Bradenton Auto Accident Attorneys
Every day, hundreds of car accidents occur along Florida roads. In 2013, there were over 300,000 traffic crashes in Florida involving more than half a million drivers. These crashes caused over 200,000 injuries and more than 2,000 deaths. Sadly, the vast number of car accidents are preventable and are caused by a driver’s negligence, recklessness or distracted driving. Across the state of Florida, the Bradenton auto accident attorneys help victims recover compensation for their medical expenses and other costs arising from their injuries.
Florida’s Complicated Automobile Accident Insurance Laws Explained by Knowledgeable Auto Accident Attorneys
Florida automobile accident laws combine a strange mix of “no-fault” and “fault-based” insurance systems that make it complicated and confusing when trying to figure out how to recover compensation for car accident injuries and from whom. First, there is Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage, which is supposed to pay benefits without regard to who was at fault in causing the accident. This makes receiving PIP benefits somewhat easier, since you do not have to prove the other driver’s negligence or fault in order to recover. The benefits available under PIP insurance are incomplete, however. First of all, PIP benefits only cover 80% of your medical expenses and 60% of your lost wages, up to a total of $10,000, so you may still suffer a significant loss and expense. To make matters worse, recent changes to the law bring down the total amount you can receive in PIP benefits from $10,000 down to only $2,500, unless you were seen and treated for an “emergency medical condition” within 14 days of the accident.
PIP coverage also severely limits your right to sue the other driver who caused the accident. In fact, the only times you can go after the negligent, “at-fault” driver is in one of the following circumstances:
- You suffered a significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function
- You suffered significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement
- You received a permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability
In these instances, the law does allow you to pursue a claim against the other driver for all of your medical expenses and lost wages, as well as other harm such as pain, suffering, mental anguish and inconvenience. If the other driver has bodily injury liability insurance, you may be facing the driver’s insurance company in your attempt to get compensation to cover your legal damages, either through a negotiated settlement or a jury verdict if a trial becomes necessary. However, about one-fourth of Florida drivers are uninsured. In this case, you may be able to pursue a claim for benefits under your uninsured motorist coverage. Be aware, however, that regardless of whether you go up against the other driver’s insurance company or your own, your interests and the insurance company’s interests are not the same. You want to be fully compensated for your injuries, while the insurer wants to pay as little as can get away with. You need a tough, effective Bradenton auto accident attorney on your side to make sure you get all the compensation that is due to you.
Experienced Legal Representation from Auto Accident Attorneys in Bradenton
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident in Bradenton or anywhere throughout the state of Florida, call our Bradenton auto accident attorneys for help. We will come to you, listen to your story, and provide you with a free evaluation of your case. If our Bradenton auto accident attorneys can’t get a recovery for you, you won’t owe us a thing. We also represent those involved in truck accidents, bicycle accidents, and motorcycle accidents. Call (877) ROMERO-1, or contact us online to schedule a consultation today.
