Reviewed by Mike Redondo, Founding Attorney, Redondo Law, P.A. • Updated October 2026
Redondo Law helps people who were hurt in Sweetwater and around the FIU campus because someone else was careless. We help drivers and passengers in car and truck crashes, students and residents hit while walking, e-bike and scooter riders, shoppers hurt in parking lots and stores, and families who lost a loved one. If you need a Sweetwater personal injury lawyer, we can explain your options and deal with the insurance companies for you.
We are a Miami personal injury firm. Our only office is at 2828 Coral Way in Miami, and we serve clients across Miami-Dade County, including Sweetwater, the FIU area, Westchester, Doral and Tamiami. The consultation is free, you pay no fee unless we win, and our phones are answered 24/7. Our staff is fully bilingual in English and Spanish (Se habla español).
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Roads and places in Sweetwater and near FIU
Sweetwater is a small city in western Miami-Dade County, about 12 miles west of downtown Miami. It borders Doral to the north and Westchester to the south. SW 8th Street, also called the Tamiami Trail (US-41) and Calle Ocho, runs along the city’s southern edge. Florida’s Turnpike forms its western edge, and the Dolphin Expressway (SR 836) crosses the middle of the city. Since 2007, the Dolphin Expressway has continued west past the Turnpike to NW 137th Avenue.
SW 107th Avenue (State Road 985) is a major north-south road. It runs south from the Dolphin Expressway through Sweetwater toward Kendall. Dolphin Mall, near where the Turnpike meets the Dolphin Expressway, has been part of the City of Sweetwater since 2010. Its large lots and garages see cars and people on foot all day.
Florida International University’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus sits just south of the city, on the Tamiami Trail between SW 107th and SW 117th Avenues, in the University Park area of Westchester. Many FIU students live in apartments in Sweetwater and cross SW 8th Street near SW 109th Avenue to get to class. If you live on the south side of campus, see our Westchester personal injury lawyer page. For more on busy roads across the county, read our guide to major roads in Miami-Dade.
The Sweetwater Police Department handles most crashes and incidents on city streets. The Florida Highway Patrol usually handles crashes on the Turnpike and the Dolphin Expressway. On the FIU campus, the FIU Police Department may respond, and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office covers unincorporated areas nearby. HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, a Level I trauma center in Kendall, is one of the closer trauma centers. To get your report, see our guides to the Miami-Dade crash report and the Florida Highway Patrol crash report.
Car accidents on SW 8th Street, SW 107th Avenue and the expressways
Rear-end crashes in stop-and-go traffic on the Tamiami Trail, turning crashes at busy intersections on SW 107th Avenue, and merging crashes on the Turnpike and Dolphin Expressway ramps can all cause serious injuries. Afternoon rainstorms add more risk.
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: 80% of medical bills and 60% of lost wages. You must get medical care within 14 days. Without an emergency medical condition finding, PIP medical is limited to $2,500. If your injuries are serious and permanent, you may also have a claim against the at-fault driver. Our Miami car accident lawyer page explains more.
Florida does not require most drivers to carry bodily injury coverage, so the driver who hit you may have little or none. Your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage can fill that gap, and it can also help if the driver fled. Read how it works on our uninsured motorist page.
Truck crashes near Sweetwater and Doral
Doral, just north of Sweetwater, has many warehouses and freight businesses near Miami International Airport. Tractor-trailers, box trucks and delivery vans use the Turnpike, the Dolphin Expressway and SW 107th Avenue every day. If your crash happened closer to the warehouse district, see our Doral injury page too.
Truck cases often involve more than one party. The driver, the motor carrier, the truck owner, the company that loaded the cargo and the company that maintained the truck may all share the blame. Federal rules limit drivers to 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour window after 10 hours off duty, and electronic logging devices record those hours. That data can be lost if no one asks for it early. See our Miami truck accident lawyer page.
Pedestrian accidents involving FIU students
Students, staff and neighbors walk between Sweetwater apartments, bus stops and the FIU campus every day. SW 8th Street is a wide, busy road. Drivers turning at intersections or pulling out of apartment and shopping center lots may not see a person on foot, especially after dark.
If you were hit while walking, PIP usually still applies. Your own PIP pays first. If you have none, a resident relative’s policy may apply. If neither exists, the PIP of the vehicle that hit you may apply. If the driver fled, report it to police right away. See our Miami pedestrian accident lawyer page.
