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What is No-Fault Insurance and What Affect Does It Have in Car Collisions?

Florida is one of the most popular destinations in the United States. Although it is usually associated with Mickey Mouse and retirees, it has more to offer, whether you are looking for an adrenaline rush, laidback vacation, or some tan.

If you live in Florida and are involved in a car collision, you will hear about no-fault insurance during the investigation. But what is it, and how does it affect you?

A Florida accident attorney can best explain the implications of the state-wide policy on your property and injury claims.

States that enforce no-fault insurance laws, just like in Florida, the driver is required to file a claim with their respective insurer. The law does not make a distinction of who is to blame for the vehicle collision.

If you drive in Florida, you need to purchase a personal injury protection insurance or PIP. In 2017, there were more than 300,000 motor vehicle accidents in the state.

There are two main elements of no-fault laws:

  1. You can recover the losses from the road crash from your insurance company, regardless of who is to blame.
  2. Your options to sue the other party is severely limited.

The logic behind the no-fault insurance law is to speed up the process of insurance payment. Often, litigation will delay the payment until the court makes the ruling. Meanwhile, the injured party will need medical attention right away, which means immediate hospitalization and medication costs.

The victim needs to find other means of paying for treatment and therapy. The additional expenses will bury people in debt, especially those who are already stretched too thin with their budget.

In the United States, 12 states adopted the no-fault insurance policy. They are:

  1. Florida
  2. Utah
  3. Kansas
  4. Kentucky
  5. Michigan
  6. Massachusetts
  7. Pennsylvania
  8. New York
  9. North Dakota
  10. New Jersey
  11. Hawaii
  12. Minnesota

But what happens when you sustain an injury as a result of the road accident?

In most instances, the PIP will cover hospitalization and medication costs due to injuries arising from the accident. The coverage includes the expenses for the passengers, as well, even if the other occupants in the car do not have health insurance.

For injuries sustained by multiple occupants, the coverage amount varies. Typically, insurance companies only cover a certain amount. Once you cross that threshold, you can sue the other party to cover the cost of expenses.

No-Fault Insurance Thresholds

The threshold can express in two ways: verbal and monetary.

For instance, if the vehicular collision results in death, permanent disability, disfigurement, loss of limbs, and a lifetime of therapy, your injury is considered a verbal threshold.

In the monetary threshold, you need to exceed the maximum ceiling amount so you can go beyond the restrictions set by the no-fault laws.

With the help of a Florida accident attorney, you can sue the other party to shoulder the cost of healthcare expenses once the insurance company is out of the picture. You can also get the services of a lawyer if you have trouble with the insurance company paying up.

Some insurance companies will try to cheat policy owners of their rightful coverage. They will cite the terms and conditions, as well as some flimsy excuse, to give the injured driver the least amount possible.

You can always benefit from getting legal advice to map your next steps and maximize the value of your insurance in a no-fault state like Florida.

Steve Max
Steve Maxhttp://www.webzando.com/
A long time digital entrepreneur, Steve has been in digital marketing since 2010 and over the past decade he has built & executed innovative online strategies for leading companies in car insurance, retail shopping, professional sports and the movie & television industry.

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