Severe injuries from a collision, like a brain injury or spinal cord injury, could cost someone tens of thousands of dollars. Even less catastrophic injuries, like broken bones, might mean major medical bills and significant lost wages.
Insurance policies protecting your vehicle and the other vehicles involved in the crash will cover some of the cost that occupants incur due to an injury from a crash. Unlike other states with strictly fault-based insurance, Florida’s program involves no-fault coverage for personal injury protection.
Although this no-fault system will likely change in the next year after lawmakers passed reform bills, the current system will affect anyone who gets in a crash during 2021. Unfortunately, the no-fault system used for personal injury protection in Florida can leave someone hurt in a crash with bills even if they aren’t responsible for the collision.
Florida only requires $10,000 in personal injury protection
The first issue with the current insurance program in Florida is that the requirement for personal injury protection (PIP) coverage is only $10,000. Drivers can pay for additional PIP coverage, but not everyone does so.
This low PIP coverage amount has remained the same for decades, and most people recognize that $10,000 will not cover the trauma care necessary after a severe injury from a crash.
PIP only covers a portion of someone’s costs
If you only carry $10,000 worth of PIP and get into a crash, you will have to make a claim against your own policy even if the other driver is the one who caused the wreck. Your insurance company will reimburse you for lost wages and medical costs related to a covered injury.
However, they will only cover 80% of your medical costs. You will have to cover the other 20% yourself or seek compensation from the other driver to cover those additional expenses. The policy will also only cover 60% of your lost wages, and the combination of these two forms of coverage cannot exceed the PIP coverage amount your policy includes.
Navigating an insurance claim and dealing with the financial fallout of an injury from a car crash can be difficult to manage without support. Getting professional support with this process can help you avoid making mistakes with paperwork and maximize the compensation that you can seek.