- Who Pays My Medical Bills?
- What is PIP
- What about the 20% of my medical bills and 40% of lost
- Wages that PIP does not cover?
- Can I Recover from the Other Driver for My Injuries?
- Who Pays for My Property Damage?
- What if the Defendant Does Not Have Insurance?
- What Happens If I Do Not Have My O
- Who needs Insurance?
- Do I Have to Pay in Advance to Hire an Attorney in Auto Accident Cases?
1. Who Pays My Medical Bills: Florida’s “No-Fault” law provides that no matter who was at fault in an auto accident case, your auto insurance pays a set percentage of your medical bills and lost wages up to $10,000.00.
2. What is PIP? PIP stands for Personal Injury Protection. It is the required no-fault coverage that pays 80% of medical bills and 60% of lost wages up to $10,000.00.
3. What about the 20% of my medical bills and 40% of lost wages that PIP does not cover? There is a supplemental coverage that you can purchase called “Medical Payments” which pays the 20% that your basic PIP does not cover and extends past the $10,000.00 standard limit. Additional compensation for lost wages and medical bills may be obtained from the Defendant’s bodily injury liability coverage.
4. Can I Recover from the Other Driver for My Injuries? If the other driver was at fault and has bodily injury liability coverage, you can recover for unpaid medical bills and unpaid lost wages; you can recover for your pain and suffering if you suffer a permanent or significant injury.
5. Who Pays for My Property Damage? There are two different ways to collect for property damage to your vehicle. If you have collision coverage on your policy, you can go to your own insurance company (subject to your deductible), or you can make a recovery from the Defendant’s insurance company if he is liable. To assess the value of your vehicle in a total loss situation, you may wish to go to the following websites: Kelleybluebook.com or Edmunds.com.
6. What if the Defendant Does Not Have Insurance? If the Defendant does not have insurance, you can still collect for the property damage through your collision coverage, your medical bills and lost wages through your PIP coverage and permanent injuries, unpaid medical bills, and unpaid lost wages through your UM (uninsured motorist coverage).
7. What Happens If I Do Not Have My Own Insurance? If you do not have your own insurance and you do not own an operable motor vehicle, you can still collect from the PIP of the car that you were in at the time of the accident or if you were a pedestrian from the car that struck you.
8. Do I Have to Pay in Advance to Hire an Attorney in Auto Accident Cases? No. Most attorneys in Florida will accept these cases on a contingent fee basis, which means that you can hire an attorney without an outlay for fees or costs up front.
