Personal Injury Blog

If you've been injured in a car accident that was someone else's fault, you'd expect their insurance company to pay your medical bills. 

Indeed, you could get a settlement with the insurance company that includes reimbursement for your medical bills. But they're not going to write you a check every time you go to the doctor.

Any settlement from an insurance company would only come AFTER you're mostly recovered, no matter how clear it is that someone else is at fault for causing the accident.

So, how do you pay your medical bills before you get a settlement? In Florida, you start with your own auto insurance policy.

If you've been injured in a car accident that was someone else's fault, you should hire a car accident lawyer as soon as possible.

Being injured in even a minor way makes for a difficult and stressful situation. Your health is the most important thing in the world. It's the one thing that, if you don't have it, nothing else matters. What good is money and the things it can buy if you're not physically well?

Getting healthy after being injured in a car accident is of the utmost importance. It could take multiple doctor's visits, physical therapy, and medication to do that. You'll need to get the insurance company of the driver that caused the accident to pay for your medical bills as well as reimburse you for pain and suffering and pay for repairs to your vehicle. 

Dealing with insurance companies and getting the results you need can be a challenge. You may not be able to get everything you're entitled to by working with them on your own. An attorney who's experienced with car accident and personal injury cases could help you get what you deserve. They will know how to establish negligence and document evidence that supports your case.

We all hope that we never get into a car accident, but most of us will be involved in one at some point. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are about 6 million car accidents every year in the United States.

If and when it happens to you, it will be a stressful event and you will likely have a million concerns and questions going through your mind. You may feel confused and have a hard time thinking logically, so here are five things you should do following a car accident:

1. Don't leave the scene of the accident.

You're not supposed to leave the scene of an accident even if it's just a fender bender. If you hit someone else and leave, that's considered a hit and run, which is a felony in states like Florida. Whether you're at fault or not, you need to stay at the scene of the accident until the police come.

If you've been injured in an accident that was someone else's fault, you'll want to be reimbursed for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. That's only fair. But how long will it take? 

It's not possible to say exactly how long it will take to settle your personal injury claim because every case is different. Some can be settled within 3-4 months. Others take years.

The time it takes to settle your case will depend on how long it takes for you to complete medical treatment, how the insurance company deals with your case, and whether you want to settle fast for less money or hold out for a fair settlement.

It shouldn't cost you anything to hire a personal injury attorney, not out of your pocket anyway. However, they're not free either.

Most personal injury lawyers charges what's called a contingency fee. That means that they're paid contingent upon getting you a settlement. When your personal injury case is settled and you are paid by the insurance company, your attorney gets a percentage of that settlement money.

Using a contingency fee is great because it saves you from having to spend cash up front, and it gives your lawyer the incentive to work towards getting you the biggest settlement.

How Much of the Settlement Does Your Lawyer Get?

If you've been injured in an accident that wasn't your fault, you'll want the responsible party's insurance to reimburse you for the financial burden the accident caused you. The costs associated with an accident, including medical bills, property damage, and lost wages, can add up to many thousands of dollars.

So, how do you get an insurance company to reimburse you after one of their policyholders caused you injury? Let's take a look.

Start at the Scene of the Accident

To put the odds of getting a fair settlement in your favor, you should collect relevant evidence at the scene of the accident. If it's a car accident, get the other driver's insurance information, take pictures of the accident, and get a copy of the police report. And don't admit fault to the other driver or the police. 

See a Doctor Immediately

If you're injured after an accident, even in a very minor way, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. You may not be able to tell how badly you're injured at the time of the accident. Sometimes a seemingly-insignificant injury gets worse in the days and weeks after an accident, and failing to get prompt treatment can make it worse.

If you are injured in a car accident in Florida, you are responsible for paying for the treatment of your injuries even if the accident is another driver's fault. As such, every driver in the Sunshine State is required to have something called Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance, also known as “no-fault” insurance, that pays for injuries you receive in a car accident no matter who is at fault for causing the accident.

According to Florida's Office of Insurance Regulation, the intention of the PIP requirement is “to provide injured drivers up to $10,000 in immediate medical coverage in lieu of establishing fault through the court system. The goal was to reduce payment delay for injured drivers, as well as limit the utilization of the court system.”

What Does PIP Cover?

Medical Costs

In Florida, 80% of the cost of your medical bills will be covered by PIP, up to $10,000. If the injury isn't an emergency, then you can only receive $2,500 worth of benefits. The medical expenses that PIP will cover include the costs of: