Toll-Free: (888) 830-8651
Phone: 954-476-1000
The short answer is: each driver pays for himself. Florida is a no-fault insurance state, meaning each driver's insurance company will pay for the policyholder's own damages. Since this requires all drivers to be able to pay their own way after an accident, a minimum amount of auto insurance is required by Florida law.
The main types of auto insurance coverage are:
Personal Injury Protection. All Florida drivers are required to have personal injury coverage, commonly called PIP. This covers your own injuries in the event of a car accident (as the other driver's PIP will cover his injuries), no matter who was at fault for the crash.
Bodily Injury. Bodily injury coverage is a way for drivers to pay the medical costs of another driver. In cases where the accident has caused serious bodily harm, a driver could sue you for causing the crash. If successful, you would pay his medical costs with your bodily injury coverage. It is important to note that Florida does not require people to have bodily injury insurance.
Uninsured Motorist. This type of coverage is popular in Florida, since bodily injury is not required. If an uninsured driver hits you and causes serious damage, they won't have the funds to pay for your injuries. In this case, your uninsured motorist policy pays your medical costs.
This system works well for minor collisions. But what happens if someone is seriously injured in the crash and requires weeks of rehabilitation-do they still have to pay for their own medical costs?
Even under Florida's no-fault system, crash victims may still seek damages from the other driver if they have suffered serious injuries as a result of the car accident. This may mean neck injuries, spinal trauma, head injuries, broken limbs, or any injury that causes daily pain or keeps the victim from returning to work.
As trusted Tampa personal injury attorneys, we know that drivers rarely intend to cause accidents. The problem is the tiny mistakes that lead to a crash can mean big consequences for the innocent passengers on the road. We don't believe victims should be forced to pay for injuries that were not their fault-and thankfully, the law doesn't think so either.
If you have been injured in a car accident, we are Tampa car accident attornerys that can get you the help you need to recover. Call Chalik & Chalik today at 888-539-5297 for a free consultation.
