A car accident can be a stressful and scary time. If the accident isn’t your fault, you may have a lot of questions about what you should do next. Who pays for your medical care? Do you have to file a claim? Let’s take a look to see how Florida’s status as a no-fault state works when you’re in a car accident that is not your fault.
What is Personal Injury Protection Insurance?
First, let’s cover Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. Florida is known as a no-fault state, which means that no matter whose fault an accident is, your insurance will cover your medical costs. Everyone who owns a motor vehicle in the state of Florida is required to carry PIP insurance, which covers you and your passengers (as long as they don’t also own a vehicle) in the event of an accident — even if the crash is not your fault. Florida law requires all vehicle owners to carry a minimum of $10,000 PIP coverage, and it will cover up to 80 percent of your medical bills and up to 60 percent of lost wages.
What Does This Mean in the Event of an Accident?
If you get into an auto accident, your PIP coverage will come into play — not the PIP insurance of the other driver, even if, as we’ve said before, the crash was their fault. For injuries sustained in a car accident, you won’t have to wait for a police report and you won’t have to worry about determining fault before seeing a doctor and having the visit paid for.
In order for the PIP coverage to work, you must visit a medical provider within 14 days of your accident. Not only does this initiate the PIP coverage, but it will help you out in the long run medically as well.
Seeing a medical professional right away after a car accident is very important for your long-term health. Even if you intend to file a claim against the other party’s insurance company for injuries, it’s important to seek medical attention immediately following a car accident. A thorough medical exam can identify any injuries and get you on the path to better health right away. If you wait, problems that don’t seem to be that big of a deal initially can flare up and get worse, which can make treatment more difficult or prolonged.
Benefits of Seeing Car Accident Specialists
It’s also a good idea to see a medical care provider that often (or better yet, exclusively), treats patients who have been injured in auto accidents. They not only have the genuine expertise to recognize signs of injuries that other doctors might miss, but they know exactly what’s needed in these situations and can craft a personalized care plan to get patients back to good health.
Additionally, doctors who specialize in auto accident treatment know how to bill your PIP insurance (which is different from traditional medical insurance billing). The last thing you need after a car accident is trouble getting your claims paid.
If you’re in an auto accident and are worried about dealing with insurance if the accident isn’t your fault, see us today. We’ll get you back on track and can deal with your insurance worries so you don’t have to.
