What Should I do If I Have Been Injured in a Florida Car Accident?
One of the most common questions that our experienced Florida personal injury attorneys receive from our clients or prospective clients is, what should I do if I have been injured in a Florida car accident?. Given the insurance laws in Florida, the most important thing that you can do if you have been injured in a Florida car accident is to immediately seek medical treatment for your injuries. There is a strict window within which you must seek treatment in order to receive maximum compensation and coverage from insurance for your injuries. Keeping good records of all the symptoms that you experience, all the treatment that you receive and the expenses associated with that treatment is also extremely important. A failure to do so is something that an insurer will try to use against you if you file a claim with the negligent motorist’s insurance or your own insurance for compensation or a lawsuit for your injuries later on. Finally, seeking the help of an experienced Florida personal injury attorney as soon as possible after your accident is perhaps the most critical step to ensuring that you receive proper compensation for injuries you have suffered as a result of someone else’s negligence in a Florida car accident.
Seek Medical Treatment Immediately if You are in a Florida Car Accident
Seeking medical treatment immediately after you are injured is the most important thing you can do if you have suffered injuries in a Florida car accident. Sometimes clients or prospective clients tell us that they wanted to wait and see if their injuries would resolve with time. Others tell us that they were not certain whose insurance would cover treatment that they badly needed for their injuries and so they wanted to wait until after they had figured this out to obtain medical care for their injuries. However, this is never a good idea. The only one that benefits if you delay seeking treatment for injuries that you suffered in a motor vehicle accident is the insurance company.
Under Florida law, you have a window of two weeks after an accident has occurred to receive treatment for your injuries if you intend to file a claim with your own personal injury protection (PIP) insurer. This is an important deadline not to miss because, under Florida law, the first $10,000 in damages, including the expenses of medical treatment, will be covered by your PIP insurance coverage regardless of who was at fault in causing the accident. Although you have four years after the accident itself to file a lawsuit seeking compensation for your injuries, this 14–day window is important to make sure that you are able to receive the treatment that you need and have it paid for by the insurer that you are paying for PIP coverage. After all, this is the reason that we all have insurance, so that it is there when we need it.
If you take too long to seek medical treatment, the insurer for the driver that caused the accident in which you were injured may also try to claim that your injuries were as a result of a pre-existing condition that you suffered from before the accident. Therefore, seeking treatment as soon as possible after the accident is essential.
Keep Careful Records of Any Medical Treatment You Receive
Whatever your injuries are resulting from a Florida car accident, just as important to obtaining full compensation for your injuries is to ensure that you have a complete and accurate picture of the injuries that you suffered as well as the treatment that you received for those injuries. This will be key information when the time comes for you to file a claim with either the negligent motorist’s insurance or your own insurance and, if necessary, when you file a lawsuit related to your injuries and other damages as a result of a motor vehicle accident in which you were injured. Having detailed and accurate records of this information will ensure that, if it is necessary for you to give a statement to the insurance company or to give sworn testimony at deposition or at trial, then you will be fully prepared.
Seek the Assistance of An Experienced Florida Personal Injury Attorney
If you have been injured in a Florida car accident, in addition to the steps described above, it is equally important that you retain an experienced Florida personal injury attorney to assist you in receiving maximum compensation for your injuries suffered as a result of someone else’s negligence. At Schwed, Adams & McGinley, P.A. our experienced personal injury attorneys have more than 150 years of combined legal practice representing victims of all types of motor vehicle accidents in Florida. If you have been injured as a result of the actions of someone else on Florida’s roads, you have the right under Florida law to receive compensation for your injuries, including the payment of any medical treatment you need to undergo as a result of those injuries, compensation for your pain and suffering as a result of those injuries, and other damages. Therefore, if you, a family member or a loved one has been injured in a Florida car accident, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at Schwed, Adams & McGinley, P.A today at 877-694-6079 or contact@schwedlawfirm.com for a free consultation.