What is the Florida law on personal injury protection?
Florida Statute 627.736 states that there are required personal injury protection benefits that every owner of a motor vehicle in Florida is legally obligated to carry. Personal Injury Protection commonly referred to as PIP, will cover any injury regardless of whether you are at fault for an accident up to the limits of your policy.
Similarly, Property Damage Liability (PDL) will pay for dame done to another's personal property. Any vehicle registered in the state of Florida must be insured with both PIP and PDL insurance. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, the state's mandatory minimum is $10,000 for Personal Injury Protection and $10,000 in Property Damage Liability.
What is the PIP statute in Florida?
The statute for personal injury protection in Florida states that Florida is considered a no-fault state, meaning regardless of who caused the accident Personal Injury Protection will cover medical expenses as well as any other accident-related costs. This benefits the insurers since they spend less money on litigation in order to determine who is at fault and those who need medical care after a collision can have their claims paid quickly.
What is the Florida 14-day accident law?
The Florida 14-day PIP statute requires victims injured in a car accident to seek medical care within 14 days of an accident in order to receive Personal Injury Protection benefits. After this 14-day period, you can no longer claim compensation due to an injury from a traffic accident in Florida. The 14-day rule was instated to ensure that victims receive the medical attention necessary after an accident and to ensure that claims made in relation to a car crash are accurate.
It is important to note that the 14-day rule does not apply to the period of time a Personal Injury Protection Claim must be filed. Typically, an insurance company allows ample time to file a claim. The only time restrictions are that a police accident report must be completed within 10 days of the accident and medical attention must be sought within 14 days of the accident.
How does Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Work in Florida?
According to the Florida Statutes, PIP coverage will pay 80 percent of medical bills incurred due to a car accident up to the policy limit. It pays 60 percent of lost wages if the injured individual cannot work due to the accident. If a person required replacement services, PIP will pay for these losses up to 100 percent. Replacement services are used to outsource tasks a person would otherwise do themselves if not injured. This includes child care, household chores, and other duties that are deemed “reasonable”.
