bar before signing.
Important deadline: Florida changed its injury filing deadline in 2023. For most negligence claims arising after 24 March 2023, you now have two years from the date of the accident to file — not the four years many older guides still state. Missing that window usually ends the claim permanently, so speak to a lawyer early.
Key Takeaways
- Deadline: two years for most Florida negligence claims arising after 24 March 2023 (reduced from four by House Bill 837).
- Shared fault: Florida now uses modified comparative negligence — if you are found more than 50% at fault, you generally cannot recover damages. This bar does not apply to medical negligence claims.
- Cost: personal injury lawyers in Fort Myers almost always work on contingency, so you typically pay nothing unless they win.
- Choosing: ask about trial experience, who actually handles your file, and the fee percentage before you sign anything.
- The firms listed below are established personal injury practices serving Fort Myers and Lee County.
About this list: the firms below are long-standing personal injury practices operating in the Fort Myers area, compiled from publicly available information. They are presented in no particular order and this is not a ranked endorsement or a recommendation of one firm over another. Always do your own checks — including a licence check with The Florida Bar — before hiring any attorney.
A personal injury lawyer aids clients who have suffered injuries as a result of another party’s negligence or an accident. Claims may be made against individuals, businesses, or governmental bodies. You should look for the best personal injury lawyer in your area if you have been hurt and need assistance so that you may collect the compensation you are entitled to.Personal Injury Law Firms in Fort Myers
The firms below are established personal injury practices in the Fort Myers area, listed to give you a starting point for your own research. This is not a ranking, the order does not imply that one firm is better than another, and no firm has paid to appear here. The details come from each firm’s own public descriptions of its work. In this post, we will share with you the names and short descriptions of the best personal injury attorneys in Fort Myers, Florida.
Garvin Law Firm
The Garvin Law Firm assists clients in resolving personal injury disputes and is engaged in the Fort Myers metropolitan region. A father-son team with more than 35 years of litigation experience runs this firm. Comprehensive litigation services are offered to clients, and each case is evaluated to determine the appropriate level of compensation to seek before being brought before the parties accountable for paying out the compensation. The Garvin Law Firm handles cases involving frequently occurring accident types, including those involving bicycles, jet skis, cars, trucks, and motorcycles. It also deals with cases of medical malpractice. Although it normally settles out of court, it can also fight for favorable results.Viles & Beckman, LLC
A personal injury law firm that serves Fort Myers and the surrounding areas is called Viles & Beckman, LLC. It handles cases involving vehicle, truck, and motorcycle accidents and fights for the rights of people who have been injured as a result of driver negligence. Additionally, the firm’s team represents families seeking restitution for losing a family member in an accident by pursuing wrongful death lawsuits. Viles & Beckman, founded in 2005, says it has recovered more than $200 million for injury victims in settlements and verdicts (the firm’s own figure, as of September 2026). Co-founder Marcus W. Viles (1959-2023), described in earlier firm materials as board-certified in civil trial law, has died; the firm continues under co-founder Michael Beckman, with its main office in Fort Myers and a second office in Deerfield Beach.Bernardo Injury Law
For more than 30 years, Bernardo Injury Law has provided legal services to Fort Myers citizens. Joe Bernardo, the company’s founder, represents wrongful death and catastrophic injury clients. He handles wrongful death, slip-and-fall, and auto accident personal injury cases. Bernardo seeks to uphold the rights of his clients and secure just compensation for them. The National Association of Distinguished Counsel named him one of the nation’s top one percent in 2018.Cantor & Cantor Attorneys at Law
In the vicinity of Fort Myers, Cantor & Cantor Attorneys at Law represent both individuals and families. It aids those who have suffered personal injuries in pursuing restitution in a variety of accident situations, including car accidents, animal assaults, slips and falls on hazardous property, and injuries from defective consumer goods. It also deals with cases of fatal injury. The company also provides defense counsel for those facing criminal charges. Zachary Cantor, the firm’s founding attorney, was described as having over 15 years of legal experience and admission to practice in New York and New Jersey; as with any attorney, confirm current Florida Bar membership through The Florida Bar’s member directory before hiring.Daniels Law PA
A company called Daniels Law P.A. assists and counsels people in Fort Myers with legal matters. It assists injured people in filing a personal injury claim to recover damages for their losses and injuries from those who were at fault and their insurance providers. Theresa Daniels, one of its practitioners, decides if a client qualifies for a just payout covering lost wages, medical costs, and pain and suffering. She also handles situations regarding social security disability, family law, and probate. Daniels has also volunteered as a pro bono lawyer with Florida Rural Legal Services, according to the firm’s description.David M. Goldberg, P.A. Attorney at Law
