Serving Miami, Florida
Property Damage & Injury Lawyer Serving Miami, Florida
Nearly half a million residents, tens of millions of visitors a year, and a city permit office with its own rules. Call about a property or injury claim in Miami.
Miami clients
A city on low ground with towers, a river and a lot of traffic
Miami sits on low ground between Biscayne Bay and the Everglades, and close to half a million people share its towers, streets and transit.
Brickell, Wynwood and Little Havana are neighborhoods of the City of Miami, so the city's building department and code compliance office handle permits and violations there. Coral Gables and South Miami are separate cities with their own departments. Miami-Dade's recertification rules say each municipality's building official has jurisdiction over permitting, inspections and recertifications, so the first practical question in many Miami matters is simply which office holds the file for your address.
Jimenez Legal is based in Coral Springs, in Broward County, and we represent clients across Florida in all Florida courts. We handle property damage and insurance claims, personal injury, HOA and condo disputes, construction and contract problems. We work on a contingency fee, so there is no fee unless we recover, and the first consultation is free.
Property damage & insurance claims
Property damage claims in a city of high-rises and flat ground
Miami's own climate page says the city has always been vulnerable to hurricanes, storm surge and flooding, and its building records reflect a city full of large structures.
The city's Resilience and Public Works department lists flood-prevention work in Allapattah, Auburndale, Brickell Bay Drive, Clemente, East Flagami, East Little Havana, Edgewater, Melrose, Shorecrest South and Southwest Wynwood, and residents report street flooding through 311. Storm history is measured in generations here. The 1926 Great Miami Hurricane came ashore near Palmetto Bay, about 10 miles south of downtown, and pushed a storm surge miles inland. Hurricane Andrew in 1992 made landfall as a Category 5 storm near SW 280 Street. If wind or water damaged your home or unit, the timing rules matter: Florida generally requires notice of a new hurricane or windstorm claim within one year of the date of loss.
Miami counts roughly 229,900 housing units against about 202,800 households. The city's Building Department lists building recertifications and unsafe-structure violations among its services, along with Phased Permitting for high-rise buildings and a same-day Walk-Thru Express for small residential projects. Under the county's rules, single-family homes and duplexes are excluded from recertification, while newer larger buildings are inspected at 25 years near the coast or 30 years elsewhere, then every 10 years. When a claim turns on a building's condition, permit and inspection records can help explain what was done and when, so we ask for them early.
Property damage claims → Hurricane claims → Condo and HOA insurance claims →
Miami at a glance
Local facts, with sources
Miami is an incorporated city and the seat of Miami-Dade County, governed by an elected mayor, five district commissioners and an appointed city manager.
About 487,000 people (ACS 2024 1-year estimate) Census Reporter, ACS 2024
About 229,900 housing units and 202,800 households (ACS 2024 1-year) Census Reporter, ACS 2024
$598,200 for owner-occupied homes (ACS 2024 1-year) Census Reporter, ACS 2024
Over 28 million visitors to Miami-Dade County in 2024 Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau
Personal injury
Injury claims where visitors, transit and crowded streets overlap
The county publishes its own crash data, and Miami's mix of residents and visitors shows up in it.
County roads and Vision Zero
Miami-Dade's Vision Zero program reports about 300 traffic deaths a year on county roads, thousands of serious injuries, and a high-injury network where pedestrians and cyclists face outsized risk. The stated goal is to end such deaths and injuries by 2040. Where and when a crash happened can matter.
Visitors from elsewhere
With more than 28 million visitors in 2024, many people hurt in Miami do not live here. That can raise practical questions: where the person is from, who owns the vehicle, which insurer responds, and how to keep a claim moving after the person has flown home.
Trolleys, Metrorail and transit stops
The city runs 12 trolley routes serving neighborhoods including Brickell, Coconut Grove, Little Havana and Wynwood, and Metrorail covers 25 miles including Miami International Airport. When someone is hurt near a stop or platform, we work out early who owned and maintained that spot.
Port, airport and hotel districts
PortMiami is described as the busiest cruise port in the world, and the airport and hotel areas around it draw heavy foot and vehicle traffic. After a fall or crash at a large property, we ask who owned and managed the space and what records, video and reports exist.
How we work with Miami clients
How we start a Miami matter
Call us or send the form on this page. We listen to what happened, tell you plainly whether we can help, and explain the contingency fee before anything is signed.
Talk with our teamOfficial Miami resources
Useful links for Miami residents
- City of Miami Building Department. Permits, inspections, building recertifications and unsafe-structure information for property inside city limits.
- City of Miami Code Compliance. How to report or respond to a city code violation, by phone, email or in person.
- City of Miami Hurricane Guide. The city's before, during and after guide, including how to look up your storm surge planning zone.
- Miami-Dade Emergency Management. County alerts, evacuation information and the readiness guide for hurricane season.
Miami questions
Straight answers for Miami residents.
Fees, deadlines and what to do after a loss or an injury.
Ask us about your situation ↗Which office handles permits and code violations at my Miami property?
If the property is inside the City of Miami, the city's Building Department handles permits and inspections, and Code Compliance handles violations (call 311 or 305-416-2087). Places outside city limits use another city or the county. Check the address before you call, because the wrong office cannot pull your file.
How do I find my storm surge planning zone?
The City of Miami's hurricane guide points residents to Miami-Dade County's zone lookup. The county's zones run from A to E and describe storm surge risk, not your flood insurance zone, so a home can sit in a low-risk surge zone and still have a separate flood-zone designation.
How long do I have to report a hurricane or windstorm claim?
Florida generally requires notice of a new hurricane or windstorm claim within one year of the date of loss. Report as early as you can, in writing, and keep a copy. If you are near that date or already past it, call us before doing anything else.
How quickly must my insurer respond after I report damage?
Insurers must generally pay or deny within 60 days after receiving notice of a claim. If your insurer has gone quiet, sent a partial payment you dispute, or denied without a clear reason, send us the letters and the policy and we will review where things stand.
What does it cost to talk to Jimenez Legal about a Miami claim?
The first consultation is free. We take cases on a contingency fee, which means no fee unless we recover. You can call us or use the form, and we serve clients across Florida even though our office is in Coral Springs.
Proof and further reading
Recent case results
Related case results
Case resultResidential Hurricane Claim: $300,000 (from $500)
We turned a $500 insurance payout into $300K for a homeowner after Hurricane Ian roof and water damage, just before jury trial.
Read the case →
Case resultResidential Hurricane Claim: $230,000 Recovered
We turned a year-long delay into a $230K payout for a homeowner after Hurricane Ian roof collapse, covering repairs and hardship damages.
Read the case →
Case resultMiami Car Accident: $50,000 Recovered
We secured $50K policy limits for a Miami Beach van driver hit in an intersection, no lawsuit needed, fast and fair resolution.
Read the case →