E-bike and scooter accidents around campus
Electric scooters and e-bikes are common at FIU, and many students ride them between campus and Sweetwater. Riders have almost no protection. A driver turning across their path, a car door opened in front of them or a broken stretch of pavement can cause broken bones and head injuries.
Insurance for scooter and e-bike riders can work differently than for people in cars, so it is important to sort out early which policies apply. Read more on our e-bike and scooter accident page.
Parking lot and slip and fall injuries at Dolphin Mall and local stores
Large shopping centers mean crowded lots, drivers backing out without looking and people walking between rows of cars. Parking lot crashes raise their own questions about who had the right of way and which insurance applies. See our parking lot accident page.
Inside stores and restaurants, spilled drinks, wet floors near entrances after a storm and loose mats can cause bad falls. Florida law sets a specific rule for falls caused by a spill or other substance on a business floor. You must show the business knew about it or should have known. For example, the spill was there long enough that staff should have found it, or the same problem kept happening.
What to do after an injury in Sweetwater or near FIU
- Call 911. Ask for police and medical help for anyone who is hurt.
- Get medical care right away. After a car crash, you must be seen within 14 days to use PIP.
- Take photos of the scene, the vehicles, the scooter or hazard, and your injuries.
- Get the names and phone numbers of witnesses, and ask for the report number.
- If you were hurt at a store, mall or apartment complex, report it to management and ask for a copy of the incident report.
- Ask in writing that video be kept. Many camera systems record over old footage within days.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer.
- Call us before you sign anything from an insurance company.
Florida law you should know
Most negligence claims from injuries on or after March 24, 2023 must be filed within 2 years, and a wrongful death claim must be filed within 2 years of the death. Claims against a government agency, such as a city, the county or a public university, require written notice first and have damage caps. Florida uses modified comparative negligence: if you are found more than 50% at fault, you generally recover nothing, and if you are 50% or less at fault, your recovery is reduced by your share. In a hypothetical case where you are found 20% at fault, your recovery would be reduced by 20%.
How working with a Miami-based firm works
We do not have an office in Sweetwater. Our only office is at 2828 Coral Way in Miami, a short drive east. You can meet with us by phone, by video or in person at the Miami office. If your injuries keep you from traveling, we come to you, at home or in the hospital. Students who move away after graduation can keep working with us by phone, video and email.
Lawsuits are filed in the county where the case belongs. Sweetwater is in Miami-Dade County, so most cases are filed in the 11th Judicial Circuit. Mike Redondo is the firm’s attorney, and he is licensed throughout Florida. Mike personally oversees every case. Before founding Redondo Law in 2019, he spent six years at Holland & Knight defending major corporations in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, so he knows how trucking companies and large property owners build a defense.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have an office in Sweetwater?
No. Our only office is at 2828 Coral Way in Miami. Clients in Sweetwater and the FIU area meet with us by phone, by video or at that office. If you cannot travel because of your injuries, we come to you.
I am an FIU student and was hit while walking to class. Who pays my medical bills?
Usually PIP pays first: your own policy, or if you have none, a policy owned by a relative you live with. If neither exists, the PIP of the car that hit you may apply. If the driver was at fault and your injuries are serious, you may also have a claim against that driver. We help sort out which policy applies.
Who investigates a crash in Sweetwater?
The Sweetwater Police Department handles most crashes on city streets. The Florida Highway Patrol usually handles crashes on the Turnpike and the Dolphin Expressway. The FIU Police Department or the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office may respond on campus or in nearby unincorporated areas.
I was hurt on an e-bike or scooter. Do I have a claim?
Maybe. If a driver or property owner caused the crash through carelessness, you may have a claim. Which insurance applies can be tricky for riders, and fault can be shared. Keep the scooter or bike, take photos and call us early so we can look for video.
How much does it cost to hire you?
The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless we win. Florida Bar rules limit contingency fees, and you will receive and sign a Statement of Client’s Rights before we begin.
If you or a loved one was hurt in Sweetwater, near FIU or anywhere in western Miami-Dade, we are ready to listen. Learn more about our Miami personal injury practice, or call (305) 908-6778 any time, day or night, for a free consultation.
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