Fort Myers-based David M. Goldberg, P.A. Attorney at Law is a company. In discussions and court proceedings involving personal injury cases, it represents damaged individuals. David M. Goldberg, the firm’s attorney, is a second-generation lawyer who has represented clients since 1998, according to the firm. He consults with people to develop a plan for interacting with insurance providers and getting just recompense. Additionally, Goldberg handles situations concerning homeowner hurricane or windstorm claim denials, personal bankruptcy, and injury to minors.Gunter Firm
The Gunter Firm (The Law Office of Jason L. Gunter, P.A.) is a Fort Myers-based litigation firm that, as of September 2026, describes itself as handling personal injury cases exclusively, with attorney Jason Gunter in private practice for nearly 18 years. It helps with a wide range of personal injury claims, including those involving dangerous products, medical errors, auto accidents, traumatic brain injuries, and workplace mishaps. The firm reports results including $6 million in a trucking accident case involving traumatic brain injuries and $3.5 million in a medical malpractice case that resulted in a wrongful death. The workforce of Gunter Firm is also multilingual.Kelleher Law
Clients in Fort Myers and the surrounding areas are served by Kelleher Law. It defends clients in personal injury lawsuits involving dog bites, slip & fall accidents, brain, spinal cord, burn, and back injuries, as well as wrongful death. Automobile accidents, premises responsibility, and workers’ compensation are some of the other issues discussed. Jim Kelleher, the firm’s founding attorney, has represented injury victims since 1984, according to the firm, which is more than four decades. He worked as a partner for Morgan & Morgan.Law Office of Joseph Michael Sette
The Law Office of Joseph Michael Sette is a business that specializes in personal injury lawsuits and has thirty years of experience. It has handled numerous cases including car accidents, dog attacks, product liability, workplace mishaps, and food poisoning. It offers individualized support and seeks to help victims get fair recompense for medical costs, financial losses, and general suffering. Residents of Fort Myers are helped by Joseph Michael Sette. One of The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 was named for him.Law Offices of Cavanaugh & Cavanaugh. P.A.
A law office in the Fort Myers region is called Law Offices of Cavanaugh & Cavanaugh, P.A. It advises people with personal injury matters such as car accidents, product liability claims, injuries on unsafe property, and disputes with uncooperative insurance companies. Family law and criminal defense cases are also taken up by the business. Daniel M. Cavanaugh, a partner at the firm, has over 25 years of trial expertise. Throughout his career, he has filed lawsuits against both corporations and political bodies.Parvey & Cavenago
Since 1990, Parvey & Cavenago has served the Fort Myers and Cape Coral area; as of September 2026 the firm lists its office on World Plaza Lane in Fort Myers. Its practice covers auto accidents, medical malpractice, nursing home neglect, negligent security, pharmacy errors, product liability, slip and fall cases, workers’ compensation, insurance bad faith and hurricane insurance claims, according to the firm. The firm’s attorneys have experience working on multi-million dollar catastrophic injury claims. Members of the neighborhood Rotary club include Carlos Cavenago III and Alan Parvey, and the business often donates to local charities and educational institutions.Scarmozzino King
Locals in Fort Myers and the neighboring areas are catered to by Scarmozzino King. The company defends the rights of people who have experienced personal injuries. Auto accidents, slips and falls, and wrongful death are some of the situations it handles. It also handles cases from other professional areas, such as family law, and criminal defense. Jason King, the firm’s legal counsel, spent 15 years as a litigation paralegal prior to completing law school. He has written books on legal subjects like personal injury and Florida legal ethics. If you live in Fort Myers or elsewhere in Lee County, treat the firms above as a starting point for your own research: compare several, and verify each attorney with The Florida Bar before signing anything.Florida Injury Law: What Fort Myers Claimants Need to Know
Knowing the rules before you call a lawyer puts you in a much stronger position. Three things changed or matter most in Florida.
You have two years to file, not four
House Bill 837, signed on 24 March 2023, cut the statute of limitations for general negligence claims from four years to two. The shorter deadline applies to causes of action accruing after that date. If you were hurt in a car accident, a slip and fall or a similar incident in Fort Myers, the clock is far tighter than older articles suggest. There are limited exceptions, which is precisely why an early consultation matters.
Being partly at fault can now bar your claim entirely
Florida used to follow pure comparative negligence, where you could recover damages reduced by your share of blame even if you were mostly responsible. HB 837 replaced that with modified comparative negligence: if you are found more than 50% at fault, you generally recover nothing. Importantly, this bar does not apply to medical negligence claims. This makes how fault is apportioned far more consequential than it used to be.
