If someone tells you they’re living a completely stress-free life, they’re probably selling something. Life is stressful, it doesn’t matter who you are. There’s always something to worry about like being in an auto accident.
Did you know there are 19 car collisions reported daily in Ocala? This doesn’t necessarily mean you’re destined to be involved in a car accident, but the chance does exist. Knowing what to do after a Florida car accident is a great way of relieving some of your stress.
Familiarize Yourself With Florida Insurance Laws
Every state has at least one insurance law letting you know the minimum coverage requirements to stay legal. All drivers with registered vehicles must carry limited liability and PIP insurance.
Your limited liability policy covers damage you cause to someone else’s vehicle. Your PIP policy takes care of some of your medical expenses and lost wages. If you decide to go with full coverage auto insurance, above the state’s minimum requirements, damage to your vehicle is usually covered by your policy. Chances are, you’ve got the Sunshine State’s insurance requirements under control but what about the other rules?
No-Fault Insurance Rules
Florida is one of a few states following no-fault insurance laws. This doesn’t mean negligence isn’t a factor in a car accident, only it’s not relevant just yet. Everyone involved in the accident turns to their insurance provider. Yep, you’re filing a claim with your insurance even if you’re not responsible for causing the vehicle collision. What’s covered depends on your policies. Remember, if you only have limited liability your property damage isn’t covered.
Your PIP coverage handles your medical costs and any lost wages, up to 80% or the policy’s cap. Yep, regardless of your PIP coverage, you’re always going to be left with unpaid medical bills and unrecovered lost income, at least 20%. Don’t panic, you should be able to file a claim against the at-fault driver for your remaining damages.
Comparative Negligence Is Another State Insurance Law
The Sunshine State also goes along with comparative negligence rules. This lets more than one individual or entity be responsible for causing the same accident. Under comparative negligence guidelines, you can still file a compensation claim against the other driver as long as your percentage of fault isn’t over 50%. If your level of responsibility is 51% or higher, you’re stuck only filing a claim with your insurance provider.
Your compensation amount is going to be reduced by your percentage of fault. Yep, this can be disastrous especially if you’re dealing with extensive losses.
What to Do Immediately After a Florida Vehicle Accident
Florida’s various insurance laws can send your stress levels skyrocketing. You’re worried about what your policy covers, along with how comparative negligence is going to impact your potential settlement amount.
Before you start hyperventilating from stress, take a deep breath. Just by following a few steps you can start dealing with things like negligence and help protect your injury claim’s value.
Always Report a Traffic Accident
You’re not legally required to report every car collision. If injuries and fatalities aren’t present and property damage is minimal, you can probably drive away without any legal repercussions. However, just because something’s legal doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good idea. Failing to immediately report a vehicle collision can have disastrous effects on any potential personal injury claim.
Not only does this ensure you get an accurate copy of your accident report, but officials can investigate the scene while the evidence is fresh. This can go a long way toward limiting any potential liability that can lower your settlement amount.
Document Everything
While documenting the accident scene is a great way to help prove your injury claim, it shouldn’t take precedence over your health. If you have injuries, put them first. You can always fall back on your accident report.
However, if your injuries aren’t calling for immediate care, you can do a few things to help move your accident claim along. Grab your smartphone, you’re going to use the camera app. Take pictures of your vehicle damage. Do you have any non-serious visible injuries? Go ahead and take a few pictures to add to your medical file. Sometimes, pictures get the message across to insurance adjustors about your injuries better than a medical report.
Go ahead and get contact information from any eyewitness. Just don’t go into detail about the accident. You never know what witnesses may repeat back to insurance adjusters and you don’t want your words used to reduce your claim’s value. Don’t forget to look around for any surveillance and traffic cameras. The footage can be invaluable when you’re proving fault.
Take Care of Your Health
Even if you’re walking around just fine at the accident scene, don’t tell anyone you only have minor injuries. You may have internal injuries and these can take a while to become noticeable. If you start telling everyone you’re just fine, claiming more extensive injuries later on is going to be tough.
Wait to start discussing your health until after you’ve seen a healthcare provider. Even then, keep your health information private between you and your personal injury attorney. You can disclose this information when it’s time to file your accident claim.
Calculate Your Damages
Don’t forget you’re only claiming damages not covered by your insurance provider. Yep, this can complicate things a bit so take your time. Listing the same damage twice can be seen as a form of insurance fraud. Now you’ll really have something to stress over. Insurance fraud is a crime that can carry some serious penalties including potential jail time.
Grab your bills, receipts, and estimates to figure out your economic losses. You’re probably also going to claim non-economic losses like pain and suffering, and this can get complicated. Your personal injury attorney can use either the per diem or multiplier method to figure out your non-economic losses.
Eliminating Stress From Personal Injury Claims
You can’t get rid of all your stress after an accident, it takes time. However, you can limit any additional stress by partnering with an experienced Florida personal injury attorney.
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