Reviewed by Mike Redondo, Founding Attorney, Redondo Law, P.A. • Updated November 2026
Redondo Law helps people hurt in Key West and the Lower Keys. We handle car crashes on US-1, scooter and moped wrecks, pedestrian and bike injuries on Duval Street and around Old Town, boat and jet ski accidents, snorkel and dive trip injuries, falls at hotels and bars, cruise passenger injuries, and wrongful death. We help people who live and work in the Keys and visitors who came for vacation and went home hurt.
We take cases throughout Florida, including the Keys, and we can meet by phone or video. If your injuries keep you from traveling, we come to you. The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless we win. We answer the phone 24/7, and our staff is fully bilingual in English and Spanish.
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Roads and places in Key West and the Lower Keys
US-1, the Overseas Highway, is the only road into Key West. Places along it are marked by mile marker (MM), counting down to MM 0 in Key West. Coming from the north, drivers cross the Seven Mile Bridge, which runs from Knight’s Key in Marathon to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys. It carries one lane each way. A 2.2-mile section of the old bridge, from Marathon to Pigeon Key, is open only to people walking and biking. Past it, US-1 runs through Big Pine Key and the Lower Keys to Key West. Much of this road is one lane each way, and a single crash can close it for hours.
In Key West, Duval Street is the center of the action. Its bars and shops draw walkers, bikes, scooters and cars day and night. Key West International Airport, owned by Monroe County, brings in visitors daily, and many pick up rental cars there. Cruise ships dock at three spots: the Mallory Square dock, the Outer Mole Pier and Pier B. The Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail, a paved path for walkers and cyclists, runs alongside US-1 toward Key West.
Who handles crashes in Key West and the Lower Keys
Inside Key West city limits, the Key West Police Department handles crashes. Outside the city, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office covers most areas, and the Florida Highway Patrol also works crashes on US-1. On the water, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard may respond. Our guide to getting a Florida Highway Patrol crash report explains the steps.
Hospitals and trauma care
The main hospital in the Lower Keys is Lower Keys Medical Center at 5900 College Road in Key West. The Middle Keys have Fishermen’s Community Hospital in Marathon. There is no trauma center anywhere in the Keys. When someone is badly hurt, Monroe County’s Trauma Star helicopter, run by county fire rescue and the Sheriff’s Office, often flies the patient to a trauma center on the mainland. Options include Jackson Memorial’s Ryder Trauma Center and HCA Florida Kendall Hospital. For your claim, this means your records may be at two or more hospitals, and air transport bills can be large.
Car crashes on US-1
The drive from the mainland to Key West is long, and much of it is two lanes. Drivers get impatient and pass when they should not. That causes head-on crashes, which are often deadly. Other common crashes include rear-end wrecks when traffic stops on bridges, drivers who drift while looking at the water, and wrecks at turns into shops and side streets. Many drivers are tourists who do not know the road. Some are tired. Some have been drinking.
Florida is a no-fault state. Your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage pays first, no matter who caused the crash. PIP pays up to $10,000. It covers 80% of medical bills and 60% of lost wages. You must get care within 14 days, and you may be limited to $2,500 unless a doctor finds an emergency medical condition. PIP is still the law in Florida in 2026. For serious injuries, you can also make a claim against the at-fault driver. Many Florida drivers carry little or no bodily injury coverage, so uninsured motorist coverage often matters.
Scooter, moped and rental injuries
Key West is full of rental scooters, mopeds, bikes and electric carts. They share narrow streets with cars, trucks and crowds. Crashes happen when drivers turn across a rider’s path, open a car door into traffic or follow too close. Some crashes happen because the rental company handed out a scooter with bad brakes, worn tires or broken lights.
Florida PIP generally does not cover people riding mopeds, scooters or motorcycles. If a car hits you while you are on one, your claim will usually be against the driver’s insurance and your own uninsured motorist coverage, if you have it. If you were in a rental car, the rental company, your own auto policy, a credit card benefit and the other driver’s insurer may all play a part. See our pages on e-bike and scooter accidents and rental car and tourist crashes.
Boat, jet ski, snorkel and dive trip injuries
Every day, people head out from Key West on sunset sails, party boats, fishing charters, jet ski tours and snorkel trips. Injuries come from careless operators, drinking, crowded decks, rough rides, propeller strikes and crews that lose track of swimmers. Anyone born on or after January 1, 1988, needs a Boating Safety Education ID Card to run a boat with 10 horsepower or more in Florida. It is a crime to operate a boat with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or higher.