Florida is a no-fault state for car accidents
Florida requires drivers to carry personal injury protection, so your own policy covers initial medical costs regardless of who caused the crash. Claims against the at-fault driver generally become relevant for more serious injuries. Because the interaction between PIP and a liability claim is genuinely technical, this is one area where guessing is expensive.
What to Do After an Accident in Fort Myers
- Get medical attention immediately, even if you feel fine. Gaps in treatment are the single most common way injury claims get devalued.
- Report it. Call police for a traffic crash; report a fall to the property owner or manager and ask for an incident report.
- Photograph everything — vehicles, the scene, hazards, visible injuries — before anything is cleaned up or moved.
- Collect names and numbers for witnesses. They become much harder to trace later.
- Notify your own insurer, but be cautious giving a recorded statement to the other side’s adjuster before you have advice.
- Keep every document: bills, prescriptions, mileage to appointments, and days missed from work.
- Speak to a lawyer well before the two-year deadline. Most offer a free consultation.
How to Choose the Right Personal Injury Lawyer
Most firms will tell you they get results. These are the questions that actually separate them.
- Do you try cases? Some firms settle almost everything. If your case needs a courtroom, you want someone who has been in one.
- Who will handle my file day to day? The attorney in the advertisement is often not the person you deal with.
- What is your fee, and what comes out of my settlement? Contingency percentages vary, and case costs are separate from the fee.
- Have you handled cases like mine in Lee County? Local court and insurer experience genuinely matters.
- How will you keep me updated? Poor communication is the most common complaint clients have about injury lawyers.
How Much Do Fort Myers Injury Lawyers Charge?
Personal injury lawyers in Florida almost always work on a contingency fee, meaning their payment is a percentage of what they recover for you and you owe no attorney fee if the case fails. Percentages differ between firms and typically rise if a lawsuit has to be filed rather than settled beforehand. Case expenses — filing fees, medical records, expert witnesses — are usually handled separately from the fee itself. Ask for the fee agreement in writing and read exactly how costs are deducted before you sign.
Florida Injury Claim Deadlines at a Glance
Florida’s filing deadlines depend on the type of claim. The table below summarizes the main limitation periods in section 95.11 and section 768.28 of the Florida Statutes, as published in the 2026 edition. Exceptions exist, so an attorney should confirm the deadline for any specific case.
| Type of claim | Deadline under Florida law (as of September 2026) |
|---|---|
| General negligence (car crash, slip and fall, dog bite) | 2 years for claims arising after 24 March 2023 |
| Wrongful death | 2 years |
| Medical malpractice | 2 years from the incident or its discovery, and no later than 4 years from the incident (with an exception for young children) |
| Injury from a product’s design, manufacture, distribution or sale | 4 years |
| Claim against the state, a county or a city | Written notice within 3 years of the claim accruing (2 years for wrongful death) |
The two-year negligence deadline is the one that catches most Fort Myers claimants out, because many older guides still quote four years.
How Does Florida PIP Insurance Work After a Fort Myers Car Crash?
Florida personal injury protection (PIP) is the no-fault coverage every Florida driver must carry, and it pays part of the injured person’s own medical bills and lost income regardless of who caused the crash. According to section 627.736 of the 2026 Florida Statutes, PIP provides up to $10,000 in medical and disability benefits and a $5,000 death benefit.
- 80% of medical costs: PIP pays 80% of reasonable, medically necessary expenses up to the limit.
- 14-day rule: initial treatment must be received within 14 days of the accident for PIP medical benefits to apply.
- $2,500 cap: if a qualifying provider determines there was no emergency medical condition, medical benefits are limited to $2,500.
The 14-day rule is one reason prompt care matters; this site’s guide to medical treatment after a crash and your injury claim explains how treatment records shape a claim. For dealing with adjusters, see how to deal with insurance companies after a car accident.
What Else Did Florida’s HB 837 Tort Reform Change?
House Bill 837, approved by Governor Ron DeSantis on 24 March 2023, changed more than deadlines and fault rules. According to the Florida Senate’s bill summary, it also:
- Medical damages evidence: set standards for proving medical expenses in injury cases.
- Letters of protection: required disclosures when an injured person is treated under a letter of protection (an agreement to pay the provider out of any settlement).
- Insurance bad faith: set new standards for bad-faith claims against insurers.
- Negligent security: gave property owners a presumption against liability for third-party crimes if they substantially implement specified security measures.
- Attorney fees: created a rebuttable presumption that the lodestar fee is sufficient and reasonable in most civil actions where fees are awarded.
For a plain-language walkthrough of how a claim moves from injury to settlement, see decoding the personal injury claims process.
