The shock of your accident has worn off, and you are slowly recovering from your injuries. The medical bills are rolling in now, leaving you to wonder how fast the insurance provider will pay your medical expenses. Luckily, Florida is a “no-fault” car insurance state which speeds up the process, but you are still responsible for paying hospital bills as they occur. You are reimbursed for these costs with the economic damages in your car accident settlement.
John Fagan, Car Accident Attorney: We Make Insurance Companies Pay
In a no-fault system, each driver’s insurance policy covers their medical bills up to $10K and those of their passengers. No matter who is at fault for the car accident, your medical expenses are paid through the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) portion of your car insurance policy in Florida up to 10K. That means you may be reimbursed for past, present, and ongoing health care expenses sooner than someone who lives in an at-fault car insurance system where they may have to appeal a denied claim from the at-fault party’s insurance policy.
While most medical expenses are easily covered in car accident claims, an accident attorney can ensure all injury-related costs are included in the settlement amount, such as lost wages from missing work. Our firm can help you pursue non-economic damages such as the pain and suffering you may endure due to chronic pain caused by the car accident.
What If My Medical Expenses Exceed the No-Fault Limit?
Sometimes, the medical care required for serious and ongoing injuries goes beyond your own coverage for PIP, but this does not mean you cannot get paid for expenses beyond $10K. In order to do so, you can submit excess bills to your health insurance provider and these bills can be claimed against the person who caused the accident.
You may also file a liability lawsuit if your injuries are deemed “serious,” meaning they are permanent and cause significant disfigurement or damage to bodily functions. Traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries that cause partial or total paralysis are often involved in these liability cases.
How to Strengthen Your Car Accident Claim
You can speed up the process of reimbursement for medical expenses by taking a few steps, such as:
- Seek medical care immediately.
- Keep detailed notes about the injury and how it affects your everyday life.
- Document lost shifts, missed workdays due to the injury, and any job limitations it causes.
- Ask for a copy of your medical records and continue to compile documents from any medical professional you see, including specialists, physical therapists, and chiropractors.
- Do not provide a recorded statement until you speak with an attorney and/or they are present for the interview.
- Gather contact information from the other driver and witnesses of the car accident.
- File a police report.
Do not sign a settlement agreement without meeting with a car accident attorney. Injured victims often settle for far less than they are owed for the fallout from the car accident and may underestimate the lifetime cost of their injuries.
Contact Our Car Accident Lawyer in Central Florida
John Fagan and our skilled legal team can help you get your medical expenses covered as soon as possible after a car accident injury. Our practice is dedicated to helping accident victims, and it’s our mission to make insurance companies pay!
Our practice is dedicated to helping accident victims. If you ever need help with a legal problem or just want information on this subject, you can always reach our firm at 777-JOHN. We serve clients throughout Florida with our main office in Orange Park and consult offices in Palatka, Middleburg, Keystone, Starke, Gainesville, and Ocala.