An operator must report a boating accident by the quickest means possible if someone is hurt beyond first aid, someone dies or disappears, or damage reaches $2,000 or more. The report goes to FWC, the county sheriff or the local police. Federal maritime law may apply to injuries on the water, and it can change deadlines and the rules of the case. Many tour companies ask you to sign a waiver. A waiver does not always end your claim. See our Miami boat accident lawyer page to learn more.
Pedestrians and cyclists
Key West is a walking town. Duval Street and the streets around it fill up at night as people move from bar to bar. Drivers hunting for parking and scooters weaving through traffic put walkers at risk. Many people also bike around the island or along the Overseas Heritage Trail. If a driver hit you while you were walking or biking, PIP may help pay your bills first. If the driver fled, uninsured motorist coverage may help.
Hotel, resort, pool and bar injuries
Hotels, guesthouses, rental homes and bars in Key West serve huge crowds. Falls happen on wet pool decks, slick tile, uneven sidewalks, broken stairs and dark walkways. In Florida, if you fall because of a hazard in a business, you must show the business knew about it or should have known about it. Photos, witness names and an incident report help prove that. Our Miami slip and fall lawyer page has more.
If you were attacked at a hotel, bar or rental property, the owner may be responsible for negligent security.
Cruise passengers hurt in Key West
Cruise passengers get hurt on the ship, on the gangway and on shore trips sold by the cruise line. A claim against a cruise line follows different rules than a normal Florida injury claim. Many cruise tickets require written notice within six months and a lawsuit within one year. Many also say where you must sue, often in federal court in Miami. Find your ticket contract and call us. Our Miami cruise ship injury lawyer page explains more.
Visitors who already went home
Most people hurt in Key West do not live there. You do not need to stay in Florida to bring a claim. Your case is usually filed in Florida, where the injury happened. We work with clients by phone, video and email, and we can request your records from Lower Keys Medical Center or a mainland trauma center for you.
What to do after an injury in Key West
- Call 911. Ask for police and medical help. Give the closest mile marker so help can find you.
- Get medical care the same day if you can. For car crashes, Florida PIP requires treatment within 14 days.
- Take photos of the scene, the vehicles or boat, your injuries and any hazard that caused your fall.
- Get names and phone numbers of witnesses, and ask the officer for the report number and agency name.
- Look for cameras at nearby shops, hotels, marinas and gas stations. Footage is often erased within days.
- Report the injury to the hotel, bar, rental company or charter operator, and ask for a copy of the report.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the other side’s insurance company.
- Call a lawyer before you sign anything or accept a check.
Florida law you should know
Deadline to sue: For most injury claims from accidents after March 24, 2023, you have 2 years to file a lawsuit. Wrongful death claims also have a 2-year deadline. Claims against the government: If a city, the county or a state agency caused your injury, you must give written notice before you sue, and the law caps how much you can collect (currently $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident). Shared fault: Florida uses modified comparative negligence. If you are more than 50% at fault, you cannot recover. If you are 50% or less at fault, your award goes down by your share. For example, if your damages are $100,000 and you are found 20% at fault, you could recover $80,000.
Working with Redondo Law
We work out of Miami and take cases throughout Florida. A lawsuit is filed where the case belongs. For an injury in Key West or the Lower Keys, that is usually Monroe County, which is part of the Sixteenth Judicial Circuit. Cruise and some maritime cases may belong in federal court instead.
Mike Redondo is licensed throughout Florida. Before founding Redondo Law in 2019, he spent six years at Holland & Knight defending major corporations in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases. Mike and his team give every case personal attention. Our team keeps you updated, answers your questions and handles the paperwork so you can focus on getting better. If you lost a family member, our wrongful death page explains who can bring a claim.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to come to your office?
No. We take cases throughout Florida, including Key West and the Lower Keys. We can meet by phone or video, and if your injuries keep you from traveling, we come to you.
I crashed a rented scooter in Key West. Who pays?
It depends on what caused the crash. If a driver hit you, their insurance and your own uninsured motorist coverage may pay. If the scooter was poorly kept, the rental company may be responsible. PIP usually does not cover scooter or moped riders, so the details matter.
I was hurt on a cruise that stopped in Key West. How long do I have?
Often not long. Many cruise tickets require written notice within six months and a lawsuit within one year, and they often say which court you must use. Call us as soon as you can and keep your ticket contract.
I live in another state. Can I handle my claim from home?
Yes. Most of our work with out-of-town clients happens by phone, video and email. Your case is usually filed in Florida, and you may not need to come back often, if at all, before trial.
How much does it cost to hire you?
The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless we win.
If you or someone you love was hurt in Key West or the Lower Keys, call us at (305) 908-6778. We answer 24/7, in English and Spanish. The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless we win.
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