Broken ribs are just one type of personal injury resulting from a car accident, but they can make it difficult to return to work or even breathe without pain.
Broken ribs can take months to heal and lead to serious complications later. If you or your loved one has broken ribs after being in a car accident, you may be eligible to seek compensation for those injuries.
A Gainesville broken ribs caused by a car accident lawyer can help you seek compensation for your injuries and financial losses. Contact the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine at 1-800-747-3733 to schedule a free consultation.
Car Collision Lawsuits
You can have a lot on your plate after an accident. If you or your family suffered broken ribs after being in an automotive accident, you may have a mounting pile of medical bills and repair costs.
When you file a lawsuit, you seek to receive money to pay for the accident’s financial consequences. You should not be responsible for paying for the losses when the other driver is at fault.
Your compensation amount should cover all the expenses related to the collision. Your legal team can help you calculate this sum to ensure you seek the reimbursement you need to recover.
Auto Insurance and Covered Losses
From the minute of impact, you started losing money. If the impact of the crash caused broken ribs, the damage to your vehicle would be just as bad.
Florida requires each driver to carry a minimum amount of car insurance. According to Florida Statutes § 324.021, each driver must have at least:
- $10,000 to cover the personal injury expenses of a single person.
- $20,000 to cover the personal injury expenses of two or more people.
- $10,000 to cover the expenses of property damage.
According to Florida Statutes § 324.023, a driver under the influence who causes an accident resulting in bodily injuries, such as broken ribs or death, will need to have even higher insurance requirements. Should they cause a second accident, they could be liable for coverage of $100,000 to $300,000.
These limits are for each accident and the protection of individuals on the road. After the accident, or when requested by law enforcement, drivers must show proof of having this minimum coverage.
If drivers do not have the state’s minimum coverage, they can face serious consequences, such as fines and suspended driving privileges. Drivers without coverage are uninsured drivers.
Florida is a no-fault state. This means that your auto insurance should cover your claim. However, your company may only pay for 80 percent of the covered losses when the other driver is responsible for the accident.
The at-fault driver’s insurance company should cover the remaining amount. However, if the driver is uninsured, you will need to seek reimbursement directly from the driver. Unfortunately, Florida has a large population of uninsured drivers.
Seeking Compensation
Whether the other driver has insurance or not, you will need to formally request payment for your losses. You also must notify the other driver’s insurance company (or the driver) of the amount needed to recover from the accident. Make sure to consider the following:
- Vehicle losses: You can request money to fix your damaged car, motorcycle, or other property. If the crash totaled vehicle is a complete loss, you may seek compensation for its value.
- Medical expenses: Your broken ribs need treatment for you to recover. You may have received medical care immediately following the crash. The accident or your broken ribs may have caused follow-up problems that required subsequent visits to medical professionals. Likewise, you may need treatment in the future, so you should account for these upcoming expenses in your lawsuit.
- Missed wages: If your accident occurred while on your way to work, you may have missed your shift and lost your earnings. You may have also missed work for several days, weeks, or months as you healed from the accident. Your injuries may also prevent you from returning to work in the future.
- Pain and suffering: Non-financial losses include the physical and mental anguish you or your family suffered from the car accident.
Your Gainesville broken ribs caused by a car accident lawyer can help you calculate these damage amounts for your lawsuit. The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine team goes the extra mile for you and your family. Give us a call at 1-800-747-3733 to review the losses you incurred from your car accident during a free consultation.
Responsive Legal Care
The driver and their insurance company will try to compensate you with the lowest amount possible. Because Florida is a no-fault state, the driver or their company may look for your insurance company to pay for your losses.
Likewise, the insurance company may use your immediate medical expenses as leverage for you to take their first offer instead of negotiating for the payment you deserve. You may be facing some of the following expenses because of your broken bones:
- Medication to deal with the pain
- Physical therapy to move without pain and maintain your health
- Surgery to repair the internal damage from the accident
- Living costs while you are out of work
- Transportation to and from medical facilities
- Vehicle repair or replacement costs
You have a limited time to act, as Florida generally allows four years to file a personal injury action under Florida Statutes § 95.11. A Gainesville broken ribs caused by a car accident lawyer can help you get started before your time runs out to file a lawsuit against the other driver.
The team at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine will go the extra mile for you. You worry about getting better. We take care of everything else. Call our team at 1-800-747-3733 to schedule a free consultation and start the legal process of seeking compensation.
We Can Help.
