What Type of Insurance Coverage are Florida Drivers Required to Carry?
Florida requires that all drivers carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance as well as property damage coverage. These two, in combination, help to prevent financial devastation after an accident occurs. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s not enough. In many cases, the minimum coverage isn’t enough to cover all costs associated with the accident. For this reason, it’s important to hire an experienced car accident attorney who can help you recover damages for other losses.
What Can I Recover Damages for?
Car accident damages fall into three different categories, economic, non-economic, and punitive. Economic damages cover losses like medical bills, lost wages, costs for modifying one’s home (for a wheelchair or in-home care), ambulance trips, emergency care, and more.
Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering and are calculated by determining how much your quality of life has changed because of the accident. For example, those with severe injuries that will cause life-long damage and greatly affect their life will receive more in pain and suffering compensation than those with injuries that they’ll quickly recover from.
Punitive damages are rare but can be used as a way to further punish the at-fault driver and encourage them not to commit the act again. They’re used when a driver is grossly negligent in causing an accident. For example, punitive damages may be recovered if the at-fault driver was drunk when the accident occurred and they have a track record of drunk driving. Talk to your attorney to see if you think the at-fault driver acted with gross negligence.
Steps to Take After an Accident
After an accident occurs, many people feel a rush of adrenaline and anxiety. This is normal. The first thing you should do is self-evaluate your injuries. If your injuries are causing a lot of pain, don’t try to move on your own. If your injuries aren’t severe, stay at the scene and complete the following steps. Otherwise, call 911 and wait for the ambulance to arrive.
- Call the police and let them know you’ve been in an accident. They’ll send someone out to file a police report. A police report is a vital piece of evidence for your case, so don’t skip this step. Even if you’re not present at the scene, a police report will likely be filed.
- Take pictures and videos of all involved vehicles from multiple angles. Take pictures and videos of the surrounding scene.
- Talk to witnesses and collect their contact information. Encourage them to stick around and speak with the police.
After these steps have been completed, seek medical treatment even if you don’t believe you’re injured. Some injuries may be masked by adrenaline. Once you’ve received medical treatment, you should contact an experienced car accident attorney—like Osborne and Francis. By contacting a car accident attorney before the insurance company, you’ll be protected against slimy insurance tactics and won’t risk damaging your case.
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