My Verizon Galaxy S3 broke. What are my options?

[AC Question]

My old S3 finally died with about 4 months left on a 2 year contract. What are my options? Can I buy a new unlocked phone and use it with Verizon? Should I ditch the contract altogether (i.e. pay a fee or just not this phone, since it's part of a family plan) and change carriers, which I've been meaning to do anyways? Or should I buy a new Verizon phone and possibly unlock it after my contract is over? Thanks!