Plant City, Florida, is a perfect place to visit or live. It is near Tampa and Lakeland and is the home of many attractions included on the National Register of Historic Places. The current population hovers around 40,000. It can also be dangerous for car accidents as highways and byways crisscross the area. Interstate US-4 runs along the northern border and parallel to U.S. Route 92, which bisects the small suburb.
Suppose you or a family member has injuries from an accident that are not fully compensated under PIP and PDL. In that case, a car accident lawyer from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can help you seek compensation to cover your losses.
Understanding No-Fault Coverage For A Car Accident
Florida follows no-fault laws for auto insurance. Drivers must carry minimum personal injury protection (PIP) and personal damage liability (PDL) coverage. PIP and PDL minimums are $10,000 each under Florida Statutes § 627.7407.
When you have an accident, your insurance pays for medical expenses under PIP and property losses under PDL, regardless of who caused the accident. In many accidents, these amounts are inadequate to cover the costs of a severe injury or considerable damage to your vehicle.
Beyond PIP And PDL
PIP and PDL are typically sufficient to restore your vehicle and cover medical costs for injuries when you have a minor collision. When your losses exceed the minimum allowances of PIP and PDL, you shouldn’t have to bear that financial burden.
When a collision is severe and wasn’t your fault (or was only partially your fault), you can seek compensation from the at-fault driver. Florida Statutes §768.81 provisions permit injured parties to seek coverage for their injuries via a personal injury lawsuit.
How A Plant City Car Accident Lawyer Can Help
While you decide whether to discuss your accident with a Plant City car accident lawyer, let us review the many benefits of having an attorney handle your accident claim.
You are trying to recover from your injuries which means doctor appointments, physical therapy, and possibly additional surgical procedures. Physical recovery can be challenging enough. It can be overwhelming when coupled with the financial burden of medical bills, household expenses, and an inability to work your regular job. A car accident lawyer will do all the legwork required to file your claim, including:
- Completing and filing necessary paperwork on your behalf
- Gather evidence and compile your claim
- Investigate the accident to determine fault
- Develop a financial needs assessment for you
- Provide advice and guidance
- Communicate with the insurance companies for you
In short, having a car accident attorney fighting for your compensation means you can concentrate on healing.
Recoverable Losses From A Car Accident
Once you have exhausted the funds from PIP and PDL, you may still be facing medical expenses and vehicle repair or replacement costs. These are often recoverable expenses, classified as economic and non-economic compensation.
Economic Compensation
Some of your expenses are direct costs that you wouldn’t have if the accident had never occurred. The costs of recovering from a severe car accident can quickly exceed the $10,000 allowed under the minimum PIP coverage. Some of the direct medical expenses you can recover are:
- Ambulance service
- Emergency room treatment
- Diagnostic testing
- Medications
- Medical devices, such as crutches and wheelchairs
- Follow-up doctor appointments
- Transportation to and from medical appointments and facilities
- Occupational and physical therapy services
- Household modifications, such as a wheelchair ramp and safety devices
You might receive compensation for lost wages, including bonuses and commissions, lost opportunities for promotion, pay raises, vacation, and sick time. Lost wages will also include projected future losses due to continuing medical treatment or an inability to perform at your previous level of employment.
No-fault insurance allows $10,000 under the minimum PDL coverage for property damage. That amount doesn’t go very far to repair or replace a vehicle in the current market. Suppose your property damage costs exceed the amount of PDL coverage. When that occurs, you may seek additional compensation to repair or replace your car.
Non-Economic Compensation
Non-economic compensation covers things that are not expenses but have a long-term impact on your life, such as mental anguish. Other areas of compensation under non-economic losses include:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium or companionship
- Loss of enjoyment
- Scarring
- Disfigurement
If your accident has caused you to stop doing things you enjoy, such as coaching your child’s sports ball team, that is considered a life-altering loss. If your injuries keep you from hiking after spending your life as an avid camper and hiker, that is also a loss for you. Non-economic losses do not have a direct monetary correlation. Still, a Plant City car accident can help place a valuation on them.
Understanding The Filing Time Limits For A Plant City Car Accident Lawsuit
Florida statute of limitation states you must file your lawsuit within four years per Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a). For a wrongful death due to a car accident, the statute of limitations is shortened to two years starting on the date of death per Per Florida Statutes § 95.11(4)(d).
With a Plant City car accident attorney, you can be sure that all the necessary paperwork will be submitted on time and following Florida’s filing time limits.
Determining Liability And Establishing Negligence For A Car Accident
With any accident, someone is usually to blame. In Florida, even if you are partially at fault, you may still seek compensation over your no-fault PIP and PDL coverage per Florida Statutes § 768.81.
To prove fault, you must establish the four elements of negligence:
- Duty of Care
- Breach of duty
- Causation
- Damages
All drivers have to follow the road rules (duty of care). A breach of duty occurs when a driver fails to obey traffic laws. If the breach results in an accident and causes damage to another, the driver can be considered negligent.
Our Plant City Car Accident Attorneys Can Help
When you need help, a Plant City car accident lawyer can provide assistance. The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine have experience evaluating car accidents and helping people like you. Our compassionate car accident team will fight to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact our office for your complimentary case evaluation.
We Can Help.
