Motor vehicle collisions come with a long list of consequences. You will end up late for wherever you were headed at the time of the crash. Your vehicle will probably require extensive repairs, if not replacements. You may suffer injuries that require medical treatment and might leave you off of work for several weeks.
Medical care and lost wages can strain your finances after a wreck. Who pays for the wages you don’t earn and the medical treatment you need if you get hurt in a car crash in Florida?
Currently, your own insurance policy is the first line of protection
Florida has a unique insurance system that combines liability-based property damage coverage with no-fault personal injury coverage. Every driver has to carry at least $10,000 worth of property damage liability that pays for damage they caused to other people’s possessions or vehicles.
Your policy will also have to have at least $10,000 worth of personal injury protection. This crucial coverage will reimburse you and any of your passengers for 80% of the medical expenses incurred because of a crash-related injury.
The more you usually earn, the worse your injuries and the longer you can’t work, the greater the risk is that $10,000 worth of personal injury protection will not be enough. What happens if you need more compensation than that?
You may need to make a supplemental insurance claim or a civil claim
Not everyone carries just the lowest and cheapest amount of car insurance possible. Quite a few drivers protect themselves against liability by buying additional coverage not mandated in state law.
If the other driver carries liability protection in case they cause injury to other people, you may be able to make a claim against that coverage after a wreck. You may also be able to make a supplemental claim against your own insurance policy if they don’t have liability coverage related to injuries but you carry underinsured driver protection.
If there aren’t additional forms of insurance coverage available, then the only other option to recoup your losses may be to file a civil lawsuit against the driver who caused the wreck. Learning more about how car insurance works in Florida can help you get the financial support you need after a motor vehicle crash.