Can You Sue a Government Agency in Lee County?
Injury claims against a Florida government body, such as a county, a city or a state agency, are allowed but limited by sovereign immunity under section 768.28 of the Florida Statutes. As of the 2026 statutes, recovery is capped at $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident; any amount above those caps can be paid only by a further act of the Florida Legislature.
A written notice of claim must be presented to the agency within 3 years of the claim accruing (2 years for wrongful death). Claims against state agencies must also be presented to the Florida Department of Financial Services. These procedural steps are easy to miss, so early legal advice matters most in government cases.
How to Check a Fort Myers Law Firm Before You Sign
- Florida Bar status: every lawyer handling a Florida injury case must be a member in good standing of The Florida Bar. Search the Bar’s member directory for licence status and public discipline.
- Board certification: The Florida Bar runs its own board certification program, including civil trial law. A firm’s claim to certification can be checked in the same directory.
- Written fee agreement: Florida’s rules set limits on contingency percentages that vary with the stage the case reaches and the size of the recovery. Get the agreement in writing and read how costs are deducted.
- Reviews and results: treat advertised verdicts as the firm’s own claims. This guide to vetting an injury lawyer through online reviews explains what to look for.
For Florida claimants comparing options in other cities, this site also covers Gainesville personal injury lawyers.
Firm Details: What Was Rechecked and When
The firm profiles above were first compiled in June 2023 from each firm’s public descriptions. In September 2026, the details of Viles & Beckman, the Gunter Firm, Kelleher Law and Parvey & Cavenago were rechecked against those firms’ current websites and updated. The remaining profiles could not all be re-verified, so offices, attorneys and practice areas may have changed. Confirm details directly with a firm and through The Florida Bar before relying on them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in Florida?
For most negligence claims arising after 24 March 2023, two years from the date of the injury. This was reduced from four years by House Bill 837. Some claim types and circumstances differ, so confirm your specific deadline with an attorney.
What if I was partly to blame for the accident?
You can still recover damages, reduced by your share of fault — but if you are found more than 50% at fault you are generally barred from recovering anything. This bar does not apply to medical negligence claims.
How much does a personal injury lawyer cost in Fort Myers?
Almost all work on contingency, so you generally pay no attorney fee unless they recover money for you. The percentage varies by firm and usually increases if the case goes to litigation.
Do I need a lawyer for a minor injury claim?
Not always. For very minor damage with no lasting injury, dealing directly with the insurer may be reasonable. Once there are meaningful medical bills, missed work, disputed fault or a lasting injury, professional advice usually pays for itself.
How do I check whether a Fort Myers attorney is licensed?
Search the attorney’s name in The Florida Bar’s official member directory. It shows licence status and any public disciplinary history. Do this before signing with any firm.
How long does a personal injury case take in Florida?
Straightforward claims may settle in a few months. Cases involving serious injuries, disputed liability or litigation can run well over a year. Any lawyer promising a precise timeline at the outset is guessing.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Florida law changes and individual circumstances vary — consult a licensed Florida attorney about your specific situation. Legal details reflect Florida House Bill 837, signed 24 March 2023, and the 2026 Florida Statutes. Last updated: September 2026.
About the figures on this page: settlement and verdict amounts, awards and years of experience are as reported by the firms themselves and have not been independently verified. Past results do not guarantee or predict the outcome of any future case — every claim turns on its own facts. This article is general information about Florida injury claims, not legal advice; consult a licensed Florida attorney about your own situation.
Is Florida still a no-fault car insurance state?
Yes. As of the 2026 Florida Statutes, Florida still requires personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, which pays up to $10,000 in medical and disability benefits regardless of fault. A claim against the at-fault driver is generally possible for more serious injuries.
Do I have to see a doctor within 14 days after a car accident in Florida?
For PIP medical benefits, yes. Florida law requires initial treatment within 14 days of the accident for PIP to cover medical care. Seeing a doctor promptly also creates the medical record an injury claim depends on.
How long do I have to file a medical malpractice claim in Florida?
A Florida medical malpractice claim must generally be filed within 2 years of the incident or its discovery, and no later than 4 years after the incident, with a limited exception for young children. Because medical malpractice cases are technical, early legal advice matters.
What is the deadline for a wrongful death claim in Florida?
A Florida wrongful death action must generally be filed within 2 years. If the claim is against a government body, written notice must also be given within 2 years under section 768.28.
Can I sue Lee County or the City of Fort Myers for an injury?
Yes, but sovereign immunity limits recovery to $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident as of the 2026 Florida Statutes, and written notice of the claim must be given within 3 years.
