On Sunday, April 26, 2026, our team laced up their sneakers and joined hundreds of South Floridians in downtown Fort Lauderdale for the Move With MADD & MADD Dash Fort Lauderdale 5K. This year marked the 15th anniversary of the event — a milestone that made walking alongside fellow community members, law enforcement, families of victims, and supporters of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) feel especially meaningful.
For our firm, this wasn’t just a Sunday morning event. It was a chance to stand publicly with a cause we believe in deeply, and one that connects directly to the work we do every day for Florida car accident victims and their families.
Why MADD Matters to Payer Law
Drunk and impaired driving is one of the most heartbreaking categories of cases we handle. Every crash caused by an impaired driver is 100 percent preventable. That’s not a slogan — it’s the hard truth behind every client we’ve sat across from who lost a loved one or had their life turned upside down because someone else made the choice to get behind the wheel after drinking or using drugs.
Our firm has been a longtime supporter of MADD because their mission lines up with ours. They focus on prevention, education, and victim support. We focus on holding negligent drivers and their insurance companies accountable when prevention fails. Together, those efforts give Florida families a fighting chance — both at avoiding tragedy and at finding justice when it does happen.
After our team sponsored a MADD Walk Like MADD 5K at SeaWorld in 2024 to raise awareness about the risks of drunk driving in Central Florida, we wanted to keep that momentum going. The Fort Lauderdale event was the next natural step, especially given how many of our clients in Miami and across South Florida have been impacted by drunk drivers on I-95, the Turnpike, and local roads.
A Look at the 2026 Event
The 2026 Move With MADD & MADD Dash Fort Lauderdale 5K brought together runners, walkers, strollers, wheelchair athletes, and even a few four-legged friends in the Dog Walk category. The course wound through downtown Fort Lauderdale on a beautiful spring morning, and the crowd was as diverse as it was passionate.
Highlights of the day included:
- Opening ceremonies honoring victims of impaired driving and the families they left behind
- A pre-race warmup that got everyone loose and ready to move
- Live music, kids’ activities, vendor booths, and educational tables along the festival area
- Remarks from MADD Southeast Florida leadership, the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Lauderdale Police DUI Unit, and the Florida Highway Patrol
- Adult, Youth, Dog, and Volunteer divisions — making the event accessible to anyone who wanted to take part
Every dollar raised goes back into MADD Southeast Florida’s community education programs, victim support services, and youth prevention initiatives — all offered free of charge across South Florida. Watching kids learn about the dangers of impaired driving, seeing first responders mingling with the families they serve, and hearing the stories of survivors and surviving relatives is exactly why we keep showing up.
What Drunk Driving Looks Like in Florida
Florida consistently ranks among the worst states in the country for alcohol-related crashes. The Florida Crash Dashboard tracks these incidents in real time, and the numbers in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Orange Counties are sobering. Behind every data point is a real person — a parent, a child, a co-worker, a neighbor.
From a legal standpoint, victims of DUI accidents in Florida may be entitled to recover more than just economic losses. Florida law allows for punitive damages in cases involving gross negligence — which is often exactly what drunk driving represents. These damages are designed to punish the wrongdoer and discourage similar behavior in the future.
If you or a family member has been hit by an impaired driver, it’s important to act quickly. Florida has strict deadlines for filing personal injury claims, and evidence — like surveillance footage, witness memory, and blood alcohol records — can disappear or become harder to obtain as time passes. Our team can walk you through the steps to filing a Florida personal injury lawsuit so you understand what to expect.
A Big Thank You
Events like the MADD Dash don’t happen without an army of volunteers, sponsors, and organizers. A sincere thank you to:
- MADD Southeast Florida and the national MADD organization
- The Sheriff’s Foundation of Broward County for presenting the event
- Every law enforcement officer, EMT, and volunteer who lined the course
- The families who shared their stories — your courage is the reason this event has meaning
And to everyone who walked, ran, or donated this year: thank you for showing that South Florida cares. Every step taken on April 26 was a step toward a future with no more victims of impaired driving.
Hurt by a Drunk or Impaired Driver? It Pays To Call Payer.
If you or someone you love has been injured by a drunk or impaired driver in South Florida or Central Florida, you don’t have to navigate the aftermath alone. With 30 years of experience and more than $100 million recovered for accident victims, Payer Law Personal Injury Lawyers treats every client like family from day one through trial.
We offer free, no-obligation consultations, we’re available 24/7, and we offer services in Spanish. You’ll know exactly who your lawyer is from the moment you sign with us, and you’ll be able to reach them throughout your case.
Call us today at our Miami office at (305) 854-4442, or reach out through our website to schedule your free consultation. It Pays to Call Payer.
